Root Bone Transformation

I do not know how long I sat in this dark, silent underground chamber; it felt as if the very passage of time had become blurred.

When the convergence of essence, energy, and spirit within Xia Dong finally crossed that last invisible threshold, forming a perfect, endless loop, a crisp hum—like a glacier cracking—echoed from deep within his body.

The foundation chapter of the Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art was finally complete!

In that very moment of completion, Xia Dong felt his entire being shudder as his "root vessel" underwent a profound, earth-shattering transformation.

The wisp of primordial "Qi" that had long coiled deep within his heart suddenly dissipated without warning, turning into thousands of misty green threads that permeated his limbs, bones, and internal organs.

This was not a loss of cultivation, but an ultimate sublimation.

Xia Dong clearly felt that his flesh, bones, and even the finest hairs had gained an indescribable lightness after absorbing this dispersed "Qi," as if his heavy, mortal body had acquired a trace of an incredible "Qi-fication" characteristic.

Xia Dong immediately calmed his mind and turned his inner vision toward his sea of consciousness.

The ancient, mottled Bronze Ancient Bell hung there silently, emitting a distant chime that only he could hear.

On the surface of the bell, the crimson text describing his status had quietly undergone a tangible change.

His gaze shifted downward, locking onto that line of text:

[Spirit Root: Void]

Previously, the bell's assessment of his spirit root had been the character for "None."

Now, that character had vanished, replaced by the character for "Void."

The Bronze Ancient Bell's deductions and descriptions of his status had always been extremely precise, yet they always carried a hint of profound, indescribable Daoist mystery.

Xia Dong stared fixedly at the "Void" character, discovering that it flickered on the mottled bronze surface as if it were both there and not there.

Every time it shimmered, it seemed to drift between existence and non-existence, exuding a deep Daoist charm that sat right between "being" and "nothingness."

"A Void-attribute spirit root?"

Xia Dong was filled with astonishment.

He was well-read, and from the top-secret files of the Eagle-Wolf Guard and the Cultivation Miscellany found in the Marketplace, he knew that most cultivators possessed mixed spirit roots containing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Those with superior aptitude might manifest mutated attributes like wind, lightning, or ice, or perhaps a single-element Heavenly Spirit Root.

But he had never heard of a spirit root in this world called "Void."

Carrying this doubt and anticipation, Xia Dong did not hesitate; he closed his eyes and began to circulate the breathing techniques of the Profound Yin Scripture, attempting to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Once the mana began to circulate, the spiritual energy of the world was drawn by his divine sense and surged into his body.

"Twenty percent!"

The free-roaming spiritual energy of the world poured through his pores and orifices. After completing one major cycle, he had steadily retained a full twenty percent of the spiritual energy, perfectly converting it into his own Mysterious Yin Mana!

This was a true, qualitative leap.

One had to realize that when the foundation chapter of the Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art was nearing completion and he was stuck in a bottleneck, even with his best efforts, his conversion efficiency had been stubbornly stuck at ten percent, unable to make any progress.

Now, that efficiency had directly doubled.

Although Xia Dong knew clearly that a twenty-percent conversion rate was likely bottom-tier in the cultivation world—still quite mediocre in terms of refining and absorbing spiritual energy—it was a miracle.

To take a riddled, mortal root vessel that could barely refine any spiritual energy at all and, through artificial reshaping, elevate it to a level capable of refining twenty percent of spiritual energy was an act that defied the heavens.

As his mana flowed smoothly through his body, Xia Dong gained a deeper understanding of this newly born "Void" spirit root.

He discovered that while his speed of absorbing spiritual energy was not particularly fast during his breathing exercises, he felt an incredibly intimate connection with the surrounding nature.

He seemed to have become a void vessel, capable of containing all things.

In this state of "Void," he felt more in tune with the rules of this world than ever before; with every breath, there was a subtle, mysterious sense of communion between heaven and man, as if he were merging into the void itself.

In this ethereal state of communion, a flash of profound realization crossed Xia Dong's mind.

He finally understood the essential difference between the "Qi" and the "mana" within his body.

The "Qi" cultivated by the Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art was inward-facing. It did not rely on external factors, nor was it constrained by the five-element laws of the world; it elevated the purest "origin" of life. It would push his mortal flesh and blood, step by step, toward a higher dimension of existence.

The "Mysterious Yin Mana" cultivated by the Profound Yin Scripture, however, was outward-facing. It was a product born in accordance with the laws of this heaven and earth, this world. Mana was a tool to bridge the gap with the world, used to cast spells, control magical artifacts, and leverage the objects that governed the rules of the world.

Xia Dong slowly stood up and stretched his limbs.

Accompanying his movements, a crisp sound like jade clashing echoed from within his body, rather than the dull, popping sound of a common martial artist's bones.

This was a sign that his body was gradually adapting to its new "root vessel" as the "Qi" dispersed into his limbs and bones.

He felt his body was lighter than ever, as if a heavy, invisible shackle had been removed, making even his breathing feel incredibly smooth.

Xia Dong did not rush to leave seclusion. Instead, he sat back down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to conduct a comprehensive review and summary of his cultivation progress over the past year.

"Now, my essence, energy, and spirit all have a foundation to stand upon."

He calculated silently in his heart:

Martial Dao (Essence): He had stepped into the Internal Strengthening Realm. Combined with the Mysterious Yin Kidney-Refining Art, not only was his blood and energy as heavy and solid as lead and mercury, but he had also opened a divine palace within his kidneys, attempting to gestate the extremely yin and soft Mysterious Yin Divine Water.

Cultivation Mana (Energy): The Profound Yin Scripture was progressing steadily, and with the help of medicinal pills, his mana had reached the third level of Qi Refining.

Divine Sense (Spirit): Through the extreme pressure of talisman crafting and alchemy, his divine sense has reached the perfection of the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Although he is stuck at a bottleneck due to the lack of higher-quality Yin Evil Pill, such strength of divine sense is definitely considered impressive among low-level cultivators.

Cultivation Arts: He can achieve a heaven-defying ninety percent success rate with Qi-Gathering Pill and various basic talismans. As for cultivation below Foundation Establishment, he no longer has any issues regarding financial resources.

"However, the basic volume of the Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art has reached perfection, and it successfully helped me transform my foundation. But... what about the cultivation method after the basic volume?"

The Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art is a technique that points directly to the origin of life, and its potential is immeasurable. Xia Dong naturally does not want to stop here.

Xia Dong's gaze gradually became profound, and an idea that had been brewing for a long time quietly took shape in his mind.

" 'Qi' governs the internal, cultivating the origin of life; it is the foundation of immortality. 'Magic Power' governs the external, cultivating the laws of heaven and earth; it is the means to protect the path."

"The two are internal and external. Since I have already cultivated the basic volume of the Evergreen Qi-Conducting Art to perfection, it is time to integrate the Profound Yin Scripture."

His divine intent instantly sank into his sea of consciousness, looking toward that simple and mottled Bronze Ancient Bell.

He did what he thought of.

Xia Dong did not hesitate in the slightest; with a flip of his wrist, he poured out the accumulated spirit stones from his Storage Pouch.

"Absorb."

Guided by Xia Dong's divine sense, the spiritual energy from the pile of spirit stones transformed into a dazzling radiance, pouring entirely into the Bronze Ancient Bell at the center of his sea of consciousness.

The spirit stones, having lost their spiritual energy, crumbled into piles of gray-white powder.

Hum!

Having absorbed a massive amount of spiritual energy, the ancient bell suddenly erupted with a grand chime that shook his soul. On the body of the bell, those ancient and twisted scarlet characters began to flicker and reorganize frantically.

Within Xia Dong's mind.

The circulation path of the Evergreen Qi-Circulation Art and the profound mysteries of the Profound Yin Scripture were being poured into the deduction of the ancient bell without reservation.

He waited quietly.

"Bronze Ancient Bell, let me see what kind of path you can deduce for me."