Chapter 7, The Little Lion

However, after two years of cultivation, Yang Tianwen was merely caught off guard by a single thought and was knocked to the ground by the little lion. Another thought crossed Yang Tianwen's mind: it was all over, he was surely doomed. With his eyes closed, he awaited the moment's arrival, and time suddenly felt exceptionally prolonged

After entering the breathing period, Yang Tianwen climbed up the giant tree where he now resides. It was shocking to see that the forest stretched endlessly, and what troubled Yang Tianwen was that this place was nothing like Earth. In such desolate areas, it was likely that the threats were not wolves or tigers, but rather various powerful demon beasts. For Yang Tianwen, who had gained some knowledge, it was better to be cautious and not wander around aimlessly; at least he was safe for now. As for what happens in the future, that can be addressed later. In such desolate areas, it was likely that the threats were not wolves or tigers, but rather various powerful demon beasts. For Yang Tianwen, who had gained some knowledge, it was better to be cautious and not wander around aimlessly; at least he was safe for now. As for what happens in the future, that can be addressed later.

At this point, it is necessary to introduce the hierarchical structure of cultivation in this world, which is broadly divided into five stages: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Void Refinement, and Great Ascension. These stages are further subdivided into Qi Refinement, Illumination, Valley Breaking, False Core, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Spirit Division, Body Integration, Tribulation Crossing, and Ascension. Among these, Qi Refinement and Illumination belong to the Qi Refinement stage, Valley Breaking and False Core are classified as the Foundation Establishment stage, Golden Core is referred to as the Core Formation stage, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, and Spirit Division are categorized under the Void Refinement stage, while Body Integration, Tribulation Crossing, and Ascension are designated as the Great Ascension stage

Yang Tianwen's first thought was to hide. Obviously, the performance of this little lion just now had startled Yang Tianwen. Who knows if a single hit would leave him incapacitated.

After quite a while, the white light seemed to have exhausted itself, coming to a halt and slowly descending from the sky. As the brilliance receded, what appeared there was surprisingly a small snow-white lion, measuring no more than half a foot in length, standing on all fours, with its head barely reaching twenty centimeters in height. Its adorable short tail curled into a circle, and a pair of lively little eyes curiously surveyed the surroundings. Upon spotting Yang Tianwen, it revealed a look of joy and leaped towards him.

Yang Tianwen was puzzled. This small creature was so intelligent and had suddenly appeared here, displaying such powerful destructive capabilities just moments ago. It was evident that it had some background. Yang Tianwen racked his brain but could not recall any mention of it in the chapter on strange objects in the "Zixiao Baolu." He thought to himself that it was also possible; after all, although the chapter on strange objects in the "Zixiao Baolu" contained many entries, it could not possibly document everything in the universe. Moreover, the origin of the "Zixiao Baolu" was from his hometown, not from this Zixuan Continent. He considered again that it was indeed possible; after all, although the chapter on strange objects in the "Zixiao Baolu" contained many entries, it could not possibly document everything in the universe. Furthermore, the origin of the "Zixiao Baolu" was from his hometown, not from this Zixuan Continent. Of course, it was also possible that this little lion was not a particularly rare species, which is why it was not recorded.

On this day, Yang Tianwen concluded three days and nights of meditation. After consuming something, he began to study the celestial destiny compass. After two years, the second level of the compass was largely completed, with only a few minor details remaining

After three months of effort, Yang Tianwen has now entered the Qi Refinement stage, which is the very first and most basic threshold of cultivation. In the "Zizai Dadao," this is referred to as the Breathing Period

However, the "Path of Freedom" practiced by the protagonist is somewhat different, as it is divided into: Inhalation, Qi Absorption, Qi Circulation, Qi Refinement, Fetal Breathing, Spirit Transformation, Dan Accumulation, Dan Nourishment, and Dan Formation. If one were to categorize it, the initial stages of Inhalation, Qi Absorption, Qi Circulation, Qi Refinement, and Fetal Breathing are collectively referred to as the Qi Refinement Stage

The little creature seemed to understand Yang Tianwen's words, letting out a few whimpers of "woo woo woo..." It no longer chased after him to lick, but simply looked at Yang Tianwen with its adorable big eyes

Upon reaching the level of Tunna, one can gradually open up the extraordinary meridians within the body. When one attains the level of Shiqi, one can absorb the primordial energy of heaven and earth to accelerate the pace of cultivation. At the same time, it is essential to gradually open the remaining meridians and acupoints throughout the body, establishing a connection between heaven and earth, thereby forming a perfect cycle. At this point, the internal energy flows as smoothly as flowing clouds and flowing water, entering the stage of circulating energy.

With the arrival of spring, time has passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, two years have gone by, and Yang Tianwen has reached the Qi Nourishing Stage, having opened all the meridians in his body and some of the acupoints, coming close to entering the Qi Circulation Stage. This progress has been quite rapid for Yang Tianwen, thanks to the diligence and patience of the Yang family. However, this outcome has also led to a significant slowdown in the advancement of deciphering the second level of the compass. Yang Tianwen enjoys his current days; with each meridian or acupoint he opens, he feels a deeper understanding of himself, a peculiar sensation, as this body is inherently his own. Yet, his control over it has remained at the most basic level. After two years of cultivation, his strength has become evident. Not only has he adapted to the external weather, but he can also jump several zhang high and, with bare hands, break branches as thick as a bowl's rim. In the past, such feats were unimaginable, which has made Yang Tianwen increasingly motivated in his cultivation. It is not uncommon for him to sit in meditation for an entire day and night.

Until a wet sensation came over his face, Yang Tianwen opened his eyes to find that the little lion was vigorously licking him. After confirming that the little lion meant no harm, Yang Tianwen breathed a sigh of relief, gently picked up the little creature to stop it, and sighed, "Oh, you startled me. Alright, little one, no more licking, it tickles too much."

Yang Tianwen, who has settled down to cultivate, is also diligently practicing. From morning till night, apart from eating and sleeping, he is engaged in cultivation and deciphering the second level of the Destiny Compass. However, the compass now has three additional layers, making it several times more complex than the first level. It is not simply a matter of resolving it; a significant amount of time is also required to cultivate the techniques.

Three months is indeed not slow; if one were to evaluate it, it could barely be considered as reaching a satisfactory level. However, what Yang Tianwen does not know is that during his traversal through space, he had already absorbed some subtle spatial energy. Coupled with the special effect of cleansing and refining his body granted by the activation of the first level of the Destiny Celestial Disk, Yang Tianwen's body underwent a tremendous transformation. Yet, despite this, it still took him three months to cultivate a sense of qi. Such aptitude can only be described as average. Nevertheless, Yang Tianwen remains unaware of this and feels quite pleased with himself.

The cultivation method that Yang Tianwen practices is the primordial technique of the ancient Qi refiners, which has been lost for countless years. It emphasizes that the initial stages are extremely difficult, while later stages become easier. The entry point is particularly challenging, but once one has entered, everything flows naturally. Therefore, the early stages focus on building a solid foundation, refining oneself, and tempering internal energy, which occupies the most crucial position and is also the most time-consuming. However, this method of cultivation has the advantage of establishing a very strong foundation, generally avoiding the risk of deviating into madness, and progress in the later stages is rapid. This is also why ancient Qi refiners placed great importance on fate and fortune when accepting disciples.

Suddenly, a strong vibration was felt, and countless leaves began to fall. Looking up, a beam of white light burst forth from about seventy to eighty meters up the trunk of the giant tree. It flew everywhere, and wherever it passed, numerous large trees fell. This display alone startled Yang Tianwen. Although the trees in the vicinity were not as exaggerated as the one he resided in, they were still quite old, with the smallest ones requiring several people to embrace them.