Back at the sect, on Greenleaf Peak.
Inside his cave abode, Song Yan sat cross-legged on the stone bed, breathing slowly and emptying his mind of impatience.
Breaking through a cultivation realm was, by its very nature, like plucking chestnuts from a fire.
If haste threw his state of mind into turmoil, not only would the breakthrough fail, but he might also suffer Qi deviation.
Once the distracting thoughts in his mind had dispersed, he swept his fingertips and set up the Little Spirit Gathering Formation.
The Spirit Stones in his palm gave off a soft, lustrous glow.
He had bought the Spirit Gathering Formation at the market some time ago and had already used it several times.
He reckoned it would stop working after a few more uses.
Song Yan had no habit of stockpiling spiritual resources. Whenever he accumulated a certain amount of Spirit Stones, he would generally take them to the market to buy Spirit Gathering Formations and pills.
Money was always an external possession. Only when spent on himself did it truly become his.
The path of cultivation was the same. There was no point fretting over whether something was too precious to use. Only by refining heavenly treasures into oneself could they truly become provisions for the journey toward the Dao and immortality.
Sitting cross-legged in meditation, he centered himself and held to oneness.
This time, he hesitated no longer and put a Yellow Sprout Pill straight into his mouth.
The pill dissolved on his tongue, and Spiritual Qi surged into his meridians like a thawing spring stream.
The Dao Seed within the Sword Mansion of the Dao-Subduing flickered between light and shadow, breathing in and out spiritual breath and stirring ripples like those on water.
The surrounding lotus-shaped Sword Qi trembled with it.
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