[New cultivation activity detected from host!] [Host detected cultivating diligently from scratch, devotedly studying an orthodox cultivation method!] [Trait [Diligence Can Make Up for Lack of Aptitude] automatically activated!] [Trait [Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence] activated in tandem!]
Two lines of faintly glowing text appeared on the panel, and two invisible forces quietly settled into every limb and bone of his body.
[Diligence Can Make Up for Lack of Aptitude in effect: aptitude restrictions temporarily dissolved, Spiritual Qi leakage from the False Spirit Root suppressed, cultivation error tolerance increased, all gains from diligent cultivation retained.] [Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence in effect: diligence buff loaded, Spiritual Qi absorption rate increased by three hundred percent for this cultivation session. Sustained, steady cultivation can raise it further!]
Spiritual Qi slipped away the moment it touched his meridians, like drawing water with a bamboo basket.
But now, the fire-attribute Spiritual Qi drifting through the world obediently entered his meridians along the circulation route of the Fire Cloud Cultivation Method, slowly gathering toward his Dantian.
The violent Li Fire Spiritual Qi should have scorched his frail meridians, but now a gentle force soothed that burning pain.
The buffs from diligence can make up for lack of aptitude and heavenly Dao rewards diligence began displaying their divine power.
The once abstruse and incomprehensible Fire Cloud Cultivation Method began becoming clear and easy to understand, like a beautiful woman standing naked before him for his appreciation.
In less than an hour, Chen Fan had already reached the third level of the Fire Cloud Cultivation Method. A tiny cluster of fiery threads appeared in his palm, flickering slightly.
For Chen Fan to have fought his way out through thousands of troops and horses to rank forty-ninth in the city examinations showed that his comprehension had never been low. Now, with the added support of a False Spirit Root, his progress was nothing short of lightning-fast!
Suddenly, a scorching breath rushed at him and entered his body. Blazing flames began burning his body, and his pseudo fire Spirit Root began operating, making efficient use of them.
A short while later, a milky-white spiritual power began surging from Chen Fan's body.
"S-s-s-so, so damn good!"
Chen Fan was beyond excited. Was this what refining Qi felt like? It was absolutely wonderful!
Suddenly, a foul stench assaulted his nose. Large amounts of grime and toxins began discharging from Chen Fan's body. These were impurities and toxins he had absorbed over years of living in the mortal district, now being expelled through fire tempering thanks to the Fire Cloud Cultivation Method.
Chen Fan frowned and called for the cultivation room's service butler!
"Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, activate cleaning mode!"
"Ding!"
The cultivation room's environment was gradually being adjusted, with humidity increasing.
At Chen Fan's command, the entire cultivation room began changing. Spiritual Qi gathered from every direction, and as the internal functions changed, the original Spiritual Qi turned into vaporous Spiritual Qi and began spreading.
Spiritual Qi mist swirled as water vapor sprayed from every direction at once. This was modified Spiritual Qi. Although water and Spiritual Qi were mixed at a ratio of 1:100, the Immortal Estate still had a conscience and had not cut corners on this.
Soon, Chen Fan finished washing and began issuing commands to the intelligent butler again.
"Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, switch to cultivation mode!"
"Ding, cultivation mode activated. Current Spiritual Qi concentration: 6.3%. Your remaining discretionary Spiritual Qi allowance for today is 17%, and your freely available time is two and a half kun-hours. Please arrange your cultivation time reasonably and exit promptly after completing cultivation! Happy cultivating!"
As the voice finished, the cultivation room underwent another round of changes. Spiritual Qi began gathering, filling the entire room in an instant.
Listening to the notification, Chen Fan began circulating his cultivation method at full power and resumed his diligent cultivation.
Cultivating the Fire Cloud Cultivation Method was incredibly easy. Once the foundations of the first three levels were completed, everything afterward was simple.
Chen Fan sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut. No sooner had he thoroughly grasped the circulation route of the third level of the Fire Cloud Cultivation Method than he pushed open the door to the fourth.
The diligence can make up for lack of aptitude buff acted like a pair of invisible hands, smoothing out the unruly strands of fire-attribute Spiritual Qi and pressing them into his meridians. Heavenly Dao rewards diligence was even fiercer, directly doubling his absorption rate, making Spiritual Qi enter his body as though someone had turned up the playback speed.
His meridians trembled slightly. The fiery threads solidified, becoming fiery strands that emerged through his skin and wound around his arms.
Then the fiery strands formed bundles, like little dragons coiling around him.
Finally, fire clouds protected his body, their scorching light flowing.
Li Mubai had said in the video that ordinary cultivators needed two and a half kun-months of diligent cultivation to reach the sixth level.
Chen Fan glanced at the time-from activating the buffs until now, only a single morning had passed.
"No, no, this is too flashy. I need to keep a low profile." Though he said that, his hands never paused.
"Ding!" Xiaoyi's voice sounded at just the right moment. "The room owner's Spiritual Qi absorption rate has been detected as abnormally high. Your circulation route has been optimized. Current Spiritual Qi concentration: 8.3%. Remaining allowance: 11%. Available time: less than two kun."
Chen Fan's mouth twitched. "Two kun? Did your Immortal Estate learn its units of time from singing, dancing, and rap?"
"Friendly reminder: your Spiritual Qi allowance will be exhausted in one hour, at which point cultivation mode will automatically end. Happy cultivating."
"Fine, fine, I get it. What's the rush? You're just like that loan center of mine."
As he spoke, another Micro Message notification popped up-
[Jingzhou Handong University, Sword Dao Theory and Science, Incoming Class of 1224 Group]
"Brothers, I successfully drew in Qi yesterday!"
"Big shot! I only just finished memorizing the mnemonic. I can't even get a feel for Qi."
"I heard this year's top scorer in the Jingzhou examination district might reach the third level before enrollment. A human engine. Just grind us all to death already."
Chen Fan silently closed the group chat and looked at the cluster of fire clouds in his palm, which was on the verge of becoming solid, sinking into thought.
This year's freshmen... weren't much competition.
Another message arrived, from the Immortal Estate Student Loan Center:
[Friendly reminder: interest on your loan secured against your Spirit Root usage rights will begin accruing after graduation. Please plan your cultivation and loan repayments reasonably.]
Chen Fan swiped it away expressionlessly. "Nag, nag, nag. I borrowed that money with my own abilities. Why should I pay it back?"
With that interruption over, he continued cultivating diligently, breaking through the seventh and eighth levels in succession. The fire clouds condensed into Gang, and crimson patterns appeared beneath his skin, like magma flowing under it.
Chen Fan felt as though he had become a human furnace. Just standing in the cultivation room could raise its temperature by three degrees. He was more than qualified to moonlight as a hand warmer.
And just before the barrier to the ninth level-
All the fiery threads, fiery strands, and fire clouds inside him abruptly contracted, frantically converging in his Dantian. A crimson halo rose from his body, and all the Spiritual Qi in the cultivation room was stirred up, spiraling toward him.
The Fire Cloud Cultivation Method, ninth level, complete mastery!
"I did it!" Chen Fan's eyes snapped open, flames dancing in his pupils.
Li Mubai had said in the video that complete mastery of the ninth level meant fire essence tempering the body, transforming both flesh and Spiritual Qi, allowing a direct transition into supreme fire-attribute techniques.
Chen Fan clenched his fist, feeling the surging strength inside him. He felt he could punch a dent in the cultivation room's door right now.
"Qi Refining Realm, here I come!"
He took a deep breath and, following the breakthrough method recorded in the general instructions, condensed the fire essence in his Dantian into a Qi vortex and slammed it against that invisible barrier-
Boom!!!
Agony exploded from his Dantian. The Qi vortex struck the barrier like an egg against a stone and shattered with a crash. A sweet taste rose in Chen Fan's throat, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale.
"Wh... what's going on?!"
The panel lit up right on cue:
[Attempt to break through to the Qi Refining Realm failed!] [Cause analysis: host's Spirit Root is a low-tier fire-attribute False Spirit Root, with a Spiritual Qi affinity of only 16%. Fire essence purity is insufficient to condense the first "life-bound spirit vein" required for the Qi Refining Realm.] [Notice: complete mastery of a cultivation method ≠ realm breakthrough. The Qi Refining Realm requires life-bound true breath as a guide. Current Spirit Root grade cannot support it.] [Possible solutions: ① Spirit Root evolution materials (internal resources of higher educational institutions); ② external aids such as Spirit Gathering Pills and Life-Bound True Breath Seeds; ③ redemption through interstellar war merits...]
Chen Fan stared at the panel for a long while before finally squeezing out a sentence. "My pants are already off, and now you tell me this?"
What did it mean to want to cry but have no tears? This was exactly what it meant.
But Chen Fan was ultimately someone who could take things in stride. He rubbed his aching Dantian. "All right. I've mastered the cultivation method. The road isn't blocked; the threshold's just a little high."
His gaze fell on the two traits in the corner of the panel that still displayed "???", and he looked thoughtful.
Diligence can make up for lack of aptitude, heavenly Dao rewards diligence-these two buffs were absurdly powerful, but their grades were a mystery.
"These two traits... probably aren't that simple. Could they be conceptual-level?"
"Ding!"
Just then, the panel suddenly trembled, and a line of small golden text slowly appeared-
[Master's first attempt to break through to the Qi Refining Realm detected. Hidden evaluation triggered...]