Right after I said that I saw the slightest of smiles appear on the boy’s faces before it disappeared. Interesting.

  “Go on then, introduce yourselves.”

  “Patriarch, my name is Frian, and I look forward to proving my worth.”

  “Patriarch, name is Lirian, and I look forward to proving my worth.”

  “Sounds good.”

  I don’t know how that counts as introducing themselves, since they were really stiff and said the exact same thing as if it was practiced 1000 times, but I’ll take it, I guess. Though if they’re going to attempt to build good relations then that would need to change.

  “Good. Boys, are you ready?”

  “Yes, Elder Zal.”

  “Yes, Elder Zal.”

  “Then I’ll be sending you on ahead now, release that brat in the basement once you arrive.”

  The boys then nodded at Elder Zal, and she snapped her fingers once and they were gone. One day I’ll find out how that works. Now, she mentioned there was someone in the basement…did she imprison someone? And why did she keep me here and send them away?

  “Was there a prisoner in the basement?”

  “No, just a brat. Now sit down. What do you know about breaking into the Qi Refinement Realm?”

  “I need to use Qi to open up my channels or something along those lines.”

  “You need to open up your meridians. For most humanoids that’s a vein-like structure that runs through the entire body, likely being used to carry blood. We are no different. It would never look out of place, yet it would also never carry out its true purpose without access to Qi, and then it would never survive prolonged access to Qi without the strengthening of the Body Tempering Realm.

  “Close your eyes and focus. Your body has been strengthened to it’s maximum, and the bodies of Infernals are naturally attuned to Qi, you should have experienced very painless cultivations up until the 5th Cycle. This will be no different. Absorb the ambient Qi in the air. No just a wisp, but as much as you can. You need to force the Qi inside your body, and it will naturally either try to leave or find a place for it to stay. That is your meridians. Once you’ve absorbed as much Qi as you can in one go, you must hold it in until your meridians have been fully opened.

  “It is the only place in your body that is currently able to store Qi for more than a fleeting moment. But without being strengthened, it would’ve crumbled and crippled you under the pressure while the opening process was underway. You will know when it’s over.”

  I listened to the words of Elder Zal and closed my eyes. After she finished talking, it didn’t take too long to focus on the ambient Qi in the air. This was also the moment when it hit me that earth now had Qi. So weird. Anyway, instead of trying to absorb just a whisp, I did my best to pull everything in my surroundings near me. Before I knew it, a large rush of Qi was flooding my body and like it did previously it would bounce around for a bit and then try to leave. This was easy to handle before, but now that it was essentially a flood it took a bit more effort to hold everything down, and I finally stopped absorbing more, it was like a bomb went off in my body as all the Qi moved rapidly around my body forcefully trying to escape. Desperate to return from where it came from.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  But I held on.

  And after a few moments of this, I could feel the Qi settle down, and seemingly latch on to something within my body. This must be my Meridians. Slowly but surely, all of the Qi running rampant, continued to calm down before latching on to my Meridians, and then it began to enter my Meridians itself, and although the previous step had some level of pain to it, I could mostly ignore it.

  This, on the other hand, took the pain to another level.

  But I gritted my teeth and continued to persevere.

  I’m not even sure how much time had passed, but I suddenly felt a slight budding sensation willing up from within me, and it continued to build up like there was a volcano ready to explode in my chest.

  A second or two later and the feeling seemed to reach a plateau, and another explosion seemed to go off in my body, only this time the pressure of it made its way out of my body, and I could feel Qi rushing out of my body in spades, yet some of it remained.

  Some of it remained in what I assume to be the vein network that ran all over my body but are actually meridians. It wasn’t flooded with Qi, but some of it lingered, and with it a whole new world opened up to me.

  Well maybe that was a bit of a drastic way to explain it, but I could see far more clearly now than I did before. The little specks of dirt on the floor. I could see them. If this was sight, then my sight before could only be called partial blindness. It’s as if I was given glasses.

  And my strength.

  It has taken another leap.

  The excitement about that was building for a moment before it came to a grinding halt. Only now do I realize the gap between myself and that Hobgoblin. It was massive. Even now I doubt I could beat him with nothing but the strength and skills of my body.

  And those boys…They could likely wipe the floor with me. Heh.

  They’re calling me Patriarch, yet they could kill me if tried hard enough. Whose to know if that V word would even work against fellow Infernals.

  “Can you feel it now? Just how weak you are in the grand scheme of things? It is one thing to know someone, or something is stronger than you. It is another thing to be able truly feel it. To experience the difference in strength without the other party even lifting a finger. Life is not fair, and there is nothing stopping a truly powerful cultivator from coming to this planet and killing everything breathing.

  “Don’t forget this feeling, don’t let it consume you, instead it let it fuel you. Remember a Patriarch is a beacon of strength and unparalleled power. Grab your spear and take this.”

  She tossed me a small ring, that had a black band with the symbol of flames coiled around it.

  “Open it when you return. I will find you once you and your city have settled.”

  And just like that I was once again in my office. Only this time I was far stronger than when I left.

  I didn’t even get to say thank you.

  I looked down towards the ring that I was supposed to open now.

  She didn’t say how to open it…

  Let’s not think too hard about this Raizen. You spoke with Greja about things like this before. So, you know it probably requires using Qi.

  I closed my eyes and willed a wisp of the lingering Qi within me towards the rings and…nothing.

  Hm.

  Maybe I do have to think hard after all.

  Should I go ask Greja? Or maybe the boys know.

  Hm…a rings with flames coil- wait flames?

  I manifested a small flame on my hand, and wow…it felt different. So, it too went through a qualitive change when I advanced huh.

  I’ll explore that later.

  The second my flames came in contact with the rings, it glowed slightly, and I could feel my brain? My consciousness? My mind? I don’t exactly, all I know is something up there felt tickly and all of a sudden, a host of information entered my mind.

  Ah…so this is what’s inside the ring.

  …I’m rich.