"Kid. If you succeed in becoming a Qi Refinement practitioner, come and find me!"
"...Yes."
Qin Zhaoming, who paused at Fang Yi's words, nodded in response and hurriedly left the Spirit Elixir Pavilion, heading home.
Though he walked along the main road with a calm expression, he checked his chest several times along the way to make sure the spirit stone was still there.
'Finally!'
The reward obtained after three years of risking his life climbing the mountain.
If he could absorb the spirit qi contained in this spirit stone, it would be possible to enter the first level of the Qi Refinement stage.
'The beginning is always the hardest part of anything.'
Three years to reach Qi Refinement level 1. It was an excruciatingly slow pace, but he wasn't discouraged.
As soon as he arrived home, he immediately locked the door.
Only after closing all the windows did he take out the spirit stone to examine it.
He gazed as if entranced at the mysterious crystal with a mystical blue glow.
"Indeed!"
He couldn't hold back his admiration. Just holding the spirit stone caused a warm energy to seep into him.
The pure spirit qi highly condensed in the crystal aroused an instinctive craving.
It was a higher-dimensional power that stimulated the essence of life.
His intuition, engraved in his soul, whispered that if he could absorb this spirit qi, he could advance one step further and become a superior being of high caliber.
Though it was merely currency to immortals, to ordinary people it was nothing short of a treasure.
Just wearing it as a necklace would naturally make one healthier and allow them to live a long, disease-free life.
'...Let's get some sleep first.'
Having woken up at dawn and gone to the mountain, his entire body was tired. He couldn't attempt to enter the Qi Refinement stage in this condition.
Since the spirit stone was precious, obtained through three years of hardship, he needed to use it in the best condition possible.
If he failed to enter the Qi Refinement stage due to his physical condition, he would be too frustrated to die.
He hid the spirit stone in a secret gap in the corner of his bed, under his pillow, and tried to sleep.
It was difficult to fall asleep because of his racing heart, but he forced his eyes closed.
How much time had passed?
Rustle.
He naturally woke up in the middle of the night.
Only after eating a light meal and thoroughly checking his entire body did he make up his mind.
"Alright. Let's begin."
Having slept, his condition was at its best. There was no reason to delay any further, so he immediately sat cross-legged.
He focused, becoming one with the darkness on his shabby bed, calming his mind through meditation.
Woong.
A subtle wind blew even though the windows were closed. The faint flow began to grow stronger.
Spirit qi, which exists everywhere under heaven and earth, was absorbed in a spiral pattern following his breathing.
How much effort had he put in for the past three years?
Operating the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique was instinctively ingrained.
He concentrated his mind. He established a pillar centered on his dantian and guided the absorbed spirit qi.
Whoosh!
The once calm wind grew increasingly rough. The vortex formed around the pillar continued to grow in size.
After some time.
Along with a throbbing headache, he reached the limit of his mental power.
Just as the spirit qi vortex in his dantian began to shake unstably, he quickly grasped the spirit stone and operated the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique with all his might.
Woong!
Pure spirit qi was explosively injected into the vortex that had been shaking as if it would collapse.
The flow became increasingly fierce, and in an instant, it reached an uncontrollable state.
Now it was impossible to stop even if he wanted to.
Several times more spirit qi than usual was absorbed. His dantian ached as if it would burst, and the meridians throughout his body felt like they would tear.
Buzz buzz buzz!
The pain did not cease. Dense spirit qi gathered along with the roughly swirling wind.
"Ugh!"
His mind grew hazy, and he wanted to lose his sanity at any moment.
But how could he give up? If he gave up now, three years of effort would come to nothing. The spirit stone obtained through hardship would shatter and disappear into powder.
Just as he was gritting his teeth and desperately enduring...
Bang!
Along with the illusion of a solid wall breaking down in front of him...
The rotation of the vortex reached its peak and broke through the threshold!
Whirring...
Even the rough wind gradually subsided.
The once ferocious spirit qi became docile like a lie. No sound could be heard in the quiet room. Only a faint breeze indicated that what had just happened wasn't an illusion.
He had succeeded!
Finally, after three years of hardship!