Thirty-Six Apertures, Spirit Pivot Condensation!

"Jiang Xuan resisted drinking so strongly. Could it be that he believed he had a chance to open all thirty-six apertures today and earn an Outstanding rating?!"

"But I remember his Spirit Root is only Profound-mid grade?"

"Besides, his talent lies in the sword path. That has little to do with cultivation efficiency, doesn't it?"

Though he had formed a few guesses, the speculation was far too outlandish. Even Dong Hao found it absurd.

Yet after searching all around, Dong Hao realized that only this preposterous guess could explain why Jiang Xuan was unwilling to grant him even the slightest face.

And that made him clench his fists.

No. I have to make plans early!

Though he found it utterly unbelievable, this matter was simply too important—there was one thing Dong Hao had not lied to Jiang Xuan about: he truly did not have much confidence in breaking into the top ten in the second round of assessments or entering the inner sect directly through the Hundred-Day Grand Examination.

His talent was decent, and his family background could be considered well-off, but at the Star Daoist Academy, people like him were the least scarce. Nearly forty people had earned Outstanding ratings in the first round alone. Among them, Dong Hao was nothing remarkable.

If the road ahead had not been so narrow, he would not have scattered money far and wide to recruit a host of followers. Even so, he still had little confidence in entering the inner sect directly.

After all, he was far from the only person in the academy holding resources and gathering talents from every direction. Zeng Jun and Su Linyin had not been idle these past days either.

But those people recruited elite talents. Heaven's favored prodigies who could earn Outstanding ratings naturally carried a streak of pride in their hearts. They believed themselves inferior to no one and were extremely difficult to recruit.

Having thought this through, Dong Hao clenched his fists again.

Wait. Jiang Xuan seems to have the same mindset! When I gave him cultivation arts before, he refused to accept them and insisted on writing an IOU for a loan. When I gave him pills and spirit meals, he always remained somewhat restrained. I had thought only that he was aloof by nature, but now that I think about it, he clearly has confidence that he can open thirty-six apertures. That is why he refuses to accept my favors for nothing!

The reason he agreed to attend my invitation now is most likely because he has accepted some of my favors and cannot bring himself to cut ties directly.

With that thought, Dong Hao instantly made up his mind—rather than slighting Jiang Xuan, he had to shower him with even greater favors and maintain this relationship well.

What does this little resource expenditure amount to? Supplies for the early Aperture Opening stage are not valuable to begin with. Even if it all goes down the drain, I can afford it. But if this gamble succeeds, I will have a fellow disciple with an Outstanding rating who is also a sword-path genius aiding me. That would raise my chances of entering the inner sect by at least thirty percent. I'm taking this gamble!

"Cousin, if you feel awkward about it, I can help you put Jiang Xuan in his place and make him recognize how much he weighs..."

Just as Dong Hao had thought everything through, Fu He at his side was still chattering away, offering him advice.

Yet those words made Dong Hao break out in a cold sweat. The next moment, he cut her off with a stern shout. "Shut up!"

After speaking, his face darkened. He swept a sharp gaze across Fu He and said, word by word, "Never mention such things again. Brother Jiang does not like drinking, so we can invite him for tea in the future. Why must you criticize his preferences?"

"Ah?!"

Dong Hao's rebuke and his completely reversed attitude left Fu He frozen stiff, her face filled with astonishment.

Instinctively, she said, "But this is not about drinking at all. He publicly damaged your prestige—"

Before she could finish, Dong Hao interrupted her again. This time, his tone was filled with unquestionable solemnity. "Do not speak nonsense. From beginning to end, I have treated Jiang Xuan as a friend, never as some subordinate!"

"If he is a friend, then how could there be any talk of damaged prestige?"

"???"

The moment those words came out, Fu He was completely dumbfounded. Wu Chen and Mu Yuan beside her exchanged looks, their faces equally full of disbelief.

They simply could not understand it. Jiang Xuan was already so solitary and unwilling to give Dong Hao even the slightest face. Why was Dong Hao not angry, but instead treating him with ever greater seriousness, even faintly carrying a hint of ingratiation?

Because it was too unbelievable, a thought they had never believed before suddenly surfaced in their hearts. Could the rumors be true? Does Dong Hao simply admire people with proud and aloof personalities?

Should I... imitate that too?

Others could not figure it out, but Dong Hao did not waste a moment.

After rebuking Fu He, he immediately summoned the maid Nan Zhi, leaned down, and gave her several quiet instructions.

His words caused Nan Zhi's expression to change drastically. She looked at her young master in utter disbelief, but just as she was about to speak, Dong Hao's cold, hard voice cut her off. "Just do as I say."

"...Yes, Young Master."

Thus, at the height of the midday sun, Nan Zhi accepted her orders, hurriedly left the training grounds, and ran straight for the Dong Household's Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the city.

As for Dong Hao, he ignored the mocking looks and whispered discussions around him, calmly returning to his seat.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Nan Zhi hurried back and handed a brocade box to Dong Hao. Dong Hao accepted it, immediately rose, and once again walked over to Jiang Xuan.

"Brother Dong, about what happened just now, I..."

Seeing him approach, Jiang Xuan thought he had come because of his earlier refusal to drink. He hurriedly cupped his hands and began speaking with some apology.

Yet before he could finish, Dong Hao interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

"Brother Jiang, you are being too serious. I already said that I was inconsiderate and failed to take your preferences into account. I have come specifically to apologize to you."

"Huh?" Jiang Xuan was somewhat startled by those words as well.

While he was still stunned, Dong Hao gently placed a white jade bottle in his hand. Before Jiang Xuan could decline, Dong Hao added quietly, "The pills inside are related to Spirit Pivot Condensation."

The moment those words fell, Jiang Xuan's movements abruptly paused.

Dong Hao had been staring closely at the changes in his expression. That tiny reaction alone made him completely certain—Jiang Xuan truly intended to challenge thirty-six apertures and condense a Spirit Pivot!

And this set boundless stormy waves churning in his heart.

My guess was actually true!

Though he found it unbelievable inside, Dong Hao revealed not the slightest trace of it on his face. Only his attitude became increasingly humble and warm.

"Ahem, Brother Jiang, you surely know why the first realm of our Dao cultivation is called Spirit Pivot Aperture Opening, don't you?"

"I know a little." Jiang Xuan nodded and explained what he knew in an even, unhurried manner. "Aperture Opening means opening the hidden apertures of the human body. The human body has three hundred and sixty apertures, corresponding to the number of a Greater Celestial Circuit. But beyond the apertures, the human body also possesses Spirit Pivots. The Lower Dantian, Middle Dantian, and Upper Dantian are the three great Spirit Pivots of the human body, as well as secret storehouses where cultivators preserve essence, qi, and spirit."

"Brother Jiang truly is well-read." After praising him, Dong Hao went on to explain the details and clarify the pills' use. "Spirit Pivots and apertures are naturally born together as one. Only when one has opened a certain number of apertures can one trigger the condensation of a Spirit Pivot."

"Thirty-six apertures are the minimum threshold for condensing the first Spirit Pivot. That is also why Instructor Song Zhou set the Outstanding line for the first round of assessments at thirty-six apertures."

"After opening seventy-two apertures, one can condense the second Spirit Pivot. Upon opening one hundred and eight apertures, one can condense the third Spirit Pivot. Of course, that is merely the minimum. If one wishes to establish a Dao Foundation with only one hundred and eight apertures, there is practically no hope of success."

Since this was not the time to discuss Dao Foundations, Dong Hao did not say much more about that. Instead, he changed the subject.

"Spirit Pivot Aperture Opening is not without risk. During the initial condensation, the qi channels are unstable, and there is a risk of collapse. Even if such a mishap occurs, it will not mean all previous efforts have gone to waste or that condensation will become impossible forever. But it will cause the apertures throughout the body to shake and damage the qi channels. One must rest and recuperate for a long time before trying again."

"The Origin Spirit Pill in this bottle can help you rapidly stabilize your qi channels and suppress the origin of the Spirit Pivot during Spirit Pivot Condensation."

Hearing this, Jiang Xuan no longer declined. He immediately put away the jade bottle and cupped his hands to Dong Hao. "Thank you, Brother Dong."

"I should be the one thanking Brother Jiang." Dong Hao hurriedly supported him, smiling. "For the assessments to come, I will be relying entirely on Brother Jiang."

"I will certainly give you my full support."

Since the other party valued him so highly and had provided resources, Jiang Xuan naturally did not mind giving him a hand along the way. Of course, he would never yield his own inner sect slot to someone else.

Seeing Jiang Xuan speak so earnestly and solemnly, Dong Hao's smile grew increasingly bright.

Always tactful, once he received Jiang Xuan's sincere answer, he immediately patted his chest and promised, "Then I will thank Brother Jiang in advance. Also, if there is anything Brother Jiang needs, you may tell me."

If Jiang Xuan earned an Outstanding rating and was willing to lend Dong Hao a hand, pushing him into the inner sect, then Dong Hao would owe Jiang Xuan a favor.

Therefore, Jiang Xuan felt no psychological burden whatsoever about receiving benefits from him.

What was more, Jiang Xuan believed that only by becoming stronger himself could he better help Dong Hao.

"I do indeed have some things I need Brother Dong to help me find. But let us speak of all that tomorrow."

Dong Hao understood the deeper meaning of those words in an instant.

Right now, Jiang Xuan was merely a student from a poor family, his status as far from Dong Hao's as clouds from mud. Asking for things at this moment would inevitably carry a hint of begging for charity.

But tomorrow, he would be a prodigy of the Star Daoist Academy who had earned an Outstanding rating, an ally capable of standing on equal footing with Dong Hao. Asking then would be equal cooperation, each taking what he needed.

Though Dong Hao was already ninety percent certain that Jiang Xuan could earn an Outstanding rating, he also understood that too much was as bad as too little. Thus, he did not urge him further. He merely smiled in agreement before turning to leave.

I only wanted to find a useful chess piece, yet I unexpectedly picked up a pearl covered in dust. Heaven truly is helping me!

There will definitely be a place for me, Dong Hao, among the top ten of the second round of assessments!

And as for the position of the main heir in the household, it is not as though I cannot fight for it!

Dong Hao's heart surged with excitement, and Jiang Xuan's mood at that moment was little different from his.

With Dong Hao's help, memorizing three hundred volumes of Daoist scriptures will no longer be a difficult matter.

As for establishing the Scripture Repository... if there is truly no other way, I can first take up the position and build the Scripture Repository myself later.

Dong Hao can help with entering the Scripture Repository as well.

Unable to accomplish everything in a single step, Jiang Xuan could only compromise for now.

However, taking up the position of Scripture Mystic Daoist was a matter for the future. Jiang Xuan's most urgent task at present was to nurture his thirty-sixth aperture and condense the first Spirit Pivot.

"Huff..."

Closing his eyes and steadying his breath, Jiang Xuan first focused his mind and rested for more than two hours. Only after the midpoint of the Hour of the Goat had passed, when he felt that he had recovered more than half his condition, did he slowly open his eyes.

Though his eyes burned with fervent light and his expression was filled with excitement, his movements remained as steady as ever, without the slightest disorder.

Rising to his feet, Jiang Xuan followed his usual habit and performed the rites of purifying the heart, purifying the mouth, purifying the body, and purifying the hands. Once the full ritual was complete, he held Qingli in his arms and closed his eyes again.

"Huff..."

In the state of Unity of Man and Sword, Jiang Xuan circulated the One Qi Sword Art once more, using the innate qi within his body to activate the aperture he had long since located.

This time, Jiang Xuan's target was the Heart Palace Fire Aperture.

Wood gave rise to fire. After igniting heart fire with the qi of liver wood, the pure power of heart fire swiftly refined the ownerless spiritual qi from the outside world. The next moment, strands of mana poured into one of the nine apertures in his Heart Palace.

"Bzz—!"

The influx of spiritual qi gradually solidified that aperture near Jiang Xuan's heart.

After another quarter of an hour, a clear hum rang out and shook his soul. This hidden aperture fully transformed from the illusory into the real and settled firmly into place!

And in the instant that this thirty-sixth aperture solidified, an earth-shaking transformation erupted within Jiang Xuan's body.

Buzz buzz buzz—!

The thirty-five apertures he had previously opened all trembled and resonated together! The apertures chimed as one, causing the qi, blood, and mana throughout his body to resonate at the same frequency. A mighty force, impossible to resist, forcibly dragged a vague and intangible hidden storehouse within him out from nothingness.

That was his Lower Dantian. It was also the Origin Sea, the Gate of the Dark Female, the foundation of human life that stored essence and received qi.

Its manifestation was not achieved in one stroke. Like opening apertures, it had to gradually condense from nothingness into reality.

Yet apertures were nurtured through a cultivator's mana, while a Dantian Spirit Pivot could only manifest from nothingness through the synchronized resonance of the apertures throughout the body.

During this process, Jiang Xuan clearly sensed the mana stored within his apertures being rapidly consumed. The continuous resonance of the apertures also kept striking at his five viscera, six bowels, physical body, and meridians. The slightest carelessness could disrupt the circulation of his mana.

Just as Dong Hao had said, this resonance itself carried risks. If he were disturbed midway, or if his mana proved insufficient, the manifestation of the Dantian Spirit Pivot would fail outright.

If I am not mistaken, the manifestation of a Dantian Spirit Pivot is also related to a cultivator's Spirit Root talent. The better the Spirit Root talent, the less resistance there is to manifesting the Dantian Spirit Pivot. This is also why so few people failed earlier.

However, the students after this will have a chance of failure.

Jiang Xuan now truly felt the immense influence that Spirit Roots had on cultivators. They affected every aspect of cultivation.

Fortunately, what relieved Jiang Xuan was that while his original talent might have been mediocre, after receiving the enhancement of the Three Purifications Spell: Truth Communion, he was now possessed of a Profound-Grade Supreme Spirit Root. This could already be considered above average.

Not to mention, Jiang Xuan had a secret move.

At a certain moment, with a "Bzz!" a clear ring suddenly sounded from the depths of Jiang Xuan's soul—the occupational passive of Clearheart Mirror [Self-Observation] activated.

The mirror was like a blazing sun, illuminating the inner landscape of his body down to the finest detail. Jiang Xuan's powerful soul force followed the mirror's light and instantly spread outward, covering every aperture and meridian throughout his body.

The combination of Clearheart Mirror (Self-Observation) and soul force caused the aperture resonance within Jiang Xuan, which had originally been somewhat scattered and disorderly, to gradually transform under the harmonization of his soul force into a seamless Dao-rhythm symphony.

With perfect control, the nurturing and manifestation of his Lower Dantian immediately became natural and inevitable. He did not even need to use the Origin Spirit Pill.

"Woom—!"

At a certain moment, Jiang Xuan felt a deep abyssal cry resound in the depths of his lower abdomen. His Lower Dantian then emerged completely, like primal chaos splitting apart for the first time.

And when the Lower Dantian Spirit Pivot appeared, a different sensation suddenly flooded Jiang Xuan's body and mind.

At this moment, it was not merely that he had gained another "organ" to store energy. He felt as though his body had been made whole.

No... it is more than being made whole. Jiang Xuan's heart stirred as he clearly sensed that he seemed to have become a seed, breaking free of its shell and welcoming new life.

Changing from a human into a "seed" was not degeneration, but a leap in the essence of life.

He had evolved from an ordinary person into a Spirit Seed.

What Jiang Xuan had not expected was that the system panel acknowledged this as well.

[Ding, it has been detected that the player's life essence has advanced. You have now transformed into Bronze Folk (Green)]

[Your available main occupation slots +1, available auxiliary occupation slots +1]