The foundation of cultivation

Body tempering strengthened the physique. A strong body meant abundant Vital Essence, and refining Vital Essence into vital energy made one an origin scholar.

Whether at the body tempering stage or an origin scholar, one could only be called a martial artist. Only upon attaining True Martial could one barely qualify as a Cultivator.

For the Profound Martial Secret Treasure was the foundation of cultivation, its very seed.

Gu Yuanqing examined his Secret Treasury inwardly and saw that it occupied his entire crimson palace. The Grand Formation formed by his faintly glowing acupoints and ceaselessly circulating vital energy held the Profound Martial Secret Treasure firmly within the crimson palace like chains.

Vital energy flowed into the Secret Treasury and emerged again, refined and transformed through Transformation into strands of purer true qi.

Within the Martial Dao Secret Treasury, earth, Fire Dao, Wind Dao, and water had gradually settled, as though forming a tiny world. Yet this small world was still in its earliest state and needed qi of Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha gathered and poured into it to spur its transformation and growth.

Gu Yuanqing studied the outer membrane of the Secret Treasury's world. Seeing seven-colored radiance mingled with its black and crimson hues, his eyes lit up.

"This lies between the Mysterious Martial Secret Treasure and the Supreme Saint Martial Secret Treasure. If nurtured properly, it can become a Saint Martial Secret Treasure!"

A Secret Treasury was not immutable once opened, but transforming it afterward through Transformation came at a far greater cost than doing so beforehand.

Nor did a better Cultivation Technique necessarily yield a better Secret Treasury. Aptitude, talent, and even fortune all played a part; superior Cultivation Techniques merely offered a greater chance of opening a higher-grade Secret Treasury.

For instance, the Profound Heaven Art, which nurtured thirty-six acupoints, would most likely open an Earth Martial Secret Treasure. Yet many people opened a Human Martial Secret Treasure instead, while those of exceptional talent, with deep foundations and fortune's favor, might open a heavenly martial secret treasure.

And a heavenly martial secret treasure offered the possibility of becoming a grandmaster!

Gu Yuanqing was quite satisfied with his current condition. Though only traces of seven-colored radiance mingled within it, they would spare him countless efforts in the Transformation of the Mysterious Martial Secret Treasure into a Saint Martial Secret Treasure!

Gu Yuanqing opened his eyes and found that only his head remained above the bed's surface. He did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"Even a hundred precautions leave one oversight. I considered the problems that might arise during cultivation, but never thought of this. It seems I'll have to sleep somewhere else tonight."

He rose from the bed, drank a little water, then went outside, broke the ice covering the water jar, and washed the sweat from his body with cold water.

Then he returned indoors, changed his clothes, bundled up the bedding, and carried it to another room in the courtyard.

It was already deep into the night, but he had no desire to sleep.

After several months here, he had finally attained True Martial, and only now did he truly feel the gulf between True Martial and an origin scholar.

The acupoint Grand Formation anchored the Profound Martial Secret Treasure, but was it not also using that treasure as its core to unite the power of all his acupoints?

The energy channels throughout his body now formed a single whole. His qi followed the slightest movement of his will, and a casual punch held the force that had once required him to drive his Cultivation Technique with all his might!

It took a long time for Gu Yuanqing's emotions to settle completely.

Sitting on the bed, he entered Mountain Observation and saw that the old man was still busy in the cave, even at this late hour.

"He really does work hard. In all these months, he hasn't rested for more than five days."

Gu Yuanqing lightly clenched his fist and could not help thinking, Do I now have the strength to fight this old man? Then he broke into an amused smile.

"He has nothing to do with me. Why think about that?"

Yet the instant this thought arose in Gu Yuanqing's mind, the old man's movements stiffened again, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Gu Yuanqing did not see this. His attention had shifted to the foot of the mountain, where some of the soldiers stationed at North Spring Mountain's gate were still awake. Two patrols made their way along the mountain road through the bitter Wind Dao.

Inside the encampment, several soldiers huddled around a blazing Fire Dao for warmth.

A soldier who still looked rather young could not resist asking, "Uncle Qian, aside from two deaf-mute old servants and some rich young master who committed who knows what offense, there isn't even a ghost's shadow on North Spring Mountain. What are we doing stationed here year-round?"

"North Spring Mountain used to be the North Spring Sword Sect's Residence. Rumor has it there's a Secret Sword within that points straight to Beyond Grandmaster."

"I know that too. But I heard the Imperial Court has sent countless people to search over the past few decades without finding anything. I'd say the Secret Sword probably isn't on North Spring Mountain. Besides, they call it forbidden ground, but we only guard the road on one side. The other three sides are sheer cliffs, sure, but experts can cross them as though walking on level ground."

Uncle Qian laughed heartily. "You youngsters certainly think about a lot. The Imperial Court naturally has its reasons for these arrangements. We need only follow orders."

The young soldier said, "I just think this place where even birds won't shit is far too dull. Oh, Uncle Qian, do you know what crime that rich young master committed? Last time I went up with a palace eunuch, I wasn't allowed to say a single word. After we came down, General Chen even summoned me for questioning."

Uncle Qian reached out and slapped the back of the young soldier's head. "Boy, don't ask about palace affairs or go poking around. Think you've lived too long?"

Gu Yuanqing watched the scene below with great interest. There was no one on the mountain he could talk to, and ever since the range of his Mountain Observation had encompassed the Residence, he had gone to listen for a while almost every day.

Only after a long time did he withdraw his gaze. Then he cleared his mind of stray thoughts, sank his consciousness into North Spring Mountain, and sensed the mountain's own rhythms.

Dimly, he could sense a strand of spiritual qi slowly emerging and growing at its very core as North Spring Mountain expanded and contracted like a breathing creature.

"Soon. Perhaps in another few months, North Spring Mountain will complete the initial stage of spirit imbuing and become a Spirit Mountain!"

At that thought, Gu Yuanqing frowned again.

A Spirit Mountain's Transformation would inevitably produce outward changes. Given enough time, someone might notice, bringing trouble.

This was also one reason he had decided to break through to the true martial realm today. He needed to raise his cultivation as much as possible to cope with any changes.

At dawn the next day, when the sky had barely begun to brighten, Gu Yuanqing rose and washed. Then he left the Courtyard and sat cross-legged on a flat Stone to the east to regulate his breathing.

Overnight, the Secret Treasury had become more firmly established within his crimson palace, and its connections with his vital energy and major acupoints had grown closer.

Gu Yuanqing silently circulated his cultivation method, sensing the gradual changes in the vital energy within his body.

Strands of sunlight spilled into the mountains. Supreme yang qi spurred changes in the qi, and as the supreme yang Fire Dao was worn away, it became qi of heaven gang. Gu Yuanqing was about to draw this strand of qi into his abdomen when inspiration suddenly struck, and he entered Mountain Observation.

In an instant, the changes in the qi became far clearer.

With each breath, the qi of heaven gang produced by the shifting Yin-Yang qi was drawn into North Spring Mountain. Guided by Gu Yuanqing's consciousness, it gathered in the North Spring Mountain phantom within his sea of consciousness.

The sun rose little by little, the yin energy receded, and qi of heaven gang ceased to form.

Gu Yuan examined his sea of consciousness inwardly and was overjoyed.

The difference between the strength of one man and that of an entire mountain was more than ten millionfold. Strand after strand of qi of heaven gang circulated within the North Spring Mountain phantom.

He restrained his excitement and, with a shift of his will, sent the heavenly gang out of his sea of consciousness and into his crimson palace along with his true qi.

Changes arose within the Secret Treasury once more. Like parched earth suddenly sprinkled with sweet dew, its vitality slowly began to revive.

Only when all the qi of heaven gang had entered the Secret Treasury did Gu Yuanqing finally break into a smile.

"I can use North Spring Mountain to gather qi of heaven gang, and the same goes for qi of earth sha. This way, who knows how many times faster I'll cultivate than an ordinary person! If I can become a grandmaster before anyone discovers the Spirit Mountain's Transformation, my earlier worries will fall apart like bamboo beneath a blade!"