In his quarters, Ning sat cross-legged on the floor.
It had been a little over a month since he had been assigned to the Scripture Pavilion, and today, he was finally going to attempt his breakthrough into the fourth stage of Qi Condensation.
The beginning of the Mid Stage.
Qi Condensation itself was divided into twelve stages. According to the records Ning had read, there had originally been only nine. As cultivation developed over countless generations, however, cultivators had gradually refined the system and added three additional stages to improve both the success rate of Foundation Building and the quality of the resulting foundation.
Technically, a cultivator could attempt Foundation Building upon reaching the ninth stage, but the chances of success weren't particularly good. The tenth stage was therefore where most cultivators chose to make the attempt. Reaching the eleventh or even twelfth before Foundation Building could produce even better results, but those stages generally belonged to talented cultivators with the time, resources, and aptitude to pursue them.
After spending a month managing the Scripture Pavilion, Ning's understanding of these stages had improved considerably.
The Early Stage of Qi Condensation focused primarily on gathering spiritual qi and increasing its quantity. Upon reaching the Mid Stage, that qi would begin growing denser. It remained gaseous, but became heavier and thicker, like mist gathering before rain. Only during the later stages would it gradually begin taking on a liquid state.
Hence the name
Qi Condensation
.
Ning slowly steadied his breathing.
He had spent the past month preparing for this breakthrough, keeping his cultivation stable and making sure both his body and mind were in good condition. There was no reason to rush now.
Cultivation, Ning had decided, was surprisingly similar to dating.
If you went into it calm and confident, things generally went much better. If you approached it nervous, desperate, terrified of failure, and questioning every decision you made, you were probably sabotaging yourself before anything had even happened.
Breakthroughs worked much the same way.
In cultivation terms, it all came back to the Dao Heart.
The Dao Heart was the cultivation world’s equivalent of the 'magic is the heart that believes' in those magical worlds, shown often in various media back on Earth. It obviously wasn't quite that simple, but the basic idea wasn't entirely wrong. A steady mind and confidence in one's path could make a very real difference during cultivation.
Ning exhaled softly and closed his eyes.
His thoughts settled.
The Pure Qi Sutra began circulating.
Spiritual qi moved through his meridians before returning to his dantian in slow, controlled cycles. Unlike his previous advancements, however, Ning wasn't simply trying to gather more qi. The fourth stage required him to compress what he already possessed and push it toward a denser state.
He guided the qi inward.
Again.
Again.
Each circulation drew the spiritual energy tighter. The previously light and diffuse qi began folding in upon itself, gradually losing some of its airy quality as the pressure inside his dantian increased.
A faint warmth spread through his abdomen.
Ning remained patient.
There was no dramatic clash against some mysterious invisible wall. His breakthrough was the result of steady accumulation, and he treated it that way. He circulated, compressed, adjusted, and circulated again, allowing the transformation to happen little by little.
The pressure continued building until his dantian felt almost uncomfortably full.
Then something shifted as the gathered qi suddenly contracted.
For an instant, Ning felt the spiritual energy throughout his dantian pull inward. The next moment, a denser wave of qi spread outward and flowed into his meridians.
Ning's breathing deepened.
The amount of qi hadn't increased exponentially, yet it felt noticeably different. The weight of qi felt more substantial. As it circulated through his body, even the sensation of controlling it seemed clearer than before.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
The fourth stage of Qi Condensation.
Ning didn't immediately open his eyes. He continued circulating the Pure Qi Sutra for several more cycles, slowly stabilizing his newly transformed spiritual energy until its flow became smooth again.
Only then did he turn his attention inward.
The familiar panel appeared.
[Panel]
Name:
Ji Ning
Spiritual Root:
Mid-grade Spiritual Root
Attributes:
Five Elemental Attributes
Talent:
Extreme Space-Time Sensitivity
Realm:
4th Stage of Qi Condensation (1/800), 1st Level of Body Refining (9/100)
Cultivation Methods:
Pure Qi Sutra (2nd Floor: 44/400), Jade Skin and Ice Meridians (1st Floor: 5/100)
Martial Arts:
Bone Forging Fist (Minor Accomplishment: 36/200), Shadow Steps (Minor Accomplishment: 79/200), Turtle Breathing (Starting: 89/100)
Spells:
Small Cloud Rain Technique (Minor Accomplishment: 181/200), Soil Refining Technique (Minor Accomplishment: 28/200), Scorching Purge (Minor Accomplishment: 10/200), Golden Finger (Starting: 10/100)
Ning's satisfaction lasted until his eyes reached one particular number.
800.
He stared at it, and then sighed.
The amount of qi required for each advancement had been increasing steadily, but seeing eight hundred written there still hurt.
No wonder disciples could sometimes rush through the first few stages within a year, while progress through the Mid Stage could take several years. The requirements were practically doubling every time.
One hundred. Two hundred. Four hundred. Eight hundred.
Without pills, spirit stones, spiritual food, or some other means of accelerating his cultivation, advancing purely through natural absorption would become increasingly slow.
Fortunately, Ning had no intention of relying on natural absorption alone.
His body-refining technique was progressing, his income was improving, and the Scripture Pavilion had given him access to far more cultivation knowledge than before. There were plenty of ways to improve his efficiency. He simply had to work through them one at a time.
Ning dismissed the panel and rose to his feet, stretching after sitting still for so long.
Fourth Stage Qi Condensation.
He was finally there.
A small smile appeared on his face.
“It's time to register for the outer sect.”
...
“Here, this is your new robe and identification jade.” The receptionist handed him the items.
It seemed the elder he had seen before was absent, or it may be that, besides special occasions elder would generally not interfere. It made sense considering the number of disciples he would have to meet otherwise.
“Thank you,” Ning said politely.
“Also, it says here you’re a spiritual farmer?” the receptionist asked curiously.
“Yes.” Ning nodded. Each disciple’s identification token held such details- profession, name, and even accolades like certificates could be read by channeling Qi into it.
The receptionist chuckled. “Looks like the Spiritual Farming Hall finally got themselves a real talent. Maybe now they’ll stop bothering us for sending them only the mediocre ones.”
For someone who reached the fourth stage in just over a year, especially as a spiritual farmer, it was indeed impressive.
Most new spiritual farmers, especially those of lower grade, couldn’t even qualify within three years. Many ended up settling in Blackthorn City and leasing farms like independent cultivators.
Ning simply smiled. Commenting on such things was a good way to invite unnecessary trouble.
“Here, take this,” the receptionist said, handing him another token. “Most spiritual farmers who reach mid-stage are officially transferred to the Spiritual Farming Hall. You can take this token there and register.”
Ning nodded and put the token away.
Just like that, registration was complete. No drama, nothing. If this were a novel, this scene wouldn’t even fill half a chapter.
...
Since he had time, Ning employed his Turtle Breathing Technique and headed toward the Spiritual Farming Hall.
Turtle Breathing truly was an amazing technique. Along the way, few people noticed him unless he directly crossed their line of sight. It was as if he were transparent, a state that suited him just fine.
Soon, he arrived. The hall was located in a quiet, inconspicuous corner of the sect.
Inside, several disciples were at work, dressed in simple clothes that made them look more like farmers than immortal cultivators.
Following the signs, Ning reached the registration desk.
The person in charge was a female disciple, presumably from the outer sect as well. Her attire was plain, but her demeanor was calm and approachable.
“Senior Sister, I’ve just reached the mid-stage and was sent here from the General Affairs Hall to register,” Ning said.
Hu Yue glanced at the fair-skinned youth before her. He didn’t look like a farmer at all. “I see. Can you give me the token they issued you?”
As she read the information, her eyes widened slightly.
Minor accomplishment in three basic spiritual planting spells, starting level in another; successful cultivation across four acres, with yields matching those of experienced farmers.
“Finally! The General Affairs Hall actually sent us someone competent.” Hu Yue smiled brightly, glancing over the records.
“Senior Sister,” Ning asked curiously, “doesn’t the Spiritual Farming Hall already have the most disciples? Shouldn’t there be plenty of competent people here?”
"You would think that, but that's not true." Hu Yue laughed. “You know, the General Affairs Hall usually dumps their low-talent, no-background disciples here without much thought. We’re the ones left to deal with them.”
“There’s no helping it. Anyone who knows how to grow spirit rice is called a spiritual farmer. There are plenty of them, but a true spiritual plant master must know multiple spirit herbs, mastering breeding, grafting, and soil preparation.
“And at the very least,” she added, “they must be proficient in the basic planting spells.”
“Most of those so-called farmers can’t even be considered real spiritual farmers,” Hu Yue said with mild disdain.
Damn! It seems the chain of contempt is universal, no matter the world.
“Anyway,” she continued, “don’t worry about them. With your talent, you can easily get a spiritual farmer certificate and become a high-tier farmer."
"I would try my best." Ning nodded.
“Also, as a newcomer, you can read the basic books about spiritual plants and their different types in the library. And as a benefit, you can even choose a few seeds for your desired plant for free.”
Ning nodded thoughtfully. That would be very useful.
...
Thanks for reading~