Dawn painted the peaks in rose and gold as Master Chen led Li deep into the heart of the Cascades, far beyond the cabin. The air thrummed with unseen energy, the forest alive in a way Li now perceived with his heightened senses – the slow pulse of ancient trees, the darting spark of small creatures, the gentle flow of Qi along ley lines in the earth. They arrived at the base of Snoqualmie Falls, a titanic cascade of white water thundering down a mossy cliff face, filling the canyon with a roar that vibrated in Li's chest cavity. Mist hung heavy, refracting rainbows.
"Here," Chen commanded, his voice cutting through the din effortlessly. "Sit upon the Turtle Stone." A large, flat boulder smoothed by millennia of spray lay near the churning pool. "Meditate. Zuo Wang (Sitting in Forgetfulness). Let the thunder of the falls become the silence within. Seek the spark in your Lower Dan Tian. Draw the wild Qi of this place. Refine it. Make it yours."
[CULTIVATION QUEST: QI GATHERING - LEVEL 1 (Snoqualmie Node)]
Objective: Achieve Profound Inner Stillness for 2 hours beneath the falls. Successfully circulate gathered Qi through Ren Mai (Governing Vessel) and Du Mai (Conception Vessel).
Rewards: +800 XP, +2 WIS, Skill: [Qi Sense Lv.2], Qi Pool +50, Increase Meridian Purity +10%, Technique Scroll Fragment: Exploding Fist (1/3)
Failure: Qi Deviation Risk (Moderate) (Temporary Stat Reduction, Internal Injury), Spiritual Shock
The physical trials paled before this mental maelstrom. The roar wasn't just sound; it was a physical pressure, a chaotic assault on his senses. The freezing spray soaked him instantly. The sheer power of the falling water vibrated through the rock. Li closed his eyes, focusing on his breath – slow, deep inhalations drawing the cold, mist-laden air deep into his Dan Tian, slow exhalations releasing tension. He activated [Calm Mind (Qi)], a skill Master Chen had seeded during their walks. It created a fragile bubble of focus. He sought the warm, swirling ember in his lower abdomen, the core of his personal Qi. It felt faint, almost drowned out.
Chaos reigned. Doubts, fragmented memories, the sheer overwhelming noise – they surged like floodwaters. He clung to his breath. To the ember. [Stubborn Resolve Lv.1] merged seamlessly with his nascent Qi control, becoming an iron anchor. Minutes stretched. Slowly, agonizingly, the external chaos began to recede. The roar didn't diminish, but it transformed. It became a vast, rhythmic pulse, like the heartbeat of the mountain itself. The cold became irrelevant. The spray felt cleansing. His awareness turned inward. The ember in his Dan Tian flared, responding. He felt tendrils of energy, wild and untamed like the falls themselves, swirling in the mist. Tentatively, using his [Qi Sense Lv.1], he reached out.
It was like trying to grasp lightning. The wild Qi was fierce, exhilarating, but dangerous. He focused his intent, drawing it not with force, but with a gentle, persistent suction, like a deep inhalation. He pulled it down, through the crown of his head, along his spine (Du Mai), feeling the energy warm and slightly tingle as it flowed. He guided it down to his Dan Tian, where his personal Qi swirled, embracing and refining the wild influx, calming its ferocity. Then, he circulated it upwards along his front midline (Ren Mai), completing the loop. The refined Qi felt warmer, denser, his. A notification, serene and etched in luminous gold, appeared:
[ACHIEVED: PROFOUND INNER STILLNESS]
[QI CIRCULATION MASTERY (REN/DU) - LEVEL 1 UNLOCKED!]
[QI SENSE LV.1 -> LV.2!]
Effect: Sense Qi flows within self and environment (30ft radius) with greater clarity. Detect spiritual presences (Moderate). Distinguish Qi types (Wild/Natural, Cultivated, Malignant).
Qi Pool: 50 -> 100
Meridian Purity: 55% -> 65%
[TECHNIQUE SCROLL FRAGMENT: EXPLODING FIST (1/3) ACQUIRED!]
Rewards Claimed: +800 XP, +2 WIS (Wisdom Unlocked: 10)
Li opened his eyes. The world was transformed. He saw the falls not just as water, but as a torrent of shimmering, chaotic blue-white energy. The trees pulsed with steady green vitality. Master Chen stood beside him, radiating a deep, golden calm. "You have touched the river," Chen said, approval warming his voice. "Now, learn to channel it."
The following weeks were dedicated to Qi Application. Chen demonstrated against a moss-covered boulder half Li's height. He placed his palm gently against its surface, no wind-up, no visible strain. A moment of profound stillness, then a sound like a muffled thunderclap. The boulder didn't move, but a spiderweb of cracks radiated from Chen's palm deep into its core. "Zhen Qi (True Qi)," Chen explained. "Not muscle against rock. It is intent focused through the river. Qi enters the target. It finds the weakness, the hollow spaces... and expands."
Li practiced relentlessly. Channeling Qi from his Dan Tian down his arm felt like trying to direct a stream of molten silver – powerful but elusive. He practiced on leaves, trying to make them flutter without touch. He practiced on small stones, often just knocking them over. Frustration mounted. Then, Chen placed a fist-sized, dense river stone in his open palm. "Do not strike it," Chen instructed. "Strike within it. Pour your Stubborn Resolve into the Qi. Imagine your intent exploding at its very heart."
Li closed his eyes, gathering his focus. He felt the warm current flow down his arm, pooling in his palm, encasing the stone. He poured his will into it – not anger, but pure, focused intention to disrupt, to shatter from within. He visualized the energy penetrating the stone's surface, coiling in its center... and detonating. CRACK! Not a loud bang, but a sharp, crystalline snap. The stone didn't just break; it disintegrated into a fine powder that puffed out between his fingers. A jolt of feedback, like a mild electric shock, stung his palm. Triumph, pure and fierce, surged through him.
[SKILL UNLOCKED: EXPLODING FIST (QI) LV.1!]
Effect: Channels Qi into a target (organic/inorganic) causing severe internal disruption/damage. Damage scales exponentially with Qi invested and target's resilience/defenses. Ignores a portion of external DEF. Cost: 15-50 Qi Points per use (based on intensity). Cooldown: 5 seconds (Minor), 1 minute (Major).
New Technique: Qi Barrier Lv.1 (Cost: 5 Qi/sec), Rooted Stance (Qi) (Cost: 1 Qi/sec - +3 DEF, +5 STR vs knockdown)
On his final morning, Master Chen presented Li with a simple, unadorned jade pendant on a leather cord. It was warm to the touch and pulsed faintly with a familiar, calming energy. "This holds a sliver of my Qi and the mountain's peace. It will aid your focus and offer minor protection. You stand at the threshold of Qi Refining (Lian Qi). Your path is yours to walk now. Return each summer; the mountain has more to teach. Remember, Li Wei," his eyes held the weight of ages, "power refined without wisdom is a sword without a hilt – it cuts the wielder first. High school... it holds dragons dressed in letterman jackets and scorn. They breathe a different fire. Be watchful. Be wise. Be ready." Li bowed deeply, the jade pendant a comforting weight against his chest, the thrumming power of the Exploding Fist a coiled promise in his palm. The boy who arrived was gone. The cultivator walked back towards the world.