Chapter 4 – Breaking the Rules of Cultivation
Panting heavily, I collapsed under the shade of a giant tree, my muscles aching from the intense workout. "Damn, this is tough... but I need to get stronger—fast."
The sky above was turning orange, signaling the arrival of dusk. My stomach growled. "Screw this, I need food first."
Dragging myself up, I made my way toward the sect's dining area. My mind was still buzzing with ideas about Qi refinement, meridians, and cultivation methods. But for now, all I cared about was getting some food in my system.
As I entered the canteen, the familiar aroma of rice and roasted meat filled the air. Grabbing a plate, I found a quiet corner to eat in peace.
"Still looking weak, huh?"
I looked up to see Ishita, my only friend in this sect. She was a fellow disciple, one of the few who didn't treat me like dead weight. Her long black hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and her dark eyes held a teasing glint.
"Still as annoying as ever, huh?" I shot back, taking a bite of my food.
She chuckled, sitting across from me. "So? What's the plan now? You lost your Qi veins, got kicked down to rock bottom… are you going to stay down?"
I smirked. "Hell no. I'm going to rebuild from scratch. And not just that—I'm going to break through limits no one even dreamed of."
Ishita raised an eyebrow. "Big words for someone who can't even open a single meridian."
"Watch me," I said, shoving the last of my food into my mouth.
After dinner, I returned to my room, but my mind was restless. The traditional method of opening meridians involved slowly guiding Qi through a set pathway—a dull, tedious process that required insane patience. But patience was never my strong suit.
I needed a better way.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts racing. "Meridians… They're pathways for Qi to travel. Like veins for blood. But what if I could force them open using physical movement instead of just sitting and meditating?"
I shot up, excitement buzzing in my chest. "If I combine Qi refinement with physical training, wouldn't that stimulate my meridians faster?"
This was worth a shot.
A New Cultivation Method?
I stepped outside, finding an empty training ground under the moonlight. Taking a deep breath, I got into a squat position. As I lowered myself, I focused on feeling the Qi in the air, trying to pull it into my body.
The first squat—nothing.
The second squat—still nothing.
By the tenth squat, I finally felt something—a faint trickle of Qi moving through my legs.
"Wait… It's actually working?"
Excited, I picked up the pace, each movement becoming smoother as I guided the Qi through my muscles, into my bones.
Squats, push-ups, kicks—I kept going, adjusting my breathing and posture each time I felt a blockage.
After what felt like hours, I finally collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat. My body felt like it was on fire, but… something was different.
I closed my eyes and focused inward.
A small flicker of energy flowed inside me. My first meridian—opened.
I grinned. "Holy shit, I think I just hacked cultivation."
The morning sun barely peeked over the horizon when I woke up, feeling sore yet strangely energized. My experiment from last night worked. I had opened my first meridian through movement instead of meditation.
I stretched, cracking my neck. "If I can open one, I can open more. But… how do I push this even further?"
As I mulled over the thought, I overheard a conversation from a group of disciples passing by my courtyard.
"Master Li is holding a class on formations today. I heard it's about barrier techniques."
"Ugh, boring. Who even needs formations when you can just blast through everything with raw strength?"
"Idiot. Formations are the backbone of cultivation society. You think sect defenses build themselves?"
My ears perked up. Formations?
I had been so focused on Qi refining and meridians that I hadn't even considered formations. But now that I thought about it…
Formations were basically engineering.
Circuits, blueprints, energy pathways—it was all the same concept, just using Qi instead of electricity. And if formations worked on a large scale, then they held massive industrial potential.
Imagine automated Qi-gathering arrays, alchemy furnaces, self-sustaining energy sources… or even mechanical constructs powered by formations.
I had to learn this.
Where Do I Study Formations?
I grabbed my robe and rushed out. Where the hell could I study formations?
The sect's library? Maybe. But knowing how these old-fashioned cultivation sects worked, the good stuff was probably locked behind restrictions.
Should I ask my master? She's strong, but does she even know about formations?
Maybe Ishita? Nope, she's just as clueless as me when it comes to this.
As I ran through my options, I realized something—if formations were important, there had to be a formation hall somewhere in the sect.
I needed to find it.
My journey into engineering cultivation was just getting started.
Master Li's lecture hall was packed. I barely found a spot near the back, but that didn't matter--I just needed insights into how formations worked in this world.
The old man stood at the front, his beard swaying as he waved his hands dramatically. "Formations are the sacred arts of structuring Qi! A true formation master must learn to--"
Blah, blah, blah.
I stifled a yawn. The lecture was so damn vague. He kept talking about "feeling the flow" and "harmonizing with the heavens."
But where were the actual principles? The rules? The logic? This wasn't a lecture; this was poetry!
Then came the worst part.
"For some formations, you must guess their activation method."
Excuse me, WHAT?
I almost stood up right there. Guessing? GUESSING?! In what world does engineering rely on blind guessing?!
No structured theory? No universal model? No precise calculations? This wasn't a system; this was mystical nonsense.
And the worst realization hit me--alchemy is probably the same mess.
Shit. This world is doomed.
I needed to fix this.
If The World Won't Give Me A System, I'll Build One Myself
I gritted my teeth. Fine. If they refuse to make sense of formations, I will.
But first--language.
If I was going to rewrite the way formations were studied, I needed a standardized system. And for that, I needed a clear, logical language.
Sanskrit? No, too spiritual.
Vedic? Same issue.
Ancient runes? Too impractical.
Then it hit me. Xarityan.
It meant absolutely nothing. And that's why it was perfect.
A name without baggage, without centuries of tradition holding it back. A name that could define the first true scientific language for formations.
Now, with a foundation set, I could finally begin.
Step One: The First Principles of Formations
I needed to break formations down into their core components. What were their equivalents of energy circuits, nodes, and pathways?
And most importantly--how could I build a framework that anyone could use?
It was time to start from scratch.
Let's invent some shit.
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End of chapter 4