Qi Sea
Time slipped through the cracks, and the years sped by.
In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Fang Yu sat cross-legged beside the lava pit, holding a piece of gold essence stone that had been heated red-hot. As he worked it, he pinched it flat and rolled it round, as though it were a lump of mud.
The seven strands of Flowing Flame True Fire coiled within his heart meridian flowed ceaselessly toward his hands, causing blazing fire patterns to appear along his palm lines and knuckles. They constantly seared the gold essence stone in his hands, keeping it as soft as mud.
Three months ago, he had already raised his cultivation to the Qi Ingestion Seventh Layer, reaching Qi Ingestion Late Stage Great Perfection. Next, he needed to accumulate Dao Attainment and refine his External Alchemy Technique.
Thus, over those remaining three months, he had begun practicing Molten Edge Flow's fire-control techniques and familiarizing himself with the properties of various metal and stone materials, preparing to forge flying swords and other Law Artifacts.
The Molten Edge Flow Dao Foundation was a wondrous Dao Foundation ability meant specifically for working with metal and stone. It provided an extraordinarily powerful boost when processing all kinds of such materials, eliminating any need to rely on earth fire.
He himself was a forge. Using the Flowing Flame True Fire, which he controlled entirely, he could process in an extremely short time materials that would otherwise have taken a great deal of time to prepare, finishing them in an extremely short time.
"Fellow cultivators, the three-year term has ended. The secret land is about to close..."
Tie Feng's voice rang out through the valley, rousing the many cultivators from their cultivation. Reluctance showed on their faces. The Spiritual Qi in this secret land was truly abundant; they wished they could cultivate here forever.
Unfortunately, apart from disciples of the Tie Household, who could enter the secret land year-round, disciples with other surnames could only cultivate there for a short time.
The fire patterns along Fang Yu's palms gradually faded, and the gold essence stone in his hands cooled with them. In just a moment, it became hard as could be.
Just as Fang Yu was about to get up and leave, Tie Feng approached and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Fang, have you given it any thought?"
Fang Yu cupped his hands. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Tie. I've made up my mind. If the sword cultivators you introduce really can provide me with plenty of materials to practice sword forging, then I'll give them the first flying sword I forge when I advance to the Dao Foundation as payment."
"Good, good, good! I knew you'd agree, Junior Brother Fang."
Overjoyed, Tie Feng said, "Go back and consolidate your cultivation for now, Junior Brother. There'll be a small gathering in the sect three months from now. All the sect's sword cultivators who need flying swords forged will be there. You can discuss the details then."
"All right! I'll head back first!"
Fang Yu took his leave, departed the secret land, and returned to his cave abode.
In front of the tea table in the quiet room.
Fang Yu drank his tea as he considered his plans.
Although he had now reached the Qi Ingestion Seventh Layer, advancing to the Dao Foundation required him to forge a Profound Grade flying sword. Never mind that he couldn't afford Profound Grade materials—even if he could, he wouldn't necessarily succeed on his first attempt.
Before that, he needed to practice by forging Yellow Grade Law Artifacts, gradually accumulating Dao Attainment. Only then would he have a chance of forging a Profound Grade Spirit Artifact and breaking through to the Dao Foundation.
There was absolutely no way he could accumulate the materials required for this process on his own. Never mind that he still had a secret-land loan of 365 Spirit Stones a year to repay-even without it, he couldn't accumulate the materials needed for practice.
Unless he gave up on attaining the Dao Foundation, there was no way he could resist the temptation of this "third loan."
Then again, this third loan was more advantageous to him. After all, according to Tie Feng, even if he ultimately failed, he wouldn't have to return the materials or anything else. If he succeeded, he would merely lose a Profound Grade flying sword.
As long as he could advance to the Dao Foundation, wouldn't he be able to forge Profound Grade Spirit Artifacts whenever he had the materials? As for the secret-land loan, it amounted to no more than the crafting fee for a single Profound Grade flying sword.
Ah! The sect really has figured out exactly how we think. As long as we still want to advance, we have no choice but to agree!
Fang Yu sighed, drained his cup of tea, and poured himself another before turning his thoughts to the Great Scarlet Heaven.
It had been four years since he had last gone to the Great Scarlet Heaven, after that attack. Even if that cultivator really had accomplices, so much time had passed that they should have left by now.
There should be no danger if he went there now.
Well, there was no need to rush over just yet. He could first cultivate the Everlasting Spring Technique and experience exactly how the Cultivation Methods over there differed. That would help him fit in better and make his investigation easier.
With that thought, Fang Yu took out the Everlasting Spring Technique and slowly leafed through it.
He had long since committed the contents of the Cultivation Method to memory. While in the secret land, he had been afraid that cultivating it rashly would cause something unusual to happen, so he had refrained from doing so. Now that he had reached the Qi Ingestion Seventh Layer,
all he needed to do next was accumulate Dao Attainment; he no longer needed to cultivate. The time that freed up was just right for cultivating the Everlasting Spring Technique.
After reading through the Cultivation Method, he turned his hand over, took out a Spirit Stone, and held it in his palm.
According to this Cultivation Method, I must have a Spirit Root to begin cultivating, for only then can I sense the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth. I have the Wings Fire fate, so I must have a Spirit Root. I'll have to begin cultivating before I can check what grade it is, though.
Fang Yu crossed his legs and lowered his hands to his abdomen, enclosing the Spirit Stone between his palms. In his heart, he silently recited the introductory mnemonic of the Cultivation Method,
"Zi and Wu converge at the void, Mao and You suspend the light, the great void breathes like an embryo, embrace the origin and maintain stillness, the first Yang stirs..."
Suddenly, a cool sensation arose in his palms and flowed into his body. It traveled once through the heaven and earth bridges of his body, transformed into Law Power, and flowed into the lower Dantian in his abdomen.
The lower Dantian, originally no more than an acupoint, expanded, opening up a Qi Sea.
As more and more Law Power flowed into the Qi Sea, it gradually stretched it wider and wider. The Law Power churned within it like waves on the sea.
"I did it!"
Fang Yu's eyes flew open, delight appearing in them, though it gradually faded again.
The moment he succeeded in opening the Qi Sea in his Dantian, he had gained a general understanding of the difference between this Qi Refining Realm and the orthodox Qi Ingestion Realm.
The Qi Ingestion Realm involved absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, transforming it into Law Power, and storing it in the "fire meridian"-his heart meridian. As Qi and Blood circulated, the Law Power was continuously sent throughout the body, tempering every part of its flesh, bones, blood, and hair, so that the entire body improved at the same time. The higher the cultivation, the stronger the physique.
Qi Refining, on the other hand, merely stored refined Spiritual Qi in the Dantian. It could only be used when summoned, and had to be circulated deliberately. It had no passive strengthening effect on the body.
This Qi Refining Realm really is nothing more than refining Qi. Its effect on the physical body is extremely limited.
Fang Yu was a little disappointed. The Cultivation Methods of the Great Scarlet Heaven seemed to be severely lopsided.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
Suddenly, the Yuanchen Pearl in his sea of consciousness began to spin, and a piece of information appeared:
[Return to Origin: Unifies powers from different systems.]
"Did I trigger a new ability?"
Fang Yu's eyes widened. Wild with joy, he immediately began to try it out...