Chapter 4: Gathering and Dispelling Qi
After all, it is a pill that is very beneficial for novice cultivators, and it is truly a waste to let this useless person with five spiritual roots use it. Jian Shi thought to himself, but he did not express his thoughts so harshly in person. He simply explained the effects and usage of the Qi Gathering Powder before dismissing Zhao Di, not even giving him the opportunity to inquire about cultivation insights.
After meditating for half a day with this elixir, I actually experienced such a significant increase in my cultivation! Zhao was pleasantly surprised to find that his cultivation had increased substantially as a result.
After Zhao Di realized the immense benefits of taking elixirs, he not only practiced diligently every day but also eagerly awaited the arrival of the six-month period, as he was looking forward to the next grain of Qi Gathering Powder. Without the aid of elixirs, the speed of his own cultivation could only be described as abysmal
After the old man confirmed that Zhao Di had indeed reached the second level of cultivation, he handed Zhao Di a small black glass vial, while a look of disdain and regret appeared on his face
Unfortunately, Zhao Di had also heard that in the realm of cultivation, spiritual pills and elixirs are extremely precious resources, and it is impossible to have an unlimited supply. Even the Qi Gathering Powder, which can only enhance the cultivation of beginner cultivators, is distributed by the Jian family of Nanhua at a rate of one pill per person every six months. If a cultivator reaches the third level of the Qi Refinement stage, they receive one pill every two months; if they advance to the fourth level, they can collect one pill each month. As for cultivators at the fifth level of Qi Refinement and above, the Qi Gathering Powder becomes less effective, and they must pursue more precious and effective intermediate and advanced spiritual pills and elixirs.
Zhao Di completed the first level of Qi Refinement and, upon entering the second level of Qi Refinement, immediately went to the "Ruzi Pavilion" to find the old man with a white beard, Jian Shi
After a period of time, the Jian family welcomed a continuous influx of young children with spiritual root attributes. Among them was an exceptionally rare variant spiritual root owner—Jian Yun, who possessed a Wind Spiritual Root. Since his emergence, he has attracted significant attention within the Jian family. The senior members of the Jian family took meticulous care of him, even assigning an elder in the late Foundation Establishment stage specifically to teach Jian Yun in his cultivation. It can be said that the entire Jian family regarded Jian Yun as the hope and cornerstone for the future prosperity and expansion of the family. From specially sourcing top-tier cultivation techniques for the Wind attribute to providing various spiritual pills and medicines, anything Jian Yun could use was sent to him in a steady stream. In no time, Jian Yun's cultivation speed became unprecedented, making him the focal point of discussion among the members of the Jian family.
If I could take a pill of the Gathering Qi Powder every few days, then why would it take me a year to reach the second layer of Qi Refinement? I fear a month would be sufficient! Zhao thought further, "If I had enough of this spiritual medicine, advancing to the third layer within half a year would be a piece of cake!"
The most discussed topic among the members of the Jian family is which young disciple has recently made significant progress in their cultivation or which disciple has mastered a certain spell from mhetushucom.com, showing rapid advancement. Aside from those outstanding disciples, Zhao Di is occasionally mentioned, but it is usually accompanied by mocking terms such as "five roots" and "waste".
The area of the Nanhua Mountain Canyon occupied by the Nanhua Jian family is a low-grade spiritual vein, where the spiritual energy is significantly denser compared to other secular places.
Although Zhao Di had the assistance of the Gathering Qi Dispersing method, it was not until three years later that he broke through to the second level of his cultivation technique, advancing to the third level of the Qi Refining Stage. At this time, among the youths who began their cultivation alongside him, many had already reached the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, qualifying as mid-level cultivators. Furthermore, an outstanding dual spiritual root cultivator, Jian Kun, had already attained the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage, just one step away from entering the ranks of high-level cultivators, leaving Zhao Di, who was still struggling at the initial level of the Qi Refining Stage, far behind.
The second effective method to enhance the speed of cultivation is to consume certain elixirs that strengthen the foundation and replenish the essence, such as those of the type known as Gathering Qi Powder
Zhao did not dare to linger any longer, and after receiving the small bottle, he returned to his meditation chamber.
In the land of spiritual veins, the purity and quantity of the spiritual energy absorbed are far superior to those in ordinary places. This is also why cultivators often remain in secluded areas and are reluctant to move about freely.
Is this the legendary elixir—Gathering Qi Powder? Hmm, it truly is extraordinary, just inhaling it feels so pleasant. I wonder what the effects will be after taking it. Zhao Di immediately sat down in meditation, first taking three deep breaths. Once he calmed his mind, he swallowed the Gathering Qi Powder directly into his abdomen. After a moment, Zhao Di felt a strong surge of spiritual energy in his abdomen, realizing that the Gathering Qi Powder had taken effect. He quickly began to circulate his energy, following Jian Shi's instructions to control this powerful spiritual energy as it flowed through one meridian after another, until after completing eighty-one cycles, this spiritual power finally returned completely to Zhao Di's dantian.
None of this affected Zhao Di's diligent practice for seventeen to eighteen hours every day, yet he still received bad news: the Grand Elder of the Jian family announced that any cultivator who had not reached the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage by the age of fifteen would not be allowed to continue their training in the Nanhua Valley and must go out to experience the world. Those who do not reach above the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage will not be permitted to return
It is clear to anyone with understanding that the so-called experience is merely a pleasant facade. A cultivator who cannot even enter the fifth level must either possess exceptionally poor aptitude or, like Zhao Di, have a severely lacking spiritual root attribute. How could they possibly have the opportunity to cultivate to the tenth level of Qi Refinement? To put it bluntly, they are simply being expelled from the family. After all, cultivators with low cultivation levels contribute very little to the family, and for a family to thrive, it will always rely on those high-ranking core descendants.
In the realm of cultivation, there is a saying that there are four highly sought-after professions, and undoubtedly, alchemists rank first.
To understand that cultivators, in order to enhance their cultivation speed, rely not only on excellent spiritual root attributes but also on two primary external methods for improvement.
Therefore, the consumption of alchemy is something that ordinary cultivators cannot bear. Those who are skilled in refining certain elixirs attain a corresponding noble status—alchemists. The possibility of becoming an alchemist solely through one's own efforts is almost zero; every alchemist has the strong support of a sect or family behind them, which provides a continuous supply of materials for the alchemist to accumulate experience. The Jian family has such an alchemist, but he is only capable of skillfully refining a few mid-level elixirs such as the Qi Gathering Powder. Even so, his status within the Jian family is quite significant.
As for that individual known as "Xiao Wugen," he decided to abandon the path of cultivation and return to the mortal world a year ago
He removed the wooden cork from the small bottle, turned the bottle upside down in his palm, and a round, semi-transparent pill, about half an inch in diameter and featuring both green and yellow hues, fell into his hand. Instantly, a faint, refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted into the air, invigorating Zhao Di and refreshing his spirit.
The first aspect is to seek out good spiritual veins. The so-called spiritual veins refer to locations with particularly high densities of spiritual energy
The spiritual energy between heaven and earth is not evenly distributed; some areas are dense while others are sparse. Generally speaking, places with a large population tend to have thin spiritual energy, such as towns inhabited by mortals. Therefore, very few cultivators are willing to step into the mortal realm, as it is almost equivalent to making no progress in their cultivation. Conversely, areas with treacherous terrain tend to have denser spiritual energy, forming various spiritual veins of different sizes. Based on the density of spiritual energy contained within these veins, they can be classified into inferior, medium, and superior spiritual veins. It is easy to deduce that the exceptionally dense superior spiritual veins are naturally occupied by some major cultivation sects. Even the inferior spiritual veins are divided among some medium and small cultivation forces.
Zhao, however, was not affected by the ridicule of others and continued to diligently practice, showing no signs of discouragement. With his mindset in his twenties, he certainly would not waste a moment dealing with the mockery and sarcasm of the children around him
These elixirs are extracted and refined from rare herbs and spiritual woods that have aged for many years using complex methods. Not only are the raw materials exceptionally precious, but the success rate of the refining process is also extremely low. Take the Qi Refining Powder as an example; it requires three types of spiritual herbs, each aged over ten years, to be repeatedly refined for a day and a night to complete the process. For a novice who has not practiced several times, the success rate will definitely not exceed 10%. Even for a skilled practitioner who has refined it over a hundred times, the success rate will not surpass 50%. This is still the easiest to refine and the lowest grade of Qi Refining elixir. If it were a higher-grade elixir, not only would the required materials be exponentially more expensive, but the success rate of the refining process would also be frighteningly low.