Mutation Conditions of the Qi Refining Formula

The bloodstains at the entrance of Cangyuan Palace could no longer be washed clean.

To die at this time, in this place, could only be blamed on their bad luck.

But a reasonable explanation still had to be given.

In the end, Li Yuan, the vice palace master of Cangyuan Palace, personally formed an investigation team to look into the matter.

The investigation concluded that Chu Tian, a traitor of Cangyuan Palace, had colluded with people from another sect and intended to ambush outer sect disciples entering and leaving the sect, causing grave consequences before fleeing.

Such conduct was utterly heinous, a crime deserving ten thousand deaths.

To purge the traitor, Vice Palace Master Li Yuan issued a joint kill order on the spot: they would not rest until he was dead.

"The last time something like this happened was probably five years ago, right?"

"Yeah, I remember it too. Chu Tian is just like that guy back then—he looks honest enough, but he's rotten to the core."

"But they didn't issue a kill order for that one. An elder killed him right at the sect gate, which saved everyone a lot of trouble."

For quite some time, this incident would become a topic of conversation among countless disciples.

Cultivation was simply too dull.

Neither the Third Elder nor Fu Chengqin paid much attention to the disturbances outside.

What they cared about most now was still Chu Tian's life!

A Nascent Soul expert had personally acted and still failed to kill him. Setting everything else aside, that alone was a humiliation to a Nascent Soul expert.

Fu Tianming sat in the main hall with an ugly expression, and the atmosphere was oppressive.

Fu Chengqin wanted to say something, but upon seeing his father's expression, he swallowed his words.

"You might as well use that time to cultivate properly."

Gu Yuan lay suspended in midair, bored out of his mind. He did not need to cultivate, so all he could do was wander around aimlessly day after day.

His range of movement was limited now. Otherwise, he would not have cared about Fu Chengqin's cultivation progress.

Chu Tian was still more dependable.

Ever since entering that unknown place, he had not stopped cultivating for even a single day.

Sure enough, someone with a protagonist-like name cultivated like a protagonist too.

If this wasn't a protagonist, then what was?

"Your father will handle Chu Tian's matter. What you need to do now is prepare for the outer sect competition ten days from now."

Fu Tianming composed himself slightly, then looked at his youngest son with a faint smile on his face.

Chu Tian definitely had to die, but his son's future was more important.

"The outer sect competition? Wasn't that supposed to begin a year from now?"

Fu Chengqin asked in confusion.

"Your father doesn't know either. I only know that it has something to do with the Patriarch."

After pondering for a moment, Fu Tianming answered, his voice turning somewhat cautious.

The Patriarch?

There was another story to hear.

Gu Yuan, who had been lying down, perked up and continued listening to Fu Tianming.

"The Patriarch's cultivation is unfathomable, and he does as he pleases. Sometimes, he changes certain conventions, and from time to time, he even holds strange events."

"Still, the last time the Patriarch took action was five years ago. I have no idea what his purpose is in moving up the sect competition this time."

Stroking his beard, Fu Tianming recounted stories about the Patriarch.

Unfathomable cultivation?

Even the vice palace master of Cangyuan Palace was a Divine Transformation expert, yet Fu Tianming had not described him as having unfathomable cultivation. This Patriarch's cultivation had to be extraordinary.

Gu Yuan did not actually have a complete understanding of cultivation realms. He only knew that they were roughly divided into five realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation.

From Fu Chengqin's and Chu Tian's memories, he had learned that there were only a little over twenty Divine Transformation experts in the entire world, and the three top sects of Central Continent alone accounted for more than ten of them.

That Patriarch's cultivation was likely either at the great perfection of Divine Transformation or beyond Divine Transformation.

"In the last competition, both the number one outer sect disciple and the number one inner sect disciple were received by the Patriarch and even obtained opportunities."

"In just five years, those two went from ordinary Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators to Golden Core and Golden Core great perfection. Nascent Soul is within reach for them."

"As for even earlier... the current First Elder received such an opportunity as well."

From Qi Refining to Golden Core in five years?

What kind of speed was that!

It would have been unbelievable even in all of Central Continent.

"Your father is already an elder and no longer qualifies, but you are different. Do you understand?"

As Fu Tianming's voice fell, he looked at his son with great severity. An inexplicable pressure settled upon Fu Chengqin.

This Patriarch was rather interesting.

Gu Yuan rubbed his nonexistent head. He had the feeling that this Patriarch was far from ordinary.

"Your son understands, but the cultivation method at present..."

"The cultivation method will arrive tomorrow. Just cultivate without worry."

Gu Yuan, who had not reacted much before, immediately became unsettled when he heard there would be a new cultivation method.

He still depended on Fu Chengqin to sustain himself. If Fu Chengqin switched cultivation methods now, he did not know whether it would adversely affect him.

Time passed.

Ten days went by quickly.

Because of the sudden sect competition, all of Cangyuan Palace had completely put Chu Tian's matter out of their minds.

Ten days did not change much.

But for some of the upper-ranking disciples, their cultivation and strength had improved by more than a little.

Fu Chengqin in particular.

Among the upper-ranking disciples, he was now the only one still in the outer sect. He could be said to possess a unique advantage.

On the bustling streets, countless disciples headed toward the sect training grounds.

Cangyuan Palace had a vast foundation. It was only natural for it to have a venue capable of holding the entire outer sect.

Outer Sect Training Grounds.

People crowded the area inside and out. Gu Yuan was positioned at the very front, observing all the outer sect disciples of Cangyuan Palace. Every one of them was a Qi Refining cultivator.

A few days ago, Fu Chengqin had switched cultivation methods. Gu Yuan had originally thought he would have to rely solely on Chu Tian for energy afterward.

But to his surprise, even though Fu Chengqin no longer used the Qi Refining Formula, he could still obtain energy from his body. It was simply somewhat less than before.

Ultimately, his Qi Refining Formula was still too weak.

Although it had undergone slight changes thanks to the energy gathered over these past days, there was still a considerable gap between it and some high-grade cultivation methods.

Just imagine it: if those who cultivated him became stronger than everyone else and cultivated faster, wouldn't everyone be scrambling to cultivate him? It would become a positive cycle right away.

But those additional benefits required certain conditions.

Gu Yuan had only learned those conditions yesterday.

Last night, while gathering energy, Gu Yuan vaguely gained a relatively clear understanding of his current level.

[Late Qi Refining]

This was the first time he had learned of his own realm.

Still, it sounded strange. After all, he had never heard of a Qi Refining Formula cultivation method being divided according to cultivation realms.

As the realm appeared, Gu Yuan's understanding of energy also became more thorough.

The more energy he gathered, the higher his realm and energy limit would become. After consuming part of that energy, it could be replenished through absorption as long as it remained within the limit.

Once the gathered energy broke through the "Qi Refining" limit, he could enter the Foundation Establishment realm. Upon reaching the "Foundation Establishment" limit, he could enter Golden Core...

Once he entered a new "realm," the Qi Refining Formula would undergo a certain degree of mutation.