Using all his strength, Kilian clutched a massive wooden plank while his body trembled.

  The landscape blurred past him, and the air rushed around his ears with every jump of the magical beast.

  "I still remember the first time I rode on top of a mountaintoad..." Reminisced an old guard of the Kong Clan, laughing loudly after taking a deep drink from a leather drinking pouch, "Good stuff! *Hiccup* The expression on my face was the same as yours! Full of stupidity and uncertainty! Hahaha!"

  Between chattering teeth, the young warrior stuck out his tongue cheekily, only to be met with another loud fit of laughter.

  “Hahaha! *Hiccup* Be careful not to bite it off when the toad lands!” Said the drunk, and quickly added seriously, as if an invisible person had spoken to him, “Now get going! Hurry into the big hut over there before I'll skin you alive! Lady Lorna is waiting for you!”

  With difficulty due to the swaying of the magical beast, Kilian struggled forward on a handrail and carefully stepped through a gigantic stone gate.

  The entrance was covered with a shimmering surface, a powerful formation, as the drunken soldier had proudly told him a few moments before in an alcohol induced torrent of speech, and Kilian felt a weak force pressing against his body as he passed through, as if he were jumping from the top of a small rock into a cool mountain lake.

  Behind the barrier was a large garden with a small, idyllic patch of trees, and instinctively Kilian reached for the staff on his back when a small pack of young wind wolves playfully romped past him.

  “Kilian, don't hurt the little ones!” He heard Edana’s voice call out firmly and turned his gaze away from the animals.

  As he seemed to be in no danger, he began to examine his surroundings closely and discovered a multitude of small and large, sometimes bizarre, magical beasts.

  In the nearby forest area, he saw a few deer with burning antlers, dozens of poisonous-looking toads croaking by a small pond, and in the distance, humanoid rock creatures moved, which the boy had first mistaken for a hilly landscape.

  In his amazement, he missed the fact that his surroundings had stopped vibrating and shaking since he had walked through the gate.

  He was bewildered and in awe because he felt like he had landed in a different dimension.

  "Where am I? Is this paradise? Do the exalted Qi-Masters live here?" He asked incredulously, scratching his head in astonishment.

  "Welcome to my little kingdom!" Lorna replied, pleased with the impression her creatures and the landscape had left behind, "I am a beast tamer of the Kong Clan. There are many different specializations among the Qi-Masters, and that's exactly what I want to talk to you about today. Come join us and sit down."

  In the middle of a colorful flower meadow, several chairs were set up, and Edana, with a small wolf cub in her arms, was already listening to the words of the fairy-like woman while stroking the sweet animal.

  Kilian approached the two, sat down next to his sister, and also tried to pat the puppy's small head, but he had to pull his hand back to avoid a growling bite from its sharp teeth.

  "He can still smell the blood of the old windwolf on you! Their species can smell the scent of death for several months, because they have one of the most refined noses in existence!" Lorna began to explain with a gentle smile, then added in a more serious voice, "Let's continue! Every living being possesses different talents, and the clan desires to nurture these in you. Edana, you will tend to the gardens, fields, and magical beasts because this will determine your suitability as an alchemist or beast tamer. Kilian, you are physically stronger than a grown man! That's why you will work in the mine and the forge. The mining of ore and the hard work will further strengthen your body!"

  "You want me to become a blacksmith? But I’ve never worked with metal before.” Replied the former shepherd boy, astonished.

  “There are only a few humans who are physically able to work with magical metals and thus meet at least the basic requirements to become a blacksmith in the world of Qi-Masters, so treasure this chance! The more important you become to the clan, the more they will support you and aid your cultivation! That goes for you too, Edana, work hard!" Lorna replied while pulling two thin books from her magic ring.

  “This is the clan’s standard work for newcomers! All living beings are different from each other, and this book is especially suitable for humans!” She said as she showed it to the two siblings, “It is called *The small circle of the Qi-Gatherer* and in it you'll find a few different training manuals and some general useful information from the world of Qi-Masters. Read it carefully and try to move your Qi as described in it. Tomorrow you may each ask me two questions about it."

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Kilian sat cross-legged on the soft, moss-covered ground of the forest and studied the thin, open book in front of his nose:

  “The first step on the long and arduous path of a Qi-Master is to feel the natural Qi around you and to use your breathing to draw it into your body. As soon as the lungs are filled with energy, the Qi must circulate through suitable channels and be stored in the Dantian. The Dantian is located roughly at the level of the navel and forms the foundation of every Qi-Master. When there is even a hint of Qi in it, one can call oneself a first-level Qi-Gatherer. As the name suggests, it is important to collect as much Qi as possible, and one's level is classified by the amount of stored energy that can be used. It is stored in gaseous form in the Dantian, and with it, you can perform various techniques. Qi used up through techniques can be quickly regenerated and does not need to be trained again, because the body develops along with the level reached - for example, the size of the Dantian or the flow of energy in the Qi-paths.

  In general, the Qi-Gatherer is roughly classified into four different groups:

  The small circle: levels one to three.

  The middle circle: levels four to six

  The great Circle: Levels seven and eight.

  The high Qi-Gatherer: Level nine.

  This work deals with the small circle and the most common Qi-paths of the human race. However, the best progress can be achieved with a training guide specifically tailored to one's own needs, as every living being has slightly differently shaped Qi-paths. This book serves only as a foundation for one of, hopefully many, high palaces. Different life forms, such as the dwarf or the elf, also use the Dantian to store Qi, but have vastly different Qi-paths compared to the human, while other races, like the orc or most of the beastman, train their bodies and circulate the energy through the skin, blood, and organs. Theoretically, any kind of training would be possible for all living beings, but reality usually quickly reveals the limits of one's own heritage."

  Kilian read while breathing in the fresh forest air, and the book continued with a detailed description of three possible paths of how humans may circulate their Qi:

  "The classification of talent is important for selecting the right technique. The higher the talent, the more robust the Qi-paths are, and therefore, they can transport more energy. Talents of classes E and D should try the simplest route, C and B the golden middle. Geniuses of class S are recommended to follow a specially tailored manual immediately, or as soon as possible, but if such a manual is not available, they should use the complex rotation manual together with those of class A. If you overestimate yourself and use a technique for which you are not suited, there is a high risk of injury! Qi-paths can tear, and the Dantian can burst, which, in the best-case scenario, only costs you your talent. Many Qi-Masters prefer death over the loss of their cultivation!

  If you lack talent, persistence, with a pinch of luck, can still take you far on the path of becoming a Qi-Master, and even though this view is often hotly debated, I, as the author of this work, am convinced of it!

  At the beginning of your training, it′s often useful to hold a Qi-stone in your hand, because the Qi concentration around you increases, so it becomes easier to sense it! Later, with sufficient training, the energy can be absorbed directly from the stone into the Dantian, thereby increasing the effectiveness of training. However, it must first be circulated several times to cleanse it of impurities; otherwise, you will limit your potential! Wealth alone does not create powerful Qi-Masters! Therefore, I advise all young masters of strong sects and families to still practice perseverance and patience!

  “So this is a Qi-stone? Which manual should I try first? Am I a genius, or should I be happy if I succeed with the simple one? I want to become a powerful Qi-Master, but I don't want to ruin my path on the first step!” Kilian thought feverishly, tossing the small, inconspicuous stone up and down in his hand until he finally decided, “Step by step! I'll try the simplest one first, and if that works, the medium one! Tomorrow I'll ask Lorna if I should try the complex one too!”

  Taking a deep breath, Kilian resolutely inhaled the Qi-filled air with a goal in mind and tried to feel the energy in his body.

  Immediately, he felt like a fish swimming in fresh water.

  The Qi shot out of his lungs through the Qi-paths as if there was no resistance at all and pulsed through his body.

  “Is it supposed to be that easy?” The boy asked himself, astonished, and in the next moment, he concentrated again on directing the energy through his channels because he felt how the brief moment of inattention immediately caused the wild Qi within him to rush restlessly back and forth.

  With a satisfied grin on his face, he had quickly gotten the unbridled energy under control again.

  He laughed in glee, and his body felt better than ever.

  He was about to complete the first half of the circulation when he felt a sudden feeling of fullness.

  Inside him, the Qi flowed unhindered like a wild stream through the wide channels, but suddenly crashed against an invisible barrier.

  It was as if a beaver had built a dam in his Qi-paths that almost stopped the flow of energy.

  From one moment to the next, the shape of his channels changed abruptly, from being broad and majestic to thin and easily bent, like the newly sprouted branch of a young tree.

  Only the elasticity remained, and they swelled up like a knotted hose until they were about to burst.

  An ominous tremor caused the air to vibrate around the young lad, followed by a loud bang, and the Qi raged uncontrollably through Kilian's body as he cried out in pain.

  With all his focus, he forced himself to remain conscious and finally managed to spit out the rampant Qi with a gush of blood.