Dark Cloud Qi Circulation Diagram

Man Xiongmu sat on a stone chair, pouring himself a bowl of bitter tea from the teapot on the desk. This tea was made from the leaves of the Bitter Bamboo outside the cave. It tasted bitter and was cool in nature, capable of calming the mind and clearing the vision, making it quite unique.

After drinking the tea, he said to Wu Tian, "I didn't expect you to be able to cultivate the Tongyou Spell to completion so quickly. This cultivation speed is already not inferior to a high-grade Immortal root."

"Your dog is also quite extraordinary. Perhaps in the future, it will truly be able to cultivate into a Spiritual Beast and transform into a human form."

He paused slightly and continued, "The path of cultivation, upon reaching Foundation Establishment completion and generating a wisp of true qi, is when one truly begins."

"After Foundation Establishment comes Qi Nurturing, which has four stages: Aperture Opening, Meridian Opening, Form Condensing, and Mysterious Pass."

"The time required to cultivate in the Qi Nurturing realm is basically ten times that of the Foundation Establishment realm..."

Hearing this, Wu Tian couldn't help but gasp, his eyes widening.

Man Xiongmu also sighed, "For a low-grade Immortal root, Foundation Establishment completion alone requires more than ten years. To reach Qi Nurturing completion would require at least a hundred years. But this is only theoretical. Unless there is a great opportunity, a low-grade Immortal root will never be able to cultivate to Qi Nurturing completion in its lifetime."

"Mid-grade Immortal roots generally require three to five years for Foundation Establishment. Then, Qi Nurturing completion would require thirty to fifty years. This means that if a mid-grade Immortal root cultivates diligently for decades without stopping, there is basically hope of entering the Cauldron Forging Realm."

"High-grade Immortal roots also need about ten years to reach Qi Nurturing completion."

"As for supreme-grade Immortal roots, with Hundred Days Foundation Establishment, they can break through the Mysterious Pass and reach Qi Nurturing completion in at most three years."

"The first four stages of cultivation are most dependent on Immortal root aptitude. If the aptitude is insufficient, it is basically impossible to step into higher realms."

He put down his teacup, as if recalling his own decades of arduous cultivation, and felt a sense of melancholy.

"My Immortal root aptitude is considered outstanding among mid-grade ones. I went up the mountain at five, reached Foundation Establishment in three years, cultivated Qi Nurturing for twenty-eight years, and Cauldron Forging for thirty. Now, at sixty-seven, I only entered the Law Refining Realm last year."

"A full sixty-two years of hard work. Looking back, it feels like a dream."

"Among the disciples of my generation, seventy percent are still stuck in Qi Nurturing. Now, they have either gone down the mountain, stayed in the mountain to do odd jobs, or died at the hands of monsters, or from illness or old age."

"Among the disciples of five generations with mid-grade Immortal roots, after decades of accumulation, there were over a hundred people. But now, only a dozen or so have managed to reach Cauldron Forging completion and enter the Law Refining Realm."

"As for disciples with high-grade Immortal roots, they are rare and precious. To my knowledge, there are no more than ten in five generations of disciples, but only one has broken through to the next realm. The rest are still stuck in the Law Refining Realm to this day."

Man Xiongmu's gaze fell on Wu Tian, and his tone became solemn. "The path of cultivation is arduous. It requires not only aptitude but also decades of persistent effort. Any slight slackening will cut off the path of progress."

"However, even with high-grade Immortal roots, the vast majority will be trapped in the Law Refining Realm, with no hope of reaching higher realms."

"The path of cultivation is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even with a high-grade Immortal root, what of it? After a hundred years, it will still turn into a handful of yellow earth."

"You were originally an ordinary White Dog from the stockade, who was fortunate enough to gain sentience, then nurtured Tongyou Qi, and then encountered immortal destiny, which allowed you to enter Skull Mountain."

"Human cultivation is already so difficult, and the Demon Race faces even more hardships compared to humans."

"I don't expect you to become a Demon King. I only hope that you will not fall into evil ways, not kill indiscriminately. If you have the heart, and in the future, protect White Dog Stockade a little, that would be repayment enough for me."

"How about it?"

His words were sincere and earnest.

This White Dragon cub was originally raised by the stockade. The White Dog race is naturally loyal. If it could achieve something in cultivation, it would provide an extra layer of support for the stockade below the mountain in the future.

There is no love in this world without reason. The reason Man Xiongmu was willing to impart his teachings to Wu Tian, besides Zhu Yushuang's decree, was also because he originated from White Dog Stockade.

"Woof woof woof!"

Wu Tian listened attentively, barked twice, and then slowly nodded.

Seeing his remarkably intelligent actions, Man Xiongmu couldn't help but smile. "Your aptitude is not bad. You cultivated into a monster in just over a year. Even if you don't become a Demon King in the future, becoming a Greater Demon is common."

"As long as you don't provoke those few individuals on the mountain, you can roam freely in these desolate mountains and forests."

"Now, calm your mind and listen to my teachings."

He stopped wasting words and began to point out the essentials of the Qi Nurturing realm one by one.

"The four stages of Qi Nurturing each have their own mysteries. The first stage, Aperture Opening, is a grind. Even without any specific methods, it can be achieved by long-term effort."

"When the mind and spirit merge with true qi, one can perceive numerous acupoints. By using true qi to wear away the acquired turbid qi within the acupoints, they can be opened one by one. There is no particular order."

"After all, this realm is merely laying the foundation for Meridian Opening. I myself only took three years to open all three hundred and sixty acupoints in my body."

"Although the human body differs from the physique of many demonic beasts, the cultivation in this step is no different. Those monsters that grow in the mountains and forests, even if they don't actively refine their acupoints, will naturally open them once their demonic qi becomes strong."

Listening to his guidance, Wu Tian immediately merged a wisp of his consciousness with the Tongyou Qi within his body. It was as if an eye had opened within him, allowing him to view his internal organs and limbs from another perspective.

Indeed, as the Tongyou Qi circulated, he saw many congested nodes, which should be those acupoints.

With just a slight sweep of his true qi, the turbid qi on the acupoints dispersed considerably. It seemed that with one or two days of refinement, they could be opened.

"This easy?" Wu Tian couldn't help but be surprised. It was much easier than he had imagined.

As his true qi circulated throughout his body, he discovered that the White Dog's body had only seventy-two acupoints, far fewer than the three hundred and sixty in a human body.

Of course, this also meant that he would spend less time in the Aperture Opening stage.

Man Xiongmu naturally noticed his actions and waited until Wu Tian recovered before continuing, "You should have sensed your own acupoints by now, right? There is no great difficulty in this stage; it's just a matter of persistent effort. I have some minor techniques for Aperture Opening that I will teach you later. Of course, these techniques are not of great use; they only slightly increase the efficiency of clearing turbid qi, so it's better than nothing."

"The Foundation Establishment and Qi Nurturing realms both cultivate incantations. Incantations are formed from ancient sounds, and these ancient sounds possess profound mysteries. When recited, they can vibrate the internal organs, thus much of the turbid qi has already been worn away during the Foundation Establishment stage."

"If you cultivate other spells, they will also have the effect of wearing away turbid qi, making it easier to open acupoints."

Wu Tian immediately thought of the Thunder Sound Curse and Fire Pupil Curse he was cultivating. The Fire Pupil Curse was one thing, but the Thunder Sound Curse specifically stated that it had the effect of clearing turbid qi.

"I suppose the scarcity of turbid qi in my acupoints is closely related to the Thunder Sound Curse."

As he was contemplating, he heard Man Xiongmu say, "After Aperture Opening comes Meridian Opening, which is, in simple terms, connecting the acupoints to forge qi meridians. True qi circulates through them, and over time, they become one."

"There are many subtleties involved, including the order of opening the apertures, the location where the true qi circulates, and the speed, all of which are crucial. A slight mistake could damage the apertures, leading to injury at best, or cutting off your future cultivation path at worst."

"Therefore, one of the benefits of joining a sect is obtaining the Qi circulation diagrams researched and perfected by successive generations of ancestors."

"The Qi circulation diagram passed down in our Qiyun Cave lineage is called the Dark Cloud Qi Circulation Diagram. It involves sixty-eight apertures and is closely related to the Cloud Leopard True Form Diagram of the subsequent Form Condensing Realm and the Cloud Leopard body of the Cauldron Forging Realm, forming a continuous inheritance."

Man Xiongmu looked at Wu Tian and chuckled, "Your original form is that of a dog, which is similar to a leopard's body. You should be extremely compatible with the inheritance of our Qiyun Cave lineage."

"Although the Dark Cloud Qi Circulation Diagram is not as good as those that connect more apertures, you are not in a human form. Even if you were given a better Qi circulation diagram, you wouldn't be able to cultivate it."

"Instead, our lineage is the most suitable for you."

"Furthermore, when you forge your Cauldron body, you can alter your aptitude and roots. Even if your foundation is inferior to others, you can supplement it during Cauldron forging. This is the best choice for you."

"Focus your mind. I will now transmit the Dark Cloud Qi Circulation Diagram to you."