Under his inner gaze, the dense spiritual energy in his meridians, formed into a mist, passed through the Qi Sea vortex and condensed into droplets of liquid Spiritual Power, which fell into his Qi Sea.
As the Qi Sea stirred under the circulation of the Minor Five Elements Art, the liquid Spiritual Power surged like a river under Bai Yi's control, flowing into all his meridians to nourish them and continuously open up new ones, accelerating the circulation of the Lesser Celestial Circuit.
Half an hour later, when the effects of the Qi-Nourishing Pill had completely faded, Bai Yi exhaled a breath of stale air and slowly opened his eyes.
"At this rate, it'll take at least another three months to break through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer."
Bai Yi felt helpless. Breaking through to Qi Refining, Fourth Layer in his Second Year of High School, then reaching Qi Refining Fifth Layer during the summer vacation of his Third Year of High School-this pace was already quite fast, even for someone with Four Spiritual Roots.
And this was after he'd received some resource support from the White Household after his First Year of High School.
If someone with Four Spiritual Roots came from an ordinary family, they probably wouldn't break through to Qi Refining, Fourth Layer until their Third Year of High School, relying on themselves alone.
"If all else fails, I can only use the next Enlightenment Glimmer to comprehend the Minor Five Elements Art."
Having made his decision, Bai Yi didn't think any further. He sprang up from the Meditation Cushion, and a flash of spiritual light flickered at his fingertips. Amid the ringing of a sword, the Azure Edge Sword flew out of its sheath and hovered beside him.
Bai Yi ran his finger along the sword's body. The light on his wrist Terminal flickered, and a bioelectric current passed across his nerve endings. The effects of the Crystal Storage Crystal Core, which had been suppressed earlier, surged forth once more.
In his ear, that long, low voice seemed to sound faintly.
"The White Rainbow Sword Art is the foundational method practiced by our Taiyi Sword Sect. It takes the sword's utmost speed, like a rainbow and a shadow, vanishing in an instant..."
At the sound in his ear, Bai Yi's brows twitched.
Taiyi Sword Sect? From what he knew, only Third-Rate Sects used "Sect" as a suffix, but how could any Third-Rate Sect dare to use the words "Taiyi"?
"White Rainbow Sword Art Qi Circulation General Outline... Qi flows through Lesser Rushing, circulates through the Triple Burner, turns through myriad paths, and uses the sword meridian to surge through Hand Shaoyang..."
"Endow the sword with form and spirit, and let the mind remain calm. Use qi to control form..."
Bai Yi closed his eyes. The Spiritual Power in his body moved bit by bit, following the voice in his ear and the faint guiding sensation transmitted by the nerves in his body.
After going through it several times, he became somewhat more familiar with the foundational Qi-circulation formula.
Sword Qi gradually glimmered white around the Azure Edge Sword. A hint of sharpness emerged, only to quickly collapse and dissipate.
"This is the White Rainbow Sword Art Qi Circulation General Outline. When the sword goes forth and the qi follows, you have reached the entry level. When the qi follows the sword's movement, you have grown proficient, until you reach the pinnacle, where the sword follows the mind. I hope you will all work diligently!"
"Keep going..."
Bai Yi let his mind go blank. His Spiritual Power moved slowly, but never stopped for even a moment.
Five times... ten times... twenty times...
[Training time is over. Please leave the Cultivation Room.] [Student ID 100869527, Bai Yi: your training time for today is over. Please leave the rest area.]
The sudden drop in spiritual energy brought Bai Yi back to his senses. When he opened his eyes, he saw a projection screen glowing blue, floating in front of him.
"So it's already time."
Bai Yi rolled his head and saw that the projection screen moved along with his gaze, like a shadow following him.
The flickering blue light was also gradually showing signs of turning red.
"I'm going, I'm going. Stop rushing me!"
He swiped a finger down. The Azure Edge Sword returned to its sheath, and Bai Yi picked up the Two Flying Swords before quickly heading toward the door's security gate.
The door opened, and he saw several students gathered outside, their faces full of indignation.
"Who is it? You're almost half an hour over time. Do you even-know? Why are you pulling me?!"
The Third Year of High School student at the front was angrily shaking his arm when he turned and saw Bai Yi standing before him. His expression abruptly froze.
"But someone like you, Bai Yi, a top student, occasionally losing yourself in cultivation and running over time-I can really understand that."
"Sorry for wasting everyone's time."
After glancing at the few people waiting nearby, Bai Yi apologized, then turned and left the Cultivation Pagoda on his flying sword.
Only after seeing Bai Yi leave did the Third Year of High School students around them let out a long breath of relief. Knowing it was Bai Yi inside, they wouldn't have dared say another word, even if he'd stayed so long that the system forcibly kicked him out.
"I heard his Little Breeze Sword Art has already reached Dao Resonance Perfection..."
"We're both in our Third Year of High School, but my Bright Magnetic Hand hasn't even reached proficiency yet. Looks like I'll only be able to attend a small specialized college focused on magnetic force."
"First in the age-group assessment, Four Spiritual Roots, and a Sword Art at Dao Resonance Perfection. In another three months, we'll be people from two different worlds."
The few of them sighed heavily, bitterness and unwillingness in their eyes.
The competition for the immortal path had already begun back in Dao Studies.
On the Gravitational Magnetic Maglev Train
Bai Yi's eyelids were lowered as his Spiritual Power circulated, forming a Qi Vortex in his Qi Sea and slowly refining the spiritual energy remaining in his meridians.
"The White Rainbow Sword Art truly lives up to being a Higher Vehicle Swordsmanship of the Qi Refining Stage. It takes at least nearly a month to master the basics of circulating qi and controlling the sword."
"For now, my main priority is still to break through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer as soon as possible."
He stopped circulating the Minor Five Elements Art and looked out the window. Yesterday, his father had received the White Household's reply.
After learning that he'd cultivated the Little Breeze Sword Art to Dao Resonance Perfection, the White Household Main Lineage had made it clear that they would send someone personally to Lanshan City.
After all, for the White Household, only a little over ten people had a chance of getting into a First-Rate Academy this year.
The aptitude he'd displayed now would make him a genius in the top tier even among the resource-rich Main Lineage.
[South City Old District station. Please exit in an orderly manner.]
After leaving the fairly clean station, Bai Yi glanced at the neon-lit streets and hurried along the road toward the residential compound where his home was.
South City Old District was the earliest developed technology district in Lanshan City. Although it had gradually fallen behind over the long course of development,
the Real-Time Sky-Eye System and Fully Automated Sanitation-Cleaning Robot Ecosystem covering the area still made it the best choice for families who were comfortably off but didn't have much money.
Huayuan New City residential compound
Bai Yi swiped his Terminal over the entry platform at the gate and returned to the small courtyard of his home on the forty-sixth floor.
He crossed the stone steps. A full-body holographic projection swept over Bai Yi in front of the gray-black door, made of nano semi-alloy material.
[Identity verified. Welcome home!]
The door unlocked automatically. As soon as Bai Yi entered, he saw his parents chatting amiably in the living room with a middle-aged man dressed in a White Robe, digital auspicious clouds flowing across its surface.
Beside the man, a young woman in a denim jacket with headphones slung around her neck was looking around in boredom. Her gaze happened to land on Bai Yi.
"Dad, he's back!"
At the young woman's words, Bai Guoshan and the others stopped talking, turned, and smiled at Bai Yi.
"Xiao Yi, this is your Uncle Luo. His grandfather was your great-grandfather's younger brother, the third in birth order."
"Back then, only your Third Great-Grandfather from our branch stayed with the main household because of his good aptitude."
"Your Uncle Luo is now at Qi Refining Eighth Layer and is specifically in charge of some of the White Household's Logistics Affairs."
Bai Guoshan patted Bai Luo, who was standing beside him, and spoke with some emotion.
If not for his eldest daughter, Bai Yu, reconnecting with the White Household five years ago, he would never have imagined that the third younger brother his grandfather used to speak of had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment and was still serving in the main household.