by A P Gore
So, five drops was a hard limit for herbs.
“Dammit.” Why the heck did his dantian look like a desert, even after eating five of these damn pieces?
Rubbing his chin for a minute, he tried to think of any place where he could get Qi Initiation Fruits, and the only place he could think of was Fragrance Herb City’s auction house.
No, that wasn’t an option for now. He lacked money and status to get through the front door. Fragrance Herb City’s auction house only allowed participants with status. Although the Li clan would have a slot, why would that old man give it to him, a mere junior of the clan?
“Whatever. Worse case, I’ll fail to initiate and have to find some other way. It’s not like there isn’t any other method to do this.” He knew at least three of them, but they would require him to break through Foundation Realm in body cultivation first.
Shua!
With a flick of his palm, the fruit shoot into his mouth, and pure qi rushed through his throat and into his dantian, spreading a warm current in the deserted dantian and changing it subtly. His dantian walls were getting a little luster here and there, a sign of him advancing into the first layer of qi Refinement Realm.
Finally.
Suddenly heaven and earth’s essence energy rushed from the heavens into his body. It was a phenomenon every cultivator experienced when one broke through major realms. This only occurred for qi cultivators. It was called Immortal Endowment. It was the purest of the energy one received from the heavens, and one had to convert it into qi to get the most benefits out of it.
Greeting his teeth, he recalled the first layer of Five Elemental Way and practiced it, but he stopped when he noticed the changes happening inside his body.
What the heck was happening? He was distracted, and that was bad. When the Immortal Endowment happened, one had to be clear of any worry or distraction, but he was unsettled because the essence energy he’d received from the heavens was behaving on its own.
No. Actually, it was gushing in his Yangming meridian like a stream cascading over a cliff. It was nourishing his Yangming meridian, turning it dark red with every passing moment. At the same time, his blood pearl count increased, and as he was only ten pearls away from forming the five hundredth drop, he quickly passed this stage and suddenly his body rumbled, his bones cracked and his Taiyang meridian hummed in response.
Wow! He’d broken through into the fifth layer of body Refinement Realm like it was nothing. In fact, he’d expected he would be stuck at this layer, as this was a middle stage that perfected his Yangming meridian and opened his Taiyang.
One . . . two . . . ten . . . fifty . . . one hundred . . . one hundred seventy. Finally, his blood pearl count stopped increasing, and he stopped in the late period of the sixth layer of body Refinement Realm.
What the heck was happening? How could he breakthrough in body cultivation when he’d initiated qi cultivation? Wasn’t it too bizarre? He now had six hundred and seventy blood pearls in his body and could rival a layer seven or eight qi Refinement Realm cultivator with sheer physical strength.
In the short period of five minutes, he had gained one hundred and eighty blood pearls. It was even faster than when he’d practiced Yin Yang Liquid auxiliary art. In fact, he’d stopped feeling bad about losing essence energy from the Immortal Endowment. However, this also led to a deficit in his qi cultivation, so he needed to cultivate to first layer as soon as possible, or he might suffer qi deviation and all his qi would go berserk, and fall back to his previous state. From there, it would be difficult to re-initiate the qi cultivation. So, he regrouped his thoughts and activated the token he had obtained from the Inheritance Chamber. It had a Qi Transformation Array carved on it, and it would gather heaven and earth’s essence from nature and convert it into pure qi that any cultivator could absorb. It was a Gold Grade array, and quite precious even in the Martial Realm.
At least he didn’t have to worry about exposing it in the Mortal Realm, as he believed no one here would know about it.
After activating the array, heaven and earth’s essence started gathering around the metal token. After entering the token, it was purified and refined and came out as a wisp of pure qi from the other side. This array also eliminated the foul essence energy from the absorbed one and only converted the purest of essence into pure qi. So, he didn’t have to worry about refining foul qi inside his body.
Unlike body cultivation art, qi cultivation art worked differently. Body cultivation art was mostly about making one’s body stronger and firmer, while qi cultivation art regulated essence flow through one’s body and then stored it in the dantian as qi corresponding to the Spirit Root attribute. Before reaching Houtian realm, one could use their qi to nourish their five internal organs, bones, and marrow, but they still needed to convert essence energy into qi using their dantian. This set up their foundation for higher realms. In contrast, body cultivators used essence energy to make their whole body strong.
Nourishment and increasing strength were two different things!
Anyway, this was the path a normal cultivator would take. For Wei, it was a totally different scenario. His Qi Transformation Array was converting essence energy into pure qi, and he had to push it into his dantian and circulate the qi using Five Elemental Way’s first layer.
Wisps of pure qi drifted out of the Qi Transformation Array, and he straightaway inhaled it, pushing it toward his dantian. Passing through his dantian, pure qi rushed through the qi channels in his body and then re-entered his dantian through the connecting qi channels.
His body grumbled from inside as his qi paths were formed between various qi channels. This meant he had stepped onto the path of qi cultivation. Currently his qi path only had a hair’s width, and with every revolution it would start getting wider. Although he absorbed a lot of pure qi coming out of the token array, most of it was used to clear impurities from his qi channels present in various internal organs. Besides clearing impurities, it also nourished his internal organs. So, theoretically, if he pushed 100 units of qi out of his dantian, only 1 or 2 units of pure qi came back after one revolution. But the returned qi would have his mark embedded in it, and it would act according to his will.
Once he reached Foundation Realm, the amount of qi used would increase, and so would his qi path width. This would continue happening until he reached Houtian Realm. That’s when his actual qi path would be established. After reaching Foundation Realm, his dantian would convert qi into the attribute his Spirit Root belonged to. In Refinement Realm, every cultivator would only cultivate pure qi, and only after reaching Foundation Realm would they start converting it into their attribute. That’s when one would give birth to Wisp of Soul power, enabling them to walk on the paths of alchemy, arrays, artifact refining, or formations.
But Wei didn’t face that issue. He had an intact divine sense, born and strengthened from interaction with a Soul Stone. He could very well practice these other paths of cultivation anytime. In fact, if he was in ancient times, he would need not walk on the path of qi, as those masters used their soul powers to do everything one needed qi for.
However, all these heaven-defying techniques were lost to time. So, he had to walk on the path of qi cultivation in his second life too.
Wei continued clearing his qi channels of impurities and connecting them to form a qi path. Suddenly, he felt bloated, and couldn’t absorb any purer qi into his dantian. Any more, and he might burst, so he stopped cultivating. It was within his expectations. He had just initiated his cultivation, so he couldn’t store too much qi in his body. It would take time, days, to reach the first layer of qi Refinement Realm.
Wait, what? How could there be sunlight coming through the holes on his tent?
Chapter 48 Li Guan
Cold sweat broke out over his back when Li Wei realized the sun had set, and he had cultivated for the whole night. His stomach growling confirmed his discovery.
He had cultivated for twelve hours straight.
Suddenly he smelled something rotten, and when he looked down, he couldn’t control the awe in his heart.
“Dammit! How can it be?”
A small puddle of black liquid had formed around his body, dirtying his whole bedroll, and he didn’t dare sniff himself. He reeked like he’d just climbed out of a garbage hole.
How could he exude this many impurities? If someone else saw this, they might think his body was made of impurities instead of fat.
“My stomach!” he shouted when his gaze fell on his almost flat stomach. Had he really carried impurities instead of fat? Because if not, how could he explain the fat loss from all over his body?
“Brat, why are you shouting so early in the morning?” The old man’s voice reverberated around the tent as he stepped in only to run back out like a dog bit his rear.
Wei followed him out quickly and then rushed to the bathing area without looking at the old man.
After cleaning himself thoroughly and changing into a new set of clothes, Wei walked back toward his tent but found it was gone, and a few maids were spraying scented water over the place.
“Brat, what did you do in there? How could you lose your bowels and shit that hard? It was like you packed it in for a couple of years and then let it all out in one go.” The old man hesitated for a moment before stepping close to him.
“Grandfather, I didn’t . . .” A firm palm gripped his shoulder.
A tall youth walked out of the woods and snickered. “Ha ha. I didn’t know brother Wei’s excretion skills had improved so much that even maids are pinching their noses.” Li Guan wore a dark blue robe and his long hair fluttered over his shoulders. He liked it loose, unlike others who kept it tied in a bun.
Wei’s eyes narrowed into a slit. “Li Guan. Why are you here?” Li Guan was Li Tang’s foul-mouthed son. In the Li clan’s young generation, he had the best cultivation, and he liked to beat up everyone around him. Whenever he came to Old Martial City, Wei fell for his tricks and got beaten up.
“Ha ha. It seems like you forgot the beating I gave you last time.”
Wei frowned. He had nearly forgotten that incident. It had been half a year ago that Li Guan beat him like a dog, and he was bedridden for ten straight days. But given that he had lived for two hundred years and reincarnated since then, why would he remember such an insignificant event? It didn’t matter to him anymore, nor did Li Guan matter. He just had to treat it like a fart.
“Grandfather, greetings.” Li Guan cupped his hands in front of the old man. “I’m here to meet little sister Fei. I heard she is a beauty, and I want to take her out to roam this small city. Please allow me.”
Wei’s frown deepened. Li Guan must have learned about Fei’er’s connection to Divine Fragrance Palace by now, and he must be here to win her favor.
In his dreams.
“Li Guan.” Wei stepped forward, blocking Li Guan. “Isn’t it important to settle our scores whenever we meet?” This was the exact line Li Guan had used before beating him every time they met, and no one had stopped him.
The old man squinted his eyes. “Wei’er—”
“Young master.” Fei’er ran out of Wei’s shabby room but stopped when she spotted Li Guan standing near him. Her blue eyes glared at Li Guan sharply.
Li Guan squirmed when he glanced at Fei’er sharp gaze, then shifted his focus back to Wei. “Grandfather, this trash wants to get beaten,” he boasted while slapping his chest. “Please don’t stop me from teaching him a lesson. As an older brother, I’ve taken responsibility for this trash.” He had a cold smirk plastered over his face.
Wei chuckled in his mind. Li Guan must think to step on him and win over the beauty, but he didn’t know Wei had broken through two layers in one night. And even if he hadn’t, his body cultivation was enough to beat Li Guan to death.
“Guan’er, you—”
“Grandfather. Please let us spar for a moment. I want to see if brother Guan still pees his pants when he gets beaten up.” Wei remembered this from his childhood, that Li Guan used to pee his pants whenever he was scared.
The old man just shrugged, once again showing his indecisiveness.
Li Guan growled. “Li Wei. Don’t spout nonsense. I never peed my pants.”
Li Wei snickered. “Take a heart oath and clear the air.”
Li Guan flushed red, nerves popping out from his neck. “Bastard. You are courting your death. I’ll slap you with my fist technique. Sleeping Dragon Fist.” Pulling his elbow back, he thrust his fist at Wei.
Wei chuckled. “It’s not even a dog’s fart, and you call it sleeping dragon.” This was a very basic martial skill anyone could obtain with a few gold in the State of Zin. It only had one level, and it couldn’t even exert the full pressure of a martial artist. Using it would only deteriorate one’s powers.
In other words, it was trash. If Wei took it head on, it wouldn’t even bend a hair on his body.
Wei side-stepped and let the fist fly through empty air.
Li Guan stumbled and almost fell on his face. “What are you doing? If you are a man, then take the fist head on,” he shouted and turned back to send another fist at Wei.
“You are hilarious.” Wei bent at the waist and dodged the fist. Although he wasn’t a strong battle artist in his previous life, Li Guang was a frog. He couldn’t even attack like the wolves Wei had faced in the tunnel. “Li Guan, are you trying to catch a fly? Why are you dancing like a monkey?”
“You—” Li Guan roared and dashed toward Wei, but Wei just stepped aside and let Li Guang fall flat on his face. Unfortunately for Li Guang, he fell right where Wei’s tent had been and muddied his face with soil and dust.
Suddenly, the suppressed smell of impurities rose in the air, thrashing everyone’s noses.
Fei’er couldn’t hold her laughter anymore and snickered loudly. “Good job, young master.” She even clapped loudly.
Li Guang got up and turned back with his blackened face, and Fei’er exploded in full-blown laughter. Even the maids watching from the sidelines couldn’t hold back.
“Enough. Wei, what are you trying to show here? If you want to fight, then fight like a man.” Li Tang’s voice rang out.
Wei glared at his bastard uncle, wondering if he could kill him in one shot if he burned his blood pearls.
Maybe not. Although he was catching up with his uncle’s cultivation, a whole realm’s difference was too much to cross. He’d wait until he stepped into Foundation Realm, then it wouldn’t be an issue.
Li Guan shot at him with his fist extended. “Fire Beast Palm.” A tiny fire enveloped Li Guan’s palm and struck forward viciously. Fire Beast Palm and Fire Beast Sword Art were two martial skills the Li clan practiced.
Now that he thought about it, everyone in the Li clan was born with a fire-attributed Spirit Root, so he must have inherited his attributeless Spirit Root from his father. Pushing that stray thought away, Wei struck with his palm.
The fist and palm attacks collided. One was backed with the half-assed Sleeping Dragon Fist skill from layer six of qi Refinement Realm, the other with a combination of layer six in body Refinement Realm and layer four in qi Refinement Realm.
Who would win?
With a cracking sound, Li Guan staggered backward; his eyes held shock, dissatisfaction.
And then he started shouting in pain.
“Father, Li Wei broke my bones.” He flopped on the ground and started crying loudly.
The old man’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw Li Guan rolling on the ground. “Brat, you—”
“Grandfather, this junior reached layer two of Refinement Realm recently.” Wei had a smug smile plastered on his face.
Chapter 49 Forbidden Technique
“Brat, you—” The old man gauged Li Wei like one might a monster. If his eyes popped out any more, they would fall out of his skull.
“Grandfather, this junior reached layer two of Refinement Realm recently,” Wei answered calmly. Although he didn’t
like this old man much, he had to show some respect, as he was still in the Li clan compound.
Shock was evident on the old man’s face.
“You, brat. How did you dare to hit my son? Are you tired of living?” Li Tang pulled his son up to his feet, checking his condition.
A small smile played on Wei’s lips. “Uncle, where were you when he beat me half to death a few months back?”
The old man ignored Li Tang. “Brat, how did you cultivate?”
“He must have hidden the benefits he got from the pit he pretended to fell,” Li Tang said forcefully, pulling a pill out of his pouch and stuffing it in Li Guan’s mouth. Li Guan continued crying as he bit down on the pill.
“And what does that have to do with you, uncle?” This bastard uncle of his was getting in his head now. First Li Tang had almost killed him, and now—rather than being guilty for his action—Li Tang was coveting things from him. When Wei had returned to the compound, he had planned to take care of this uncle of his, but it seemed that he would have to do it earlier than he’d thought.
“Father, let’s capture this brat and interrogate him. He is definitely hiding something, otherwise how could trash like him break Guan’er’s arm with one palm attack. I think Jia’er died because of him.”
Wei chuckled. This uncle of his was now building a palace in the air. Did he think everyone around them was stupid like him?
“Brother, how can you say that?” Li Ti stepped forward. He had come along with Li Tang. “Li Wei took you to the pit where he obtained the Body Refirming Pill. In doing so, he has done a meritorious service for the clan.”
Li Tang flushed red. “Now that I think about it, he must have lured Jia’er in there and got him killed.” He stroked his short beard. “Yes, that has to be it. Now I remember, this brat kept saying there was no danger, and Jia’er stepped in unprepared and died. This brat wanted to send us to death and then enjoy the benefits.”
Li Ti shook his head; he didn’t seem to buy Li Tang’s lie.
