Refining the First Strand of Spiritual Energy

In the terrified eyes of Little Freckles and Hanged Ghost, Fang Xing chewed on the Essence Transforming Grass a few times, swallowed it with a stiff neck, and said fiercely, "Don't bother me unless it's urgent!"

His eyes reddened, and he gave a sharp command before storming into the wooden house. Little Freckles and Hanged Ghost were shocked by his actions, feeling that Fang Xing had gone mad. That was a precious herb; even a grown man could only eat a small leaf at a time, enough to sustain him through the night. Yet this ten-year-old boy had eaten three plants at once...

Was he out of his mind?

Inside the wooden house, Fang Xing followed the instructions from the Qingyun Qi Refining Manual, sitting cross-legged with his palms facing upward.

The Essence Transforming Grass worked quickly. Before long, a fierce heat surged from his lower abdomen, making his pants feel tight. Fang Xing took a deep breath and started following the breathing techniques and Qi circulation methods outlined in the manual. At this stage, Qi circulation was merely a mental exercise since he had no Qi to circulate.

The medicinal effects were intense; Fang Xing's eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were dry.

The violent heat roared inside him, making him feel uncomfortably bloated.

"I must succeed..."

Enduring the discomfort, Fang Xing maintained a tranquil state of mind, not using any physical force but focusing solely on his mental state.

Gradually, a quarter of an hour passed, then half an hour.

Even the tender skin on his face started turning red and purplish. Suddenly, a slight change occurred inside Fang Xing's body.

As he visualized the flow of Qi in his mind according to the techniques from the manual, a small portion of the raging heat inside him suddenly transformed into a cool and soothing stream. It flowed along with his mental visualization, reducing the intensity of the heat while causing immense pain in his meridians.

"I did it..."

Fang Xing rejoiced in his heart but immediately resumed his focus, enduring the excruciating pain in his meridians and carefully maintaining that faint presence of Qi.

What seemed like a small adventure turned out to be a real success. Fang Xing was ecstatic; he had stumbled upon the idea while seeing the Essence Transforming Grass. He remembered a passage from the Qingyun Qi Refining Manual, which mentioned using natural Qi to cultivate oneself, albeit for those with exceptional aptitude. This method could refine Essence into Qi to compensate for deficiencies.

Combining this insight with his recent study of the manual, Fang Xing realized that the first step in cultivation was to regulate breathing and refine one's own Qi.

However, not everyone could achieve this. Some individuals naturally resonated with the natural Qi, making their cultivation much more efficient. Others, like Fang Xing and a few other disciples, were considered ordinary mortals, unable to sense the existence of Qi.

It was not uncommon for someone like Wang Zhi, who had been practicing for seven years, to still be unaware of Qi's existence. Most people, even after a lifetime of practice, would never sense Qi.

But was regulating breath and refining Qi the only way to gather Qi?

Not necessarily. Even ordinary mortals had hope in cultivation through Essence Refinement.

Essence was the essence of one's being, easily understood by considering one's origin.

Refining Essence into Qi meant converting one's essence into Qi for cultivation, breaking through the first barrier.

Fang Xing realized this, bringing a glimmer of hope. While ordinary people couldn't sense their own essence easily, requiring years of insight, Fang Xing was different. He was bold and quick-witted, immediately devising a plan upon seeing the Essence Transforming Grass.

Since he couldn't sense it usually, why not boost his essence?

Having consumed three plants of Essence Transforming Grass, Fang Xing keenly felt this vigorous essence.

The violent heat was the direct manifestation of this essence. Using the Qi gathering method from the Qingyun Qi Refining Manual, Fang Xing managed to extract a faint trace of Qi from it. Although minimal, it was a significant step forward.

However, this method was risky, akin to playing with fire. A slight misstep could lead to internal combustion and loss of sanity, known as 'igniting the fire and entering the demon realm' in cultivation.

Fortunately, Fang Xing had exceptional mental fortitude. Despite the risks, he persevered.

As the faint Qi stabilized and circulated through his meridians, the intense hunger struck him. He felt dizzy, as if he hadn't eaten for days. This was expected; Fang Xing had used the Essence Transforming Grass to refine his Qi, depleting his physical energy.

This hunger, coupled with the sudden rush of Qi, made him urgently need to replenish.

"Mmm... I need something to eat..."

Fang Xing struggled to stand up, placing his hand on the Yin-Yang Divine Mirror. Suddenly, an inexplicable scene unfolded. The book reacted to Fang Xing's touch, and a strange force resonated with his Qi.

"Huh?"

Fang Xing looked surprised as the book disappeared from his hand.

Simultaneously, he felt a cool sensation in his mind, as if something had entered.

"Where's the book?"

Fang Xing was shocked; he hadn't expected the book to enter his mind. Frantically searching around, he stumbled upon the Qingyun Qi Refining Manual. Just as he was about to toss it aside, a message appeared in his mind.

"The Qingyun Qi Refining Manual, Qi Condensation Realm cultivation techniques, breathing and circulation, can lead to miraculous powers..."

"This..."

Fang Xing was stunned. It took him a while to realize that the book had entered his mind.

He stood there dumbfounded, until his stomach growled again, snapping him out of it.

"What's going on? Can such a big book fit in my head without squishing my brain?"

Muttering to himself, Fang Xing rubbed his belly and walked outside.

Night had fallen, and outside the door, Wang Zhi and others were eating and drinking cautiously, keeping an eye on the wooden house.

They were afraid Fang Xing might go mad and suddenly attack them from the house. Hence, they deliberately kept their distance.

"Did he really eat three plants of Essence Transforming Grass?"

Wang Zhi took a sip of wine, lowering his voice.

He had asked this three times already, still finding it hard to believe.

"Yes, just like a cow grazing, he chewed and swallowed them all..."

Little Freckles replied fearfully, glancing towards the direction of the wooden house, seemingly worried Fang Xing might burst out.

"Oh my, even one plant is too much for a person to handle. I mean, this guy ate so much in one go; he'll definitely need help later. Hanged Ghost, it's your responsibility..."

Wang Zhi said with a trembling voice.

Hanged Ghost was the palest among them, and upon hearing Wang Zhi's words, he dropped the piece of pork in his mouth, his face full of fear, "I can't do it; I'm afraid of pain. How about... how about letting Little Freckles do it?"

"How can that be?"

Little Freckles jumped up in fear. "You're the palest, known as the 'little white face' among us. You're appointed for this..."

"What little white face?"

Suddenly, a hoarse voice sounded, and the five disciples shivered, jumping away.

At some point, Fang Xing had approached. In the firelight, his face was exceptionally pale, but his spirit was high. He came to the bonfire, casually asked a question without waiting for a response, and sat down cross-legged, grabbing a large piece of pork to devour. His white teeth tore into the meat, oiling his mouth, seeming ravenous.

In fact, Fang Xing was indeed starving.

His body was severely depleted, and no matter how much he ate, it never seemed enough.

After a frenzy of eating, finishing all the meat and taking a few sips of wine to soothe his throat, Fang Xing finally stopped, massaging his stomach. He still felt unsatisfied, but his belly was too swollen.

"I have an announcement to make. From now on, bring me one plant... no, bring me one Essence Transforming Grass every day. I don't care where you find it, but it must be every day. Whoever brings it first won't have to work that day... Oh, and improve our living conditions. This little bit of pork isn't enough. From now on, triple it. No, make it three times as much!"

Hearing Fang Xing's words, the disciples were dumbfounded, not understanding his intentions.

After a while, Wang Zhi tremblingly said, "But... but that's five pounds of pork... and you want three times more?"

"Yes!" Fang Xing nodded. "Start with this, and if it's not enough, add more!"

"But we don't have enough money..." Wang Zhi said with a bitter face.

"Then go sell your butts..."

Fang Xing said nonchalantly. "Since you were all eager to be the 'little white face' just now!"