Era of Cultivation

"According to modern cultivation theory, True Energy has many names. However, True Energy is fundamentally bioenergy," the instructor quickly writes the words "True Energy" on the whiteboard, before drawing some particles.

He continues, while drawing the chemical formula for ATP: a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and three bonded phosphate groups. "This bioenergy is chemically known as ATP. From your liberal arts classes, you might remember that your body converts glucose from food into ATP."

"You might also remember that without ATP, you and your cells will die," he said gravely. He looked at the students attentively listening to him.

Shaking his head, the instructor said, "Unless you reach the Innate Stage, where you gain the ability to cultivate using the energy of Heaven and Earth around you, your cultivation relies on your body. When you exhaust your True Energy, you've used up most of your body's energy."

"Continue using True Energy and you begin to starve. Do this repeatedly and you can permanently damage your body. Worst case scenario, you die."

The teacher looked about thirty-something years old, wearing a traditional martial arts gi. He held an open textbook in one hand. He was clean-shaven and his hair was combed. The instructor looked strict and neat, standing in front of Class 11 from Jinghai City, Number 13 High School.

Class 11 had roughly fifty students, both male and female. Most were about sixteen to seventeen years old. Every single student was also wearing a martial arts uniform. They sat cross-legged on rattan mats, forming a semicircle around the middle-aged man.

Sitting near the edge of the group, Chu Yunfan was intently listening to the lecture. He wasn't fat or skinny. With dark brown hair and eyes, he looked completely average and inconspicuous.

Yunfan stared curiously at the instructor. The professional-looking teacher was Class 11's martial arts coach. His name was Qin Wu. The rumors said that he retired from military special forces after he was injured, causing his cultivation base to drop. An aura surrounded him; his presence demanded respect.

Qin Wu began speaking, shaking Chu Yunfan out of his thoughts. He began raptly listening again.

"In the past, people said that the poor should study academics and the rich should practice cultivation." The coach turned towards a student and asked, "Do you know why?"

The student paused. "Uh… cultivation uses energy and ATP faster than normal foods can replenish. Spiritual foods like ginseng and… uhm, ganoderma were expensive and rare, so ordinary commoners couldn't afford cultivation."

The veteran teacher nodded with approval. "Right, it looks like someone read their textbooks. During the Common Era, there were very few cultivators. This was partly from few people knowing that cultivation existed, and partly that few people could afford to cultivate."

"Until the Kunlun Era, when people discovered the Kunlun Realm, cultivation was nearly impossible--" Qin Wu stopped talking for a moment to focus on writing notes. "--yes, yes, impossible for the lower class since cultivation requires resources that they could not afford."

"When we discovered the Kunlun Realm and the ruins of the Ancient Zenith civilization, both technology and martial arts advanced by leaps and bounds. Basic spiritual foods can be mass-produced via Qi-focusing hexagrams, and are available for the average layman."

"Not only that, but opening the Gate into the Kunlun Realm also allowed the True Energy within to flood into Earth. Now, we enjoy these benefits and everyone can practice martial arts and cultivation."

Qin Wu finished his notes on the whiteboard. He snapped the textbook in his hand closed, before looking around the class. "Any questions?"

Chu Yunfan sighed internally. 'We should've covered this in our liberal arts class, what's the point in repeating it again?'

Several centuries ago, humanity discovered the existence of another parallel world. When their experiments opened the first Gate, Qi flooded into Earth. This Spirit Energy caused animals to mutate and become monsters.

The disasters did not end there. Qi and True Energy are completely different things. True Energy is fundamentally ATP. Qi is the energy of Heaven and Earth.

Most ambient Qi isn't pure energy. Instead, Yin and Yang Qi create all Qi, such as Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal Qi. Different kinds of Qi condense and disperse like clouds and weather patterns.

While this may seem irrelevant to disasters, when Fire Qi gathers inside the United State's nuclear silos, the consequences are catastrophic. A large portion of Midwestern America was completely obliterated by nuclear hellfire, and soon after, all nuclear arms were subsequently dismantled.

Not only that, but monsters began escaping through the Gates that humanity opened. Since the Kunlun Realm had far more Qi, Monsters from the Kunlun Realm were far stronger than those that mutated on earth. These nearly unkillable beasts caused many deaths and destroyed many cities.

The military stood no chance against these disasters. Firearms and tank ammunition had the same problem nuclear missiles did; they could randomly explode when Fire Qi condensed nearby, causing even more casualties. Unable to use artillery and gunpowder weapons, the military was rendered nigh obsolete.

When things were looking desperate, people discovered the ruins of the Ancient Zenith civilization. Instead of developing technology, the long-dead civilization focused on cultivation and developing martial skills. The remaining countries gathered together and encouraged cultivation.

During those times of crisis, Earth began their Era of Cultivation. With the combination of cultivation and newly-developed advanced technology, humans fought back and eventually began to rise to the top of the food chain once more.

Since the cataclysmic disaster, there was little remaining habitable land for humanity. Many humans were far too weak to survive in the Kunlun Realm; the monsters there had been exposed to Qi for millenia, and were far stronger than the monsters on Earth, who had been exposed to Qi for a relatively shorter amount of time. Not only that, but the infrastructure in the Kunlun Realm could not support the massive amount of people displaced by the disasters.

The need for housing caused the formation of ten major base cities. These cities have populations of about one-hundred million. Not only that, but each base city has multiple satellite cities under them. Jinghai City is one such satellite city, with roughly ten million inhabitants. They are a satellite city of Donghua City.

Compared to during the Era of Disasters, which lasted more than two centuries, humanity was much stronger than before. During the Common Era, few people had the chance to cultivate and practice martial arts. Now, the Federation government encouraged cultivation and made many resources available in order to fight the monsters which remained a constant threat.

Qin Wu had stressed that talent was not the only factor for cultivation. Martial artists required resources, a good environment, money, and more.

Chu Yunfan tuned into the lecture as Instructor Qin continued. "Lu the Progenitor, a cultivation master of the Federation feudal period, wrote in his poem, 'Striking the Hexagram Lines:' 'developing the mind alone will leave you with all the answers with no means to accomplish them; developing the body alone will leave you with power and incorrect purpose; developing both body and mind is the true path towards splitting the sea.'"

Hearing this, Yunfan nodded with the rest of his classmates.

The Physical Stage was the first step of cultivation. When a cultivator strived to attain the peak of Martial Dao, they required a strong body. Martial arts is like crossing a vast ocean, with the physical body acting as the seafaring vessel.

Therefore, training the physique was the foundation of cultivation. The Physical Stage is divided into nine minor stages: Muscle Development, Bone Hardening, Skin Thickening, Tendon Stretching, Inner Strengthening, Joint Popping, Blood Refinement, Self Observation, and Energy Nourishment.

Once someone finished cultivating the Physical Stage to perfection, could they begin cultivating the Qi Sea Stage. The name is misleading; the ability to absorb Qi is gained in a higher stage. Instead, the Qi Sea Stage opens an aperture within the dantian, where True Energy could be contained.

After the Qi Sea Stage came the Acquired Stage and the Innate Stage. However, Chu Yunfan did not know much about them. He knew very few people who had reached Acquired Stage; Qin Wu was rumored to once have an Acquired Stage cultivation base. Most teachers at No. 13 High School were only at the Qi Sea Stage.

Within Donghua City, there were maybe two dozen or so Innate Stage experts.

"We'll be taking the year-end exam in a month or so. Most of you guys probably won't be able to get into the martial arts focus stream, and will aim for the liberal arts instead," Instructor Qin said seriously. "I want you all to understand that even if you aren't aiming for martial arts, you should still practice healthy and safe cultivation to live long and healthy lives!"

"During the Common Era, few people survived past one-hundred years old. This was because they were unhealthy and their bodies were weak. Cultivation not only strengthens your body, but also strengthens your immune system."

Hearing Qin Wu mention the martial arts and liberal arts streams, Chu Yunfan could not help but feel somewhat disappointed.

Although everyone wanted to become a heaven-shaking swordsman with incredible cultivation, only some were talented and rich enough. For the year-end exams, No. 13 High School would place those with Stage Seven, or Blood Renewal, Physical Stage cultivation into the martial arts stream.

Meanwhile, ordinary people would be placed in the liberal arts stream.

Before the focus division, every student's curriculum included both liberal arts and cultivation. The curriculum was balanced, but once entering the focus stream, that would change.

Those who entered the martial arts steam would have their liberal arts lesson material reduced and would have more martial arts and cultivation classes.

Students in the liberal arts stream would not stop cultivating entirely, but they would have much less time. They were more preoccupied with studying in order to get into a university or immediately joining the workforce.

Everyone was passionate, and wanted to become martial artists. Not only could martial artists gain magical powers and societal status, martial artists had many opportunities. They had an easier time making a living, compared to most liberal arts graduates.

Several examples include joining the government, military, monster-hunting mercenary companies, bodyguards, and more. Most of these jobs were riskier, but had far higher income. The most outstanding students could travel to the Kunlun Realm and become martial powerhouses.

However, most people did not have the aptitude required to join the martial arts stream. Chu Yunfan had average talent and only reached Stage Five of the Physical Stage, Inner Strengthening. He was considered ordinary amongst liberal arts students.

"That's all for today's class."

The class monitor stood up, beginning dismissal. "Stand!"

The rest of the class followed suit.

"One, two!" The class stomped twice.

"Bow!" Everyone bowed their heads towards Teacher Qin.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Everyone simultaneously shouted.

Qin Wu bowed back, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Alright, don't miss tomorrow's lesson. I'll be demonstrating martial arts for practical combat. If you miss the lesson, I won't teach it again. Understood?"

"Yes!"