Six years later Qi was growing up quickly as his father was obsessed with him doing better than himself. With all of his work to teach Qi he created a environment of learning for Qi along with a training regiment to strengthen his body as soon as possible . With Quan teaching Qi, from such a young age Qi learned he lived in the Red Dawn Kingdom; In the new Green valley County. Luck would have it his family lived on the outskirts of the region capital of Green Jade city a well defended area of the county.
Qi wasn't sure of his survival chance if he lived closer to the kingdoms intended area of expansion. As initially the red dawn kingdom had intended their expansion to a fertile land found beyond the Heavy mist mountains. They created the new county and sent Tens of thousands to settle the land; with everything was going well till about 50 years after the expansion began. One of the phenomena's of this world began and a Rift was formed attaching a small world to these fertile lands. This small world was connected to rats and created dungeons around the rift in Green Valley county acting as anchors to our world.
With the dungeons spewing out rat monsters and a world of rat men sending out thousands of problems a day; Red Dawn kingdom sent out an army to destroy every dungeon formed between Heavy Mist Gate and Green Jade city. This Effectively created a buffer between the new threat of Rat men for the Kingdom; but the new development of the county came to a stop as the constant fighting to keep the new threat back took its toll on the population making it stagnant.
The true problem the county troops faced was the potential of being swarmed after tiering out so great efforts were put into creating ways to even out the numbers. This lead to great developments in Golem creation and puppetry arts. Enabling Cultivators the ability to control a few puppets at a time even at the early stages of Qi Refining. Giving the county a chance to survive nearly another 150 years bringing the calendar to the present day.
Quan Just stepping into the fourth stage of Qi Refining could now control 2 puppets within a range just over 200 meters from himself. Allowing him to stay a safe distance away as his puppets fought or aiding him in looking after and planting spirit plants in the spirit fields he looked after. Quan didn't want Qi to follow him in his profession of Spirit planting as he himself only did it to support his family after he accepted his lack of potential in advancing far in his own cultivation. Having to start over again with a better refinement method later in life as lower grade cultivation methods impeded ones ability to break through bottle necks. Quan decided it was best to start a family when he became fifty years old and give the next generation a fighting chance to bring glory to the family.
Quan walks into the house and Looks at Qi sitting at a small desk studying. Qi is large for his age looking like he should be closer to nine years old instead of seven. This shows Qi is growing similarly to young masters of small cultivation families; as Quan uses cheap substitutes to replace the normal growth conditions of such families.
As the families use Sprit fruits and medicines to improve the spiritual growth of their members Quan makes Qi eat bowls of soul splitting pea's. To give Qi the Nutrition of Spiritual beast meat he feeds him spiritual insect powder and rat meat with spiritual energy. Most people wouldn't eat such food as it is seen as food to eat only in desperation as the taste is bad and can be easily cause food poisoning if not prepared right. Something QI learned with experience.
Quan: Qi How are your studies going?
Qi: Good father I have almost remembered all the basic runes and how to write them.
Quan: Good that will help you learn Artifact refining when the time comes. Also to help you prepare I'll have you go to the smithy tomorrow.
Qi: Smithy? what do you mean?
Quan: I got you an apprentice ship at the smithy near the outer walls north gate.
Qi: (well I'm glad he didn't decide to tell me "last minute", But I should have guessed this would happen he has talked a lot about me learning Artifact refinement. ) Is there anything I should get ready for tomorrow?
Quan: Yes you should prepare your spirit and learn to use your status magic to start true skills as they are more ingrained into your life path. With Status magic you wont waste as much time when trying to understand the deeper meanings of your technique's.
Qi: ... Status .. Magic?
Quan: Yes most kids aren't told about it as there spirit isn't strong enough to use it in fact some mortal adults never have the ability to use it. There are items created to check others status but it cost quite a bit to make such items. The church has such an item but it cost a spirit stone to use it and they also don't let anyone under Ten use it as they believe children should simply be children till that age. But training is more important as the path I got you on is similar to what the Great Families do with there children.
Qi: So you can use status magic?
Quan: Of course! I'm a cultivator our spirit is what sets us apart from mortals and martial artist.
Qi: What is your Stats?
[ Name: Bao Quan ]
[Qi Refining fourth stage]
[ Attributes Panel]
Strength 292
Agility 295
Constitution 290
Spirit 329
[Skills Panel]
Green Qi Strengthens Roots Technique - intermediate
Iron Palm technique - small success
Floating cloud step movement technique- intermediate
Red Dawn golem control technique - intermediate
Spirit rain technique - intermediate
Fertile earth technique- entry level
[Talents]
Spirit root - 4th class
Quan: Your Father is pretty impressive huh!
Qi: Yea ... So how much spirit does one need to use status magic?
Quan: Five spirit it will be a value you see in your mind when using Status. With all the peas I feed you maybe you can already use it?
Qi: I can use status... like almost everyone..
Quan: Already! I knew you would be able to use it before ten! Such a promising son! What are your Stats?
[ Name: Bao Qi ]
[Mortal]
[ Attributes Panel]
Strength 2.2
Agility 2.1
Constitution 2.6
Spirit 40
[Skills Panel]
Basic meditation (mortal) 412/500 small success
Reading and writing (mortal) 401/1000 great success - aids in comprehension of new skills and processing of knowledge
Poison Resistance (mortal) 132/200 intermediate - aids in resisting the effects of poison
[Talents]
Spirit root - 4th class (22/100)
Parallel processing 54/100 entry level
Qi: Umm (He didn't use decimals on stats so maybe I should leave them out too.Lets just tell him the attributes and say that spirit is 10). My Strength is 2 and...
Quan: Excellent! Your spirit is at the maximum level of the Mortal realm! That means you should be able to open your meridians early. Wait do you see anything under Talents for Cultivation?
Qi: O yes I have spirit root 4th class.
Quan: A 4th class spirit root you started with a stronger spirit root than your father!
Qi: What do you mean started with a stronger root?
Quan: Yes your Father was born with a 5th class spirit root however through certain techniques, spirit treasures and medicines you can strengthen your root.
Qi: Really?
Quan: Yes I'll have to teach you the Green Qi Strengthens Roots Technique. It's a mid level cultivation technique I was able to get from the magistrates office for merit I accumulated from my younger days fighting the rat men off and aiding in the quelling of dungeon breaks. However it generates energy most suitable for spirit farming. The reason I got is because it has the most cycles of all the cultivation techniques I could get.
Qi: Ahh I read about this if it's a mid level technique it has to have at least 48 cycles in it right.
Quan: Yes it has exactly 48 cycles in it meaning it just makes the criteria for a mid level technique.
Qi: So this technique can strengthen my root? Doesn't it make this technique powerful?
Quan: It's strengthening effect isn't large also the Government wants to strengthen the nation and promote the growth of spirit crops across the kingdom. The Qi created by the technique isn't ideal for attack keeping the practitioners from being too dangerous.
Qi: So does that mean instead of going to the smithy tomorrow you will be teaching me to open my meridians instead?
Quan: NO! You can learn the skills for both as learning the basics of forging will help you create puppets and golems a great skill for this County. Tonight I will show you how to begin feeling spirit Qi and how to use it to begin opening your meridians.
Qi: Alright (seems like I shouldn't have any skills yet as I shouldn't have known about Status my not so golden finger. Meaning I simply had a head start.)
Quan went to the bookshelf and grabbed a book on the body and its meridians. As he brought it back to Qi he opened it to a page with a diagram of the body and the placement of the meridians and asked.
Quan: Have you read this book on the meridians
Qi: Yes I remember reading that book
Quan: Can you picture this Diagram without having to look at this page?
Qi: Yes I can do that.
Quan: Let's go to your room and you can sit on your bed.
Qi quickly got up and went to his room swiftly sitting on his bed.
Quan: Alright now sit cross legged and place your hands like so.
Through his fathers instructions he was quickly placed in the lotus position.
Quan: Now close your eyes and empty your mind of distractions. Once done bring an image of yourself to mind and try to focus on what's inside. Once the image comes to mind attempt to locate your meridians.
Qi followed the instructions realizing this was similar to some meditative practices of the old world. This made it easy for him to capture the his image within his mind. Using this image and his knowledge of the meridians he was able to find them quickly.
Qi: I Found them!
Quan: (So Fast!) Good! now hear take this spirit stone and attempt to connect with the energy inside. Once you feel the energy, attempt to pull it into your body towards your meridians this spirit qi will strengthen and open your meridians. You can use this stone till its empty then you will have to feel for the energy in the air around you and pull that into yourself.
Qi: Yes father.
Quan: Good once you manage to open your first few meridians let me know. Also here is a key for the chest by the book shelf it has the cultivation techniques I've collected inside. When you have extra time read through them and try to comprehend them it should make it easier to practice them once your meridians are open.
Qi: Thank you I'll do my best to open my meridians and study the cultivation technique.
Quan: IF you can open your first meridian in less than a year you will be ahead of many of your peers. Even ahead of the children one will find from the cultivation families in the outer city.
Qi: How about the great families in the inner city dad? When do they usually have their meridians open by?
Quan: Many of the greater families can get all their meridians open by the early age of 13 but they have many elixir's and medicine to aid their growth. You do have a head start with increasing your spirit so quickly having a divine soul at birth. Most kids don't get to the necessary soul power of the mortal realm so early. Ten giving the ability to start sensing for spirit energy. I did think I would have to teach you some basic skills in the mortal realm to strengthen your spirit; but that is unnecessary if you can sense the energy in the stone.
Qi: There are mortal skills that can strengthen your stats?
Quan: Of course there are such skills usually used by mortals to strengthen their body over their spirit. People without a spirit root can use blood qi to empower themselves but you don't need to go the harder route. As you have a spirit root however I do have such books on the book shelf incase you were born with out a root. Simply concentrating on your studies and some books on mortal meditation practices can strengthen your spirt as well so if you are struggling to sense the energy you can use these books to strengthen your spirit. With your new status you should be able to form skills with these.
Qi: Is there any perk for strengthening the body as a cultivator?
Quan: No spirit qi is the life force of the world and will strengthen your body when it travels through your meridians. This is the main reason Qi cultivators are stronger than Martial artist. Being able to absorb energy from around us instead of needing medicines and food rich in Blood qi; it is simply easier for Cultivators to strengthen themselves even when poor.
Qi: I understand.
Quan: Good now try to sense the energy in that spirit stone. Don't stay up too late though as I still expect you to head to the smithy tomorrow to aid in a future of crafting as the need for artifacts and puppets are always high.
Qi nodded his head in understanding as Quan left the room. Quan happy his son was obedient and hopping his son could make a name for himself as a artifact crafter in the future. As an artifact crafter was more prestigious and could make more money than a simple spirit farmer.
Qi got comfortable and started meditating again to try and sense the energy in the stone. With his strong spirit buffed by a high start, strong skills and healthy portions of peas since a young age Qi didn't take long to sense the spirit qi in the stone. So Qi started to pull the energy into his first meridian. After a couple hours Qi stopped and sensed his first meridian was making some progress and could probably be opened within a month if he could keep using the spirit stone.
Qi: (This must be the spirit qi my father told me about. I don't know if I should open my first meridian too quickly though. Perhaps I should sense the energy in the world around me and use that to strengthen myself and save this spirit stone. The speed that I can pull out the energy of the stone I Should have my first meridian open by the time this first stone is drained.)
With this in mind Qi hid the spirit stone in a loose floor board under his bed he found when he was younger. With a satisfied nod Qi turned into bed sad his golden finger was a bust but comforted he had a big head start on others for Skills. He thought about how his first day of learning at the smithy would go tomorrow as he fell asleep.