Chapter 8: Body Cultivation

About twelve months from the time Ki Jung first began practicing Body Cultivation, she realizes that she is about to make her first breakthrough. With this in mind, she makes arrangements to be at the dojo where Master Jamison can watch over her during the event. He agrees, and they stay after closing up the dojo that Friday evening.

In that same period, Ki Jung has also opened the first Qi-Locks of each of the three Blessed Qi arts. She can feel three Dantians in her body now. One at the base of her brain, another nestled in her heart, and the Root core below and behind her belly button. Her body is filled with more energy and stamina than she ever before. She feels that her mental functions and reaction speeds are greatly improved, as well.

Another bonus is that she can get away with practicing the combined Blessed Qi arts for three hours each evening and sleep for three and be fully recharged, rested, and ready for the new day. She continues actively practicing PCB for hours on end but is experiencing a bottleneck. In spite of the bottleneck, she keeps up the constant practice. Eventually, she will make a breakthrough.

In a soundproofed back room, out of view of the world, Ki Jung strips down to her panties and a sports bra, where she then lays down and gets comfortable. Master Jamison stands watch over her, protecting her during this time of vulnerability. There is not a hint of improper thoughts to be found as he stands vigil over her. In each corner of the room, Tom has placed a Qi gathering formation, with a final one in the center under where Ki Jung is resting on the floor. The purpose of the formations is to draw energy into the room and focus it. That focused energy should help her through the experience.

The first thing Ki Jung does is to engage the Blessed Qi arts, as suggested by Tom. It is his believe that they will assist her during this evolution in body cultivation, plus they may also achieve a breakthrough during this. Next, she actively shuts down her Pakchulbong aura, allowing the energies it was using to return to her Root Dantian. Now, 90 percent of her Qi is available for what is to come. The other 10 percent flows through her circulatory, limbic, lymphatic, and other systems.

Over the following hour, Ki Jung slows her body’s systems down. Her breathing slows to 9 breaths a minute, her heart rate drops from sixty to thirty beats a minute, and, finally, her body temperature drops below 20 degrees C. She is entirely centered and focused.

Ki Jung’s Qi energies are flowing through and over her body. Simultaneously, her body begins drawing in energy from around her filling her three Dantians to the brim with Qi at the level of fine mist. Just as it is on the edge of overflowing, she begins to condense it. As more Qi enters her and is pulled into her Dantians she forces it to join with the already existing Qi in her systems. This is when the pain begins.

The process of condensing one’s core is a difficult process and can be somewhat painful. Condensing three cores at once is beyond rare and incredibly painful. Much of this is due to the mental exertions required to condense the cores.