BHAM!

The punch came out of nowhere hitting me square in the face with such ferocity that I was thrown back by the sheer impact. 

As landed on my back for the 100th time since this morning groaning in the pain I made an important decision

I don't want to be a practitioner or cultivator or whatever they call it

Really I don't

It was too hard

 it had been almost a year since I came to this jail-like camp.

The old man Bu who was supposed to teach me was doing nothing but Torture me day and night.

The methods he gave me to help start my spiritual journey as he had framed it,

 were completely bogus in my humble opinion

The first method I tries was the soul root awakening method, 

according to him, I had to remove the dust from my soul

How the fuck was I suppose to do that it wasn't pick up my soul like some dirty hat and remove the dust by jerking it. 

There were three methods to remove dust from my soul number one was to shine epiphany light on me 

" We can't use this method as I don't know how to shine this light" the old man Bu had told me 

Then why the hell did you tell me this method 

The second method was to read soul-shaking scriptures, 

now before the old man elaborated on this method I screamed at him 

"I CAN'T READ!!!!!!"

" Are you illiterate?" Old man Bu asked surprised 

"That not an issue I can teach you"

I wanted to bang my head against the wall

" I'm blind," I said with gritted teeth

"Oh, I forgot about that, but that not an issue once you form the mind's eye you will be to read" old man Bu said

That sentence calmed me down, otherwise blind or not I would have jumped on him

"That leaves us with the only way, that is to have an inner enlightenment and find your inner Dao"

Okay that made no sense how was to find my Dao what the hell is Dao

The old man continued to explain how the word Dao meant a way or a path,

So the word Dao meant a way how a thing such as heaven works.

So, inner Dao meant that what makes me, me 

To find what made me work and from these self-understandings, I must find a way to meditate and  attain self-realization and awaken a soul seed that forms from my inner Dao

He so he spent hours explaining how to find my inner Dao on how I should find what makes me angry what makes me happy what type of person I'm

Then I was supposed to find an activity that was so relaxing that I could go into mediation without stopping the activity and while I was doing my activity and editing at the same time I had to practise a visualisation technique called the 'spark of flame'

He also gave me an example of how senior Meng Zhang had the activity of drawing and calligraphy.

For the past year, I have been trying to view my inner Dao by mediations but with no success which was surprising

Since I thought I knew what made me tick but apparently I did not know myself well enough

Old man Bu had given me a visualising technique where I would have to imagine myself in different scenarios in my dreams to find my inner self.

I made no success in this at all 

6 months ago the old man told me to give up I was not fated with this technique

This pissed me off and I refused, but the old man told me to try the other technique on which I had to agree with

the next method was the self worship method where I had to worship myself and believe myself enough that I could connect with the Heavenly Dao.

That was a spectacular fail as I did not have blinding faith in myself why would I, every time I tried this worship my mind will fill with self doubt 

So, on the first too method, I can't even get started much less become a peerless master

When I asked about the mind root the old man told me that he was not sure as he did not have the complete manual with him right now

When I asked where it was and all he said was 

"With the rest of my inheritance"

Yeah, Yeah the mysterious inheritance which I could not get unless I became your true disciple

The third and final method was the only feasible method of practice available to me that was the primordial root method

Now that was a real kick the nuts and I mean in a very literal way

This partial practice requires the practitioner to use their internal energy formed by stimulating and running your body which in turn is used to unlock the acupoints on your body.

When these acupoints are unlocked they resonate with internal vitality 

Then this internal vitality unlock your 12 meridian and 8 mysterious meridians to circulate the vitality in your body 

Which in turn stimulate the body to resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth 

This spiritual energy is drawn in your body which somehow births the primordial root

This entire process takes a minimum of about 3 years.

That way is too long just to start the cultivation

But the old man by told he had a faster way so I was game 

The way to make it faster turned out to be to use death Qi to both stimulate the body and unlock appoints.

I had to sit beside corpses and absorb the death Qi they create and get myself beaten to near-death and thrown into something ice cold to heal

"Get up you piece of trash"  a harsh voice in my ears

That lovely lady who was shouting at me was Julia.

Yeah she was a westerner of this world this continent is divided into east and west region which further divided into many other subsections and like my previous world there were not only varients of humans but also other species

Julia was a giant

And she loved meeting me into a pulp

Wham!

This time punch came from sideways hitting me in the cheek, spinning my upper body around by the force behind it driving me half a step back

I wasn't in any position to fight back but I was on my feet at least

Just as I thought that the sweet innocent sounding Julia kicked square in the chest and sent me flying across the room

Yep, I don't want to be a cultivator

This shit is too hard

Was this the only way I can cultivate 

getting beaten bloody just heal up the next day and then meditate in a pile of corpse

Just the other day the dammed old man Bu came into my cell like a room all excited

" Junior this senior has found you a precious treasure"

Then he handed me a small parcel it was the size of a football and ice cold 

When I unwrapped the damm  parcel and felt around it I had the shock of my like 

That thing had arms and legs it was a small child a fucking baby to be exact 

I almost threw the child away

"What is this?" I asked the old man

"Stillborns produce the most death Qi" was all the answer I got

As I landed only back 101st time today 

I felt like crying

I wanted to quit and leave but I had nowhere to go 

I asked old man Bu about that and all I got was 

" a cultivator need to have great patience and determination"

I found a trick to subdue the eagerness to quit and that anger 

All I had to think about was the corpse of granny Yu and this rage would take over me

Overwhelming me to get up once again and I did 

But as soon I got I felt some crash into me and I felt the air being knocked out of my lungs.

As lay there trying to remember how to breathe

Julia just picked me up and decided to bend my body to her liking

I felt intense never seeking pain

I wanted to scream but I couldn't find my voice

I wanted to cry but no years came 

Once she had enough she threw me down on her knees breaking my back

"Week halfbreed" with that I heard her leave leaving me weeping on  the floor

Sometime later felt some pick me up I knew what was coming next 

And just like clockwork, I felt myself fall 

My fall was broken my hit the cool burning liquid that was supposed to heal

As I screamed on the top of my lungs as the coll liquid scorched me 

My burning sensation faded in Few minutes but the memory of that horrible experience brought back my pain

I knew there was no actual pain

But even though there was no real pain I felt strong pain radiating throughout my body

As I floated there in my ice-cold liquid  

I thought to myself

This can't be my new life 

" come on David we can't waste any time," the old man said from the side 

"Every second is precious"

Without a word, I simply got and raised my hand like I was about to shake somebody's hand

The old man's rough hands grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the liquid and set me on the ground

Then he led somewhere

Sometime later his voice comes back we are here 

I just sat cross-legged there and started the death air sutra and breathing exercise as I did

I felt my sense expand all over the place and felt ice cold air all around and started to absorb this air into my body

I was able to persist about any hour today full 6 minutes more than yesterday before I felt my body shut down

You see death Qi is a mixture of yin Qi and corrosive energy  

The corrosive energy corrodes the living flesh 

 there is only so much I can absorb and circulate before I feel my body starting to shut down from the corrosion 

That is my signal to stop

I heard footsteps behind me and a man voice sounded

" a full incense that is impressive David"

I didn't know this man I would have asked him who hell are you but I couldn't move my mouth

I felt a hand grab my neck and pick my limb body

"Common it's time for your bath," that man said with a chuckle 

I am not your damm pet awhile, the man cried me like he was carrying a kitten by the neck and then suddenly dropped me

I fell in warm liquid and warmth flooded my entire body

The death Qu corrosive energy began disappearing from my body and scattered to feel relaxed

This was new usually old man Bu got another cultivator named Dee to give me Yang qi to eliminate the Yin qi which also removes the corrosive energy

But from this liquid, only the undesired energies were disappearing and yin qi was still in my body

"Much better right" I heard the man speak again

"Yes" I answered

"Good, I'm  your new caretaker, my name is Pollux, nice to meet you"

"What happened to master Bu?" I asked in concern

"Nothing just his old age he will be on his feet after a few days rest"

I thought about and nodded the old man told his lifespan was coming to an end

As I relaxed in the warm pool

Yes this is my new life

….........….........….......................

Old Bu stood next to a hill of sand not far from a pool filled with red glowing liquid

In the pool, David was floating with a smile on his face

He smiled at the smiling child

A strong tall man dressed in rags came beside Old Bu 

He in rags he had a certain charm about that made anyone seeing him sure he was no better

With white hair and blue eyes, he was a smart-looking man

His crystal blue eyes carried arrogance and his face was as cold and stern as ice

But any seasoned warrior would tell you this man was a killer

"You are spending a lot for this child, is it worth it?" He asked 

"He will be worth every bit you spend on him, even if he is not you owe me this Pollux" old Bu said

"If you say so" Pollux replied with a shrug

He must be very important to you to do this" 

"Yes he is Pollux just do this for me, " old Bu said

"You can't time on things like this the promised day of light is coming we must prepare," Pollux said while crossing arms across his chest 

" I will be ready, you of all people should know that I don't break promises" old replied in anger

"As you say Foreman" Pollux bowed and went toward the pool

"Now lets go David, Julia is waiting eagerly for your next session," Pollux said with a cheery voice his coldness disappearing from his face

Old Bu shuddered at the sudden change

He saw David silently getting with a bitter expression and raising his hand ready to be picked up

The old man shook his head Pollux was no where as gentle as him

David would soon find that out