In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 342 The Sea of ​​Qi Opens, the Essence Seed Condenses

Time flies like an arrow; in the blink of an eye, the forests in the mountains are covered with frost, the cold wind is biting, and the end of the year is approaching.

In front of the West Mountain Villa, a spacious training ground has been swept clean, revealing smooth bluestone slabs.

As dawn broke, the light, carrying the unique chill and clarity of winter, fell upon two graceful figures in the arena.

Zhou Zhiruo wore an elegant pale yellow outfit, her figure still as upright as a bamboo stalk. However, her once cascading black hair was now all pulled up and tied into an elegant and neat bun at the back of her head, secured with a simple jade hairpin, revealing her beautifully shaped neck.

The lingering aloofness and subtle melancholy that once clung to her brows have long been replaced by a warm, jade-like radiance. Her face is now more luminous and full, her cheeks glowing with a healthy rosy hue, like fine mutton-fat jade tinged with a delicate rosy hue.

Yang Yan wore a fitted martial arts uniform in a deep purple color with silver trim, which accentuated her exquisite figure.

Her hair, as beautiful as clouds, was styled into a unique high bun, adorned with a few tiny pearls, simple yet elegant.

Although she was a new wife.

However, under Gu Shaoan's careful care and nurturing, the two of them have gained a more mature charm.

She has lost some of the sharpness of a chivalrous woman from the martial arts world, but gained more of the tenderness and liveliness that comes with being immersed in love.

Within a grove less than a hundred paces from the villa, Gu Shaoan personally cleared out a quiet open space about three zhang square in the center.

The ground is paved with fine white stones and green moss, which contrasts sharply with the surrounding pines and cypresses, yet strangely blends into one.

In the center of the open space, a low rosewood tea table was placed neatly.

On the table, a delicate red clay stove was emitting wisps of white smoke, and the spring water in the earthenware pot on the stove was just about to boil, making a soft hissing sound, adding a touch of warmth and vitality to this chilly morning.

Gu Shaoan sat cross-legged on a futon next to the tea table, still wearing a gold and white robe, his black hair casually tied back with a wooden hairpin, with a few strands falling in front of his forehead.

For more than a month, despite working hard every night, thanks to the Nine Yang Divine Skill and his own physical condition, Gu Shaoan was able to fight two opponents every night as if he were in his element and showed no signs of fatigue.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan's eyes were slightly closed, his face was calm, and his breath was long and almost nonexistent, as if he had become one with the mountains and forests, the white stone open space, and the wisps of tea smoke.

The fallen leaves sometimes drifted with the wind and then landed on his head or shoulders.

However, if someone could observe the situation inside Gu Shaoan's body, they would surely discover that the speed at which the internal energy circulates within Gu Shaoan's body is particularly slow.

It was like a snail slowly crawling.

"Boom~"

Just then, a sound like a bubble bursting rang out, and the next moment, a side meridian in Gu Shaoan's middle dantian was suddenly opened.

At the very moment the meridians were unblocked, the speed of the internal energy that had been flowing stagnantly within Gu Shaoan's body suddenly accelerated.

Subsequently, strands of his natal vital energy spontaneously flowed from Gu Shaoan's lower dantian, merging into the newly opened meridians, stabilizing them and maintaining their open state.

After his meridians stabilized and his vital energy circulated smoothly throughout his middle dantian for a full cycle, Gu Shaoan's vital energy suddenly began to surge violently.

The next instant, the primordial energy in Gu Shaoan's lower dantian, which was as condensed as a golden sea, seemed to be attracted and summoned by something, and surged towards his middle dantian like fish.

"boom--!"

As the last wisp of his natal essence surged into his middle dantian, the essence within Gu Shaoan's body seemed to vibrate simultaneously.

Immediately afterwards, the vital energy that had surged into Gu Shaoan's middle dantian began to spontaneously follow a mysterious path.

Gu Shaoan remained seated without moving an inch, not even changing the rhythm of his breathing, but the air within three zhang around him suddenly became viscous and scorching.

The originally cool morning breeze seemed to hit an invisible wall of warm water as it approached his body. The airflow became turbulent, with tiny vortices that stirred the fine white stones and moss on the ground, causing them to tremble slightly.

The withered leaves around the futon beneath him silently turned to dust, not from being shattered, but from being dissolved by the extremely restrained yet naturally emanating energy fluctuations.

The vital energy within his body was like a molten lava river, surging and roaring through the newly opened and stable meridians.

Countless streams were drawn from the limbs and bones, from the acupoints throughout the body, and from the primordial sea of ​​the lower dantian. They converged and, like rivers flowing into the sea, poured into the "prototype of the sea of ​​qi" in the Tanzhong acupoint, which had been opened up, expanded, and was now emitting a brilliant golden light.

While maintaining the circulation of internal energy, in his state of introspection, Gu Shaoan could clearly sense countless strands of pure natal energy surging in, rotating, compressing, and colliding within his dantian.

At first, it was a chaotic and violent golden energy storm, but as the Emei Nine Yang True Scripture continued to operate, a more refined radiance seemed to quietly appear at the center of the storm.

At the very moment the radiant light appeared, the vital energy that was circulating within Gu Shaoan's body seemed to be drawn by an invisible hand, surging towards that point of radiant light in his middle dantian.

As more and more of one's natal vital energy flowed into that point of radiance, the radiance became brighter and brighter, and its color gradually changed from a fiery golden yellow to a warm, clear, golden crystal-like texture that seemed to be able to transmit all light.

"Om-"

A faint golden halo, almost imperceptible to the naked eye yet undeniably present, began to emanate from Gu Shaoan's body.

The halo was not dazzling; instead, it carried the warmth and gentleness of dawn, enveloping his entire being. The futon beneath him, the tea table beside him, and the wisps of tea smoke were all bathed in a sacred and serene glow.

The wooden hairpin binding his hair seemed unable to withstand the invisible pressure emanating from within, making a slight "crack" sound and quietly splitting open a crack. A few strands of dark hair broke free of their restraints, moving on their own without wind, gently swaying.

Gu Shaoan focused his mind as intently as a needle, concentrating all his spirit and attention on his body.

I don't know if it was half a quarter of an hour or half an hour.

As all the vital energy of his life force surged into and merged into the radiant light, the light, which was previously the size of a sesame seed, condensed into a strange "seed" about the size of a longan, with a clear golden color and resembling the finest crystal, which floated in the middle dantian.

On the surface of the seed flows a soft and eternal golden radiance, while inside, there seem to be subtle and mysterious patterns slowly flowing, sometimes like the rising sun, sometimes like the light of a sword breaking the dawn, and sometimes like the sun shining brightly, containing infinite vitality, light, and the possibility of growth.

At the very moment the seed was formed, wisps of natal vital energy began to emanate from within it, then slowly circulated within Gu Shaoan's middle dantian along a special and mysterious path.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan knew that his "essence seed" had been successfully condensed.

It was also at the moment when the "essence seed" was fully condensed,

In the clearing in the woods, the pale golden aura surrounding Gu Shaoan gradually receded and finally disappeared. He slowly opened his eyes.

Two warm golden lights flashed briefly in his eyes before returning to deep black. But upon closer inspection, it seemed as if a concentrated, clear golden dawn had settled deep within them, making his gaze brighter and more resolute, yet carrying a serene tranquility that encompassed all things.

He exhaled softly, his breath like an arrow, condensed and undispersed, shooting out three zhang away before slowly dissipating, filling the air with a faint, warm, and pure yang energy, dispelling the last trace of chill.

"The dantian is first opened, and the essence is first condensed."

As Gu Shaoan sensed the golden essence within his dantian, from which his natal vital energy flowed continuously, a look of joy appeared on his face.

I had a feeling that it wasn't easy.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan understood why Zhang Sanfeng had said that once the middle dantian was successfully opened, Gu Shaoan would naturally know how to condense the essence seed. Gu Shaoan's cultivation level had approached a century.

In terms of the purity of his own Qi, it can be said that he has reached the limit when condensing Qi into Qi.

For Gu Shaoan, the only thing he lacked was the development of his middle dantian.

Once the middle dantian is fully developed and the sea of ​​qi is opened, one's own innate vital energy will spontaneously enter Gu Shaoan's middle dantian.

The subsequent condensation into a seed is simply a natural consequence.

Then, Gu Shaoan gently raised his right hand, and a wisp of golden qi, condensed as solid as a substance yet light and translucent, quietly appeared at his fingertips.

"Sure enough, after successfully condensing the essence seed, it not only helps to improve one's control over the vital energy, but also allows one's natal vital energy to circulate spontaneously in the middle dantian, gradually purifying one's natal vital energy."

A martial artist's internal strength is formed by condensing their own essence, energy, and spirit.

Therefore, regardless of whether a martial artist's internal energy transforms into true qi, true essence, or even qi essence, its essence remains the martial artist's spirit and vitality.

However, as the essence seed condensed, Gu Shaoan discovered that as his natal essence was slowly circulating, it was beginning to separate the "spirit" and "qi" from his natal essence.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan could clearly feel that as the natal essence within his seed spontaneously circulated through his middle dantian, the "spirit" that had been separated from him rose upwards and merged into his seed of spirit.

After some of the energy was extracted, it entered Gu Shaoan's body and disappeared without a trace.

However, this process is not fast.

According to Gu Shaoan's estimate, it would take anywhere from three months to half a year for his Qi to be purified.

"The essence seed has been condensed. Next, it's time for the qi seed."

As his thoughts wandered, Gu Shaoan took a deep breath and once again focused his attention on his body.

After drawing all his vital energy to the middle dantian and emptying the lower dantian, he stopped circulating the vital energy route of the "Emei Nine Yang True Scripture" and instead focused his mind on his own flesh, blood, meridians, internal organs, and bone marrow.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The first thing clearly perceived is the steady and powerful beating of the heart. Each beat is like a giant war drum resounding in the chest cavity, propelling hot and vibrant blood to every part of the body.

Gu Shaoan's senses followed the flow of blood, like the most sensitive antennae, deeply perceiving the enormous life energy contained within the blood, which was one of the manifestations of the power of blood and qi.

He began to try to use spiritual energy and vital energy as a guide to stimulate his own blood and qi!

The thought is like throwing a huge stone into a calm lake!

"Boom~"

Gu Shaoan's body, which was sitting cross-legged, trembled slightly. A faint golden-red color could be seen flowing beneath his skin, which was a sign that his blood and qi were being mobilized and accelerated on a large scale.

The temperature around him began to rise again, even hotter and more masculine than when he condensed his essence seed, as if a volcano about to erupt was hidden within him. The surrounding air distorted more noticeably, and even the fine white stones on the ground began to heat up slightly.

In his state of introspection, he could clearly feel that the Qi and blood, which originally flowed naturally throughout his body like rivers and streams, now seemed to hear a command and began to be mobilized from the depths of the muscle fibers, the acupoints of the internal organs, and the extremities of the limbs.

The massive amount of Qi and blood energy instantly surged towards the lower dantian like countless tiny streams of crimson gold, flowing along invisible channels.

Until the concentration of Qi and blood gathered in Gu Shaoan's lower dantian reached an astonishing level.

Furthermore, the golden Qi energy mixed in as a catalyst made Gu Shaoan's lower dantian appear at first glance to be a misty, churning sea of ​​Qi and blood, interspersed with gold and red.

However, as the vision of the Sea of ​​Qi and Blood appeared, Gu Shaoan's brows furrowed as time went on.

This was because, in Gu Shaoan's perception, the sea of ​​qi and blood within his body was gathered but not condensed.

No matter how Gu Shaoan tried to compress, guide, or even mobilize the power of the essence seed and the qi energy for dual assistance, the dense cloud of qi and blood, which was almost impossible to dissolve, could not condense and disperse like the essence seed condensed by the qi energy.

It felt like trying to grasp a heavy mass of mercury in your hand; no matter how much force you use, you can't mold it into a fixed shape. Instead, it will slip through your fingers even faster.

What made Gu Shaoan feel even more uneasy was that as he continued to exert high intensity to stimulate and draw upon the blood and energy in his body, a sense of weakness and coldness began to quietly spread from the extremities and deep into his bone marrow.

The chill wasn't from the cold outside, but rather from the emptiness and coldness inside the body caused by the excessive loss of vital energy and essence in a short period of time.

Gu Shaoan could even feel a slight numbness in his fingertips, and while his heart was beating strongly, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible slowness—a subtle feedback that his heart itself was not receiving enough blood and qi.

Sensing the change in his body, Gu Shaoan made a decisive move and immediately stopped mentally stimulating and drawing upon his qi and blood.

"call--!"

Like a dam opening its gates, the massive "cloud of qi and blood" that had been gathering in the lower dantian, churning endlessly but unable to condense, lost its core's pull and restraint. It immediately dispersed like the receding tide, returning to the flesh, organs, meridians, and bone marrow throughout the body.

As the blood and qi returned to their proper places, the emptiness and coldness that rose from the depths of the bone marrow quickly subsided, the numbness in the fingertips disappeared, and the heartbeat returned to a steady and strong rhythm.

The abnormal golden-red color and scorching heat on Gu Shaoan's body surface gradually subsided, but his face was slightly paler than before. This was a normal reaction to the violent fluctuations in his blood and qi in a short period of time, and he needed to rest and recuperate to fully recover.

It wasn't until his internal energy circulated for a while that his complexion returned to normal.

He slowly opened his eyes, the golden dawn still shining in them, but now with a hint of deep thought and understanding.

Is it because your physical strength is insufficient, resulting in inadequate qi and blood?

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Gu Shaoan felt something was wrong.

Gu Shaoan's body was enhanced by the "Sword Drawing Like a Rainbow" skill, and he also had several years of training with a heavy sword, so his strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Furthermore, with his subsequent cultivation of the "Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill," Gu Shaoan's physical strength should now be comparable to that of Gu Santong.

The body's Qi and blood energy is even more abundant.

The condensation of Qi should also be as natural as the condensation of Jing.

However, the current energy of qi and blood is surging but not dissipating, which is obviously abnormal.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Shaoan sent a message to Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, then used his lightness skill to head towards the East Bamboo Forest where Gu Santong was.

(End of this chapter)