Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Qianri placed the food box and wine pot on the table and closed the door behind him.

The early spring evening breeze carried a chill. Although the Grim Reaper was unlikely to catch a cold due to the spiritual energy circulating within his body, he still needed time to recover his spiritual energy after Xuan Gang had gone through several battles.

Qianri didn't want to see the champion catch a cold because of his negligence—that would be a joke.

"Our grand champion got the Zanpakuto, and instead of eating, he went back to his little nest to secretly rejoice?"

Chihiro joked as he casually sat down on the futon opposite Gen. "What, afraid someone will steal your food while you're eating?"

Over the past year, Senri would occasionally come to the courtyard to sit, and Gen would often ask him for advice on the techniques of Shunpo. Sometimes they would chat until late and then have dinner together, so Gen kept several futons in his room.

Qianri opened the food box. Instantly, the rich aroma of food mixed with a faint scent of wine filled the room.

The food box contained an exceptionally lavish spread. The main dish was steamed rice mixed with sesame seeds; the "one soup" was a five-flavor soup that combined shiitake mushrooms, quail, young chicken, bamboo shoots, and bean pods; the "three dishes" were dried abalone, simmered dish, and grilled dish, which were grilled eel and wild boar, respectively; the "seven plates" were side dishes such as cold dishes and fruits, as well as desserts and rice wine.

"A victory celebration should be a proper one, of course." Qianri picked up the wine pot and poured himself half a cup.

"The plum wine sent by Jin Manjia is a congratulatory gift. It's a pity you can't drink it yet, so we prepared rice wine for you instead."

Xuan was indeed hungry. The continuous fierce battles during the day had taken a toll on him, and after receiving his Zanpakuto, he went straight to the hut and forgot to eat.

After the meal, the two put down their chopsticks, and Chihiro put down his wine glass, nodding his chin in the direction of Asada.

"How does it feel? My own Zanpakuto."

"fine."

"What's wrong with you? Still so indifferent."

Qianri abruptly changed the subject, her tone playful and suggestive: "However, given your outstanding performance in this competition, perhaps some noble family will consider a marriage alliance?"

Over the past year, Qianri has grown accustomed to Xuan's expressionless face, which has led Qianri to tease him frequently.

"Just keep it in mind, don't let these uncertain things bother you. The most important thing for you right now is to get along well with your 'new partner'." As he spoke, Qianri patted the asada belt at his waist.

Qianri straightened his expression and said:

"But remember, even though a Zanpakuto is a manifestation of your own power, it is still an external object. Don't rely too much on your Zanpakuto; true power comes from your own strength."

Xuan nodded. He naturally knew that Zanpakuto could still be unreliable; some Zanpakuto disagreed with their wielders; Zanpakuto could be tricked or taken away by an enemy's special abilities; and the will of a Zanpakuto might not necessarily satisfy the wielder's wishes, commonly known as "for your own good."

Despite its many drawbacks, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses, and none of these can overshadow the power of the Zanpakuto.

Moreover, if one is strong enough to fully control one's Zanpakuto, or even maintain high combat power without relying on it, then the aforementioned problems will not arise.

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Qianri's expression softened, and he leaned back slightly.

"Also, don't push yourself too hard."

"That Hollow has been purified. Now that the enemy is dead, we should look forward."

"The Grim Reaper has a long lifespan. If you force yourself to become a puppet who only knows how to cultivate, like you who has no energy other than cultivating all day long, how can you be like a normal child?"

Qianri chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"When I was a kid, I was always thinking about playing. Your dedication to cultivation actually makes you more suited to shoulder the future of the family than I am."

A faint hint of regret crossed his voice.

"Unfortunately, you are not a candidate for the position of family head."

Xuan clicked his tongue inwardly, relieved that he wasn't a candidate for the head of the main family.

According to the rules, the names of candidates for the head of the Shihōin family must contain characters representing time and numbers. What if my name is "Shihōin Hōhachi"...?

"Just kidding."

Qianri waved his hand and drank the last of the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"In any case, congratulations on obtaining your Zanpakuto. The path of cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation. Take a good rest today." With that, Chihiro put down his wine cup, stood up, and stretched.

Qianri walked to the door and stepped out, the door closing again.

Xuan got up and walked to the window, pushing it open a crack. The cool evening breeze, carrying the scent of grass and trees, rushed in, dispelling the aroma of food and wine in the room, and making his mind even clearer.

Xuan practiced the Twelve Postures of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) while simultaneously introspecting and observing the condition within his body.

During Xuan's rest period after the competition, while replenishing his spiritual energy, he discovered that the newly entered spiritual energy automatically separated into pure and impure forms after circulating for one cycle. The impure energy was expelled from his body with each exhale, indicating that his Qi Refining Realm had been stabilized.

However, the tearing sensation deep within his soul still lingered. But since it was a problem of the soul, perhaps there would be a turning point in the Concentration Realm.

The so-called "concentration" is essentially about using the refined and pure Qi to nourish and condense the primordial spirit, which means enhancing the strength of the soul's origin.

Although a powerful primordial spirit cannot directly counteract the repulsive force originating from the rules of the world, it can enhance the ability to control and harmonize the two parts of the soul, thereby reducing the soul's pain and instability, and buying time to completely eradicate this hidden danger.

In reality, there are only two requirements for concentrating the mind: to understand one's true nature and to refine oneself to eliminate impurities.

Enlightenment, the ability to harmonize the ego and the true self, is what is meant by self-knowledge. The process of refining purity and eliminating turbidity is easier to understand. Only pure, clear energy flowing through the upper dantian can condense the primordial spirit; ordinary, mixed, and impure energy has no effect on condensing the spirit.

Suddenly, Xuanxin had a thought: Could condensing the primordial spirit with pure qi help with the initial understanding of cultivation?

Concentration can enhance the strength of the soul, and the primordial spirit and the Zanpakuto are both related to the essence of the soul, so this idea is reasonable.

They even went further and speculated that concentrating the mind was preparation for forming the Golden Core, and nurturing the sword spirit was preparation for the initial release.

Ironically, the process of focusing one's mind is the process of understanding one's true nature, and the spirit of a Zanpakuto is born according to each person's self.

Yet, the Golden Elixir is an energy body formed by the condensation of a cultivator's essence, qi, and spirit, much like the Initial Release in relation to the Grim Reaper.

Upon further reflection, the swastika symbol signifies liberation from the initial liberation, and the Taoist practice is precisely about shattering the golden elixir to form the primordial spirit.

Each realm progresses in turn, the only difference being that Shinigami exist as weapons by imprinting the essence of their soul onto their Zanpakuto, using the Zanpakuto as a medium.

Xuan temporarily noted down these coincidental conjectures and focused on his current cultivation plan.

Good health is the foundation of everything; you must maintain your Yi Jin Jing and Zhan Zhuang exercises.

Equally important is to concentrate the mind, strengthen the primordial spirit, and enhance the soul's power; at the same time, continuously nurture and cultivate with pure energy to accelerate the formation of the sword spirit. The two go hand in hand, complementing each other.

Xuan finished his contemplation and completed the entire set of Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) postures.

My gaze drifted past the windowpane, catching a glimpse of the night sky as dusk settled and stars began to appear. The night sky was clear and cloudless, just like my own mind, free from confusion and turmoil, filled only with unwavering determination to move forward.

Gen sat cross-legged on the futon, placed his Zanpakuto on his knees, and rested his hands on the asauchi to begin his training.

Cultivation can increase the total amount of spiritual power, focus the mind, and nurture the Zanpakuto. This is Xuan's main direction of cultivation going forward.

The spiritual energy flowed out from the Soul Sleep, and after passing through the lock, part of it flowed to the upper dantian, while another part flowed down the arms to the Zanpakuto.

As spiritual energy flowed into the Zanpakuto, a dark halo appeared. The halo, like breathing, flickered faintly with the flow of the profound spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy within his body circulated repeatedly, and as it passed through the Zanpakuto, the aura on it deepened in color. The rhythm of the aura's flickering gradually stabilized, becoming synchronized with the frequency of Xuan's breathing, heartbeat, and even soul fluctuations.

The night sky outside the window is clear and bright, with a few stars and not a wisp of cloud.

The road ahead is long, and only the sword and the Way will accompany me on my journey.