The night breeze brushed gently past, and the bamboo grove gradually receded behind them. Qin Yu followed the deacon along the stone path to the outer courtyard's training grounds. At night, the place was deserted. Moonlight spilled over the white jade paving stones, lending the entire grounds a quiet solemnity.
The deacon stopped and stood with his hands behind his back. His tone was less stern than usual, a little more even. "Qin Yu, do you know who I am? Why I value you so highly?"
Qin Yu shook his head and answered cautiously, "This disciple... does not know."
The deacon smiled faintly and said calmly, "My name is Zhang Hao. I'm the deacon at Cloud-Leveling Hall specifically responsible for disciples with low-grade Spirit Roots. Without a fortuitous opportunity, most children like you can only do menial work in the hall, carrying water and moving stones until you grow old and die. Though it's a little better than the hard life outside, and at least you won't have to worry about food and clothing, a lifetime like that offers nothing to look forward to."
Qin Yu's heart tightened, but he said nothing, only looking at him more intently.
Zhang Hao's tone shifted, his eyes gleaming. "But you're different. Your speed at absorbing Spiritual Qi far exceeds your peers'. Even I was shocked. This is your only chance to turn your fate around."
He paced slowly, his words ringing firm. "Cloud-Leveling Hall is divided into only the outer sect and the inner sect. If you become an outer sect disciple, your treatment will be completely different. You can collect Spirit Stones for cultivation every day, and gain access to the hall's texts, medicinal ingredients, and cultivation methods. If you truly rise, you'll have the chance to advance step by step into the inner sect and ascend the true stairway of cultivation."
Qin Yu's heart surged as he listened, and he quietly clenched his fists.
Zhang Hao stared at him, his gaze deep. "In five days, the competition for outer sect disciples will begin. I'll find a way to secure your eligibility. What you must do is demonstrate your own strength."
Zhang Hao gazed at him and slowly began, "You should also understand that the road of cultivation is long and perilous. The cultivation system of the Great Yan Continent is divided into eight major realms:
"One, the Mortal Fetus Realm: a mortal body first encounters Spiritual Qi, tempering the flesh and freeing itself from mundane illnesses and pain.
"Two, the Spirit Awakening Realm: Spiritual Sense first awakens, the Qi channels open, and one perceives Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and performs the most basic spiritual arts.
"Three, the Qi Condensation Realm: Spiritual Qi circulates, a spiritual foundation condenses in the Dantian, and one can release Spiritual Qi for attack or defense.
"Four, the Origin Transformation Realm: Spiritual Qi transforms into origin power, a Fate Soul Primordium first appears, and one begins to touch upon the power of the soul.
"Five, the Soul Foundation Realm: the Fate Soul stabilizes, Spiritual Sense expands, the body and soul power work in harmony, and one's lifespan can reach three hundred years.
"Six, the Mystic Understanding Realm: Qi and soul merge, one touches the mysteries of heaven and earth, and can begin to control natural elements.
"Seven, the True Spirit Realm: the true spirit awakens completely, one transcends the mundane and first senses the threads of heavenly destiny, with a lifespan of five hundred years.
"Eight, the Spirit Transformation Realm: Divine Sense first forms, one resonates with Principles, the soul touches the Heavenly Dao, and one can begin to interfere with causality and dimensions."
At this point, his tone grew solemn, his gaze blazing like a torch. "Qin Yu, right now, you're merely at the nascent stage of the Mortal Fetus Realm. But if the potential you've shown can be nurtured, you certainly won't remain confined to the ranks of those with gray Spirit Roots. Remember-as long as you attain a place among the outer sect disciples, your future will no longer be lowly."
Qin Yu's heart trembled, and the bamboo slips against his chest seemed as heavy as a mountain. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes clear and resolute. "Deacon Zhang, I'll work hard. I won't disappoint you!"
Zhang Hao nodded, his stern tone carrying a trace of gratification. "Good. In five days, I want you to prove with your own hands that you're not a lowly child of the mortal dust, but a cultivator who can contend with heaven's chosen."
Moonlight spilled over the training grounds. A young, tender boy gripped his bamboo slips tightly. Though his figure was small, it resembled a flame kindled in the dark, destined to burn across the heavens.
The training grounds were empty and silent. Moonlight shone on the white jade floor, stretching the boy's and the deacon's shadows long.
Zhang Hao slowly withdrew his gaze. His voice was low, with a hint of probing. "Qin Yu, it's been a few days since you received the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art. What level have you reached?"
Qin Yu looked earnest, concealing nothing. His voice was young but clear. "This disciple... I'm close to the first level, 'Draw Qi and Temper Bones.' If I cultivate once more tonight, I'll be able to break through completely and formally enter the first level."
Zhang Hao froze slightly. His brows rose, and a flash of shock crossed his eyes.
Close to minor attainment in the first level in just a few days? Ordinary disciples need at least half a month, or even a month!
Though his face remained stern, his gaze now held unconcealable appreciation. He nodded slowly and lowered his voice. "Good... I was right about you."
He stepped forward and swept his sleeve. Spiritual Qi rippled like wind, gently lifting Qin Yu's body into the air.
Zhang Hao's eyes shone, his tone more solemn than ever. "Qin Yu, if you truly enter 'Draw Qi and Temper Bones' tonight, it will mean you've shed your mortal fetus and crossed the threshold of a true cultivator. When that happens, I'll arrange a real trial for you."
Qin Yu's heart pounded violently. A fiery gleam flashed in his eyes, and his voice was young but firm. "Deacon Zhang, I can definitely do it!"
Zhang Hao gazed at him, moonlight reflected in his eyes, as though he wanted to see through the boy's resolve. After a moment, he nodded slowly and flicked his long sleeve, returning Qin Yu to the ground.
"Good. Remember, you have only five days. If you truly want to join the ranks of outer sect disciples, you must demonstrate strength worthy of that position in the competition. Tonight, put everything into breaking through-draw Qi and temper your bones."
Qin Yu took a deep breath, clenching his small fists against his chest. His young face was filled with determination. "Yes!"
On the white jade training grounds, beneath the cleansing moonlight, a boy was following fate's guidance, crossing the true threshold of cultivation step by step.
The night lay heavy, and the bamboo grove was silent.
Qin Yu sat cross-legged alone on the wooden bed in his bamboo hut. The oil lamp flickered faintly, illuminating his young yet resolute face.
He had read the bamboo slips in his arms countless times, and the mnemonic had long since been branded into his mind. He slowly closed his eyes, focused on his Dantian, and began breathing according to the method in the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art.
With his first inhalation, invisible points of light in the air glittered like stars. Drawn by his breathing, they flowed through his nose and into his body.
With the second breath, the points of light became fine threads, gently roaming over his skin.
With the third breath, the luminous threads surged like a tide, seeping through his pores into his meridians. Their flickering radiance lit up the boy's body.
Boom-
As his breathing deepened, the entire bamboo hut suddenly shook! An invisible vortex stirred the air inside, sending the calligraphy models and sheets of paper on the desk flying, as though drawn by an unseen force.
Inside Qin Yu's body, his bones gradually took on a faint golden glow. His meridians resembled transparent tubes of light, with Spiritual Qi surging through them. Every cleansing rush brought crisp cracks, like an iron hammer striking iron and stone.
Under the tempering of Spiritual Qi, the boy's sinews and bones seemed to be reforged!
Outside, the Spiritual Qi surrounding the bamboo hut was drawn over as well, becoming misty streams of light visible to the naked eye. They poured frantically through the gaps in the door and between the window lattice, swirling around Qin Yu.
The lamplight was suppressed, and radiance swallowed the entire bamboo hut.
His bones suddenly erupted with dazzling golden light, their humming like ancient war drums shaking heaven and earth. The boy's body trembled slightly, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, yet he gritted his teeth and held on without retreating at all.
On the final breath, his eyes snapped open!
Two white pillars of light shot from his nostrils, driving straight through the roof and piercing the night sky!
Above, the clouds and mist over the bamboo grove were abruptly scattered. A clear shaft of moonlight shone down, enveloping Qin Yu's small figure in a sacred radiance.
Draw Qi... temper bones!
With that low cry in his heart, a mighty tremor shook the boy's body. His meridians were utterly unobstructed, his bones humming without end, as though heaven and earth were cheering his breakthrough!
At this moment, Qin Yu's entire body gave off a faint glow. His sinews and bones resembled crystalline glass, his physique as tough as iron beneath the cleansing rush of Spiritual Qi. For the first time, the presence of a true cultivator emanated from within him.
The bamboo grove swayed with the wind, and the night was silent.
The young boy slowly settled his Qi, a fiery light shining in his eyes. He murmured softly, his voice young but firm:
"Mother... I did it."
Over the next five days, Qin Yu worked harder than anyone.
By day, he moved stones, carried water, and swept the bamboo grove with Yang Zheng, seemingly no different from the other disciples with gray Spirit Roots. Yet he never slackened during those labors. Every time he lifted a stone, he quietly coordinated his breathing, incorporating the guiding method of the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art; every bend and stretch tempered his sinews, bones, and Qi and Blood.
At night, when the other disciples collapsed into exhausted sleep, he lit an oil lamp alone and repeatedly practiced his breathing and the Mystic Origin Five Forms in the bamboo hut.
The radiance of Spiritual Qi illuminated the dim bamboo hut. Spiritual light churned around the boy, and streams of light raced ceaselessly through his meridians, like a silver river washing through his flesh and blood. His bones hummed and his Qi and Blood boiled, as though countless war drums were thundering inside him at once.
On the first night, he consolidated the first level, [Draw Qi and Temper Bones]. His sinews and bones were tough, and he lifted heavy objects as though they weighed nothing.
On the second night, his skin gradually developed a faint luster, and his endurance increased greatly.
On the third night, as he sat cross-legged and practiced his breathing, his breath actually flowed unbroken like a long river. His breathing merged with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Spiritual mist wreathed the bamboo hut, and streams of light flowed into his body, making his sinews and meridians tremble without cease.
On the fourth night, the breakthrough finally came.
Boom!
An enormous surge of Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted within Qin Yu. The streams of light in his meridians were no longer trickling rivulets, but rivers and seas bursting their banks, frantically scouring his skin and fascia.
His skin gleamed under the cleansing rush of Spiritual Qi, and fine patterns of light appeared, like metal tempered in blazing fire. His sinews and meridians stood out clearly beneath his skin, like countless glowing strings trembling and ringing.
Sweat poured down the boy's entire body, yet he gritted his teeth and remained still. His gaze was resolute, and only one voice filled his heart:
I have to grow stronger. I won't disappoint Mother, I won't disappoint Deacon Zhang, and above all, I won't disappoint myself!
Temper skin... refine sinews!
With that low cry in his heart, a tremendous tremor shook his body!
A faint layer of blue-green light rose over his skin. It was incomparably tough, as though external force could scarcely hurt it anymore. Nourished by Spiritual Qi, his sinews and meridians became supple and strong. His Qi and Blood surged like a great river, and his strength and speed increased severalfold.
At that moment, the entire bamboo hut shook violently. The wooden table and chairs were sent flying, and the walls hummed. Outside, the bamboo grove swayed violently in the wind, as though shouting for the boy's breakthrough.
Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes. Two sharp beams shot from the depths of his pupils, piercing the night.
He raised his palm. A faint luster shimmered over his skin, which felt hard and powerful. He gently clenched his fist, and an explosive crack actually rang through the air.
"I... broke through," the boy murmured, his eyes blazing.
The second level, [Skin Tempering and Sinew Refining], had been fully attained!
That night, a new star was slowly rising in the gray Spirit Root disciples' quarters.
After the morning bell thundered, the disciples with gray Spirit Roots were once again assigned to haul Spirit Stones from the rear mountain.
Today's task was heavier than usual: each person had to finish moving five chunks of raw ore before the hour of the dragon, or they would not be allowed to rest.
Everyone's faces immediately turned miserable at the news. Yesterday, three or four chunks had already left them utterly exhausted. Increasing it to five today was sheer torment.
Qin Yu, however, silently approached a huge stone and drew a deep breath. The Qi and Blood in his body surged like a river, his sinews and meridians trembled, and his skin took on a faint luster, tough and powerful.
He reached out with both hands and effortlessly lifted the hundred-jin chunk of raw ore. His shoulders dipped slightly, but he carried it steadily. His footing was as steady as a mountain, his strides like a tiger's, his breathing even, as though he were not laboring at all, but merely lifting something casually.
"Th-this kid... when did he get so strong?"
"He was about the same as us yesterday. How come today... he's practically a different person!"
"Could he really have... broken through?"
The surrounding disciples whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with astonishment. Some even showed resentment and envy.
Nearby, Yang Zheng was gritting his teeth with exhaustion as he moved a stone. When he looked up and saw this, surprise first filled his eyes, then a brilliant smile spread across his face. "Haha! Yuzi! You really are something else!"
Qin Yu smiled faintly, set down the stone steadily, and turned to fetch the next one. Every movement was clean and crisp, his strength flowing freely. In just half an hour, he had already moved four chunks of raw ore. His breathing remained steady, and though sweat flowed, his eyes were as clear as before.
In the distance, Deacon Zhang Hao stood with his hands behind his back. A rare trace of gratification and satisfaction crossed his stern face.
In just a few days, he's gone from consolidating Draw Qi and Temper Bones to Skin Tempering and Sinew Refining... even the outer sect's genius disciples might not match that speed.
His eyes brightened slightly, and he thought:
Good. You haven't disappointed me. In the competition for outer sect disciples, I, Zhang Hao, will personally push you up there!
Morning light spilled over Qin Yu's figure. Amid the flying dust, that young yet resolute figure was gradually becoming incompatible with the label "gray Spirit Root" in everyone's eyes.