bookbashuk Chapter 21 Sensing Qi
Chapter 21 Sensing Qi
Chen Anran's smile froze instantly. "Qi Sensing? Qi Refining Stage?" He looked at his senior sister Su Wan, who came out of the kitchen after hearing the noise, with a bitter expression.
Su Wan wiped her hands, her eyes filled with an undeniable gentle firmness: "An Ran, you are already twenty years old. By all accounts, you should have entered the Qi Sensing stage long ago. In the past, when spiritual energy was depleted and things were impossible, your senior sisters never blamed you. But now, the spiritual rice has been harvested and spiritual energy is gradually recovering. This is a golden opportunity, and you must not slack off any longer."
She walked up to Chen Anran, her tone gentle yet carrying the authority of a sect leader: "Starting tomorrow, you will need to sit quietly under the locust tree for four hours each day to sense your Qi. I will have Xiao Lu supervise you. As for the sect's repairs, Xiao Lu and I will keep an eye on them."
"Four hours?!" Chen Anran's vision went black, as if he could already see his miserable life for the foreseeable future—staring blankly at the air, trying to sense that ethereal "qi." He tried to struggle with his thoughts: "Senior Sister, I think farming is also a form of cultivation, connecting with the earth, comprehending the Great Dao..."
"Farming can be done later, but Qi sensing is the foundation and cannot be lost." Su Wan interrupted him, her eyes filled with expectation. "Anran, you possess extraordinary abilities, which may be the key to the sect's revival. Only by embarking on the path of cultivation can you truly unleash their power and protect the sect. I believe in you, and I'm sure you will succeed."
Feng Xiaolu winked gloatingly from the side, silently mouthing, "Junior Brother, keep it up!"
Little Bell ran over and, imitating Su Wan, patted Chen Anran's leg earnestly: "Junior Uncle, you must cultivate diligently and become the most powerful cultivator!"
Looking at his senior sister and junior brother, who were now united in their hatred of the enemy, Chen Anran knew he couldn't avoid it this time. He sighed helplessly and nodded resignedly, "Alright, senior sister, I'll practice."
…………
Chen Anran's hard times are about to begin.
Before dawn the next day, he was dragged out of bed by his "dutiful" third senior sister, Feng Xiaolu, and pinned down on the stone bench under the old locust tree.
"Clear your mind of all distractions, focus your attention on your dantian, breathe deeply and gently, and feel the spiritual energy flowing between heaven and earth..." Su Wan stood to the side, gently instructing.
Chen Anran followed his instructions, closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and tried to clear his mind in an attempt to capture the legendary "qi sensation".
However, an hour passed, and apart from numbness in his legs and feet, a sore back, buzzing mosquitoes in his ears, and the occasional yawns that Feng Xiaolu couldn't help, he felt nothing.
"Senior Sister, this spiritual energy... it recognizes me, but I don't recognize it," Chen Anran couldn't help but open her eyes, her face contorted in distress.
Su Wan patiently comforted her, "Gaining Qi isn't something that can be achieved overnight; it requires perseverance. Calm your mind and try again."
Feng Xiaolu chimed in, "That's right, Junior Brother, look at Xiaoling'er, she can sit still longer than you!" Xiaoling'er, who was also "sensing qi" nearby, was nodding her head like a chick pecking at rice, almost falling asleep.
Day after day, Chen Anran's life became extremely regular: he was pulled up before dawn to sense Qi, dealt with miscellaneous matters related to the sect's repairs in the morning, continued to sense Qi in the afternoon, and in the evening, he would use the excuse of "studying the method of nurturing" to hide in his room, but in reality, he would go to the Evolution Museum to check on the progress or plan the future of the sect.
Twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.
The sect's renovation project is progressing smoothly. The main building's roof has been completely renovated, and the new side rooms are taking shape. The courtyard is filled with building materials, exuding a thriving atmosphere.
After consuming the spirit rice, Su Wan's cultivation steadily improved, and she had faintly touched the threshold of the mid-stage of Qi Refining, her whole being radiant. Feng Xiaolu also consolidated her early-stage Qi Refining cultivation with the help of the spirit rice and the relatively quiet environment in the mountains, no longer feeling as weak as before. Xiao Ling'er was even more vigorous and healthy, full of energy.
Chen Anran, however, made no progress in sensing spiritual energy. No matter how much he meditated or tried the various auxiliary techniques taught by Su Wan, his body remained empty, unable to sense the slightest presence of spiritual energy. This made him somewhat discouraged, and he even began to doubt whether he was truly destined to be unrelated to cultivation.
Later, Chen Anran even took the cultivation scrolls from the sect and threw them into the museum, hoping to see if they could "super-evolve," but it was of no use at all.
"Senior Sister, perhaps my 'path' really isn't in cultivating Qi and seeking immortality?" That evening, after failing to sense Qi again, Chen Anran said to Su Wan with some frustration.
Su Wan looked at the faint dark circles under his eyes and felt a pang of pity, but she still insisted, "Anran, the path of cultivation is long, and bottlenecks vary from person to person. Perhaps it's just that the time hasn't come yet, so don't underestimate yourself."
Feng Xiaolu patted his shoulder seriously, a rare occurrence for her: "Junior brother, don't be discouraged. Maybe you have some kind of once-in-a-millennium special physique that needs a special opportunity to be activated!"
An opportunity? A thought struck Chen Anran as he suddenly remembered the pebble in the Museum of Evolution that was about to complete its evolution—the "Spirit Gathering Stone"!
According to the museum, the Spirit Gathering Stone has the effect of "gathering spiritual energy." For him, a mortal who can't even sense a trace of spiritual energy, this might be a crucial help!
He suppressed his excitement and remained silent. That evening, as usual, he returned to his room, his mind drifting into the museum.
In the third display case, the once ordinary pebble had undergone a complete transformation! It now possessed a warm, milky-white hue, with an inner glow that seemed to flow gently, its surface smooth as jade, and warm to the touch. The information on the display case clearly stated:
Item: Spirit Gathering Stone (Small)
Status: Evolution complete
"Effect: It can gather and purify the surrounding spiritual energy in a small area, increasing the concentration and quality of spiritual energy, and assisting in cultivation."
It's done! Chen Anran was overjoyed and immediately took the spirit-gathering stone out of the display case.
As soon as he held the stone, an indescribable sense of comfort instantly spread throughout his body, as if parched land had encountered sweet rain. Although he still couldn't directly "see" or "guide" the spiritual energy, he could clearly feel that, centered on the spirit-gathering stone, a certain "active" substance in the surrounding air had significantly increased, and with each breath, his lungs felt exceptionally fresh and comfortable.
"This is it!" Chen Anran gripped the Spirit Gathering Stone tightly, hope rekindling in his eyes.
The next day, it was time to sense the Qi again. Chen Anran sat cross-legged in his usual spot, but unlike before, he secretly held the Spirit Gathering Stone in his palm and hid it in his sleeve.
When he calmed his mind and tried to sense the Qi again, a miracle happened!
This time, he was no longer nothingness. Through the slight amplification brought by the spirit-gathering stone, he vaguely "perceived" for the first time the tiny, firefly-like specks of light floating in the surrounding air.
Spiritual energy!