A hundred lifetimes of cultivation, merely seeking immortality in the cultivation world.

Chapter 209 Perfect Refinement

The thousand-year-old willow branch lay quietly in the first box, its branches gnarled and twisted, its bark dark green, yet faintly revealing a thin layer of green light, like the vitality that gathers on the tips of an old willow tree after the rain has cleared.

Just seeing it can put one at ease.

Beside it is the Earth Treasury Essence, shaped like black jade, weighing heavily at the bottom of the box. It has a strong medicinal effect and is said to be extracted from the depths of a mineral vein thirty feet underground, formed by gathering the earth's energy.

The thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum is the most inconspicuous, a grayish lump. If it weren't for the few golden threads on its surface, it would look no different from rotten wood.

Any one of these precious medicines would be enough to bankrupt an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator if taken to the market.

It was also thanks to the generous and kind Cui and Shen families.

Otherwise, it would have taken Lu Qingyun an unknown amount of time to gather all these precious medicines.

Looking back on his trip to Qiyang, Lu Qingyun couldn't help but feel lucky.

If Shen Bucai had been even slightly disobedient, or if Cui Yong had informed the other half-step Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately after discovering him, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly for him.

Thinking of Qiyang, the Cui family only needed to wait peacefully for their demise, to be sacrificed by a few half-step Foundation Establishment cultivators. But for Lu, it was much more difficult. He not only had to take away the Cui family's treasure trove.

They also planned to take advantage of the chaos to escape from Qiyang Mountain.

Lu Qingyun glanced at the three precious medicines. The molten essence obtained by the Zhao family was stored in the last bronze box, which was as red as blood and had faint heat waves surging from it.

This precious medicine is also of the highest quality, but unfortunately, the Zhao family, as a Foundation Establishment family, is not as well-off as the Cui and Shen families, which are Qi Refining families, in terms of precious medicines.

The Zhao family naturally consumed a considerable amount of precious medicines.

However, since the Zhao family patriarchs were well aware that their family was not allowed to have a second Foundation Establishment True Person, most of their precious medicines were consumed in the later stages of Qi Refining.

They wouldn't keep it to help with breakthroughs to the Foundation Establishment stage.

The few remaining plants in the Zhao family's treasury are all owned by those half-step Foundation Establishment elders who don't care about anything, and they can't be obtained even through negotiation.

Besides, the precious medicine that Zhao Rushou had prepared for Zhao Qingxuan was still there.

Zhao Qingxuan even suggested that she could give it to him so that he could use it for cultivation.

But Lu Qingyun still refused.

Given her relationship with Zhao Qingxuan in this life, she should save these precious medicines for her to break through to a higher level in her Foundation Establishment.

The current cultivation speed is not slow. Even if the Foundation Establishment fails, as long as the three divine abilities can be successfully cultivated before the Azure Wood Secret Realm opens, the efforts of this life will not be in vain.

In his next life, he will be able to inherit his cultivation at the age of sixteen, without being targeted by the Supreme Being, and without any future troubles.

In contrast, if Zhao Qingxuan could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he could live off her.

This way, we can avoid taking a few years of detours.

Therefore, these four precious herbs in front of him are all that Lu Qingyun can find for cultivation.

Lu Qingyun continuously regulated his breathing. At this moment, his cultivation level had already reached the peak of the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and the spiritual energy in his dantian was almost overflowing.

"【Refined Light】is the essence of change and transformation, refining the form of things, and condensing the essence of elixir, thus achieving profound enlightenment."

As Lu Qingyun recited the profound mystery of this divine power once more, the experience of tempering his feet last time kept replaying in his mind.

After thoroughly reciting the "Heavenly Mystery Elixir Manual" several times to ensure nothing was missed, [the text continues with further details about reciting the manual].

Lu Qingyun then looked inward, took a deep breath, placed his hands on his knees, and quickly calmed himself down before reaching out to pick up the thousand-year-old willow branch.

This treasure is the most compatible elixir with his spiritual root attribute, making it the most reliable starting point for tempering.

The willow branch felt icy to the touch, yet its vitality seeped into my bones through my fingertips.

Lu Qingyun ignited a wisp of spiritual fire. This was not the superior stone fire of True Man Qingmu, but a core fire obtained with the help of the Zhao family. Although its quality was not as high as the stone fire, it was sufficient for his needs.

Lu Qingyun brought it close to the spirit fire, and as the flame licked it, the green light on the surface of the willow branch suddenly intensified, making the entire secret room glow with a green luster, and even the array patterns on the stone wall lit up for a moment.

Right now.

The [Green Wood Seal] immediately activated, and its medicinal properties were instantly extracted, transforming into a green light.

Lu Qingyun clasped his hands together, surging his spiritual power to forcefully press the green light into his palms, sending it inward along the Taiyin Lung Meridian.

A cool sensation rises along the meridians, passing through the wrist, elbow, and shoulder, finally sinking into the lungs.

It was comfortable at first.

That vitality was like a spring rain, gently and densely nourishing the parched lungs, filling every tiny crack.

Smooth it out.

Lu Qingyun almost couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

But the comfort only lasted a few breaths.

Too much anger welled up inside me.

The willow branches contain the vitality of ancient trees that have existed for thousands of years. Even for his current body, it is too abundant. It is like pouring a great river into a narrow channel. The water is good, but the channel is too small. How can it not burst?

The lungs were stretched taut, every inch of the meridians was being forcibly widened, and the cool air gradually became sharp, like countless fine needles piercing into the lungs at the same time.

pain.

It wasn't the kind of pain from a physical injury; it was a pain that emanated from the deepest part of the body, making every breath feel like swallowing charcoal.

Lu Qingyun gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat streaming down his face, dripping onto his knees and the prayer mat, leaving a small, dark stain.

He dared not stop.

If the lungs are not properly quenched, the consequences can range from mild (reversed meridian flow and regressed cultivation) to severe (lung qi leakage and chronic coughing up of blood).

He could only desperately guard his mind and forcefully urge his consciousness to guide that vital energy little by little through every inch of the lung lobes.

After an unknown amount of time, the throbbing pain in my lungs finally subsided. The anger no longer felt like a sharp needle, but rather transformed into a warm river, flowing gently through my lungs.

Lu Qingyun tried breathing, and his breath was much deeper and longer than before. With each inhale and exhale, he could feel the spiritual energy being absorbed more thoroughly.

It became.

He had no time to rejoice, not even time to wipe the sweat from his brow—the second dose of medicine couldn't wait any longer.

The tempering of the five internal organs affects the whole body. Once it begins, it cannot be stopped. The tempering of the limbs must be immediately followed to stabilize the pressure that the internal organs bring to the whole body.

This is also why Lu Qingyun started with the less important feet last time.

A thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum.

Although this herb is also of the wood element, it is completely opposite to willow branches.

Willow branches represent external vitality, while Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushroom) provides nourishment that penetrates deep into the bones.

Lu Qingyun placed the Ganoderma lucidum in his palm, and with a surge of spiritual power, it transformed into a hazy gray mist that seeped into his limbs and bones through his pores.

Wherever the fog passed, my bones felt itchy.

It wasn't the kind of slight, negligible itch; it felt like hundreds of ants were simultaneously burrowing into the cracks of my bones and gnawing at me.

Lu Qingyun trembled and almost jumped off the prayer mat.

He pressed his knees down so hard that his fingernails dug into his flesh, barely managing to stay still.

But Lu Qingyun couldn't wait that long. He had to use his spiritual power to forcefully catalyze the process, compressing the medicinal properties that should have been absorbed slowly over three months into the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The price is that the bones will be repeatedly washed away by the medicine, like being polished by sand and gravel, with impurities being peeled away inch by inch, and then regrow inch by inch.

This is stewing bones.

It is precisely the [Refined Light] that refines the form of things and illuminates the principles of creation.

Lu Qingyun felt that every one of his more than two hundred bones—his kneecaps, arm bones, shoulder blades, and ribs—was screaming.

The itch, when it reaches its extreme, turns into pain, a dull, heavy pain, as if someone is hammering away at the bones, breaking them apart and putting them back together, breaking them apart and putting them back together.

His consciousness began to fade.

It wasn't the blurriness of fainting, but rather the pain reaching a certain level where all five senses became less distinct.

The light of the spirit fire stretched into long golden lines in his eyes, and the restrictive patterns on the stone wall twisted and writhed like living snakes. Even the sound of breathing became distant, as if the suffering body was not his.

But he still clung to that last bit of clarity in his mind.

It must not be tilted.

If it collapses, all previous efforts will be in vain.

I don't know how much time passed—maybe an incense stick's time, maybe an hour—but the itching finally subsided.

Lu Qingyun was panting heavily, his whole body was soaked, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

He looked down at his hands; the knuckles were distinct, and a layer of jade-like luster faintly shone through the skin.

The bones were formed.

Lu Qingyun's eyes revealed undisguised joy. Even now, he could feel the immense vitality within his body, a power comparable to that of Cui Yong's half-step Foundation Establishment puppet.

Now, even without the [Heavenly Thunder Talisman], he can fight Cui Yong's puppet head-on with just his own physical body.

Lu Qingyun felt a surge of emotion.

As expected of a superior sect like the Tushita Palace, even the method of the virgin boy is so powerful.

But he had no time to rest.

Next are the Ksitigarbha Essence and the Molten Fire Essence.

These two herbs must be used simultaneously, one yin and one yang, one sinking and one ascending, to balance each other, so that the limbs can be strengthened without damaging the meridians.

The essence of Ksitigarbha suppresses the residual fire toxins in the bones, while the essence of molten fire uses its heat to force the medicinal properties into the finest meridians deep within the limbs.

This is the most dangerous step in the entire quenching process.

The essence of the earth is cold in nature, while the essence of molten fire is intense in nature.

The two clashed, and the practitioner's spiritual power was needed to mediate the conflict. If there was any slight error, the balance between the cold and hot energies in the body would be disrupted, resulting in severed meridians or even sudden death.

Lu Qingyun placed the two medicines in his left and right palms respectively, took a deep breath, and simultaneously activated his spiritual power.

[Aoki Seal] is in operation.

My left hand was ice-cold, while my right hand was burning hot.

Two distinct streams of energy climbed up the arms and converged at the Jianjing acupoint.

In that instant, Lu Qingyun felt as if his shoulder had been torn apart—a tug-of-war between cold and heat was raging within him. His left side was shivering with cold, while his right side was burning hot. Neither side would yield, and his body became the battlefield.

"combine!"

He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The blood mist spread in front of him, and his spiritual power surged, forcefully suppressing the hot and cold energies into one place.

This pressure caused the cold and heat to cease their confrontation and instead transform into two torrents, one to the left and one to the right, surging down along the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the hand, flowing into the arms, and then down along the Yangming and Shaoyang meridians of the foot, flowing into the legs.

The sensation of having two streams of medicine wash over your limbs at the same time is indescribable—it's not entirely pain, but more like being reshaped.

Bones are growing, meridians are widening, muscles are tearing and then reforming, and every inch of skin and flesh is undergoing visible changes.

The most dangerous organ is the heart.

The most important aspect of the [Refined Light] supernatural power is the tempering of the heart. Only by using the heart as a furnace to temper the heart can one truly control the body.

Otherwise, even if they appear strong now, they will surely die from a ruptured heart due to a deficiency of vital energy.

The heart is the master of the five internal organs and the source of blood.

The first step in tempering the body is the limbs and bones, the second step is the lungs, liver, and spleen, but the heart should be placed last and in the most important position.

All the results of the previous tempering must ultimately be attributed to the heart. The heart is the furnace, where the medicinal properties and spiritual energy scattered throughout the body are melted together to truly forge a physical body capable of bearing the later stages of tempering.

Lu Qingyun could feel the medicinal properties emanating from his limbs and lungs converging towards his heart.

The vitality of willow branches, the nourishment of Ganoderma lucidum, the stagnation of Ksitigarbha, and the intensity of molten fire—four completely different forces surged and crashed through the meridians.

It rushed straight toward his heart.

Lu Qingyun closed his eyes and focused all his attention on his heart meridian.

The residual medicinal properties of the precious medicine continued to surge forth.

The first thing you feel is the lingering aftertaste of molten essence, red as charcoal, carrying a scorching heat, like a fiery dragon baring its fangs and claws as it lunges toward your heart.

Following closely behind was the vitality of the willow branches, then the gray mist of the Ganoderma lucidum and the inky blackness of Ksitigarbha. The four colors intertwined and surged into the heart.

Lu Qingyun's heart clenched suddenly.

In that instant, he felt as if his heart had been gripped tightly.

The heart that had been beating for thirty-seven years suddenly stopped beating at that moment.

Lu Qingyun felt that death was only a hair's breadth away from him. His vision went black, his ears were ringing, and his spiritual energy was running wildly through his meridians with nowhere to go. His whole body was rapidly losing its luster, as if he was about to burn out.

This is because the mortal mind of this body cannot withstand the effects of the medicine.

"Jump!"

Lu Qingyun let out a fierce shout in his heart, and with the last bit of willpower, he urged his divine sense to blast the spiritual energy scattered around his body towards his heart.

This blast felt like a heavy hammer blow.

Lu Qingyun remained silent, awaiting the outcome.

One second, two seconds... then, several seconds later!

Lu Qingyun almost felt that he had completely lost his senses.

His heart skipped a beat, then began to pound violently, almost frantically.

Thump, thump, thump...!

The heat wave spread from his heart outwards, flowing through his blood vessels to his limbs and bones, and wherever it passed, the remaining medicinal properties were completely activated.

Lu Qingyun heard a buzzing sound in his ears, as if some barrier had shattered.

The spiritual energy began to flow back.

The originally calm spiritual energy in the quiet room began to swirl and compress wildly, surging towards Lu Qingyun from all directions.

Outside the cave, Zhao Qingxuan, who had been waiting for a long time, looked nervous, her gaze fixed on the direction of Lu Qingyun's quiet room.

Will it succeed?

With only a little over a month of time, he attempted to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining Perfection.

Zhao Qingxuan prayed silently, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe.

The spirit-gathering array patterns on the stone wall shone brightly, emitting a buzzing tremor.

Lu Qingyun suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes gleamed with a sudden, almost tangible light, shining like two cold stars in the dimly lit room.

All the pores on his body opened at the same time, and a powerful aura burst forth from his body, blowing the dust around him into a frenzy.

Seven layers of Qi Refining.

No, it's more than seven floors.

The solid foundation provided by the "Heavenly Profound Pill Technique" allowed him to cross the threshold of the seventh level of Qi Refining the moment he broke through. His aura continued to rise until he barely touched the barrier of the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining before stopping.

And this is precisely the perfected stage of Qi Refining!

Once the supernatural powers are fully cultivated, one can break through to the Foundation Establishment stage!