Volume One: Entering the Dao Chapter 112: Mid-Stage Qi Refining

When a person is intently focused on a task, time always passes quickly. This is even more true for cultivation, a process that is repetitive and continuous, day after day. Whether or not it is considered boring, Ye Junze has grown accustomed to this monotonous and cyclical routine since he first began his journey. Therefore, his mind remained calm, free of any distracting emotions, as he serenely directed the spiritual energy within him through one cycle after another.

After Ye Junze had completed more cycles than he could count, a sudden, intense surge of spiritual energy erupted from within his body. As he continued his circulation, this powerful energy subtly coalesced into a spiritual vortex, flowing through every fiber of his being.

Noticing this phenomenon while in the midst of his meditation, Ye Junze was startled. He murmured to himself in confusion, "What is happening? Could it be...?"

Puzzled, he focused even more intently on the changes occurring within him. After observing carefully for a while, he arrived at a definitive answer.

A smile spread across Ye Junze's face as he whispered, "It seems that is exactly what it is."

Indeed, what Ye Junze sensed was the imminent breakthrough of the Xuantian Dao Canon. He had experienced such situations before, so he was no stranger to the sensation. After a brief moment of careful observation, he confirmed his intuition.

Beaming with joy, Ye Junze thought to himself, "It seems my intuition during practice was correct after all. I didn't expect to be on the verge of another breakthrough so soon."

"In that case... let us proceed with the breakthrough," Ye Junze said to himself, having made up his mind.

With his course of action set, Ye Junze stopped overthinking and once again focused on circulating his cultivation technique, forming one cycle after another. As he did so, the spiritual vortex within him grew more robust, sweeping through his body before converging toward his Dantian.

Upon sensing the influx of spiritual energy, the purple mist within his Dantian emitted a faint sense of joy, as if it were eagerly anticipating the energy's arrival. The purple mist pulsed rhythmically, yearning for the energy to merge with it, much like a hungry child.

The spiritual vortex did not keep the mist waiting long. Once sufficient energy had gathered, the vortex surged forward, whistling as it poured into the purple mist.

As the energy flowed in, the purple mist became even more spirited, appearing immensely satisfied and delighted. With the continuous infusion, the mist began to spin rapidly, as if stirring Ye Junze's entire Dantian into an ocean of spiritual power.

Noticing the change in his Dantian, Ye Junze smiled faintly and whispered, "Absorb to your heart's content; I will make sure you are fed until you are full."

As if the purple mist had heard his words, its rotation accelerated even further. The entire mass spun violently, as if truly intending to gorge itself, casting a deep purple glow across his entire Dantian.

As these events unfolded within his Dantian, corresponding changes occurred outside Ye Junze’s body. Countless strands of spiritual energy converged from the surrounding environment, and the invisible forces stirred the air around him. His white hair fluttered wildly as the energy streamed into his body, rushing toward his Dantian.

...

After this process had continued for some time, Ye Junze suddenly felt a sense of lightness, and a layer of impurities was expelled from the surface of his skin. Having experienced breakthroughs many times before, Ye Junze knew that this was the spiritual energy cleansing his marrow and purifying his body, purging the waste accumulated in his meridians to facilitate better energy absorption and smoother circulation in the future.

Realizing this, Ye Junze knew the breakthrough had been a success. He employed his inner vision to inspect his Dantian.

As he looked, he saw that the purple mist had gradually ceased its violent spinning and returned to its slow, rhythmic rotation. The mist itself appeared a size larger than before, its deep purple hue more concentrated and possessing a crystalline, translucent quality.

Discovering this, Ye Junze’s face lit up. Suddenly, he felt something else and focused his attention on his Dantian once more. He realized that because of the massive amount of energy gathered during the breakthrough, the purple mist—now satiated—was no longer absorbing any energy. The remaining spiritual energy, like lost travelers with nowhere to go, drifted frantically around the outside of the mist.

Seeing this excess energy, Ye Junze began to wonder how to resolve it.

Just as he was pondering, a bolt of purple lightning within his Dantian stirred, as if beckoning to the lingering energy.

Following the ripple from the purple lightning, the energy seemed to find a guide; it gathered together and flowed toward the lightning. The purple lightning accepted it all without hesitation, absorbing every last bit of the excess energy.

After a while, Ye Junze watched as the tiny bolt of purple lightning completely cleared away all the remaining energy, leaving nothing behind.

Once it finished, the purple lightning flickered with an oddly human-like motion. Ye Junze wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the movement felt remarkably like the lightning letting out a satisfied belch.

Then, the purple lightning flickered again, as if signaling that it was going to rest.

Ye Junze couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed it wasn't just his imagination; he never expected this tiny bolt of lightning to have such a personality—it was almost as if it had gained sentience.

"Didn't they say that nothing is allowed to become a spirit after the founding of the nation?" Ye Junze mused with a wry smile. "What is this supposed to mean?"

He then drifted into a new train of thought. "Come to think of it, since I have now stepped into the world of cultivation, I wonder if I will encounter these so-called spirits? If I do, would they count as being from before or after the founding of the nation?"

After pondering for a while without finding an answer, he shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.

He scanned his Dantian one last time, and satisfied that there were no further anomalies, he withdrew his inner vision.

Ye Junze clenched his fist, feeling the power surging through his body, and whispered, "This should be the middle stage of Qi Refining in the Xuantian Dao Canon. I wonder how long it will take until I can achieve a breakthrough in the Void-Attraction Realm as well."

However, cultivation is never something that can be achieved in a day or two; it requires the steady grinding of time. Without years of accumulation, no amount of talk would be of any use. He knew that the time required for his dual techniques to advance would remain a mystery unless he continued to walk his path step by step. Regardless, it was certainly not something that would happen today or tomorrow.

Shaking his head, Ye Junze pushed these long-term concerns aside; there was no need to rush. Having practiced for over two years, he understood better than anyone that "haste makes waste." In everything, one must move forward in a steady, down-to-earth manner.

With the purple mist in his Dantian now saturated and unable to absorb any more energy, Ye Junze abandoned the thought of continuing his practice.

"The time should be about right," Ye Junze murmured. "I have class tomorrow, so that will do for today."

"Meng Yuan, I am leaving now. Goodnight, see you tomorrow," Ye Junze said to the empty air.

"Goodnight," came the voice of Meng Yuan.

Hearing the response, Ye Junze waved his hand and slowly exited the Void Illusion.

Having finished his cultivation, Ye Junze sat up on his bed and looked at the sky outside; it was indeed already night.

He caught a whiff of sweat and, feeling puzzled, noticed the impurities that had been expelled during his breakthrough. He gave a helpless smile, realizing he had almost forgotten about that.

In the Void Illusion, his body's scent had been masked, which was why he hadn't noticed it until he stepped out.

Ye Junze rubbed his hungry stomach, which let out a cooperative growl.

He shook his head with a sigh and said, "Alright, alright, I'll reward you soon."

Ye Junze ordered his dinner as usual. Seeing the grime on his skin, he climbed out of bed to wash up.

After thoroughly cleaning himself and ensuring there was no lingering odor, he dressed and stepped out of the bathroom. His dinner had already arrived. Seeing the steam rising from the meal, he smiled with satisfaction. "The timing is perfect," he said. He felt a newfound appreciation for the teleportation array used to deliver the food; the fact that it kept the meals warm was an unexpected and welcome feature.

He devoured his dinner quickly, and the hunger that had plagued him finally vanished. Ye Junze let out a satisfied breath.

Once full, he rested in his chair. While letting his food digest, he pulled out his phone and browsed through Yingze, looking at interesting news.

After a while, feeling that it was time, he stood up, walked back to his bed, and prepared to sleep.

Lying in bed, Ye Junze recalled the day's progress and the breakthrough he had just achieved. With a satisfied smile, he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.