Taking Inventory

Cheng Buzheng did not give up on sensing the specks of light in the air. As the time he persisted grew longer, his connection to the specks of light became increasingly intense.

Half an hour later, he finally pulled a red speck of light into his body. He began circulating it through his meridians according to the Crimson Fire Technique, a Spell Technique issued by the sect. As the technique operated, he was only half a cycle away from successfully refining the speck of light into his Dantian.

Suddenly.

His focus wavered, the circulation failed, and the speck of light immediately dissipated within his meridians.

Cheng Buzheng did not give up; he knew that his breakthrough to Qi Refining Level 1 would happen today.

He exhaled softly, then closed his eyes slightly, steadying his mind and calming his breath. Sensing the colorful specks of light in the air, he pulled another red speck into his body. Having gained experience from his first success, this time was much easier.

Cheng Buzheng was extremely cautious as he operated the Crimson Fire Technique. The speck of light traveled through his meridians, following the cycle through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Bit by bit, the speck was refined, and the process became increasingly smooth and effortless.

However, he did not slack off in the slightest. It was because his focus had wavered last time that the circulation failed, causing all his previous efforts to be wasted. Even though it felt quite easy now, he knew that as long as it wasn't completely refined, he could not afford even the slightest bit of carelessness.

As the cycle neared its completion, he reached the final, critical step. Throughout the entire circulation process, not a single error had occurred, and the full cycle was completed.

The red speck of light was thoroughly refined, and a thread of crimson Spirit Energy drifted within the space of his Dantian.

In an instant.

A thread of Mental Power of equal size automatically separated from his Sea of Consciousness and descended to the center of his Dantian.

Suddenly.

The red thread of Spirit Energy, which had been drifting freely and unrestrained within the Dantian, suddenly felt violated. It transformed into a streak of red light and shot toward the center of the Dantian, intending to drive this intruder out of its territory.

A thread of red Spirit Energy and a thread of Divine Sense became frantically entangled.

At the center of the Dantian, the two converged and circled each other.

Cheng Buzheng knew that the final, critical push was about to arrive!

His will descended into the Dantian, taking command of the entire space. Under his absolute control, the two colliding forces gradually formed a pale red vortex.

The vortex, only a thread in size, accelerated continuously, spinning wildly as the essence of both forces began to merge and manifest.

Threads of red Magic Power, carrying a heavy texture, hovered beneath the vortex.

The sun rose and the moon set; day turned to night.

In the blink of an eye, nine days passed. Cheng Buzheng sat cross-legged on the bed, motionless, yet earth-shattering changes were taking place within his body.

The moment that thread of red Magic Power appeared.

His mind felt as if it had returned to a mother's embrace, as if being nurtured once more, and the surrounding Spirit Energy surged frantically.

Cheng Buzheng sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, a smile as pure as an infant's hanging on his face.

From a distance, his body appeared unchanged, but upon closer inspection, one would notice his entire frame trembling slightly, with tiny black specks being expelled from his body with every vibration.

A faint, foul stench began to spread throughout the room.

Time passed slowly. The black specks eventually covered his entire body, as if he were encased in a layer of sludge. The faint odor from the beginning had now intensified into an overwhelming stench.

Yet, the smile on Cheng Buzheng's face remained as innocent as ever, as if he could not smell the foul odor at all.

As time wore on, it took a full nine days for the changes within his body to gradually cease.

Suddenly.

Cheng Buzheng, sitting cross-legged on the bed, furrowed his brows as he caught a whiff of a pungent stench. He opened his dark, bright eyes and saw the source of the odor: black impurities resembling sludge tightly wrapped around his entire body.

After a glance, he did not move, as if he did not care in the slightest. He then closed his eyes again, sensing the changes within his body.

Having thoroughly studied the Cultivation Encyclopedia, he knew that the moment one advanced to Qi Refining Level 1, Mental Power would automatically transform into Divine Sense.

He immediately sensed his Divine Sense to see if it matched the records, which stated that the Divine Sense of a Qi Refining Level 1 cultivator could cover a radius of one zhang.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, it was a world of gray, appearing boundless. At the center of this world sat a white orb radiating three-colored light.

The moment he saw the white orb emitting the three-colored light, he could not help but feel that it was the center of this world, and the only thing that mattered.

Cheng Buzheng's consciousness entered the white orb, sensing his Divine Sense.

Before long.

Within the world of the Sea of Consciousness, thin gray clouds moved in unison, extending into reality.

At this moment.

Cheng Buzheng, sitting cross-legged on the bed, had his Divine Sense covering a radius of one zhang. Within this range, he was a god; everything seemed to be under his control.

Nothing within this range could escape his discerning eyes; everything was as clear as fire and within his grasp.

However, beyond one zhang, he could only extend his perception in a single direction. Once he reached ten zhang, it was pitch black, and he could no longer probe any further.

After experimenting for a long time, no matter the direction, the absolute limit was ten zhang. Meanwhile, the limit for his Divine Sense to cover a 720-degree field without blind spots was at most one zhang. No matter how he experimented, it remained the same.

After familiarizing himself with it, he checked the other changes within his body.

Inside the white Dantian space, a thin, heavy-textured red cloud was suspended beneath a grain-sized, pale red vortex.

He used his consciousness to control the heavy-textured cloud, constantly changing its shape. One moment it turned into an imperceptible, miniature crimson sword, and the next, it turned into a crimson knife.

He manipulated his Magic Power for a long time.

Cheng Buzheng, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his dark, bright eyes. He stood up and stretched his limbs, acclimating to the state of his body after transcending the mortal realm.

He clenched his hands gently and applied a slight force. His muscles and bones resonated in unison, his entire body popping and cracking like a string of firecrackers.

Suddenly.

Cheng Buzheng felt that a single light punch from him now could absolutely pierce through a Tieniu. This was no illusion; it was the immense power provided by his physique that granted him unparalleled confidence.

After adapting to the strength of his body, he walked over to a wooden tub, which had already been filled with clear water.

He finished washing up.

Cheng Buzheng's originally sallow skin had become exceptionally fair, delicate as mutton-fat jade, and his body emitted a faint, milky fragrance, much like a newborn infant.

At this moment, he looked like a refined and handsome youth, with not a trace of his former rustic appearance left.

Cheng Buzheng looked at his reflection in the water, feeling the transformative changes his body had undergone, and his mind drifted into deep thought.

Is this what a cultivator is? I must walk firmly along this path of immortality. Even if the eighteen levels of hell lie ahead, they shall not hinder my steps, not until my body dies and my soul dissipates!

He gripped his fists tightly, stared at his reflection in the water, and muttered to himself.

The look of determination on his face, however, had become even more pronounced.