Chapter Nine, Second Layer of Qi Refinement

The entrance to the secluded place he chose is located at the bottom of a pond, which he discovered several years ago after finishing his training, during a moment of inspiration while swimming in the pond. At a position approximately several hundred meters upstream at the bottom of the pond, there is a natural cave with a diameter of over 5 meters and a height of more than 3 meters

The spiritual energy contained in each Qi dispersing pill exceeds that obtained from a month of arduous cultivation, and the spiritual energy within the elixir is devoid of any attribute distinctions. With a refining rate exceeding 90%, it is evidently enhanced by the rich spiritual energy present in the cave. Zhao Shoushou's dantian is experiencing a rapid increase in spiritual energy at a pace far surpassing his usual rate, and this sensation of swift cultivation improvement is truly intoxicating, causing time to pass unnoticed.

Four first-grade low-grade Qi dispersing pills and one first-grade low-grade spirit-concentrating incense were all ready, but the only thing missing was the east wind. After everything was prepared, Zhao Shoushou lit the spirit-concentrating incense and consumed one first-grade low-grade Qi dispersing pill, then began to close his eyes and cultivate, officially embarking on the path to break through to the second layer of Qi training

The spiritual energy flows throughout the meridians, waiting to be refined, continuously being propelled into the already swollen dantian by the Great Circulation. It seeks to wash away the bottleneck that secretly hinders the progress of cultivation through the power brought by the magical force. This is clearly not an easy process

Moreover, the process of breaking through a bottleneck during seclusion is evidently different from regular cultivation. Throughout this process, one cannot afford any disturbances; if interrupted unexpectedly, one may lose all previous efforts and have to start over, or worse, the spiritual energy may go awry, leading to a state of madness, completely jeopardizing the future path. It is truly terrifying.

His dantian seems as if it could be crushed by immense pressure at any moment, yet this is precisely the normal way to break through a bottleneck. It is through the pressure brought by magical power that one steps into a new level. Whether one can successfully break through hinges on the ability to persist through immense pressure and the trials of suffering.

However, Zhao Shoushou, who was in the cave, could not afford to feel pity for the heavens and the people. At this moment, all he wanted was to break through the bottleneck and advance to the second level of Qi training, thus embarking on the true path of cultivation

Having reached the peak of the first layer of Qi Refinement, it is time to launch an assault on a new realm of cultivation. Seeing that diligent practice has yielded no further gains, Zhao Shoushou took out the third low-grade first-tier Qi Nourishing Pill. To break through the bottleneck, sufficient spiritual energy is required, and the gentle spiritual energy within the elixir is clearly the first choice

The initial turmoil quickly subsided, yet Zhao Shoushou, disregarding his injuries, immediately consumed the last Qi-consolidating pill. Successfully advancing to the second layer of Qi Refinement did not guarantee everything was smooth sailing; any instability in the newly attained cultivation realm could lead to a complete loss of progress. Therefore, the most crucial task at present is to thoroughly stabilize his cultivation.

His thatched cottage is located at the northwest corner of Cormorant Island. It already belongs to a remote area, and since embarking on the path of cultivation, he has ceased to communicate with those around him, making him even more reclusive. Unless there is a necessity, no one would come to disturb him. However, this place is quite far from the river, and the water attribute spiritual energy is evidently lacking. For a complete strategy, he had chosen a place for seclusion long ago.

Upon arriving at the destination, as a qualified fisherman, Zhao Shoushou dove into the water with a remarkably perfect posture, swimming like a nimble fish directly towards the entrance of the cave. After considerable effort, he finally moved aside the stone, which was not insignificant in weight.

"With a calm mind and a peaceful heart, achieving twice the result with half the effort, maintaining tranquility and composure, and everything going smoothly." Being overly emotional and anxious about gains and losses are major taboos before cultivation. Zhao Shoushou continuously murmured softly to soothe his restless heart, only regaining his composure and returning to normal after an hour.

The immense backlash instantly inflicted severe damage to the internal organs, and a mouthful of blood that could no longer be suppressed gushed out. However, the mist-like magical power within the dantian surged to several times its previous amount, leaving only one-fifth of the dantian occupied. Nevertheless, the power contained within was incomparable to before.

The first-order Qi disperses at the entrance and instantly dissolves, with gentle streams of spiritual energy spreading into the meridians. Zhao Shoushou exerts all his strength to operate the Great Circulation according to the requirements of the "Ripple Technique," diligently refining the gentle spiritual energy that disperses from his own Qi within the meridians. With each complete cycle of the Great Circulation, he can clearly feel the increase of magical power within his dantian

Zhao was in great pain, truly in great pain. Why is the first bottleneck so difficult to overcome? When will it be broken if not now? As he witnessed the third Qi-dispersing spiritual force about to be exhausted, and his body's endurance reaching its limit, Zhao Shoushou, unwilling to accept failure, let out a loud shout, forcefully manipulating his feeble consciousness to stir the already turbulent mana in his dantian, launching a final strike at the precarious bottleneck.

As a solitary cultivator without any support, what he yearns for the most is to possess a cave dwelling situated on a spiritual vein rich in spiritual energy. Having cultivated in the secular world, this is the first time he, as a practitioner, has truly experienced the spiritual energy emitted by a low-grade first-tier spiritual vein, which is rather lamentable.

After returning to the humble thatched cottage on Cormorant Island, Zhao Shoushou spent three days in meditation and cultivation, emptying his mind and body to maintain himself in a peak state. Once he had finished packing all useful items, on the morning of the fourth day, he set off for the secluded place he had already chosen for his retreat.

This cave is located at the confluence of several underground rivers, and the concentration of spiritual energy within is at least three times higher than that outside. On ordinary days, he could hardly bear to cultivate here, and he specifically used a stone to block the entrance to prevent the leakage of spiritual energy, waiting only for the critical moment of his breakthrough to enter seclusion for cultivation. Now, after years of hard work and waiting, the fruits of his labor are finally about to be realized

The magical power within the Dantian was originally at the peak of the first layer of Qi cultivation. Every bit of new spiritual energy refined into it brought an omnipresent throbbing pain, piercing like a sharp thorn, testing every inch of the nerves. The magical power, in a state of fog, surged and ebbed continuously.

The cycle of day and night, the shifting of stars, and in the blink of an eye, two months have passed. With the assistance of two first-grade low-grade Qi dispersing and the accumulation of spiritual energy in the cave over several years, the density of the magical power in Zhao Shoushou's dantian, which is distributed in a misty form, has increased more than twice. Now, no matter how hard he tries to refine it, there is not a trace of increase, clearly indicating that he has reached the pinnacle level of the first layer of Qi training.

As for physical injuries, in the absence of healing elixirs, one can only rely on the nourishment of spiritual energy to gradually recover, which requires sufficient time for recuperation. In fact, the process of stabilizing one's realm is also a process of healing injuries

The first-grade low-grade concentration incense allows cultivators to quickly enter a state of cultivation, possessing the effects of stabilizing the mind, calming the spirit, and to a certain extent preventing the risk of going astray in their practice. At the small gathering by Cormorant Lake, it is priced at one low-grade spirit stone, which is considered a luxury for him, only to be used at critical moments when breaking through bottlenecks.

With abundant spiritual energy, every hair on his body felt as refreshing as if he had consumed a ginseng fruit. He did not waste the years of accumulation, and with such rich spiritual energy assisting him, his confidence in breaking through to the second layer of Qi training increased significantly. He wondered what the true location of the spiritual vein was like. Sitting cross-legged in the cave, Zhao Shoushou was quite satisfied as he muttered to himself