18 USING QI
"A 15-year-old Etruscan runemaster," Camron said in awe.
"I have never heard of any Etruscan runemaster as young as you are Alex. This goes against logic, how can you be at the Etruscan stage. You need a large amount of life force before you are able to be at that level. According to what I know, accumulating life force takes a long time.
Most of the people that are at your level are over 100 years of age, heck even some that are older are still a level under you. Is my knowledge accurate or are you a genius?" He asked. Camron started to doubt the knowledge he had about runemasters.
Alex had just stabilized his breathing, he still had his eyes closed when he flashed an arrogant smile. He opened his eyes and said;
"Why doubt what you know? I already told you that I am a rare talent, a genius, but you refused to believe me." Alex maintained eye contact with Camron this time.
Camron was still in shock. He smacked his palm against his forehead.
"I have seen an enforced object before, at an exhibition. I was told that when enforcing an object, the work is said to be done crudely if the appearance of the object changes. Experienced and professionals will only change their properties and not their appearance." He looked at the window and criticized Alex's reinforcement attempt.
Alex snickered and said;
"Well, what do you expect from someone that just tried to inscribe a rune for the first time in their life. I think it was done well."
"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't doubting everything about you, I only find it hard to believe that you are nonpareil. I mean, how is it possible for you to be able to cultivate every kind of weapon." Camron voiced his thoughts out, he down to avoid making eye contact with Alex.
"I have no reason to lie to you. But whatever floats your boat." Alex said as he shrugged his shoulders.
Alex did not want to bother convincing Camron that he was a nonpareil. He was still feeling ecstatic about being able to inscribe runes on the air, even if it half-assed. The rune he inscribed came to him naturally.
'It seems like learning helps to stimulate the memories that are scrambled in my head.'
Alex had a sincere smile on his face. Now that he knew how to procure the knowledge within him it made him feel happy.
"You should smile more, let your dimples come out. I am very sure that women will find you hard to resist when you smile." Camron said as he winked and wiggle his eyebrows, flashing a playful smile at Alex.
'There he goes again. He just had to spoil my moment of joy, retard.' Alex thought and glared at Camron.
"Hahaha." Camron shrugged his glare off with a laugh.
"To be honest, I'm jealous of you." Camron slumped his shoulders.
Alex tapped his feet on the floor of the carriage and raised an eyebrow giving Camron a questioning look. He was getting impatient with him.
'Would it kill you to shut your mouth up?' He thought in frustration.
"You, at your age, you are already someone people aspire to be. Many organizations and Academies will fight to have you. As the third son of the Avanti family, I have little talent for cultivation and I also have little to inherit from my father's wealth.
I am the third son and also the fifth child. The last born. I have two older sisters and two older brothers. My sisters are set to get married to rich and wealthy sons of other families."
Alex sighed and stopped tapping his feet on the ground.
'There he goes, if I knew that he would talk this much I would have preferred to walk myself to salvation.'
"My eldest sister in particular is considered a genius in my family, a late-stage Disaster realm cultivator at the age of 20. And she didn't need any assistance from cultivation pills. Unlike me, I used a part of my father's wealth to acquire cultivation pills. Without those pills, I definitely wouldn't be at this stage, a fifth-rank Nascent realm cultivator at the age of 18.
Although my cultivation is above average, it's still nothing compared to those above me. I want to be strong enough to build a legacy of my own, I don't want to rely on my father's wealth, because one day I would not have it to rely on anymore."
"Wouldn't have been better if you continue to purchase pills while you were at the comfort of your home?" Alex, being curious, he probed.
"If I did that, then my cultivation will increase but I will still be inferior to those that are experienced and those that practice martial skills. It is very hard to get your hands on martial skills in the market, or black market. Even if you do find one, the price would be enormous, I really can't afford them.
My family does not have any bloodline abilities to pass down unless accounting could be considered as a bloodline ability. I hope to get stronger and pledge my loyalty to one of the royal families, distant or not."
"What good would come off pledging yourself to someone? There is nothing as precious as freedom, why would you want to willingly throw that away?"
Alex didn't care about Camron, he just couldn't understand why someone would throw that away. After being used and betrayed by Kain, he knew how valuable freedom was. If he had his freedom then no one would have been blamed and Sheila would not have died.
"People with pure powerful bloodlines are able to give a part of their bloodline out to others, in a diluted form. The individual receiving the blood would merge and obtain the powers that are within the blood.
They would also be inferior to those with pure bloodlines. Many people choose to pledge their selves to families with strong bloodlines so that they would not be suppressed by the pure blood of inferior blood." He explained further.
"Would you like to pledge yourself to me and receive my blood?" Alex asked with a wicked grin on his face.
"Hahaha, no thank you. I do not know how strong and pure your blood is. No offense but it might be trash. I cannot tell because I have no way to quantify your bloodline Class.
"Well suit yourself. It is good that you don't want my blood, there's a possibility that it will kill." He said and shrugged his shoulders.
"Hahaha. That is a bit scary." Camron thought Alex was trying to be defensive of his bloodline ability.
"Hmm, so you do not only desire the title, you want the power and glory that comes with it," Alex said as he bobbed his head.
"Who wouldn't want that!? Alex, did you also use cultivation pills to get to where you are?"
Alex buried his hand in his hair, shifting it from its resting place by the side of his face, and looked right into Camron's eyes.
"I have never attempted to cultivate QI, I do not know how to cultivate it neither. My guide ditched me before she got the chance to teach me. This cultivation of mine, I got without doing anything." He said bluntly and let his hair down.
Camron gasped at Alex reply, he frowned as he stared at Alex. He felt like Alex was being serious this time and what he said was the truth.
"You don't know how to use QI?"
Alex bobbed his head in reply.
"If you wouldn't mind, can you teach me the basics?" He questioned.
"I-I would love to. What better way to solidify our friendship if not this." Camron said with a blinding smile.
'Solidify our friendship huh. Whatever floats your boat, I wouldn't even think much of it.' Alex thought and sighed inwardly.
"First, what is QI. It is gas, air, smell, breath, vital energy. It is the energy which circulates in all living entities. QI is an invisible substance and immaterial force but can show in manifestation.
Although QI is present in every living thing, not every living thing knows how to manifest and utilize QI. That is what separates cultivators from mortals. We can manifest and utilize QI.
Here is a demonstration. I learned this skill from a martial skill book that I might have stolen from my sister."
Camron folded the sleeve of his shirt on his right hand.
"Watch closely." He said.
Camron moved his right hand horizontally, back and forth. Alex stared at his hand and saw nothing unusual about what he was doing.
"Is there any point in doing this?" He impatiently asked.
"You really lack patience. Wait and see, it is a bit hard for me to do."
'I'll have you know that I am an assassin to the core. Patience is what I feed on you retard.' Alex fumed in his mind but forced a smile on his face.
He didn't want to annoy Camron because he needs his assistance.
Alex kept quiet and turned his attention back to Camron's hand. After a few seconds, Alex was getting impatient again. He was about to turn his attention somewhere else when he Camron's hand produced after images.
