Chapter 57: Completion of Qi Refinement

Page (1/3)

At dawn, when the first rays of sunlight filtered into the humble cottage, Ruby slowly awoke, feeling a languid heaviness. She had been so exhausted last night that she had overslept.

"Are you already up?"

Looking at the empty room, a trace of disappointment flickered across Ruby’s fair face, but she quickly composed herself. No matter what, she now shared a deeper connection with Jiang Chen, and that was already enough.

"The An family treated me as a vessel, nurturing that strand of foreign true energy. My greatest value was simply to help others break through the Qi Refining stage. Once this hurdle was passed, I would have little use left."

"With his talent, if I don’t make a timely decision now, after some time, I might not have any chance even if I offer myself again."

Thoughts whirled within, but she steadied her mood and dressed herself.

As she stepped down from the bed, she felt a slight discomfort, but her constitution was strong; she recovered quickly. Seeing the faint blush on the sheets, a shy smile passed her lips, and she hurried to put them away.

Though shy at heart, she did not rush to leave. Instead, she fetched a basin of water, washed simply, and began tidying Jiang Chen’s room. She observed proper boundaries, touching none of his personal belongings, especially the somewhat disorderly desk.

Having finished, she looked at the brightened, though still simple, cottage, and a sense of joy bloomed in her heart. It was humble, but the place carried a unique significance.

“Handling small matters for him is something I ought to do, but it’s not enough. If I wish to remain by his side, I must not neglect my cultivation.”

Suppressing her delight, she stepped outside and gazed toward the mountaintop, knowing that Jiang Chen was likely there, immersed in practice.

After a moment, she withdrew her gaze and returned to her own small hut, beginning her own cultivation anew.

Having united yin and yang, she had already transferred that strand of true energy within her to Jiang Chen last night. Now, her true energy was depleted, her spiritual rhythm scattered, and her cultivation lost, but her foundation remained. With diligent practice, she would soon recover.

In truth, this was not a misfortune. In the past, no matter how she cultivated, her progress remained stagnant, all spiritual energy absorbed by that foreign true energy, ultimately becoming nourishment for another.

After a long time, Stone’s figure quietly appeared; compared to usual, he arrived much later today.

Page (2/3)

He pushed open the door and paused, surprised by the tidy, clean interior. He soon understood the reason.

Silently closing the door, he glanced at Ruby’s cottage in the distance, knowing that his attitude toward her must change once again.

Meanwhile, atop the nameless hill, Jiang Chen stood rooted like a green pine, steadfast against wind and sun, unmoving.

At this moment, a special strand of true energy circulated within him, perpetually balancing the yin and yang within his body, achieving a relative perfection in his internal cycles.

As the inner yin and yang drew nearer to equilibrium, Jiang Chen clearly felt his affinity with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth increasing. Unlike the wolfbane used in martial medicine, this method truly enhanced the connection to spiritual energy, aiding cultivators in breaking through the Qi Refining stage.

Thus, Jiang Chen stood in silent contemplation, sensing the mysteries within.

At this point, he could have attempted the breakthrough, yet he was in no hurry. He had grasped the elusive insight he sought—it had always lain within; it was only a question of whether he could perceive it.

For most cultivators, this step was exceedingly difficult, but Jiang Chen, relying on his powerful soul, easily opened the door. Immersed in the transformation, marveling at its profundity, he was reluctant to awaken.

Time slipped by unnoticed. When the sun set and the wild winds ceased, Jiang Chen finally opened his eyes, which now reflected a tranquil depth.

"The transformation of yin and yang, the principle of movement and stillness: within motion lies stillness, within stillness lies motion. They are one, never opposed."

His mind clear, through the last glow of the sun, Jiang Chen saw the path to Qi Refining. In the next instant, he stepped forward, treading upon the lingering light.

At that moment, the Pine Breathing Method and Willow Vitality Technique operated together; his body moved while his mind grew still, achieving perfect balance between motion and stillness.

When these two arts reached their peak, merging together and evolving spiritual rhythm, a unique seed was born and settled in Jiang Chen’s heart.

Boom—the seed took root, his spiritual aperture opened. As if drawn by an invisible force, like fledglings returning to the nest, spiritual energy from all directions surged in, racing to pour into Jiang Chen’s body.

The foundation of cultivation at the Spiritual Inspiration stage lay in guiding spiritual energy and tempering the flesh; at the Qi Refining stage, the essence remained guiding spiritual energy, but now not merely at the surface—it required opening spiritual apertures and drawing energy deep within.

Page (3/3)

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, though seemingly gentle, also carried a restless side. Drawing it into the body was inherently perilous; ordinary cultivators had to refine it into true energy with utmost caution. Yet at this moment, with Jiang Chen’s insight into movement and stillness, all spiritual energy entering his body was effortlessly subdued, docile as sheep.

"Sever!"

With sudden inspiration, Jiang Chen shaped the influx of energy into a blade, targeting his dantian. He struck decisively, without a trace of hesitation.

In the next instant, the haze dispersed, and the first aperture—the dantian—was fully opened, birthing his sea of energy.

Buzzing, the sea of energy expanded, spiritual energy poured in, underwent transformations, and at last, Jiang Chen’s first strand of true energy was born.

"I’ve attained the Qi Refining stage!"

He opened his palm, true energy spiraling in his hand. A smile bloomed on Jiang Chen’s face; he was now, without question, a Qi Refining cultivator. From here, he only needed to methodically open all apertures and accumulate true energy.

When all one hundred and eight apertures were opened and true energy gathered to fullness, and a true sea of energy emerged, he would have reached the pinnacle of Qi Refining.

"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is still too sparse here. If I wish to achieve perfection in Qi Refining soon, I’ll need abundant resources."

Having achieved Qi Refining, Jiang Chen felt closer to the heavens and earth, and thus gained a deeper understanding of the spiritual energy’s scarcity.

At this thought, Jiang Chen recalled Iron Butcher and the An family’s treasure.

"No need to hurry. Having just advanced to Qi Refining, I should settle myself first. Now that I possess true energy, I can finally open the storage pouch left by White Crane Daoist. I wonder what he left behind."

He touched the storage pouch in his sleeve, glanced at the sky, and descended from the mountaintop. He had come in the morning as a seeker, and by sunset, he had become a Qi Refiner. Between sunrise and dusk, all had changed.