The cultivation method's circulation path was reconstructed, becoming more efficient and refined. Its efficiency at refining spiritual energy surged exponentially!
[Derivation complete! Congratulations, Host. Your cultivation method has been upgraded to Innate Level Shangqing Immortal Method!]
Almost as soon as the notification sounded, Zhao Gongming was blessed with sudden insight. Without thinking, he followed the new cultivation method's path and began circulating his energy through the major meridians.
Rumble!
Spiritual energy surged violently inside the cave dwelling!
This time, it was no longer a trickling stream. It was like countless rivers converging into the sea, forming a massive vortex of spiritual energy that poured frantically into Zhao Gongming's body!
His Dantian Sea of Qi, which had been empty just moments before, rapidly filled again. The newly formed magical power was purer and more condensed than before, and carried a hint of innate Daoist resonance!
Under the impact of this overwhelming, irresistible force, the bottleneck at the Perfected Heavenly Immortal stage loosened like a sheet of paper!
The barrier that had held countless immortals back for thousands upon thousands of years felt astonishingly fragile to him now!
The path to Golden Immortal seemed to lie right before him, within arm's reach!
Zhao Gongming drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the urge to break through immediately. He hadn't forgotten that although his innate foundation had reached its limit, his spiritual roots had yet to be derived.
Cultivation was like building a tower ten thousand feet high. The stronger the foundation, the greater the heights one could reach in the future.
A head start at the first step meant a head start at every step. He didn't want to be an ordinary Golden Immortal. He wanted an unparalleled Dao foundation that would let him defeat opponents of higher realms!
"No rush... You eat a meal one bite at a time, and cultivate the Dao one step at a time."
His gaze was calm. After weathering great rises and falls, his state of mind had only grown steadier.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he casually arranged several low-grade immortal stones he'd found in a corner of the cave around himself.
Though these immortal stones were of poor quality, they were better than nothing and could form a simple spirit-gathering array.
He infused a wisp of Immortal Essence into the array's core. Amid a soft hum, the flow of spiritual energy within the cave quickened once more. Beyond the existing vortex, another invisible force drew in even more Innate Spiritual Energy from outside and gathered it around the small space where he sat.
Once he had finished, Zhao Gongming sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes, and sank his mind completely into cultivation.
The Innate Level Shangqing Immortal Method surged into motion. At that moment, he seemed to become a bottomless black hole. He no longer needed to draw in the dense Innate Spiritual Energy around him; instead, the profound Daoist resonance inherent in the cultivation method attracted it. It transformed into rushing rivers that swept through his limbs and bones, surging into his Dantian Sea of Qi.
With every passing instant, vast amounts of spiritual energy were refined into exceptionally pure innate magical power, continuously filling, compressing, and condensing his sea of qi.
Under this terrifyingly efficient cultivation, his Perfected Heavenly Immortal realm was tempered into something more solid than ever before. The total amount of his magical power grew slowly, while its quality continued to undergo a subtle, constant elevation.
At the same time, he divided his attention in two. One part guided the circulation of his cultivation method, while the other watched the system's projection in his mind.
[Absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, converting...] [Primordial Points +1]
After remaining still for a moment, the number representing his Primordial Points finally began to tick upward again.
Zhao Gongming silently calculated. Gaining this single Primordial Point had taken him more than a dozen breaths.
According to the system's notification, the total spiritual energy he'd absorbed during that time was roughly equivalent to a Late Stage Heavenly Immortal cultivator's full-powered strike.
"Sure enough, the further I go, the harder it gets to earn points."
He wasn't discouraged. If anything, he felt that this was only natural.
If Primordial Points were easy to obtain, the system would be far less valuable.
Heaven rewarded diligence. There was no room for luck on the path of cultivation.
Zhao Gongming immersed himself completely in this monotonous yet fulfilling cultivation, forgetting the passage of time.
Inside the cave, only the roar of surging spiritual energy and the number on the status panel, which ticked upward once every dozen or so breaths, remained as an eternal refrain.
On the first day, his magical power grew ever more condensed, nearly turning into liquid Immortal Essence within his sea of qi. His Primordial Points rose steadily from zero to three hundred.
On the second day, the clear radiance surrounding him grew more intense. It was an unusual sign of his affinity with the Dao resonating with the laws of the world around him. His magical power had overflowed, and every circulation of his energy felt like a strike against an invisible dam. His accumulated Primordial Points reached seven hundred.
During that time, there was some activity outside the cave dwelling.
"Is Senior Brother Gongming there? This is your junior, Liu Huan. A few fellow disciples and I are heading to the East Sea shore to spar and discuss the Dao. Would you be interested in joining us and offering us some pointers?"
A rather respectful voice sounded outside the cave's stone door.
Zhao Gongming sent a wisp of consciousness out from his deep meditative state. In his memory, a good-natured, honest-looking man came to mind. He was an active outer disciple whose true form was a spirit-born Green Ox. His cultivation was at the Middle Stage of the Heavenly Immortal realm, and he was a hearty sort.
"Thank you for the kind invitation, Junior Brother Liu. I'm at a critical point in my seclusion and can't leave. I hope you'll understand." Zhao Gongming's gentle voice passed through the stone door.
"I see. Sorry to trouble you, Senior Brother! I hope you finish your cultivation soon and emerge from seclusion!" Hearing this, Liu Huan didn't dare disturb him any further. He bowed respectfully, then hurried away.
Zhao Gongming withdrew his consciousness, his mind perfectly calm.
Spar?
His strength was growing too quickly. If he made a move, the fluctuations of his Perfected Heavenly Immortal magical power would be impossible to conceal.
Besides, his newly formed magical power was exceptionally pure and carried a hint of innate Daoist resonance, making it completely different from what he had before.
Until he had enough power to protect himself, he had to avoid anything that might expose his secrets.
Keeping a low profile was the way to go.
Time passed, and before long, it was late on the third night.
The spiritual energy vortex inside the cave had reached its peak, nearly turning into a small spiritual energy storm.
Zhao Gongming sat with a solemn air. A faint jade-colored glow flowed beneath his skin, a sign that his overflowing magical power was nourishing his body in return.
[Primordial Points +1]
With the final point added, the number on the panel finally settled at 1,200, filling him with excitement.
"Hah..."
He exhaled a long, leisurely breath. It didn't disperse; instead, it gathered before him into a tiny white lotus made of pure spiritual energy. The flower swayed for a moment before turning into flecks of spiritual light that melted into the air.
Zhao Gongming slowly opened his eyes. Divine Light shone in their depths, as if a river of stars were turning within them.
Three days of tireless cultivation had earned him 1,200 Primordial Points and tempered his Perfected Heavenly Immortal foundation to an unimaginable degree!
At that moment, he could clearly feel that his Dantian Sea of Qi had become a lake on the verge of overflowing. It was filled with liquid Immortal Essence that shimmered with a faint glow.
The barrier leading to the Golden Immortal realm no longer seemed distant. It was like a sheet of paper that he could pierce with a mere thought!
But he held back.
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