As dusk fell, Chu Liang arrived at the top of the hill, welcomed by the setting sun and the evening breeze. He sat down on the ground and gazed at the glow of the sunset.
The moment the sunlight was replaced by the moonlight, Chu Liang saw a flash of divine light being generated. He then tried to circulate his qi in accordance with the Blood-Refinement Technique: Divine Light and integrate his qi with spiritual energy.
Regardless of what kind of enchanted tool or Battle Soul he possessed, getting stronger was still the most important thing he had to do. The Large-Headed Doll saved him a lot of the time that he was supposed to have spent on practicing foundational techniques, so he should use that time to work harder on other areas.
This blood-refining technique was a secret technique for improving a cultivator's corporeal body. It had many wonderful effects, so Chu Liang had to practice it diligently.
Just like when cultivating other areas of the body, it's not possible for a cultivator's blood to suddenly have a spiritual nature. If a cultivator wanted their blood to have a spiritual nature, they had to acquire spiritual energy from somewhere else.
It was similar to the Great Blood-Refinement Art: Divine Slaughter, which obtained spiritual energy from the blood essence of other living things. That technique was simple and fast, but as Senior Brother Yuan Zhuo had said, the cultivator might suffer adverse effects after using it.
Divine Light, the technique that Chu Liang was using at the moment, was a bit slower than Divine Slaughter. It involved the integration of divine light that was generated at the point between day and night into his blood, making it incredibly pure. The best time of the day to cultivate using this technique was when the first rays of sunlight emerged at sunrise and when the first glimmers of moonlight appeared at sunset.
Chu Liang closed his eyes and focused, activating his divine sense and connecting with the heavens and the earth. A short while later, he sensed a boundless, majestic power in the sky—the beam of divine light he'd been waiting for!
The divine light was not something that mortals could even approach. All Chu Liang could do was let its rays shine on his divine intent so that he could acquire some spiritual energy from the divine light.
After that, he activated the Blood-Refinement Technique: Divine Light to integrate that spiritual energy into his blood. He had an incredibly calm expression, but his qi and blood were surging turbulently throughout his body, so much so that there was even the faint sound of sea waves.
After some time, Chu Liang opened his eyes again and let out a long breath. "Phew."
The process of refining his blood was excruciating. Each time a little bit of spiritual energy was integrated into his blood, it felt like a needle was piercing through him, and that repeated throughout the whole process.
Once the painful integration process came to an end, Chu Liang suddenly felt relaxed as a refreshing feeling washed over him. It was like he had been injected with an invigorating energy! This was an uncharted territory for him.
So, this is what it feels like to imbue my blood with spiritual energy?
Chu Liang made a shallow cut on his right index finger and let a drop of blood fall out. He noticed a trace of gold inside that drop of red. When it landed on the ground, it rolled twice before seeping into the soil with a hiss. It seemed to be boiling hot.
This was his first time cultivating with this technique, yet he was already able to see such a significant difference; it was remarkable. As long as he persisted in cultivating with this technique, Chu Liang believed he would be able to achieve a level of control over his blood that was similar to that of the Fiend who had also used a blood-refinement technique. By then, he would be able to transform a mouthful of blood into whatever he wished.
However, that wasn't the most important thing. There was a legendary immortal art called Last Drop of Blood. The art allowed a cultivator to die and then come back to life. As long as they still had a drop of blood remaining, their soul would not perish, allowing for a resurrection. That one drop of blood had to possess an unimaginably vast amount of spiritual energy to be able to contain a whole soul inside it.
The sky had turned dark. Chu Liang tried cultivating some more, but progress was rather slow, so he got up, intending to head back home.
However, he noticed a dazzling display of multi-colored light overhead a mountain peak in the distance. Clouds of white fog shrouded the mountain peak like billowing sea waves, and a platinum ball of light was bobbing up and down amidst them. It was like a bright moon rising over the sea!
Chu Liang was rather astonished by this sight.
This is... the Sea of Qi Phenomenon!
...
"Is that Senior Sister Jiang?!"
A commotion broke out among the disciples on the other peaks in the Mount Shu Sect. It was nighttime, and the phenomenon occurring above the sea of clouds high up in the sky was simply too dazzling. Many disciples had gathered at the square in front of the Boundless Palace to watch the event play out.
"That should be Senior Sister Jiang, right? This phenomenon... is clearly the result of a fourth-realm cultivator achieving Perfect Qi Circulation!" someone exclaimed.
"It's definitely her!" someone else agreed. "That's Azure Falling Peak. Aside from Senior Sister Jiang, which other disciple from that peak could achieve Perfect Qi Circulation at the fourth realm?"
"Doesn't that mean Senior Sister Jiang's pretty close to reaching the fifth realm? She's a shoo-in for the position of the Head Disciple at the upcoming Mount Shu Summit!" another disciple exclaimed.
"My dear Jiangjiang works so hard!" one of Jiang Yuebai's fans gushed, feeling rather moved. "I love her even more now!"
Of course, there were others who were saddened by the news.
One of them said, "This means the gap between us will widen further, and my attempt at wooing her will become even more hopeless."
"To begin with, that was just a pipe dream!" someone replied, pouring cold water onto that disciple's hopes.
"..."
As the disciples continued to discuss spiritedly, even the peak masters and the executive members of the sect on Heaven-Reaching Peak took notice of this scene and gazed at Azure Falling Peak in deep contemplation.
Perfect Qi Circulation indicated that the cultivator had achieved the pinnacle level for the Qi-Circulation Technique. This was an extremely rare achievement. There had only been two precedences of a cultivator achieving Perfect Qi Circulation throughout the Mount Shu Sect's several thousands of years of history. Those two cultivators were renowned as peerless geniuses of their respective eras.
Now, during the Mount Shu Sect's era of decline, a third cultivator capable of achieving Perfect Qi Circulation had appeared.
"The fate that the True Dragon brought to the sect... It seems that it was meant for her," someone muttered.
"So, that's why Senior Sister Jiang didn't reply to my paper crane. Turns out she was undergoing some tough training in closed-door cultivation," someone else suddenly realized.
This person was Chu Liang.
When he saw the dazzling phenomenon occurring opposite Silver Sword Peak, he knew that it was caused by a disciple from Azure Falling Peak. He figured out straightaway that Jiang Yuebai was the one who had achieved Perfect Qi Circulation.
Unlike the other disciples, Chu Liang had achieved it before. So, he knew how difficult a feat it was. If it hadn't been for Xue Lingxue's powerful morale-boosting melody assisting him, Chu Liang would never have been able to come close to achieving Perfect Qi Circulation.
Yet, Jiang Yuebai had achieved it by herself. She was truly amazing. Nevertheless, it was likely in part due to her special constitution, Transcendent Spirit.
Chu Liang had encountered one of the three major aristocratic families recently, so he had put in extra effort to learn about their mystical abilities.
The Xia Family's Divine Fire Spirit was the simplest to understand. It was a fire-attribute blessing; once the strength of the fire reached a certain intensity, it would become a mystical ability.
On the other hand, the Ji Family's Xuan Yuan Eyes was the most complex. There were seven different eye colors, and each one represented a different mystical ability. These powers would become greater as the special individuals who possessed the eyes made advancements in their cultivation.
The Jiang Family's special constitution, Transcendent Spirit, was the most mysterious of the three. To this day, no one had fully comprehended all of the mystical abilities that stemmed from the Transcendent Spirit. It was currently known to have an affinity with spirit beasts, elementals, the Great Dao, and so on....
In short, individuals with this constitution were beloved by the spirit world. It didn't matter if they were working on mastering their divine abilities or cultivation techniques. Whatever it was, they could put in half the effort normally required and produce results that an ordinary cultivator would have needed to put in twice or even tenfold the effort to achieve. The breath of the Transcendent Spirit that flowed through the qi and blood of individuals with that constitution brought about countless amazing effects.
The downside of having this special constitution was that it was coveted by demons and evil entities. So, compared to ordinary cultivators, individuals with the Transcendent Spirit faced much greater danger while they were still growing as cultivators.
There was a view that the Transcendent Spirit was probably the strongest of the three aristocratic families' powers because it was the rarest. Since ancient times, for every ten babies that were born with Xuan Yuan Eyes, there were five babies born with the Divine Fire Spirit but only one or two with the Transcendent Spirit.
Nonetheless... having the Transcendent Spirit did not guarantee that they could achieve Perfect Qi Circulation. The fact that Senior Sister Jiang had managed it just showed that she was also extremely talented and hardworking.
This is a case of someone who's not only more outstanding than you but also better looking—no, a harder worker.
Chu Liang clenched his hands into fists, feeling moved by this realization.
What he didn't know though was that Jiang Yuebai had actually been satisfied with her previous rate of advancement in cultivation. However, she felt a sense of crisis after witnessing Chu Liang's miraculous progress in cultivation.
Jiang Yuebai ended up undergoing closed-door cultivation and meticulously studying cultivation techniques. That then led to an advancement in her cultivation and the cultivation phenomenon. In other words, it was because of Chu Liang that Jiang Yuebai did not dare to slack off!
"This must be what is meant by 'The heavens reward the diligent'..." Chu Liang muttered. "I have a long road ahead of me, with many realms left to advance through in my cultivation journey. I have to remember to keep working hard and honing my skills, never slacking off for even a moment! Senior Sister Jiang is working so diligently to improve... I have to work harder too!"
Chu Liang was filled with a raging competitive spirit!
"Large-Headed Doll, keep circulating qi for me until it feels like you're going to die!"
As dusk fell, Chu Liang arrived at the top of the hill, welcomed by the setting sun and the evening breeze. He sat down on the ground and gazed at the glow of the sunset.
The moment the sunlight was replaced by the moonlight, Chu Liang saw a flash of divine light being generated. He then tried to circulate his qi in accordance with the Blood-Refinement Technique: Divine Light and integrate his qi with spiritual energy.
Regardless of what kind of enchanted tool or Battle Soul he possessed, getting stronger was still the most important thing he had to do. The Large-Headed Doll saved him a lot of the time that he was supposed to have spent on practicing foundational techniques, so he should use that time to work harder on other areas.
This blood-refining technique was a secret technique for improving a cultivator's corporeal body. It had many wonderful effects, so Chu Liang had to practice it diligently.
Just like when cultivating other areas of the body, it's not possible for a cultivator's blood to suddenly have a spiritual nature. If a cultivator wanted their blood to have a spiritual nature, they had to acquire spiritual energy from somewhere else.
It was similar to the Great Blood-Refinement Art: Divine Slaughter, which obtained spiritual energy from the blood essence of other living things. That technique was simple and fast, but as Senior Brother Yuan Zhuo had said, the cultivator might suffer adverse effects after using it.
Divine Light, the technique that Chu Liang was using at the moment, was a bit slower than Divine Slaughter. It involved the integration of divine light that was generated at the point between day and night into his blood, making it incredibly pure. The best time of the day to cultivate using this technique was when the first rays of sunlight emerged at sunrise and when the first glimmers of moonlight appeared at sunset.
Chu Liang closed his eyes and focused, activating his divine sense and connecting with the heavens and the earth. A short while later, he sensed a boundless, majestic power in the sky—the beam of divine light he'd been waiting for!
The divine light was not something that mortals could even approach. All Chu Liang could do was let its rays shine on his divine intent so that he could acquire some spiritual energy from the divine light.
After that, he activated the Blood-Refinement Technique: Divine Light to integrate that spiritual energy into his blood. He had an incredibly calm expression, but his qi and blood were surging turbulently throughout his body, so much so that there was even the faint sound of sea waves.
After some time, Chu Liang opened his eyes again and let out a long breath. "Phew."
The process of refining his blood was excruciating. Each time a little bit of spiritual energy was integrated into his blood, it felt like a needle was piercing through him, and that repeated throughout the whole process.
Once the painful integration process came to an end, Chu Liang suddenly felt relaxed as a refreshing feeling washed over him. It was like he had been injected with an invigorating energy! This was an uncharted territory for him.
So, this is what it feels like to imbue my blood with spiritual energy?
Chu Liang made a shallow cut on his right index finger and let a drop of blood fall out. He noticed a trace of gold inside that drop of red. When it landed on the ground, it rolled twice before seeping into the soil with a hiss. It seemed to be boiling hot.
This was his first time cultivating with this technique, yet he was already able to see such a significant difference; it was remarkable. As long as he persisted in cultivating with this technique, Chu Liang believed he would be able to achieve a level of control over his blood that was similar to that of the Fiend who had also used a blood-refinement technique. By then, he would be able to transform a mouthful of blood into whatever he wished.
However, that wasn't the most important thing. There was a legendary immortal art called Last Drop of Blood. The art allowed a cultivator to die and then come back to life. As long as they still had a drop of blood remaining, their soul would not perish, allowing for a resurrection. That one drop of blood had to possess an unimaginably vast amount of spiritual energy to be able to contain a whole soul inside it.
The sky had turned dark. Chu Liang tried cultivating some more, but progress was rather slow, so he got up, intending to head back home.
However, he noticed a dazzling display of multi-colored light overhead a mountain peak in the distance. Clouds of white fog shrouded the mountain peak like billowing sea waves, and a platinum ball of light was bobbing up and down amidst them. It was like a bright moon rising over the sea!
Chu Liang was rather astonished by this sight.
This is... the Sea of Qi Phenomenon!
...
"Is that Senior Sister Jiang?!"
A commotion broke out among the disciples on the other peaks in the Mount Shu Sect. It was nighttime, and the phenomenon occurring above the sea of clouds high up in the sky was simply too dazzling. Many disciples had gathered at the square in front of the Boundless Palace to watch the event play out.
"That should be Senior Sister Jiang, right? This phenomenon... is clearly the result of a fourth-realm cultivator achieving Perfect Qi Circulation!" someone exclaimed.
"It's definitely her!" someone else agreed. "That's Azure Falling Peak. Aside from Senior Sister Jiang, which other disciple from that peak could achieve Perfect Qi Circulation at the fourth realm?"
"Doesn't that mean Senior Sister Jiang's pretty close to reaching the fifth realm? She's a shoo-in for the position of the Head Disciple at the upcoming Mount Shu Summit!" another disciple exclaimed.
"My dear Jiangjiang works so hard!" one of Jiang Yuebai's fans gushed, feeling rather moved. "I love her even more now!"
Of course, there were others who were saddened by the news.
One of them said, "This means the gap between us will widen further, and my attempt at wooing her will become even more hopeless."
"To begin with, that was just a pipe dream!" someone replied, pouring cold water onto that disciple's hopes.
"..."
As the disciples continued to discuss spiritedly, even the peak masters and the executive members of the sect on Heaven-Reaching Peak took notice of this scene and gazed at Azure Falling Peak in deep contemplation.
Perfect Qi Circulation indicated that the cultivator had achieved the pinnacle level for the Qi-Circulation Technique. This was an extremely rare achievement. There had only been two precedences of a cultivator achieving Perfect Qi Circulation throughout the Mount Shu Sect's several thousands of years of history. Those two cultivators were renowned as peerless geniuses of their respective eras.
Now, during the Mount Shu Sect's era of decline, a third cultivator capable of achieving Perfect Qi Circulation had appeared.
"The fate that the True Dragon brought to the sect... It seems that it was meant for her," someone muttered.
"So, that's why Senior Sister Jiang didn't reply to my paper crane. Turns out she was undergoing some tough training in closed-door cultivation," someone else suddenly realized.
This person was Chu Liang.
When he saw the dazzling phenomenon occurring opposite Silver Sword Peak, he knew that it was caused by a disciple from Azure Falling Peak. He figured out straightaway that Jiang Yuebai was the one who had achieved Perfect Qi Circulation.
Unlike the other disciples, Chu Liang had achieved it before. So, he knew how difficult a feat it was. If it hadn't been for Xue Lingxue's powerful morale-boosting melody assisting him, Chu Liang would never have been able to come close to achieving Perfect Qi Circulation.
Yet, Jiang Yuebai had achieved it by herself. She was truly amazing. Nevertheless, it was likely in part due to her special constitution, Transcendent Spirit.
Chu Liang had encountered one of the three major aristocratic families recently, so he had put in extra effort to learn about their mystical abilities.
The Xia Family's Divine Fire Spirit was the simplest to understand. It was a fire-attribute blessing; once the strength of the fire reached a certain intensity, it would become a mystical ability.
On the other hand, the Ji Family's Xuan Yuan Eyes was the most complex. There were seven different eye colors, and each one represented a different mystical ability. These powers would become greater as the special individuals who possessed the eyes made advancements in their cultivation.
The Jiang Family's special constitution, Transcendent Spirit, was the most mysterious of the three. To this day, no one had fully comprehended all of the mystical abilities that stemmed from the Transcendent Spirit. It was currently known to have an affinity with spirit beasts, elementals, the Great Dao, and so on....
In short, individuals with this constitution were beloved by the spirit world. It didn't matter if they were working on mastering their divine abilities or cultivation techniques. Whatever it was, they could put in half the effort normally required and produce results that an ordinary cultivator would have needed to put in twice or even tenfold the effort to achieve. The breath of the Transcendent Spirit that flowed through the qi and blood of individuals with that constitution brought about countless amazing effects.
The downside of having this special constitution was that it was coveted by demons and evil entities. So, compared to ordinary cultivators, individuals with the Transcendent Spirit faced much greater danger while they were still growing as cultivators.
There was a view that the Transcendent Spirit was probably the strongest of the three aristocratic families' powers because it was the rarest. Since ancient times, for every ten babies that were born with Xuan Yuan Eyes, there were five babies born with the Divine Fire Spirit but only one or two with the Transcendent Spirit.
Nonetheless... having the Transcendent Spirit did not guarantee that they could achieve Perfect Qi Circulation. The fact that Senior Sister Jiang had managed it just showed that she was also extremely talented and hardworking.
This is a case of someone who's not only more outstanding than you but also better looking—no, a harder worker.
Chu Liang clenched his hands into fists, feeling moved by this realization.
What he didn't know though was that Jiang Yuebai had actually been satisfied with her previous rate of advancement in cultivation. However, she felt a sense of crisis after witnessing Chu Liang's miraculous progress in cultivation.
Jiang Yuebai ended up undergoing closed-door cultivation and meticulously studying cultivation techniques. That then led to an advancement in her cultivation and the cultivation phenomenon. In other words, it was because of Chu Liang that Jiang Yuebai did not dare to slack off!
"This must be what is meant by 'The heavens reward the diligent'..." Chu Liang muttered. "I have a long road ahead of me, with many realms left to advance through in my cultivation journey. I have to remember to keep working hard and honing my skills, never slacking off for even a moment! Senior Sister Jiang is working so diligently to improve... I have to work harder too!"
Chu Liang was filled with a raging competitive spirit!
"Large-Headed Doll, keep circulating qi for me until it feels like you're going to die!"
