Qi Refining

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Qi Refining (炼气)
Occupation/Role	Cultivation realm; the foundational realm of cultivators
Status	Precedes Foundation Establishment; divided into at least nine layers 14 20

Overview

Qi Refining is the initial documented cultivation realm, in which cultivators absorb and refine spiritual qi into spiritual power within their dantian. Progress is measured by numbered layers, with the middle stage beginning at the fourth layer; Zhao Hao reaches this stage after a month of seclusion. 10

Entering Qi Refining normally requires first understanding a cultivation method and sensing spiritual qi. Zhao Hao's unaided, one-night entry into the first layer is considered unprecedented in the history of the Extreme Yin Sect; even the prodigies recorded by the sect generally require several days to understand their method and begin cultivation. 5

A cultivator's strength at this realm depends chiefly on cultivation level and magical-combat methods. Cultivators entering the middle stage are generally expected to master five basic spell types: an attack spell, defense spell, movement spell, breath-concealment art, and Qi Gazing Art. 6

Known Layers

Layer	Stage Classification	Documented Notes
First Layer	Early stage	Zhao Hao enters Qi Refining after cultivating the Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art. Qi Gathering Pills greatly accelerate progress at this layer. 4 7
Second Layer	Early stage	Zhao Hao reaches this layer overnight after using Qi Gathering Pills; his rapid progress draws attention from the corpse-refining lineage. 7 9
Third Layer	Early stage	Zhao Hao publicly presents himself as being at this layer after seclusion, while actually concealing a higher cultivation base. 10 11
Fourth Layer	Middle stage	Zhao Hao reaches the fourth layer after a month of cultivation, marking his entry into mid-stage Qi Refining. 10
Sixth Layer	Middle stage	Zhao Hao advances from the publicly displayed third layer to the sixth layer in twenty days through Essence Condensing Pills, but discovers accumulated pill toxins in his meridians. 13
Seventh Layer	Late stage	Zhao Hao breaks through after clearing accumulated pill toxins and gains the ability to control objects through spiritual sense. 14
Ninth Layer	Late stage	Zhao Hao reaches the ninth layer before being ordered into the war against Heavenly Sword Sect. 20

Power Progression

Cultivation	Advancement	Documented Circumstances
Qi Refining	First Layer	Zhao Hao refines his first strand of spiritual power after enhancing the Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art to Proficient level. 4
Qi Refining	Second Layer	Zhao Hao uses the remaining Qi Gathering Pills after improving his fire spiritual root and cultivation art, breaking through overnight. 7
Qi Refining	Fourth Layer	After raising his fire spiritual root to high grade and cultivating in seclusion for a month, Zhao Hao enters middle-stage Qi Refining. 10
Qi Refining	Sixth Layer	Zhao Hao rapidly reaches the sixth layer over twenty days by using Essence Condensing Pills after strengthening his fire spiritual root to supreme grade. 13
Qi Refining	Seventh Layer	Destroying his accumulated Qi Gathering Pill and Essence Condensing Pill toxins clears his meridians and allows him to enter late-stage Qi Refining. 14
Qi Refining	Ninth Layer	Zhao Hao reaches the ninth layer within less than three months of entering the Extreme Yin Sect, though he conceals it as fourth-layer cultivation. 20 26
Foundation Establishment	Early Stage	Zhao Hao ultimately leaves Qi Refining behind by breaking through after consuming two top-grade Green Origin Pills. 55

Cultivation

Qi Refining cultivation relies on absorbing ambient spiritual qi and refining it through a cultivation art. Spiritual-root quality directly affects absorption speed: Zhao Hao's low-grade fire root initially absorbs qi extremely slowly, while his later high-grade fire root creates a visible vortex of fire spiritual qi during cultivation. 4 10

Spiritual Roots

A spiritual root determines a cultivator's affinity for corresponding spiritual qi and strongly influences cultivation speed.

• A Heavenly Spiritual Root is described as absorbing qi “like a great whale drinking water,” though Zhao Hao initially fails to match this standard because his foundation remains that of five spiritual roots. 4
• Raising Zhao Hao's Fire Spiritual Root to high grade allows his cultivation efficiency to become comparable to that of a Heavenly Spiritual Root when paired with the Minor Achievement Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art. 10
• Zhao Hao later strengthens his high-grade fire root to supreme grade with Qi Refining cultivator corpses, supporting his rapid rise to the sixth layer. 13
• Higher root quality also increases the quantity or quality of materials needed for further enhancement. 10
• Zhao Hao later advances his fire spiritual root from top grade to Immortal Grade. The advancement produces a Fire Spirit Body, grants the innate Divine Ability Fire Spirit Affinity, and enables him to automatically sense and absorb surrounding spiritual qi. 69
• An Immortal Grade Fire Spiritual Root can absorb all five elemental forms of spiritual qi, forcibly assimilating non-fire qi into pure fire-attribute spiritual power; fire qi is absorbed at more than ten times the rate of the other elements. 69
• When Fire Spirit Affinity reaches the ninth grade, Zhao Hao can draw fire-attribute spiritual qi from a vast area and condense it into supreme-grade spirit stones. 124

Cultivation Arts

Cultivation arts govern the circulation, absorption, and refinement of spiritual qi.

• The Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art is Zhao Hao's primary Qi Refining cultivation method during his time in the Extreme Yin Sect. 4 10
• The art is the Extreme Yin Sect's basic cultivation method and serves as the foundational volume for its higher-level arts. 3
• Advancing the art from Proficient to Minor Achievement more than doubles its circulation speed. 7
• At Perfect level, the art and an adequate pill supply allow Zhao Hao to advance rapidly to the fourth layer. 10
• Sacrificing cultivation arts as enhancement materials erases the user's memories and insights of those arts, requiring them to be relearned before reuse. 10

Pills and Pill Toxins

Cultivation pills can greatly increase Qi Refining progress, but repeated use produces pill toxins.

• A Qi Gathering Pill provides substantially more progress than ordinary qi absorption during early Qi Refining cultivation. 7
• Zhao Hao develops extremely mild Qi Gathering Pill toxin after consuming several Qi Gathering Pills to advance to the second layer. 7 8
• After entering the middle stage, Qi Gathering Pills become less effective, while their toxins begin reducing absorption efficiency. 10
• Zhao Hao's deeper pill toxins threaten his foundation until he uses his system to remove them before breaking through to the seventh layer. 14
• Pill toxins can also be deliberately retained to make a cultivator's aura appear weak, unstable, and poorly founded. 20
• Pill toxins may be treated as system enhancement materials. Zhao Hao later consumes severe Golden Core Consolidation Pill and Pure Origin Pill toxins while enhancing a pill, removing the toxins in the process. 103

Spiritual Sense

Basic spiritual sense emerges upon entering Qi Refining, allowing Zhao Hao to perceive his surroundings and inspect his own body. 4

Spiritual sense becomes capable of object control upon reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining. 14

This capability allows a cultivator to manipulate objects at range, including swords; Zhao Hao later uses divine sense to control a sword in combat. 75

Concealment and Detection

The Mysterious Yin Breath Concealment Art can disguise a Qi Refining cultivator's apparent realm.

• At Perfect level, it can conceal Zhao Hao's true cultivation from cultivators up to two major realms above him, provided he does not enter intense magical combat. 10
• Zhao Hao conceals his fourth-layer cultivation as early third layer after leaving seclusion. 10
• He later disguises himself as an ordinary fifth-layer Qi Refining rogue cultivator while visiting a market town. 11
• When his seventh-layer breakthrough nearly exposes him, Zhao Hao redirects the leaking aura into the appearance of an unstable early fourth-layer breakthrough. 15
• At the ninth layer, he suppresses his aura to appear only at the middle fourth layer and adds pill-toxin fluctuations to reinforce the deception. 20
• He later disguises himself as a seventh-layer Qi Refining cultivator while entering a market town. 29

Relation to Higher Realms

The documented cultivation hierarchy progresses from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation. 3

Foundation Establishment follows Qi Refining. A Foundation Establishment cultivation method, the Mysterious Yin Essence Condensation Art, is found among Jia Ren's possessions. 29

The Mysterious Yin Essence Condensation Art requires the condensation of corrosive Yin Baleful Qi from yin energy, corpse qi, and Killing Intent. Its cultivation marks a practitioner as demonic and restricts access to righteous-path resources, leading Zhao Hao to decline the method. 30

Zhao Hao instead purchases the fire-attribute Li Fire Imperial Spirit Canon, a Foundation Establishment cultivation method whose offensive power is considered top-tier among methods of its level. 31

Foundation Establishment Pills substantially improve the chance of crossing from Qi Refining into Foundation Establishment, making them intensely sought after by late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. 48 55

Heavenly Spiritual Root disciples are said to normally reach Foundation Establishment within three years, giving Zhao Hao a limited period to exploit his apparent aptitude. 10