Chapter 62: Transformation

Chen Luo sat cross-legged, palms and soles facing upwards towards the heavens.

The pale blue spiritual energy from the spirit stone entered his body with each breath, circulating within him. The previously stagnant energy now surged to life, enabled by the complete cultivation technique, allowing him to harness the faint blue essence effectively.

Again and again.

Gradually, the number of pedestrians on the streets dwindled, and the busy bodyguards at the agency settled down for sleep.

Chen Luo continued his cultivation undisturbed.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the spirit stones on the table lost their luster. With a sudden ‘crack,’ they shattered, breaking into small gray crystalline fragments across the surface.

Slowly, Chen Luo opened his eyes, a hint of pale blue flickering momentarily within them.

An ethereal aura gradually emanated from his body; his clothes stirred without any breeze, hair gently floating, and a subtle fragrance diffused around him. His thoughts became incredibly clear, even forgotten childhood memories resurfaced.

The pale blue energy had been fully refined, transforming into flowing currents circulating within him.

Spiritual Energy!

After cultivating most of the night and exhausting one spirit stone, he finally achieved entry into the Dao.

Now, he could be considered a first-layer Qi Refiner.

Whish!

Chen Luo extended his index finger, directing it towards the nearly extinguished oil lamp on the table, then snapped his fingers.

As this aura touched the flame burning on the wick, it mysteriously detached from the lamp. The small fire danced through the air, circled around, and returned to Chen Luo’s hand, settling upon his fingertip.

This was the most basic application of spiritual energy.

“The sensation is truly profound,” Chen Luo thought, assessing his current state.

His martial arts realm remained at the Bone Tempering Stage, but his overall strength had increased tenfold or more. Both mentally and physically, he experienced a comprehensive enhancement—all thanks to the simplest effects of spiritual energy. The greatest boost, however, lay in magical techniques and spells!

Now, the immortal script he learned from Longevity Daoist possessed extraordinary power.

‘Body agility enhanced; movement speed likely improved by three layers.’

‘Blood qi intensity increased; can now break through the Zongshi bottleneck.’

‘Success rate for practicing Lion’s Roar Art significantly boosted.’

‘Qigong cultivation effect doubled, potentially increasing life force.’

One after another, the brains provided feedback based on their individual perspectives.

With a flick of his finger, Chen Luo sent the small flame back to the oil lamp. He hadn’t anticipated such significant breakthroughs upon becoming a qi refiner, especially overcoming the Zongshi bottleneck. This marked an elevation of his physical limits and a leap in his level of existence. In traditional martial arts, breaking past innate growth boundaries would be virtually impossible.

“And this is just the most basic entry-level Qi Refinement technique.”

Chen Luo’s heart swelled with confidence for his future.

Currently, most of the brains he had accumulated were from martial arts experts, their perspectives rooted in martial cultivation. Once he leaves the Great Mausoleum, finding more cultivators’ brains would undoubtedly provide different viewpoints on various issues.

Having concluded his tests, Chen Luo got up and changed into fresh clothes. He opened the window, allowing the outside air to flow in.

The sky was already lightening, indicating that the night had swiftly passed.

Despite not sleeping all evening, Chen Luo felt remarkably energetic. Stepping out, he stood in the courtyard. With Qing Qi circulating around him, the world before his eyes appeared transformed. Looking up, the sky remained dark, speckled with countless stars.

Beyond the courtyard wall, the silence of the lodging rooms was occasionally broken by faint snoring sounds from the bodyguards inside.

The courtyard where Chen Luo resided was the highest-standard accommodation at the Tiger Might Escort Agency, situated far away from the rooms occupied by other bodyguards. Normally, such distant noises would be imperceptible, but now they came through with crystal clarity.

“It’s almost time for my Qi Refinement practice.”

With a swift leap, Chen Luo soared onto the topmost branch of the large tree in the courtyard.

Qi Refinement was a gradual process accumulated over time, and Chen Luo would not abandon his daily practice just because he had entered the path yesterday.

The night breeze gently blew.

Standing atop the tree, Chen Luo’s robes fluttered as if he were a celestial being amidst the heavens.

As time passed and the moment of yin-yang division arrived, Chen Luo closed his eyes to meditate, performing his first complete Qi Refinement cultivation according to the techniques recorded in the True Immortal Classic.

With deep and continuous breaths, strands of spiritual energy infused with the essence of dawn were drawn into his body, gradually refined bit by bit.

‘The speed of my Qi Refinement has increased tenfold.’

Upon completing his practice, Chen Luo descended from the tree top, sensing the enhanced spiritual energy within him, feeling increasingly satisfied with the effectiveness of the Qi Refinement technique. The external mind continuously provided suggestions, helping him refine his breathing technique for optimal perfection.

Back in his room, Chen Luo did not rest but instead picked up the Records of a Hundred Immortals to peruse once more.

This book held a remarkable quality; each reading offered new insights.

While scanning its pages, he remained attentive to the sounds outside, adapting to the changes brought about by becoming a qi refiner.

In the dim light of early morning,

the rooster crowed, signaling activity at the servants’ quarters. Yawning laborers rose, chopping fodder prepared the previous night and placing it into iron pots to cook. Meanwhile, stirrings emerged from the kitchen as the cooks ignited fires, sending wisps of smoke rising from the chimney.

From within his room, Chen Luo could clearly hear every sound, even Ruan Xiaohu’s mumblings in his sleep. The boy seemed to be dreaming about delicious food, as he smacked his lips.

His perception expanded throughout the entire bodyguard agency and reached further out onto the distant streets.

As time passed, the sky turned gray with dawn.

The bodyguards gradually woke up and began their martial training. Most practiced ordinary boxing techniques, suitable for engaging common adversaries. Among them, occasionally one or two would cultivate genuine martial arts, forming the core strength of the agency. In Yue Kingdom, at this level, the weapons prohibition decree largely lost its enforcement. Moreover, Tiger Might Escort Agency was not an ordinary establishment; it had connections with immortal elders. Even representatives from the Yue imperial court would show some deference, naturally avoiding trivial issues that might cause trouble.

With daylight fully breaking,

Chen Luo enjoyed a simple breakfast, bid farewell to Ruan Jianglong and his son, then set off towards the White Dragon Academy.

Yesterday, Longevity Daoist instructed him to seek him out after reaching the Way, to discuss matters regarding the departure channel.

Upon entering the academy, Chen Luo felt a distinct difference compared to before.

As he walked up the academy steps, other scholars noticed his attire and instinctively stepped aside to make way.

At present, Chen Luo’s reputation had spread throughout the White Dragon Academy - he was known as the direct disciple of the Dean himself. With this status, even the esteemed scholars teaching at the academy would instinctively step aside and make way for him. Observing this, other students, although unsure of the reason, followed suit unconsciously.

“Greetings, Senior Brother.”

Upon reaching the third floor, two students whose names Chen Luo couldn’t recall bowed to greet him.

He briefly glanced at their attire, which was quite lavish, indicating they were likely from influential families within the Yue Kingdom. However, he had no interest in remembering which specific noble lineage they belonged to. Unbeknownst to him, his mindset was gradually aligning with that of his teacher, Longevity Daoist.

Chen Luo nodded and acknowledged them briefly before passing through the bamboo gate into the adjacent bamboo grove.

This morning, he still had an early lesson to teach the named disciples following behind.

“How fortunate! If only I could be as carefree as him.” The two greeting disciples lifted their heads, watching Chen Luo’s disappearing figure with a hint of envy in their eyes.

Having family members who passed the initial test and became named disciples within the bamboo grove, they were well aware of the renowned ‘Elder Brother Chen, Direct Disciple of the Immortal.’

“It’s not just luck; aptitude and composure are equally essential,” replied his friend nearby before returning to his studies.

Rather than envying someone out of reach, it was more practical to focus on how to pass the bamboo gate examination and become a named disciple themselves.