Qi Refining

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Qi Refining (炼气)
Status	The first formal cultivation realm; it has ten levels and precedes Foundation Establishment. 1
First Appearance	Sutra-Copying Boy (Chapter 1) 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Refining, First Layer	4	Achieved by drawing a Kan Water Qi Seed into the dantian and opening a sea of qi; unlocks the Qi Collector profession. 4
Qi Refining, Second Layer	11	Reached by refining Wall-Water Essence; the qi sea changes from mist-like qi into a shallow pool of black water. 11
Qi Refining, Third Layer	18	Reached with Premium Qi Refining Powder after three months of preparation; spiritual qi becomes thoroughly liquefied and the qi sea expands. 18
Qi Refining, Fourth Layer (peak)	29	Briefly revealed during the inner sect tournament before a further surge. 29
Qi Refining, Fifth Layer	29	Shen Qingzhou unveils his true cultivation during his duel with Lu Chen. 29
Qi Refining, Sixth-Layer Peak	32	Reached after a year of seclusion; one step short of the Late Qi Refining Stage. 32
Qi Refining, Seventh Layer	36	Breaks through at Kan Water Lake; enters the Late Qi Refining Stage and stabilizes the new realm for three days. 36
Qi Refining, Seventh-Layer Peak	42	The Ritual of Dao Strife elevates cultivation close to the Eighth Layer without the drawbacks of pill-based advancement. 42
Qi Refining, Eighth Layer	43	Reached after refining ten drops of Kan Water Jade; thirty drops stabilize cultivation at the middle stage of the layer. 43
Qi Refining, Ninth Layer	56	Reached after more than three years of cultivation; spiritual power rises by over thirty percent, while divine sense and the physical body also improve. 56
Qi Refining Perfection	72	Two further years are spent tempering spiritual power to its limit and settling the foundation before the grand competition. 72

Position in the Cultivation System

Qi Refining follows Marrow Cleansing, during which a cultivator removes mortal turbidity and tempers bones capable of containing spiritual qi. Marrow Cleansing is therefore required before one can formally enter the Dao path. 1

The known major realms are:

Order	Realm	Notes
1	Qi Refining	Ten levels; establishes and develops the cultivator's qi sea. 1
2	Foundation Establishment	The next realm after Qi Refining. 1
3	Purple Palace	A higher realm associated with Divine Abilities and True Lords. 1 56
4	Golden Core	A major realm beyond Purple Palace. 1
5	Dao Embryo	The highest named realm in the available records. 1

Entry Requirements

Marrow Cleansing

Before Qi Refining, cultivators must cleanse their mortal bodies and prepare a physical foundation able to contain spiritual qi. Sect entry assessments evaluate a candidate's Marrow Cleansing achievements through comprehension, innate constitution, and temperament. 1

Qi Seeds

Formal entry requires selecting and drawing in a Qi Seed, which serves as the foundation of a cultivator's Dao path.

• Qi Seeds originate from the Dao Lineages of the Twenty-Eight Lodges. 2 3
• During the Qi-Gathering Ceremony, disciples enter the repository in batches and must choose a compatible Qi Seed within the time needed for one incense stick to burn. 2 3
• The chosen seed is drawn into the dantian, where it merges with the newly opened sea of qi. 4
• Failure to achieve a breakthrough after selecting a seed bars the disciple from re-entering the repository for three years. 3
• Compatibility matters: an unsuitable seed can obstruct future cultivation, while a compatible one aligns with the cultivator's Dao lineage and arts. 2 4

Characteristics

Qi Sea and Spellcasting

Entering Qi Refining creates a qi sea within the dantian. Unlike Marrow Cleansing cultivators, who can only borrow ambient spiritual qi, Qi Refining cultivators circulate their own internal qi and release it to cast spells. 6

• Spiritual qi must be balanced carefully during compression; imbalance can cause qi deviation, blood-and-qi disruption, or injury to the dantian. 6
• Advancement expands the qi sea and increases both the quantity and quality of spiritual power. 11 18
• The middle stage brings a qualitative change from gaseous qi to liquid qi and enables sustained flight techniques. 18

Early, Middle, and Late Stages

Qi Refining is divided into three broad developmental phases, each represented by a different principle in the Abyss-Sinking Formula.

Phase	Levels	Principle	Characteristics
Early Qi Refining	First–Third	“Hide the edge within gentle ripples.”	Establishes the qi sea and emphasizes concealment. 5 35
Middle Qi Refining	Fourth–Sixth	“Gather slaughter within a still abyss.”	Focuses on restraint, accumulated killing intent, and a stronger combat foundation. 35
Late Qi Refining	Seventh–Ninth	“Draw forth grand qi, lead the Heavenly River into the abyss.”	Requires lineage-aligned spiritual materials and greater Dao integration; simple secluded cultivation becomes insufficient. 35
Qi Refining Perfection	Tenth / limit	Spiritual power reaches a rounded, unobstructed limit.	A cultivator consolidates the realm and prepares for Foundation Establishment. 72

Resources and Advancement

Qi Refining advancement is heavily dependent on resources; natural absorption alone is often too slow for rapid progress. 11

• Qi-Refining Powder — Converts into usable spiritual power and supports breakthroughs, though sustained use requires significant funds. 11 18
• Wall-Water Essence — A water-aspect spiritual item capable of solidifying the qi-sea foundation and enabling advancement to the Second or even Third Layer. 9 11
• Kan Water Jade — A concentrated water-aspect resource used to advance from the Seventh Layer into the Eighth Layer. 42 43
• Kan Water Spirit Liquid — An exceptionally pure resource used in secluded cultivation toward higher Qi Refining levels. 53
• Lineage-aligned materials — Late-stage advancement requires spiritual items matching the imagery of one's Dao lineage, such as Star-Seer Grass and Heavenly River Sand for the Ginseng Water lineage. 35
• Sword Qi Well — A cultivation site where one day of practice equals approximately one month outside; it benefits sword-qi nurturing and sword-art comprehension. 19

Relation to Foundation Establishment

Qi Seeds continually develop through cultivation and eventually form a Dao Foundation. The outward manifestation of a Dao Foundation is a Jade Platform, whose nature depends on the Qi Seed and how the cultivator develops its imagery. 56

Foundation Establishment is not merely an increase in spiritual power. A cultivator must ideally overcome four trials, including trials concerning Dao attainment, soul, and physical body, to establish the most complete foundation possible. 53

A flawed path can make the transition far more difficult:

• Incense-and-fire prayer power may accelerate cultivation, but it corrupts the Qi Seed and can make Foundation Establishment nearly impossible. 42
• A low-grade Qi Seed does not make advancement impossible, but it can require decades of cultivation and alternative Dao methods to compensate. 42
• Qi Refining cultivators may strengthen their soul, body, Dao attainment, and spiritual power in advance to reduce the gap at Foundation Establishment. 53