Chapter 58: Qi Refinement Technique

Inside his room, Chen Luo once again retrieved the “Records of a Hundred Immortals” and placed it on the table.

He had already encountered the Qi Refinement method within the book, and mastering this technique was imperative. His body now contained a significant amount of blue energy; although part of it was consumed by the ‘White Immortal’ earlier, there remained plenty. Combined with the energy he accumulated through daily breathing exercises, not utilizing it would be a waste.

He flipped to the page dedicated to Qingyi, the White Immortal.

Sure enough, the Qi Refinement technique was still present.

“‘One must first attain a state devoid of thoughts and worries.’”

The text was brief, yet strangely, even after reading it once, Chen Luo couldn’t memorize it. More peculiarly, when he tried to recall the words, his mind felt completely blank.

“The technique is unusual,” a thought echoed in his mind.

Unwilling to give up, Chen Luo attempted to record it again.

Strangely, as he read this time, the content of the technique seemed to have changed.

“‘Dao is breath. Breath, the root of self.’”

Drawing from his previous experience, Chen Luo activated all over a hundred external brains simultaneously while reading.

“Record together.”

This Qi Refinement technique comprised only about fifty phrases, leaving ample sentences for each brain to remember individually.

After reading it once more, that peculiar sensation returned.

But this time, Chen Luo stared intently at the words, repeatedly memorizing them. Similarly, each of the hundred-plus external minds focused on remembering a specific segment. As expected, after a brief standoff, the strange effect vanished, and Chen Luo successfully committed the Qi Refinement technique to memory.

“Done!” Chen Luo breathed a sigh of relief.

He began organizing the content within his mind.

This Qi Refinement technique was named the “True Immortal Classic.” It provided detailed descriptions of methods and realms for refining qi.

According to the technique:

Upon entering the path of cultivation, one becomes known as a qi refiner.

Qi Refinement is divided into thirteen minor realms, collectively referred to as the Thirteen Stages of Qi Refinement. These thirteen stages are further grouped into four sub-levels: early, middle, late, and peak stages. Each level has its unique names, such as Concentration, Absorption, Circulation, Enlightenment, and so forth. During cultivation, absorbing various spiritual materials from nature increases success rates, acknowledging the limits of human ability and emphasizing the need to ‘borrow external forces in cultivation.’

Only after completing Qi Refinement does one truly become an immortal cultivator, reaching the realm of Foundation Establishment. From this stage onwards, one transcends the ordinary, embarking on an extraordinary journey.

At Foundation Establishment, cultivators enjoy a lifespan of five hundred years, can command swords to fly, traverse the heavens and earth daily, embodying true immortals on their spiritual journey. The subsequent stages of Golden Core and Nascent Soul also have distinct characteristics, but the Qi Refinement technique only provides a brief overview without delving into detail. After all, it is merely an introductory manual.

“Is this prestigious ‘True Immortal Classic’ meant solely for Qi Refinement and entering the path?”

Recalling the contents of the True Immortal Classic, Chen Luo felt deeply unsatisfied. Despite its grandiose name, it seemed akin to a third-rate jianghu secret manual.

However, there was some logic behind it; if it truly contained an immortal-level cultivation method, he, as a novice, wouldn’t have been able to memorize it, and Longevity Daoist wouldn’t have sought opportunities beyond the Yue Kingdom’s borders in the larger world of cultivation.

“Well, at least it allows entry onto the path.”

Revisiting the content of the True Immortal Classic, Chen Luo engaged all his external minds simultaneously to comprehend it fully.

“The power of martial arts can be used as a foundation.”

“Using medicinal baths can increase success rates, but the herbal combinations need reevaluation.”

“Spiritual Roots! Spiritual roots are fundamental.”

Amidst the chaotic information, one particular thought caught Chen Luo’s attention. It originated from Old Jiang, once a guard of the Nineteenth Prince. His perspective differed significantly from the others, focusing primarily on the root cause.

Upon closer examination, Chen Luo realized that indeed, within the True Immortal Classic, the most crucial aspect described during cultivation was the process of refining qi into oneself. This mirrored how martial artists cultivate by storing inner energy in their dantian—the cultivator’s equivalent being their spiritual roots.

According to the “True Immortal Classic,” one of the most crucial aspects of cultivation is refining Qi within the body. This process parallels that of martial artists cultivating their martial path, where they store inner qi in the dantian. For cultivators, the ‘dantian’ serves as their spiritual roots.

The strength of one’s spiritual roots directly determines the upper limit of a cultivator’s growth and the speed at which they can refine Qi, with significant variations among individuals.

A person with high aptitude could achieve in one day what someone with poor aptitude might take ten, hundred, or even a thousand days to accomplish. In the realm of immortal cultivation, the disparity between individuals was greater than the distance between heaven and earth. It’s no wonder the White Immortal Cave sets such stringent standards for selecting disciples; those with low aptitude have little hope of entering the cultivation path, making it futile to teach them.

“My own aptitude…” Chen Luo unconsciously engaged both the Royal Brain and the Nineteenth Prince’s brain.

His ability to cultivate relied entirely on these two contributions. The workings of the ‘brains’ were mysterious, but due to their presence, subtle changes occurred in Chen Luo’s body, awakening his spiritual roots akin to a cultivator’s.

Currently, when utilizing the external minds, Chen Luo’s aptitude effectively combines the strengths of the Royal Brain and the Nineteenth Prince. Compared to ordinary individuals, he stands a level above, qualifying him as somewhat of a prodigy.

Without being at least this gifted, he wouldn’t have passed Longevity Daoist’s test.

“Not bad,” Chen Luo concluded.

Feeling reassured, Chen Luo began considering his next step: formally embarking on the path to become a qi refiner.

“According to the ‘True Immortal Classic,’ the first step requires using a small amount of spiritual energy to cleanse the body, removing accumulated ‘impure qi’ over time,” Chen Luo estimated the spiritual energy stored within himself, which was already considerable.

However, it still fell short of the “small amount” described in the ‘True Immortal Classic.’ At most, he had only about one-third of what was needed.

“Is this considered just a ‘small amount’?”

Chen Luo felt instantly underwhelmed, doubting his own strength.

Based on the ‘True Immortal Classic’s description, he would need to absorb at least one more light blue mineral stone to gather the remaining two-thirds and successfully begin his cultivation journey.

“That complicates things.”

Chen Luo put down the book but didn’t overly concern himself. He was no longer the grave digger from Qingya County; numerous people were eager to curry favor with him now. Without even mentioning distant acquaintances, Uncle-Master Ruan Jianglong would likely be more than willing to assist. Moreover, aside from the blue mineral stones, cultivating spiritual energy through breathing techniques could also help, albeit requiring more time.

With over a hundred distinct minds in his consciousness, each approaching problems from unique perspectives, their collective wisdom sparked innovative ideas continuously within Chen Luo’s thoughts. Soon, a new path for cultivation emerged swiftly.

After reading the ‘True Immortal Classic,’ Chen Luo felt relaxed.

The overly active external minds in his brain gradually fell asleep, and a sense of fatigue washed over him.

Lying on the bed, Chen Luo picked up the ‘Records of a Hundred Immortals’ from the table and began flipping through it once more. Since the awakening of the ‘White Immortal,’ the book seemed to have expended its energy; now, browsing through it felt no different than any ordinary book.

As he read through,

Chen Luo skimmed the biographies towards the end, confirming what Longevity Daoist had mentioned earlier.

Apart from a few exceptions, the life stories of most individuals were indeed valueless. Especially those towards the end, Chen Luo suspected they might not even be real. The so-called ‘hundred immortals’ appeared to be merely exaggeration.

Night deepened, bringing with it a wave of drowsiness.

Yawning, Chen Luo placed the book carefully in his robe, lay down, and drifted slowly into sleep.