Second Layer of Qi Refining

The Bamboo Leaves shot toward Fang Chen so fast that they made a shrill whistle as they tore through the air.

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed. He had not expected the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo's leaves to attack on their own. He immediately swung the Floating Immortal Sword at the incoming leaves.

Clang, clang, clang...

Fang Chen cut down the Bamboo Leaves one after another. At the same time, he felt currents pouring through the Floating Immortal Sword into his body, bringing a faint stabbing pain to his Meridians, as though someone were slicing them with a small knife.

But that pain was nothing compared to the domineering current he had felt while chopping at the rock atop Dog Head Ridge.

Fang Chen knew the Sword Intent within the currents was what made his Meridians ache.

Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo was a special kind of Spirit Bamboo that contained Sword Intent. Most of it was used to refine Body Tempering Spiritual Liquid.

Body Tempering Spiritual Liquid refined from Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo could not only strengthen a sword cultivator's body, but also make Sword Intent easier to comprehend.

Fang Chen swung his sword so quickly that dense sword shadows enveloped him. Though the Bamboo Leaves were numerous, not one could break through the curtain of sword shadows around his body.

Soon, every leaf on the bamboo had fallen.

Fang Chen had cut them all down, and they lay beyond a three-foot radius around him.

"What a powerful attack!"

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. He had not expected the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo to be so fearsome. Now he finally understood why the fellow who had tried to sell him the Mystic Ice Origin Dharma Robe charged ten taels of silver per stalk.

In fact, Fang Chen felt ten taels of silver per stalk was too little.

At Thousand Bamboo Ridge, with his current strength, he could cut down a stalk of Exquisite Bamboo in a dozen or so strokes and easily earn one tael of silver.

Yet he had spent so much time and True Qi without cutting down a single stalk of Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo. It was much smaller than Exquisite Bamboo, but it was Spirit Bamboo. It had Body Protection Spiritual Light as well as a means of attack, making it far harder to fell.

Without the Floating Immortal Sword's help, the True Qi in his dantian would probably have been nearly exhausted.

Once the Bamboo Leaves were gone, Fang Chen noticed that the Body Protection Spiritual Light on the Fire Spirit Sword Bamboo had dimmed considerably.

Without its leaves, the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo had lost its means of attack. Fang Chen could chop it down without worry.

He swung the Floating Immortal Sword at the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo again.

Clang!

This time, the Floating Immortal Sword left a deeper gash in the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

Fang Chen used True Qi with every swing, but each time the Floating Immortal Sword struck the bamboo, a cool current flowed from its hilt into his body. Under the influence of those currents, his True Qi did not diminish. Instead, it slowly increased.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, Fang Chen finally cut down the stalk of Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

Just then, the True Qi Vortex in his dantian trembled. A cluster of Golden Flame appeared at its center, and the True Qi throughout his dantian burst into flame. His dantian swelled in an instant, as if it were about to explode.

Boom!

A powerful aura erupted from Fang Chen's body, sending nearby Bamboo Leaves and dust flying.

Golden Flames now filled his dantian. As they burned, golden Runes appeared one by one along its walls.

Ten breaths later, the aura around Fang Chen gradually weakened, and the Golden Flames in his dantian vanished. The True Qi Vortex was only one-tenth its former diameter, but his True Qi had become much purer.

"The Second Layer of Qi Refining? I've broken through to the Second Layer of Qi Refining?"

The change in his dantian thrilled Fang Chen. He had never expected to break through to the Second Layer of Qi Refining so quickly.

He had only reached the First Layer of Qi Refining at Thousand Bamboo Ridge the day before yesterday, yet he had already reached the Second Layer. Even those with a True Spiritual Root would struggle to match such a terrifying pace, wouldn't they?

With a thought, Fang Chen summoned a wisp of white True Qi into his palm. He could feel that the pressure it gave off was stronger than before its Metamorphosis.

As the name suggested, Cultivators in the Qi Refining Realm had to refine their True Qi. In the process, Cultivators continually accumulated True Qi in their dantians. Once enough had gathered, it would ignite on its own and undergo Metamorphosis, becoming purer and more powerful.

After True Qi had undergone nine transformations, a cultivator could attempt to condense a Foundation Establishment Dao Platform.

The purer the True Qi, the higher the quality of the Foundation Establishment Dao Platform it could form.

Some geniuses could make their True Qi undergo ten transformations in the Qi Refining Realm, or even eleven.

A few prodigies could manage twelve.

Fang Chen channeled True Qi into the Floating Immortal Sword.

Hum!

The Floating Immortal Sword trembled slightly. Numerous azure formation patterns appeared on its surface, and a sharp Sword Intent radiated from it.

He swung the Floating Immortal Sword lightly at the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

Crack!

A large chunk of bamboo broke away, leaving a huge notch in the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

A cool current, much stronger than before, surged from the Floating Immortal Sword's hilt into Fang Chen. He shivered and breathed out a puff of white mist, feeling clear-headed and refreshed.

"Ah, that feels good!"

An expression of bliss crossed Fang Chen's face, and he resumed chopping the bamboo.

Crack, crack, crack...

Fang Chen swung rapidly as cool currents streamed into his body.

Soon, he had cut down another stalk of Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

After felling the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo, he took out his Identity Token and channeled True Qi into it. The token lit up at once, and he pressed it against the bamboo.

Back at Thousand Bamboo Ridge, after cutting down bamboo, Fang Chen had needed a steward to mark both his Identity Token and the stalk with a Spirit Pen. Now that he was a Cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm, he could use True Qi to activate the mark on his token and brand the bamboo directly with his Spiritual Sense imprint. It was much more convenient.

Sizzle!

A Spiritual Sense imprint appeared on the Fire Origin Spirit Bamboo. Through it, Fang Chen could see countless white threads spreading across the stalk.

A bamboo stalk could bear only one Spiritual Sense imprint, and only the imprint's owner could erase it.

Even if someone stole the stalk, it would be registered under the number of the Spiritual Sense imprint. In the end, Fang Chen would still receive credit for it.

A felled stalk of Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo would not count until its branches had been removed.

Fang Chen deftly trimmed off the branches, then began chopping the second stalk.

After the time it took an incense stick to burn.

Fang Chen was chopping bamboo when he heard something whistling through the air behind him.

His expression changed sharply, and he immediately threw himself flat on the ground.

Whoosh!

A streak of cold light flew over his head and struck a stalk of Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo nearby.

Bang!

The Fire Origin Spirit Bamboo exploded. A gleaming Flying Sword was embedded in it.