Modernizing old techniques

The vivid memory flooded James's mind like a cruel, recurring nightmare. It was the worst night of his life. He relived those memories every night. He would never be able to forget her face as she ran away, sacrificing him in the process.

The pain of Grace's betrayal, the searing hate, the overwhelming rage, and the disappointment all collided within him, each emotion taking its turn to stab at his heart. This scar ran deep and it would take him a long time to trust another person, even harder–another girl.

James laughed at the twist of Grace's meaning. It is often associated with qualities such as elegance, kindness, and goodwill and his dead ex-girlfriend was the exact opposite.

"Urgh, fuck those memories and emotions. Fuck her–no wait I don't want to fuck her anymore." James muttered to himself as he slowly got up. The sleeping bag was damp with cold sweat, and he groaned loudly. It was very annoying to dry something in the mountains–especially during winter.

[The same nightmare?]

James nodded at his teacher's voice and found a flat rock to spread his damp sleeping bag.

[If it were Mount Huaguo, I would've been able to help you. I'm not exactly known for mind-healing skills. Everything ... I endure it. You know ... like fuck Heavenly Immortals, fuck Buddha's hand, fuck the horse that tried to eat my peaches. In conclusion, you can't change what happened to you, but always remember that you should not be bothered by it. Look forward to the future, and find yourself a purpose.]

"Unfettered and free," James muttered in realization. His eyes widened as he listened to Wukong's speech.

[Exactly. Don't let those memories haunt you. Revert it and haunt it yourself for you are my disciple and heir. Don't ever forget that, otherwise Yours Truly will personally come down and whop your sorry little ass.]

"You're right, thanks. I guess my mind just couldn't cope with it for a while."

[Of course, I'm right. Now off you go to train Qi manipulation. I'm not satisfied with your level of control yet.]

"Got it." He answered with a bored expression. These days have been very routine and James started to itch for another hunt. Mornings were spent cultivating Qi control and expanding the limits of his Qi container. There was also no way for him to leave this monster-infested mountain range, especially not with a Phoenix roaming around. The isolation was slowly gnawing at his mental health and the only thing keeping him sane were the nightmares and Wukong's voice inside his mind.

James sat down and closed his eyes. He felt the familiar tug and followed it to his core. The core, once a mere speck of light, had expanded. It now felt as substantial as an apple, radiating a brilliant golden glow. He could feel the energy within, pulsating with vitality. Occasionally, a stream of fire would spiral around it, adding to the mesmerizing display of power.

It was a tangible manifestation of his growth, but that was not enough. Wukong wanted his core to reach the size of a basketball by the end of the month–fucking ridiculous, but he knew that it was achievable. His body, forged through grueling training and unwavering determination, had already become as tough as titanium. This was the result of the hellish training he had endured and would continue once the sun dipped below the horizon.

For now, he continued to spin his core manually and gather all the Qi essence in the air. It was similar to a spinning top, every time the rotation slowed, he was there to reinforce the spinning.

James once asked Wukong why the cultivation of Qi was so boring and monotone. He once read many Chinese cultivation-themed novels and the cultivating process seemed much more interesting.

Wukong berated him for being such a fool and that training Qi was like training the muscles. Repeated exercise coupled with good nutrition and a healthy amount of sleep and rest. Expanding his Qi pool and control was similar to that process.

While James understood the meaning behind his cultivation, he pondered if there was no better way of cultivating. The technique of spinning was introduced way before his time, during the first disaster and that's millennials behind the times.

It was 2024 for god's sake and not 4000 B.C.–there's got to be a better way.

James began to think of ways to modernize the outdated methods he was taught to use. He studied computer science before going on this trip, so he was familiar with problem-solving. 

James had an inherent drive to optimize things he deemed inefficient. He hated that some think that just because it works, all things are good. It may be so at first, but if other things are built on top of that foundation, then everything will crumble in due time.

Inside his mind, James replayed the memories of the Foundations of Qi cultivation. Everything in the world had two sides–if there was light, then darkness followed and if one was evil, then there must be good showing the difference. How could people appreciate kindness if the world only consisted of kindness? There must be a balance to all things. People who have seen the bad can only appreciate kindness because they have seen both sides. But in the end, one shall exist without the other–like two sides of the same coin.

Ying and Yang. That's right, Ying and Yang.

The core spinning technique was essentially there to combine the purest form of both forces–forming Immortal Qi. There was a delicate equilibrium and the technique he was using required him to lead the Qi to loop around certain Qi nodes inside his body, with each node purifying the Qi before it ultimately entered the core, combining the Ying and Yang of the Qi and creating Immortal Qi.

What if there was a way to automate that process? It was a question of whether his brain could handle a forced pathway calculation–essentially programming his body to automate the purification process–and then push it into the subconsciousness, making it a background process.

The human brain has come a long way, coupled with the fact that he was blessed to be a semi-immortal, all his physical features were enhanced–including his brain.

Wukong was intrigued by James's modernization concept for Qi cultivation. He found the idea of automating the cultivation quite innovative and practical. After all, Wukong had witnessed countless changes in the world over the centuries, and he understood the value of adaptation and efficiency.

[Your approach is interesting, my young disciple. The traditional methods are indeed rooted in the past, and the world has evolved significantly. Let's experiment with your idea. My method does not have any side effects, experiment all you want, the semi-immortal body should be able to handle that.]

James began to mentally blueprint his vision for a modernized Qi cultivation for himself. If this worked, then he could potentially grow stronger each second, not needing to actively sit down and cultivate.

James decided to start small. He focused on automating the core spinning process, as it was a fundamental aspect of Qi cultivation. He imagined a simple algorithm that would mimic the purification movement and loop it indefinitely. This algorithm would be implanted into his subconscious mind, much like installing software on a computer.

For several days, James dedicated himself to this new approach. He committed long hours to refine the program, making it more efficient and adaptable to his unique body. Just like a software developer debugging code, he fine-tuned the process, adjusting the speed and direction.

It was the end of the month, and James began to see promising results. His automated Qi cultivation program was becoming more efficient, and the core within him was gradually growing in size, even surpassing the basketball, reaching the size of a fitness ball.

[Heh, you've outdone yourself. I honestly did not think you would be able to make something like this. Mortals have come a long way since the last disaster.]

"I know, but honestly, I'm just too lazy and not made for sitting around half a day to just spin my core like a fucking hermit."

[Hah, you may have come a long way in terms of technology advancements, but you lots have no patience. I remember Cai Shen complaining about the short attention spans of his Blessed Ones. What a fucking retard.]

James could relate to that. He had not used much social media, but it always had a presence. Short videos and things like a ten-hour-long video centered around a potato chip weren't helping. Well, it was the internet–there are lots of good and bad stuff. Like Ying and Yang. 

With that last thought, James opened one of his cold boxes and took out some of the bird meat. He had already prepared a fire and some basic cooking equipment was already laid out on a towel next the the fire, ready to be used.

Today, he decided to make some Yakitori. James skillfully prepared the bird meat, skewered them, and proceeded to grill each side for about two to three minutes. He did not add any sauce, not that he had any, or condiments since it was already salted, and that was enough for him. He was not a picky eater.

He took a bite and knew it was done. Slightly chewy, but he dealt with it. It was good, and that was all he needed to survive for now.

James looked out in the far distance–something he always does when eating since there was not much to do. The sun dipped below the horizon, and the occasional distance howling and roars echoed throughout the mountain. He felt comfortably warm next to the fire despite the freezing temperatures.

He was not human anymore. James felt his heart and the Qi flow inside his body–all automated and smiled contently. He really was not human anymore.