Chapter 9: Ch 9
Cultivation is often divided in three parts; to draw Qi into the body, to refine it, and to circulate it through the channels, allowing it to strengthen the components of the flesh.
Ground rhythm was both a Gathering technique and a Refining technique, but the it's practicality was more focused on the former.
Adel breathed in according to the prescribed rhythm. He had done this countless of times in the past, and soon he was able to draw Qi from the surroundings. Unlike the creator, the practitioners no longer need to be in sync with nature, as the breathing pattern was already revealed and studied, all one had to do was follow the instructions to ensure success.
Qi was drawn in and was instantly transformed to become his own. Unlike the others who had to meditate in order to fully convert and control the Qi to flow through their bodies, Adel who possessed a heaven-defying talent, could transform the foreign Qi into his own and command it to move along his Qi channels with ease.
After gathering the Qi inside his body, refining it and turning it to his own, the next step would be to circulate it. The Ground Rhythm didn't have a technique for the third step, and Adel have to use a different one.
People of the olden era used to have masters guiding their disciples in this process, and countless of lives were sacrificed in order to develop a single technique for Circulation art. One mistake is all it takes to cripple someone's martial prowess.
On the modern world, Circulation art was of utmost importance to cultivators. With the help of artificial intelligence and capable researchers, the world successfully standardized the Circulation art, developing a set of perfect techniques for everyone.
This last step was the most complicated and the most crucial. Often, it could decide the fate of an individual; just like the stat distribution in games. But in real life, there's no stat reset.
Some Circulation art would grant a dexterous hand for crafting and swordsmanship, some could grant Herculean strength, hyper-intuition, agility, reaction speed and more. The circulation art in the modern world could even grant one with an elemental affinity.
A Nourishment Stage in the modern world could defeat a Foundation stage expert in the ancient times because of their sophisticated Circulation art.
From this, it could be seen how important the process of Qi circulation is.
Thinking of his past life, Adel let out a sigh. In fact, one of the techniques stored in his inborn memory was a Circulation art. The immature him thought that it was too shabby for his status, and instead chose a technique which granted him the lighting and thunder attribute. It was an A class technique that could allow anybody to produce and control lightning once they reach the Foundation realm.
The state was kind enough to allow the populace to learn the techniques below S class.
S class technique could threaten the state once it was made public and only the higher ups are allowed to practice them.
The ancients value battle prowess and often resorts to violence, but the modern world values intelligence. Circulation arts that grants someone the ability to observe a scene regardless of distance or physical hindrances, was a typical example of an S class skill. Mind control skills are also S class.
For those that could heavily benefit someone for the cost of someone's life or freedom, martial art techniques that allowed one to claim lives swiftly and tracelessly, techniques that are too mysterious and yet to be completely deciphered; they are all classified as forbidden techniques.
Adel stayed still as he pondered. The newly gathered Qi was still stored in his dantian and it would not move an inch until he allows. He sift through his memories for all the A class Circulation techniques that he knew, and after he looked through them all, he smiled. He examined them and determined their strength and weaknesses until he was satisfied, now he had no regrets over abandoning them.
"So far, my memories never failed me. I shall entrust my future into it."
The mysterious Circulation technique doesn't have a name yet because Adel could not determine its properties and effects.
With a slight stimulation, the golden Qi unique only to him churned and rushed to the crown of his head like a sword piercing towards the heaven.
Adel felt a warm sensation, as though a ball of fire was hovering above his head. All his Qi formed a focused point in his crown, and then they split into two strands, flowing into his eyes.
During the process, Adel had to be careful or he would end up blind. It was fortunate that he has the memory to guide him, his knowledge of astral anatomy is simply lacking to perform a complex and dangerous procedure like this. He also have to thank his Qi control, for it was like an obedient husky, going where he leads it and deviating not.
'Next would be the ears.'
From the eyes, two strands of Qi headed towards the main acupoints on the ears. After reaching the ear, Adel did not delay and converged the two strands into the nose, then a single strand of Qi emerged and flowed through his tongue and mouth.
Adel tasted something sweet in his tongue and when he opened his mouth, a stream of white gas escaped.
Slowly, Adel directed the Qi from his mouth to flow into his spine, unlocking the human bodies potential. His senses was enhanced, he was filled with power.
He held in his delight and proceed to finish the first circulation. His Qi reached the coccyx and rested there. From the spine, small strands of Qi flowed into the meridians into his limbs. The difficulty was even harder than forming the Judgement Spear.
A few minutes later, a smile hung on his face. He tuned into to his body and felt somewhat heavy, and when he looked at his hands, it was covered in resplendent golden haze. It wrapped around him like a flame and hid his features.
"Shit!"
Right now he looked like a burning man. The radiant flame gave off a holy feeling and completely burned dust and pollution that approaches his body. If he descended from the sky like this, they would think that he was a heavenly herald. Fortunately, it did not burn his clothes. It seemed like a flame, but it did not have its properties.
"How am I going out now?"
Fortunately, the flame disappeared when he stopped circulating his Qi. He sighed in relief.
He was feeling strong and agile. His senses was enhanced to some degree, and there was the presence of the golden flame when he starts circulating.
'Could this be my special ability?'
Adel was stricken in terror for the first time in his life. He imagined a scene where he would encounter some random thugs.
"Hmmp! So you survive my Judgement Spear. You guys are indeed worthy of witnessing 1% of my power." After all those domineering speech, his entire body would then ignite into flames. What use would that be?!
Tears threatened to surface from his eyes as he begun to contemplate whether or not he could reincarnate for the second time.
While thinking this, he felt like something was stuck in the back of his mind and he feels like he was forgetting something.
"That's right, my unique ability...even if it was that mysterious flame, it was not suppose to manifest so soon."
He then meticulously examined his body and when he saw its state, he was shaken.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone