Chapter 58 - 24: Dao Foundation Contract

Chapter 58: Chapter 24: Dao Foundation Contract

[Qi Cultivator Promotion Conditions]

①: Find a Spiritual Land and establish a stable residence (Achieved)

②: Learn an orthodox Qi Cultivation Technique and cultivate it to the Proficient Level (Achieved)

③: Refine the first wisp of Magical Power within your body (Achieved)

[All promotion conditions have been met. Congratulations, you have successfully promoted to the main profession—Qi Cultivator!]

BZZZ—!

The moment the system notification sounded, a special, pure spiritual fluctuation erupted from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness. It flowed like a warm current through his limbs and bones, his meridians and Soul Spirit, performing a gentle yet thorough baptism of his Dao Foundation.

This baptism didn’t significantly increase Jiang Xuan’s raw strength. The Qi Cultivator was, after all, only the most basic main combat profession. As a mere entry-level apprentice, he couldn’t possibly shake his existing Cultivation foundation.

But from the very beginning, Jiang Xuan hadn’t been hoping for this insignificant power boost. What he truly wanted were the Professional Passives and exclusive Professional Skills unlocked upon promoting.

And now, the three Professional Skills that appeared on the system panel brought an expression of undeniable satisfaction to Jiang Xuan’s face.

[DING! You have successfully promoted to the Main Profession: Qi Cultivator.]

[Your physical constitution and Soul Spirit have been slightly enhanced. You have successfully nurtured Magical Power within your body (Effect has been stacked).]

[You have gained Professional Passives: Refining Essence and Qi, Qi Sensitivity.]

[You have gained an exclusive Professional Skill: Dao Foundation Contract.]

The effect of Refining Essence and Qi needed no further explanation; its essence was converting a Cultivator’s own blood and qi into Magical Power. Since the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in this world was abundant, a Cultivator like Jiang Xuan didn’t need to directly consume his blood and qi to force the conversion. He only had to draw the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into his body through Breathing, then imbue and refine it with his own blood and qi to make it his own.

’In a Spiritless Forbidden Land, it would be a Divine Technique, but I most likely won’t ever set foot in a place like that.’

Jiang Xuan shook his head slightly, his gaze falling on the second Professional Passive—Qi Sensitivity.

As the name implied, it was an Extraordinary perception of the various types of "qi" that existed between Heaven and Earth.

Applied externally, it allowed him to precisely perceive the distribution and density of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and even discern the traces of various other qi channels, such as Evil Qi, Gang Qi, Blood Qi, Yin Qi, and Yang Qi.

Used internally, it made his control over his own Spiritual Qi and Magical Power as effortless and natural as moving his own limbs.

’Improving my perception and control of Spiritual Qi is quite practical.’

Although these two passive abilities were good, they were a far cry from the benefits Jiang Xuan received from the Clear Heart Mirror and Heart・Sincerity (Sword).

He was already mentally prepared for this. The Clear Heart Swordsman was a Purple Treasure Level profession, while a Qi Cultivator apprentice could only be rated as Blue Rare. The Grade and potential of the two were simply not on the same level.

Fortunately, the Qi Cultivator also had an ace up its sleeve that perfectly met Jiang Xuan’s needs.

The Dao Foundation Contract was the core objective of his promotion.

As is well known, the countless Taoist Skills in the Cultivation Realm were all created by those who came before.

And since these Techniques were created by predecessors, they were inevitably most compatible with the creators’ own aptitudes and Dao paths.

Furthermore, just as there are no two identical leaves in the world, there are no two identical people. For Cultivators of later generations like Jiang Xuan, whose aptitudes, Comprehension, and Dao Hearts all differed from their predecessors, cultivating these foreign Taoist Skills would inevitably lead to some disconnect and incompatibility.

This incompatibility meant that when Cultivators practiced the techniques of the ancients, their progress might stagnate at best, or they might be completely unable to begin at worst. If they forced their Cultivation, they even risked suffering from Cultivation deviation or having their Dao Foundation shatter.

And the Dao Foundation Contract was precisely what could solve this problem at its very root.

It used a Cultivator’s Origin Dao Foundation as the contract’s vessel and their Divine Soul Mark as the sole credential. With it, one could establish an exclusive Dao Contract for a cultivated Cultivation Technique, Sword Technique, or other Technique. This would deeply bind the foreign Taoist Skill to one’s own Dao path, allowing them to grow in sync and completely eliminating the disconnect between the technique and the user.

In layman’s terms, it could modify any Cultivation Technique or Technique, transforming it into an innate art exclusive to oneself, perfectly in tune with one’s own origin.

With enough Cultivation, this Technique could even merge completely with one’s being and become an instinctual Talent—as natural as a divine dragon commanding wind and rain, or a Spirit Wood performing photosynthesis, all without relying on any external force.

’A very powerful ability, but it has its limits. Because my Tier isn’t high enough, I can only establish an exclusive Dao Contract with one Cultivation Technique for now.’

At this thought, Jiang Xuan looked at the two Core Cultivation Methods he was practicing and found himself in a dilemma.

’Should I choose the One Qi Sword Technique or the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method?’

The benefits of choosing the One Qi Sword Technique were obvious: after establishing the Dao Contract, the Cultivation Technique would be perfectly compatible with him. The difficulty of his Cultivation would plummet, and merging the Five Viscera Origin Qi—a feat as difficult as ascending to the heavens for others—would be within his easy reach.

Not to mention, the One Qi Sword Technique could also synergize with his Clear Heart Swordsman profession.

’But the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method is nothing to sneeze at, either.’

His recent conversations with Dong Hao had allowed Jiang Xuan to fully grasp the future potential of this introductory Cultivation Technique from the Shenxiao Sect.

Just as the One Qi Sword Technique would undergo a qualitative change upon reaching Mastery in the Third Realm, the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method would also undergo a complete transformation in the Third Realm.

At that point, he would obtain a core ability called [Circulation of Heaven and Earth].

This core Trait would allow his Magical Power to constantly and automatically complete its Circulation of Qi within his body, just like his breathing.

This meant that from then on, whether he was sitting, lying down, walking, awake, or asleep, he would always be in a state of Cultivation.

Furthermore, the Magical Power constantly circulating in his meridians would keep his Flesh Body perpetually enhanced. When facing an enemy, his Magical Power wouldn’t need to be drawn from his Dantian; it could be unleashed directly from his meridians, making his attacks several times faster. This unceasing Circulation of Magical Power would also act as a permanent defensive line, automatically warding off external attacks.

Once cultivated to Great Success, the Circulation of Heaven and Earth from the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method would even be able to interact with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. At that point, he would possess a Mana Shield that was always active, capable of automatically absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to replenish itself.

’As expected of a top-tier Major Sect. The introductory Cultivation Technique passed down by the Shenxiao Sect might not have the greatest Power of Attack, but its life-preserving capabilities and Cultivation stability are maxed out.’

After weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Xuan finally made his decision—the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method.

’My first priority in Cultivation has never been to fight for supremacy, but to preserve myself and seek longevity. While the One Qi Sword Technique can certainly increase my killing power, the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method can tangibly increase my chances of survival.’

BZZZ!

The instant his Heart Thought was set, the complete general principles, cultivation secrets, and qi circulation paths of the Nine Breath Qi Refining Method’s Taoist Skill surged into Jiang Xuan’s mind.

"The first breath settles the profound; attain utmost emptiness, maintain profound tranquility; ten thousand thoughts return to one, to nothingness..."

"...The fourth breath cleanses the turbid; when things reach their prime, they begin to age; the turbid departs, the pure remains, returning to the truth of a newborn..."

"...The eighth breath unites with Heaven; man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, breath follows the natural, revolving in unison with the Dao..."