As Chu Bai left the Zhao Mansion, the lingering glow of the setting sun stretched his shadow long.
With a fortune of six hundred cents tucked away, Chu Bai was naturally in high spirits.
His gaze turned toward the Zhang Mansion in the eastern part of the city.
’Now that I’ve broken through to Qi Cultivation, it’s only right that I report such a major event to my master immediately.’
In this Cultivation Realm, where the bond between a master and disciple was like that of a father and son, hiding one’s Cultivation was a major taboo. Besides, Daoist Zhang had shown him great kindness by recognizing his potential. Furthermore, he would need his master’s guidance for the upcoming Daoist School selection.
When he arrived at the gates of the Zhang Mansion, Chu Bai walked straight in without announcing himself.
By now, the sky was growing dark, and a lamp had already been lit in the study.
Daoist Zhang was holding a Dao Scripture, poring over it by the lamplight.
"Disciple Chu Bai pays his respects to Master," Chu Bai said, bowing respectfully from outside the door.
"Come in." Daoist Zhang set down the scroll and looked up.
Chu Bai stepped inside.
The moment he stepped through the door, Daoist Zhang’s gaze sharpened.
His perception was exceptionally keen.
Though the young man before him still wore the same green robes, his aura had undergone a world-altering transformation in the few days since they had last met.
The fluctuation of Magical Power—faint yet incredibly solid—could not escape his notice, even with Chu Bai intentionally suppressing it.
"You..." A flicker of disbelief crossed Daoist Zhang’s eyes. "You broke through?"
Chu Bai didn’t say much. He simply smiled, raised his right hand, and pointed with his index finger.
The air shimmered. A thread of ethereal blue water instantly formed at his fingertip, weaving through the air like a Spiritual Serpent before vanishing without a trace.
The Transformation of Magical Power, controlled as easily as one’s own limbs. This was a true technique of the Qi Cultivation Stage!
"I was fortunate, Master," Chu Bai said with a bow. "Last night, during the thunderstorm, I was contemplating the rain and inspiration struck. Aided by the abundant moisture in the air, I broke through the Hundred Threads Pass in one fell swoop."
"This..."
The teacup in Daoist Zhang’s hand trembled, and a few drops of tea spilled onto the desk.
He had expected Chu Bai to break through soon, but not this quickly, and certainly not this smoothly!
The bottleneck for the Qi Cultivation Stage was known as the Hundred Threads Pass. It seemed like a single obstacle, but it had barred the path of countless geniuses.
To break through, ordinary disciples would have to burn incense and purify themselves in a quiet chamber. They would need their masters to act as Guardians, have Barrier-Breaking Pills at the ready, and painstakingly enter seclusion for several days.
But Chu Bai?
He had done it quietly, without a Guardian, without a Pill, without even giving a heads-up. He had broken through all on his own in that dilapidated hut of his?
"Contemplating the rain to comprehend the Dao, indeed!"
Daoist Zhang took a deep breath to calm himself. His eyes, filled with awe as he looked at Chu Bai, "It seems your foundation is far more solid than I ever imagined. What’s more, the Purifying Spirit Flow is exceptionally compatible with you. That must be why this breakthrough came so naturally."
What he didn’t know was that this was hardly a matter of chance. It was the absurd, bottleneck-ignoring effect of the [Unceasing Labor] panel.
"Now that you’ve reached Qi Cultivation, you already have one foot in the door of the Daoist School." Daoist Zhang stroked his beard and smiled, deeply gratified. ’This Closed-door Disciple of mine is truly a natural-born Cultivator.’
"However, you must not grow complacent."
Daoist Zhang’s expression turned serious, and his tone grew stern. "There is, at most, one month until the Daoist School selection."
"While your Cultivation is sufficient, you’re still lacking in the application of Magic Techniques and practical combat experience compared to those Noble Family Descendants who have had famous masters and family members to spar with since they were children."
Chu Bai nodded. "I understand. That is why I came here today."
"Mm." Daoist Zhang mused for a moment before making his decision. "For the next month, you can skip your general studies at the academy. I will speak to Master Liu on your behalf."
"You need to do only one thing—train your techniques."
"You will train the Spirit Water Needle technique from the ’Beginner’ level to ’Skilled’!"
Daoist Zhang held up one finger. "Beginner’ level just means you can cast it. ’Skilled’ means that during the fast-paced assessment, you can use it at will, hit whatever you aim at, and even... strike first despite starting second!"
"As you command, Master." A sharp glint flashed in Chu Bai’s eyes. This was what he had planned all along.
"To give you a helping hand..."
Daoist Zhang produced a small, cyan porcelain bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the desk.
"This is a bottle of Qi Recovery Pills, ten in all. They aren’t for increasing your Cultivation, but are specifically for restoring Spiritual Power."
"Your Magical Power is newly formed and thus limited. If you rely solely on meditation to recover, you won’t be able to practice your Magic Technique more than a few times a day."
"For this next month, you must be hard on yourself," Daoist Zhang said, looking at Chu Bai with a profound tone. "Exhaust your Spiritual Power practicing the Magic Technique, then take a pill and meditate to recover. Once you’re fully recovered, exhaust it again. Repeat this cycle."
"This kind of extreme training will not only allow you to grind up your skill proficiency in the shortest time possible, but the constant cycle of depletion and replenishment will also temper the Resilience of your meridians. It will allow you to achieve a Microscopic level of control over your Spiritual Power."
"The process will be arduous, even painful. But if you can endure it, your foundation will far surpass that of your peers."
A warm feeling washed over Chu Bai as he looked at the porcelain bottle.
Although Qi Recovery Pills were only Low-Tier Pills, they were a hot commodity for Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivators. A bottle like this would cost a few taels of silver at least.
"I will never forget your immense kindness, Master!"
Chu Bai accepted the porcelain bottle with both hands and bowed solemnly. "I am not afraid of hardship. I will not disappoint your high hopes, Master!"
Outside the Zhang Mansion, the night wind was cool.
Chu Bai tightened his grip on the porcelain bottle, a fire called ambition burning in his eyes.
’Arduous?’
’For someone like him, who had the panel, a process where effort guaranteed reward—watching his proficiency tick upward—wasn’t arduous at all. On the contrary, it was the most addictive pleasure in the world.’
Chu Bai gazed up at the bright moon in the night sky.
’There’s one month left.’
’I need to raise the Spirit Water Needle to the skilled level at the very least. Judging by my past progress, that shouldn’t be too hard. But just how far can I take it... it’s hard to say.’
’There’s only one word for it.’
’Train!’

Comments

Loading...