bookbashuk Chapter 103 Qi Refining Level 7
Chapter 103 Qi Refining Level 7
Three days later, Fourth Aunt personally delivered the Spirit Returning Pill to Zhao Fan's courtyard.
It was a palm-sized jade box, its surface warm and smooth, with a small spirit-sealing talisman affixed to it.
Fourth Aunt placed the jade box on the stone table, looked at Zhao Fan, and a rare smile appeared on her face.
"There is only one Returning Spirit Pill, fellow Daoist, please accept it."
Zhao Fan solemnly accepted the jade box, opened it, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out.
The pill was pale gold in color, about the size of a longan, with faint patterns of cinnabar flowing across its surface. Its quality was better than any pill he had ever refined.
"Thank you, Fourth Aunt."
Zhao Fan clasped his hands in a fist salute.
Fourth Aunt waved her hand, turned and left, but stopped at the courtyard gate and turned back to say something.
"Don't be impatient when breaking through. The effects of the Guiling Pill are potent, so you need to proceed step by step."
Zhao Fan nodded in agreement.
After his fourth aunt left, Zhao Fan sat quietly in the courtyard for a while to calm his mind to its best state before getting up and entering the cultivation room.
He first sat down cross-legged and circulated the Heavenly Origin Technique to regulate the spiritual energy within his body. The spiritual energy in his dantian was already at its limit, and with each circulation, he could feel that invisible wall right in front of him.
After confirming that everything was in order, Zhao Fan took out the Guiling Pill and put it in his mouth.
As soon as the pill entered my stomach, a warm medicinal power instantly dissolved, flowing slowly into my dantian like a stream.
The medicinal effects were not as potent as he had imagined; instead, they were gentle and lingering, seeping into his meridians little by little and merging into his spiritual energy.
Zhao Fan dared not be careless and used all his strength to circulate the Heavenly Origin Technique, guiding the medicinal power towards the wall.
The wall did not budge during the first impact.
The second time, nothing changed.
Zhao Fan remained calm and continued circulating his cultivation technique. The medicinal power of the Guiling Pill flowed continuously from his abdomen, accumulating more and more, gradually transforming from a small stream into a great river.
On the third impact, the wall finally began to loosen.
Zhao Fan was overjoyed, but dared not be distracted. He continued to guide his spiritual energy forward, and the medicinal power and spiritual energy merged into a torrent that crashed hard against the wall!
boom!
A silent explosion erupted within his body, and the bottleneck that had been hindering him for so long finally cracked open.
Spiritual energy surged through the cracks like a tide, flowing into a wider world.
The dantian began to expand, the meridians became more resilient and wider, and the circulation speed of the Tianyuan Gong suddenly increased, almost twice as fast as before.
Zhao Fan dared not stop and continued to circulate his cultivation technique, guiding spiritual energy through the newly formed Great Heavenly Cycle.
One circle, two circles, three circles... until his spiritual energy was completely stable, he slowly stopped practicing.
Qi Refining Level 7.
Zhao Fan opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air. The stale air condensed in the air and did not dissipate until it slowly dissipated after a long time.
He stood up, feeling the doubled spiritual power within his body and his heightened senses, and an indescribable sense of exhilaration welled up inside him.
Pushing open the door to the meditation room, sunlight streamed perfectly into the courtyard.
Hearing the commotion, the waiter darted out from the corner, circled his legs a few times, then suddenly stopped, tilted his head to look at him, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
"What, don't you recognize me?"
Zhao Fan reached out and rubbed its head.
Xiao Er let out a sob, seemingly sensing the change in Zhao Fan, and rubbed his forehead against Zhao Fan's chin.
Zhao Fan stood up with a smile, and as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the gate was pushed open.
Su San and Su Ziyan walked in one after the other. Su San had a gratified smile on her face, while Su Ziyan looked envious.
Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Zhao!
Su San cupped his hands and said with a smile.
"Seventh level of Qi Refining, now you are in the late stage of Qi Refining."
Zhao Fan quickly returned the greeting.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Su. If it weren't for the Su family's Spirit Returning Pill, I don't know how long I would have been trapped on the sixth floor."
Su San waved her hand.
"Pills are external things; your breakthrough is ultimately due to your own ability."
Su Ziyan also stepped forward to offer her congratulations, but her smile carried a complex mix of emotions.
"Brother Zhao, you've only been in the Su family for a year and a half, yet you've already advanced from the fifth level of Qi Refining to the seventh level. Meanwhile, I've been cultivating on Mount Fuling since I was a child, and I've only barely reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. It's infuriating to compare people like this."
Zhao Fan didn't know how to respond, so he could only smile.
"I was lucky."
Su Ziyan gave a wry smile and spoke.
"I was scolded by my master in the market that day. I thought about it all night and finally understood that when it comes to cultivation, talent is talent, and you can't force it."
"Brother Zhao, your spiritual roots are better than mine, and your comprehension is higher than mine. I can't help but admire you."
Su San, who was listening nearby, coughed lightly.
"Ziyan, you don't need to underestimate yourself. You already have a foundation in weapon crafting. When you join the Suyang Sect in the future, you may very well achieve great things."
Su Ziyan nodded and said no more, but there was still a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Su San then looked at Zhao Fan.
"You have just broken through and your cultivation is not yet stable. Don't rush to cultivate these next few days. First, solidify your foundation to avoid leaving any hidden dangers. As for the Suyang Sect's disciple recruitment meeting, there is still nearly a month to go, so there is plenty of time."
Zhao Fan nodded in agreement.
Su San gave a few more instructions, then took her leave with Su Ziyan.
The two left the courtyard and walked down the mountain path.
Su Ziyan remained silent the whole way until he had walked several dozen feet before suddenly speaking.
"Third Uncle, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."
Su San did not stop walking.
"What is it?"
Su Ziyan hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice.
"Zhao Fan... he's a humanoid elixir raised by Daoist Qianyan, right?"
Su San paused, turning her head to look at him.
"What are you trying to say?"
Su Ziyan gritted her teeth, seemingly having made a great decision.
"Third Uncle, you've been stuck at the ninth level of Qi Refining for several years now. If that Thousand Rock Daoist's secret technique really works, could Zhao Fan... help you break through to the peak of Qi Refining?"
Su San stopped and turned around, looking intently at Su Ziyan.
Su Ziyan felt a little uneasy under that gaze, but she still forced herself to continue speaking.
"I don't mean to harm him, it's just... Uncle, you've worked so hard for the family for so many years. If you could break through to the peak of Qi Refining, our Su family's position would be more stable."
That's enough.
Su San's voice was not loud, but it carried a chill.
Su Ziyan had never heard her third uncle speak in such a tone before, and couldn't help but shiver.
"Ziyan, do you know what you're saying?"
Su Ziyan lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.
"I...I did it for my family too..."
"For the sake of the family?"
Su San gave a cold laugh.
"For the sake of the family, is it acceptable to treat one's benefactor like a medicinal pill? For the sake of the family, is it acceptable to be ungrateful and betray one's promise?"
Su Ziyan's face turned pale, and she dared not speak again.
Su San took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, but her voice remained cold and sharp.
"Zhao Fan has been with the Su family for so long, how many pills has he refined for us? How much has he taught Ziyun? If it weren't for him in the Blood Refining Array that day, I would have died there long ago!"
He paused, his tone growing increasingly heavy.
"Besides, we don't even know if that Thousand Cliff Daoist's secret technique is genuine. Even if it were truly useful, I, Su San, have cultivated for so many years relying on my own hard work, step by step, not on eating people!"
"Remember this: cultivation begins with cultivating the mind. If you don't even have this basic principle, no matter how high your cultivation level is, you're just a ghost in human skin."
Su Ziyan was so ashamed by the scolding that she couldn't lift her head. Her lips moved, but she ultimately didn't dare to say anything more.
Su San looked at him, sighed, and softened her tone.
"I know you're thinking of your family, but don't have that thought again. Zhao Fan is our friend."
"Besides, even if you disregard sentiment and only consider interests, what you're doing is still not a good choice."
"Even if the secret technique of Daoist Qianyan is really useful, it requires the other party to cooperate completely, which is impossible."
"If he notices anything amiss, I will suffer a backlash from the secret technique, which would be a greater loss than gain."
"Moreover, you have had many interactions with Zhao Fan, so you should know what kind of person he is. With his talent, even if he can't reach the Foundation Establishment stage in the future, he can still achieve the peak of Qi Refining."
"If we treat him sincerely, Zhao Fan will naturally not stand idly by if we are in trouble in the future."
"And now I'm almost sixty years old, even if I break through to the peak of Qi Refining, there's absolutely no possibility of me reaching Foundation Establishment."
"No matter how you look at it, helping Zhao Fan is always more beneficial than trying to gain something from him."
"Third Uncle is right."
Su Ziyan responded in a low voice.
Su San said no more and turned to continue down the mountain. Su Ziyan followed behind, his steps heavy, his mind seemingly lost in thought.
On the mountain path, the figures of the uncle and nephew gradually disappeared into the distance.
In the courtyard, Zhao Fan was completely unaware of this. He was sitting at the stone table, slowly sorting through the spiritual energy in his body, feeling the changes brought about by the seventh level of Qi Refining.
The waiter lay at his feet, occasionally glancing up at him before lazily lying back down.
The sun is shining brightly, and a refreshing autumn breeze is blowing.
In a year and a half, he went from a rogue cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining who was being hunted down to the seventh level of Qi Refining. In terms of cultivation alone, he has surpassed his master and has the possibility of entering the Suyang Sect.
Zhao Fan withdrew his gaze and gently patted Xiao Er's head.
"Let's go together in a month."