15. Cultivating and Training (1)
Jiu Yin stared down at the now lifeless body in his arms. Blood thralls had to have their hearts stop so the Sanguinari blood could infect the body unopposed. Then, as if nothing had happened, they would wake up. Still… not quite one of their own, but halfway between both. None of the weaknesses to the sun and none of the new strength, but a new affinity for blood, particularly that of Qi in the blood. They would also have a strong affinity for their creator, but also any Sanguinari should the master be indisposed.
The biggest problem with blood thralls was that they could infect others. Those infected would be even lower than a blood thrall and uncontrollable. They were little better than beasts. Thus it was going to be important for him to keep an eye on her. This was his first time turning someone into a thrall, and it remained to be seen if he had been successful.
Gathering up what supplies he could find on the two dead men, Jiu Yin threw their bodies into a nearby closet and closed the door. He then lifted Yan Qing in a princess carry. She was lighter than he expected. Her head lolled against his shoulder as he moved quickly through the back alleys, keeping to the shadows. The city was still active even at this hour, but he avoided the main streets.
He sneaked back into the family compound through the rear entrance. The small courtyard was empty and quiet. His sister and Qiu Yu had not returned yet. That was good. He did not need questions right now.
He took Yan Qing into his quarters and laid her gently on his hard wooden bed. If his memory of the process was right, she would wake in three days. Until then she would appear completely lifeless. He covered her with a thin blanket and stood back, studying her pale face for a moment. She looked almost peaceful now.
There was much else to be done before the big tournament. With the fresh blood and Qi circulating in him, it was time for him to begin solving this issue with not being able to use his powers.
Jiu Yin sat down cross-legged on the floor beside the bed. In his previous world, magic had been an external force. One channeled it through themselves to achieve intended results. Here, from what the host’s memories and the manuals described, it was different. Cultivation transformed the body. It involved something called the dantian. From that core, cultivators absorbed the world’s mana and drew power from within themselves. That was the basic principle.
Stolen novel; please report.
If that was the case, then he must have one as well.
Flustered but determined, Jiu Yin closed his eyes and tried to cultivate like the manuals said. He focused on his lower abdomen, searching for the dantian. At first he felt nothing. Just the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat and the lingering warmth of the blood he had consumed. He breathed slowly, trying to follow the instructions he had read. Draw in the surrounding Qi. Guide it through the meridians. Refine it in the dantian.
Nothing happened for a long time.
Then, faintly, he felt something. A warm current stirred deep inside him. It was not the clean, pure flow described in the manuals. Instead it felt thick and heavy, like liquid crimson moving through his veins. When he tried to guide it, the energy resisted. It wanted to move differently. It wanted to spread through his blood rather than gather in a single core.
He pushed harder. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The crimson energy surged, flooding his spiritual veins. For a brief moment he saw them in his mind’s eye. They were not the usual translucent or golden channels most cultivators had. His spiritual veins glowed a deep, vivid blood red. They pulsed with power, but the flow was chaotic. It wanted to consume rather than refine. It wanted to spread and dominate.
Jiu Yin opened his eyes, breathing heavily. His hands were trembling slightly. This world’s cultivation system was not designed for someone like him. He was forcing something alien into a system that had its own rules. Still, he had felt something. That was progress.
He closed his eyes again and tried once more. This time he did not fight the crimson nature of the energy. Instead he let it flow the way it wanted. The blood-red veins brightened in his mind. Power surged through him, raw and hungry. It was not the elegant cultivation of the manuals, but it was his.
Outside, the night grew deeper. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked. Inside the small room, Jiu Yin continued to cultivate, slowly bending this world’s system to his will.
Yan Qing lay motionless on the bed beside him. In three days she would wake.
And when she did, she would belong to him.