Third layer of the Qi Refining Realm

Ye Han slowly opened his eyes and discovered that the world before him seemed to have become clearer in that instant.

The sensation was wonderful. His whole being felt refreshed, as though he had enjoyed an exceptionally restful sleep and awakened with his senses renewed. His eyes were bright, and his ears could pick up the sound of insects eating grass outside the cave abode.

Indeed, after taking this Inferior Qi Refining Pill, Ye Han had finally broken through.

Reaching the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm had brought unparalleled changes to his body.

This meditation session had also lasted several times longer than before. By circulating the Azure Mystic Art, he had not only absorbed the medicinal power of the pill in his stomach but also drawn in more of the heaven and earth spiritual energy within the cave abode.

He suddenly noticed that his body felt sticky. Wiping a hand over himself, he found that his sweat was somewhat viscous and looked dirty.

A thought struck him, and he murmured, "Is this what Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan meant by expelling impurities from the body?"

The smell was rather unpleasant, however, so he went into the room to wash himself.

His cave abode had an opening that automatically supplied water, which he could use for washing and grooming...

All he had to do was press a mechanism.

He had not known about it before; Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan had taught him. Otherwise, he would still have been going outside to bathe every day.

Cultivators truly were not so simple.

After washing, Ye Han emerged brimming with energy, savoring the delightful changes in himself...

As he grew accustomed to them, he discovered another change: his perception of heaven and earth spiritual energy had become sharper.

The heaven and earth spiritual energy inside the cave abode was several times denser than outside, but even after advancing to the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm, he had not felt the difference particularly strongly.

Now that he had advanced to the third layer, the sensation was especially pronounced. The difference between the heaven and earth spiritual energy outside and inside was unmistakable.

No wonder Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan had told him that letting a beginner of the Qi Refining Realm cultivate amid such abundant heaven and earth spiritual energy was a terrible waste.

As it turned out, although the heaven and earth spiritual energy here was sufficiently dense, at his current cultivation level, circulating the Azure Mystic Art did not allow him to absorb it very efficiently.

Even after absorbing it for most of the day, he might only take in about one-twentieth of it.

And that was only because he cultivated the Azure Mystic Art rather than an ordinary cultivation method.

Had he been practicing an ordinary cultivation method, the results might have been even worse, and he might not even have crossed the threshold yet.

Yet a single Inferior Qi Refining Pill had allowed him to break through and reach the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

He still had five better-quality Qi Refining Pills that the Azure Phoenix Fairy had given him. He felt certain that their effects would be far superior to those of this Inferior Qi Refining Pill.

If he took them, they would surely allow his cultivation to advance rapidly.

However, that was the ideal scenario. Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan had told him that cultivators could not take pills too frequently. Although pills could greatly accelerate their cultivation over a short period of time,

because their cultivation had been built up with medicinal assistance, their bodies would develop resistance, and taking the same pills again might no longer produce good results.

Furthermore, although they had broken through, their foundations would be unstable compared with those of other cultivators at the same level. They would barely possess the cultivation level without the corresponding strength.

More importantly, when attempting to break through a major realm, they would find that their strength could not keep pace with their aspirations. That was the consequence of increasing their strength too quickly.

There were truly so many things to consider in cultivation, and Ye Han was becoming increasingly immersed in its pleasures.

Sometimes, he felt that he was not seeking to become some incredibly powerful cultivator. Rather, the very sensation of cultivating felt wonderful.

Constantly climbing higher, constantly exploring, constantly improving, constantly gaining insights-perhaps cultivation itself was a process of elevating life...

Thus, Ye Han did not use those five Qi Refining Pills.

Instead, he continued practicing the Blood Refining Art. This was a cultivation method specifically meant to temper the body, and although it was incomplete,

it was already enough to give him a stronger physique during the Qi Refining Realm.

This cultivation method was Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan's greatest pride. He had explicitly told Ye Han that his current physique was several times stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator at the same level. When fighting or sparring with his peers, he was far more formidable than others in physical combat.

It was just that he kept a low profile, preferring to yield whenever trouble arose, and rarely fought other people...

Ye Han knew that Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan was not lying. One look at his muscles, far more robust than an ordinary person's, was enough to reveal how powerful his physique was.

Since Ye Han could not continue practicing the Azure Mystic Art for now, he could only practice the Blood Refining Art.

The moment he began practicing the Blood Refining Art, he noticed the changes brought about by his advancement. In the past, just performing a few of its movements would leave him straining, and his blood would begin to boil.

Now, as he performed them, he felt no strain. His blood flowed and surged slowly, drawing the magical power within his body into his flesh and muscles.

Indeed, the Blood Refining Art that Ye Han practiced used the magical power within his body to drive his blood, continually tempering his physique.

It constantly strengthened his body and muscles, granting him exceptionally formidable defense and strength.

He also discovered that while practicing the Blood Refining Art, his newly attained third layer of the Qi Refining Realm was gradually becoming much more stable.

So this Blood Refining Art could also stabilize his cultivation level?

No wonder Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan had insisted that he practice the Blood Refining Art.

But now that Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan was gone, he had no idea whom to ask about his many questions. He could only feel his own way forward.

The thought of Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan made his heart ache. He had been gone so long without returning that the odds were probably grim.

With his meager cultivation, he could do nothing to help Zhang Qingshan. Perhaps one day, once he had attained sufficient cultivation, all he could do would be to avenge him.

Of course, he still did not know what had happened to Senior Brother Zhang Qingshan.

He could not help recalling the skeleton he had seen when he discovered the Purple Cauldron and the Azure Mystic Token in that terrifying cave.

It had clearly belonged to a cultivator, and likely no weak one.

Even such a cultivator had perished there. Who knew how many cultivators beneath the heavens had died without anyone even collecting their bodies?

Soon, Ye Han had practiced the Blood Refining Art for more than six hours. He found that he could practice for over two hours longer than before.

It seemed that his increased cultivation benefited his practice of the Blood Refining Art.

Conversely, he felt that improving his Blood Refining Art also helped him practice the Azure Mystic Art, though the benefit was not as great.

After finishing his practice of the Blood Refining Art, Ye Han looked as though he had been hauled out of the water. His entire body was crimson, and beads of sweat the size of beans streamed down him.

He found that his magical power seemed to have been completely depleted. Perhaps he could take another Qi Refining Pill and cultivate again.

So he went to the concealed compartment in his room and took out the Qi Refining Pills.

He took out the Purple Cauldron as well.

At the sight of the Purple Cauldron, Ye Han's pupils abruptly contracted. "It's turned like that again?"