Innate One-Qi Sword!

"Jiang Xuan, who is that? Does he have a heaven-grade or earth-grade Spirit Root too?"

"That guy who always puts on airs and imitates the mannerisms of Aristocratic Clan heirs?"

"He isn't pretending, is he?"

Seeing that Jiang Xuan could continue cultivating, the students around him were first stunned, then suspicion sprang up one after another.

They felt that Jiang Xuan was deliberately pretending to still be cultivating, using it to show how different he was so he could worm his way into the circles of cultivation aristocratic clans.

Many people shared that suspicion. Scrutinizing and mocking gazes fell ever more piercingly upon Jiang Xuan.

Yet those eyes boring into his back like thorns failed to stir even the faintest ripple in Jiang Xuan's mind.

Knowing clearly what he needed, Jiang Xuan cast aside every disturbance from the outside world and cultivated with single-minded focus.

This state of unwavering Dao-heart instead sent the efficiency of the three great divine incantations he cultivated—especially the Heart-Purification Divine Incantation—soaring all the way upward.

[You cast the Body-Purification Divine Incantation once and obtained the "Untouched by Dust" effect. Body-Purification Divine Incantation experience +3]

[You cast the Mouth-Purification Divine Incantation once and obtained the "Purification of Verbal Karma" effect. Mouth-Purification Divine Incantation experience +3]

[You cast the Heart-Purification Divine Incantation once and obtained the "Clarity of the Spirit Platform" effect. Heart-Purification Divine Incantation experience +12]

With every breath in and out, Jiang Xuan's breathing exercise remained long and steady.

Thus, while the ordinary students around him had long since exhausted themselves and worn weary expressions, Jiang Xuan's circulation rhythm remained as steady as a boulder.

The cleansing blessings of the three great divine incantations made his process of refining heaven and earth spiritual energy much easier than before. Moreover, casting the three divine incantations also consumed some of Jiang Xuan's time, extending his cultivation by a full hour beyond usual.

With his cultivation efficiency doubled and his cultivation time increased as well, by the time Jiang Xuan exhausted himself and concluded his practice, his fourth aperture had already been completely refined to perfection.

This also allowed Jiang Xuan to estimate the speed of his Aperture Opening.

"Because my body will be fatigued, my cultivation efficiency will drop somewhat at night... So, as I am now, I can open at most three apertures a day."

"Thirty-six apertures means twelve days... Today is already the fourth day since entering the academy, and I have opened another four apertures... In other words, on the fifteenth day of the assessment, I may be able to meet Lecturer Song Zhou's standard, receive a Good rating, and enter the Dao-Bearing Class to cultivate."

At that thought, Jiang Xuan did not feel relieved. Instead, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Meeting the standard and entering the class right at the deadline leaves too many variables. It is far too risky."

"Furthermore, the amount of time spent entering the Dao-Bearing Class will certainly affect the distribution of resource rewards. If I can enter earlier, I must fight for that first move."

Beyond those two points, Jiang Xuan had an even deeper consideration in his heart—his goal had never been merely scraping by with a "Good" rating. To firmly join the ranks of Inner Disciples, his gaze had remained fixed from beginning to end on the highest rating: "Excellent."

"Entering the Dao-Bearing Class does not guarantee becoming an Inner Disciple. Only by earning an Excellent evaluation and obtaining most of the resources from Lecturer Song Zhou, raising my strength as quickly as possible, can I achieve good results in the Hundred-Day Grand Examination."

"I have no hope in the first evaluation, but the first round of assessment is only thirty days, while the Hundred-Day Grand Examination lasts a full hundred days. I may not lack a chance to turn the tables."

Whether he wanted to enter the Dao-Bearing Class early or receive a better evaluation, in the final analysis, it all came down to improving his cultivation speed.

At that moment, he began considering how he could push his cultivation speed another step further.

Before long, he thought of two feasible directions.

"Having taken up the Daoist Acolyte profession and obtained the three great divine incantations, I can recite more incantations during this period and carry out some of a Daoist Acolyte's duties."

"Once my Daoist Acolyte level rises and the realms of the three great divine incantations improve, my cultivation speed will definitely rise another step."

Jiang Xuan had been doing this all along, but it would take time for the effects to show. Distant water could not quench present thirst. Thus, his gaze fell upon the second method—his profession panel. Penniless and short on Spirit Stones, this was the only place where he could make something happen.

Fortunately, he truly did find a way to break the deadlock there.

"Profession... Daoist Acolyte is only a secondary profession. I still have a primary profession slot that I have not taken up."

With that thought, Jiang Xuan first looked at the requirements for taking up the entry-level Qi Refiner profession.

[Profession Requirements

①: Find a spiritual land and take up residence there. (Completed)

②: Obtain a Qi cultivation method and cultivate it to the proficient level.

③: Cultivate a strand of mana. (Completed)]

[Cultivation Method: Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method (Realm 1, Beginner, 133/300) (Blue)]

After one glance, Jiang Xuan shook his head. "Too slow. Although I can continue cultivating this afternoon, at my current pace, I will need at least four or five more days before I can take up the entry-level Qi Refiner profession."

"By then, it will already be the tenth day of the assessment. I will have only five short days left to strive for a higher rating..."

His thoughts raced as two paths lay before him. The first was to change his primary profession.

"Entry-level Qi Refiner is merely the direction I chose, but it has not been bound to me yet. Therefore, I can freely change professions right now."

"Moreover, I can choose more than one profession, even among primary professions, and there is no experience penalty. So I can first choose another profession, then take up Qi Refiner as a side profession later."

The second path was to switch to a Qi cultivation method with a lower threshold and easier rapid mastery, first completing the second requirement for the entry-level Qi Refiner profession.

"After all, the requirements only say that I need to cultivate a Qi cultivation method to the proficient level. They do not specify what kind of method it must be."

"The Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method is Blue Rare, even deep blue. In this world, that places it at the pinnacle of the mysterious grade. Since its rank is not low, the difficulty of improving it is correspondingly high."

"But other Qi cultivation methods may not necessarily be so difficult to cultivate."

Both methods were somewhat feasible, leaving Jiang Xuan hesitant.

"Buzz, buzz..."

Before he could weigh the matter and reach a conclusion, a surge of clamorous voices and cheers suddenly rose from ahead, shattering the plaza's calm.

Looking up, Jiang Xuan discovered that at the very front, a crowd of students had gathered around two people, congratulating them with beaming faces.

Even Lecturer Song Zhou, usually unsmiling, cold, and harsh, wore a few traces of a gentle smile at that moment.

Of course, some people revealed expressions of envy and jealousy as well.

"Congratulations, Miss Xie Hanyan."

"Young Master Qin, I knew you could do it."

"To refine all thirty-six apertures to perfection in four days—Young Master Qin Feng truly is a peerless genius blessed by heaven!"

"Hahaha, you are too kind, everyone. I was merely fortunate..."

Congratulatory voices rang without end from the crowd. Though Qin Feng tried to remain calm, the smug delight on his face was impossible to conceal.

This sight also told Jiang Xuan that someone had opened all thirty-six apertures and received an Excellent rating.

And two had appeared at once.

Jiang Xuan's face, however... showed no ripple.

He had long known that on the path of cultivation, beneath the chasm of Spirit Root grades, the difference between people could sometimes be greater than the difference between a person and an ant.

That cultivators whose Spirit Roots reached heaven-grade could open thirty-six apertures in just three or four days was entirely natural. There was nothing to make a fuss about.

Thus, he merely cast them a faint glance before withdrawing his gaze and continuing to ponder his cultivation path.

Yet before he could decide whether to change cultivation methods or professions, a voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Qin Feng and Xie Hanyan are the first prodigies of our Star Daoist Academy to open thirty-six apertures. Aren't you going over to join the excitement and offer your congratulations?"

This unexpected greeting made Jiang Xuan raise an eyebrow. Turning his head, he discovered a kindly featured young man in brocade robes standing beside him at some unknown moment, smiling at him.

Though he did not know the other party's intentions, Jiang Xuan saw no hostility from him and calmly spoke according to etiquette. "Their successful Aperture Opening is their business. It has nothing to do with me, so naturally there is no need for me to join the excitement."

Once he finished speaking, Jiang Xuan directly asked why he had come. "May I ask why this fellow Daoist has sought me out?"

"Haha, my surname is Dong, and my given name is Hao. Brother Jiang may call me Brother Dong." The young man introduced himself with a smile, then frankly revealed his purpose. "As for why I sought Brother Jiang out, it is very simple. I wish to make friends with you."

"Hm?"

Seeing Jiang Xuan's speechless expression, clearly disbelieving him, Dong Hao could not help but smile bitterly and add, "That is my sincere thought. The path of cultivation has never been one of solitary bitter practice. Wealth, companions, methods, and land—none can be lacking. In fact, in my eyes, companions come first. On the path of cultivation, one needs fellow Daoist friends to support one another in order to walk more steadily and farther."

"Therefore, I have always liked making friends with fellow cultivators."

Before Jiang Xuan's expression could change further, Dong Hao shrugged and shifted the subject. "Of course, this is also inseparable from my background. Let me introduce myself again. I am Dong Hao, the third son of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion manager. Here, I sell everything—pills and Dharma artifacts, cultivation methods and secret manuals. I also buy everything—heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare curios, and precious collectibles. My prices are much fairer than the sect marketplace."

That latter reintroduction allowed Jiang Xuan to understand why Dong Hao wished to make friends.

Whether in his previous life or in this cultivation world, for merchants, social connections were not an ordinary pastime. They were the foundation of business and the core that determined the upper limit of their trade.

Suppliers, channels, and information—none were unrelated to connections.

What was more, in this cultivation world where strength reigned supreme, merchants who wished to expand their business had to befriend prodigies, powerful figures, and sect cultivators. Without backers, no matter how large their business became, they would be nothing more than a fat piece of meat in others' eyes, ready to be carved up at will.

Yet after learning that Dong Hao had a need for social connections, the doubts in Jiang Xuan's heart only deepened.

"Why seek me out? You should know that I only have a mid-grade mysterious Spirit Root. I am neither a prodigy nor do I have a cultivation family background."

Social connections were important to merchants, but not everyone was worth cultivating ties with.

For truly great merchants, only extraordinarily talented prodigies and descendants of powerful aristocratic clans were worth spending time and effort on. Those were the connections that could truly bring value.

And Jiang Xuan believed that he possessed neither.

"Haha..."

Jiang Xuan's words suddenly made Dong Hao laugh. Stepping forward, he cupped his hands and said, "Brother Jiang is far too modest. When the other students had exhausted themselves, you still sat firm in cultivation. Even under the piercing gazes of an entire courtyard full of doubts, you remained single-minded and your Dao-heart did not waver. Among all the students in this academy, few can match such temperament."

He paused, and his tone grew increasingly serious. "On the path of cultivation, Spirit Roots are indeed important, but what truly determines how far a person can go has always been comprehension and temperament."

"In my eyes, Brother Jiang is certainly no ordinary person. You are someone worth winning over."

"...Brother Dong flatters me." Such direct praise left Jiang Xuan at a loss for how to respond.

Dong Hao, on the other hand, did not care about that at all. After praising Jiang Xuan, he immediately took out a small booklet and directly stuffed it into Jiang Xuan's hands.

"Though my Dong Household's Hundred Treasures Pavilion has no small family business, Brother Jiang should know that households like ours have many children and even greater competitive pressure."

"To leave a good impression before the family elders, and also to earn myself some pocket money, I have been doing a little business at the academy."

"This booklet contains the goods I can currently supply: pills, Dharma artifacts, cultivation methods, talismans—everything is available. The prices are more than thirty percent lower than those at the sect marketplace. In addition, I purchase all manner of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare curios, and cultivation methods year-round. If Brother Jiang has anything you wish to sell, simply come find me."

That warmly proactive nature, coupled with the familiarity of treating him as though they were already close, convinced Jiang Xuan that the person before him truly had a knack for business.

And Jiang Xuan truly needed a simple, quickly mastered Qi cultivation method to complete the requirements for his primary profession. Therefore, he did not refuse. Taking the booklet, he directly flipped to the page listing cultivation methods.

"Hm?"

Seeing Jiang Xuan take the booklet and head straight for the cultivation methods page, Dong Hao's eyes lit up. He instantly understood that Jiang Xuan urgently needed something. Rather than hurrying away, he stood beside Jiang Xuan, wanting to see what sort of cultivation method he was looking for.

Ignoring his actions, Jiang Xuan quickly turned to the cultivation method section and began searching for a simple Qi cultivation method.

Yet after searching for a while, Jiang Xuan realized that he had miscalculated.

It was not that the booklet lacked cultivation methods—though Dong Hao claimed he only wanted to do some small business and earn pocket money, his distinguished background meant that not a single cultivation method in the booklet was simple, and their quality was exceedingly high.

But not only was every one of those cultivation methods difficult to cultivate, Jiang Xuan could not afford a single one.

Dong Hao naturally noticed Jiang Xuan's disappointed expression. Stepping forward, he asked, "Brother Jiang, could it be that none of the cultivation methods in my booklet suit your fancy? If so, there is no need to worry. Simply tell me your requirements, and when I return to the Household, I will help you find one."

Those words made Jiang Xuan feel even more embarrassed. "Ahem, Brother Dong, you jest. Every cultivation method in your booklet is a treasure, but my purse is empty, and I simply cannot afford them right now. Besides, I am not looking for some profound cultivation method. I only need a Qi cultivation method that can be learned quickly and is extremely easy to master."

"A rapid-mastery Qi cultivation method?" Dong Hao did not take the words "my purse is empty" to heart. Hearing Jiang Xuan's request instead made him look surprised, and he instinctively advised, "Brother Jiang, the Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method taught by our academy is the orthodox cultivation method most suitable for the Aperture Opening stage. It builds the steadiest foundation. Those unorthodox methods that promise rapid mastery will not benefit your cultivation path."

Jiang Xuan shook his head slightly. "I know what I am doing. I have another use for it."

Seeing that Jiang Xuan did not wish to say more, Dong Hao tactfully stopped asking. Instead, he took back the booklet, ran his fingertip over the list, and finally stopped at an entry, pointing it out to Jiang Xuan.

"I do not have a rapid-mastery Qi cultivation method here, but I do have a secret art that combines Qi cultivation with swordsmanship."

Following Dong Hao's finger, Jiang Xuan's gaze immediately fell upon a peculiar sword art.

"One Qi Sword Art"

As Jiang Xuan looked at the name of the cultivation method, Dong Hao began carefully explaining its details beside him.

"This cultivation method is also called the Innate One-Qi Sword, or the One-Qi Sword-Heart Art. Its beginning is very simple. You merely need to recite the mental formula and cultivate a breath of innate Qi. To reach Realm 2, you only need to make your spiritual energy more condensed and pure, while imbuing it with some of Sword Qi's sharp qualities. It is not particularly difficult."

"But if you wish to reach Realm 3, Minor Accomplishment—or in other words, proficiency—the requirements become demanding."

"You must refine the Qi of the five viscera into one before you can break through."

"As for the fourth realm and beyond, it involves sword-heart and the power of the mind. Those without great perseverance and great comprehension cannot achieve it."

After a pause, he added, "Most importantly, it is both a Qi cultivation method and an offensive sword art. Using it to cultivate Qi can unify all the Qi within your body. Using it to attack, this One-Qi Sword may possess only the power of a single strike, but it condenses all your cultivation, vital energy and blood, and mental power into one sword. Among those of the same realm, it has few rivals in power!"

"Of course, all that assumes you can cultivate it to Realm 3, Minor Accomplishment—namely, proficiency."

"Before then, it is of little use."