C3 Qi Condensation First Layer

As we journeyed, the path was lined with secluded orchids and exotic blooms, punctuated by occasional pavilions with jade tiles and green bricks. A celestial mist hung in the air, serene and auspicious. In comparison to Blessing Village, this place seemed like a slice of paradise.

Cui Yan guided Gu Xiaoxing, offering explanations about the sect, the practice of cultivation, and the Devouring Spirit Insect, deepening Xiaoxing's understanding with each step.

Eventually, Cui Yan came to trust Xiaoxing, convinced he was the unfortunate nephew of Elder Bai. He spoke warmly, sharing knowledge freely, and led Xiaoxing to collect some items from the storeroom.

Among these items were essentials, a Storage Bag, five spirit stones, and a manual on cultivation techniques. The Storage Bag and the manual were standard sect provisions, but the five spirit stones were a special gesture of care from Cui Yan, considering new disciples typically received only one.

"Junior Brother Gu, your dwelling is just ahead. I've shared all that's necessary. Though I'm unsure why Taoist Bai chose this spot for you, it's likely meant as a test. I'd best hold my tongue beyond that."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Cui!"

Gu Xiaoxing expressed his gratitude genuinely. He noticed something odd in Cui Yan's expression but wasn't overly concerned. What terrifying creatures hadn't he encountered already on his journey? Besides, this was within the Devouring Spirit Sect—could there really be ghosts lurking about?

"Be sure to lock your door at night and stay inside. Don't forget!" Cui Yan offered a final word of caution before departing.

"Hmm?" Gu Xiaoxing blinked, a flicker of unease crossing his mind.

Before him lay a modest lumberyard, surrounded by a few dwellings and logs, with large axes propped against wooden stakes. The scene was desolate and eerily quiet.

Oddly enough, each house's door was plastered with a yellow talisman, sending a shiver down one's spine.

"Senior Brother Du! Are you around?" Gu Xiaoxing called out, probing for a response.

Cui Yan had mentioned a Senior Brother Du residing here, yet Xiaoxing's calls were met with nothing but silence.

"Could it actually be haunted? It's unsettlingly quiet here!"

Gu Xiaoxing's guilt intensified, but he quickly mustered up his courage, convincing himself, "Impossible, there's no way ghosts could haunt us in broad daylight!"

He hurriedly picked a house, darted inside, and firmly shut the door behind him, finally allowing himself to breathe a sigh of relief.

After tidying up a bit, Gu Xiaoxing sat down and pulled out a pill. He examined it in his hand before swallowing it whole. It melted in his mouth, spreading warmth like a gentle current through his stomach, banishing his hunger and leaving a cozy warmth in its wake.

"Can a simple pill really be this miraculous?"

Gu Xiaoxing marveled, having acquired the Fasting Pill among various other items.

Next, he fetched a book—not a manual on cultivation techniques, but a volume titled Cultivation Notes, which detailed the essence of cultivation and some foundational knowledge on the subject.

Gu Xiaoxing approached the text with grave seriousness. This was no trivial matter; it was a matter of survival. He read with intent, dissecting each word, and gradually, his understanding of cultivation deepened.

Hours ticked by...

Gu Xiaoxing alternated between furrowing his brows in deep thought, gasping in amazement, and examining his body, as if cross-referencing it with the information in the book.

"So the human body contains three Dantians..."

He pressed a hand to his lower abdomen, "Here lies the lower Dantian, the bedrock of cultivation, where Qi condenses into a sea, also known as the Qi Sea."

Moments later, he touched his forehead, his brow creasing, "And this is the upper Dantian, the sanctuary of the spirit, also known as the Cinnabar Field, currently occupied by the Devouring Spirit Insect."

After yet another couple of hours, Gu Xiaoxing finished perusing Cultivation Notes. He didn't rush into cultivation but instead picked up the book titled Spirit Control Spell and delved into it. After a lengthy period of contemplation and a deep exhale, he arrived at a revelation.

"I lack the innate talent for cultivation; I wasn't cut out to be a cultivator, unable to form a Qi Sea. But being parasitized by the Devouring Spirit Insect has inadvertently made it a part of me, turning the insect into an unconventional 'Qi Sea' of sorts, hence it's known as the Devouring Spirit Body!"

The practice of the Devouring Spirit Body diverges from conventional methods, using the Devouring Spirit Insect as its nucleus. By enticing it with a spirit stone, the insect is coaxed away from consuming human flesh and blood and instead absorbs spirit energy. This energy is then harnessed and controlled through the spirit control spell, transforming it for personal use and achieving the goals of cultivation.

With this understanding, Gu Xiaoxing gazed at the spirit stone, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. His journey to the Devouring Spirit Sect had led him to this pivotal moment.

Without a moment's doubt, he took a spirit stone and placed it against his forehead. The Devouring Spirit Insect within him quivered, and the stone began to dissolve, its essence devoured entirely by the insect, filling the air with spirit qi that warmed his brow.

Gu Xiaoxing promptly assumed the positions detailed in the spirit control spell. Though he wasn't adept at drawing in Qi, the various poses and hand seals he performed allowed the absorbed spirit qi to naturally enter his body from his brow and circulate through his meridians.

Sweat beaded on Gu Xiaoxing's forehead as his body grew increasingly warm. The path of the spirit qi felt like scalding water coursing through him, but he understood the necessity of perseverance and clenched his teeth to maintain control.

After the spirit qi had completed a full circuit through his body's channels and returned to the Devouring Spirit Insect, it transformed into spiritual energy he could wield.

This was merely the start. He needed to convert the entire spirit qi from the spirit stone into spiritual energy to truly succeed in drawing in Qi.

Over time, the once searing sensation of the spirit qi in his meridians subsided, replaced by a comforting warmth as his channels were nourished and refined by the energy. The sensation grew on him, becoming something he relished.

Four hours later, as the final wisp of spirit energy returned to his forehead, Gu Xiaoxing's eyes fluttered open. He felt invigorated and at ease, the prior weakness gone. While he wasn't overflowing with unstoppable strength, he could distinctly sense his body's transformation for the better.

Gu Xiaoxing could hardly contain his excitement; he was certain that he... had been saved! Having successfully initiated the flow of Qi, he was now attuned to the elusive spirit energy permeating the world. Though he could continue his cultivation without a spirit stone, the process was significantly slower than with one. Without hesitation, he took another spirit stone and pressed it to his forehead.

Night had fallen, and it wasn't until a sliver of light returned to the sky that Gu Xiaoxing fully refined and absorbed the last spirit stone. Opening his eyes, a fleeting spark of spiritual light danced within them. He felt a surge of strength throughout his body and an extraordinary lightness, as if he had been mired in mud and had finally broken free, now truly standing between heaven and earth.

In that moment, Gu Xiaoxing had embarked on the path of transcending the mortal coil, achieving what was known in the realm of cultivation as the Qi Condensation First Layer!

Yet, as he marveled at his own transformation, the door suddenly burst open with a resounding "bang."