19 REFINING QI

Alex had his eyes wide open. He knew that this world was filled with wonders but seeing the wonders that defy physics baffled him.

'Am I seeing things? His hand is moving very slow. How is it producing after images?' Alex tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

He focused profusely on Camron's hand and actions. He saw little ripples form in the air, like his hand was in water, moving back and forth.

"This is a martial Skill!? This amazing, can you teach it to me?"

Camron blushed after seeing Alex's reaction, Alex looked like a little kid that had just seen something he liked. He dropped his head because he felt embarrassed and had trouble maintaining eye contact with Alex's childish looks.

"I-I-I can if you want me to." He stammered a bit.

'Wait why am I feeling embarrassed?' Camron thought to himself.

Alex chuckled. This feeling of excitement, he only felt when he was about to eat food that he liked. This martial skill gave him that same feeling, if not more. Alex grinned and did something unexpected, even to himself.

He made a fist and sent it towards Camron. He stopped his thrust a few centimeters away from Camron and said.

"This is a step to me acknowledging you. Bump your fist with mine." He said still smiling like a little kid.

Camron at first was startled at his actions. Looking at Alex now, Camron could see a bit of his nature.

'His actions at the moment, portrays his childishness. Even if he is arrogant and bipolar, looking at his features now, I can't help but want to show him more things that could make him smile more like this.' He smiled at Alex.

A light 'Thud' sound came after they bumped their fists together.

'I feel like I just got myself a little brother.' Camron laughed after that thought.

"Let us go back to what we were doing. As an Origin realm cultivator, surely you feel that there is something in the atmosphere that invigorates you, right?"

"Yeah, I do. I walked around in the forest for over six hours and I didn't feel tired at all. It was like, as long as I could breathe, then I could walk around for days, without rest." Alex replied.

"It is the QI in the air that has been invigorating you. Do you know how cultivators are able to identify another cultivator's level?"

"No, how?"

"I thought so. Within every cultivator, there is a reserve, a space that can store QI and refine QI, making it pure. Then it supplies the body with that QI. Every realm has a different size of the reserve. The reserve is commonly known as the Core.

As you already know, there are nine ranks in every cultivation realm. There are also nine layers in every core, regardless of the cultivation realm. Whatever layer you QI lies, is the rank that you are in. People with cultivation that is higher than yours are able to take a peep into your core. It is a disrespectful thing to do though, probing at someone's secret."

Alex closed his eyes and searched through his insides for the so-called core that Camron just told him about. He found it in-between hid abdomen and chest, it looked like a Ping-Pong ball with nine layers in it. Five of its layers had a thin paper-like wall demarcating them, the remaining four looked like steel walls.

He opened his eyes and said playfully;

"No need to apologize then." He flashed a smirk at Camron.

Camron blushed and whispered out an apology.

"I'm sorry." He sighed.

'Telling on myself.' He sighed again but this time he did it in his mind.

"So how exactly do I use QI?" Alex cocked his head wondering.

"First you need to absorb the QI around you, then guide it to your core. After that, you refine it for a total of nine times. A complete circle around your core is one round of refining."

"All of that sounds like it is easy to do, but how do I absorb the QI?" Alex asked.

"You should be able to feel the QI around you trying to enter your body, let it enter, open a single entrance on either your chest, head, or abdomen. The abdomen is the fastest and easiest to control. Then you would guide the QI to your core. It is with pure and refined QI that we would be able to break down those walls in our core."

Alex did as he was instructed and made an entrance in his abdomen. He could feel the QI rushing into his body. He carefully guided it to his core. Alex gave toothy smile as he started to refine QI.

...…

Two days peacefully passed by.

Alex had just finished refining QI. His core was filled to the brim.

"I like this euphoric feeling of power," Alex said. His body felt different from before. He felt stronger, his eyes could see clearer now, his hearing ability enhanced.

"It is a nice and addictive feeling. That is why some people would do anything for power." Camron said.

Every movement Alex made, it all felt very light to him. He was about to try to attempt the martial skill Camron showed him, but he was interrupted by a scream from outside.

"Evan, what is going on out there?" Camron requested.

"Young master, a civilian caravan seems to be under attack by bandits," Evan replied as he stopped the horses from moving.

"How many are they? And what are their strengths?" Evan's young master asked.

"There are bandits, three at the third rank of the Origin realm, another three at the early-stages of the Nascent Realm. Then two at the second rank of the Disaster realm." He relayed what he had analyzed.

"You are a third rank Disaster realm cultivator, will you be able to take care of those two with the strongest cultivation together?" Camron asked.

"It would only be a bit difficult if they practice martial skills. If it is just cultivation alone, then it wouldn't be a hassle." Evan voiced his thoughts out.

"Good. You deal with them and I'll take care of the Nascent realm cultivators. Alex, you should be able to take those Origin realm guys right?"

Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at Camron like he had been speaking gibberish.

"Why should I waste my time and energy to save those people. I don't know them, they don't know me. And fighting a group of people for that matter. You can do what you want. I won't waste my energy on them."

'Oh, that's right, he just learned how to use QI three hours ago, he must be frightened at this moment.' Camron rolled his eyes at his forgetfulness.

"Sorry for almost putting you in a scary position. I forgot that you just learned how to use QI. Even I would be frightened if I was asked to fight other cultivators if I was you." Camron says with a sincere apologetic look.

"Yeah," Alex said nonchalantly.

'Wait, did this retard just call me a coward? I haven't been a coward since I was 7 years old, I wouldn't be one in this life anymore.' Alex pondered for a few seconds.

"Bastard!!" He blurted out in anger.

Camron had already gotten down from the carriage. He had a long sword in his hand. He was about to shut the door to the carriage when a hand stopped him. Alex pushed the door open and walked past Camron.

"Let's find out if I am a coward or not."

Saying so Alex quickly made his way towards the bandits.

"What is he doing!? Quickly Evan, go and take care of the Disaster realm bandits." Camron ushered Evan.

"We can't let Alex get hurt because of his arrogance. We need to take care of them, ASAP." He said.