Time flew

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell across Zhang Yao's cheeks, waking him from his sleep.

"Ah! Cultivation really isn't something you can master overnight!" Zhang Yao sighed as he sat up in bed.

During his cultivation the previous night, Zhang Yao had kept feeling something enter his body as he followed the special breathing method. But whenever he tried to examine the sensation more closely, it vanished as though it had never existed.

Then, whenever Zhang Yao gave up, the sensation returned! It was just like hide-and-seek: when he went looking for it, it disappeared, but when he was about to give up, a voice called out to tell him where it was, teasing him endlessly.

He had spent the entire night struggling like that, eventually falling asleep without realizing it and gaining nothing at all. Yet Zhang Yao wasn't the least bit discouraged.

According to the cultivation manual, qi drawing into the body was the first level of the Nine Nether Art. Anyone who gained an initial grasp of it within three months was a genius. Those who managed it within three years were ordinary people. But if someone still couldn't get started after three years, then all the manual could say was, "Sorry, your aptitude is poor, and you really aren't suited to cultivating the Nine Nether Art!" Anyone unwilling to give up could try a different cultivation art.

That passage was precisely why Zhang Yao wasn't discouraged at all. In his view, even if he wasn't a genius, he was at least an ordinary person! Fine, I won't expect to get started in three months, but surely three years will do!

"Whew! I'd better hurry, or I'll be late for school!" Pulling his thoughts away from his first cultivation session the night before, Zhang Yao glanced at the alarm clock beside his bed and immediately sprang up.

As he walked to school, Zhang Yao's heart burned with excitement whenever he thought of the wondrous techniques described in the Nine Nether Art. Images of himself soaring through the sky and tunneling through the earth kept flashing through his mind.

The Nine Nether Art had nine realms: qi drawing into the body, body tempering with qi, qi transforming into essence, essence connecting to the soul, soul and essence unification, soul transforming the firmament, soul soaring into the void, heart's return through ten thousand calamities, and nine nether reincarnation. The first two levels, qi drawing into the body and body tempering with qi, were foundational realms. Broadly speaking, they could even be combined into a single realm.

Though it was foundational, no one could afford to underestimate the first level. Qi drawing into the body was the most important level of the entire Nine Nether Art! After all, if someone couldn't even cultivate the first level properly, the later techniques were nothing but castles in the air.

Once the foundation was established, cultivation of the later techniques could begin. Every advance in realm after that would bring a transformation! According to the Nine Nether Art, reaching complete mastery of the final level would allow someone to become an immortal patriarch.

Zhang Yao didn't dare dream of becoming an immortal patriarch, but he very much wanted to experience the effects of those wondrous techniques.

The days passed one by one. The blazing summer sun shed its last lingering rays, and the autumn wind began dancing with yellowing leaves. When the first heavy snowfall blanketed all of South City, wild laughter rang out from Zhang Yao's room:

"Hahaha, I did it! I did it! I finally mastered the first level, qi drawing into the body!" Zhang Yao could clearly feel the faint current of qi flowing through his dantian, and he laughed until tears streamed down his face.

Eight months. Eight whole months. Zhang Yao had devoted every moment outside school to cultivation, and today, amid the drifting snow, his efforts had finally paid off.

His laughter continued for a long time before gradually subsiding. Fortunately, the entire courtyard belonged to Zhang Yao's family, and usually only he and his grandfather lived there. His grandfather also happened to be visiting his aunt that day. Otherwise, anyone hearing Zhang Yao's crazed laughter would surely have thought he had lost his mind.

The current of qi flowed slowly through his dantian, like a fish swimming through a lake. As Zhang Yao steadily regulated his breathing, this true qi gradually increased at a rate he could plainly perceive. By the time he finished, the amount of true qi in his dantian had doubled.

Feeling the greatly increased true qi circling endlessly through his dantian, Zhang Yao was beside himself with excitement. Just a short breathing session had produced such remarkable results. If he continued a little longer, wouldn't he gain even more true qi? Once it reached a sufficient amount, he could begin opening the lesser heavenly circuit. With that circuit open, wouldn't he soon be able to complete the qi drawing into the body stage?

He immediately put the thought into action. Slowly controlling his breathing and focusing his mind, Zhang Yao began another breathing session. This time, however, things didn't go so smoothly. After the previous session, he had immediately felt an increase in the true qi within his dantian. After this one, the increase was negligible.

After several consecutive attempts, Zhang Yao finally began to understand what was happening and sighed inwardly. It looks like that first breathing session produced the greatest increase because I'd only just cultivated true qi for the first time. From now on, I can only accumulate it little by little! According to the Nine Nether Art, advancing from qi drawing into the body to body tempering with qi requires opening the lesser heavenly circuit, and the amount of true qi needed for that is no joke! At this rate, who knows when I'll reach body tempering with qi!

"Forget it. I endured all those long, tedious months just to enter the qi drawing into the body stage. What else can't I endure? As long as I keep working hard, I'll open the lesser heavenly circuit and reach body tempering with qi someday!" Zhang Yao shook his head and decided to take it slowly. Like grinding an iron rod into a needle, he would persevere and cultivate diligently.

Zhang Yao wanted to reach body tempering with qi quickly not only because the nourishment of nine nether true qi would bring earth-shattering changes to his body at that level, but also because he would then be able to practice a footwork technique included in the Nine Nether Art called the Nine Nether Yin Wind Step.

The Nine Nether Yin Wind Step was a supplementary technique of the Nine Nether Art. Although someone only needed to reach body tempering with qi to begin practicing it, it was not to be underestimated. The Nine Nether Yin Wind Step grew stronger as one advanced through the realms of the Nine Nether Art! Once the Nine Nether Art reached a sufficiently high level, using the Nine Nether Yin Wind Step would probably leave others unable to catch even a glimpse of one's shadow. It truly was an indispensable skill for staying home, traveling, and killing.

Though Zhang Yao coveted the Nine Nether Yin Wind Step, he knew there was no rushing it. He could only persevere and wait until he had opened the lesser heavenly circuit before practicing it.

"Whew!" Pushing open the window, Zhang Yao gazed at the great, feathery snowflakes outside and felt the cold wind strike his face. Yet he found it indescribably pleasant. Perhaps this was what people meant when they said good news lifted the spirits.

"Huh!" Standing at the window, Zhang Yao happened to notice the stone that had been stored with the Nine Nether Art.

After obtaining the Nine Nether Art, Zhang Yao had thrown himself into cultivation, neglecting food and sleep. As for the stone, he had long since tossed it aside. Had he not suddenly spotted it again, he probably wouldn't even have remembered it existed.

With a slight shrug, Zhang Yao bent down and picked up the stone.

Zhang Yao wanted to take another look and find out what this stone actually was. After all, something stored alongside a miraculous cultivation art like the Nine Nether Art couldn't be completely worthless. But the moment he picked it up, he noticed something was wrong!

The stone was slowly absorbing his true qi!

(P.S. Today's first update~~~ There'll be another tonight~~~ Guys, please keep supporting Tuifei's new book~~~~ Your support is what keeps Tuifei going~~~~~~~~~~)