.
The morning after meeting Wei Chen, Axel woke with renewed determination. The encounter had crystallized something in his mind—he was running out of time. Winter was approaching, bringing with it cold that would make forest survival significantly more difficult. More importantly, his cultivation was reaching a critical juncture where progress would slow to a crawl without proper resources and guidance.
He had one week. Seven days to push himself as hard as possible, to reach Stage 3 Peak if he could manage it, to prepare himself for the transition from solitary survival to whatever came next.
The training began before dawn. Axel had developed a systematic approach to cultivation over his weeks in the forest, and now he refined it further, eliminating any wasted motion or inefficient practice.
Morning: Active Qi gathering for one hour, pushing his limits, accepting the risk of detection in exchange for rapid progress. The technique he'd discovered the previous day—creating a pressure differential rather than forcefully pulling energy—had transformed his cultivation speed. What had taken hours now took minutes.
Mid-morning: Combat practice. Strike training against trees, movement drills through the forest, practicing the concealment technique Wei Chen had mentioned. Axel focused on compressing his Qi without visible signs, learning to hide the telltale glow that announced an impending attack.
Noon: Meditation to stabilize and integrate the morning's gains. Cultivation wasn't just about accumulating power—it was about refining and integrating that power into your foundation. Rushing too fast led to instability, to cracks in your spiritual structure that would haunt you in higher realms.
Afternoon: More active gathering combined with circulation practice. Axel worked on maintaining the Qi-drawing vortex while simultaneously circulating energy through his meridians. It was mentally exhausting, like trying to solve complex math problems while running a marathon, but the results spoke for themselves.
Evening: Combat scenarios. Axel would imagine opponents—beasts, cultivators, multiple enemies at once—and practice responding with appropriate techniques. The mental training helped solidify the patterns, making responses more instinctive and less dependent on conscious thought.
Night: Deep meditation until exhaustion claimed him.
The routine was brutal, but effective. By the end of the first day, Axel could feel the difference. His dantian had expanded noticeably, able to hold roughly twenty percent more Qi than before. The meridians through which he circulated energy felt wider, more robust, capable of handling greater flows without strain.
More importantly, his control had improved dramatically. The Qi responded to his will more readily, moved through pathways with less resistance, compressed and released with greater efficiency. He was beginning to develop what the inherited memories called "Qi sense"—an intuitive understanding of energy flow that went beyond conscious technique.
The second day brought the first real breakthrough. Axel was deep in meditation, actively gathering Qi while simultaneously circulating it through his meridians, when something shifted. The energy that had been flowing in established patterns suddenly... expanded.
New pathways opened in his spiritual body—minor meridians branching off from the main channels he'd been using. The Qi flooded into these new routes like water finding cracks in a dam, spreading throughout his body in increasingly complex networks.
The sensation was overwhelming. Axel gasped, his eyes snapping open as pain and pleasure mixed in equal measure. It felt like his entire body was being restructured from the inside out, old limitations dissolving, new possibilities emerging.
When the process finally stabilized, Axel found himself panting on the forest floor, drenched in cold sweat despite the cool morning air. But the exhaustion was worth it. He'd just broken through to Stage 3 Early Qi Gathering.
The difference was immediately apparent. The ambient Qi that had always been present but somewhat distant now felt closer, more accessible. He could sense energy patterns in the forest around him—concentrations near running water, thin spots in the deep shade, rich pockets where spirit herbs grew.
More than that, his active gathering technique had become exponentially more effective. Where before he'd needed intense concentration to maintain the Qi-drawing vortex, now it felt almost natural. He could sustain it while walking, while eating, even while practicing combat techniques.
This was the power of Stage 3. Not just gathering energy passively during meditation, but actively drawing it in constantly, accelerating cultivation by orders of magnitude compared to lower realms.
Axel spent the rest of that day stabilizing his breakthrough, letting his body adjust to the new level of power flowing through it. Rushing forward too quickly after a breakthrough was dangerous—the cultivation world was filled with cautionary tales of talented practitioners who'd advanced too fast and paid for it with crippled foundations or worse.
By the third day, stability achieved, Axel pushed forward again. Now that he understood the active gathering technique properly, he could experiment with variations. What happened if he gathered from a specific direction rather than all around? What if he filtered the incoming Qi, accepting only the purest energy and letting the rest pass by?
Each experiment taught him something new about how the cultivation system worked. Directional gathering was more efficient but easier to detect. Filtering improved quality but reduced quantity. Pulsed gathering—drawing in energy in rhythmic bursts rather than continuous flow—seemed to strengthen meridians more effectively than constant absorption.
The fourth day brought another visitor.
Axel was practicing his Qi Strike technique, working on the concealment method Wei Chen had suggested, when he felt the presence. Not Wei Chen this time—the signature was different, stronger, more refined.
A woman emerged from the trees, moving with the fluid grace of someone highly trained in combat. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with sharp features and eyes that missed nothing. Her robes marked her as a sect member, though Axel didn't recognize the symbols embroidered on the fabric.
Most concerning was her cultivation level. Axel's newly improved Qi sense detected power that dwarfed his own—Stage 5 or maybe even Stage 6, far beyond anything he could hope to challenge.
"Interesting," the woman said, her voice cool and appraising. "Self-taught, aren't you? I can tell by the cultivation style—no formal structure, just raw instinct and experimentation." She circled him slowly, studying him like a predator evaluating prey. "You've got talent, I'll give you that. Stage 3 Early after what, two months? Maybe less? That's impressive for someone with no resources or guidance."
Axel said nothing, keeping his staff ready despite knowing it would be useless against someone of her level. Sometimes silence was the best defense—letting others talk while you gathered information.
The woman smiled, seeming to appreciate his caution. "Relax. If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. I'm Zhang Mei, inner disciple of the Azure Sky Sect. I'm out here hunting a rogue cultivator who's been causing problems in our territory." She paused, her expression becoming more serious. "You haven't seen anyone matching this description, have you?"
She pulled out a small jade slip and channeled Qi into it. An image appeared in the air—a man in his thirties, with a scar across his left cheek and cold, dead eyes.
Axel shook his head. "Haven't seen him."
"Shame." Zhang Mei dismissed the image with a wave. "He's dangerous—Stage 7 Soul Projection cultivator with a taste for stealing cultivation from weaker practitioners. If you do see him, run. Don't try to fight, don't try to negotiate. Just run and hope he doesn't find you worth the effort to chase."
The casual way she described such a dangerous individual sent chills down Axel's spine. This was the reality of the cultivation world—people who could kill you with a thought, who saw nothing wrong with stealing your life's work to fuel their own advancement.
Zhang Mei turned to leave, then paused and looked back. "One more thing. The Azure Sky Sect holds entrance examinations twice a year. Next one is in three weeks, at the base of Azure Peak Mountain about ten days' travel east of here. If you're interested in actual formal training rather than stumbling around in the woods, you should consider it. Someone with your talent and work ethic could go far with proper resources."
"What's the catch?" Axel asked before he could stop himself.
Zhang Mei laughed, genuine amusement in the sound. "Smart question. The catch is that sect life is competitive, political, and occasionally deadly. You'll have rivals who want to surpass you, enemies who want to crush you, and superiors who see you as a resource to be exploited. But you'll also have access to techniques that actually work, spirit pills to accelerate cultivation, protective formations so you don't die to random beasts, and teachers who can help you avoid the thousand stupid mistakes that kill self-taught cultivators."
She pulled out a small token and tossed it to him. Axel caught it reflexively—simple wood carved with a symbol he didn't recognize.
"Show that at the examination grounds. It'll get you past the initial screening and directly to the aptitude tests. Consider it payment for wasting your time with questions." Zhang Mei's expression became serious again. "And seriously—if you see that rogue cultivator, run. Don't be a hero. Heroes die stupid deaths in this world."
With that, she disappeared into the forest with the same fluid grace she'd arrived with, moving so quickly Axel lost track of her within seconds.
He stood alone in the clearing, turning the wooden token over in his hands. The Azure Sky Sect. Formal training. Access to real techniques and resources. It was exactly what he'd been thinking he needed.
But it was also everything Zhang Mei had warned about—competition, politics, danger from within as well as without. Trading the simple threat of beasts and starvation for the complex dangers of human ambition and jealousy.
Was that a trade worth making?
Axel pocketed the token and returned to his training, but his mind kept circling back to the question. Three weeks until the examination. Ten days travel. That meant he had roughly two weeks left in the forest before he'd need to decide and start moving if he wanted to make it in time.
Two weeks to reach Stage 3 Peak if possible. Two weeks to prepare himself for whatever came next.
The decision could wait. For now, there was only cultivation.
The fifth day brought steady progress. Axel could maintain active Qi gathering for hours at a time now, drawing in ambient energy while simultaneously performing other tasks. His dantian expanded further, his meridians strengthened, his control refined.
He practiced the Qi Strike until he could execute it with minimal visible warning, the compression happening entirely internally until the moment of release. He experimented with defensive techniques, learning to coat his skin in a thin layer of Qi that provided some protection against impacts. He worked on movement techniques, discovering that channeling Qi into his legs in specific patterns allowed for bursts of speed beyond normal physical limits.
Each small improvement added to his growing arsenal of techniques. None of them were particularly sophisticated—just the basics that any properly trained cultivator would learn in their first few months. But Axel was learning them through experimentation and observation, building understanding from first principles rather than just memorizing forms.
The sixth day was when Wei Chen returned.
"You've broken through," the other cultivator observed, sensing Axel's improved cultivation level immediately. "Stage 3 Early. That's fast progress. Very fast." There was approval in his tone, but also a hint of wariness. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"
Axel had been thinking about it. Wei Chen's advice about the Qi Strike had been sound. He hadn't attempted any obvious manipulation or deception. And there was a certain logic to cooperation, especially if they were both heading toward civilization eventually.
"Information exchange," Axel said finally. "No commitments beyond that for now. You tell me what you know about the area, I tell you what I've discovered about cultivation techniques. Fair trade."
Wei Chen nodded slowly. "Fair trade. Alright, here's what I know..."
They spent the afternoon sharing knowledge. Wei Chen had a wealth of practical information—safe paths through the forest, locations of spirit herb patches, areas where strong beasts hunted, and most valuably, details about the various sects in the region.
The Azure Sky Sect was one of five major powers in the surrounding territories, Wei Chen explained. Mid-tier in the grand scheme of things—not one of the great sects that dominated continents, but respectable and stable with decent resources.
"Zhang Mei mentioned them," Axel said. "Said there's an examination in three weeks."
Wei Chen's eyes sharpened. "Zhang Mei was here? Inner disciple Zhang Mei?" When Axel nodded, Wei Chen whistled softly. "You're either lucky or unlucky, depending on perspective. She's one of their rising stars—Stage 6 Golden Core at age twenty-four. Most cultivators don't reach that level until their thirties at least."
"She seemed... direct."
"That's her reputation. No patience for politics or games, just pure cultivation focus." Wei Chen paused. "Are you planning to take the examination?"
"Maybe. Still deciding."
They continued trading information until evening. Axel shared some of his discoveries about active Qi gathering, carefully editing out the parts that came from his strange system interface. Wei Chen in turn taught him a basic technique for detecting other cultivators' presence before they got too close.
When they parted that evening, it was with a tentative understanding. Not quite friendship, but something approaching mutual respect. In a world where trust was rare and dangerous, even that much was significant.
The seventh and final day of Axel's intensive training arrived with perfect clarity. The autumn air was crisp and cold, carrying the promise of winter on the wind. Axel woke before dawn and immediately sank into meditation, determined to make every hour count.
His cultivation had progressed remarkably over the past week. The Qi in his dantian had more than doubled, his meridians felt robust and capable, and his control had refined to the point where techniques that had required intense focus now felt nearly automatic.
By midday, Axel could feel it—the threshold approaching. Stage 3 Mid Qi Gathering was within reach, so close he could almost touch it. Just a little more progress, a little more refinement...
He pushed harder, drawing in ambient Qi with greater intensity than ever before. The forest around him seemed to respond, energy flowing toward him in visible streams that would have been obvious to any observer. But Axel was beyond caring about detection. This was the moment, the breakthrough point, and he needed to seize it.
The Qi flooded into his dantian, more than the reservoir could comfortably hold. Pressure built, increasing moment by moment. It should have been painful, should have felt dangerous. Instead, it felt right.
The dantian expanded suddenly, adapting to contain the increased energy. New pathways opened in Axel's meridian network, minor channels becoming major routes. His Qi sense exploded outward, suddenly able to perceive energy patterns hundreds of yards away instead of just dozens.
Stage 3 Mid Qi Gathering achieved.
Axel opened his eyes and smiled. Seven days of intensive training, pushing himself harder than he'd ever pushed before, and the results spoke for themselves. He was stronger, faster, more capable than the person who'd started this week. Not ready for the challenges ahead, perhaps, but ready enough.
As the sun set on his seventh day, Axel made his decision. He would go to the Azure Sky Sect examination. He would take the risk of formal training, of sect politics and competition, because the alternative—remaining alone and self-taught—had reached its limits.
Tomorrow, he would begin the journey east. Tonight, he would rest and prepare.
The week of intensive solo cultivation was over. The next chapter of his life in this world was about to begin.
And Axel King, formerly of Earth, now of this cultivation world, was as ready as he would ever be.