Chapter 78: Foundation of Qi Refinement

“This is just too…”

Huang Ying felt infuriated, having never witnessed someone treated like mere trash before. In the secular world, she would likely have drawn her blade to teach them a lesson.

“Once you’ve chosen your cultivation techniques, let’s return.”

After waiting impatiently for quite some time, Huang Butong was eager to depart as soon as he saw them emerge. With this task now complete, their individual paths of practice lay ahead.

Back at their quarters, most of the day had already passed. The group exchanged farewells and retired to their respective rooms.

Upon entering his room, Chen Luo casually closed the door. Instead of immediately delving into the “Foundation of Qi Refinement,” he continued with his usual routine, steadfastly beginning his Qi Refinement exercises.

After a long while, having refined spiritual energy, his cultivation base grew slightly, and his aura stabilized.

Still at the second level of Qi Refinement, but taking one more step forward felt tangible—a visible progression unlike what the Yue Kingdom’s Great Mausoleum offered.

“Let’s see how this realm’s Qi Refinement Art is practiced.”

Cross-legged, Chen Luo started recalling the “Foundation of Qi Refinement” that had been imprinted in his mind.

As Chen Luo recalled this moment, a burst of blue light exploded within his mind.

Feeling momentarily disoriented, he opened his eyes to find himself in a vast, empty space. Numerous texts, resembling points of light, floated throughout the area.

He took a step forward, intending to examine the content of these luminous texts more closely.

However, just as he moved, the surrounding scene dramatically changed.

When his senses returned, he discovered himself sitting on a patch of grass.

Ahead, a row of young qi practitioners were seated, and before them, on a raised platform, an elderly man clad in white robes was lecturing about the “Foundation of Qi Refinement.”

Naturally, a serene ambiance enveloped the surroundings, with butterflies fluttering amidst the fragrant scent of blooming flowers, creating an ethereal atmosphere akin to a celestial realm.

“This method of imparting knowledge is truly profound,” Chen Luo observed, noting the ghostly disciples beside him and the elder delivering the lecture above. He could distinctly sense that neither they nor the elder were real individuals but rather recorded images.

These images captured past events, and the “Foundation of Qi Refinement” book served as a record of this scene, allowing the technique to be passed down through generations in such a manner.

Books don’t necessarily need words, and this is especially true for the transmission of immortal cultivation techniques.

Unfortunately, the teachings from the elderly figure above were profoundly complex, with very little that Chen Luo could fully comprehend.

The white-robed old man spoke eloquently, his words captivating like blossoming lotus flowers, yet even as the vision began to shatter, Chen Luo managed to grasp only about half of it. The intricate details faded away once the image disintegrated.

This was likely a common issue for all beginners. The path to immortality is arduous; those who can master cultivation techniques after just one listen are rare geniuses, encountered once in millennia.

Opening his eyes, Chen Luo reviewed what he had learned moments ago.

As he recalled, the knowledge gradually etched itself into his mind. For the forgotten parts, the mummified brain helped ‘memorize’ them, emphasizing how truly exceptional it is to grasp everything with a single hearing.

Chen Luo wasn’t such a genius, but he did have an external brain!

With the assistance of the mummified brain, the complete legacy unfolded within Chen Luo’s thoughts.

‘The Qi Refinement Method for Full Spiritual Roots: Golden Spiritual Root Cultivation, Points to Note.’

The content matched its title, being highly foundational. It provided detailed descriptions of Qi Refinement techniques for various types of spiritual roots, ranging from five elemental to quintessential spirit roots.

In the cultivation world,

the most fundamental spiritual roots were the Five Elemental Spirit Roots, comprising ‘Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.’ The power of these five elemental spiritual roots encompassed all forces in the world, serving as the foundation for the immortal cultivation path. In ancient times, cultivators possessed only these five elemental spirit roots.

Later, the concept of Quintessential Spirit Cultivation emerged. The term “quintessential” refers to ‘Water, Fire, Thunder, Wind, and Earth.’ Three attributes overlap with the five elements, yet there are distinct differences in specifics. The oldest recorded legend related to quintessential spirits can be found in The Chronicles of Mending Heavens. A powerful being used quintessential spirit techniques to create the Five-Colored Stones, which sealed the calamity of Heaven’s collapse.

The core properties of these Five-Colored Stones were ‘Water, Fire, Thunder, Wind, and Earth,’ and the earliest quintessential spirit cultivators were qi practitioners who assisted in refining these stones.

“My current spiritual root attributes include Water, Wood, and Thunder. Therefore, the most suitable technique for me would likely be the Five Elements Qi Refinement.”

As Chen Luo organized this knowledge, his understanding of the path most suitable for him became increasingly clear.

He would begin with Qi Refinement techniques related to ‘Water’ and ‘Wood’, followed by later cultivating Thunder magic.

A typical three-spiritual-root cultivator would undoubtedly focus on just one element due to limited energy. However, Chen Luo did not face such constraints; with the aid of external brains, he could pursue them all!

Over the next month, Chen Luo gradually adjusted to life at Wu Dao Peak.

Huang Ying and others who entered alongside him also integrated into Wu Dao Peak, getting acquainted with more senior brothers and sisters, thus building their own network of connections.

In comparison, Chen Luo seemed almost invisible. Each morning, he attended Fathoming Dao sessions at Wu Dao Peak, and in the afternoon, he visited the Scripture Pavilion to peruse free books.

Medicinal pills, talismans, formations, equipment forging, gu techniques, beast control - any book available in the Scripture Pavilion was fair game. With this extensive reading, Chen Luo rapidly expanded his cultivation knowledge, aligning it with the standards of this world.

It was during this time that he fully grasped the division of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect’s ten main peaks.

Wu Dao Peak ranked seventh among the peaks and specialized in mind-based cultivation techniques. These techniques were not dependent on one’s spiritual root attributes but rather emphasized innate comprehension. Additionally, their magical arts and divine abilities focused more on internal aspects compared to other main peaks.

When Chen Luo first entered, he chose the ‘Foundation of Qi Refinement,’ which included an overview of mind-based cultivation techniques. It also contained a simple spell called ‘Dream Entry’ as a bonus. Dream Entry is a skill known by all Wu Dao Peak disciples, with many advanced offensive abilities being extensions of this technique.

Naturally, the most fundamental stage was still the Qi Refinement realm.

Apart from the free Foundation of Qi Refinement that Chen Luo had learned, he acquired another technique called ‘Comprehending Spirit Art’ from the Senior Brother overseeing skill transmission. This art is the primary cultivation method of Wu Dao Peak.

It took him half a month just to obtain it.

The technique only covered the first three layers, allowing cultivation up to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.

To access further stages, task points were required for exchange, explaining why newly admitted disciples across all main peaks initially focus on completing tasks.

In the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, everything must be obtained using task points.

Currently, Chen Luo is still considered a newcomer, under the protection period lasting three months.

After three months, his treatment would align with that of ordinary disciples. To continue on the path of immortal cultivation, he would then have to serve the ‘collective’ of Divine Lake Immortal Sect, just like any other disciple—a fundamental principle governing its operation.

‘Having completed the basics of talisman creation, you can now attempt to draw foundational talismans.’

‘The foundation of array formations requires nine more days.’

‘Progress in alchemy is slow; there are numerous variations in medicinal combinations, significantly increasing the risk of cauldron explosions during pill concoction.’

‘Dream Entry Technique has been mastered.’

In Chen Luo’s mind, feedback from each external brain streamed in. During this period, he had assigned specific tasks to every external brain. Based on their varying aptitudes, the tasks differed—some focused on formations, others on spells.

These differences in aptitude were further amplified within the realm of immortal cultivation.

Despite using identical external brains, their progress varied greatly. Some completed their tasks within a single day, while others struggled to even know where to begin.

Overall, the advancements were quite satisfactory.

His rapid mastery of foundational knowledge in this cultivation world was largely due to the assistance provided by these external brains.