Cultivation begins with earning spirit stones

Chapter 6 Four Methods of Qi Induction

With a thought from Zhang Lin, the system screen flickered slightly.

"Consuming twenty low-grade spirit stones, the 'Shangqing Qi-Inducing Technique' is being upgraded in quality..."

Before he finished speaking, a mysterious feeling surged up from the depths of his consciousness.

It wasn't the warm airflow that had accompanied the physical strengthening earlier, but rather a more ethereal and profound change.

It was as if a hand had turned the pages of a long-sealed book in his mind, reinterpreting those obscure and difficult scriptures one by one.

Zhang Lin closed his eyes, immersing himself in the moment.

He had already memorized the original text of "Shangqing Yinqi Jue" (上清引气诀), which was only a little over a thousand words long and described the most basic method of guiding qi into the body and circulating it throughout the body.

The language is crude and the reasoning is simple, making it dull and uninteresting to read, lacking any subtlety or mystery.

But at this moment, those originally ordinary words were rearranged and recombined in his mind, like scattered beads strung together by an invisible thread, suddenly coming to life, gaining layers, and possessing inexplicable mysteries.

The phrase "guiding qi into the body" originally simply meant guiding the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the dantian.

Looking at it now, it can be divided into four levels: "guiding", "gathering", "refining" and "transforming".

Guiding involves using intention to guide Qi. There are eighteen paths for Qi to enter the body, each corresponding to a different meridian pathway. Some are swift, some are long, some are forceful, and some are gentle.

Gathering refers to the gathering of spiritual energy. After spiritual energy enters the body, it is important to know how to condense it and prevent it from dissipating, and how to build a stable vortex of spiritual energy in the dantian to lay the foundation for subsequent cultivation.

Refining involves using yang fire to temper qi. The dantian is like a furnace, and spiritual qi is like iron. Only through repeated tempering can impurities be removed and true qi be purified.

Transformation is the process of transforming Qi into spirit. Only when true Qi is refined to a certain degree can it nourish the spirit and soul, preparing for the process of refining Qi into spirit and stepping into the foundation building stage.

These four levels are not mentioned at all in the original version of "Shangqing Yinqi Jue". It only says in general terms, "Guide the Qi into the body and circulate it throughout the body", and then there is no further explanation.

Only after the system completed the information did Zhang Lin realize what had happened.

It turns out that the most basic skill of guiding qi into the body has so many intricacies.

No wonder that with the same technique, some people can make rapid progress in a day, while others waste decades without making any progress.

While innate talent and physical attributes are important, the refinement and depth of the cultivation technique itself are the fundamental factors determining one's potential.

Zhang Lin continued reading the new information that surfaced in his mind.

The enhanced "Shangqing Qi-Guiding Technique" not only completes the entire cultivation path for the Qi Refining stage, but also provides detailed techniques and precautions for each level, from the initial stage of Qi Refining to the completion stage.

More importantly, the practice also incorporates some essential elements that were not originally part of the Shangqing Temple's lineage.

"True energy is like a thread, continuous and seemingly inexhaustible."

"The dantian is like the sea, from which all rivers flow, endlessly regenerating."

These essential principles seem to have been extracted from a more profound cultivation method and integrated into the "Shangqing Qi-Inducing Technique," giving this originally crude introductory technique a hint of the aura of a superior cultivation method.

Zhang Lin sighed inwardly.

Twenty spirit stones can be exchanged for a superior cultivation technique that can lead directly to the perfection of Qi Refining.

This deal wasn't just a loss, it was a huge profit.

He opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

The internal energy circulated a small cycle on its own, more than 30% faster than before, and the purity of the internal energy also improved by more than one level.

He could clearly feel that although his cultivation had not broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, his foundation was much more solid than before.

If the foundation before was soft soil, now it is a solid foundation. Although a tall building has not yet been erected, it already has the potential to support one.

"Almost there."

Zhang Lin muttered to himself.

From the early to the middle stages of Qi cultivation, what is needed is not only the techniques and physical strength, but also the accumulation of true Qi.

His physical body has reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and his cultivation technique is also excellent, but his true Qi is still at the early stage of Qi Refining and needs a process of accumulation.

This process cannot be rushed.

He glanced out the window; it was already completely dark. The mountain breeze blew in through the cracks in the window, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees and the damp smell of earth.

In the distance, the faint cries of cranes echoed, clear and melodious, reaching the clouds and reverberating through the valley.

After strengthening another Orchid Spirit Grass, Zhang Lin put the remaining four spirit stones into his pocket, got up, and pushed open the door.

The courtyard was quiet, and the moonlight, like water, spilled onto the bluestone ground, giving it a cool, silvery glow.

The doors to the rooms of the other senior students were all closed and the lights were off, so they must have already gone to sleep.

Only in Qi Yuntian's room on the east side was there a faint candlelight, through which one could vaguely see his figure sitting cross-legged, meditating and cultivating.

Zhang Lin didn't disturb him. He stood in the courtyard for a while and stretched his muscles.

Under the moonlight, his shadow was stretched long and cast on the bluestone ground, like a long sword drawn from its sheath.

He took a deep breath, feeling the fullness of power within his body and the smooth flow of true energy through his meridians.

"Tomorrow, after selling the spirit orchid and getting the spirit stones, I'll upgrade the iron sword, the Taoist robe, and the futon all at once."

"Only when you have all five of these—physical body, cultivation techniques, magical artifacts, protective gear, and auxiliary items—can you be considered to have a firm foothold in the cultivation world."

He turned and went back to his room, but instead of going to sleep immediately, he sat cross-legged on the futon again and began circulating his qi according to the enhanced version of the "Shangqing Yinqi Jue".

True Qi flows through the meridians, like streams flowing into rivers, like all rivers flowing into the sea.

The vortex of spiritual energy in the dantian slowly rotates, compressing, purifying, and refining the spiritual energy entering the body little by little, transforming it into one's own true energy.

Silent all night.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Zhang Lin changed into a clean gray Taoist robe, carefully put the enhanced spirit orchid into a wooden box, tucked it into his bosom, slung a bamboo basket over his shoulder, and went down the mountain alone.

He didn't need to travel with his fellow disciples today; he could walk faster on his own.

The mountain path wound its way through the morning mist, and the dew dampened the hem of his Taoist robe, but he was oblivious, his steps light and swift.

His enhanced physique allowed him to traverse the mountain path as if it were flat ground. A journey that would normally take half an hour was completed in less than half an hour today.

Qingyun Town awakens in the morning light, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys and the sounds of chickens and dogs filling the air.

Zhang Lin walked across the bluestone road and arrived at the east end of the town.

Sun He's medicine shop was located at the entrance of the market, in an excellent location. The shop was not large, and a black lacquered wooden plaque hung above the door with the three characters "Heming Hall" written on it. The characters were vigorous and had a somewhat otherworldly and refined feel to them.

The shop door was already open, and a boy of about thirteen or fourteen was sweeping fallen leaves in front of the door. Upon seeing Zhang Lin, he put down the broom and said in a clear voice, "Master, are you here to see my master?"

Zhang Lin nodded: "Please inform him that I am Zhang Lin from Shangqing Temple. I made an appointment with Senior Sun yesterday."

The boy said "Oh," turned around and ran into the shop. He came out a short while later, grinning, and said, "Master, please come in."