novelapdf Chapter 45 Conflict
Chapter 45 Conflict
Shen Qing sat cross-legged on a futon, with two high-quality Qi Gathering Pills and a mid-grade spirit stone in front of him.
Ninety-five percent of the spiritual mist in his dantian had already atomized, leaving him only one step away from reaching the eleventh level of Qi Refining.
Tonight he will attempt to break through that barrier. Today, after seeing everyone off down the mountain, Shen Qing thought their loyalty would definitely plummet.
A significant weakening of spiritual energy was expected, but the outcome turned out to be completely the opposite.
This will result in a significant increase in the spiritual energy extracted by the system tomorrow. Although this increase might not seem like much under normal circumstances, it is crucial for Shen Qing, who is on the verge of success.
Every wisp of spiritual energy could be the final straw that breaks the barrier.
Timing it perfectly, Shen Qing closed his eyes and swallowed two high-quality Qi Gathering Pills simultaneously.
At midnight, the system drew spiritual energy precisely on time.
Dozens of strands of pure spiritual energy gathered from Qinghe County at the foot of the mountain, from the towns and villages outside the mountain, and from the disciples who had just left, and surged into his dantian.
The medicinal power of the two premium Qi Gathering Pills dissipated simultaneously, and the mid-grade spirit stone turned into powder in the palm of the hand.
The three spiritual energies merged into one, forming a violently rotating vortex in the dantian.
The spiritual energy surged and was constantly compressed, repeating this process over and over again.
When the last wisp of gaseous spiritual energy in the dantian completely transformed into spiritual mist and filled the entire dantian...
Shen Qing felt spiritual energy surging and circulating through his meridians, at a speed nearly 30% faster than before.
Eleventh level of Qi Refining.
Shen Qing looked at the system panel, where a line of text was flashing:
[Host's current cultivation level: Qi Refining Level 11]
[Total daily spiritual energy extracted: over seventy strands]
[Cultivation speed: Equivalent to thirteen times the original speed]
Thirteen times!
Shen Qing felt the spiritual energy in his dantian completely vaporize, clenched his fist, and realized he was only one step away from the twelfth level of perfect foundation building.
But now there are less than ten days left until Huang Yuanji returns, and time is running out.
A strong north wind blew all night, making the window paper rustle.
A yellowed booklet lay open in front of Shen Qing; it was the handwritten record of the Qingyun Sect's patriarchs who had reached the twelfth level of Qi Refining.
Shen Qing had read the page on which he recorded his insights on Foundation Establishment no less than ten times.
According to the notes, one can attempt to establish a foundation after reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Those who reach the ninth level of Foundation Establishment have a mixed and flawed foundation, and their chances of forming a Golden Core are less than 10%.
Those who reach the tenth level of Foundation Establishment have a gradually solidified Dao foundation and a 20% chance of forming a Core.
Those who reach the eleventh level of Foundation Establishment have a solid foundation and a 30% chance of forming a Golden Core.
Only by building a perfect foundation on twelve levels can one forge a flawless foundation for the Dao, freeing one from any bottlenecks or obstacles on the road ahead.
However, reaching the twelfth level is extremely difficult. For ordinary cultivators, it often takes decades to go from the ninth to the twelfth level by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on their own, without the assistance of pills or spirit stones.
Those with slightly lower aptitude will be stuck at the eleventh level of Qi Refining for their entire lives.
Back then, Mo Wentian's eleventh-level foundation cultivation made the Mountain-Bearing Taoist regretful for a long time.
It's not that the eleventh level of Qi Refining is bad; the eleventh level is already an extremely rare achievement.
Rather, it was because the Taoist priest of Fushan felt that with Mo Wentian's talent, he should have been able to break through to the twelfth level.
However, at that time, Qingyun Sect was already at its wits' end, having exhausted its spirit stones and elixirs, and simply could not afford the strain that would consume Mo Wentian when he attempted to break through to the twelfth level.
Mo Wentian couldn't wait, and the Taoist priest on the mountain couldn't afford to provide for them, so the two had to settle for second best.
Shen Qing closed the note and shut his eyes.
He's now on the eleventh floor, only half a step away from Mo Wentian's level back then.
However, if he were to attempt to establish his foundation now, Shen Qing felt that his conditions were far inferior to Mo Wentian's back then.
Mo Wentian was a natural-born cultivation prodigy, far surpassing him in terms of aptitude alone.
When Mo Wentian attempted to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he was not yet thirty years old, in the prime of his life, with abundant Qi and blood. Foundation Establishment is not only the condensation of spiritual energy, but also the reshaping of the physical body.
The lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is no more than a hundred years. After the age of sixty, their Qi and blood begin to decline, and the success rate of Foundation Establishment decreases year by year with age.
Shen Qing is sixty-seven years old this year. Three years ago, he failed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and damaged his foundation.
Given his current state, the probability of him succeeding in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage is probably less than one in a hundred.
Shen Qing dared not gamble; he couldn't afford to lose now.
If they fail again, at best their meridians will be severed and their cultivation ruined; at worst, they will die on the spot.
Shen Qing slowly gripped the hem of her dress above her knees, her knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force.
He could only continue to hold out until he reached the twelfth level of perfect foundation building, but the twelfth level required far too much time.
From the eleventh to the twelfth level, the atomized spiritual energy in the dantian needs to be compressed, condensed, and liquefied again to fill the entire dantian with spiritual liquid.
It took him two days to condense his first drop of spiritual liquid after he reached the eleventh level of Qi Refining.
At this rate, it would take at least until the end of this year to fill the entire dantian.
Huang Yuanji will be back in ten days at most.
"Ten days," Shen Qing murmured, leaning back in his chair and staring at the dark beams of the roof, his mind racing with various possibilities.
Are they hoping that Zhao Yuanlang will protect Qingyun Sect according to the rules of the Heavenly God Sect?
Not to mention that this county magistrate already coveted Qingyun Mountain, even if he genuinely wanted to help, he had to return to the Heavenly God Sect to report for duty, and who knows how long that trip would take.
After he left, Qinghe County became the domain of the Huang family; how could they possibly rely on them?
As for Mo Wentian? He's been missing for over a decade, and we don't even know if he's alive or dead. Hoping he'll come back to save the day is less reliable than hoping a Foundation Establishment Pill will fall from the sky.
Shen Qing had originally hoped that Zhou Bo could break through to the Divine Realm and help relieve some of his pressure.
Although my master, this old servant, had been stuck at the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm for several years, and after obtaining the "True Explanation of Mortal Martial Arts," there were faint signs of a breakthrough, he was ultimately old and his blood and energy were declining. Whether he could break through and when he would break through were all unknown.
No matter how you look at it, there isn't a single way that works.
Shen Qing took a deep breath, suppressing the anxiety in his heart. Relying on heaven and earth is ultimately not as good as relying on himself.
Panic won't solve anything, Shen Qing thought, taking stock of the resources at hand.
Currently, there are still six mid-grade spirit stones, twenty-six high-quality Qi Gathering Pills, plus more than seventy strands of pure spiritual energy provided by the system every day.
These resources are enough for him to reach the twelfth floor.
The only thing he lacks now is time. Since he can't defend against it or avoid it, he can only tough it out.
After careful consideration, Shen Qing realized that the only chance of survival was to reach the twelfth level of Qi Refining and then perfectly establish his foundation.
Let's take it one step at a time.
Shen Qing got up and opened the window. The morning light was just beginning to appear outside. The training ground was empty, and the sound of children reading aloud could be faintly heard from the direction of the academy.
That was Sun Wenyuan leading them in reciting the Three Character Classic. Although his voice was not loud, it was exceptionally clear in the chilly morning air.
After seeing off all the disciples, Qingyun Mountain became much quieter.
For two consecutive days, having grown accustomed to the lively life of the past, Shen Qing adapted well to the current quietness of Qingyun Sect.
The shouts, laughter, and counting calls that once filled the mountain have all faded away with the flow of people descending the mountain.
On the training ground, only the autumn wind swirled fallen leaves, and after the harvest, only bare yellow earth remained on the barren land behind the mountain.
Shen Qing stood alone at the mountain gate, gazing at the empty mountain path, feeling as if a disciple might suddenly appear from around the corner at any moment.
Er Gouzi, carrying a hoe, strode ahead to the fields, while Su Xiaomei and Zhong Xiu lagged behind, walking slowly.
But there was only wind on the mountain path.
Shen Qing turned around and walked towards the academy.
Inside the lecture hall, Sun Wenyuan was leading the children in reciting the Three Character Classic.
Forty children sat upright, holding the literacy sand tray that Wang Shouzhuo had invented earlier.
When Shen Qing pushed the door open and came in, Sun Wenyuan stopped lecturing.
"Mr. Shen."
Sun Wenyuan cupped his hands in greeting. Ever since Shen Qing started personally teaching children, Sun Wenyuan had started calling him "Teacher." In his opinion, anyone who could say "reading makes one understand principles" deserved that title.