C12 Opening up the Qi Sea

As the Yuan Qi amassed, it became visible around Yang Rui's body. Yang Rui himself seemed to swell with the energy, like a balloon, as the Yuan Qi roamed freely through his meridians and saturated his flesh and blood. A faint halo shimmered over his bones.

In that moment, Yang Rui was nearly numb with pain. He was aware of the dangers of drawing Qi into his body, but he might be the only one capable of handling such intensity. He felt fortunate for his recent level-up; his physical strength had reached a remarkable 7.5 points. Regardless of how the Yuan Qi was pulled into him, or how it ravaged his meridians, his body remained resilient, without the slightest hint of giving in.

"Ah, the perks of having a system are just unbeatable!" Yang Rui exclaimed in appreciation.

When Yang Rui sensed it was time, he altered the seal on his hand and began to manipulate the Yuan Qi within his meridians. The benefits of a potent psychic force were undeniable. Guided by Yang Rui's impressive 14-point psychic force, the Yuan Qi in his body began to flow in accordance with his intent. Anything static is lifeless; it's only when it moves that it comes alive. Yang Rui was now animating the Yuan Qi in his meridians.

The energy within his meridians stirred, picking up speed progressively. Yang Rui's meridians had expanded to a breadth that could rival those of lifelong cultivators, and this was without even completing a single Forging. The abundant Yuan Qi, along with a steady stream of replenishment, meant Yang Rui didn't have to worry about depleting his foundation. He harnessed the Yuan Qi, circulating it repeatedly through his meridians.

As for how Yang Rui knew how to circulate the Qi? Well, the power of the system was something beyond comprehension. He had already mastered it completely, so was this minor challenge even a challenge at all?

The circulation of vital energy within the meridians was constant, yet without a qualitative change. Thus, Yang Rui required a relay point, the Qi Mansion, whose role was to store vital energy and induce its transformation. However, those traversing the Martial Tao lacked a Qi Mansion and had to carve out their own. Yang Rui was initially puzzled by this, as he thought the Qi Mansion was akin to the Dantian. Why the need to forge one himself? It was only upon full understanding that he realized the necessity of personally creating the Qi Mansion, with each individual's being uniquely sized. The Qi Mansion was indeed a place shrouded in mystery.

Yang Rui had a clear strategy for opening the Qi Mansion: to forcefully break through. Indeed, he had to break through, as the Qi Mansion did not naturally exist within the human body. Cultivation was an act of defiance against the natural order, a battle against both heaven and earth. Success in cultivation required finding one's own path, and without the ability to establish a Qi Mansion, there could be no progress.

The speed of vital energy circulating within his body accelerated, eventually transforming into a tumultuous Vital Energy Flow that violently surged through his meridians. Only when Yang Rui felt he was losing control over the energy's velocity did he direct it to the predetermined spot, causing a deliberate collision.

In that moment, Yang Rui experienced an intense wave of pain that flooded his mind, followed by a thunderous roar. The targeted area was shattered by the relentless Vital Energy Flow, which then poured in with ferocious speed, filling the breach. Yang Rui's vital energy continued to flood in, causing the internal space to expand with each influx.

Typically, a person would need to gradually carve out their Qi Mansion, especially given the limited supply of vital energy available for such a bold maneuver. But Yang Rui was not short on vital energy; he was nearly bursting at the seams! So, with a place for the energy to flow, he naturally funneled it all in at once. Under his control, the vital energy was channeled into the newly formed Qi Mansion, causing its spatial dimensions to increase steadily.

The size of a Qi Sea is typically measured by its grade. A Grade One Qi Mansion can hold only a limited amount of Vital Energy, and for those new to martial arts cultivation, the size of their Qi Mansion is tied to their innate talent. The stronger the talent, the larger the Qi Mansion they can create. Usually, an average martial artist can develop up to a Grade Five Qi Mansion, which is already a sign of exceptional talent. Martial geniuses can often establish a Grade Seven Qi Mansion, and there are even those with such astounding talent that they can form a Grade Nine Qi Mansion!

However, the size of the Qi Mansion isn't fixed by nature; it's simply that beginners in martial arts can store more Vital Energy than others, giving them greater endurance in combat. But Yang Rui's Qi Mansion is an exception. His has far surpassed the scope of Grade Nine. Indeed, Yang Rui has directly formed a Qi Sea! This is something that only those at the Origin Martial Stage can achieve! Moreover, Yang Rui's Qi Sea continues to expand because he has an abundance of Vital Energy. So much, in fact, that his Qi Mansion burst open, transforming into a Qi Sea, and it's still being filled with an immense and unceasing Vital Energy Flowing.

Now that there's a place for the Vital Energy to go, Yang Rui's body has gradually returned to its previous size, and the Vital Energy around him has also started to diminish. Once all the Vital Energy had been channeled into the Qi Sea, Yang Xiu took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow.

That was too close. If not for my superior constitution, I might not have made it.

Successfully establishing the Qi Sea also marked Yang Rui's official entry into the ranks of martial artists. Yet, Yang Rui was somewhat taken aback. His Qi Mansion, which was a well-formed Grade Eight, had been turned into a Qi Sea by his own doing! Was this a sign of a major upheaval? At this point, Yang Rui was merely at the first stage of the Bone Forging Stage.

Having endured the initial agony, all that remains is to slowly cultivate and nurture his abilities. The real challenge was in drawing the Vital Energy into the body and opening the Qi Sea. The rest should be relatively straightforward, or so Yang Rui believed.

Using his psychic force for introspection, Yang Rui could "see" the vast expanse of his Qi Sea, brimming with origin energy. However, the energy within wasn't condensed, prompting him to take the next step. With the origin energy at his disposal, he initiated its circulation through his meridians. The external origin energy was drawn into the Qi Sea via the meridians, creating an ideal cycle. Yet, this mild form of energy wasn't what Yang Rui was after.

Determined, Yang Rui employed his psychic force to direct the origin energy within his meridians, intent on altering its flow. He pondered how to amplify the energy's power. A slow-moving river carries little force, while a rapid one can be devastating due to its speed and the presence of undercurrents. But origin energy isn't like water; to accelerate it requires constant manual control, an impossible task for Yang Rui to maintain indefinitely.

Then it struck him – he could make the origin energy spin! Water trickles out slowly from a bottle, but if it's swirling inside, it pours out swiftly and with great force. By the same principle, if the origin energy were to spin, its speed would naturally increase.