Chapter 9 - A Critical Error
Li Kang awoke suddenly, screaming in agony. His ki channels writhing and burning. How could he have been so foolish? He had not bothered to check the ki aspect of the prodigious carp before absorbing their life essence. His Meridians rejected their ki causing it to pool around them, choking out his energy circulation. Spiritual creatures and monsters had a distinct ki aspect separate from humans, although once a member of any race reached the Enlightened Lotus stage of cultivation, these were interchangeable.
Thinking quickly while the pain razed his body, Li Kang desperately flipped through Elder Guansho's notes.
If an opponent or spiritual monster injects you with his Ki, employ the reverse cycling technique in order to expel the foreign energy…
If left unchecked, foreign ki can cripple a cultivator's foundation…
After several brutal hours of reverse cycling Li Kang finally breathed out a sigh of relief. While free from the toxic foreign Ki, the hours of reverse cycling had lowered his cultivation level.
"Damn, what a terrible mistake. In my greed for power I neglected to respect these beautiful spiritual creatures and took a hit to my cultivation level." Li Kang cursed his bad luck.
By way of apology to the magnificent spirit carp, he spent the next 3 hours researching ki runes in Elder Guansho's tome and created a chakra enhancing spirit cycling rune that would aid the development of the spirit carp. This rune would amplify the naturally occurring ki in the spirit pools and allow the carp to metabolize it more efficiently, at no loss to the overall power of the pool.
Outside of the cave, the sun broke over forested hills, casting shadows like long spears over the landscape. Birds chirped over the faint rumble of the Wang River. Li Kang stepped out of the cave, shielding his eyes against the morning sun. Now, having power equal to a stage 3 bone tempering cultivator, it could not be said that he was worse than the average clan member in the area. Even the villain Suhn Jin had only reached stage 4 bone tempering with the entire resources of his clan behind him at Li Kang's age.
Donning the robes of the Suhn clan, Li Kang set off towards their village with a devious grin. Replacing the carp with the Suhn clan members in his mind, he thought, "These Suhn clan fools will become the stepping stones to my power." Li Kang was again climbing the Ladder of Destiny.
After pushing his way through the dense underbrush, Li Kang came upon his first major obstacle. As the brush parted, he slipped and the rocky shale underfoot flew out into open air. Li Kang was perched precariously on a massive cliff, its stony and rough sides giving way to the mighty Wang River! Across the river, dense forested hills persisted until eventually transitioning to farmland. The lofty pagodas bearing banners of the Suhn clan were just barely visible. Resolutely, Li Kang began his descent, testing out his newfound strength. His ki channels radiated energy, toughening his skin and strengthening his bones and muscles. Truly the exhilaration was unmatched as Li Kang slid down the steep cliff face, until suddenly the cliff gave way and he plunged flailing into the rapids.