Root Aptitude

Deep within the sea of consciousness, the Bronze Ancient Bell erupted with an unprecedented roar.

The vast spiritual power accumulated over the past year surged like a burst dam, pouring frantically into the illusory Deduction Furnace.

The light, ethereal phantom of the Crane Stance, the domineering spinal dragon of the Dragon-Capturing Technique, and the complex, star-like meridian map of the Evergreen Medical Classic began to shatter inch by inch under the forceful kneading of this immense spiritual power.

Three distinct yet fundamentally connected arts melted and intertwined completely within the blinding spiritual light.

Clang.

A bell toll, sounding like the voice of the Great Dao, cleansed the soul.

Scarlet, distorted characters reorganized frantically upon the mottled surface of the bell, finally condensing into a few seal characters radiating an ancient and vast aura:

[Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art (Foundation Chapter)]

Immediately following, a massive and profound stream of information flooded Xia Dong's mind like a sudden enlightenment, and he quickly grasped the mysteries of this brand-new art.

This was no longer a mundane martial art.

"Qi" (energy) and "Qi" (primordial breath)—a difference of a single character, yet a chasm of difference in meaning.

In mundane martial arts, even if one reached the Mortal Transformation Realm, the "qi energy" surging within the body was merely acquired power generated by squeezing blood essence and practicing breathing techniques. The Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art, however, required the practitioner to forcibly melt and fuse the three treasures of the human body—"Essence" (pure blood), "Qi" (internal breathing), and "Spirit" (the immortal's divine sense)—to Revert to Root, Return to Origin, and condense the most primordial "Qi."

This "Qi" was far purer than martial blood essence, and significantly more condensed and heavy.

However, what truly delighted Xia Dong was not the boost in strength, but the true core mystery of the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art: reshaping the root vessel.

So that's how it is... The seemingly insurmountable chasm between immortals and mortals is based on this principle.

Xia Dong opened his eyes abruptly.

Through this art, he had dismantled the so-called "spiritual root" from its very origin.

The cultivation world often claimed that one could not cultivate without a spiritual root, treating it as some mysterious innate organ. But according to the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art, a "spiritual root" was merely a manifestation of the body's innate "root vessel."

The human body is like a container.

Those with a strong root vessel have pores and meridians capable of intercepting and refining the spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth; this is "having a spiritual root." The more they intercept, the higher their aptitude.

Mortals like Xia Dong have root vessels like sieves riddled with holes; spiritual energy dissipates the moment it enters the body. This is a "mortal root."

The cultivation process of the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art is a miracle of reverse growth—a "return from acquired to innate"!

Using the innate "Qi" condensed from the fusion of Essence, Qi, and Spirit as a guide, the practitioner wraps their internal organs and limbs layer by layer. Nourished by this primordial Qi, the practitioner seems to return to the amniotic fluid of the womb, closing off acquired pores and distracting thoughts to enter the state of "fetal breathing," forcibly allowing the physical body to re-develop, replenishing innate deficiencies, and resetting the root vessel!

"This is truly a technique that steals the fortune of heaven and earth!" Xia Dong took a deep breath.

He did not know if there were similar arts in this world, but if news of this one leaked, those great powers would surely dig to the bottom of it.

After all, this art could truly guarantee that the descendants of those big shots would possess spiritual roots.

The importance of this to the inheritance of bloodline and power went without saying.

However, the threshold for this art was also extremely high.

First, one must possess an immortal's "divine sense" as a guide, and one's mind must be firm and undisturbed by inner demons, otherwise, it would be impossible to perfectly knead Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Second, one's blood essence must be pure, heavy, and condensed. Third, it is best for the practitioner to be a virgin.

Because after sexual intercourse, the primordial yang leaks, and the spirit inevitably becomes mixed with acquired, turbid desires, which would greatly hinder the process of "fetal breathing" and reshaping the root vessel.

Xia Dong couldn't help but feel fortunate that he hadn't indulged his desires and broken his vow early.

Daoist Zhang from the movies of his past life was right; one truly needs to be a virgin to master peerless divine arts!

After a long while, Xia Dong put away his wandering thoughts and calmed his mind.

He sat cross-legged and began the introductory practice of the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art.

Over the past year, to accumulate spiritual power for the Bronze Ancient Bell, he had been forced to consume large amounts of grains and meat, even with the Bigu Pill. While these mundane foods replenished his blood essence, they also caused his digestive system to run at an overload.

A large amount of turbid energy remained deposited in his body; in the cultivation world, this was like the "pill poison" left behind by excessive drug use—a stubborn ailment hindering cultivation.

But as the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art began to circulate, a wondrous change occurred.

Xia Dong's breathing gradually became faint, and his heartbeat slowed to that of an old tortoise.

Under the internal observation of his divine sense, the power of his soul in the sea of consciousness, the dragon of blood essence in his spine, and the breath of energy in his dantian began to intersect along a mysterious trajectory.

A wisp of "Qi," extremely faint yet radiating an ancient and clear aura, was born deep within his heart.

This wisp of Qi traveled slowly along his meridians. Wherever it passed, Xia Dong felt his entire body warming, as if soaking in the most soothing amniotic fluid. His bones, muscles, and even cells emitted a greedy cheer, like a long drought meeting sweet rain.

At the same time, his divine sense clearly captured the "turbid energy" and impurities deposited deep within his organs and the dead corners of his meridians being stripped away bit by bit under the cleansing of this primordial Qi.

The process of stripping was extremely slow, yet it pushed forward with unwavering determination.

Sun rose and moon set; half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the back room of Changchun Medical Hall, the door remained tightly shut.

When Xia Dong opened his eyes again, a faint, foul stench permeated the room.

He called Xiao Hong to boil water, and only after washing three times was his body finally clean.

Donning a fresh green robe, Xia Dong stood in the courtyard.

At this moment, his skin possessed the moist, glowing texture of a newborn baby, and his entire bearing was as steady as a deep pool or a towering mountain, radiating the aura of an immortal untouched by worldly dust.

Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art, mastered!

Xia Dong closed his eyes, his divine sense extending like invisible tentacles to precisely capture the free-roaming spiritual energy in the courtyard and guide it into his body.

This time, he did not let the Bronze Ancient Bell devour it, but instead allowed the spiritual energy to circulate through his meridians.

Had this been half a month ago, this spiritual energy would have leaked out of his riddled, battered body in an instant.

But now...

Under the illumination of his divine sense, he could clearly "see" that the proportion of spiritual energy his body retained was noticeably higher than before he had practiced the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art.

"Being able to increase the retention rate of spiritual energy means my foundation has already been altered..." Xia Dong tilted his head back and exhaled a long, white stream of turbid air.

The characteristic of the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art to reshape one's foundation had been verified.

Although this progress was insignificant, it was a change nonetheless.

The path of a cultivator is indeed one of defying the heavens to achieve immortality.