novelapdf Chapter 959
Chapter 959
He took one out and put it in his mouth.
As soon as the pill entered his stomach, a warm and powerful medicinal force instantly spread out, surging into his limbs and bones. The medicinal force was so strong that even the meridians in his body trembled slightly, as if they were cheering and jumping for joy.
"Good pill." He nodded to himself.
He put the remaining four pills into a jade bottle and handed it, along with the task sheet, to the steward of the pill room.
The steward examined the pills, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Five Qi-Nourishing Pills, of excellent quality. It's rare for a novice alchemist like you to be able to refine such pills."
He took out 50 contribution points from the cabinet and transferred them to Fu Shaoping's token.
"This is your payment. If you want to take on more missions, come anytime."
Fu Shaoping nodded and turned to leave.
In the days that followed, he spent almost every day in the alchemy room.
He accepted task after task, refining batch after batch of Qi-Nourishing Pills. With each refining, he would summarize his experience and improve his techniques. Gradually, his success rate increased from 50% to 70%, and then from 70% to 90%.
His alchemy skills improved rapidly through the refinement of batches of pills.
And his cultivation level steadily improved under the continuous nourishment of these pills.
Peak of the fifth level of Qi Refining.
Qi Refining Level 6.
Peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Qi Refining Level 7.
When he broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, only half a year had passed since he came to Qingyun Sect.
Chapter Twenty-Five: The First Challenge
The improvement in his cultivation made Fu Shaoping's position on Moonflower Peak even more secure.
But the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows; his rise also attracted the jealousy and hostility of many.
On this day, he had just come out of the alchemy room when he encountered three outer disciples.
The leader was burly and rugged-looking, with a cultivation level at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. The two men behind him were also at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
"You're Fu Shaoping?" The leader blocked his way, looking him up and down with disdain in his eyes.
Fu Shaoping replied calmly, "Yes."
The man sneered, "I heard you were taken in as a personal disciple by True Person Yuehua, and I thought you were something special. Turns out you're just a piece of trash at the seventh level of Qi Refining."
The two people behind him burst into laughter.
Fu Shaoping didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.
The man felt uncomfortable under his gaze and snapped, "What are you looking at? You're not convinced? If you're so tough, fight me! If you win, I'll never bother you again. If you lose, get out of Moonflower Peak!"
Fu Shaoping looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"What's your name?"
The man was taken aback: "My name is Zhao Gang! One of the best among the outer disciples!"
Fu Shaoping nodded: "Zhao Gang, I accept your challenge. See you at the training ground in three days."
Zhao Gang was taken aback by his quick agreement, then grinned maliciously, "Good! You've got guts! In three days, I'll show you what it means to be outmatched!"
He left with two henchmen.
Fu Shaoping watched his retreating figure with a calm gaze.
The early stages of Foundation Establishment were nothing to him.
But this was his first battle at the Qingyun Sect.
He must win.
And you have to win beautifully.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Pre-War Preparations
Three days later, at the martial arts training ground.
The news somehow spread, and the area around the martial arts arena was packed with disciples who wanted to watch the spectacle. There were outer disciples, inner disciples, and even a few elders.
"Is that Fu Shaoping? Seventh level of Qi Refining? He doesn't look that impressive."
"Zhao Gang is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. How could someone at the seventh level of Qi Refining possibly defeat him?"
"I've heard that Zhao Gang is one of the best outer disciples, and his strength is considerable. In this match, Fu Shaoping's chances of survival are slim."
"How could Master Yuehua have taken in such a good-for-nothing?"
There was much discussion, and no one was optimistic about Fu Shaoping.
Fu Shaoping stood calmly in the center of the training ground. He wore a blue Taoist robe, with the Moonflower Sword hanging at his waist. He was like a sword that had not yet been drawn, restrained and composed.
Across from him, Zhao Gang strode into the martial arts arena. He removed his outer robe, revealing a muscular physique, his body surging with spiritual energy, exuding an imposing aura.
"Fu Shaoping, it's not too late for you to admit defeat now!" Zhao Gang sneered. "Otherwise, when fists and feet fly and hurt you, don't blame me for not warning you."
Fu Shaoping looked at him and said calmly, "Make your move."
Zhao Gang's face darkened: "You're asking for death!"
He threw a punch!
The fist was like thunder, carrying all the spiritual power of the early Foundation Establishment stage, and aimed straight at Fu Shaoping's gate!
This punch is enough to shatter monuments and split rocks!
The audience gasped in surprise!
Fu Shaoping did not back down.
He sidestepped the punch, dodging the force of the blow, and drew his sword at the same time!
The Moonlit Sword was drawn, its light like a rainbow, aimed straight for Zhao Gang's throat!
Zhao Gang was shocked and hurriedly withdrew his fist to block!
"clang!"
Sword and fist clashed, producing a piercing metallic clang!
Zhao Gang took three steps back, but Fu Shaoping remained completely still!
Zhao Gang's expression changed drastically!
He was in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, and his full-force punch was actually forced back by a mere Qi Refining Stage 7 kid?!
"Impossible!" he roared, throwing another punch!
Fu Shaoping still did not back down.
His swordsmanship was as fast as lightning and incredibly precise. Every strike targeted the weaknesses in Zhao Gang's fist techniques, forcing him into a frantic state.
Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves...
The more Zhao Gang fought, the more frightened and desperate he became.
His boxing technique has become chaotic.
His spiritual power was nearly exhausted.
Fu Shaoping, however, remained calm and composed, as if he were simply taking a walk.
"You... what kind of monster are you?!" Zhao Gang roared.
Fu Shaoping did not answer.
He sheathed his sword, stepped back, and said calmly, "You've lost."
Zhao Gang was taken aback and looked down.
A thin sword mark had appeared on his chest, on his clothes, at some unknown time. The mark grazed his heart, but it wasn't deep, only tearing his clothes.
If Fu Shaoping had wanted to kill him earlier, he would already be a corpse.
Zhao Gang turned pale and collapsed to his knees.
"I...I lost..."
The entire venue fell silent.
Immediately, a deafening cheer erupted!
"Fu Shaoping! Fu Shaoping! Fu Shaoping!"
Those who were mocking him before are now cheering for him!
Fu Shaoping remained calm, sheathed his sword, and turned to walk off the training ground.
Yuehua stood below the stage, looking at him with a complex expression in her eyes.
"You win."
Fu Shaoping nodded: "Just lucky."
Yuehua shook her head: "It's not a fluke. You are really stronger than him."
She looked into his eyes and said, word by word:
"Fu Shaoping, how many secrets do you still have?"
Fu Shaoping remained silent for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"Senior sister, there are some things that can't be said right now. You'll know when the time is right."
Yuehua looked at him for a long time before finally nodding.
"Okay, I'll wait."
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Reputation
News of Fu Shaoping's victory over Zhao Gang quickly spread throughout the entire Qingyun Sect. A Qi Refining seventh-level cultivator defeating an early Foundation Establishment cultivator was an extremely rare feat in the history of the Qingyun Sect. Those who had previously mocked him as "trash" now fell silent.
Instead, there is curiosity, awe, and reverence.
"How exactly did Fu Shaoping manage to do that?"
"I heard that his swordsmanship is very special, unlike the Qingyun Sect's tradition."
"It was indeed wise of Master Yuehua to take him in..."
Fu Shaoping had heard about these discussions, but he didn't care.
He knew this was just the beginning.
His journey is still long.
His cultivation level is still steadily improving.
Peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining.
Qi Refining Level 8.
Peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining.
Qi Refining Level 9.
When he broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, it had been only one year since he came to the Qingyun Sect.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Bottleneck
After reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining, Fu Shaoping encountered a bottleneck.
It's not a bottleneck in cultivation level, but a bottleneck in the decay of meridians.
Although nine of his meridians had been opened through the Meridian Connection Technique, dozens remained blocked. These blocked meridians, like intractable knots, tightly restricted his cultivation progress.
"We must find a more efficient method," he thought to himself.
He found Master Yuehua and told him the truth about his situation.
After listening, Master Yuehua remained silent for a long time.
“Your blocked meridians are more complicated than I imagined,” she said slowly. “While the Meridian Connection Technique is effective, it can only open up some of the meridians. To completely resolve this, a more powerful external force is needed.”
She looked at Fu Shaoping with deep eyes.
"Shaoping, have you ever heard of the 'Marrow Cleansing Pill'?"
Fu Shaoping's heart stirred.
The Marrow Cleansing Pill is a legendary elixir that can cleanse the marrow and reshape the meridians. It is said that even people born with damaged meridians have a 70% chance of successfully reshaping them after taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill.
However, this elixir has been lost for many years.
"Master, do you have the formula for the Marrow Cleansing Pill?"
Master Yuehua nodded, then shook his head: "I have the formula, but I'm missing a few key ingredients. The hardest to find is the 'Millennium Blood Jade Ginseng.' This plant only grows deep within the Netherworld Secret Realm, and it only matures once every thousand years."
She looked at Fu Shaoping with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"The Netherworld Secret Realm opens once every hundred years. It will open again in three years. At that time, Foundation Establishment disciples from all the major sects in the Eastern Region will enter it to compete for opportunities. If you want to go, you need to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage within three years."
Fu Shaoping was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I will."
Master Yuehua looked at him for a long time before finally smiling.
"Alright. I believe you."
She took out a jade slip from her bosom and handed it to Fu Shaoping.
"This is the formula for the Marrow Cleansing Pill. Keep it for now. Once we find the Thousand-Year Blood Jade Ginseng, I will personally refine the pill for you."
Fu Shaoping accepted the jade slip and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Master."
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Three-Year Agreement
Three years.
Fu Shaoping set himself a goal: to break through the Foundation Establishment stage within three years, enter the Netherworld Secret Realm, and find the Thousand-Year Blood Jade Ginseng.
This goal might not be difficult for ordinary cultivators. But for him, who was born with a crippled meridian, it was an enormous challenge.
He did not back down.
He began an even more frenzied training regimen.
Every morning, he would meditate by the Lingquan Spring, absorbing the energy of the rising sun.
In the morning, he studied the "Primordial Unity Secret" and tried to understand the profound meaning of the technique.
In the afternoon, he spent his time in the alchemy room refining Qi-cultivating pills to earn contribution points and exchange them for cultivation resources.
At night, he stayed in his cultivation room, gradually integrating the spiritual energy and medicinal power he had accumulated during the day into his meridians.
His cultivation level improved slowly but steadily under such intense training.
In the first year, he reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.
In the second year, he achieved the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
In the third year, he finally touched the threshold of Foundation Establishment.
Chapter Thirty: Foundation Building
Foundation building is the first real chasm on the path of cultivation.
For ordinary cultivators, Foundation Establishment requires compressing and condensing the spiritual energy in their dantian to form a liquid "sea of qi." This step requires a large accumulation of spiritual energy and a preliminary understanding of the laws of heaven and earth.
For Fu Shaoping, the difficulty of Foundation Establishment was several times greater than that of ordinary cultivators.
Because most of the meridians in his body are still blocked, spiritual energy cannot flow smoothly, making compression and condensation much more difficult.
But he has experience from previous lives.
He knew that the key to Foundation Establishment lay not in spiritual energy, but in one's mindset.
As long as one's will is firm, even with insufficient spiritual energy, success can be achieved naturally.
He chose to build his foundation on the summit of Yuehua Peak.
It was a full moon night.
The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the mountaintop, turning the whole world silvery white.
Fu Shaoping sat cross-legged on a blue stone, closing his eyes and concentrating.
Within his dantian, spiritual energy surged and gushed forth like a tide.
He began to compress.
Once, twice, three times...
Each compression was accompanied by intense pain. Under the impact of spiritual energy, the blocked meridians felt as if they were being pierced by thousands of needles.
But he gritted his teeth and persevered.
He knew this was the most crucial step in his life.
If successful, the future will be limitless.
If we fail, all our previous efforts will be in vain.
I don't know how much time passed.
Suddenly, a crisp "crack" sound came from the dantian.
That was the sound of spiritual energy liquefying.
Like spring rain nourishing all things, it is silent and imperceptible, yet it contains boundless vitality.
Fu Shaoping opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
Within his dantian, a small "sea of qi" was slowly taking shape. Although it was only the size of a fist, and the spiritual energy was still only half liquid and half gas, it was a sign of foundation building.
Foundation laid, completion achieved.
The moment the foundation was successfully established, Fu Shaoping felt an unprecedented change.
Although the Qi Sea in the Dantian is only the size of a fist, and the spiritual energy is only half liquid and half gas, that small Qi Sea is like a nascent universe, containing infinite possibilities. With each breath, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flows into the Qi Sea through the nine opened meridians, where it rotates, settles, and is compressed, and then transforms into purer spiritual power, nourishing the limbs and bones.
He stood up and stretched his limbs. His bones crackled slightly, a natural reaction to the tempering of his body by spiritual energy after Foundation Establishment. His skin became even whiter and smoother, yet as tough as leather; his senses were several times sharper than before, allowing him to hear the sound of dripping spring water in the distant mountain stream and smell the fragrance of flowers carried on the wind from ten miles away.
He walked down the mountaintop and returned to his small courtyard.
In the courtyard, Master Yuehua was already waiting there. She sat on a blue stone by the spiritual spring, with a pot of tea and two teacups in front of her. The moonlight shone on her gray hair, adding to her gentle appearance.
“Sit down.” She gestured to the bluestone opposite her.
Fu Shaoping sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip. The tea was a top-quality cloud and mist spiritual tea, sweet and mellow on the palate with a long aftertaste. A gentle spiritual energy flowed through his body along with the tea, making his newly established dantian even more stable.
"I sensed the movements when you established your foundation in the cave." Master Yuehua looked at him with satisfaction in his eyes. "Although the spiritual energy fluctuations were not strong, they were extremely pure. This shows that your foundation is more solid than most Foundation Establishment cultivators."
Fu Shaoping put down his teacup: "Thank you for the compliment, Master."
Master Yuehua shook his head: "This is not a compliment, it's the truth. Your Foundation Establishment was achieved without taking any pills; it was purely through your own accumulation and natural progression. This has not been seen in the Qingyun Sect for many years."
She paused, then took out a jade slip from her bosom and handed it to Fu Shaoping. (End of Chapter)