The Thickest Armor

Yu Ziqing was getting annoyed. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't had more than a few days of peace.

His life was in danger at every moment. Before, he feared starving to death, feared being butchered and eaten. Now, he worried that unrest outside would spill over into the village.

Old Yang said there were covenants between cultivators—they couldn't slaughter mortals, nor could they involve them in battle. The more powerful the faction, the less likely they were to do so. In Divine Dynasties like Great Qian, Great Li, and Great Zhen, this was even written directly into the Divine Dynasty's Dharma Canon.

Even if two nations went to war, they wouldn't fight where mortals lived. If unavoidable, the mortals would be relocated well in advance.

Old Yang stopped there, but he didn't say that the people in Jinlan Mine were in no great danger.

Yu Ziqing, however, knew clearly that when it came to such matters, they certainly cared—truly cared. Whether cultivators or Divine Dynasties, mortals as the common masses were the very foundation of foundations. On the surface, they shouted this loudly, making sure everyone heard.

But when it actually came to throwing down, who would care that much?

If they really held back from going all out for the sake of some mortals, so many mortals wouldn't die every year, and the mortals living in border regions wouldn't be so pitifully few.

Those places weren't all barren wastelands lacking resources. On the contrary, many border regions had everything—metal ores, spirit jade, Spiritual Medicine, demon beasts, rare birds—the full array.

Old Yang had told him many things, from geography and culture to cultivator practices, Register Script, Rune, Formation, Dharma Treasure, and so on. Every day, he crammed Yu Ziqing with vast amounts of knowledge, force-feeding like a duck, somewhat impatient.

Recently, seeing that Yu Ziqing could independently refine Spirit-Confusing Medicine with terrifyingly effective results, he began teaching him about plants, Spiritual Medicine, metals, and related subjects, letting him try his hand at simple things.

Yu Ziqing understood that Old Yang was definitely a Dao Practitioner, and naturally wanted him to walk that path too—first cultivating Dao as a mortal, then refining Qi for cultivation. At worst, the first few stages would have not a single flaw, the foundation solid and perfect.

That way, he could go further in the later stages, rather than reaching a certain level of strength and stagnating, left to wait for death with lifelong regret.

But Yu Ziqing had always had a clear understanding: all of this was too far from him—so far that he couldn't even form a concrete concept of it.

He just wanted a bit of security first, enough to live long enough to reach that day of stagnation.

And that was the choice of the vast majority of normal people.

"Have you really thought this through?" Old Yang asked gravely.

Yu Ziqing looked at Old Yang, his gaze firm and earnest.

"Old Yang, to be honest, if we were in Langya Academy of Great Qian right now, and I could become a Langya Academy student—decent status, big shots watching over me, a safe environment—I absolutely wouldn't choose anything other than being a Dao Practitioner.

But we're in the Wasteland, in Jinlan Village.

I can't even use a Storage Bag right now.

And, Old Yang, you've entered Dao, haven't you?"

"..." Old Yang was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I have."

"Was this a path you once considered?"

"No." Old Yang shook his head again, suddenly understanding. He let out a long sigh. "Alright, I understand. I just think it's a pity."

"There's nothing to pity. If you can't live to see tomorrow, thinking about what feast you'll eat next year is aiming too high, unrealistic.

Besides, I always feel that your way—cultivating Dao cultivation first, only entering Dao to cultivate when you hit the limit—has some problems. Big problems.

Don't ask me what the problems are. I haven't read much, I can't articulate it. Pure gut feeling.

Building from a high vantage point is good and all, but the insights and sensations of foundation-building at that age, compared to when you're young and don't know much, are completely different.

Back then, I would have had to study for years, be certain the path was right, before I dared to act.

Now, I don't know right from wrong, but I'm willing and daring to charge in, to try and make mistakes. Even if there are problems, I'll just figure out how to solve them.

You said yourself that everyone's cultivation path has deviations. Since I've never walked it, how can I be sure which is right and which is wrong?

Like now, Old Yang—you know so much. If you had entered Dao and refined Qi earlier, you'd be at least at the sixth or seventh stage.

So the path you're walking now—do you know if it's right or wrong?"

Old Yang opened his mouth, struck speechless.

He really didn't know.

He had never considered this path before.

No one who had been struck by the Art of Beast Creation had ever thought of not only not dispelling the evil technique, but going against the grain, willingly taking on a beast form, walking this path—whether demon or something else.

Of course, that might also be because those previously afflicted by the Art of Beast Creation simply lacked the ability to do so.

Likewise, he didn't know whether Yu Ziqing's refusal to walk the Dao Practitioner's path was right or wrong.

"Alright, don't worry. After following your teachings for so many days, I've more or less understood. You guys are basically a bunch of researchers doing science in a cultivation world. Even if I start cultivating first, it won't stop me from researching on my own later.

As for what you said—that after refining Qi, a lot of research gets affected, deviates, leads to fatal errors—then I just won't refine Qi."

Old Yang didn't understand "science" or whatever, but he caught the latter part.

"Then what do you want to choose?"

"I want to stack armor first... oh, I mean, I want to refine my body first. I've looked into it. A lot of pure Body Refining methods have no Qi Refining steps in the early stages—they just need nourishment.

Even if the Strange Power in the village still affects things, I can go train at Cècè's place. It's safe, and there's no Strange Power influence there."

"..."

Hearing this, Old Yang looked like he'd swallowed a whole lemon in one bite, his features twisted in distress...

Sure, the saying goes that there's no high or low in cultivation paths—only high or low in the person—and the right path is the one that suits you. But Qi Refining had always been the mainstream, the orthodox path. Even Spirit Refining cultivators still had to refine Qi.

Body Refining had always been at the bottom. And even among cultivators who primarily trained in Body Refining, very few trained in Body Refining alone.

Most Body Refining cultivators also choose a path that allows concurrent Qi Refining, where the two complement each other.

Those who focus purely on Body Refining—to put it bluntly—are called "bitter bastards."

Where are such people most common?

In mines across the land, in all sorts of dangerous places that need someone with brute strength, thick skin, and a body tough enough to endure anything.

These pure Body Refining techniques are also a dime a dozen. In Great Qian, as long as you're not afraid to die and willing to dig in some mine, someone will hand you a free Body Refining manual on the spot. If the name doesn't sit well with you, they'll pull out a stack and let you pick one.

What's the most important reason?

Because it's easy to learn but hard to master. Easy to start, difficult to advance. The stronger you get, the harder it becomes. A pure Body Refining cultivator might not produce a single top-tier expert in a thousand years.

Meanwhile, Qi Refining cultivators—averaging things out—produce young talents and heaven-blessed prodigies every single year, with experts stationed in every major force.

Old Yang really wanted to persuade Yu Ziqing: no need, not worth it, impossible...

But then he looked at himself, reduced to his current state—wasn't he also just trying to survive?

The words of advice reached his lips, but he couldn't force them out.

"You're not wrong. We cultivators have always charged straight ahead.

Our predecessors carved out paths to make it easier for those who came after, but they never intended for later generations to just follow the old roads. They always told their juniors to forge their own way.

Have you decided which Body Refining method to use for your foundation?"

"I have. 'Blood Essence.'"

"That one..." Old Yang thought for a moment, then nodded. "This technique does meet your requirements. Its strength is that it's basic enough—so basic that aside from being easy to learn but hard to advance, it has no other flaws. And later, if you want to switch techniques, it's easy to change. The Blood Essence stage's cultivation can also continue without worrying about compatibility issues."

Yu Ziqing already knew this.

Ever since he learned enough techniques from Old Yang, he finally understood what that power was that erupted when he killed the Shepherd last time.

It was the power that comes from cultivating "Blood Essence."

That feeling—of blood and qi surging like a furnace, burning through everything, warding off all evil, breaking all techniques—Yu Ziqing had already experienced it.

And at that time, the power he unleashed was at most the strength of a Third Tier Return to Apertures Realm body cultivator.

Now, cultivating "Blood Essence" for Body Refining, he wouldn't make a single mistake in his training before the Fourth Tier, simply because his body had already remembered what perfect cultivation of the first three tiers felt like.

Well, that was also another small reason Yu Ziqing didn't want to walk the traditional Dao Practitioner's path.

After he'd chased Old Yang down before, making him explain in detail, describe thoroughly, and cross-reference everything, confirming what "Blood Essence" cultivation felt like afterward, Yu Ziqing had his epiphany.

He'd already thought: when I'm living on borrowed time, do I really want to be some weakling, walking that seemingly lofty, promising Dao Practitioner's path? Am I crazy, or am I just full of myself?

Now, he wanted to follow them even less. He wouldn't take any other path—he'd walk his own.

Better to stay grounded.

Nourishing blood and qi was even simpler. Fresh Jinlan Mushrooms to his heart's content—what more could he ask for?

Decision made, Yu Ziqing didn't waste time. After a meal of Jinlan Mushrooms, just to be safe, he ran to Cècè's Abyss of Despair to start his cultivation.

"Sorry for the intrusion. It's just that outside isn't safe, and inside might not be either, so I had to come bother you here." Yu Ziqing, not caring whether Cècè could hear him or was even conscious, first offered a few polite words, then sat at the edge of the Abyss of Despair and began his first session.

The first realm of Body Refining cultivation, the Blood Essence Realm, corresponds to the Foundation Building Realm of Qi Refining. Qi Refining can rely on pills, elder guidance, and other means to complete Hundred Day Foundation Building and cross over quickly.

But Body Refining doesn't work that way. Circulating and strengthening blood and qi—no matter how much you supplement—is a slow, grinding process.

This also has its benefits: it's especially easy to start.

The moment he began, Yu Ziqing clearly felt the blood and qi power surging within him. There was no such thing as a difficulty barrier to entry.

He was still cautiously trying to control it, but his body seemed far more relaxed than he was. The seemingly fiery and violent surge of blood and qi flowed with incredible smoothness, without the slightest discomfort.

An hour later, Yu Ziqing finished his day's Quiet Cultivation practice and opened his eyes, a flicker of confusion in them.

He didn't know if this smoothness came from practicing boxing to nourish his body, from choosing a technique he'd once experienced, or from eating Jinlan Mushrooms as his staple food.

Maybe it was all of it.

After the surging blood and qi settled, he returned to the village and, for the first time, felt something strange in the air—some kind of power pervading it. But this strange power left him completely alone, ignoring him entirely. Even the part he inhaled with his breath was exhaled again.

After testing it himself and feeling it for a long time, finding no issues, Yu Ziqing walked toward the Village Chief's room.

"Village Chief, I have a bold idea..."

The pace is a bit slow, but I already discussed it with my editor when I started the book. It won't go to paid chapters at just over a hundred thousand words. With my public release updates of six to seven thousand words a day, there'll be at least two hundred thousand words before the paywall.