Opening the Qi Sea

With that Zhang Talisman in hand, Chen Zhuo felt a surge of confidence.

After all, in the backward, benighted Ancient Immortal Realm, even a Late Qi Refinement cultivator would suffer a nasty blow if caught off guard!

Would they ever imagine a Zhang Talisman could move according to its wielder's will? They could rack their brains and still never think of it!

We're all Qi Refinement cultivators. I never meant to crush you with a weapon from another world!

It's just...

"Selling all those pills in one go last time drew too much attention. If I have time, I can sell them in batches to different workshops in the Market, or even to individual cultivators..."

As he considered this, Chen Zhuo returned to the Ancient Immortal Realm.

The moment he arrived, he made use of the time and sat cross-legged to Cultivation.

The stone bed was cool to the touch. Cultivation on it calmed his mind and swept away distracting thoughts.

In such a place, he could feel the dense spiritual energy with every breath of Cultivation.

Those ten Spirit Stones had been worth it!

The Ancient Immortal Realm truly was rich in resources. Even this backwater had a treasure like this.

At the Immortal Estate, wouldn't they charge hundreds or thousands of Spirit Coins for it?

But for Chen Zhuo, this still wasn't enough!

He couldn't help it. His Spiritual Root aptitude was too poor.

Without hesitation, Chen Zhuo picked up the Qi Mist Transformation vape and began weighing his options.

He wasn't wondering whether to take a puff. He was wondering...

"One puff or two?"

Chen Zhuo did the sums in his head.

This "vape" had only two puffs left.

He had already used up nearly all of it, bringing his cultivation to the peak of Qi Refining Third Layer.

Now it was time to break through.

From Early Qi Refinement to Middle Qi Refinement!

Let's do it!

Without hesitation, Chen Zhuo took a mighty puff from the Electronic Cigarette and turned into "Boiling Goat"!

His lungs tingled!

That one puff jolted Chen Zhuo's spirits, and he saw a Snow Leopard!

But this time, he didn't stop.

Chen Zhuo pressed the button again and inhaled the last puff in full!

"Cough, cough..."

Chen Zhuo choked a little, but then he seemed to become the Ceremony Hall King: "Now that's the real deal! It feels so damn good!!!"

Electronic Cigarettes are great.

Chen Zhuo officially declared himself a member of the Reform Faction!

Furong King?

Never heard of him!

Heat surged through Chen Zhuo's body. He immediately realized the medicine had taken effect and sat cross-legged to cultivate!

The first three layers of Qi Refinement mainly tempered the body, strengthening it until it could withstand spiritual energy. Some people born frail struggled with Cultivation because their bodies couldn't bear its intensity, slowing their progress.

It was like the foundation of a building: the sturdier the foundation, the better the structure.

And Chen Zhuo's foundation was now rock-solid.

What remained to be decided was the building itself. Would it be an abandoned construction site or a grand estate? Today would tell!

With that thought, Chen Zhuo sank his Divine Sense into his Dantian.

All the Spiritual Qi Chen Zhuo had gathered over the past few months had converged in his Dantian, forming a vortex.

The vortex brimmed with Spiritual Qi, as though it were about to carve out an entirely new world.

This was the opening of the Qi Sea!

"Hah... mm!"

Chen Zhuo breathed out. His breathing gradually steadied, and the Qi Sea within his Dantian seemed to connect with the world around him, the two slowly merging into one.

Chen Zhuo drew in the Spiritual Qi of the Cave Abode with abandon.

And so, time trickled by.

He had no idea how long had passed when the Qi Sea suddenly stilled.

Boom!

A muffled boom sounded inside Chen Zhuo's body!

The vortex burst apart, and his Dantian underwent a tremendous change!

The Qi Sea was taking shape!

Had Chen Zhuo harbored Pill Toxin within his body, his Qi Sea would now have suffered its ravages, leaving him in agony.

But Chen Zhuo had taken no pills containing Pill Toxin. He felt not the slightest pain. Instead, an unprecedented relief washed over him, like a man who had been constipated for ten years suddenly finding release!

The next instant, Chen Zhuo's eyes snapped open. A keen light shot from them like blazing flames!

Chen Zhuo looked inward at his Dantian. The vortex had vanished without a trace. In its place spread a vast sea of Spiritual Qi.

His Qi Sea had formed!

"Qi Refining Fourth Layer!"

Chen Zhuo was overjoyed. His body felt utterly renewed, unlike anything he had known before.

Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Middle Qi Refinement!

With Spiritual Qi reinforcing his body, of course it felt different. Only now could he truly be called a Qi Refinement cultivator!

"Law Body, Law Body! So that's what it means!"

Feeling inspired, Chen Zhuo wanted to show off his literary flair with a line of poetry: In my early years, I already knew...

Forget it. Reciting poetry just because he'd reached Middle Qi Refinement?

That was a little embarrassing.

He would save it for a breakthrough to a major realm.

Chen Zhuo reined in his excitement. He felt wonderful.

Qi Refining Fourth Layer was a watershed.

The first three layers merely tempered the body. Spiritual Qi could only circulate through the meridians and nourish the flesh.

At the fourth layer, a Qi Sea officially opened within the Dantian. From then on, Spiritual Qi had a "home" where it could be stored and drawn upon at any time.

That meant Chen Zhuo could finally learn some real Spells!

He had been able to cast spells such as Soft Water Barrier and Water Thread Bind before, but without a Qi Sea, he had to draw in Spiritual Qi on the spot to use them. Their power was limited, and they took a heavy toll.

Now things were different.

With a Qi Sea in his Dantian, he could store Spiritual Qi there and draw on it directly when casting spells. They would be stronger, cost less energy, and last longer.

"Now that's more like it!"

Chen Zhuo couldn't help letting out a low cry as he sprang off the stone bed.

He flexed his arms and legs. Strength filled every part of him; he felt as though he had shed his old bones and been reborn!

Qi Refining Fourth Layer had done more than open a Qi Sea in his Dantian. His body's strength had risen to a whole new level!

Chen Zhuo clenched his fist, his heart swelling with ambition.

At this rate, with the abundant Spiritual Qi of the Ancient Immortal Realm... Foundation Establishment shouldn't be a problem. Perhaps one day, I'll be called a True Person too!

After witnessing True Person Luo's bearing, how could Chen Zhuo not yearn for the same? He turned the possibilities over in his mind.

At his current Cultivation speed, backed by the resources his middleman business brought in, reaching Late Qi Refinement within three years was not impossible.

Once he reached Late Qi Refinement, his strength would take a qualitative leap.

Late Qi Refinement cultivators could perform Artifact Flight and cast more powerful Spells. Even in this Market, they counted as people of standing.

But it's too early to celebrate.

Chen Zhuo's excitement gradually subsided. There are still bandit cultivators outside waiting for me. Even with this Premium Sword Qi Talisman, I can't let my guard down. I need to improve my ability to fight...

Twenty seconds of power at the level of a High-Grade Magical Artifact should be enough for most dangers. Still, I'd better learn a few practical combat Spells. I can't rely on Talismans every time...

Talismans were useful, but they were consumables, and expensive ones at that.

Chen Zhuo didn't want to burn money every time danger found him.

Looks like I'll have to visit the Immortal Estate's Spell Library and find a couple of practical Spell Arts to use.

Chen Zhuo had a plan.

He glanced at the Electronic Cigarette in his hand.

The liquid in its tube was almost gone, with only a drop or two left.

Not one to waste anything, Chen Zhuo took the device apart and licked up the last two drops.

Couldn't let them go to waste!

After that, Chen Zhuo sat cross-legged and began consolidating his new cultivation level.

He had reached Qi Refining Fourth Layer, but the Qi Sea in his Dantian had only just opened. It would take some time to stabilize.