"It’s Senior Brother Chu Bai!"
The servant boy at the Zhang Mansion’s gatehouse had sharp eyes. He spotted Chu Bai from afar and hurried over with a smile, his attitude even more enthusiastic than last time. After all, Chu Bai was now the master’s Inner Disciple, a status worlds apart from before.
Chu Bai casually tossed the boy a few copper coins and walked into the residence amidst a torrent of thanks.
Inside the quiet room, Daoist Zhang was reading an ancient tome. When he saw Chu Bai enter with a gift, he set down the scroll, glanced at the tea box, and a smile touched the corners of his lips.
"My boy, didn’t you just pay your respects yesterday? Why spend money again?"
"Yesterday was too rushed, and this disciple failed to prepare a humble gift. I couldn’t rest easy." Chu Bai respectfully presented the tea. "I heard that Master enjoys tea. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope Master will accept it."
"You are very thoughtful."
Daoist Zhang nodded and gestured for a young attendant to take the items. Of course, it wasn’t the tea he valued, but Chu Bai’s character—that even in hardship, he understood the importance of respecting his master.
Once Chu Bai was seated, Daoist Zhang asked in a warm voice, "Coming so early today, have you perhaps run into some difficulty with your cultivation?"
"Master is perceptive."
Chu Bai’s expression turned serious. He recounted everything—his discovery while cultivating on the field ridges that morning, and his subsequent sensing of Water Spiritual Qi by the Sanmu Riverbank.
"This disciple has only a partial understanding of Spiritual Qi Attributes, and I have a question: since I have already drawn Pure Qi into my body, can I also cultivate this Water Attribute Spiritual Qi? If they were to conflict, would it damage my foundation?"
After hearing Chu Bai’s account, a flash of surprise appeared in Daoist Zhang’s eyes.
"You were actually able to pinpoint the fluctuations of Water Spiritual Qi in such a mixed environment?"
He gave Chu Bai a deep look, his estimation of his young disciple’s talent rising even higher. The banks of the Sanmu River were filled with water vapor and mixed Spiritual Qi. An ordinary Cultivator in the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation might not be able to distinguish it clearly, let alone Chu Bai, who hadn’t even officially begun Qi Cultivation.
"As for your concern..." Daoist Zhang smiled faintly and gave a firm answer. "You are worrying needlessly. Not only is it possible, but it is also highly beneficial."
"The greatest characteristic of Pure Qi is its neutrality and harmony, like a blank sheet of paper. It is Attributeless, and therefore does not reject any other attribute."
Daoist Zhang extended his hand. A ball of faint white light condensed at his fingertip, and then a tinge of blue slowly emerged within it.
"Absorbing Water Spiritual Qi on the foundation of Pure Qi is like painting on a blank sheet of paper. As long as you don’t bite off more than you can chew and allow the Water Spiritual Qi to completely overwhelm the dominant position of the Pure Qi, there will be no conflict."
"Moreover," Daoist Zhang’s tone shifted, taking on an instructive quality, "the lands of Qingzhou are crisscrossed with waterways, and our Anping County was built right next to a river. Cultivating Water Techniques here is, you could say, a blessing from heaven."
"For one, the Water Qi is abundant, making Cultivation Resources easy to find. For another, whether you want to seek an Official Status in the Qingzhou Water Department in the future, or find a local job driving away fish or managing the waters, this Water Technique will be your foundation for making a living."
"Your eldest senior brother took this very path back in the day, and now he’s thriving in the Water Department."
Chu Bai nodded repeatedly as he listened, his worries completely vanishing.
"This disciple understands! Then I will go and try to absorb that Water Spiritual Qi tomorrow."
"Hold on."
Just as Chu Bai was about to stand and take his leave, Daoist Zhang’s smile vanished, and his expression turned grave.
"Opportunity is often accompanied by risk. Since you intend to leave the city to cultivate in the wild, there is something you must know."
"And that is—Evil Qi."
"Evil Qi?" Chu Bai’s heart tensed.
"Correct." Daoist Zhang said in a low voice, "Do you know why most Cultivators prefer to live inside cities? It’s because the Great Zhou Celestial Court has established a ’Law Net’ Grand Array in every County. This Law Net not only suppresses Demons, but it also filters impurities from the world."
"The Spiritual Qi inside a city has been combed through by the Law Net, making it clean and gentle. But in the wild..."
Daoist Zhang pointed to the sky outside the window. "Although the Spiritual Qi out there is denser and more active, it is also mixed with the Evil Qi that roams the world."
"Especially the Sanmu River. Spirit Monsters hide in its depths, and the Evil Qi there is even thicker than elsewhere."
"If you carelessly inhale Evil Qi, in a mild case, your meridians will feel like they’re being stabbed and you’ll become irritable. In a severe case, you could suffer a cultivation deviation, or even mutate into a half-human, half-demon monster!"
Cold sweat broke out on Chu Bai’s brow as he listened. He had only thought of it as a treasure spot, never imagining such a hidden danger.
"Master, what should I do?"
"Don’t worry." Daoist Zhang pulled a thin booklet from the bookshelf and handed it to Chu Bai. "This is a simple ’Filtering Technique’. When you cultivate in the wild, you must remember not to be greedy for speed. After inhaling each breath of Spiritual Qi, you must first use this technique to filter it within your meridians, purging the murky Evil Qi before you can draw it into your Dantian."
"It will be slower this way, but on the path of cultivation, stability is paramount. Never ruin your foundation for the sake of a little speed."
Chu Bai accepted the booklet with both hands and bowed solemnly. "This disciple will remember Master’s teachings! I would rather be slow than greedy for quick progress."
"Go on."
Leaving the Zhang Mansion, the midday sun was a bit glaring, baking the bluestone path until it was hot to the touch.
Chu Bai stood on a street corner, thinking for a moment.
’Since I’ve already taken leave from the academy and explained things to Master, I now have a legitimate reason to miss this afternoon’s Inner Sect Study.’
’Rather than go back and waste time, I should strike while the iron is hot and go check out the riverbank now!’
At this thought, a fire ignited in Chu Bai’s heart.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Bai left the city gates, picked a direction, and broke into a sprint.
In the past, running ten *li* would have probably half-killed him. But now, after more than a month of a "meat-rich diet" and "beating training," his physique was on a completely different level.
His leg muscles tensed and powered him forward, the wind whipping at his feet. He ran for nearly a full double-hour without stopping, only slowing his pace when the rushing Sanmu River came into view once more.
"Hahh... I’m not tired at all. In fact, I feel like the Qi and blood throughout my body have been stretched out. It’s exhilarating."
Chu Bai wiped away a thin layer of sweat and felt his still-steady heartbeat, quite satisfied with his current physical condition.
Arriving at the riverbank, the midday Sanmu River was a completely different sight.
The harsh sun hung high in the sky, and the wide surface of the water glittered, reflecting a dazzling golden light.
The hazy morning mist had long since dissipated, and along with it, the active Water Spiritual Qi seemed to have grown much lazier.
Chu Bai focused his senses.
Amidst the rising heat, the special pocket of Water Spiritual Qi hadn’t vanished, it had just retreated deeper, no longer pulsing as joyfully as it had in the morning.
’As expected, the environment has a huge impact on Spiritual Qi.’
’If it weren’t for the timely morning fog, coupled with the heightened perception from my new Fate Chart, I’m afraid I really would have missed this treasure spot.’
Chu Bai silently rejoiced. Although the Spiritual Qi’s activity had decreased slightly, the advantage was that it was broad daylight with a clear view. For someone cultivating in the wild for the first time, this actually provided a greater sense of security.
He looked around and found a secluded sandbar concealed by dense reeds. The terrain here was slightly elevated, allowing him to be near the water’s surface without being easily spotted by passing fishing boats.
After confirming that no one was around, Chu Bai sat down cross-legged.
’First, I’ll try to draw a single sliver into my body.’
Chu Bai took a deep breath. He didn’t immediately circulate the Small Qi Gathering Technique. Instead, he first visualized the "Qi Filtering Technique" his master had taught him.
With a slight stirring of his mind, an invisible sieve seemed to slowly open at the entrance to his meridians.
Once these protective measures were in place, he carefully extended his Divine Sense to guide the wisp of faint blue energy that was drifting over the water’s surface.
’Here it comes!’
As he breathed in and out, an extremely faint, cool sensation drilled into his body through his pores.
It was completely different from the heavy, stable feeling of Pure Qi. This Water Spiritual Qi was like a slippery little fish; the moment it entered his body, it began to swim about joyfully, exceptionally agile.
But as it passed through the "filtering" sieve, Chu Bai clearly felt a trace of gray-black impurity being forcefully intercepted, transforming into a wisp of hot, turbid air that was expelled from his body.
’So this is Evil Qi...’
Chu Bai’s heart trembled. He realized that without his master’s guidance, letting this Evil Qi accumulate in his body would have eventually led to huge problems.
After the impurities were purged, the pure strand of Water Spiritual Qi finally flowed along his meridians and slowly merged into his Dantian Qi Sea.
BUZZ—
The ball of originally calm Pure Qi in his Dantian trembled slightly, then accepted this newcomer.
The two did not clash. Instead, it was like a drop of blue ink falling into clear water, rapidly blending and spreading. The originally colorless vortex of Qi now had a faint, ethereal blue tinge.
An unprecedented feeling of nourishment filled his entire body, as if a clear spring were flowing through a dry riverbed. Even his meridians seemed to have become a bit more resilient.
"This feels... incredible..."
Chu Bai couldn’t help but let out a low groan of pleasure.
This gentle, agile, and soul-cleansing sensation sparked a flash of inspiration in his mind, and he suddenly recalled a passage from his academy’s miscellaneous studies class on the *Qingzhou Chronicles*.
"The Qingzhou water systems are numerous, and the types of Spiritual Qi are complex. There is the ’Cold Nether Qi’ from deep pools, which is bone-chillingly cold; and there is the ’Boiling Fire Soup’ from hot springs, which is unbearably scalding..."
"And this type of Spiritual Qi, found along the banks of great rivers, elusive, gentle in nature, and possessing purifying properties..."
"It’s ’Purifying Spirit Flow’!"
Chu Bai’s eyes snapped open, filled with joyous surprise.
While this Purifying Spirit Flow wasn’t some world-shaking treasure, for a Cultivator, it had the miraculous effect of nourishing the meridians and increasing the purity of their Spiritual Qi!
Even someone who didn’t cultivate Water Techniques, if they could absorb this Qi over a long period, could build a more solid foundation and reduce the risk of cultivation deviation.
’I can’t believe I lucked out like this!’
This kind of ownerless and relatively stable spiritual flow might not be much to those large Sects, but in a small place like Anping County, it was an absolutely scarce resource.
Chu Bai suppressed his excitement, closed his eyes again, and began to greedily absorb the energy.
This time, he was much more proficient.
As sliver after sliver of Purifying Spirit Flow was filtered, purified, and absorbed, the reserves of Spiritual Qi in his Dantian grew at a visible rate.
An unknown amount of time passed before Chu Bai felt a faint swelling in his meridians and slowly stopped his cultivation.
’Even though I only absorbed a little in this cultivation session, its quality is absolutely superior to what I usually gather!’
Chu Bai stood up, looking at the calm, wide river before him, and rejoiced inwardly.
With this treasure spot, plus the boost from his new Fate Chart, his confidence in breaking through to Qi Cultivation had grown even greater.
’I need to pick up the pace these next few days. This Spiritual Qi won’t be here forever.’
Chu Bai took a deep breath, just about to turn and leave.
Suddenly, his gaze paused on the water’s surface not far away.
The previously calm water seemed to... shift unnaturally, sending out an extremely faint ripple.
It was as if something underwater had been disturbed.
Chu Bai stared intently but found nothing, only the river water still flowing eastward.
’Was it my imagination? Or just a big fish passing by?’
A thread of vigilance rose in Chu Bai’s heart. The Sanmu River was an Evil Land, after all. He couldn’t be careless.
’I’ll have to be even more careful when I come here to cultivate in the future.’
Having made up his mind, Chu Bai lingered no longer, quickly passing through the reeds and disappearing at the edge of the fields.

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