Third Layer of Qi Condensation

Ten days later.

The night was cool as water, the bright moon shone in silent solitude, and a stick of incense burned inside the bamboo lodge, dreamlike and illusory.

Ji An sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his breathing alternately quick and slow. Spiritual power filled the immortal veins within him, coursing and winding like a small river as it launched wave after wave of attacks upon his Qi Sea Acupoint.

The bottleneck of the Third Layer of Qi Condensation gradually loosened.

The dharma power within him surged like raging waves, while his heart remained calm as a lake. Unhurried and unflustered, he controlled his dharma power and continued striking at his dantian.

At last, after repeated impacts, the Qi Sea Acupoint suddenly expanded several degrees. Like a gigantic dragon drawing in water, all the dharma power in his immortal veins poured into his ancestral aperture.

Ji An sensed another branch vein appear upon his immortal veins.

Keeping his mind steady, he thoroughly refined the remaining medicinal power of the Yellow Bud Pill, then slowly withdrew from cultivation.

After two and a half months, with no shortage of pills and an unceasing supply of spirit rice, he had finally stepped into the Third Layer of Qi Condensation.

Only then did a faint smile appear on his face. He sighed softly.

"Not easy."

With his current "aptitude," this speed was already very fast. The price, however, was his purse shrinking at a terrifying rate.

Ever since harvesting the Spirit Grain, he had activated the Dharma Restriction around the bamboo lodge. Otherwise, if he happened to encounter some gentleman with light fingers, it would be too late for tears.

The Dharma Restriction was crude, and one Spirit Stone could sustain it for a year. Yet for him now, even a single Spirit Stone was an enormous expense—one he could not afford to save.

A few days ago, he had gone to Azure Water Market and found Senior Brother Wei, purchasing thirty Yellow Bud Pills. He had also asked someone to buy ten Spirit Crystals' worth of grain seeds. Now, in one stroke, he was back to square one. He had only ten Spirit Crystals, twenty-four pills, and a dozen or so Wood Origin Pearls left.

Fortunately, the two mu of Yellow Bud Rice had already been planted. He only needed to endure for another two months or so. By the time his pills ran out, it would be just in time to harvest the Spirit Grain.

Having reached the Third Layer of Qi Condensation, the upper limit of dharma power in his body had doubled. Casting fourth-layer spells was no longer a problem.

Ji An sank his mind into the Qi Sea Acupoint once more. Old Turtle, activate!

The three kinds of spiritual impetus decreased in turn, while his spell comprehension steadily rose. When he opened his eyes again, two spells had already reached the Mastery realm.

Master: Ji An

Dao Rhythm: 0

Spiritual Impetus: Kan Spirit 4.9, Kun Spirit 0.7, Xun Spirit 0

Spells: Minor Cloud and Rain Art (Mastery 1%)

Thick Earth Art (Mastery 1%)

Wither and Flourish Art (Minor Mastery 62%)

Blazing Fire Spell (Proficient 2%)

Sharp Metal Art (Proficient 12%)

With two Mastery spells and one Minor Mastery spell, a bountiful Spirit Grain harvest was now in sight. The lack of Spirit Crystals that had left Ji An feeling insecure these past days no longer troubled him nearly as much.

After reaching the Third Layer of Qi Condensation, the effects of Yellow Bud Pills and spirit rice would inevitably lessen somewhat. In the future, he would need to earn more Spirit Crystals to maintain his rapid progress.

He rose and walked to the wall, pushing open the two windows. A gentle breeze drifted in, and moonlight filled the bamboo lodge.

The next day, Ji An finished cultivating and strolled over to the Spirit Field, where he cast the Minor Cloud and Rain Art.

White clouds and mist blanketed the one-mu Spirit Field, and rain came pattering down.

It struck the leaves of the Spirit Grain with crisp pitter-patters, and fell into the Spirit Field, splashing up specks of mud.

Ji An felt the spiritual energy, far richer than that of the Minor Mastery spell. Listening to the heavenly music of rain nourishing all things, his heart became as clear and translucent as glazed crystal.

A mysterious feeling curled around his heart. Inspiration struck, and the hand seals in his hands shifted rapidly as he cast the Minor Cloud and Rain Art once more over the other Spirit Field.

Minor Cloud and Rain Art (Mastery 1% → 11%)

"Ha ha ha!"

Ji An burst into wild laughter, startling several sparrows from the trees.

Even without the Stone Turtle, this Dao Master could still attain enlightenment in a flash!

After a while, the turmoil in his heart gradually subsided, and his thoughts slowly returned to tranquil stillness.

He took a gray cloth from his robes, unfolded it, and placed the Talisman Bird in his palm. He slowly fed it dharma power. Once the paper goose stopped growing larger, Ji An straddled it.

He stroked the Talisman Bird, whose spiritual glow had grown ever dimmer, and murmured softly.

"Old friend, carry me one more stretch of the way."

The Talisman Bird flapped its wings and wobbled into the air, drawing a crooked, twisting line across the sky.

A faint mist formed above the Spirit Field, only to swiftly disperse beneath the sunlight.

General Affairs Hall.

Ji An swept his gaze around, then walked straight up to an acquaintance and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Senior Brother Li, I am Ji An. I have come today to exchange for spells."

They were only acquainted by sight. This man was precisely the Senior Brother who had been on duty at the Hall of Hearing the Dao that day. Ji An still remembered the refreshing fragrance of the spiritual tea.

Li Changfeng raised his eyes and said blandly, "Greetings, Junior Brother. Hand over your jade token. What spell do you wish to exchange for?"

He had no impression of this junior brother. Nor was he surprised that the other party recognized him. As a disciple of the General Affairs Hall, most Qi Condensation Stage disciples in the sect likely knew him.

Ji An took out the jade token, still warm from his body, and handed it over calmly.

"I wish to exchange for the fourth layer of the Minor Cloud and Rain Art and the Thick Earth Art."

Li Changfeng accepted the jade token and gave him a half-smiling glance.

"The sect places great importance on those skilled in production. Exchanging for spells of this kind entitles one to the sect's preferential policy.

"Junior Brother, do you know the rules? To exchange for a production-type spell of the fourth layer or above, you must demonstrate the spell on the spot."

He had grown curious about this junior brother's identity. The other party looked quite young and was not wearing the standard Daoist robes of any peak or hall. He was likely a Spirit Farmer.

Yet Spirit Farmers had to visit the General Affairs Hall at the end of every season to pay field rent and taxes. Li Changfeng had no impression of him whatsoever. That was rather interesting.

"Of course I know. Please inspect it, Senior Brother."

"Very well. Follow me, Junior Brother."

Li Changfeng took out a palm-sized bronze disc-shaped dharma artifact and led the way.

The two arrived beside an expanse of bare ground in the rear courtyard of a side hall. Li Changfeng tossed the dharma artifact into the center of the open ground. A few breaths later, he formed a hand seal, reached forward, and grabbed. The disc-shaped artifact flew back into his hand.

Ji An clicked his tongue in wonder. That spell should be the Object Control Art. It is perfectly suited for retrieving objects, and it is also the foundation for controlling dharma artifacts—a must-learn spell for cultivators.

"Senior Brother, how many Contribution Points does it take to exchange for the Object Control Art?"

Li Changfeng was even more astonished. This junior brother was truly new—he had not even learned the Object Control Art. Could he be a new disciple from this year?

That was incredible. To comprehend a spell to the Mastery realm in his first year, his future was boundless.

Without realizing it, his tone softened somewhat as he smiled.

"The sect has compiled a practical Jade Slip for Spells. It contains a set of five-element offensive spells and is specially provided for Qi Condensation Stage disciples. Exchanging for the jade slip requires two hundred Contribution Points.

"Compared to the shops in those immortal cities and markets, that price is truly dirt cheap."

Two hundred Contribution Points were equivalent to ten Spirit Stones. That was far too much. Ordinary disciples would need several years to save up that many Contribution Points, would they not?!

Ji An frowned slightly.

"Um, can those spells be exchanged separately?"

"I'm afraid not.

"It is still too early for Junior Brother to be thinking about such things. Before reaching Mid Qi Condensation, the dharma power within your body is too limited. Even if you learn the spells, they will not be of much help in combat."

Ji An secretly curled his lip. He understood now.

The sect's move was to set a high threshold, so that Spirit Farmers and other production-oriented cultivators would peacefully contribute their bricks and tiles to the sect's strength.

Li Changfeng raised the dharma artifact in his hand and smiled.

"This is a Spirit Testing Disk. It can test the intensity of spiritual power.

"Compared to the Minor Mastery Thick Earth Art, the Mastery Thick Earth Art does not have an expanded casting range. It can only be verified by testing the spiritual power intensity before and after casting."

Having said that, Li Changfeng lifted his chin.

Ji An understood. He stepped forward, calmly formed hand seals, and shifted the seals in his hands. Earth-yellow spiritual light spilled across the bare ground.