Chapter 44 - 43: Fourth-Layer Qi Refining

Chapter 44: Chapter 43: Fourth-Layer Qi Refining

"My Spirit Stones are depleting so fast, just like flowing water."

Before going to the Workshop Association, he still had ten Spirit Stones and one hundred and twelve grains of Spiritual Sand. Now, only three Spirit Stones and seventy-one grains of Spiritual Sand remained.

One Qi Storage Pill cost five Spirit Stones, a Fairy’s Hand Talisman Pen cost one Spirit Stone, Spiritual Ink cost one Spirit Stone, and High-Quality Yellow Paper cost forty grains of Spiritual Sand. He had also exchanged for one hundred taels of silver to buy some daily necessities.

"I hope I have some talent in the Talisman Dao," Chen Jianghe prayed in his heart, steering his boat away from Port No.1. Having bought the Qi Storage Pill, his next step was to go into secluded Cultivation.

Returning to the Inner Waters, Chen Jianghe calculated the time. There was still half a month before the Yun Family would deliver the Little Cyan Fish fry. This period was enough for him to consume the Qi Storage Pill and break through to Fourth-Layer Qi Refining.

Sitting cross-legged, he reined in his Heart and Mind.

Chen Jianghe absorbed the Water Element Spiritual Energy drifting over the lake and circulated the Returning Origin True Water Technique, restoring his Essence, Qi, and Spirit to reach a state of Perfection.

With his Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root, he would face a small bottleneck when breaking through to Mid-Stage Qi Refining. Although it was only a Small Realm bottleneck, he didn’t dare to be the slightest bit careless.

Two days passed.

Chen Jianghe felt his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had adjusted to their optimal state, and the Magical Power in his Dantian was perfectly abundant. He took out the Sandalwood Box and retrieved the Qi Storage Pill inside. A rich pill fragrance instantly filled the entire cabin.

"Master, what is this? It smells so good. I want to eat it too," Little Black’s voice transmitted from the Spirit Platform Mark.

"What a dog’s nose. You can even smell the Spirit Pill’s fragrance from the bottom of the lake," Chen Jianghe grumbled inwardly, transmitting his voice to Little Black. "This is a Qi Storage Pill, a Spirit Pill even better than the Qi Nourishing Pill. As long as you work hard, I’ll buy a few for you to taste once we become wealthy.

"Alright, I need to focus on Cultivation now. Don’t disturb me, and do a good job raising the fish."

"WOO WOO... Qi Storage Pill, good Elixir. I’ll remember that. I’ll definitely work hard to help us become wealthy as soon as possible."

After dismissing Little Black, Chen Jianghe spent another hour clearing his mind of distracting thoughts before putting the Qi Storage Pill into his mouth.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed it. Instantly, a majestic medicinal power surged in his stomach and rushed straight toward his Celestial Spirit through the Ren Meridian. He immediately circulated the Returning Origin True Water Technique, controlling the medicinal power to travel throughout his body for gradual Refinement.

His originally full Qi Sea Dantian instantly transformed into a vortex, becoming the main base for absorbing and refining the medicinal power. Hair-thin Spiritual Qi swept up the Qi Storage Pill’s medicinal power, rampaging through his Twelve Main Meridians.

"The medicinal power of the Qi Storage Pill is too majestic. The Returning Origin True Water Technique is actually struggling to guide it into the Circulation of the Heavens for a moment."

The Qi Storage Pill was a Spirit Pill used to elevate Cultivation during Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation. A single Qi Storage Pill was equivalent to a year and a half of bitter Cultivation—something a Third-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator simply couldn’t endure. This was exactly why the Qi Storage Pill could be used as a Breakthrough Spirit Pill by Early-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators.

What Chen Jianghe needed to do now wasn’t to absorb all of the Qi Storage Pill’s medicinal power, but to use a portion of it to Breakthrough Realm. He circulated the Returning Origin True Water Technique, struggling to guide a portion of the medicinal power into Circulation, then merging it into his Qi Sea Dantian.

As long as he smoothed out the bottleneck, everything would fall into place, allowing him to break through to Fourth-Layer Qi Refining.

WHOOSH!

Drawn by the Cultivation Technique, the medicinal power swept through his meridians like a hurricane, ultimately arriving at the Shenque above his Qi Sea. Under the impact of the medicinal power, the blocked Shenque gradually loosened.

A blinding silver light suddenly lit up in the center of the Qi Sea. The Magical Power inside the Dantian surged up toward the Shenque, merging with the medicinal power to clear the blockage and obliterate the bottleneck.

For a moment, the circulation speed of the Returning Origin True Water Technique suddenly multiplied, absorbing the remaining medicinal power of the Qi Storage Pill in his body and drawing it back into his Qi Sea Dantian. Then, it was transformed into Magical Power by his Spirit Root, surging through his meridians and traveling in a Grand Circulation alongside the circulation of the Cultivation Technique.

The impurities dormant deep within his bone marrow were crushed to dust by this thick Magical Power, and every pore on his body exhaled foul air.

"Phew..."

Chen Jianghe slowly opened his eyes, revealing a look of joy. "It’s done!"

At this moment, he broke through to Fourth-Layer Qi Refining, becoming a Qi Refining Cultivator.

His Qi Sea Dantian was fully opened. Next up would be accumulating Magical Power to raise his Cultivation to Sixth-Layer Qi Refining, then gradually solidifying his Magical Power to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining.

Amidst his thoughts, he smelled a pungent odor and finally realized his body was sticky, covered in a layer of black impurities. He immediately went to the bow of the boat and cast a Purification Technique, washing away the expelled impurities from his body. He instantly felt incredibly refreshed.

"I achieved Energy Introduction at the age of fourteen and stepped onto the Immortal Path. Now, fifteen years have passed, and I’ve finally broken through to Mid-Stage Qi Refining," Chen Jianghe smiled, quite satisfied with this Cultivation speed.

After all, he was just a bottom-tier Fisherman and Farmer with a meager salary, and he possessed the Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root Talent. What was there to be dissatisfied about, reaching this Realm in fifteen years?

However, nearly seventy percent of the Qi Storage Pill’s medicinal power had been lost during the breakthrough, which made him feel a bit of regret. But there was nothing he could do about it.

The Qi Storage Pill was never an Elixir meant to be consumed during Early-Stage Qi Refining. If it were him now, he could absorb and Refine at least seventy or eighty percent of a Qi Storage Pill’s medicinal power, equating to a year of bitter Cultivation.

The Pill Poison carried by the Qi Storage Pill was much milder than that of the Qi Nourishing Pill, but it would still take over half a year to completely expel it from the body. Of course, even after over half a year, he wouldn’t be able to afford a second Qi Storage Pill for Cultivation anyway.

The moment he broke through to Mid-Stage Qi Refining, Chen Jianghe understood why Gao Peiyao wanted to leave Jingyue Lake. She preferred to risk unpredictable dangers to head to the Celestial South Sect and participate in the assessment.

Fully absorbing and Refining the medicinal power of a single Qi Storage Pill would only equate to a year and a half of bitter Cultivation. Gao Peiyao’s Spirit Root Talent was higher than his, but to Cultivate to Sixth-Layer Qi Refining, she would need at least ten Qi Storage Pills. Fifty Spirit Stones!

Old Gao had left her with thirty-something Spirit Stones at most, which was barely enough to support her Cultivation from First-Layer Qi Refining to Fifth-Layer Qi Refining. Even if Gao Peiyao was frugal for decades and successfully broke through her Cultivation to Sixth-Layer Qi Refining, what about the resources to buy the Misfortune-Breaking Pill?

A Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root required the aid of a Misfortune-Breaking Pill when breaking through to Late-Stage Qi Refining. Could she possibly rely on the financial support of allies?

"With my Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root Talent, I’m afraid I would need twelve Qi Storage Pills—sixty Spirit Stones—to quickly Cultivate to Sixth-Layer Qi Refining!"

In truth, how could sixty Spirit Stones be enough for him to Cultivate to Sixth-Layer Qi Refining? He still had a Spirit Beast to raise, which meant splitting resources fifty-fifty—that would be one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.

Just thinking about it gave him a headache. Fortunately, he had a long lifespan and wasn’t in a hurry. But even so, he absolutely had to master one of the Cultivation Skills.

With a skill, he would have an additional source of income, especially one of the Four Extremes of the Hundred Arts. Array, Artifact, Elixir, Talisman—mastering any of these meant he wouldn’t have to worry too much about Spirit Stones in the future.

The Talisman Dao was the first of the Cultivation Skills Chen Jianghe was going to attempt. It was also the skill he personally felt he had the most hope of succeeding in.

Chen Jianghe would first stabilize his Fourth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivation. Once the Yun Family delivered the Little Cyan Fish fry, he would prepare to attempt Talisman Painting.

A few days later, New Year’s Eve arrived.

It was once again the day when the Senior Fishermen and Farmers and Honored Guest Elders in the Inner Waters would head to Huxing Island.

Chen Jianghe did not go. He wasn’t lacking anything right now, and he didn’t have many Spirit Stones left on him anyway. Everything had to be centered around frugality.

On the eighth day after the New Year, people from the Yun Family came, delivering one hundred Little Cyan Fish fry.

Chen Jianghe handed the Little Cyan Fish fry over to Little Black, then ducked into the cabin and began his attempts at Talisman Painting.