Stop grinding, I'm really just a free spirit.

Chapter 47 The Third Realm of Swordsmanship

The two exchanged a few words in hushed tones, and the seats in the center of the pavilion gradually filled with people.

Wei Changfeng sat in the main seat.

Chen Bai's gaze swept across the room and, sure enough, he spotted the Third Young Master Wei in his brocade robe behind the third low table on the right. The man was leisurely sipping a cup of spiritual tea, occasionally glancing at Chen Bai, but ultimately refraining from causing any further trouble.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Wei Changfeng stood up, raised his wine cup and gestured to the surroundings, then spoke in a clear and loud voice.

"Today the sky is clear and the clouds are beautiful. I, Wei, have prepared a simple feast on the Tingyun Boat to invite all of you fellow Daoists to gather here, discuss the Dao, enjoy tea, and appreciate the wonders of the immortal path."

Among you all are outstanding figures from the immortal race, distinguished disciples from the immortal sects, and extraordinary individuals among the rogue cultivators. I, Wei, would like to offer you all a toast first, wishing you all a worthwhile journey and that you all gain something from it.”

After he finished speaking, he drank it all in one gulp, and everyone raised their glasses in response.

Chen Bai also picked up the spirit wine in front of him and took a sip. The wine was smooth and warm as it went down his throat, and its quality was clearly a level higher than the spirit wine that was placed on the long table on the deck.

Wei Changfeng put down his wine cup, looked around at everyone present, and naturally shifted the topic to the discussion of Tao.

"Since today is a discussion of the Dao, I, Wei, will offer a humble suggestion to get the ball rolling and begin the discussion."

He paused, his gaze calm, "Most of the fellow Daoists present here are at the embryonic breathing realm."

The term "fetal breathing" sounds ordinary.

For ordinary people to cultivate themselves, they need to guide the qi into their bodies and mix it with the essence of their physical bodies to cultivate a breath of embryonic breathing.

One must go through three steps—"capturing the spiritual light," "guiding the qi into the body," and "circulating the qi chariot"—before one can be considered to have truly stepped into the gate of immortality.

Fairy Yueyi took over the conversation, her voice as gentle as a flowing spring: "Brother Wei is absolutely right."

The realm of embryonic breathing is divided into three stages: early, middle, and late.

In the initial stage, the Qi is barely generated, and the embryonic breath in the dantian is only the size of a millet grain, requiring the cultivator to constantly nurture and consolidate it. By the middle stage, the Qi in the dantian is sufficient, and the embryonic breath grows as strong as a dragon or snake, making its efficiency in absorbing and exhaling spiritual energy incomparable to what it was before.

As for the later stages—”

She paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said softly, "Qi generates from all the meridians, and fetal breathing flows from the dantian to the four limbs and nine orifices, allowing spiritual energy to be exhaled and inhaled from all the body's acupoints. Only then can a cultivator truly break free from the constraints of acquired breathing."

After Fairy Yueyi finished speaking, many cultivators at the table began to whisper among themselves, clearly understanding the weight of her words.

There are many people present, but very few have actually reached the late stage of fetal breathing; most are only at the early stage.

At this moment, a female cultivator dressed in a light purple dress also spoke up from the guest seats on the right.

Chen Bai looked in the direction of the sound and saw a strange but striking face.

The female cultivator looked to be in her early twenties, with a slender figure and an exceptionally beautiful face.

She had a delicate oval face with a pointed but not sharp chin, eyebrows like distant mountains shrouded in mist, eyes as clear as autumn water, a straight and elegant nose, and lips as pale as cherry petals, naturally red without any makeup.

He wore a pale white Taoist robe embroidered with light blue sword patterns, the collar slightly open to reveal a section of light blue inner garment.

Fairy Yueyi whispered in Chen Bai's ear, "This is Fairy Zhang Ruxue from the Spirit Sword Sect."

Chen Bai nodded slightly.

Just as Fairy Yueyi had said, Zhang Ruxue did indeed have a proud and aloof demeanor.

She sat upright in the room, her gaze sweeping calmly over everyone. Her indifference was not deliberate arrogance, but rather an innate sense of distance.

Zhang Ruxue said, "Sister Leyi is right."

However, there is another hurdle in the later stages of embryonic breathing, which many fellow practitioners may not be aware of.

Her voice was clear and distinct, each word distinct: "After the Qi is generated in the hundred meridians, the cultivator needs to find a pure spiritual object of a special attribute to refine the embryonic Qi."

This spiritual item is what is known as the "minor medicine".

This little medicine can affect the foundational attributes of a cultivator when they achieve innate mastery and cultivate magical power in the future.

Choosing the right path can lead to twice the results with half the effort; choosing the wrong path can jeopardize your future.

Chen Bai's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this.

He had never seen this "minor medicine" mentioned in any ancient texts.

It seems that such crucial cultivation knowledge is mostly firmly controlled by the immortal race and immortal sects. Ordinary rogue cultivators, unless they have a special opportunity, probably will never know that there is such a hurdle in the late stage of embryonic breathing.

Wei Changfeng clapped his hands and laughed, "Junior Sister Zhang is indeed worthy of being an inner disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect. Her understanding of the first stage of embryonic breathing is truly profound."

The saying "beyond the three gates of fetal breathing, there is a transformation of the minor medicine" was something I heard by chance from a senior, and hearing my junior sister tell it today has given me even more new insights.

He paused, his gaze lingering on Zhang Ruxue's face for a moment, before turning to the crowd and changing the subject: "While fetal breathing is indeed the foundation of immortality, I believe that what truly determines how far a cultivator can go on the path of immortality, besides cultivation level, is something even more important—that is, the myriad arts of immortal cultivation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere at the table shifted slightly.

This topic clearly resonated with many people. Most of the independent cultivators present possessed a skill, while the immortal disciples, despite their abundant resources, also understood the importance of skills.

"Among the various arts of cultivating immortality, the art of talismans is the most refined and noble."

Wei Changfeng glanced in Chen Bai's direction and smiled slightly. "The reason why talisman techniques are considered noble and refined is because they directly penetrate the essence of immortality. Practicing talisman techniques at the embryonic breathing stage allows one to summon the primordial spirit in advance, which is almost unheard of in other arts."

As you all know, this alone is enough to give talisman cultivators a 20-30% higher success rate than other cultivators when attempting to break through to the Innate Realm.

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion among the guests.

A success rate of 20% to 30% may not sound like much, but for any cultivator aiming to break through to the Innate Realm, it's practically like having an extra life.

Wu Liang, sitting at the end of the table, couldn't help but interject, "Young Master Wei's insight is brilliant."

Having drawn talismans for over ten years, I truly feel that every time I draw a talisman, my mind enters a very special state.

That state was different from ordinary meditation; it was more like the entire mind was focused on the tip of the pen, a state between being drunk and sober, between being awake and asleep.

Sitting next to him, Sun Buqi rarely took the initiative to nod in agreement: "That is the realm of 'concentrating the mind into the talisman.' The core of the talisman art is indeed not in the cinnabar and spiritual ink, but in the divine will of the talisman drawer at that moment."

This is something that's hard for people who haven't experienced it firsthand to understand.

Chen Bai listened silently, secretly noting down these words of advice.

"From the Way of Talismans to the Way of Arrays, and then to the Way of the Sword."

Wei Changfeng paused deliberately at this point, then turned his gaze to Zhang Ruxue in the guest seat on his right, a gentle and obvious smile on his face. "Junior Sister Zhang is under the jurisdiction of the Zhongyi Sword Sect, one of the six major sects, and the Lingjian Sect, one of the affiliated immortal sects. Naturally, she is very knowledgeable."

"Junior Sister, would you be so kind as to offer some guidance? What insightful views do you have regarding the path of the sword?"

His questions were polite, but his words carried a deliberate air of admiration and praise, which anyone could tell.

Fairy Yueyi pursed her lips slightly beside Chen Bai, a barely perceptible smile flashing in her eyes.