Chapter 3: The Art of Gathering Qi

“Oh, is he your friend?” Steward Xu Shan looked at Qingxi, his eyes lighting up. To be called a brother by someone as gifted as Lin Feng, perhaps this one was also a spiritual-grade root genius. At the very least, he should possess a mortal-grade root.

So Steward Xu Shan promptly beckoned Qingxi to the platform for his test. As Qingxi pressed his hand against the Root Bone Stele, a gentle red glow emerged.

“Defective spiritual root…” Xu Shan’s tone betrayed his disappointment. “Well, it’s better than nothing.”

But when he looked back at Qingxi, he found the youth astonishingly calm, which gave him pause. Others, upon learning the rank of their spiritual root, were invariably either dejected or elated. Only Qingxi remained utterly composed, as if he had expected nothing else.

This made Steward Xu Shan regard him with renewed respect. He thought to himself, “This young man has a remarkable temperament. He’s also Lin Feng’s friend—perhaps one day, he’ll surpass me and step into the Innate Realm.”

He quickly recorded the information of Lin Feng and Qingxi in the thick registry. Thus ended this year’s Root Bone Test.

There were only two with spiritual-grade roots: Lin Feng and Wang Miao. Three possessed mortal-grade roots. As for defective roots like Qingxi’s, there were thirteen. That meant this year, eighteen candidates qualified to become official disciples of the Lingyuan Sect.

The remaining near-hundred candidates either chose to stay as menial disciples or, tearfully and unwillingly, left the Lingyuan Sect behind.

“Come with me.”

Steward Xu Shan led Qingxi and the others into a grand hall. Inside, the seats were already filled. As Qingxi’s gaze swept the room, he counted at least ten masters in the Innate Realm, their strength surpassing the mere Qi Refining stage. Even at a distance of a dozen meters, he felt as though he faced a brewing storm.

But the most imposing figure was the elder seated upon the central throne—his bearing ethereal, a whisk in hand, exuding an unfathomable aura.

What amazed Qingxi further was that, when he focused on the elder, he could only glean partial information:

[Species: Human]
[Name: Qiu Mingzi]
[Age: 199]
[Spiritual Root: Spiritual Grade]
[Realm: Beyond Innate, entered the Spirit Steel Realm, specifics unknown]
[Lifespan: Unknown]
[Note: This man is the Sect Master of Lingyuan Sect. Due to the host’s current cultivation and spiritual root grade, full information on those beyond Innate Realm cannot be accessed.]

“So this is the Sect Master? Beyond Innate, already in the Spirit Steel Realm—this is the realm of true power!” Qingxi thought, a trace of yearning in his heart. “They say that to reach the Spirit Steel Realm is to be a major figure throughout the Yun Chuan domain. The Lingyuan Sect relies on its master’s might to hold its status.”

As far as Qingxi knew, the Yun Chuan domain teemed with factions, but only twenty-four were classified as star-level forces. Lingyuan Sect could count itself among them solely because of Qiu Mingzi’s presence.

While Qingxi was lost in thought, Steward Xu Shan completed his briefing on the test results. All present now understood that, aside from Wang Miao, the predetermined genius, another dark horse—Lin Feng—had emerged.

All at once, many deep, penetrating gazes turned toward Lin Feng and Wang Miao.

“Two with spiritual-grade roots. Good, very good.”

Sect Master Qiu Mingzi stroked his long beard, stood from the master’s seat, and approached the cluster of new disciples under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Wang Miao narrowed his eyes, noticing that Qiu Mingzi was heading directly toward him.

“The position of Sect Master’s personal disciple is mine!” Wang Miao realized with excitement. He glanced at Lin Feng beside him, the disdain at the corner of his mouth deepening.

Qiu Mingzi met Wang Miao’s gaze and nodded slightly, but right then his pupils contracted, and a sharp intake of breath echoed through the grand hall. As confusion swept through the crowd, Qiu Mingzi abruptly changed direction, reaching out to gently rest his hand atop Lin Feng’s head, his expression awash in disbelief.

Moments later, he was filled with excitement.

“This child… is truly remarkable!”

“I will take him as my personal disciple this year.”

Qiu Mingzi pointed to the stunned Lin Feng and, as Wang Miao stood frozen in disbelief, announced words that shook the entire hall.

No one could have foreseen such a development. Wang Miao, in particular, stared wide-eyed in shock. He had already tested his root with the family’s stone stele and knew himself to be of spiritual grade. He was confident the Sect Master—the legendary Spirit Steel Realm expert—would choose him as a disciple, perhaps even as a candidate for the future position of Sect Master.

Who could have imagined that the coveted spot would be snatched away by that fat fool within moments of entering the hall?

“Unbearable!”

“The Sect Master’s personal disciple should have been me!”

“Though both of us possess spiritual-grade roots, I have been tempered for years by the family’s spiritual elixirs. My physique far surpasses my peers—why should that fat fool replace me?”

Wang Miao’s fists clenched tight beneath his sleeves, veins bulging on his forehead. Rage burned in his heart, and his red-rimmed eyes blurted out his grievance:

“I refuse to accept this!”

The words were not loud, yet they carried across the hall. Instantly, the room fell so silent that a pin drop would echo.

The elders’ faces all shifted, then turned to shock. To openly challenge the Sect Master—what audacity!

Qiu Mingzi regarded Wang Miao, his eyes devoid of anger, and said calmly, “Your root is fine, but you are not fated to be my disciple.”

Though his tone was level, the power radiating from Qiu Mingzi’s body made Wang Miao’s skin crawl. He suddenly realized his grave mistake in questioning the Sect Master so publicly.

After all, this was a genuine Spirit Steel Realm master—a renowned figure across the Yun Chuan domain. If the master were displeased, he could annihilate the Wang family with a mere gesture.

“I was momentarily confused. Please forgive me, Sect Master!” Wang Miao quickly suppressed his indignation, cold sweat beading on his brow.

Sect Master Qiu Mingzi said nothing more, waving his sleeve.

“Begin the assignment of disciples.”

At these words, Wang Miao let out a breath of relief. With the Sect Master’s status, as long as he wasn’t punished on the spot, there would be no retribution later.

Soon, all the disciples present were assigned.

Wang Miao was chosen by the Inner Sect Grand Elder, second only to the Sect Master, but he remained dissatisfied. The Sect Master’s disciple naturally held greater prestige than any elder’s. More importantly, only the Sect Master’s disciples were eligible to vie for the future position of Sect Master.

This decision meant he was cut off from that ultimate aspiration.

He cast a sidelong glance at Lin Feng, chatting merrily with Qingxi, as a nameless hatred quietly took root in his heart.

The assignments concluded swiftly. The three disciples with mortal-grade roots were each taken as students by inner sect elders of the Innate Realm. As for Qingxi, with his defective root, he and the other similarly ranked disciples were all placed under an Outer Sect Elder.

“Come with me,” the elder called, his voice rough, his face adorned with a bristling beard, his appearance stern and formidable.

Qingxi glanced at him.

[Species: Human]
[Name: Tu Yongsheng]
[Spiritual Root: Mortal Grade]
[Realm: Great Circle of Qi Refining]
[Age: 48]
[Lifespan: 150 years]
[Note: This man has fine aptitude, was once the personal disciple of an inner sect elder, and, after breaking through the Great Circle of Qi Refining, was promoted to Outer Sect Elder.]

The higher one’s cultivation in the Qi Refining Realm, the greater one’s lifespan. Reaching the Great Circle of Qi Refining, like Tu Yongsheng, one’s life could extend to the realm’s limit—around one hundred fifty years.

“This elder is only in his forties, yet has already reached the peak of Qi Refining. He’ll surely step into the Innate Realm in the future. No wonder he has a mortal-grade root,” Qingxi thought with envy.

Under Tu Yongsheng’s direction, the group moved from their former preparatory disciples’ courtyard to a cluster of buildings reserved for the Outer Sect.

“This will be your residence for the next year. All registered disciples live here. You have half an hour to prepare, then report to the Registered Disciples Hall.”

With hands clasped behind his back, Tu Yongsheng’s steps barely touched the ground—he seemed to float away like a leaf on the wind.

Though only a registered disciple, Qingxi was granted a private room. It wasn’t large, but it afforded enough privacy. After settling in, he joined the other new disciples at the Registered Disciples Hall.

Tu Yongsheng was already waiting at the entrance.

Once everyone was seated on their mats, Tu Yongsheng flicked his fingers, sending over a dozen streaks of light into the palms of each new registered disciple.

Qingxi looked closely and found a dark red, lustrous pill the size of a longan fruit.

Tu Yongsheng explained, “This is a first-grade Qi Condensing Pill. Each of you receives one. It contains substantial spiritual energy and will help you condense your dantian and sea of qi.”

Qingxi examined the pill.

[Type: Qi Condensing Pill]
[Grade: First]
[Purity: 50%]
[Note: Contains multiple types of spiritual energy. Used for Qi Refining cultivation. Consuming one is equivalent to ten days of hard practice—enough to reach the first level of Qi Refining.]

“Only fifty percent pure… Is it safe to take?” Qingxi thought, a little speechless. Still, the prospect of saving ten days of bitter training was too tempting, so he pocketed the pill without further hesitation.

“Enough chatter. Next, I will teach you the first ten levels of the ‘Qi Condensation Technique: Qi Refining Volume’, sufficient for you to reach the tenth level of Qi Refining and become full outer sect disciples.”

Tu Yongsheng produced an ancient manual and began to explain.

The “Qi Condensation Technique” was the standard cultivation method in the realm—practiced from the lowest Qi Refining stage up to the Spirit Steel Realm and beyond. It was said that even kings and great masters of the cultivation world used this technique, as it best suited the needs of cultivators.

As Qingxi’s eyes fell upon the ancient manual, a voice sounded in his mind.

“Ding! Detected standard cultivation method: ‘Qi Condensation Technique: Qi Refining Volume, Upper Scroll.’ Reading complete, copying in progress… Copy finished.”

Qingxi’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Assistant, you can do this too?”

The assistant replied proudly, “Don’t be surprised, host. This is simply a basic function of the ‘reading’ ability.”

Qingxi’s spirits soared. “So, as long as a technique, martial art, or the like is near me, you can copy it?”

“In theory, yes. Murals, scrolls, even surrounding scenes can be recorded. Additionally, all material information the host has ever ‘read’ is permanently stored by the system.”

With the assistant’s confirmation, Qingxi could not help but grow excited. He hadn’t expected the system’s “reading” function to be this versatile!

It was nothing short of a divine artifact.