Refining Kidney Essence, Qi Cultivation Level Three

"Xu Yuan, the day after tomorrow, I will leave with Master. This journey has no destination, and thus no date of return. Mountains are vast, waters far away—even though we are both cultivators, who knows when we may meet again."

"These two Jade Marrow Crystals were taken from Rong Ling's mouth back then. The dangers of that time need no further mention. I hope you will use them well when you are about to break through, and I wish you a smooth road ahead and an early entry into Foundation Establishment."

"We met by fate when we were still insignificant. When we meet again, may we both have risen into the azure clouds."

The door shut tight, and his friend departed. Rubbing the two Jade Marrow Crystals in his hand, Xu Yuan felt somewhat melancholy for a time.

"This damned place has some human warmth after all. Shame I have to leave now too."

Closing his eyes slightly, Xu Yuan rose again with determination filling his gaze. "Foundation Establishment?"

A goal sought yet unattainable by countless Qi Refinement cultivators had unexpectedly become a promise made at parting.

Putting away the Jade Marrow Crystals, Xu Yuan gazed toward the inner mountain from afar. If he wanted a chance at Foundation Establishment, entering the inner mountain would be the first step.

He opened the two jade slips his instructor had given him. These were not the kind of transmission jade slips created by great Foundation Establishment cultivators, so the contents naturally still had to be obtained through reading.

Xu Yuan first examined the jade slip that recorded the cultivation method for the first three levels of Body Tempering. As he read, he could sense something stirring within him, as though it were urging him to cultivate its contents.

"The Martial Dao Sacred Embryo should indeed speed up the cultivation of this sort of technique. But reaching the third level of Body Tempering will probably still take considerable effort, perhaps even delaying my Qi Refinement progress."

Hesitation flickered in his eyes, but in the end, Xu Yuan decided to try cultivating the first level first. That way, the power of Spirit-Martial Unity could continue to increase as well.

Xu Yuan even guessed that combining Body Tempering with Qi Refinement was likely the complete form of what was called Spirit-Martial Unity.

After putting away the Body Tempering technique for the first three levels, Xu Yuan opened the other jade slip. It indeed contained his instructor's insights into Spirit-Martial Unity. This should have been something kept hidden at the bottom of the chest, something not taught in class, yet now it had been handed to him.

Not only did it contain more detailed explanations, it also introduced a weapon specifically for Spirit-Martial Unity: a Spirit-Martial weapon.

It too took the form of a long staff, but after qi and blood, as well as spiritual qi, were infused into it simultaneously, the staff could change shape and suit every battlefield.

"This really is a good thing."

Xu Yuan read the detailed introduction before turning his attention to the so-called method recorded in the jade slip for accelerating spiritual qi cultivation.

After one look, Xu Yuan was uncertain, so he looked again. This time, Xu Yuan was sure.

His expression shifted uncertainly, until all the emotions in his heart turned into a bitter smile on his face.

His instructor probably had not deceived him. The jade slip did indeed record a secret technique for accelerating Qi Refinement.

It was simply that this secret technique was far too unorthodox.

It had been said before that Daoists had all kinds of methods for refining qi. Some preferred relying on powerful cultivation arts to draw directly from heaven and earth; some preferred swallowing pills and borrowing the power of herbs, plants, metals, and stones; some borrowed external objects—be they swords, gu insects, or corpses—to refine qi; and then there were people like Xu Yuan, who refined qi by refining the qi and blood within their bodies.

The method in his instructor's jade slip also refined one's inner essence to raise one's Qi Refinement cultivation.

However, what it refined was not the most common qi and blood, but a man's kidney essence.

Looking at the side effect written above—that excessive use might cause a loss of yang—Xu Yuan's face turned a little green. This kind of cultivation art was far too risky.

Fortunately, additional precautions were noted above: those of weak constitution could use it at most once, while those with powerful physiques could use it two or three times.

"Sigh... I'll try it for now."

After hesitating for a while, Xu Yuan sat cross-legged, silently reciting the incantation as he began circulating his qi and blood along the pathways of the secret technique.

Half a quarter-hour later, Xu Yuan suddenly felt a faint warmth on both sides of his waist. He snapped his eyes open. The next moment, two streams of heat surged backward into his blood vessels, then dispersed, transforming into extremely pure spiritual qi.

Feeling his cultivation shoot upward, Xu Yuan thought that this one use alone was almost worth a month of his painstaking cultivation.

"How about... one more time?"

As soon as the thought arose, the cultivation art began circulating. Another stream of heat surged from his waist, and as expected, Xu Yuan's cultivation rose another notch.

"This feels amazing."

Immersed in the rapid growth of his cultivation, Xu Yuan barely felt the drain on his body. He decisively activated the secret technique for a third time.

When it ended, he discovered in shock that his accumulated cultivation had actually reached nearly half of the second level of Qi Refinement. He could not help feeling both startled and delighted.

He was delighted that the secret technique was effective and that his instructor had not tricked him. He was startled because he had reached the limit of the technique's circulation, yet still felt that his bodily reserves had not been greatly depleted.

"The Martial Dao Sacred Embryo truly is extraordinary. Is this a physique equivalent to that of a demonic beast?"

Muttering to himself, Xu Yuan's thoughts began to stir again. His body could still endure it completely, so why not do it once more?

After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan decisively sat down cross-legged again and continued refining his kidney essence according to the secret technique.

This time, Xu Yuan felt that his accumulated cultivation at the second level of Qi Refinement had reached halfway. Without hesitation, he immediately began the fifth refinement.

This time, he finally felt his bodily reserves being depleted, though it was still within what he could bear.

Then came the sixth time. His accumulated cultivation in the second level of Qi Refinement had passed the halfway mark and was nearing completion. Correspondingly, Xu Yuan began to feel a clear depletion in his bodily reserves.

The seventh time brought his second-level Qi Refinement cultivation to completion. His bodily reserves had been significantly depleted, and his endlessly surging qi and blood had begun to weaken.

However, according to his instructor's guidance, this seemed to be the sign that he could still continue!

"My body, my reserves, my capital—all of you, help me break through!"

With an angry roar in his heart, Xu Yuan began an eighth refinement that ordinary people, and even those born with naturally strong sinews and bones, could never imagine.

With a thunderous boom, the heat currents appeared again. The flow of blood within his body slowed completely, yet within the inner realm of Dao that Xu Yuan could perceive internally, his two spiritual veins suddenly trembled in unison. Overflowing spiritual qi surged out, gathering into a tide that crashed toward the third vein.

Having experienced two breakthroughs already, Xu Yuan skillfully controlled the spiritual qi as it charged through the barrier. Outside, roaring sounds erupted from within his body again and again.

The sounds grew deeper and deeper. Finally, after a full eighty bursts, a new crisp sound rang out. Xu Yuan opened his eyes, and spiritual vitality roughly fifty percent stronger than before burst forth from his body.

And this heralded his entry into a new realm.

Outside, vast spiritual energy surged madly into his body. Xu Yuan dropped into a seated position, forming the Purity Seal with both hands, his eyes brimming with delight.

He had thought that breaking through from the second layer of Qi Refining to the third would take at least half a year, perhaps even longer. Who would have imagined that less than ten days after his last breakthrough, he had broken through again?

"Sure enough, among wealth, companions, methods, and grounds for cultivation, fortuitous opportunities matter most. This evolution of my trait, coupled with the secret art bestowed by the instructor, is the greatest opportunity of all."

Once he had absorbed all the spiritual energy, Xu Yuan rose from the ground. This time, his body had suffered considerable depletion, along with some depletion at its very essence. It would take a long time to mend.

That also meant that for a very, very long time, he would be unable to use the secret art again.

But having stepped into the third layer of Qi Refining, along with the Martial Dao Sacred Embryo trait, was enough for him now.

Sect mission—Xu Yuan was coming!