Qi Refining, Congratulations Gift

A short while later.

Zhu Yu set down the book, pondered for a few breaths, then closed his eyes and concentrated. In a daze, a space roughly a foot across, chaotic in color above, below, and in all directions, came into view.

This... was his Divine Sea.

As Soul Particles condensed through meditation fused into the Divine Sea, it expanded from its initial inch or so across to its current foot or so across.

"I wonder how large Senior Brother Xiang's Divine Sea and the others' are..."

The thought flashed through Zhu Yu's mind, but he immediately cast aside his distractions. His Divine Sense enveloped the one hundred and fifty Soul Particles drifting unsteadily within the Divine Sea, and his thoughts stirred.

His Divine Sense was like an invisible giant hand. Under its influence, the Soul Particles rushed to merge with one another. In only a brief moment, three slender pale-gold threads appeared within the Divine Sea.

"Next comes constructing and manifesting the Three-Ring Pattern..."

Without hesitation, under Zhu Yu's control, one of the soul threads connected end to end and formed a flat horizontal ring. He then controlled the second soul thread to circle around the flat horizontal ring, forming a flat vertical ring.

Then he continued without pause.

When the third soul thread formed a ring and nestled outside the horizontal and vertical rings, an indescribable pulling force suddenly emerged. Under its influence, the three rings slowly began to turn, erupting with an even stronger pulling force.

"Now."

Zhu Yu extended his Divine Sense beyond his body. Like an octopus, it spread countless tentacles, sweeping up all the green and yellow motes lingering around him and dragging them into his body.

Pop...

An invisible barrier silently broke apart.

Green and yellow motes appeared out of thin air within the Divine Sea, then, like weary birds returning to their nests, merged into the three spinning rings.

Who knew how much time passed.

A wisp of withered yellow energy tinged with green flowed from the rings, coiling through the space at their center and slowly moving along with their rotation.

And this was Spiritual Power.

Qi Refining, achieved!

Outside.

Hum...

A powerful pulling force surged across Zhu Yu's body.

Under that suction, the wood- and earth-attributed spiritual energy from the stone house and outside it came flooding into his body. As the spiritual energy entered his Divine Sea, the rings slowly revolved, tempering and generating strand after strand of withered yellow Spiritual Power tinged with green.

"He made it!"

Xiang Sui and Liang Kuan sensed the disturbance in the spiritual energy, and joy appeared on both their faces.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the spiritual energy gradually calmed.

Seeing this, Xiang Sui could not help sighing. "What a pity. It would have been better if Junior Brother Zhu had accumulated a little more foundation."

Liang Kuan grinned beside him, unconcerned. "With Junior Brother Zhu's comprehension, cultivation after advancing to Qi Refining definitely won't stump him."

Xiang Sui was briefly stunned. After thinking it over, he nodded. "True enough."

The difficult part of Qi Refining cultivation lay in drawing the Three-Ring Pattern while suppressing the spiritual energy surging in through the Mysterious Pass. But with Zhu Yu's attainments in the meditation method, once he improved a little further in the future, it truly would not be much of a problem.

As the two spoke.

Inside the room.

"Fuu..."

Zhu Yu let out a light breath, opened his eyes, and fixed his gaze on himself.

[Zhu Yu]

[Age: 16/120]

[Spirit Root: Wood-Earth "Third Grade"]

[Attributes: Body 1.2, Soul 36.2]

[Cultivation: Early Qi Refining "51%" Trait: Erosion]

[Method: "Basic Visualization Diagram" Minor Accomplishment "68/1000" Trait: Spirit Condensing]

[Arts: First-rank upper-grade: Cicada Pact (Incomplete) "Not Initiated",

First-rank lower-grade: Gold-Chewing Iron-Eating (Incomplete) "Not Initiated"]

[Life-Bound: Underworld Yin-Nurturing Locust Tree]

Having advanced to the Qi Refining Realm.

First, his lifespan had increased to two hundred and forty years.

Then his soul had doubled. Though his physique had not changed, the radiation emitted by Spiritual Power was continuously nourishing and strengthening it.

Zhu Yu suddenly understood why there was a half-year adaptation period after breaking through to Qi Refining.

This period was not only meant to let cultivators learn some methods. More importantly, it transformed their physiques, enabling them to bear their increasingly powerful souls.

Zhu Yu dismissed the panel and swept his gaze around the room, settling on Little Black, which had hidden in a corner out of fear of the aura radiating from him.

With a raised hand, he beckoned. Little Black seemed to be seized by an invisible giant hand, its body flying backward into his palm.

At the same time.

Of the fifteen strands of yellow-green Spiritual Power coiled at the center of the Divine Sea rings, one silently shortened by a section. Yet as the rings revolved, specks of yellow-green spiritual radiance descended, slowly replenishing the Spiritual Power he had expended.

Worried that Little Black would be eroded to death by the aura of his Spiritual Power, Zhu Yu waved his hand and released it. He then tested the other uses of Spiritual Power one by one.

It had to be said.

Spiritual Power was like a universal balm—it could be used for anything.

For instance, channeling Spiritual Power into his arm immediately caused its strength to soar. Materializing Spiritual Power outside his body made it comparable to a divine sharp weapon. Spreading Spiritual Power through the air could briefly influence the spiritual energy within an area; that was the method he had just used to seize Little Black.

Only after expending more than half his Spiritual Power did Zhu Yu finally stop, still somewhat reluctant to let go. Thinking of Xiang Sui and Liang Kuan guarding outside, he put on the black robe beside him, rose from the bed, and pushed open the door.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother."

Not far away, Xiang Sui and Liang Kuan both clasped their hands in congratulations.

"Thank you both for guarding me."

Zhu Yu solemnly returned the salute. Just as he was about to invite them inside to talk, Xiang Sui said, "Classes will be suspended for the next half month. Junior Brother, first take the time to adapt to your cultivation."

"Oh, and don't forget to go to the Affairs Hall to register your information."

"Junior Brother, your aura is a little too strong, so I won't come over." Liang Kuan tossed over a cloth bag and grinned. "Inside is a Wood Spirit Flower spirit seed cultivated by my grandfather. You possess a wood-attributed Spirit Root. Nurture it until it sprouts, then plant it. It will benefit your cultivation later on."

"Wood Spirit Flower?"

Xiang Sui looked Liang Kuan over in surprise, clicking his tongue in wonder. "You're quite willing to part with it."

Seeing Zhu Yu's puzzled expression.

Xiang Sui explained, "The Liang Family's Wood Spirit Flower is good stuff. Though it is only first-rank lower-grade, it is very effective at gathering wood-attributed spiritual energy. In terms of value, it is even worth more than some first-rank middle-grade spirit plants."

"Hm?"

Hearing that, Zhu Yu suddenly found the Wood Spirit Flower seed in his hand rather scorching.

Liang Kuan seemed to see through his thoughts. He waved a hand grandly like a wealthy old landlord and said heroically, "It's only a lower-grade spirit seed that can't be pollinated to produce seeds. My family has plenty of them. Just accept it without worry, Junior Brother."

"It can't be pollinated?"

Understanding dawned in Xiang Sui's eyes. He had wondered why Liang Kuan was willing to give away the thing that put food on his family's table. He nodded and smiled. "Then its value really isn't as high."

Zhu Yu hesitated, then clasped his hands. "Then... I'll accept it, despite my unworthiness."

"Why be so polite? In the future, I'll have to rely on a great Qi Refining cultivator like you."

Liang Kuan patted his belly and made a joke.

After a few idle remarks.

Xiang Sui and Liang Kuan reminded him to rest well and adapt to his cultivation before taking their leave.

Once the two had vanished from sight.

Zhu Yu returned to the stone house, sat cross-legged on the bed, opened the cloth bag, and poured out a seed about the size of his thumb. It was jade-green in color, with faint brown markings branded across its surface.

Placed in his palm, he could clearly sense the vigorous life force contained within the spirit seed.

"They're all debts of favor..."