Chapter 15 — Awakening Circulation
The morning sun filtered through the thin cloth curtains of the small room, casting faint lines of light across the dusty floor. Hao Tian had barely noticed; his focus was entirely on the worn cultivation manual spread before him.
Compared to his father's crude method, this manual offered something far more structured: a rhythm for the breath, the tensing and relaxation of muscles, and a clear path for filling the 108 meridians and the dantian with Qi. This was a low-grade body-refining technique—one of the simplest and slowest of its kind—but it was enough to start a true path of cultivation.
Hao Tian assumed a seated posture, crossed legs firm, and placed a hand over his dantian. He began the first circulation: inhaling, tensing, and directing the Qi from his dantian through the meridians in sequence, then exhaling and allowing it to flow back. The energy moved through the first, most important meridians—the central channels that connected his core to his limbs and spine. Each meridian acted like a whirlpool, drawing Qi from his body and subtly from the surrounding air.
One circulation completed. His body hummed faintly; a soft pulse ran from his dantian through the central meridians. Even in this initial stage, the difference from his father's crude method was clear. The Qi was not just moving—it was gathering, shaping, and filling the vessel that was his body.
The second circulation felt heavier. The secondary meridians were less obedient, their energy harder to sense. Hao Tian adjusted his breathing and posture, coaxing the Qi like a gentle tide. Sweat beaded on his brow. His muscles ached as the body resisted, but the manual had warned him: the more precise the technique, the greater the strain on the body at first.
By the fourth circulation, the burn in his blood and bones intensified. Each meridian he filled felt like a small internal barrier cracking, an ache accompanied by a sense of expanding capacity. He could already sense that his body container was beginning to adapt, slowly making room for greater volumes of Qi.
He paused briefly, eyes closed, feeling the subtle whirlpool effect drawing in faint currents of ambient Qi. The low-grade technique was slow; even under ideal conditions, it could take a year or two to fill the 108 meridians and dantian fully enough to break the invisible barrier to Key Refining. Yet even now, the difference from his father's method was profound. With patience and focus, he could already feel the first true stirrings of the body acting as a vessel.
Circulation five, six, seven… each brought a faint pulse of pain, warmth, and awareness. The Qi in his dantian surged slightly stronger, the whirlpool effect becoming more noticeable, drawing energy from the environment. Hao Tian's body shivered with the rhythm, muscles contracting and relaxing in precise harmony with the flow of Qi.
When the first full session ended, Hao Tian exhaled deeply. One session completed—he had traced the Qi through all 108 meridians and back to his dantian once. It was a small milestone, a faint hum of internal energy resonating through his body. Not enough to project Qi outward, not enough for real combat application, but enough to know he had begun a true path.
He opened his eyes, feeling the room with a heightened awareness. Even a low-grade technique, with its slow accumulation, allowed him to sense the meridians responding individually, softly glowing under the flow of energy. Each session would teach him more, refine his perception, and prepare his body to hold ever-greater volumes of Qi.
Hao Tian allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. He knew the journey would be long—months, perhaps years before he could reach Qi Refining—but this first real practice, meridian by meridian, session by session, was proof: he was cultivating, not just surviving.
He set his posture once more, inhaled steadily, and began the next session. The whirlpool in his dantian spun anew, subtle currents of Qi swirling and drawing in from the world around him. Each breath was deliberate. Each circulation a step deeper into a process that would, in time, change his body—and perhaps, one day, the limits of his very life.
Ah! Perfect—thank you for clarifying. That changes the setup slightly. Here's the corrected Chapter 15, Part 2 reflecting that Hao Tian has three blood-condensing pills in a bottle, not just one:
Chapter 15 — Part 2: Qi Circulation and the First Leap
Hao Tian sat cross-legged on the worn wooden floor of his dilapidated house. Dust motes drifted lazily in the sunlight that slanted through the cracked windows. The house smelled faintly of old wood and herbs, but it was quiet—a small sanctuary where he could devote himself fully to cultivation.
Before him rested a small pill bottle. Inside were three blood condensing pills—low-level mortal cultivation pills, simple but effective. Hao Tian unscrewed the lid and carefully took one out, feeling its smooth surface between his fingers. He swallowed it in one motion. Almost immediately, warmth began to spread from his stomach into his dantian, a steady hum of energy pushing through his body.
He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, following the rhythm laid out in his low-grade mortal cultivation manual. Inhaling, exhaling, tightening and relaxing muscles in sequence, he guided the flow of Qi from his dantian outward into the first meridian. Each circulation traced a precise path, spiraling along the channel before returning to the dantian. The effect was subtle but unmistakable: a whirlpool of Qi gathering more energy from the surrounding air, feeding his body, bones, and blood, refining them in the process.
Hao Tian continued, moving carefully from the dantian through the first four meridians. With each circulation, his body throbbed with warmth and pressure. The pill amplified the natural accumulation, allowing him to feel the hum of Qi coursing through his channels more quickly than before. Normally, such progress would have taken weeks of repeated sessions, but now, the low-level pill condensed that time into a single, potent cycle.
By the time he completed the ninth circulation—his first full session—Hao Tian's body ached pleasantly, his muscles and joints tingling with the subtle shock of accelerated Qi flow. His mid-fifth stage body-refining cultivation had shifted, and he could feel himself entering the low-sixth stage, the first real step toward strengthening his body and preparing to eventually project Qi outward.
He exhaled slowly, letting his awareness drift through each of the filled meridians. The dantian pulsed steadily, the initial four meridians warmed and stabilized, while the remaining channels awaited their turn. Each filled meridian brought him a subtle but undeniable sense of accomplishment—the invisible internal barriers cracking ever so slightly, giving him a glimpse of the potential that lay ahead.
Hao Tian knew he still had two pills left in the bottle. Each could accelerate his cultivation in a similar fashion, allowing him to continue filling more meridians in fewer sessions than normal. Time became secondary. One by one, he let the energy settle, feeling the gentle expansion and contraction of Qi within him.
This session marked the first true step beyond the foundation of mortal cultivation—a leap forward that would allow him to steadily fill his remaining meridians in the coming days. He was still far from Qi refining, but the gap had begun to shrink.
Hao Tian finally opened his eyes. His body felt stronger, more alert, more alive. The pill had done its work, but the progress belonged to him—the careful practice, the disciplined breathing, and the focused circulation of Qi. With patience, continued practice, and occasional medicinal support, he would gradually complete the filling of all 108 meridians and his dantian, preparing for the moment when he could softly project Qi outward and step into the Qi refining stage.
For now, he simply rested, letting the warmth and hum of Qi circulate gently through his body. Even in the silence of the small, broken house, Hao Tian could feel the vast potential within him beginning to awaken—a quiet, insistent promise that the path of true cultivation had begun in earnest.
Hao Tian lowered himself onto the worn wooden floor of his dilapidated house, letting out a long, steadying breath while clenching his fist, feeling the difference in strengthof roughlya month. The warmth from the first blood-condensing pill still hummed faintly through his veins, settling deep in his dantian. His muscles, once tense from practice, loosened in waves, and a subtle glow of Qi traced the paths of his meridians, faint but undeniable. For the first time in years, he felt the body within him responding with a kind of quiet, obedient energy, as if acknowledging the first step toward something greater.
He closed his eyes and let the sensations wash over him. Days of effort compressed into hours by the pill's power, and he could already feel the difference—the air seemed richer, lighter, as if each breath carried a fraction more Qi into his body. There was a calm in his chest he had never known before, a patient steadiness that promised progress.
Hao Tian opened his eyes, studying the worn walls of his small home. Tomorrow, he would take the second pill, continuing the path he had started. But for now, he allowed himself this small reprieve, a moment to feel the subtle pulse of life within him, the promise of the 109 meridians slowly filling, and the distant threshold of Qi refining waiting patiently.