Chapter 4 - Second Layer

After Long Yang left the martial hall, he rushed to his room in excitement. Only two days were remaining for his meeting with Sun Guo and he knew these two days could very much effect his life. And now he had the means to achieve success he didn't want to waste a single second. So he decided to simply grab that thread of hope and cultivate diligently as much as he can.

When he reached his room he closed the door and opened the book he got from the Martial Hall. He immersed himself in reading without noticing the passing time. When half an hour has passed he finally lifted his eyes from the book. He had read the book two times for remembering the mantra for the martial art and how to channel his Qi to use the technique.

'No wonder this martial art sounds so lazy yet dominaring. This technique is all about gathering all my Qi and have a stagnant body while waiting for a chance to strike. I need to move all the Qi gathered towards my hands and use the martial art when an oppenent is attacking. Sounds like a slightly complicated counter move.' Long Yang thought. He knew a couple of counter techniques from past life but they were highly dependent of his body. Since they wouldn't require the usage of Qi, naturally they would have some problems with dealing others with strong bodies and defensive martial arts. He knew most of the veterans in the cultivation world would mainly focus on three martial arts for respectively attacking, defending and movement. 'To be honest i don't even know how to counter attack without a movement martial art in my arsenal. It feels like i will only be waiting to die if i stand still for them to attack me so freely.' with this thought he couldn't help but lose some of his excitement.

'Nevermind, not that i have a chance anymore. Better stay focused.' thought Long Yang and started to chanting the mantra for the martial art in his mind. First part of the martial art was altering the meridians and Qi pathways to the way it needed. This was the hardest part and where he noticed the martial art was most incomplete about. But when he started the mantra he felt that something was off. As soon as he started circulating his Qi and tried to move it the way it is described in the martial art, he noticed it was flooding like a river which was once clogged and opened just now. All the Qi he gathered flowed in Qİ pathways and found its way to his hands, after that he felt a sharp pain in his hand. When he noticed his hand started to swell he rushed out of the room and found a rock. After rushing towards it he unhesitantly punched the rock and to his shock, the rock instantly blowed to tiny parts. When he looked at his hand he saw a bronze lustre bypass it and it looked completely fine.

With his Qi dried up, fatigue hit him. He felt like he was going to lose consciousness, so he pulled his last strength and entered his room once again. After that he started to cultivate the Azure Dragon Cultivation Art and tried to gather his wasted Qi once more. Long Yang sat still for almost an hour before he noticed he was once again brimming with energy. It was then he noticed his cultivation slightly raised and he couldn't help but get elated.

'It seems like in both cultivating Qi and body, it is much easier to improve after using it.' thought seriously Long Yang. He noticed when his body was its lowest point he reached level two of the Bronze Skin easily. Actually this wasn't a big secret, most of the clans were aware of it but nobody would think about using this method to cultivate. Because it was taxing for both the mind and body. After being beated to pulp and cultivate was something nobody were willing to do except some extremists. And Long Yang was aware of that too. Even if his body or Qi in his meridians were completely fine and brimming with energy, his mental fatigue was there undeniably too.

'But there is nothing much to do for two days anyway. It is not time to sit and cultivate with a relaxed manner. It seems like i have a plan now.' thought Long Yang. A determined light passed in his eyes.

After he started his second try using the mantra of Dragon Stretching Its Claws, he was now sure of it. The first part of the martial art which was the hardest part to train was nonexistent for him. It was no coincidence he felt his Qi surging when he took a look at the martial art in the martial hall. It seems his body was already aware of it that the technique was basically made for it.

'It is probably about how both the martial art and my cultivation art includes word "Dragon".' thought Long Yang half heartedly. He couldn't find any clue other than that simple similarity. But exactly because of the lack of things to think about he just let it go. He started the second part of the martial art and tried some of the moves described in the book. While he was moving and using his Qi by the mantra, he was much more comfortable. No more pain or swelling could be seen in his hands.

The martial art required the body to be moved as a water which could flow his Qi out his body and use it to penetrate or simply push things. Long Yang finally found his long lost excitement towards martial arts in the moves. When he was training in various dojos and temples in his past life, he always felt the moves like they were missing something. Like they were only shells of something greater, stronger. Only now he noticed that using his Qi with the movements would create wonders. He finally felt like his past life wasn't waste at all and immersed himself in his training.

Time passed like flying when he was training. He would focus on the martial art until all his Qi depleted and would focus on his cultivation later on. With each passing hour he felt like his cultivation too were improving by leaps and bounds. It was like that the time passed until the day his meeting with Sun Guo came.

In the first hours of the day Long Yang opened his eyes from his meditation.

'So this is the second layer...I don't feel a bit tired after not sleeping whole night.' thought Long Yang and called System softly in his mind.

Long Yang (Age 19)

Cultivation: Second Layer of Qi Condensation (Early Level)

Cultivation Method: Azure Dragon Cultivation Art

Body Cultivation: Bronze Skin Level 2

Martial Arts: Bronze Skin Method

Dragon Stretching Its Claws (Proficient)

After easily going through of the first part of the martial art, Long Yang familiarised himself with the moves of the technique. When he could use his body with flowing Qi in sync, he felt he already achieved the Proficient level of the technique.

'Although i don't think i am the strongest between servants, i achieved more than i expected in just two days.' thought Long Yang with a determined look. He collected his thoughts and slowly get up. After leaving his room he started going on his way to Sun Guo's room. When he reached the door the same scene from before repeated itself.

"You can come in." Long Yang heard a young but calm voice from the room. This time no emotion could be read from Long Yang's face.

He slowly entered the room and bowed. "You wanted to see me Young Master." said Long Yang calmly.

"Long Yang, i have reached a bottleneck recently. The elders are decided to gift me a pill to help me breakthrough, but wanted me to gather the materials. I am currently missing only the Black Lotus, and you should find it in the outer circle of the Black Forest. Since you managed to gather Yellow Rose Flower last time, i will leave this matter to you." said Sun Guo, sounded like he was full of confidence towards the servant of his.

"Leave it to me young master, i will do anything to help you." said Long Yang his head bowed.

If one were to see the current scene from outside, one would think it was a warm moment between a servant devoted his life to his master and a wise master who believes in his servant completely.

After seeing Sun Guo nod, Long Yang left the room to get his almost nonexistent savings. He rushed to his room and took a couple of clothes, his fifty silver and seventy five copper coins. Hundred copper would worth same as a single silver and hundred silver would worth a single gold. Whenever he thought about Sun Guo's clothes and cultivation materials worth hundreds of gold, he couldn't help but sigh for the last two days.

Although he knew he wouldn't return to this place, he didn't want to bring himself unnecessary trouble. So he left some clothes, two silvers and books for his all martial arts and methods in his room. Thus they wouldn't think he was running from the clan and most certainly return. So when he didn't return nobody would suspect that he basically died in the mountain. With these matters dealt with he left the clan.

After he passed the gates he couldn't but turn back to look the gates with -Sun Clan- written on it one last time. According to his memories although he had some friends before it's noticed he couldn't cultivate, they all left him after that. So only sad and lonely memories remained in this place.

'I am finally free. Since i have arrived to this world, i constantly walked my head lowered. Eventhough i don't care about these things to avoid trouble in a world that my life doesn't matter much in the eyes of others, it is still a little bit humiliating considering my age.' thought Long Yang.

With his burdens lifted he beginned trimming the roads to city gate. On his way he looked around him and saw people passing by him either respectively or fearfully. Everyone would bow towards him when they met his gaze when they noticed the Sun Clan logo on his robes. Some people from outer places of the city wouldn't even know why they were bowing. They were simply used to this life. In this world power was everything. Other than mortal kingdoms which has cultivators at top and mortals in management, in the cities which controlled by clans such as Sun Clan, people wouldn't even have a say in anything. They just had to obey and hope the passing people from clans are merciful towards them. And the fear came from those experiences too. They were in complete mercy of the man in power. People in power would only want more power and abuse their status to have some fun in the road of cultivation. So nobody would even give a thought to these ants and try to change the circumstances. Eventhough Long Yang came from Earth, and wanted to help these people, he was simply too weak. And this world was in some way a very primitive world too. Outside the cities were lurking dangers which only cultivators could protect them from. So the power based system took roots in the society without an alternative. So things were in a very large scale which Long Yang couldn't see any way to help.

Only thing he could do to not act high and mighty currently and leave the people with their moment of peace. With his mood down he reached the gates without noticing. He quickly passed the procedures and left the city.

With the forest in his eyesight he decided not to think about things he couldn't change currently and focus on his cultivation. His mind cleared and he entered the woods.