Spirit Concealment Art

The most important thing in circulating qi was controlling the heat.

This was a cooking metaphor for circulating qi.

When cooking, if the fire burned too fiercely, it would dry out the pot, perhaps even crack it.

In terms of circulating qi, if one overdid it and the spiritual qi became too scorching, it would burn and damage the human body, this cauldron, utterly destroying one's Dao foundation.

But if the heat was insufficient, the qi could not pass through the apertures or break through the Twelvefold Gates.

What mattered most was getting it just right.

This degree was difficult to grasp. Every sect had mnemonics and experience passed down through generations. Even so, elders had to observe from the side at all times, ready to stop disciples the moment they made an error in circulating qi. Only then could the casualty rate among disciples be lowered.

Therefore, circulating qi took considerable time. For a cultivator newly admitted to the sect, breaking through the Twelvefold Gates by circulating qi within three months was considered passable.

Completing it within one month, however, made one a rare and outstanding talent.

Yet Zhou Qing before them had completed a Heavenly Cycle in a single night, all on his own and without an elder guarding him.

Such talent would be enough to shock the world if spoken of.

Faced with such a genius, even though Chen Qingxuan was a whole major realm above him, he found it difficult to offer any words of reprimand.

Geniuses always had privileges.

It had been so since ancient times, and even more so in the Cultivation World.

The regret in Chen Qingxuan's heart grew even stronger, reaching the point of bitter anguish.

Heaven had granted him peerless comprehension, yet given him only a single spirit root...

He shook his head sorrowfully and said, "What are you all standing around for? This has nothing to do with you. Go sense spiritual qi on your own."

"Zhou Qing, you will protect your junior brothers and sisters."

Having said that, he sat down dejectedly upon his meditation cushion, took a deep draught of wine, raised his head to stare at the drifting clouds overhead, and let out a long sigh.

The disciples reluctantly gathered their focus, each sitting cross-legged, calming their minds and steadying their qi as they sensed the spiritual qi between Heaven and Earth.

Nie Yunxi shot him an aggrieved glare. "You were lecturing me so righteously just now, but you're even more excessive than I am."

Zhou Qing smiled. "That's why I'm the senior apprentice. Uncle Chen just appointed me."

Nie Yunxi gave a lady-like curtsy and smiled. "Then please give me much guidance, Senior Apprentice."

With that, she too sat down cross-legged and began sensing spiritual qi.

Chen Qingxuan stared blankly at the drifting clouds while the other disciples sat quietly in meditation. On the vast Instruction Platform, Zhou Qing was the only one left standing.

He had to carry out the task Chen Qingxuan had assigned him and protect the disciples on the Instruction Platform.

So-called protecting the Dharma meant keeping watch over their condition at all times. If anyone's thoughts became troubled, he would wake them up to keep them from falling into danger.

This work suited Zhou Qing perfectly.

Earlier, in the Imprint Hall, he had been considering the possibility of simulating others' electromagnetic signals—in other words, the unique life aura every cultivator possessed.

Now, he could try to see whether he could analyze the frequencies of other people's electromagnetic signals.

If he could analyze them, then he would be only one step away from simulating them.

Zhou Qing walked back and forth among the disciples, constantly sensing the state of their minds. He occasionally woke those in poor condition, while also attempting to analyze their mental states.

He quickly discovered that this was an incomparably difficult task.

A person's life aura was not a single electromagnetic signal, but the superposition of countless electromagnetic signals.

Analyzing any one person's life aura was an enormously time-consuming undertaking.

Moreover, these disciples had already begun sensing spiritual qi. The interference spiritual qi caused to magnetic fields only made the task more difficult.

Zhou Qing estimated that, with his current precision in controlling magnetic fields, he likely could not develop this ability anytime soon.

However, he could test the development of other abilities.

For instance, using magnetic fields to affect other people's minds.

To affect another's mind with a magnetic field, there was no need to fully analyze their mental state. He only needed to increase the magnetic field's strength and use it to shake their consciousness.

Human mental activity could not exist without electromagnetic signals, and cultivators were no exception. As long as he used a magnetic field to disrupt their electromagnetic signals, their minds would naturally be affected.

The difference was that cultivators' minds were protected by spiritual qi. Interfering with them would require more power, but it was not impossible.

Considering that all of a cultivator's Inner Qi was guided by the mind, a chaotic mind could lead to backlash from the qi. If he could develop a skill that shook a cultivator's consciousness, it ought to become another of his trump cards.

However, this skill did not seem easy to test on his "adorable" junior brothers and sisters. Besides, Uncle Chen was right beside him, so he did not dare make any sneaky moves.

Left with no choice, he could only honestly fulfill his duties as a "teaching assistant" and protect these disciples.

A day passed quickly.

At dusk, all the disciples still sensing spiritual qi were awakened.

After a day of practice, the disciples had become more adept at sensing spiritual qi, and the time they could commune with it had also increased.

Having been suddenly awakened, they were all still wanting more.

Chen Qingxuan said, "Zhou Qing stays. Everyone else, disperse."

The disciples rose from their meditation cushions and first cupped their hands to Chen Qingxuan in salute. "Farewell, Uncle Chen."

Then they saluted Zhou Qing. "Farewell, Senior Apprentice."

Only then did they each head down the mountain.

Watching their retreating backs, Zhou Qing said thoughtfully, "Uncle Chen, doing this makes it very easy for people to think you're making an inside arrangement."

Chen Qingxuan nodded. "I do intend to make you the Senior Apprentice."

He had agreed to Elder Jin Mang too rashly yesterday. He should still fight for this once more.

If Zhou Qing became the Senior Apprentice, he could receive stronger support from the sect. With his comprehension and temperament, he would certainly go farther.

But now was not the time to discuss that.

Chen Qingxuan said, "Zhou Qing, I will teach you a mnemonic. From now on, add it whenever you circulate qi."

As he spoke, he recited a short mnemonic.

Worried that Zhou Qing might not remember it at once, he recited it several more times, then explained its key points to him.

Zhou Qing asked, "Uncle Chen, what mnemonic is this?"

Chen Qingxuan said, "The Spirit Concealment Art. It is a method for concealing your own Spirit Pressure. I was originally supposed to teach it to all of you together after you had each successfully completed a Heavenly Cycle. Since you have already succeeded, I am teaching it to you early."

"Spirit Pressure?"

Zhou Qing asked curiously, "What is that?"

Chen Qingxuan smiled. "As the name implies, it is the pressure of spiritual qi. Have you noticed that the feeling you give others now is completely different from yesterday?"

Zhou Qing smiled. "I hadn't noticed it myself, but Wei Xu and the others did mention it."

"That is Spirit Pressure."

Chen Qingxuan explained, "A cultivator's body is so small, yet every day, we draw spiritual qi into it. In truth, we are compressing spiritual qi within our bodies."

"Compared with spiritual qi in its natural state, compressed spiritual qi carries a stronger pressure. That is Spirit Pressure."

"One can judge a person's cultivation from their Spirit Pressure. For example, the limit of Spirit Pressure at the first layer of Qi Refinement is three feet beyond the body. After that, every increase in cultivation expands the range of Spirit Pressure by three feet, and its intensity also grows greater."

"It was from the Spirit Pressure on you that I saw you had already completed a Heavenly Cycle."