Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Time flows alternately between regularity and torment.

It has been almost half a month since I met Shihouin Senri.

I don't know if Shihouin Senhi said anything to the butler. Anyway, after that, a new servant was hired.

The servant would knock on the door at mealtimes and bring out a multi-tiered food box.

The food box was opened, and instead of the usual bland porridge and rice paste, it contained several kinds of exquisite spiritual food:

The rice cakes are as white as jade, and the soup is made with vegetables and fruits rich in spiritual energy. There is also minced meat that has been cooked until tender. Even a three- or four-year-old child can easily digest and absorb it.

Xuan felt extremely uncomfortable with this kind of service.

In its previous life, China had already achieved the transition from feudalism to socialism, and the classics it has always studied have emphasized "embracing simplicity and embracing the uncarved block, reducing selfishness and desires."

After the servant handed over the food box, he stood respectfully by the door, like a sculpture blending into the background.

Xuan raised his head and looked calmly at the servant at the door.

He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, dressed simply, with a respectful demeanor, and beyond reproach.

"What's your name?" Xuan asked, his voice clear and tender like a child's, but his tone was flat.

The servant immediately bowed, his voice flat and respectful: "Reporting to Young Master Xuan, my name is Feng Zongzhu. You may address me as Zongzhu."

"Hee Zongzhu," Xuan repeated, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the food table, a habit he had formed in his past life when he was thinking.

The fact that they don't refer to themselves as "Xiao Shen" but rather as "a certain person" indicates that they are not a servant. And this surname... interesting.

"I don't need to be waited on, you don't need to stand here."

Zongzhu's voice was calm: "Young Master Xuan, I am here on orders to ensure your safety and to meet your needs. If there is any oversight, I will be unable to explain myself."

Xuan scoffed inwardly. Did the Four Maple Master's manor really need to guard against yet another Hollow attack?

It remains to be seen who is on whose orders this person is replacing the previous deliveryman.

Gen did not trust the Shihōin family, a family that neglected their comatose young child after the death of his parents.

If it weren't for the overwhelming force of the Hollow invasion, which was difficult to conceal, and the Shihouin family's need to cultivate a reputation for benevolence, the original owner of this body probably wouldn't have survived until her own transmigration.

Moreover, as far as Xuan knew, the Feng family was a lower-ranking noble family that had made a living through assassination for generations. Why would they specially deliver food to him?

Gen remained noncommittal regarding Zongzhu's reasons.

"Sōsuke, I feel uncomfortable when someone is next to me while I eat. It reminds me of my old servant." Xuan's voice suddenly softened. "He would bring me a bowl of rice porridge every day, watch me finish eating, and then take it away. I was never full."

Xuan wasn't good at pretending, but he had tried his best. Fortunately, he didn't need to move the listeners to tears; he only needed to act like a little kid, play the victim, and test how much power he had.

"Until Brother Qianri brought some snacks."

As he spoke, Xuan secretly watched Zongzhu's reaction.

Sosuke finally raised his head.

Although it was only for a moment, Gen caught a glint in Sosuke's eyes—when he heard the title "Brother Senri".

"Since Young Master Xuan prefers peace and quiet, I will wait outside the courtyard." Zongzhu lowered his head again, his voice still steady, but his pace seemed slightly faster. "If you have any orders, just call out, and I will be there immediately."

Zongzhu bowed again before retreating very quietly.

The door closed gently with a soft "click," isolating the inside from the outside.

Xuan was the only one left in the room. The faint glow and fragrance of the spiritual food permeated the air.

Xuan did not completely let his guard down.

It can be confirmed for the time being that Sosuke is on Chihiro's side, since Chihiro will be the head of the Shihouin family in the future, and the Hachi family will also be passed down for a thousand years.

At the very least, it cannot be said that Hōsuke was sent by the family to monitor them after they discovered the abnormalities he was exhibiting.

However, as long as one is within the family, no one can escape the watchful eyes of those in the shadows. Any act of cultivation will inevitably be detected by those with a strong spiritual pressure sense.

But it didn't matter; Shihouin Sennatsu had already come up with a suitable excuse for himself: to become stronger and then take revenge on Hollows.

Being in a family isn't all bad. Showing precocity and talent for cultivation saves the effort of pretending and allows access to more cultivation resources, including but not limited to teachers and spiritual food.

The cherry blossoms outside the window swayed gently in the morning breeze, their branches piercing the rosy dawn sky.

The spiritual food contains abundant and pure spiritual particles, so Xuan no longer needs to expend energy fighting pain while refining the spiritual particles he absorbs from the air, as he did before.

As you swallow the food, the spiritual energy flowing into your body is gentle and abundant, like a warm current.

Xuan finished the last mouthful of soup, neatly placed the utensils back into the food box, and then spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for those outside the courtyard gate to hear him clearly:

"Sōsuke."

"Yes." A response came immediately from outside the door.

"I've finished eating, you can take the food container away now."

Footsteps approached, and the door was gently pushed open. Sosuke, without looking to the side, tidied up the food box, his movements swift and quiet.

The door closed again.

Xuan sat alone in the gradually brightening morning light, slowly exhaling a breath.

He calmed his mind and focused all his attention back on the spiritual energy slowly circulating within his body.

My weakness is that my talent hasn't been fully realized yet; even clinging to a powerful figure for so long requires caution to avoid getting pricked by their hair. Time is precious; improving my skills is the only way forward.

Xuan slightly moved his neck, recalling the Taoist cultivation system.

Unlike many novels I read in my previous life, Foundation Establishment is actually the prerequisite and foundation for Qi Refining.

Building a foundation means repairing physical and mental deficiencies and laying a solid foundation for cultivation. As the saying goes, "Without building a foundation, one dares not cultivate qi."

In the world of Bleach, perhaps because spiritual particles are so abundant and easy to absorb, the combat system is well-developed, but the cultivation system is rather crude.

There's no foundation building or qi cultivation here; only the continuous absorption of spiritual energy to increase spiritual pressure. A famous saying is widely known: "The battle of the Grim Reapers is a battle of spiritual pressure."

However, Xuan is different. He has a cultivation system that has been passed down for thousands of years, and he has incorporated the cultivation insights and experiences of countless Taoist predecessors into his own. In this world where the cultivation system is not perfect, it is simply a dimensional reduction attack.

This doesn't mean his cultivation progress was particularly fast, but rather that his foundation was solid. Even geniuses like Toshiro Hitsugaya couldn't match Xuan's steady progress with such a solid foundation.

Xuan sat cross-legged on the futon. He closed his eyes, focused his mind on his body, and carefully sensed the state of his soul.

The ever-present sense of being torn apart remains, like background noise, a constant reminder of the impending crisis.

Compared to the excruciating pain that felt like I could be torn apart at any moment, it has eased up considerably now.

Fill the Soul Sleep with spiritual particles, draw out the primordial essence within your body—that is, your own spiritual power—and compress it into liquid spiritual power. This is considered Foundation Establishment, which is also the current goal of Xuan.

With this period of nurturing, a spiritual energy vortex has been generated within the Soul Sleeping Soul. The vortex slowly rotates, entwining the refined spiritual energy, constantly compressing and solidifying it.

Feeling the spiritual energy gradually liquefying and slowly filling his soul, this definite sense of progress gave Xuan Mo great confidence.

The despair of sitting alone before the dried-up spiritual spring in my past life contrasts sharply with the fulfillment of every effort now bringing a reward. In this world where spiritual energy is so abundant it's almost a luxury, my unwavering pursuit of the Dao has finally found fertile ground to take root.

Although cultivation emphasizes a mind free of distractions, Xuan couldn't help but recall his past life at this moment.

The master stroked the yellowed Taoist scripture, his sigh echoing through the temple: "I've studied this *Wuzhen Pian* my whole life, and I've only truly grasped the meaning of 'armchair theorizing.' There's no longer any spiritual energy in this world! The Taoist lineage has been severed; it's beyond human power to revive it!"

As a child, he didn't understand why there was always an unyielding loneliness in his master's eyes. Now he vaguely understands. It's a kind of powerlessness and sorrow, like holding the key to a treasure mountain but standing before a desolate desert.

"Master..." Xuan murmured to himself, his voice barely audible in the empty room, "Do you see? Our world has lost its vitality. And here..."

He raised his hand, and a faint wisp of light, with a unique azure hue, emerged from his palm.

This is spiritual power originating from the Soul Sleep and controlled by the Lock Knot; it is spiritual power that truly belongs to the Mysterious Realm!

The foundation has been laid, and it's complete.

The seed of obsession broke free from its constraints and sprouted in another patch of soil.

An overwhelming surge of excitement nearly shattered his composure. The spiritual light in his palm seemed to sense the fluctuations in its master's emotions, leaping even more joyfully.

Xuan forced down the surging emotions in his chest and sensed the spiritual energy in his palm.

Whether it was due to the influence of joy or pain, or because the soul had not completely taken over, the spiritual power was mixed with unusual fluctuations.

Regardless, this power belongs to oneself, and that is absolutely true.

Xuan stood up and walked to the window. Outside the courtyard, the pavilions and palaces of the Four Maple Courtyard Master's residence appeared in silent outline against the gradually brightening sky, while further away, the direction of Rukongai was still shrouded in a thin mist and the unknown.

The road ahead is long and fraught with danger. But underfoot, the first brick that truly belongs to us has finally been laid.

The foundation has been laid, and the journey has begun.