Quantum Cultivation by Jace Kang (simple e reader TXT) 📕

Rank or above, Ryu could absorb its Core, advance to Fifth Rank, and have a chance of closing the portals without the pills.  Assuming they could kill it in the first place.

“My translator doesn’t know what to make of Nue.” Ken tapped his ear dot.

Aya’s eyes clouded over for a split second. “Ancient Earth literature says it’s an evil yokai. The old language translates it to night bird.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Siena said.

“It’s bad.” Ryu shook his head, thinking of the sect sisters he’d lost. “We need to train in the last of the Five Elements, the Metal Path.”

Kentaro’s ears perked up. “What is that like?”

“Based on your Xingyi Fist training, what is the nature of Metal?” Ryu asked.

“Rigid. Unyielding. Powerful.”

Siena winked. “Much like you’ve been with me.”

Ignoring her, Ryu nodded at Ken. “Exactly. As you are most suited to a Fire Path, you will have to be careful how you train Metal—Fire naturally tempers Metal, but if you train Metal too much, it can cause Fire to sputter out.”

Kentaro cocked his head. “Then how do I practice?”

“Judiciously. Remember when you were practicing the Earth-based style, Ditang Fist? Earth is the Mother of Metal—we mine metals out of the ground, after all—and we say that if you strengthen the Mother, the Child will grow strong as well. When you were hitting the tree, I had you exhale and arch your back. This is the Yang aspect of Metal, the development of an Iron Shirt.”

Kentaro bounced up and down. “Like in the old Hong Kong movies. They practiced taking blows. And they strengthened their hands by thrusting them into hot sand.”

“Iron Palm training, yes.” Ryu nodded. “That is the external, Yang side. There’s also an internal, Yin side.”

“What is that?” Aya asked.

“Just like a candle’s flame needs wax to burn, the Yang aspects of Metal are supported by the Yin aspects.”

Kentaro’s head rose and fell in slow bobs. “So our external body can only be as strong as our mind beneath?”

“Exactly. Training the Yin aspects of Metal strengthens the layers between your internal fascia, thereby boosting your immune system. It also keeps you from picking up negativity from people around you. At higher levels, it can protect you against Dianxue.”

Teppin, forgotten until now, croaked. “Fairy tales.”

“Just like you are to us.” Aya poked the Kappa, who conceded the point with a beaked smirk.

“What is Dianxue?” Siena asked.

“It’s attacking energy points on the body to create blockages. There are techniques which will make the target’s limbs go limp, and other combinations that will cause someone to die over time.”

Siena harrumphed, looking just as doubtful as Teppin.

“You did that to some of the Peacekeepers,” Kentaro said. “Will we learn Dianxue?”

Not from Ryu. “Maybe eventually. Now, though, we will practice the basics of Iron Shirt. Stand in the Zhan Zhuang position.”

Aya and Kentaro did as told, facing each other as always. Predictably, Siena went off to check out the trees, and Teppin returned down to the river to soak.

“Sink into the stance,” Ryu said. “Feel the aching in the muscles and tendons of your groin. We are doing this stationary now, but we can also use the Earth aspects of Chen Taiji to do a moving meditation as you get better at the breathing and visualization.”

In the past few days, Kentaro had already strengthened his legs to the point that he could hold the stance lower and lower for longer and longer. Even Aya was showing promise, despite the disadvantages of her poor health.

“Start with the Microcosmic Orbit. Inhale while you draw energy from your Core. This time, bring it down to your Huiyin point, then up your spine, energizing as it passes the Gate of Fire point at your waist. Bring it to your head, then keep inhaling as you sink it down to the Tanzhong point. Draw it into your lungs. When you exhale, visualize the energy pushing out like a balloon, percolating through all your organs.”

“What’s a balloon?” Kentaro asked.

Aya’s eyes glazed over for a second. “Rubber filled with air.”

Ryu gawked. “You don’t have balloons?”

“We don’t use rubber anymore,” Aya said.

“Well then, imagine the air filling you. The primary organ of Metal is the Lungs,” Ryu said. “By strengthening the Yin aspects of Metal, Aya’s lungs will be able to clear her phlegm more efficiently.”

“You said my phlegm came from my Spleen!” she protested.

“It does.” Ryu smiled. “The adage is that the Spleen creates phlegm, and the Lungs store it.”

While they practiced, Ryu executed an Earthshaping form, creating furrows in the ground around the two. Like before, he drew a Yin-Yang symbol, centering Ken in the middle of the Yin side, and Aya in the middle of the Yang side.

He then drew the Eight Trigrams around them, with the Mountain Trigram behind Kentaro, and the Earth Trigram behind Aya.

When he was done, he said, “Metal relates to your skin.  Typically, this Yin Cultivation would be combined with Yang training to toughen your skin. For example, hitting a canvas bag filled with mung beans with the palm, fist, and blade of your hand, followed by a soaking in herbal liniment to speed the healing of microfractures. Later, you would fill the bag with ball bearings, and then gravel.”

Aya and Ken exchanged confused looks.

“I guess you don’t have canvas, mung beans, ball bearings, or even gravel anymore.”

The both shook their heads.

“Just trust me on this. In any case, we don’t have access to these materials, so we’ll have to focus on the Yin side. If we had the right food, too, we could start to reinforce your skin cells with metal.”

“Is that how you were able to stop the miniguns without damaging your fingers?” Aya asked.

Ryu grinned. “Well, I did sprain some ligaments…”

Ken shook his head. “It