Breakthrough, Qi Refining First Layer

After Qi Chuan and the others left the Hall of Bestowing Merit, they followed that Immortal Master to another, somewhat shorter peak.

"This is Red Dust Peak. Every disciple newly admitted to the Main Vein will remain here for a time. From now on, you will cultivate here. Once your cultivation base is high enough, you will be granted an Independent Peak," the Immortal Master said.

Qi Chuan looked over the peak. Its scenery was fairly pleasant, but compared to the peak where the Hall of Bestowing Merit stood, it fell far short.

Its Spiritual Qi Concentration was probably lower as well.

Still, it was clearly enough for Immortal Seedlings who had not even reached the Qi Refining First Layer to cultivate.

Before long, Qi Chuan and the others were swiftly settled in.

Many Tiled Houses stood scattered across Red Dust Peak. Though somewhat old, they were not run-down and were suitable for living in.

At the mountainside, several fields had been laid out. Many farmers worked busily within them; they were Mortals, and their harvests supplied the Immortal Seedlings of Red Dust Peak with food.

Thus, cultivating here meant having no worries over food or clothing.

The Immortal Master had already departed, and Qi Chuan chose a Tiled House to live in.

Night fell.

On the bed inside the Tiled House, Qi Chuan sat upright with the Evergreen Art manual placed between his legs, reading it with utmost focus beneath the candlelight.

Earlier, his time in the Hall of Bestowing Merit had been limited. He had only tested it in haste, so his gains from the Evergreen Art had been quite limited, though he had still laid down a small foundation.

As a result, reading it now was much smoother.

Yet many obscure and incomprehensible portions still left him with only a half-understanding.

After reading through it once, words appeared in his vision, just as expected.

You carefully read the Evergreen Art, attempting to comprehend its Entry Stage. You triggered a Fivefold Critical Hit and gained fivefold harvest. Your understanding of the Evergreen Art has improved somewhat.

Qi Chuan savored the insight carefully.

He discovered that although it was only a fivefold improvement, because he had read so earnestly this time, the gains he received were actually greater than the Hundredfold Critical Hit from his first cursory read-through.

At this rate, his speed in comprehending the Evergreen Art would likely be extremely fast.

You carefully read the Evergreen Art, attempting to comprehend its Entry Stage. You triggered a Threefold Critical Hit and gained threefold harvest. Your understanding of the Evergreen Art has improved somewhat.

You carefully read the Evergreen Art, attempting to comprehend its Entry Stage. You triggered an Elevenfold Critical Hit and gained elevenfold harvest. Your understanding of the Evergreen Art has improved somewhat.

Under Qi Chuan's unrelenting efforts, time passed quickly.

In just one night, Qi Chuan successfully comprehended the Evergreen Art in its entirety.

This speed could only be called astonishing.

After all, he had comprehended it completely. When he cultivated afterward, there would basically be no mishaps.

But if one had not truly comprehended it and rashly attempted cultivation, failure would be the lesser concern; it could even affect the body's Meridians.

"Next, as long as I successfully sense the wandering Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth, draw it in, absorb it into my body, and refine it into a strand of my own Spell Power, I can shed my mortal body and become a true Xiu Xian practitioner—a Qi Refining First Layer Immortal Master!"

Qi Chuan's heart surged with excitement.

One had to strike while the iron was hot. Ignoring his exhaustion, Qi Chuan immediately assumed the cultivation posture described in the Evergreen Art, closed his Eyes, and began sensing Spiritual Qi.

For those who did not yet possess Spell Power, sensing Spiritual Qi was exceptionally difficult.

Because he had a Spiritual Root within him, Qi Chuan could vaguely perceive a misty, lively aura drifting through the void.

Yet that lively aura was Shadowless and traceless, drifting unpredictably, making it impossible to determine its location.

Let alone draw it in and absorb it into his body.

"This is probably the disadvantage of a Lower Eighth-grade Spiritual Root. It's still far too low."

Qi Chuan was helpless. His affinity and resonance with Spiritual Qi were closely tied to the quality of his Spiritual Root.

There was no other way. He could only force himself to sense it.

You attempt to sense the wandering Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth. You triggered a Twofold Critical Hit and gained twofold harvest. Your skill and experience in sensing Spiritual Qi have improved slightly.

His first attempt at sensing it still ended in failure.

But Qi Chuan was not discouraged, because his skill and experience in sensing Spiritual Qi had improved.

The next attempt would surely be easier.

He immediately began trying again.

You attempt to sense the wandering Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth. You triggered a Fivefold Critical Hit and gained fivefold harvest. Your skill and experience in sensing Spiritual Qi have improved slightly.

You attempt to sense the wandering Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth. You triggered a Threefold Critical Hit and gained threefold harvest. Your skill and experience in sensing Spiritual Qi have improved slightly.

He had intended to continue sensing it.

But at that moment, his head swayed, and his eyelids grew heavy.

Qi Chuan clearly felt his consciousness becoming muddled and his reactions growing sluggish.

"Is this a sign that my Spiritual Soul Power has been depleted too greatly?"

Qi Chuan was startled.

He was still a Mortal now. Both his body and Spiritual Soul Power were exceedingly weak.

The process of sensing Spiritual Qi consumed a considerable amount of Spiritual Soul Power.

If he consumed too much and could not recover it, he might directly become an idiot.

He immediately stopped cultivating, went out for breakfast, then returned and fell straight into bed.

He slept for a long time. After waking, he shook his head and only then felt much better, as though his Spiritual Soul Power had recovered somewhat.

Only then did he dare continue attempting to sense Spiritual Qi.

Days passed one after another.

With those Mortals outside supporting them, the Immortal Seedlings were able to cultivate without worries.

Cultivation Techniques lay before them, Spiritual Qi filled the place where they lived, and the road to becoming an Immortal Master stretched beneath their feet. Thus, every Immortal Seedling kept a low profile and redoubled his cultivation efforts, wishing to become a true Immortal Master.

Yet although they lacked nothing, this very first step of Xiu Xian stumped many Immortal Seedlings.

After all, their Spiritual Roots were too poor—merely Lower Ninth-grade, the lowest and most inferior kind of Spiritual Root.

To comprehend the mysteries of the Evergreen Art, sense Spiritual Qi, draw it into the body, and finally refine it into true Spell Power—every step along the way was filled with obstacles.

Thus, after so many days had passed, not a single person had successfully advanced to the Qi Refining First Layer. Every one of them wore a bitter, worried expression.

But for Qi Chuan, it did not seem particularly difficult.

One month later.

You draw Spiritual Qi into your body and circulate it through one full cycle within your body. You triggered a Hundredfold Critical Hit and gained a hundredfold harvest. You successfully refined a strand of Spell Power and advanced to the Qi Refining First Layer.

Qi Chuan sat cross-legged upon his bed. Within his body, a strand of lively aura flowed through his Meridians. After completing one cycle, it finally arrived at his lower abdomen and entered his Dantian.

At the instant it entered the Dantian, the color, state, and even the fluctuations it emitted underwent a certain change.

Only at this moment did that strand of Spiritual Qi truly become Qi Chuan's own Spell Power, ready to be commanded at will and unleash immense might.

Whoosh.

Qi Chuan abruptly opened his Eyes. A flash of light passed through his black pupils, radiating a daunting majesty.

"Good."

After examining himself inwardly, Qi Chuan smiled faintly, though inwardly he was overjoyed.

Some days ago, he had also successfully drawn Spiritual Qi into his body.

But before long, all the Spiritual Qi in his body had dispersed, failing to transform into Spell Power.

Just now, he had felt that he was only one step short. He had thought this attempt was doomed to fail and decided that he would keep trying afterward until he succeeded.

Who would have thought he would directly trigger a Hundredfold Critical Hit, sparing him all the later effort?

Today, he had finally become a true Xiu Xian practitioner.

If he appeared in the Mortal Towns of the Qi Family from now on, everyone who saw him would likely respectfully address him as "Immortal Master," with no one daring to slight him.

Yet his path of Xiu Xian had only just lifted a corner of its curtain.

At this moment, he could feel the strand of Spell Power in his body emitting mysterious fluctuations as it slowly nourished his body.

In truth, his body still belonged to a Mortal.

But because Spell Power existed within him, this nourishment would continuously strengthen him. In the end, he would become like a Martial Arts Master of the mortal world, possessing a powerful physique, immune to all illnesses and resistant to every poison.

His Lifespan would naturally increase greatly as well.