Chapter 16: Ninth Layer of Qi Refining
Chapter 16: Ninth Layer of Qi Refining
Mu Yuan activated the ‘Celestial Waters Pouring Art’, using his Spiritual Sense to manipulate the Soul of the Feng Luan. In an instant, he felt himself enter a realm filled with dark flames. Jumping, surging fires surrounded him in all directions. Sensing the intrusion of an outsider, the flames surged towards him like a blazing wildfire, roaring and leaping upward!
“Tide True Qi, Freeze a Thousand Li!” Instantly, a layer of purplish-black aquatic mist enveloped Mu Yuan’s Spiritual Sense avatar deep within the Feng Luan. Frost crystals showered down in the blink of an eye, freezing the advancing flames and spreading rapidly in all directions. The Feng Luan’s Sea of Consciousness was transformed into a frozen world of ice and snow!
“Heh heh!” Mu Yuan hadn’t expected it to be so easy. The Feng Luan’s mental world was completely disproportionate to its physical strength. After freezing its Soul and leaving behind a faint sliver of his will, he withdrew his sense.
His Spiritual Sense returned to his body. Mu Yuan vaulted onto the broad back of the Feng Luan. The great bird was now perfectly still, offering no resistance. Instead, it rubbed its head against him affectionately. With a gentle beat of its enormous wings, it lifted off as smoothly as stepping on flat ground, pleasing Mu Yuan immensely.
Feeling rather pleased with himself, Mu Yuan waved a greeting to Mo Xue and Chu Yunfei. Then, riding the Feng Luan, he soared through the sky. It darted back and forth like lightning, accompanied by flashes of black flame. The sight resembled a massive, rolling ball of light, the height of carefree ease.
Mo Xue saw Mu Yuan’s smugness and was about to tease him with a sarcastic remark, when suddenly, a plume of azure auspicious vapor erupted in the distance. It shot skyward like a volcano erupting, then dispersed high in the air, scattering bursts far more dazzling and breathtaking than fireworks.
“It’s another phenomenon from the treasures within Dragon’s End Valley! Let’s hurry over, we might just encounter something good!” Chu Yunfei, having experience with this place, broke into an excited grin and yelled.
Both Mo Xue and Mu Yuan agreed. “Leave your mounts here for now! Let’s ride the Feng Luan!” Mu Yuan called out loudly, pulling both companions onto the Feng Luan’s back. The great bird’s wings lashed out, and like an arrow released from a bow, it streaked directly towards the source of the brilliant vapor.
Dragon’s End Valley lay at the heart of the mountain range. It was actually only a few dozen Li away from the Endless Forest Sea where the trio had been. At the Feng Luan’s speed, they arrived almost instantly. As they approached, they discovered quite a few Qi Refining cultivators had already gathered there!
The trio’s spectacular arrival momentarily stunned everyone present. Then, a flash of envy shone in many eyes. The Feng Luan, a rare and magnificent avian spiritual beast, was hardly ever seen. No one knew what incredible luck these three had stumbled upon to find one within the Forest Sea, and for Mu Yuan to have even subdued it as a mount.
Mu Yuan paid little attention to the gazes of those around him. He focused solely on the source of the brilliant vapor. It was a concave pit, from which a thick column of auspicious light continuously surged. It resembled a geyser, the luminous vapor spiraling upwards like water splashes. Whatever lay hidden within clearly stirred the greed of the assembled crowd.
“The aperture becomes accessible after each burst of auspicious vapor. Below lies an ancient, vast cemetery,” Chu Yunfei explained, having been inside before. He had even acquired an Ancient Frost Dragon Horn there, and thus knew much more than Mo Xue and Mu Yuan, who were completely ignorant. “The grounds are littered with the corpses of ancient dragons, but they’re all sealed by formidable Restraints, unbelievably powerful. Finding anything valuable inside largely comes down to sheer luck!”
Mu Yuan chuckled. “That’s how you got your Ancient Frost Dragon Horn?”
Chu Yunfei flushed slightly with embarrassment. “The last time I came, it was during a vapor surge too. I just sort of stumbled in with a group of people. Then, someone slashed at a Dragon Tomb and managed to dislodge this horn. It flew right into my arms! Seeing it was something good, of course, I pocketed it. Well, that fellow was not pleased and came after me with his buddies…”
Hearing this, Mu Yuan and Mo Xue glanced at each other, unsure whether to laugh or despair. Chu Yunfei truly left them speechless.
Taking advantage of the lingering vapor, Mu Yuan swiftly scanned the gathered cultivators. None seemed particularly powerful. Most drifted around the third or fourth Layer of Qi Refining, with a few even at the first or second layers. Either those of higher cultivation levels disdained this place or were simply lurking hidden. Feeling slightly reassured, he thought, Our trio working together should be a significant force. Even someone at the fourth layer might not necessarily defeat us outright.
Qi Refining cultivation was divided into nine great realms. The first layer marked the beginning of sensing Primordial Qi, focusing on unblocking the meridians throughout the body. The human body possessed countless crisscrossing meridians. This layer mainly involved opening up the twelve principal meridians, neglecting the countless minor channels! After all, the final goal of Qi Refining was achieving the undying Primordial Spirit, which meant ultimately abandoning the physical body. The fleshly shell was merely a temporary vessel for the spirit. In the long river of time, all things physical would return to nothingness. The body was but a tool for Spirit Refining, hardly something worth excessive concern!
Of course, many sects pursuing formidable combat power diligently explored the body’s meridians and acupoints. More unlocked meridians meant a vaster capacity for storing Zhenqi, granting a significant advantage in battle. The corresponding Primordial Spirit achieved would also be much stronger, so most sects tirelessly sought full-body exploration to forge a more perfect Primordial Spirit. After all, attaining Eternal Life meant facing unexpected storms, fortune and disaster arriving swiftly – struggling against Heaven and other people – the potential hazards were numerous!
The second layer of Qi Refining involved gradually refining the acupoints along the opened meridians, accumulating Primordial Qi, and deepening one’s connection with Heaven and Earth. The body’s acupoints corresponded to the myriad stars in the sky, containing vast, dormant power. Meridians were like mighty rivers; acupoints were like lakes and seas. Refining them completely brought the potential strength to lift mountains, part oceans, pluck the stars, and grasp the moon.
With unobstructed meridians and developed acupoints, one could then build a Dharma Body. The flesh turned jade-like or metallic; the Spiritual Sense became solidly anchored within. External evils found it difficult to invade, internal troubles ceased to arise. This was the state of the third layer of Qi Refining!
The first three layers could largely be considered the refinement of the physical body, strengthening its function and warding off calamity. Upon reaching the fourth and fifth layers, cultivators turned to cultivating their Spiritual Sense, Gathering Aura and Condensing Malice, striving to forge the Yin-Yang Dual Spirits. Only then would their Spiritual Sense become truly vast, enabling them to manifest the profound mysteries of the world’s creation!
A powerful body and immense Spiritual Sense enabled the condensation of Qi into a core. Using the physical body as a furnace and cauldron, they burned Essence, Qi, and Spirit together. The three coalesced, forming a Sacred Embryo – the Golden Core!
The Golden Core – Gold signified unyielding, enduring substance; Core denoted perfection, radiance, and flawlessness. Achieving this truly marked success in Qi Refining, the ability to transcend worldly limitations, and the first glimpse of hopes for Eternal Life!
The term Golden Core was a Daoist denomination. This essence was called the Supreme Pole by Confucians, was known as Perfect Enlightenment (Yuan Jue) by Buddhists, and in Daoism was named the Golden Core. Whatever the name, it referred to the same principle and substance.
After successfully forming the core at the Sixth Layer, with Essence, Qi, and Spirit perfected and lacking, the seventh and eighth layers involved nurturing the Golden Core (Temper and Nurture), gathering Heaven and Earth’s spiritual essence, and drawing the brilliance of the sun and moon. Within this lay the critical hurdle of refining the Soul into Spirit. When the Golden Core reached Great Perfection, and Soul and Spirit became resilient and unbroken, all the physical Essence and Qi and the core’s Primordial Qi would converge into the Soul at the Mud Pellet Palace, crystallizing into the Primordial Spirit. From there, the spirit could freely roam Heaven and Earth, manifesting beyond the physical form. This represented the pinnacle of earthly cultivation – the realm of the undying!
Daoism was the orthodox path of cultivating the Primordial Spirit. Confucianism nurtured a single breath of Vast Righteous Qi. The techniques of the Demonic Sect, descended from ancient Witchcraft and Bloodline legacies, primarily focused on strengthening the physical body to resist time’s ravages, or gathering the essence of Heaven and Earth – the Five Elements, metal, various spirit woods, jade, celestial and terrestrial energies – forging an undying form suitable for future Soul Seizure.
The highest state of the Buddhist Sect took the Golden Core of Perfect Enlightenment a step further, transforming it into a Relic. They did not discard the physical body but instead tempered it into a Golden Body. This method resided somewhere between Daoist and Demonic paths, using Spirit to enhance the Body and the Body to nurture Spirit. Compared to attaining the Daoist Primordial Spirit, the Demonic Sect’s immortal physique, or the Confucian Vast Righteous Qi, this path was considered somewhat easier!
The highest cultivation present here was merely at the fourth layer – just beginning to expand Spiritual Sense, achieving Heavenly-Human Sympathy (Tian Ren Jiao Gan). While the realm was not low, their actual combat strength might not necessarily surpass that of a true third-layer expert. Mu Yuan didn’t worry too much about them, finally allowing his mind to settle slightly.
Mu Yuan currently wore the handsome visage of a scholar, transformed by the Heaven-Stealing Sun-Replacing Art. His externally projected Zhenqi was the ever-changing, chaotic, deep-sea undercurrent Tide True Qi. Although not the deepest nor most potent, it already possessed the sharp, vast, unpredictable essence of Tidal Flow, lending him a unique blend of graceful elegance and charm that only enhanced his dashing looks!
Several female cultivators nearby, possessing considerable beauty, spotted Mu Yuan and couldn’t help but approach him. Their words carried clear undertones of wanting to form an alliance to enter the dragon tombs together. Mu Yuan conversed casually and effortlessly. Seeing Mu Yuan basking in this attention, Mo Xue couldn’t help but snort coldly. A wave of her Tianxing (Heavenly Heart) True Qi spread outward, pure and cold like frozen moonlight, chilling to the bone.
Chu Yunfei instantly shivered beside her, muttering internally that women were not to be provoked. He shrunk back slightly, stepping away to the side.
Every hair on Mu Yuan’s body stood on end. Subconsciously, he shifted his feet a step back. He offered an awkward smile to the gentle-looking female cultivator who had approached him and began to steer the conversation into random territory – chatting idly about the weather, the auspicious vapor, treasures, and other unrelated topics.
The radiant glow of auspicious vapor in mid-air suddenly vanished like retreating water, flowing back swiftly into the rocky aperture. In that instant, the crowd exploded into action. Figures shot towards the cave opening on streams of energy.
The mouth of the cave was barely ten feet across. It felt cramped even for four or five people trying to enter side by side. Everyone jostled to be the first inside, hoping to gain a head start in searching for treasure!
Naturally, our trio didn’t lag. Linking their Zhenqi streams together, they surged forward enveloped in a powerful swirling aura of light, matching everyone else’s speed. Entering the cave plunged them into near darkness. The surroundings were all jagged, protruding rock walls, etched with countless Talismanic Seals. They looked ancient and weathered, chaotically clustered, like tadpoles or archaic script characters, emanating a profound aura of ancient, forgotten times.
“These Talismanic Seals are immensely powerful remnants from the Primordial or Ancient Era! They are far more intricate and profound than most found in the Cultivation World today! Remember, cultivation, Qi refining, should focus on the self! Divine weapons, immortal flora—they are all external aids! Ignore whatever physical object might be inside the cave for now. Study the wonders on these walls! Once the allotted time passes and the power within these seals activates, we’ll lose any chance to observe and learn from them!”