MEDITATION AND TAIXI

After the meal, I was feeling much better about my circumstances. However, when I glanced at the scroll and manual lying on the table near me, I felt my heart twitch in pain. What had happened to that Sect? And where were they now? I would have to go and get the materials in the cave, as it looked long abandoned.

They wandered around the estate, the kitchens, till they found a garden filled with greenery and spirit grass.

"Wow," Jia said.

"Understatement Jia, a total understatement." I was dumbstruck, and upon exploring, I realized that this vast cavern must have been at least several acres. "Was this made with magic?"

"It appears to be," Jia said, walking alongside my master with their arms linked. "I wonder where Jinhai is," I seemed to look around for him.

"Probably working on his cultivation; it would be best if we didn't interfere, I think."

Jia nodded in agreement, my hair swaying with the movement.

Finding a small spot by the pond where the lily pads floated freely, I sat myself down on a flat rock on edge and focused on the water; I had come to an idea that my Spiritual Root was in the water. Why I didn't quite know, but given that Jia was a water spirit and I had somehow absorbed the water from the manual. It begged if my own source was water since I had also come from the lake outside.

I opened the scroll I had found that explained the process of Taixi. It was enabling what was called Fetal Breath. It involved breathing through your elixir field or instead energy center. And in doing so, you pulled in the mystical as well as the Qi from around you. I was going to try and focus on the water, so slowly, I scooted myself till I was touching the edge of the lapping pond with my toes and the bottom of my legs and feet.

"Okay, let's try this."

Taking a moment to collect me, I focused on what I had initially been doing, absorbing, and breathing in Qi. But instead, I didn't use my lungs or mouth; I concentrate on my core as if breathing in to sing with my diaphragm.

"MY LADY, YOU DID IT!" Jia was a water spirit again; I could see bright lights of the energy and spirits near me.

The swirling of energy was floating and stagnant for a moment. "Ack!" I leaned forward and coughed hard, trying to drag in a breath of air.

"Your body is cursed." Jinhai was behind me, leaning on the gazebo railing. "Hmm.." He appeared thoughtful and walked down to the pond and leaned forward, "here." With a tap, the blockage was gone, and with it, warmth radiated from Chyou's forehead down my body.

"What did you just do?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.

"A little push." He said with a nonchalant shrug. "Nothing more. Now, try it again."

I did so and found it far easier to breathe and gain the oxygen I needed to sustain my body as it focused on cultivating the mystical energy around me. The water seemed especially pleased and welcoming as it flowed up my feet as if they were the roots of a tree.

"Very good." A pat on the head almost broke my concentration. And then he was gone.

I maintain focus as Jia floated around my giving praise and commentary on what to do. But it wasn't enough— I gritted my teeth and focused on pulling more in as if a cavern of emptiness was inside my soul. I needed more power; I needed to be healthier.

The Crystal Cave responded, allowing me to drag up the earth's energy beneath me and the ceiling above.

"M-My lady!" A panicked sound from Jia, "easy now, you're taking in a lot of Qi!" A gasp, "you made your foundation!?"

I blinked and opened my eyes, "huh?" I was starving, I realized and dizzy, "I-I did?"

Jia nodded and looked at me firmly, "my lady, quick with me—"within moments, they were in spirit space, "take this."

I held a pill in my hand and frowned, "what is it?"

"It is a Qi Pill. This will help you cleanse the impurities, and perhaps in doing so, we can find out what your body is cursed with. But first, let us get you back to your room, say the word teleport."

"T-teleport—"

With a swoosh, they were back in the room; I lay on my futon gasping, "warn me next time!!"

Sitting up, I crawled over to the table where a hot meal was placed and began scarfing the rice and pork buns ravenously. "Why am I so hungry?!"

"Because you have only learned to sustain your breathing with Qi, and not your sustenance," Jia explained, floating around her master.

With my cheeks stuffed, "but I like food."

A flat expression, "I can see that master. But are you ready now to go and see what the upgrade is for reaching the foundation level!"

I was! Sitting up excited, I nodded, and they high fived as Jia became my human self and ported them both into the other space.

"Behold!" Jia said with arms spread wide, "the Inventory Shop! A place where Karmic Currency can get you anything you need!"

"WWWWOOOOWWWW!!!!" I gaped at the computer screen in front of me. And the long, never-ending lines of inventory that looked like an outlet mall on steroids.

"So!!! What are you going to buy first!"

I grinned devilishly, "first I need a pack, something traditional looking is fine. This one shall do!" A leather traveling pack fell out of thin air into my lap. "I need a portable stove, along with a pot and utensils, oooo I see there are ingredients from my world too! Oh my, this is amazing!"

Within a short hour, I had gathered about fifteen hundred karmic currency worth of goods, including new shoes, robes, along with gaining several herbs, jars, ointments, bedding, cooking utensils, and then paused.

"Where will I put all this?" I winced.

"Never fear!" Jia said with glee, "for I have this!" I pulled out a bracelet made of jade and a ring, "the ring of storage!" And with a smaller voice, "it only costs 100,000 karmic currency…"

"WHAT that much for a tiny ring? How much space could it—"upon sticking my head into the portal, my voice went on for ages. "oh…" I paused, "well why not."

Sliding it on, I tapped each item with my finger, and with glittering prismatic-like motions, it was absorbed into my ring.

Jia then instructed, "now think of the item you need."

"I need my chopsticks so," I opened my hand, and suddenly it was there. "Cool!" I was giddy with excitement, "Jia does this mean I can do things in the spiritual space and bring them back with me?"

"Indeed, one can train here and go back and be powerful!" I buffed up as it to show phenomenal power and then deflated like a poked balloon.

"Jia, are there other systems?"

"Oh, of course, I have five siblings, and now we are all awake within this realm. I can't wait to meet up with them!"

I sighed and decided now was a good time to be back in the regular world. A bit off-kilter, I fell back, landing on a pillow. I rubbed my backside, "gotta work on sticking the landing ugh."

I hugged my leather pack to myself and decided I would make something for Jinhai to express my thanks. "Let's go to the kitchens!"

Jia was happy to prance next to me in her beast form, large tufted head bouncing next to my shoulder as we ran.

- - - - — - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was struck with a sense of calm when we were in the kitchens of this estate, but also with an odd sense of misplacement.

No one was there.

In fact— it appeared almost as if there was no one in the entire place except myself, Jia and Jinhai. I pressed a finger to my chin thoughtfully as we walked around the kitchens— it was typical of the ancient kitchens, the ovens and stove tops were wood fired, along with what looked like an apothecary set and alchemy tools in the opposite corner of the large marble floored room. The shelves lined with herbs, hanging dried meat and a large drop down cellar in the back of the kitchen garden held butters, dairy and other luxury goods that I didn't think one could get out here. I paused, and glanced at Jia who was rummaging within jars and pulling what looked like dried fruit leathers, pureed fruits which had been smeared down on wax paper and let to dry.

"Isn't that a modern thing?" I asked tilting my head.

Jia smiled at the question, "many systems come from different times and spaces, some before you, some after you, others around the same time."

"Why?"

"You showed an aptitude for our world. So the Gods decided to bring you on over."

I vaguely remembered someone telling me with dedication I too could become an immortal. ((Hmm so it was a God who brought me?)). I chewed on some fruit leather and thought of something. "Hey Jia, can I use Karmic currency on skills?"

A glint in her eye as she chewed her treat, "why yes you can— what would you like to be?"

I rubbed my hands together. "Is there a limit?"

"Not at all, although if you have a skill already at your hand such as from your previous world then you will be able to learn cheaper and faster. Make sense?"

"Yes!"

"So tell me my master!" Jia said a glowing aura about her body, "what is it you desire?"