Xai awoke in a bed surrounded by shoji screens- thin foldable panels used for privacy. On a chair nearby the bed sat Liang, his head dropped downward. A faint snore told Xai he was asleep.

  Xai had been changed into more common clothes whilst he was unconscious. His body had also been cleaned somewhat. While he could still smell he needed a nice bath, he was no longer caked in dirt and dried blood.

  On a stand next to the bed was a small plate of various fruits as well as a cup of water and a small container of healing ointment.

  The pain across his body had mostly subsided apart from a slight headache and a strange sensation in his arm that now rested in a cloth sling.

  Through the window on the wall behind him Xai saw the early morning light flood into the room. In the distance he could hear the random bustle of disciples wandering about the sect grounds.

  Several minutes passed as Xai just snacked on the berries and water on the stand next to him. At one point he threw a particularly plump grape at Liang's sleeping head, hoping to wake him up. But it did nothing but make him shift slightly in his chair.

  Eventually however, a woman came into the 'room', moving aside one of the foldable screens. She wore a gown with the sect colors across them, however the gown wasn't made for any form of warrior, instead that of a doctor. Despite this, Xai's eyes still widened at the level hovering a few inches above her head.

  [Level: 5 (E)]

  The woman held a tray full of food in her hands, setting it on the stand next to the bed. It was only then she actually spoke. "Good to see you're awake. Your body has been healing rather well." Her voice was soft and quiet.

  "Where's Toya?" Xai spoke quietly. It felt unnecessary to raise his voice in such a relatively quiet space.

  "The white haired girl? She's resting within the building. She's conscious; recovering well. She should be free to leave by the end of the week. The girl had quite the injury on her skull." The doctor stated. "As for yourself," she continued, briefly scanning Xai up and down. He eyes began to glow a soft blue, imbued with the smallest amount of Ki. "You should be in fighting shape by tomorrow. If you're feeling alright you should be able to walk about the sect as you see fit. Also, once you're free to do so, see about talking to master Youshan. He seems rather interested in what happened during your ascent up the mountain."

  Xai's eyes widened. The sect master wanted to speak with him? He vaguely remembered master Youshan appearing before him as he arrived. He had told him something, but it was foggy. Not long after his vision had went black, and he woke up here.

  Xai's eyes turned to the snoring form of Liang. "And him?"

  The doctor looked to the sleeping man before reaching out a hand to his forehead. One of the doctor's fingers began to pulse with a small, unfocused bit of Ki, before she flicked a finger into Liang's forhead. A slapping sound echoed amongst the folding walls. Liang's eyes shot open as his body shuttered from the sudden pain.

  He cursed and held his head. He was about to shout at the woman before him. However his eyes were drawn to the bed, then to Xai. Liang shot from his seat and practically jumped onto Xai and threw his arms around him. "By the heavens, you're alive."

  Xai groaned as Liang's are practically crushed his chest. However, it only lasted a few seconds before Liang backed away. "Toya and... Toya thought you died." He corrected. "She yelled at me while we were climbing to the mountain." He scratched the back of his neck. "She'll be happy to know you're awake. We were worried about you, even though the physicians said you'd be fine."

  "Maybe take the word of the people who know what they're doing." The doctor said, still standing behind Liang.

  Xai cracked a smile as he tossed the covers off himself and stood from the bed. His legs ached due to lack of movement, but the matter should resolve itself soon. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." He chuckled. He looked to the doctor. "Are we free to visit Toya."

  The doctor nodded and stepped aside, opening the path for them to leave. "Assuming she wants to be visited of course."

  ***

  "What the fuck were you thinking? We thought you died!" Toya shouted as soon as she saw Xai walk through the folding barriers alongside Liang.

  "That's what I said." Liang said.

  "I nearly did." Xai's hand trailed up to lightly pick at his hair. "I broke an arm by falling off a cliff and nearly broke my sword."

  Toya gritted her teeth. Bandages were wrapped around the top of her head, a bruise lay across the base of her nape to wrap around one of her shoulders. "I'm glad you're ok."

  Her eyes drifted up to above Xai's head. "Level 40, huh? I assume you managed to kill the joé."

  Xai nodded.

  "How?" She raised a brow.

  Xai picked a single thread of his hair. "One of the skills I have. It lent me knowledge on how to construct my dantian... kind of."

  This time, both Toya and Liang's eyes widened. "You constructed your dantian?" Liang shouted, shaking Xai by the shoulders.

  "I just.... felt the Ki around me and absorbed it into myself. It took around an hour to properly hold it though. I can't really say any specifics. I just... knew how to." Xai explained.

  "What skill was it?" Toya asked.

  "It was called 'Intuition'. Neither of you got it as an option?" Xai asked.

  The other two shook their heads.

  "It gives me random bursts of knowledge when I need it. The information is short and vague. But so far it hasn't been too hard to piece together. It's how I knew the joé had Ki. And how I knew how to absorb it."

  "Intuition." Toya echoed. "I wonder if any of the other disciples have that skill."

  "Also," Xai stated. "The doctor told me Master Youshan wanted to speak with me. Probably due to the fact I arrived here with Ki. But I'm not sure."

  "Lucky." Liang grumbled. "But I'm happy for you." He smiled to Xai. "Just know that once I get Ki, we're going to fight. I want to see which of us is stronger.

  Xai cracked a smile. "If it makes you feel any better," he turned to exit the foldable barrier. "In terms of pure strength, you're probably equal to me even if I used Ki." He said before disappearing behind the barriers. Now, he just had to talk to Master Youshan.

  ***

  Xai could feel dozens of eyes on him as he walked to the central building of the Silver Mist sect. He could feel his face heating up as he got closer to the tower in edge of the courtyard; his hand drifting towards his hair once again.

  The tower was similar to the building Xai had been in during the ascension ceremony in Dantang, but half as tall, boasting only three stories. However, it didn't take away from its grandeur.

  Xai still remembered the day he'd first set foot on the sect. It was like entering a new world. It was strange; mystical.

  Xai kept his eyes from staring at other sect members as he walked. But it was difficult keeping his eyes from wandering. Several sect members in varying levels of E rank kept eyeing him and whispering amongst themselves. Some of the higher ranking members he couldn't read at all, their levels just displaying as question marks.

  Entering the central building he was faced with an ocean of blue and silver decor. From the carpet, to the white tiles, to the furniture. All washed in the sect's colors.

  Amongst the common room, more members of the Silver Mist Sect spent the few hours a day of free time they were given lounging about.

  The eyes followed him as he walked up a set of stairs to the second floor.

  The smell of parchment hit his nose as he crested the top of the stairwell into a small library. While the sect did have a dedicated library many times larger than this one in a separate building, the books within the tower were primarily of finer art. Tales of heroes, history, culture, and a variety of other topics Xai had never committed to looking through fully. The true library held scriptures detailing nearly every technique and art the Silver Mist sect taught as well as hundreds of other common techniques used widely among all of the sects.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Much fewer members were scattered about this floor. And the best part: not a single eye was batted in Xai's direction.

  The third floor, however was much more sparse. Unlike the two floors below it, the third floor was scattered into several rooms, each the workplace of the of the sect's ministers. While Youshan was the leader of the Silver Mist Sect as a whole, even someone as great as himself could not manage a sect in his own, hence, ministers took positions in managing a specific branch of the sect. From its wealth, to its structure, to who was deemed worthy to enter the sect entirely. While Master Youshan could veto or alter any of these himself, he hardly ever bothered to.

  Two older disciples stood guard at the furthest door from the staircase. Each one's level showing nothing but query. A pair of swords rested on their hips.

  "Xai Faung," one of the men spoke as he approached. "Master Youshan has been waiting." The senior stated, bowing to Xai as he opened the door.

  Xai's face reddened as he entered the room. The senior bowed to him. If anything it should be the opposite. Though he knew the treatment wouldn't last.

  The sect leader's office was rather simplistic. A single desk carved of nearly white wood sat at the center of the room. Several rolls of parchment and pens. On the walls hung several tapestries of various landmarks throughout Azuma. Against one of the walls was a smaller table where a tea kettle was being kept warm above a small stone plate with a radiant orange stone within. Master Youshan stood, his back turned, pouring a cup of tea for himself.

  "I suppose it will be tea for two then." The master told himself just as the door shut behind Xai. He grabbed a second cup and poured tea into it.

  Xai stood for a full second, still aghast at being within Master Youshan's office. He finally came to his senses and bowed to his superior. "You requested I come visit, master." Xai stated in as polite a tone as he could manage with his face burning so hot.

  The elder turned and walked to his desk, holding two cups of green tea, setting one near his chair and the other towards Xai. He took a seat as he spoke. "There is no need for bowing young man. This is a rather informal meeting. I am just curious about a few things that happened during your ascent here last night. Please, sit." Master Youshan waved a hand behind him. In an instant strands of mist materialized in the air and coalesced in front of Xai. They quickly dispersed as quick as it had appeared, leaving a rather comfy looking chair in its wake.

  Xai took a seat, and reached to grab the cup of tea.

  "Oh, and you won't need the sling. Your injury is healed." Youshan stated, his eyes glowing every faintly.

  Xai nearly jumped at his sudden words as he looked at his arm in the makeshift sling. He hadn't tried to move it since he awoke out of instict of thinking the wound needed to heal. Xai took of the brace and tested the movement of his arm, it seemed perfectly fine.

  "So how did you stumble upon manifesting your dantian on that mountain in a single night? To my knowledge you were unaware of the special process in properly forming one before the test. Though that being said, even now your dantian is rather crude."

  Xai's hand slipped to his hair. "A skill, master. 'Intuition'. It grants me vague bursts of knowledge when I'm in need of it. I'm not specifically sure how it works. But so far it's only actived twice. And I've needed to use a bit of my own reasoning to find out what it even meant." Xai's hand slipped explained.

  "How did you come about this skill?" Youshan asked, taking a sip of his tea.

  "By reaching level 10?" Xai spoke, knitting his brows together. Were there other ways to gain skills? Then again, he did get his two Ki-based skills without reaching any form of level threshold.

  Youshan raised a brow. "That is all, truly?"

  "Of course master." Xai spoke almost immediately.

  Youshan nodded, taking another sip of tea. "What about your level? What did you fight on the mountain? You don't take me as the type to go on a rampage throughout the mountain. Especially without your allies."

  "There was a joé about halfway up the mountain."

  Youshan raised a brow. "Those womanizing monkeys? I hardly believe that would be an issue. Most hardly surpass level 10."

  Xai shook his head. "This one was large, more similar to a massive ape than a monkey. It was level 61."

  The elder's brow raised. "I'm impressed you were able to best it."

  "It also had Ki."

  Youshan leaned forward. "Yet you still managed to slay it?"

  Xai picked a strand of hair from his head. "It was injured to begin with when we saw it." He took the cup of tea before him and took a drink, wincing slightly at how hot it was. "And I managed to drop it off a cliff."

  Youshan snorted a laugh. "That is certainly one way to take out a beast. Though it is strange. Several other disciples had scoured the mountain a week before the test. There was no beast beyond level 30 within it. I'm curious how that one managed to slip by." The elder shrugged. "I'll have them make another search. But I asked for your audience for more then to just ask what happened on the mountain. Under normal circumstances, the next few weeks after the first test, the junior dispels' training would be dedicated to manifesting their dantian. However," he gestured to Xai's chest. "You have already done so. That being said, it does need to be refined. The amount of Ki you possess is minuscule, and your control is minimal. The next week of your training will be dedicated to expanding the well of Ki within you as well as refining your control over it. One of the senior disciples will oversee your training."

  Xai couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face. He was getting personal training to further harness his Ki. From a senior disciple no less; the second highest within the sects.

  Each sect's heirarchy was split into four groups. The lowest were the junior disciples, people like Xai, Liang, and Toya. After the first year of joining a sect, they were granted the pleasure of touching the ascension stone and becoming part of the system. Next is an outer disciple, often a junior who has recently ranked up to E-rank, though there were a few exceptions. Then there were inner disciples, most of which were around D-rank or even C. Finally, senior disciples were the highest rank other than the sect master themselves. Often times they were around B-rank.

  "Your training begins tomorrow morning." Youshan stated before giving Xai a gesture to leave.

  The junior disciple bowed and began towards the door.

  "And one last thing," Youshan noted. "You sword has been repaired, it rests within your quarters."

  ***

  The quarters of the sect were separated among three buildings. One for the junior, middle, and senior disciples. Each building consisted of a common room on the first floor, and various rooms on the second.

  As Xai walked into his room- ignoring the eyes on him as he walked through the common room- he finally felt like he could breathe. As Youshan had said, his sword rested in its scabbard on his bed.

  Over the next hour Xai settled back into his quarters. Then a thought struck him. He was level 40. He had unspent stat points. Xai opened his stat window as he contemplated what to put points into.

  ~~~~

  [Name: Xai Faung]

  [Level: 40 (F)]

  [20 Stat points available]

  [Vitality: 32]

  [Endurance: 30]

  [Strength: 26]

  [Dexterity: 32]

  [Intelligence: 23]

  [Willpower: 16]

  [Perception: 21]

  [Charm: 28]

  [Skills: Intuition (F), Swordsmanship (F), Ki Foundation (F), Ki Reinforcement (F), Durable (F), Acrobat (F)]

  ~~~~

  Xai thought briefly of increasing his 'Willpower' or 'Perception'. After all, he had skills that increased his vitality and dexterity with each level. And he could increase his strength through his Ki. His endurance seemed fine as it was, so far he hadn't had an issue with it unless he was fighting for several minutes straight, like against the joé. As for charm, he still had no idea what that even did. Then intelligence caught his eye. All his mental stats were rather low. Ultimately, Xai decided to put his points into Intelligence, Willpower, and Perception; evening them out to 30, 20, and 30 respectively.

  As the scroll displaying his stats vanished, his head became consumed with a fuzzy feeling. As of cotton was being shoved into his head. However, as quick as the feeling came, it soon vanished.

  Xai blinked a few times and looked around his quarters. At the small bookshelf near a wall. At the door leading to the bathroom. At an empty desk near his bed. The world seemed... cleaner? He couldn't quite tell at a glance but he could see things in greater detail. He realized a small chip of wood on his desk. A fly crawling on the side of his shelf. He could even barly feel the vibration of footsteps beyond the room.

  Then he felt something within his chest. The swirling uncontrolled Ki within his dantian. After so much time his dantian had naturally filled itself. He hadn't actually tried manipulating his Ki since his fight with the joé.

  Xai grabbed his blade from next to him on the bed and unsheathed it. He focused for a moment on the Ki flowing through his body, drawing it to his blade. His blade gradually became coated in a thin layer of translucent blue mist.

  Xai focused on trying to condense the Ki on the blade, to specifically coat the edges, however, no matter how much he tried to alter the shape of the Ki, it did nothing but altered the direction the slivers of mist-Ki flowed off the blade.

  He sheathed his blade and stood from his bed, now concentrating on spreading his Ki across the surface of his entire body. However, as the Ki protruded from his dantian, it hardly reached beyond his shoulders and hips before becoming spread too thin. Instead he focused on drawing his Ki to one of his limbs. First his left arm, then his right. Then his legs.

  The flowing strands of mist coated each of his limbs as he willed it, but it didn't seem like his current reserves could cover anymore then any one of his limbs at a time. Then he noticed something else. Something he had done subconsciously during his fight on the mountain. He could manifest his Ki either into his muscle and bones, or coated over his form like a second skin. If he held it within himself, his strength and speed were increased; over his skin, it increased his durability.

  However, he did notice a flaw with off of this, not just in his meager amount of Ki, but his lack of mobility in shifting his Ki from one place of his body to another. It took several seconds to shift his Ki from one arm to the other, and several more to move it from his arm to coat his blade.

  Cultivators more experienced in Ki control could shift their Ki across their body on fractions of a second, as well as coating several parts of their body with Ki at once, each coat being far denser then what Xai was able to do.

  Xai sat back on his bed, crossing his legs. While he would undergo training to refine his Ki the next morning, he wasn't just going to waste he day doing nothing. He wasn't going to grow his Ki reserves as much as he could before nightfall. He could worry about control during actual training.

  A decision made, Xai controlled his breathing and drew upon the knowledge forced upon him during his ascent. He felt the ambient strands of Ki around him- most of which were residue from him testing his own abilities- and began to draw it into himself. While his dantian was full- pushing most of the Ki he tried to absorb away- fractions of it stayed, expanding his reserves slightly. It would take several hours to increase his reserves by even half, but fortunately, he had nothing but time.