C5 Library of Whispering Wisdom

The Library of Whispering Wisdom was a significant place within the academy, housing all of the institution's cultivation techniques and the corresponding disciples' cultivation notes. The library stood tall with seven levels. From the second floor upward, it held the middle-grade yellow-level cultivation techniques and higher-level disciples' cultivation notes.

The low-grade yellow-level cultivation techniques, along with the corresponding disciples' notes and a variety of general knowledge books, were located on the ground floor, freely accessible to all disciples.

Zhang Heng visited the Library of Whispering Wisdom specifically to examine the cultivation notes associated with the low-grade yellow-level Qi Refining Technique. Over the years, an innumerable number of disciples had practiced this technique. Zhang Heng was convinced that someone else must have encountered the same issue he was facing.

Upon locating the cultivation notes, he bypassed the accounts of successful Qi condensation and focused on those who had encountered obstacles or had failed. After reviewing over a hundred cases, Zhang Heng felt a growing sense of despair. "Why are these cases so vastly different from my own, even completely contradictory?" he wondered.

The majority of these disciples struggled to condense their Qi into a sea because they had been unable to sense the Heaven Earth Yuan Qi for an extended period. Others failed to draw Qi into their bodies for unknown reasons, preventing them from condensing their Qi.

Zhang Heng, on the other hand, had quickly progressed to the second step of drawing Qi into his body. Within less than two days, he had saturated his body with Yuan Qi. Common wisdom suggested that once the body was filled with Yuan Qi, one could easily condense a Qi Sea with just a bit of guidance. Yet, Zhang Heng had stumbled at what should have been the least likely point.

With a heavy heart, he continued to sift through the cases. Before he knew it, he had finished reviewing the notes from the year 994 of the Destiny Calendar, with no insights gained. He moved on to the notes from the year 993 of the Pofreyae calendar, but still found no similar cases.

Then, as he perused a notebook from the year 987, Zhang Heng's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Hmm? This individual's situation closely resembles mine," he observed. "This person also advanced swiftly to the Qi Gathering stage and, in a remarkably short time, achieved saturation of the dantian's vital energy. Moreover, the vital energy sphere they formed was significantly larger than that of their peers, about the size of a bamboo hat."

"It's almost identical to my own experience!" Zhang Heng's breath quickened, his hands shaking as he leafed through the notebook. "Let's see how this individual managed to condense their Qi Sea."

Yet, as Zhang Heng eagerly turned to the last page, his complexion drained of color. "How could this happen? This person died from a dantian explosion due to forcibly condensing the Qi Sea!"

He paused only for a moment before resuming his search through the notebook with renewed determination. "There has to be a way. I refuse to accept defeat so easily!" Zhang Heng silently vowed.

Dusk was setting in. Zhang Heng had less than half an hour remaining.

If he couldn't condense the Qi Sea within the next thirty minutes, his true identity would be revealed, and the senior brothers and sisters around him would show no mercy in killing him.

Time slipped away rapidly, and soon, only a quarter of an hour was left.

Zhang Heng stopped perusing the books. He stood still, leaning against the bookshelf, head tilted back, gazing at the ornate Prime Stone Palace Lantern overhead.

The lighting of the palace lantern would signal his demise. But he wasn't watching the lantern. He wasn't resigned to his fate. He felt he had overlooked something crucial.

Then, his eyes sparked with realization. He quickly retrieved his copy of the Qi Refining Technique and turned to the first page.

Reading a particular line, his furrowed brows eased. "I was wrong! I've been focusing on the wrong thing."

"The cases similar to mine aren't as critical as I thought."

"Just as the Qi Refining Technique states: the essence of condensing the Qi Sea lies in communicating with the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi."

"With perfect communication with the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, any stage of Qi Refining can be effortlessly achieved."

A smile played on Zhang Heng's lips. "That's right, I recall being in a state of desirelessness and thoughtlessness during the first two steps of Qi Refining."

"Yet, when I reached the third step, I lost that state of mind, eager to condense my Qi quickly... My expectations led to failure!"

"Now, what I need to do is to return to that previous state of mind."

For others, this task might be daunting, but for Zhang Heng, it was surprisingly simple.

He simply closed his eyes and eased his mind, effortlessly sinking into a mysterious and profound state.

He sensed a rebirth into a new world brimming with the elemental energy of Heaven and Earth.

He was unsure whether his strong affinity for elemental energy was due to his Human-Demon hybrid constitution.

Zhang Heng, lost in this wondrous state, appeared to be asleep.

A few upperclasswomen, seeing Zhang Heng seemingly asleep in the Library of Whispering Wisdom, scoffed at his apparent laziness as newcomers and moved away in disdain.

But then, without warning, everything changed!

A dazzling orb of elemental energy burst forth from within Zhang Heng, shrouding the entire Library of Whispering Wisdom.

The orb of light flashed and was gone.

In an instant, it was reabsorbed into Zhang Heng's body.

For a moment, as the radiant energy orb enveloped him, Zhang Heng shone brightly, like a golden deity, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

The upperclasswomen watched, their mouths agape in astonishment.

In the upper levels of the Library of Whispering Wisdom.

"What's happening? Has one of the senior brothers broken through the Qi Refining Realm and ascended to the Chakra Realm?" The Chakra Realm is the second major realm for a brave.

"Impossible! It looks more like a junior brother is here, forming his Qi Sea."

"Are you joking? Which junior brother has such audacity to condense his Qi so powerfully that it envelops the entire Library of Whispering Wisdom?"

After emerging from the extraordinary state, Zhang Heng realized he had successfully condensed his Qi and had officially entered the Qi Refining Realm, becoming a brave.

Somehow, he was now surrounded by a crowd three layers deep.

From their clothing, these were senior students from the inner courtyard and even higher echelons.

Among these seniors, some were brazenly staring at Zhang Heng, discussing loudly amongst themselves, completely disregarding his presence.

"Just by condensing his Qi into a sea, he's caused such a spectacle, with the burst of Yuan Qi enveloping the Library of Whispering Wisdom. This kid is quite something," remarked one of the senior sisters, resting her chin in her hand, her eyes filled with curiosity and a touch of admiration as she observed Zhang Heng.

Every year, thousands of new students enroll, and inevitably, a few stir up some trouble. But what does it amount to in the end? They all just fade into obscurity and settle into mediocrity.

Mediocrity would be one thing, but some new students, driven by vanity, take dangerous risks. They end up with Qi deviation, their meridians shattered, leaving them crippled. And it's not uncommon for some to die on the spot.

A few senior brothers, noticing a senior sister defending Zhang Heng, glared at him with evident annoyance, as if they had already concluded that he was the next freshman destined for Qi deviation.

Zhang Heng, however, was unconcerned with the seniors' opinions. He never cared about how others perceived him. How exhausting must it be to live at the mercy of others' judgments?

Having accomplished what he came for, he saw no reason to linger.

So, with the senior brothers and sisters watching, Zhang Heng nonchalantly strode out of the Library of Whispering Wisdom and went on his way.

Now that he had formed his Qi Sea and averted the looming threat of death, Zhang Heng was eager to return and examine it more closely.

He took up residence in the room that once belonged to Senior Brother Luo. Seated on the meditation cushion, Zhang Heng focused inward.

He discovered that the large Yuan Qi sphere that had once filled his dantian had vanished, replaced by a flat, spinning vortex. This vortex, the size of a small bowl, rotated slowly within him.

Upon closer inspection, he could feel the power of the Qi Sea, now double the strength it had been before.

With a single punch, the Qi Sea within his dantian accelerated, channeling a torrent of Yuan Qi into Zhang Heng's arm. The force of his punch stirred the air, creating a hissing sound.

It wasn't just his strength that had increased; Zhang Heng felt an unprecedented, intricate sensation throughout his body. His speed had also significantly improved.

Throwing punches in rapid succession, Zhang Heng was astonished to find that previously, he might not have managed even two punches in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Heng had managed to throw three consecutive punches with ease. His speed had nearly doubled—a clear advantage of Qi condensation. After ensuring that Lee Qi had also successfully formed his Qi Sea, Zhang Heng tipped back his head and downed an entire bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills, restoring the blood and Qi he had depleted over the last five days, before collapsing into a deep sleep.

Six hours later, Zhang Heng awoke and immediately resumed his cultivation without any hint of relaxation. The day's events had imparted several crucial insights: "There's really not much difference between humans and demons. Wherever you are, power is what matters. Without it, you're at the mercy of others, no matter where you go. To avoid being dominated and oppressed, I must cultivate, grow stronger, and keep on strengthening."

Having formed his Qi Sea and successfully entered the Qi Refining Realm, Zhang Heng's next goal was to diligently enhance his cultivation level and strive for higher realms. He persisted in practicing the Qi Refining Technique, soon reaching a profound state devoid of thought or desire.

Suddenly, the infinite Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi around him became vividly perceptible. Meanwhile, as if a funnel had opened above him, the Yuan Qi that others struggled to attract into their bodies now surged into his own with an affinity so strong it seemed to happen of its own accord. At this point, Zhang Heng was absorbing Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi at a rate at least three times faster than anyone else.

Despite this, the pace at which his cultivation level advanced was not swift. The Qi Refining Realm, the initial grand realm for the brave, was divided into nine grades, each with six minor stages: First Steps, mid-phase, late-phase, peak, and completion.

It took half a day for Zhang Heng to elevate himself to the First Steps of the Qi Refining Realm. By the standards of the academy, his progression rate was considered above average. He pondered, "Is it because the Qi Sea I've condensed is so vast that I require much more Yuan Qi to advance my cultivation level compared to others?" After much deliberation, this was the only rationale Zhang Heng could surmise.

"Does this mean that at the same level, my combat strength will be superior to others?"

"After all, each time I make a move, I can summon at least twice the Origin Energy from my dantian than others can, and my speed is significantly faster than my peers."

Just then, a clamor of voices reached my ears from outside.

"Here they come! Look, the freshmen who passed the standard exam are arriving."

Today marked the sixth day, coinciding with the arrival of the new students who had cleared the standard examination.

"Wait, who's that heading toward Zhang Heng's place?"

"That's Lin Ruohai, the one who came second in the standard exam. Is he planning to challenge Zhang Heng?"

"Zhang Heng knocked Brother Liang out with a single punch and conjured a cyclone ten zhang high with his Qi. He's no pushover. This is going to be interesting."

...

Listening to the crowd's chatter, Zhang Heng dismissively smirked, "Idiots. Just because he challenges me doesn't mean I have to accept. I'm not a performing monkey, jumping through hoops for their amusement."

"Such challenges are nothing but attention-seeking stunts, a complete waste of time. I'm better off not getting involved."

With that in mind, Zhang Heng tuned out the commotion outside and resumed his Qi Refining practice.

But just as he was getting into the zone, a persistent knocking began at the door.

Zhang Heng paid it no mind.

The knocking grew incessant and louder, threatening to shake his door off its hinges.

Muttering "Idiot" under his breath, Zhang Heng continued his cultivation.

Then, a brazen voice called out, "Zhang Heng, I, Lin Ruohai, have come to challenge you today. Will you face me, or will you cower inside? If you don't show yourself, don't blame me for dismantling your home!"

The banging persisted as he spoke.

The whole cabin quivered with each strike fueled by Yuan Qi, on the verge of collapse.

Glancing up at the dust fluttering down from above, Zhang Heng rose from his seat, clearly annoyed.

Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a young man, undoubtedly Lin Ruohai.

Lin Ruohai had bushy eyebrows and a broad nose, his body rippling with muscles. Yet, his hands were delicate and fair, a striking contrast to the rest of his rugged appearance.

Lin Ruohai's level was on par with Zhang Heng's, both at the First Steps of Qi Refining.

"I heard you're the first to be admitted without an exam."

"Sorry to interrupt your meditation."

At that moment, Lin Ruohai tilted his chin upward and peered at Zhang Heng with narrowed eyes, a peculiar smirk playing on his lips. His words were courteous, but his demeanor exuded a dismissive pride. "But I doubt I'll be a distraction for long."

"Three moves."

"If I can't beat you in three moves, I'll concede defeat."

Zhang Heng's brow creased slightly, and he rubbed his temple in response.

"It seems I've been underestimated."

"Then again, being underestimated as an undercover agent isn't necessarily a bad thing."