Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Yesterday, the beast was first formed, and under the moonlight, it decided on its future path; now it needs to take action.

Xuan pushed open the door leading to the library. He went straight to the area on the west side of the first floor where public files were stored.

After scanning the scroll titled "Regulations on the Inheritance of Assets and Placement of Orphans of the Shihōin Family," Gen took it out and read it quickly.

"...The orphans will be provided with basic care by their own family, including food, clothing, and shelter, until they reach adulthood..."

"...All movable and immovable property, spirit items, and other resources belonging to the deceased shall be collected and managed and allocated by the family."

Xuan's gaze swept calmly over the words, his heart undisturbed.

He had no expectations of any inheritance, because when he transmigrated here, he had nothing but a secluded courtyard and rice porridge every day.

Everything right now—better spiritual food, cultivation resources, even the Zanpakuto at my waist—is thanks to the care I've received over the past thousand days and the value I've demonstrated.

Xuan put the scroll back on and continued his search.

My fingers traced the scrolls, finally stopping on the "Record of Various Schools and Training Grounds in Seireitei".

Unfolding the file and checking the index, I found the entry for "Yuanzishu" as expected.

The records are exceptionally detailed. In addition to the founder, the establishment date, and the enrollment dates, they even include the specific procedures for students to submit their applications to study at the academy.

Furthermore, the fact that the files were placed on the first floor of the library, which is accessible to all students, already demonstrates the family's attitude towards this matter.

It is summer now, and Yuanzi Academy enrolls students in May. There is still nearly a year before the next enrollment. Applications to study at Yuanzi Academy can be submitted now.

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The office of Zongyan, the headmaster of the Fourth Fengyuan School, was filled with the scent of pine ink.

After Xuan submitted the application form, Shihōin Muneaki opened the drawer of his desk and randomly picked out a document from a stack of papers.

Shihōin Muneyoshi dipped his brush in ink and wrote Shihōin Gen's name in the blank space of the document, saying, "This is a letter of recommendation."

Shihōin Sōyō finished the last stroke, waiting for the ink to dry, then looked up at Gen:

"Yuanzi Academy is known for its rigorous training and fierce competition. There are precedents of injuries and even disabilities. Since you are going there in the name of Shifeng Academy, you must be careful with your words and actions, study diligently, and not tarnish the family's reputation."

Xuan met his gaze and nodded, saying, "This student will keep it in mind."

"Go ahead." Shihōin Muneyoshi placed the letter of recommendation into an envelope bearing the Shihōin clan crest and placed it on the corner of the desk. "You will be notified once the official approval is granted."

"Thank you, Chief Instructor."

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In the evening, Xuan had just finished a round of Yi Jin Jing exercises in the courtyard when the courtyard gate was pushed open.

Qianri entered carrying pastries and a wine jug, the air filled with the delicate aroma of fruit wine. He looked Xuan up and down and asked, "It's been a whole day since you fully transformed into your beast form. How are you feeling? Is anything amiss?"

"No abnormalities," Xuan replied. "Everything is normal."

"That's good." Qianri seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and placed the wine box on the stone table. "After transforming into a beast, the spirit body needs some time to adapt. After transforming a few more times to confirm that there are no problems, you can say you've mastered it."

It must be said that the Shihōin family's pastries are excellent, and their fruit wine has very little alcohol content; in fact, the spiritual particles in it are easily absorbed.

After the meal, Xuan got straight to the point, "I submitted my application to go to Yuanzi Academy."

"Yuanzi Academy..." Qianri pondered. "I remember that it built boarding dormitories and a dining hall specifically for lower-ranking nobles and commoners from outside Seireitei. You don't need to worry about accommodation and food fees; your family has already paid them after you apply."

Gen already knew about this. Although every inch of land in Seireitei was incredibly valuable, "due to Genryusai's contributions to Seireitei," the Forty-Six Chambers allocated a piece of land within Seireitei to Yamamoto Shigekuni. To put it bluntly, the Forty-Six Chambers were wary of Yamamoto Shigekuni's strength; even though he had been a major force in resisting the Hollows' invasion of Soul Society, he still needed the powerful members of the Five Noble Families to keep an eye on him.

After turning the wine jug over and over again for a thousand days, finally confirming that not a single drop of wine could be poured out, he put down his crossed legs and said seriously:

"Do not develop the Ghost Path without permission at the Yuanzi Academy. First, raise your strength to the third level of Spirit Might, and only attempt it after you have enough power to protect yourself."

Xuan nodded: "I know what's important."

The third-level spiritual power is equivalent to the captain level, but Xuan believes that this is the bottom line for the Ghost Path to protect itself after being discovered by others.

If it's just about developing low- to mid-level demonic arts, the conditions are already ripe, since I tried using [White Lightning] about two years ago.

Moreover, after two years of hard work, both his ability to control spiritual energy and his physical fitness have improved significantly. Xuan is confident that even if the development fails, it won't be a big problem. It's not like developing the Instantaneous Strike technique requires unleashing demonic power within the body.

"Good to know." Qianri leaned back in his chair, his expression relaxing. "There's still almost a year left, so prepare well for the next school year competition. You've been the top performer in the last two competitions, so be careful not to slip up in the last one."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Qianri."

"No need to thank me." Qianri waved his hand, as if to dispel the slightly formal atmosphere. "Speaking of which, now that you've learned to transform into a beast, you have so much time every day. You could do something else to pass the time. If you don't relax and just keep cultivating, it will only delay your progress in becoming stronger."

These words enlightened Xuan.

Cultivation truly requires a balance of intensity and rest. Whether it's the tempering of the physical body or the spiritual essence, time for recovery is essential.

Just like muscles need rest after long periods of training, they won't become stronger. A punch thrown after pulling back from a stance is more powerful, and adequate rest can also improve overall training progress.

Beast transformation is a means of self-preservation, and the process of cultivating it also yields precise control over spiritual energy and a deep understanding of the structure of spiritual bodies. These abilities can be applied to another field—

The Way of the Ghosts.

Precise manipulation of spiritual energy is the foundation for releasing the Ghost Path, while understanding the structure of the spirit body helps in developing the Ghost Path.

During rest periods when there is no intense cultivation, theoretical deduction and low-consumption spiritual energy structure simulation can be carried out to steadily advance the exploration of the Ghost Path without putting pressure on the primordial spirit.

Xuan already had a new plan in mind: "I will allocate my cultivation time and rest time properly."

Qianri looked at Xuan's calm eyes, smiled, and didn't ask about the specific schedule. He knew the other party already knew what was going on.

As dusk fell, Xuan returned to his hut after parting ways with Qianri and began his cultivation.

The coming year will be a year of accumulation and preparation. Even if I go to the Yuanzi Academy, I will not neglect the basic training such as Yi Jin Jing, wooden dummy training, spiritual power cultivation, and tempering my primordial spirit.

The coming year will be a year of accumulation and preparation.

During breaks in his cultivation, he could resume his exploration of the Ghost Path. Developing the Ghost Path only consumed mental energy and did not put pressure on his primordial spirit, which was also the relaxation project that Xuan chose.

Just as Qianri believed, Xuan knew the truth.