Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Qi Cultivation Level 10

Watching Ling Gu True Monarch and Li Changxiao depart, Yang Ji was overwhelmed with emotion.

He hadn't expected a remnant of the Sword Dao to bring him such a tremendous opportunity, truly a surprise.

If he really went to the Canglan Sect in three years' time, he would be treated as a Quasi-Nascent Soul Zhenjun, a level of esteem so high it made countless cultivators look up in envy.

Such treatment bestowed upon most cultivators would inevitably lead to a sense of pride.

But Yang Ji felt none, for even a genius like Li Changxiao, accustomed to top-tier treatment, did not become prideful, how could he, Yang Ji, allow himself to become conceited?

The path of immortality is boundless, Qi Cultivation is merely the beginning, and the road to becoming an immortal is long, very long.

The journey ahead is extensive, and to be bewildered by momentary success will only bind one's limbs and blind one's eyes.

Although the present is good, the future is even more splendid.

Because the stakes were so high, Yang Ji felt a twinge of apprehension in his heart, yet he also harbored a glimmer of hope.

Standing upon the shoulders of the Canglan Sect, a giant, he could gaze upon the Dao Sect and the path to immortality.

His goal was clear: to ascend step by step to the highest heights and achieve undying longevity.

Before becoming an immortal, all beauties are but illusions.

Time slips by, beauty fades, a hundred years in a flash, a millennium in a moment, and even ten thousand years are but a brief slumber in the river of time. Sёarch* The NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Beneath the quest for immortality, the fleeting years bury countless cultivators.

Without becoming immortal, no matter how splendid one's life, in the end, it amounts to nothing but a handful of dust.

All that may be cherished in peoples' hearts could simply be the Cave Mansion and the legacy one leaves behind.

Indeed, one's life may be carried on in an alternative form by future generations, but what they carry is merely the will and the lineage of one's pursuit for immortality, not your living, breathing soul.

Not that soul which can appreciate the beauty of the world, that beautiful soul capable of sensing the vibrancy of life.

Without immortality, all is but vanity!

The Canglan Sect brought him immense hope; Yang Ji wanted to seize it, to risk all for the chance.

....

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

Everything on Black Wind Island remained as usual.

Yang Ji cultivated methodically.

During this period, he also noticed several unusual gazes, presumably from a few cultivators on the island who had become Ling Gu True Monarch's informants, secretly observing him.

But Yang Ji was forthright in his life, not necessarily a paragon of virtue, but certainly not one of great evil.

He always carried a principle of conduct in his heart.

One-third caution, one-third kindness, one-third sincerity, and one-tenth reserved for the ruthlessness and decisiveness of the Golden Finger.

In this life, people are perplexed by their existence, and although good deeds rarely lead to good karma, he still retained six parts of kindness and sincerity, just to live without regrets.

Yang Ji did not deliberately disguise his daily actions, handling them with openness.

The Canglan Sect was assessing him, and in turn, he was also assessing the Canglan Sect.

If their temperaments matched, then they would walk the Great Dao together, assisting each other on the road to immortality.

If not, then they would choose different paths and not scheme together.

He did not let their observations affect his peace of mind and carried on as usual.

During this time, it is worth mentioning that as the demonic power within him was gradually purged, Mang Biao grew increasingly excited, and his search for the Demon Companion Herb became ever more fervent.

The number of aged Demon Companion Herbs that Yang Ji possessed had also increased: he had over a hundred samples that were more than a hundred years old, more than thirty that were over two hundred years old, and even one that was over three hundred years old.

So many high-grade Demon Companion Herbs gave him an even more leisurely array of choices.

The efficacy of the Demon Essence Pills he refined also improved.

So much so, that within two and a half years—not even reaching three—his cultivation not only reached the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining but had also advanced a great step, reaching the peak of the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining.

At this moment in his Dantian, the Spiritual Power was as profound as the ocean, extremely pure; this scene resembled the rolling mists atop a mountain at dawn, filling the entire Spirit Sea.

However, at this time, it was difficult for Yang Ji's cultivation to advance any further.

Because the Ling Water Technique he was cultivating was only a low-level cultivation technique, incapable of purifying the Spiritual Power from a gaseous state to a liquid form.

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Thus unable to break through to Foundation Establishment, unable to create a "Spiritual Difference" between the spiritual power within and the free-floating spiritual energy outside, to form an aura.

The level of Foundation Establishment represents a transformation of spiritual power, as well as a leap in life.

At this stage, one can manipulate the aura generated by the Spiritual Difference to fly through the air without using any techniques.

At the same time, one can also use the aura to twist attacks, forming a defense.

A Foundation Establishment expert can change the direction of an attack with a single grab of the hand, or directly compress the aura to force the attack to collapse and vanish.

Compared to Qi Cultivation, the strength of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator has reached another level.

The spiritual power inside the body transforms into Jade Liquid, becoming ten to dozens of times more robust, and the techniques invoked are much more powerful.

No matter how skilled a Qi Refining Cultivator is in combat techniques, they cannot withstand the saturated attack of "One Force Overpowers Ten Meetings" pouring down from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in full force.

To reach Foundation Establishment, a cultivation technique of at least intermediate level is essential—this is the biggest obstacle for ordinary nomadic cultivators to advance.

Yang Ji also cannot break through, the remaining days he begins to madly practice alchemy and cultivate Humanoid Weapons, as well as find time for sparring with Mang Biao.

The demonic power inside Mang Biao is almost completely removed by Yang Ji, who is extremely enthusiastic and obliging.

All requests are fully satisfied.

With Mang Biao, a Golden Core True Person, as a sparring partner, Yang Ji's combat skills are growing more formidable, and his usage of the Dao of Li Sword is becoming increasingly proficient.

Cultivation is important, and so is technique. Not drawing a sword does not mean my sword is not sharp.

The tragic fate of my nominal master, whose foundation was destroyed, is vivid in my mind; Yang Ji certainly does not want to follow in his footsteps.

If I truly become an immortal, I could then use a body containing a Supreme Spiritual Root to burn on behalf of my nominal master, dissipating his life's resentment.

...

Time flies, half a year passes in a flash, and three years have arrived.

[Name: Yang Ji]

[Spiritual Root: Inferior]

[Life Span: 28/100]

[Realm: Tenth Layer of Qi Refining (51200/51200)]

[Cultivation Technique: Ling Water Technique (Low-Level)]

[Great Divine Power Technique: Humanoid Weapon - Volume One (Proficient)]

[Great Divine Power Technique: Gui Cang Sword Technique - Dao of Li Sword (Six Parts Sword Intent)]

[Techniques: Water Tracing Sword Technique (Perfected), Light Body Skill (Perfected)]

Yang Ji looked at his attributes, quite satisfied, and then turned his gaze to the sky, as if waiting for something.

Seeing Yang Ji standing on the edge of the cliff, staring into the sky, Mang Biao couldn't help but feel complicated emotions rise within him. He walked over and said with a smile, "Little brother, you're heading to Canglan Sect, aren't you?"

"Yes, it's time for Canglan Sect to recruit External Affairs Disciples again, and if nothing goes wrong, I'll be leaving today," Yang Ji said with a light smile.

"Ah, little brother, then you must come back to visit your big brother often," Mang Biao said with a sigh, his eyes expressing a deep sense of reluctance.

Yang Ji glanced at him and said, "Are you worried you won't have anyone to help you remove the demonic power after you take the Demon Essence Pills?"

"Cough cough, would your big brother be that kind of person? I really just want you to come back and visit often," Mang Biao said, sneakily glancing at him with a slightly guilty conscience.

"Coming back is not impossible, but you'd better have the Demon Companion Herb ready for me; I'll trade it for Medicine Pills," Yang Ji said with a slight smile.

"Eh, where's that coming from, little brother? What's mine is yours! You can just take it when you come back," Mang Biao's eyes brightened as he patted his chest with a hearty assurance.

As the two conversed, a black dot suddenly appeared on the horizon and rapidly enlarged before their eyes.

The arrival was none other than Ling Gu Zhenjun.

Seeing the visitor, Yang Ji's heart settled a bit; it seemed he had passed the examination.

"Young friend, let's go, I'll take you to the sect!" Ling Gu Zhenjun said with a smile.

"Thank you, senior!" Yang Ji responded deeply and respectfully, without any pretense of refusal.

"Then let's go," Ling Gu Zhenjun said as he grabbed Yang Ji and flew into the sky.

"Little brother, remember to come back, I'll definitely have the Demon Companion Herb ready for you," Mang Biao shouted towards the rapidly vanishing black dots in the distance.

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