Advancement

Inside the thatched cottage.

Bai Jing sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes tightly shut, his mind taut.

Three days had passed since Xu Shan treated him to a meal.

He had originally estimated that he would certainly break through to the Second Stage of Qi and Blood within seven days. He had not expected that a plate of Spiritual Meat would bring his cultivation breakthrough ahead of schedule.

At that moment, his qi and blood churned within him, while his kidneys gave off sounds like rolling thunder.

Tide-like qi and blood surged forth from his kidneys and flowed throughout his entire body.

Then, specks of radiance began to emerge from his kidneys, growing ever brighter.

Bai Jing circulated the Minor Formless Technique again and again.

At last.

Boom!

A thunderous crash seemed to ring out. Blinding radiance burst forth completely, and his kidneys became like a resplendent sun.

A fierce beam of light visibly shot out from Bai Jing's waist.

This radiance emerged from his kidneys and illuminated every part of his body.

At that moment, he felt as though he were bathing in holy light, receiving a god's baptism. His body and mind relaxed completely.

This continued for quite a while before the light finally dimmed entirely.

Yet his kidneys remained lustrous, crystal-clear and seemingly without a trace of impurity.

Bai Jing opened his eyes, which were incomparably clear and detached.

Compared with before, he now carried a touch more of an otherworldly aura.

"The Qi and Blood Realm is a process of shedding mortality. Beginning with the five viscera, one eliminates the grain qi within the body. Once complete, one is severed from the mortal world, attaining an immaculate body that does not consume the smoke and fire of the human world."

He muttered to himself.

"In other words, from the moment my kidneys are perfected, I must abstain from food. I can no longer eat many earthly delicacies. Otherwise, if I become tainted by the mortal world again, my kidneys will reverse back."

"However, legend says that once one reaches the state of returning to simplicity, such taboos no longer exist."

"Cultivation is not over. Time to enter the Second Stage!"

Bai Jing shook his head, no longer dwelling on such matters. He continued circulating the Minor Formless Technique, and unusual changes began to arise within his spleen.

Only at dawn the next morning, just before daybreak, did he open his eyes.

"The Second Stage of Qi and Blood!"

Bai Jing sensed the changes in himself. After breaking through, his qi and blood had grown several times denser, and his physical strength had increased by a great margin. Altogether, he was more than twice as powerful as before the breakthrough.

"Consume the morning glow and nurture the Talent Tree!"

Without time to test his strength, he came before the thatched cottage and sat down.

This daily quarter-hour could not be missed.

A quarter-hour later, Bai Jing stopped cultivating.

Buzz!

He rose to his feet and clenched his right fist. All the qi and blood in his body gathered into it, causing scarlet radiance to bloom around his fist.

Then Bai Jing bent down and smashed his fist into the ground.

Boom!

Sand and stones flew wildly through the courtyard, while the wind from his punch sent his robes billowing again and again.

When Bai Jing withdrew his fist, a fist-sized crater ten centimeters across had appeared in the ground, with cracks spreading all around it.

"Not bad. If I encounter a demon creature with strength like that female ghost again, I can scatter it with one punch."

Bai Jing was fairly satisfied. After several days of hard cultivation, his strength had finally improved.

Next, he took out the Array Flags from the house and began his daily proficiency training.

At dusk, after finishing the day's cultivation lessons, Bai Jing left the thatched cottage and headed toward the inner district.

"It's gotten lively. Looks like most people have completed their three tasks." As he passed through the thatched-hut area, he found relaxed, carefree smiles on the faces of the disciples.

Perhaps completing their tasks had earned them some breathing room.

Before long, Bai Jing entered the inner district and arrived before a sparsely populated hall.

"Hall of Divine Communication!"

He raised his head and looked at the somewhat imposing palace.

This was where the stronghold exchanged treasures and masteries.

Without hesitation, Bai Jing stepped inside.

It was not his first time here, so following his memories, he quickly reached the area where masteries were stored.

Within an extremely spacious room stood rows upon rows of bookshelves, each filled with books of all kinds.

They were all peerless masteries of the mortal world!

The hall was called the Hall of Divine Communication because Shangqing Mountain had collected every extraordinary art of secular martial arts.

Martial arts could commune with the divine. Once any mastery was cultivated to its pinnacle, it could unleash sacred power—this was also the meaning behind the name.

It could be said that unless one stood at the absolute pinnacle of secular martial arts, one was unworthy of entering this mastery hall.

Naturally, the Minor Formless Technique cultivated by Bai Jing was not among them.

It had been created by an Immortal Master. Unlike martial arts realms, it corresponded to immortal cultivation's Foundation Establishment.

"Golden Bell Shield!" Bai Jing casually picked up a book.

"Claimed to be the greatest defense under heaven. Once mastered, it can withstand a grandmaster."

"A secular martial arts grandmaster is comparable to the seventh stage of Qi and Blood, while the divine-communing realm at the pinnacle of martial arts is comparable to the ninth stage of Qi and Blood." Bai Jing murmured, greatly tempted. But upon seeing the exchange price, he immediately put it back.

Price: one hundred Ascension Coins!

"One Finger Zen!"

"Not even grandmasters of the world can withstand my single finger."

Bai Jing picked up another book and became engrossed in it, but when he caught sight of the price, he shook his head again.

Too expensive. They all cost over a hundred coins.

He did not waste any more time and headed straight for the Lightness Skill Mastery section.

"Three supreme techniques of lightness skill: divided into three forms—Window Gazing Cloud Flying Style, Crane Soaring Cloud Gazing Style, and Eight Step Cicada Chasing Cloud Style. Cultivate this technique, and with only the tip of one's foot touching the ground, one can soar like a crane, drift like lonely smoke, and cover dozens of zhang in seven or eight rises and falls. Price: fifty Ascension Coins."

"The price is reasonable enough, but unfortunately, I do not need this sort of lightness skill for fighting others. I need one for travel." Bai Jing returned the book to its place and shook his head.

"Qi Drifting Trace, guide qi with the heart."

"This technique does not suit me."

Bai Jing picked through them one after another, but none satisfied him much.

"Tread Snow Without Trace!"

"Cloud Dragon Three Folds!"

"..."

Who knew how long had passed? The anticipation in Bai Jing's eyes gradually dimmed.

"Wind Riding Invisibility!" Then, a book he picked up at random made his eyes light up.

"Ride the wind as one travels, floating like an exiled immortal; conceal oneself like a ghostly shadow, seen in sound but not in movement."

"This technique is marvelous!" Bai Jing praised it, but upon seeing the price, his heart sank. This lightness skill actually required two hundred Ascension Coins.

There was no helping it. He could only continue searching for something suitable.

Finally, after browsing through most of the lightness skills, he found a mastery perfectly suited for travel.

"Silver Thread Flying Spider!"

"Silver threads pull and guide; wherever one's footing lands, there one's body arrives. Come and go like lightning, a thousand li in an instant!"

"Isn't this the immortal cultivation version of Spider-Man?"

Bai Jing was delighted. This lightness skill could not be more suitable for traveling, and its price was reasonable as well—only fifty Ascension Coins.

"Baby, I'll come see you again in a month."

Having found a suitable lightness skill, he left reluctantly.

He did not have enough Ascension Coins to exchange for it now. He could only spend a damn month doing tasks to earn coins before he could obtain it.

For now, he merely needed to find suitable masteries, then make a task plan based on their prices.

After returning to his residence, Bai Jing resumed his grueling cultivation.

Time flowed by, and seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Nearly a month had passed since the task assessment began.

During this time, aside from Bai Jing, probably every other disciple had completed their tasks.

He felt neither urgency nor panic. Instead, he kept grinding proficiency.

Cheats really were useful. As long as he worked hard, there would definitely be rewards.

Minor Star Array (50/50)

"Finally, it's complete!"

It was a bright, sunny morning.

Before the thatched cottage, Bai Jing panted heavily, sweat beading on his forehead.

Setting up such a spirit-controlling grand array was still too strenuous. It consumed far too much qi and blood, even with him standing at the Second Stage of Qi and Blood.

Of course, effort brought rewards. His proficiency had finally reached fifty, signaling that this array technique had been perfected. Every formula and inscription was now clear in his mind.

After resting for a while, Bai Jing began setting up the perfected Minor Star Array.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

"One, two, three..."

As he fired out Array Flags and formed hand seals, he silently counted how long it took to complete.

Thump!

Beams of deep-blue light rose from the courtyard one after another.

"Thirteen breaths!" Bai Jing stopped moving, revealing a gratified smile.

Compared to the instant arrays of great masters of array arts, it was nothing worth mentioning. But for now, it gave him an immense sense of security.

"Everything is ready. Time to complete the tasks!"

He raised his head and looked toward the Immortal Boats constantly passing in the distance.