Alexei stared at the notification for a solid minute, reading both options three times each. His hand hovered between them while his mind went over the information.
Option 2 was tempting. It offered immediate power, with no need to spend decades becoming useful. Magic modification sounded clean and straightforward.
But the warning at the bottom kept drawing his attention. The choice was permanent and couldn't be reversed.
Option 1 didn't carry the same restriction. It promised access to a path to power that would take time, but there was no mention of locking him out of other possibilities.
The wording mattered.
Option 2 clearly stated that choosing magic would close the cultivation path forever. Option 1 simply described the benefits of cultivation. It said nothing about preventing future modifications.
He thought it through carefully.
"Hm... If I choose cultivation now, I might still be able to obtain magic later. But if I choose magic now, the cultivation path disappears forever."
That asymmetry made the decision pretty obvious.
He had learned that lesson long ago, back when he was still making terrible decisions in Moscow. You never burn bridges unless there is no other choice. It's always better to keep your options open and avoid irreversible decisions when a reversible one exists.
There was also a practical reason behind it. He already had the Minecraft mechanics serving as his "magic system." His abilities were strange, and completely outside the logic of traditional cultivation. If he added qi cultivation on top of that, it would give him more flexibility.
Experience had already taught him that things in this world had a bad habit of collapsing at the worst possible moment. Giant spiders were a particularly memorable example.
He selected Option 1.
The notification dissolved, and a new line of text appeared.
[CULTIVATION PATH SELECTED]
[Initializing Qi System...]
[Allocating Attribute Points...]
[Rolling Random Distribution... 8 Points Available]
[Metal: 1 + 1 = 2]
[Wood: 1 + 1 = 2]
[Water: 1 + 1 = 2]
[Fire: 1 + 1 = 2]
[Earth: 1 + 2 = 3]
[Light: 1 + 0 = 1]
[Darkness: 1 + 0 = 1]
[Ice: 1 + 1 = 2]
[Wind: 1 + 0 = 1]
[Thunder: 1 + 1 = 2]
[Void: 1 + 0 = 1]
[Time: 1 + 0 = 1]
[Total Aptitude: 20]
[Minimum Threshold Met]
[Cultivation Stage: Body Tempering - First Stage (Skin Tempering)]
[Qi: 10/10]
[Qi Regeneration: 0.5 per hour (meditation: 0.6 per hour)]
His status screen updated with the new information. He pulled it up and examined the changes.
[Name: Alexei Volkov]
[Level: 80]
[Cultivation: Body Tempering - Skin Tempering (First Stage)]
[Qi: 10/10]
[Aptitude Distribution: Mixed (Earth 3, Metal 2, Water 2, Fire 2, Ice 2, Thunder 2, Wood 2, Light 1, Darkness 1, Wind 1, Void 1, Time 1)]
The aptitude spread looked mediocre. Earth got the most points with three, but everything else was scattered randomly.
Ten points of qi didn't sound like much, but it was a start. And according to the regeneration rate, he'd refill completely in 25 hours, or 16.67 hours if he meditated.
Now he just needed to figure out what the hell to do with it.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and reached for the qi he could now sense within his body.
It felt like a small ember burning in his chest, something that had always been there but had gone unnoticed. Now that he focused on it, he could feel it pulsing softly with every breath.
He tried to guide it.
The qi responded to his intent. It stirred and began to move along pathways he had no names for, flowing from his chest toward his right hand.
A faint tingling spread through his fingers. The sensation felt strange, though not unpleasant. It reminded him of the feeling when a numb hand slowly began to wake.
He opened his eyes and stared at his palm.
Nothing had changed on the surface. There was no glow and no visible energy. Still, his hand felt... perhaps stronger.
He pulled his pickaxe from his inventory and tried to guide his qi into it.
Warmth flowed from his hand into the tool. For a brief moment the pickaxe felt lighter and more responsive, as if it had become an extension of his arm rather than a separate object.
Then the sensation faded.
He checked his qi: 8/10.
"Two points just to make my pickaxe feel slightly better for three seconds. Definitely worth hours of meditation."
He tried again, this time focusing on maintaining the flow instead of just pushing qi out randomly.
The pickaxe lit up with a faint shimmer, then the qi dispersed in every direction, scattering into the air.
6/10 qi remaining.
"Blyat."
This was harder than it looked.
---
Over the next two days, Alexei experimented whenever he had spare time.
He tried channeling qi into different objects, but the results were inconsistent. Sometimes the qi clung to the object for a few seconds. Other times it scattered immediately. He had no idea what he was doing wrong.
He also attempted to reinforce different parts of his body. He tried his arms, his legs, and even his eyes once. That turned out to be a terrible idea, leaving him seeing double for nearly ten minutes.
He experimented while mining, while fighting mobs in his grinder, and even while wandering around his base.
Every attempt taught him the same important lesson. He was absolutely terrible at this.
His control was amateur at best. The qi usually did something close to what he intended, but the results were sloppy and inefficient. Worse still, he burned through his entire pool of qi in only a few minutes.
On the third day, he decided to test something specific.
He traveled to the Nether.
The moment he appeared inside the safe room, he sat down and tried to sense the ambient qi around him.
There was nothing.
He closed his eyes and focused harder, reaching outward with the same awareness he used to feel the qi within his own body.
Still nothing.
The Nether felt strange. It wasn't dead, but empty in a way that was difficult to describe. It felt as though the dimension itself lacked something essential. In the Profound Sky Continent he could always sense faint traces of qi drifting through the air, even when he wasn't meditating. Here there was none.
"Huh. So the Nether doesn't have ambient qi. Or am I too shit at sensing it to notice?"
That was useful information. It meant if he ever needed to meditate to recover qi, the Nether was the worst possible place to do it.
He teleported back and made a decision.
He needed help from someone who knew what they were doing.
That meant asking Qingxue.
Still, he hadn't gone to her immediately. He had wanted to explore things on his own first. Cultivation was new to him, and he was curious how much he could figure out through experimentation before relying on someone else's guidance.
After several days of testing, he had reached the limit of what he could learn alone.
So the next morning he went looking for her. He found Qingxue in the courtyard, practicing her sword forms.
Her blade cut through the air, leaving faint trails of frost behind it. Her footwork was so smooth that she seemed to glide across the ground rather than step.
He watched for a minute, quietly appreciating the skill on display, before clearing his throat.
"Qingxue. Do you have a moment?"
She finished her current sequence, lowered her sword, and turned to face him. "Of course. What do you need?"
"I managed to sense qi."
For a moment, she just stared at him. Then her eyes went wide. "You sensed qi?"
"Yeah. A few days ago..."
"Alexei." She crossed the distance between them in three quick steps. "You couldn't sense anything for months. The spirit root test showed almost no aptitude. How did you..."
The words tumbled out faster than he'd ever heard her speak. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her reaction.
Qingxue caught herself mid-sentence. She stopped, took a breath, and smoothed her features back into neutrality.
"My apologies." Her voice returned to its usual tone, though he could still detect a hint of warmth beneath it. "That was undignified. But I'm pleased by this development. May I ask how you achieved the breakthrough?"
"My divine ability had some kind of advancement. I'm not really sure how it works, but after it changed, I could suddenly sense qi when I meditated."
She nodded slowly. "Divine abilities often have their own logic. If yours has grown strong enough to compensate for your poor spiritual roots, then that would explain the breakthrough."
"So it's not completely unheard of?"
"Rare, but not impossible. There are records of cultivators with unique constitutions or abilities that allowed them to bypass normal limitations." She paused, and a smile appeared on her face. "I had begun to think you might never sense qi at all. This is good news."
"Yeah, well, don't celebrate too much. I've been testing it for days and my control is still garbage."
"May I check your cultivation base properly?"
He held out his arm. Qingxue placed two fingers against his wrist. A thin thread of her qi slipped into his meridians and flowed through his channels in a quick diagnostic sweep.
Her eyes widened slightly. "You've reached Body Tempering. Your qi capacity is still very limited, and your natural recovery is slow. That will improve as you advance through Body Tempering, but progress will take time."
"How much time?"
"For someone with average talent, reaching the second stage usually takes three to six months. For you..." She paused briefly. "It may take longer. Possibly years."
"Years...?"
"Cultivation is rarely a quick path. Those who advance rapidly usually possess exceptional talent, access to rare resources, or both."
Alexei took in the information and quietly stored it away as a problem for his future self. For now, he only needed to learn how to use the qi he already had without wasting it.
"What about techniques? I've been trying to channel qi into my tools, but I keep losing control. The energy just scatters."
"That's normal for beginners. Qi control requires practice and proper guidance." She gestured toward the stone table at the center of the courtyard. "Sit down. I will explain the fundamentals."
They sat across from each other. Qingxue placed her sword on the table between them.
"There are many cultivation paths. But with your limited qi capacity, most of them won't be suitable. Standard techniques require substantial qi reserves to be effective. You need something efficient."
"What are my current options?"
"Broadly speaking, there are several categories. There is sword cultivation, which is the path I follow. Talisman cultivation uses inscribed symbols to store and release qi. Alchemy is Yan's specialty. There are also formation arrays, beast taming, and weapon refinement. And that's only part of the list."
She tapped the table thoughtfully. "Given your limitations, I would suggest focusing on reinforcement cultivation."
"Which is?"
"Instead of projecting qi outward in large amounts, you keep it internal and use it to strengthen specific parts of your body or enhance tools you're already holding. It's far more efficient than most other methods because you're not wasting energy on maintaining external techniques."
He had seen something similar during the tournament in Verdantree City. One of the Heartseeker fighters had reinforced his arms and legs with talismans, effectively turning his body into a weapon.
"How does it work?"
"The basic principle is called 'qi coating,'" Qingxue explained. "You channel qi into a specific body part or object and hold it there to create a temporary enhancement. The key is maintaining a stable circulation pattern so the qi doesn't disperse."
She picked up her sword and held it horizontally. "Watch."
A thin layer of frost formed along the edge of the blade, spreading from the hilt to the tip. The air around them grew noticeably colder.
"This is sword qi reinforcement. I'm coating the blade with my qi and giving it an elemental attribute. It consumes qi continuously while the technique is active, but the improvement in power is considerable."
The frost vanished when she released the technique.
Alexei frowned slightly. "Can I do that with any tool?"
"In theory, yes. However, the effectiveness depends on the material of the tool and your compatibility with it. Higher quality materials conduct qi more efficiently."
Alexei thought of his diamond pickaxe. It was already absurdly effective for mining. If he could reinforce it with qi as well, the results might be ridiculous.
"What about body reinforcement?"
"The principle is similar. You coat specific parts of the body with qi to enhance strength, speed, or durability. Arms increase striking power. Legs improve movement. Skin strengthens defense."
She demonstrated by channeling qi into her hand. A faint, icy metallic sheen spread across her fingers.
"This is basic body hardening. It makes the reinforced area more resistant to damage."
The sheen faded.
"The difficulty with reinforcement cultivation is that you must constantly make choices. And your qi is limited, so you have to decide where to spend it. Do you reinforce your weapon, or your body? Your arms, or your legs? Every technique you maintain ties up part of your qi pool, and you can't regenerate that qi while those techniques remain active."
"So it's a kind of sacrificial allocation. I spend qi to gain an effect, but that qi stays locked away until I release the technique."
"That's right. A cultivator with a large qi reserve can afford to maintain dozens of techniques at the same time. Your qi is limited, so you must be strategic."
He nodded slowly.
He had ten qi in total. If he used two points to reinforce his weapon and another two to strengthen his body, that would leave six for emergencies. However, if a fight dragged on longer than expected, those six points would disappear quickly because regeneration would be delayed. He would soon find himself with nothing left.
It was a resource management problem, and that was something he understood well.
After a moment, another question came to mind.
"What happens if someone uses up all their qi?"
Qingxue regarded him calmly. "Their techniques collapse. Any qi they have committed to reinforcement disperses immediately. And without qi supporting the body, a cultivator becomes extremely fatigued. Their movements slow, their reactions dull, and most people can barely continue fighting. In battle, completely exhausting your qi is very dangerous."
Alexei considered that carefully. Running dry meant losing every advantage at once.
"Are there any techniques you would recommend for someone in my situation?"
Qingxue paused briefly before answering. "In your case, I would suggest learning three fundamental reinforcements: tool coating, limb hardening, and sensory enhancement."
"Sensory enhancement?"
"It involves using qi to sharpen your senses. Your vision becomes clearer, your reactions faster, and your spatial awareness improves. It requires very little qi to maintain but provides significant benefits in combat."
That sounded incredibly useful.
"I can explain the theory. The practical application will require experimentation. Every cultivator's qi flows differently, so methods that work for me may not work for you."
She paused for a moment before continuing. Then she placed her sword on the table between them.
"The most important principle is establishing stable circulation. Qi naturally disperses back into the environment. Your task is to contain it and guide it where you want it to go."
She demonstrated by guiding a thin stream of frost qi along the edge of her blade. The energy flowed in a steady cycle, moving from her hand into the sword and then returning again.
"Do you see how it circulates? That's what prevents waste. If you only push qi outward without creating a path for it to return, the energy will scatter almost immediately."
Alexei watched carefully. "So it's like... an electrical circuit? Closed loop versus open circuit?"
"I don't know what 'electrical circuit' means, but if that comparison helps you understand, you may use it."
She released the technique and the faint frost along the blade faded.
"The same principle applies to reinforcing the body. Guide the qi to the area you want to strengthen, establish circulation, and maintain the pattern. The idea is simple. The execution is far more difficult."
"What about elemental reinforcement?" Alexei asked. "I saw you channel ice qi through your sword earlier. Could I do something similar?"
"That depends on your elemental affinities," Qingxue replied.
Alexei checked his status screen in his mind. "Earth is currently my highest affinity."
"Currently?" Qingxue repeated, her brows knitting slightly. "That's an unusual way to put it."
She considered the answer for a moment before nodding.
"So you are earth-dominant. That suits reinforcement cultivation quite well. Earth qi is known for its stability and defensive strength, which pairs naturally with body-hardening techniques."
"Do you know any earth-based techniques I could learn?"
She shook her head. "My cultivation is ice-dominant. I can teach you the general principles of qi control, but specific techniques need to match your affinities. Otherwise you'll waste energy fighting against your natural inclinations."
"So where do I find earth techniques?"
"There are two options. The first is Quan. He has a strong earth affinity and cultivates earth-based techniques. He might be willing to guide you."
Alexei thought it over. Quan was intense. Learning from him would likely be useful, but also exhausting.
"What's the second option?"
"In the sect library, we have scrolls on various cultivation techniques, including basic earth reinforcement methods. They aren't as thorough as learning from an experienced cultivator, but they are a good place to start."
"I'll check the library first," Alexei decided. "If I can't figure it out from the scrolls, I'll ask Quan."
Qingxue nodded approvingly. "That's a sensible approach. Learning the theory first will make better use of both your time and his."
She stood and gestured for him to follow. "Come. I'll show you where the library is."
---
The sect library was a small building hidden behind the main hall. Anyone unfamiliar with the sect could easily walk past it without noticing. Inside, shelves covered the walls. They were filled with scrolls and bound books, all carefully organized by subject.
Zhi sat at a desk near the entrance, writing in a ledger. When the door opened, he lifted his head and looked at them.
"Qingxue, Alexei how may I help you?"
"Alexei needs access to cultivation technique scrolls. Specifically earth-based reinforcement methods suitable for the Body Tempering stage."
Zhi's attention shifted to Alexei. He studied him for a moment before giving a slow nod. "That limits the available options. Most of our advanced texts require at least Foundation Establishment."
He rose from his chair and walked to a shelf on the left side of the room. His fingers moved along several scrolls before he selected three of them.
"These should be suitable." He placed them on a reading table. "Basic Earth Reinforcement, Fundamentals of Grounded Stance, and Stone Body Cultivation. The first two contain practical techniques. The third focuses more on theory, but it provides useful context."
"Thank you," Alexei said.
"Scrolls cannot be removed from the library," Zhi added. "You may study them here during open hours. Writing materials are available at that desk if you need to take notes."
Qingxue turned to Alexei. "I'll leave you to your studies. If you have questions after reading, you know where to find me."
After she left, Alexei sat down at the reading table and unrolled the first scroll.
Basic Earth Reinforcement was written in neat, formal script. The opening passage read:
[Earth is the foundation upon which all things rest. It is unyielding where water flows, enduring where fire consumes, stable where wind scatters. To cultivate earth qi is to embrace these principles: permanence over change, defense over aggression, depth over height.
The practitioner must first understand that earth qi naturally resists movement. It does not wish to flow like water or burst forth like flame. It wishes to settle, to compress, and to become unmovable. This property makes earth qi difficult for beginners to circulate, but ideal for reinforcement techniques that require stability.
This manual details the foundational method of Earth Body Reinforcement, suitable for cultivators at Body Tempering stage and above. Master this technique, and your flesh shall become as stone; your bones, as iron; your stance, as the mountain that weathers ten thousand storms.]
Alexei skimmed past the flowery introduction to the technical content.
[To begin: Assume a seated meditation posture. Draw earth qi from your dantian and guide it through the meridians toward your chosen reinforcement point. The arms are recommended for first attempts, as they contain fewer vital organs and present less risk of injury from mistakes.
Channel the qi beneath the skin, roughly two to three centimeters deep. Do not guide it any deeper, or you may disrupt blood flow and cause internal harm. Spread the qi evenly across the entire surface area. Do not allow it to pool or clump.]
A diagram showed a cross-section of an arm with qi distributed in a thin layer just under the skin. Beside it were two other diagrams marked with red X's.
The first showed qi spread too thin:
[Common Error: Excessive coverage. The reinforcement will be weak and unstable, collapsing at the first impact.]
The second showed qi compressed into a dense point:
[Common Error: Excessive density. Will cause pain, restrict blood flow, and risk meridian damage. In severe cases, the cultivator may suffer qi deviation.]
The correct diagram was labeled:
[Proper technique: Even distribution at consistent depth. Maximum defensive efficiency with minimal qi expenditure.]
He pulled out paper and started copying the circulation patterns, sketching the arm diagram and marking the optimal depth.
The scroll continued with troubleshooting advice:
[If the qi disperses immediately upon entering the target area, your circulation pattern is incomplete. You must create a stable loop: qi flows from dantian to reinforcement point, circulates through the area, and returns to dantian. Only then will the reinforcement hold.
If the qi causes pain or numbness, you have compressed it too densely. Release the technique immediately and allow your meridians to recover before attempting again.
If the qi spreads to unintended areas, your mental focus is insufficient. Earth qi is heavy and stubborn; it requires firm intent to direct properly. A wandering mind produces wandering qi.]
He jotted down a few reminders. He needed to create a return loop, avoid compressing the energy, and stay focused.
The final section covered duration and efficiency:
[A novice can expect to maintain Basic Earth Reinforcement for ten to thirty breaths before the circulation collapses. With practice, this will extend to hundreds of breaths, and eventually the technique will become second nature, requiring minimal conscious effort.
Qi consumption depends on the size of the reinforced area and the density of the coating. A forearm requires approximately 1-2 qi points per thirty breaths. Full-body reinforcement requires 8-10 qi points per thirty breaths and is not recommended for Body Tempering cultivators.]
Alexei did the math in his head. With his pool of 10 qi, he could maintain forearm reinforcement for maybe two or three minutes total before running completely dry. Full-body reinforcement wasn't even an option.
He set aside the first scroll and unrolled the second.
Fundamentals of Grounded Stance had a different tone. It was more practical and far less philosophical:
[This technique was developed for disciples who fought in mountainous terrain. Its purpose is simple. It prevents an enemy from forcing you to move.
Method: Channel earth qi into both legs simultaneously, from hip to heel. Unlike surface reinforcement, this technique requires the qi to travel deeper until it reaches the bones themselves. When properly executed, your feet will feel as though they have taken root in the ground beneath you.
The qi does not make you heavier. Instead, it creates a resonance between your body and the earth below. You become part of the ground itself. An opponent attempting to push, pull, or throw you will find it as difficult as trying to uproot a tree.]
The diagram showed qi flowing down both legs in parallel streams, then spreading through the feet like tree roots.
[Warning: This technique consumes qi continuously while active. A Foundation Establishment cultivator can maintain Grounded Stance for one hour. A Body Tempering cultivator should expect no more than five to ten minutes before qi depletion.
Secondary Warning: Do not activate this technique while jumping or in mid-air. The sudden "grounding" effect will cause you to fall immediately and may result in injury.]
"Good to know," Alexei muttered, writing that down. Do not use while jumping. You will fall like a rock.
The third scroll, Stone Body Cultivation, opened with an ominous passage:
[By choosing this scroll, you acknowledge that flesh is weak. To walk the path of Stone Body is to gradually replace weakness with strength, flesh with iron, mortality with permanence. This is not a technique to be learned in days or weeks. It is a lifelong commitment that will reshape your very essence.
The Stone Body method requires daily infusion of earth qi into the bones, organs, and meridians. Over months, the qi will settle into your body, becoming part of your physical structure. Over years, your body will achieve a level of durability that rivals magical artifacts.
The process is irreversible. Once begun, you cannot return to a normal cultivation path. Choose wisely.]
Alexei stopped reading and stared at that last line.
Yeah, he wasn't touching that. There was no way he would commit himself to a permanent cultivation path when he barely understood what he was doing.
Still, curiosity made him skim the rest. The technique required saturating the entire skeleton with earth qi over many years, slowly transforming the bones into something closer to metal. It was an interesting concept, though he didn't bother taking detailed notes.
For someone with only ten qi, it was completely impractical. He could barely maintain a coating over his forearm for thirty seconds.
After two hours of reading and taking notes, he had built a solid theoretical foundation. He understood how earth qi behaved, how to create basic reinforcements, and how to avoid common mistakes that could waste qi or cause injury.
Now he simply needed to find out whether he could put any of it into practice.
---
The next morning, Alexei returned to his room and spread his notes across the bed.
The first test would be basic earth reinforcement on his right arm.
He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and reached for his qi. The warm energy answered immediately, gathering within his core. According to the scroll, he needed to guide the qi through his shoulder and into his arm, then spread it evenly beneath the skin in a thin protective layer.
He visualized the circulation pattern from the diagram and began channeling.
The qi traveled smoothly through his shoulder. Everything felt stable so far. When it reached his upper arm, he tried to spread it outward. The energy scattered instantly, flowing in every direction except the one he wanted.
4/10 qi remaining.
"What the hell?"
He checked his notes again. The instructions were simple: maintain even distribution, keep the layer thin, and ensure stable circulation.
He attempted the technique a second time. This time he concentrated harder on control, trying to force the qi to remain within the correct pattern. The energy moved into his arm, and he held it there with sheer will.
Instead of spreading, the qi compressed into a dense knot inside his bicep.
Pain shot through his arm. It wasn't severe, but it was enough to make him wince and immediately release the technique.
2/10 qi.
Alexei exhaled slowly. "That's really difficult. I used too much force."
He retrieved several Qi-Replenishing Pills and swallowed them one after another. Warm medicinal energy spread through his stomach almost immediately.
However, the pills didn't restore qi by themselves.
He sat down and began circulating his cultivation technique, guiding the medicinal energy through his meridians. The energy flowed along unfamiliar yet clearly defined pathways before gathering inside his dantian, gradually transforming into usable qi.
This was his first time actually refining the energy from Qi-Replenishing Pills. Until now, he had only read the theory. According to Qingxue, the process wasn't dangerous. At worst, poor control would cause some of the energy to leak away during circulation, wasting part of the pill's potency. It simply meant the pill wouldn't be used to its full potential.
Ever since he had enchanted the Bronze Pill Furnace, Yan had been producing pills continuously, so he never lacked them as long as he tended his spirit fruit farm each day. Losing a few pills therefore didn't concern him
There was, however, a drawback to consuming too many Qi-Replenishing Pills. Excess medicinal energy could create a heavy sense of fullness. Once that limit was reached, absorbing additional energy became impossible. In extreme cases, forcing more pills could even rupture the meridians as uncontrolled qi surged through them.
Fortunately, he didn't suffer from that problem. No matter how many pills he consumed, he never felt that sense of fullness.
After circulating the qi for a while, the last strands of medicinal energy settled into his dantian.
His qi was fully restored.
He opened his eyes and tried again.
This time he guided the energy gently instead of forcing it. He allowed the qi to move along its natural path and only nudged it enough to keep the shape stable.
The energy flowed into his arm and spread beneath his skin. The distribution was uneven, with some areas thicker and others thinner, but it remained roughly where it was supposed to be.
He maintained the pattern for five seconds.
Then his concentration slipped, and the entire structure collapsed.
8/10 qi.
"Still shit, but better."
He spent the rest of the morning repeating the process. Each attempt revealed something new about how earth qi preferred to move. He began to understand where his control weakened and which adjustments produced better results.
By evening, he could maintain a crude reinforcement over his forearm for nearly ten seconds before it collapsed.
The following day, he pushed it to eleven seconds, and the coverage across his arm became slightly more even.
"This is going to take forever," he muttered as his qi drained away for the twentieth time that day.
---
Tool coating was next.
He pulled out his diamond pickaxe and reviewed the notes he'd taken from the Basic Earth Reinforcement scroll. The principles were the same as body reinforcement: establish circulation, maintain even coverage, don't compress too densely.
The difference was that he was coating an external object instead of his own body, which meant the qi had to travel further and required more precise control to keep it stable.
He began his first attempt by channeling earth qi from his hand into the pickaxe.
The moment the energy entered the tool, it scattered.
6/10 qi.
"Of course."
For his second attempt, he tried to create a circulation loop between his hand and the pickaxe, just as Qingxue had demonstrated with her sword.
Qi flowed into the pickaxe as he focused on establishing a return path back to his hand.
The loop lasted for about two seconds before it collapsed.
4/10 qi.
He tried again.
For the third attempt, he imagined the qi as a thin shell wrapping around the surface of the pickaxe. A continuous thread connected the shell to his hand.
The shell began to form with great effort. It covered the blade and crept down along the handle. Then his concentration slipped, and the shell dissolved.
2/10 qi.
He swallowed a few Qi-Replenishing Pills, then meditated to circulate the qi before trying again.
By the end of the day, he could coat the pickaxe for about eight seconds before losing control. It wasn't impressive, but progress was still progress.
The week that followed passed in a blur of practice and repeated failure.
Every morning, after clearing his mob farm and tending his spirit farms, he practiced coating his pickaxe with qi before focusing on body reinforcement. He rotated between different areas, working on his forearms, legs, and torso as he tried to understand how earth qi behaved in each part of his body.
The forearms were the easiest. The muscles and bones there were simple and straightforward. By the third day he could maintain stable reinforcement for thirty seconds.
His legs proved more difficult. Their structure was more complex and the circulation paths were longer. His first attempt to reinforce his calves caused a strange cramping sensation that left him limping around for ten minutes. By the fifth day he could maintain reinforcement for twenty seconds without cramping.
The torso was a complete failure. The area was too large, and too many internal organs reacted poorly when qi was forced into them. His first attempt left him nauseous. His second attempt was even worse.
He decided to abandon full torso reinforcement and concentrate on his arms and legs instead.
Every afternoon he practiced tool coating on his pickaxe.
His breakthrough came on the fourth day. He finally realized that he didn't need to form a perfect circulation loop. Maintaining a steady outward flow of qi was enough to replenish the coating as it slowly decayed.
The method was less efficient than a true loop, but it was much easier to control.
After that realization, his progress improved rapidly. By the sixth day he could maintain the coating on his pickaxe for thirty seconds. By the seventh day he reached forty-five seconds.
Sensory enhancement, however, remained completely beyond him.
On the second day, he attempted to sharpen his vision. The effort left him with a migraine that lasted for three hours.
On the fourth day, he tried enhancing his hearing. The attempt nearly deafened him when the amplified pounding of his own heartbeat filled his ears.
On the sixth day, he decided to enhance his sense of touch, believing it would be safer than sight or hearing. Instead, his entire body became hypersensitive. Even the feel of his clothes against his skin was like being scraped with sandpaper.
After that experience, he decided sensory enhancement could wait until he gained better control.
On the eighth day, he stood in his room and reviewed his progress.
He could maintain basic earth reinforcement on his forearms for about forty seconds. Reinforcing his legs lasted around twenty-five seconds. Maintaining both at the same time reduced the duration to roughly fifteen seconds before one or both failed.
He could also coat his pickaxe with earth qi for up to forty-five seconds. When he did, the tool felt sharper and far more responsive in his grip.
His qi pool, which measured only ten, remained painfully small. Any meaningful use of his abilities drained him within minutes.
Still, it was a foundation he could build upon.
"Time to field test this," he said as he gathered his gear.
---
The safe room formed around Alexei once again. He stepped through the doorway and entered the Crimson Forest with his pickaxe in hand.
He walked toward a patch of netherrack and channeled earth qi into his pickaxe.
This time the coating formed smoothly. The energy spread across the diamond blade in a thin and even layer. It remained stable, and the metal took on a faint brown tint as the earth qi settled into place.
He swung at the netherrack.
The blade cut into the brittle stone as if the block offered almost no resistance. The netherrack shattered in half the usual time, fragments scattering across the ground.
"Okay. That works."
He mined several more blocks while maintaining the coating. The reinforcement made the process noticeably faster, and the pickaxe felt balanced in his grip. It moved like an extension of his arm.
What if I push more qi into it mid-swing? Would it mine even faster?
He forced additional qi into the coating as he brought the pickaxe down. The reinforcement collapsed instantly. Qi burst outward in a chaotic surge, and the backlash sent a sharp jolt of pain through his arm.
He dropped the pickaxe with a curse and clutched his hand.
5/10 qi remaining.
"Don't mess with a working technique. Keep it simple, idiot."
He picked up the pickaxe, reapplied the coating, and continued mining. This time he avoided trying to adjust anything in the middle of a swing.
It worked without any problems.
Next, he decided to test body reinforcement while moving.
He channeled earth qi into his legs and concentrated on his calves and thighs. The energy settled quickly, and his legs immediately felt heavier, as though his feet were gripping the ground more firmly.
He started running.
The reinforcement made each step lighter and more controlled. He moved faster than usual, and his footing remained steady even across the uneven netherrack.
So this worked.
Then his foot caught on a crimson root he hadn't noticed. The moment his concentration broke, the qi coating disappeared.
He pitched forward, hit the ground face first, and slid through a cloud of red dust.
3/10 qi.
"Blyat."
He pushed himself up, spitting out netherrack powder, and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"This is going to take a while to get good at."
By the time Alexei returned to the Profound Sky Continent that evening, he had learned several important lessons.
The first lesson was that qi coating did work, but it required constant focus. The moment his attention slipped, even for a second, the reinforcement would weaken and collapse.
The second lesson was that he could maintain two reinforcements at most if he concentrated fully. A third was extremely difficult, and four was completely impossible.
The third lesson was that his total qi reserve of ten was painfully small. Even when he used it carefully, his entire supply was gone within minutes.
The fourth lesson was that he was nowhere near ready to use this technique in real combat. In a fight he would exhaust his qi almost immediately.
Even so, despite the limitations, the repeated failures, and the painfully slow progress, he felt something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
He felt satisfaction.
Qingxue had been right. Cultivation was a long road, and he had only just taken the first step.
At least now he had a direction. Reinforcement cultivation suited his current style. It was efficient, focused on strengthening what he already did instead of forcing him to learn entirely new techniques from the beginning.
If he continued practicing and steadily improved his control, the day would eventually come when qi reinforcement became instinctive.
For now, however, he had more pressing matters to deal with. The Nether wasn't going to explore itself.
[Name: Alexei Volkov]
[Level: 102]
[Cultivation: Body Tempering - Skin Tempering (First Stage)]
[Qi: 10/10]
[Aptitude Distribution: Mixed (Earth 3, Wind 3, Metal 2, Water 2, Fire 2, Ice 2, Thunder 2, Wood 2, Light 1, Darkness 1, Void 1, Time 1)]
[Known Techniques:
- Basic Earth Reinforcement
- Basic Earth Coating]