A sage master under the pine tree imparted the Dao and taught longevity.

sword.

It was used to kill people.

Xiao Jin understood this principle when he was four years old.

Qingfeng Sect, Martial Arts Arena!

The sect, which was once filled with the clear and melodious sound of swords, was now shrouded in a chilling aura.

"Sun Jingshan, I treated you like a brother, why did you bring outsiders to attack my sect?!"

Sect Master Xiao Lie held a long sword, his eyes bloodshot.

He and Sun Jingshan had been friends for over ten years, practicing swordsmanship and drinking together. He even entrusted important matters of the sect to him and formed an alliance with him.

Now, Sun Jingshan led a group of unorthodox swordsmen up the mountain, his face no longer showing his former kindness.

He smoothed out his sleeves: "Brother? Xiao Lie, you're too naive. Why should the vast Qingfeng Sect belong to you alone? My swordsmanship is no less than yours, so why should I be subservient to someone else? I've come here today simply to reclaim what rightfully belongs to me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in Sun Jingshan's eyes, and he swiftly waved his hand: "Kill! Leave no one alive!"

In an instant, shouts of battle filled the air.

The swordsmen brought by Sun Jingshan pounced out like hungry wolves, and the flashing of swords and shadows instantly became a chaotic scene.

Although the disciples of Qingfeng Sect fought back with all their might, they were caught off guard and within a few breaths, several of them fell into pools of blood.

The crisp sounds of clashing weapons and the cries of disciples struck by swords echoed across the training ground.

Four-year-old Xiao Jin was perched on the windowsill of the inner courtyard, staring blankly at the tragic scene outside, his heart filled with confusion.

Why would Uncle Sun, who was always smiling, buying him candy, and teaching him how to hold a sword, fight with his father?

In his heart, Uncle Sun was the best person to him besides his father.

But at this moment, the gentle Uncle Sun is slaughtering his fellow disciples.

At this moment, Xiao Jin saw a man in black robes appear at the edge of the battlefield like a ghost.

The man, with an otherworldly air, carried a long sword on his back and stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze swept indifferently over the group of swordsmen before him, as if the life-and-death struggle of these mortal swordsmen was nothing but a farce in his eyes.

The next second, he moved.

A long sword was drawn from behind.

A streak of light tore through the air.

A sword flashed, and the world fell silent!

He simply swung his sword casually, and with each flash of sword light, several disciples of the Qingfeng Sect fell to the ground.

The Qingfeng Sword Technique, renowned for its swordsmanship, was utterly ineffective against him, like a child playing around.

This was the first time Xiao Jin had ever seen an immortal.

The Qingfeng Sect's defenses collapsed instantly under this absolute crushing power.

Xiao Lie stared at the man in black robes, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

"Sun Jingshan! You actually colluded with a rogue immortal to attack us mortals! What a despicable tactic!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Jingshan merely sneered.

At that moment, a rough and powerful hand suddenly covered Xiao Jin's mouth and pulled his small body down from the window.

The owner of the large hand was Uncle Fu, an old servant in the clan.

Uncle Fu's face was deathly pale. He clung tightly to Xiao Jin, whispering, "Young Sect Master, don't make a sound. Madam sent me to take you away!"

……

"Sun Jingshan!"

Xiao Jin shouted and suddenly sat up in shock from the bed, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.

Since the day the Qingfeng Sect was destroyed, this nightmare has been like a persistent ailment, haunting me frequently.

He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, still trembling.

Not out of fear, but out of hatred!

Hatred was like a knife, repeatedly cutting into his mind.

Only through cultivation and becoming stronger can I avenge my father, mother, and all the more than one thousand people in the entire sect!

With this thought in mind, he put on his clothes, got up, and pushed open the door to go out.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the morning light filtered through the ancient pines, casting dappled shadows in the courtyard.

He arrived at the pine tree, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and concentrated, and began to circulate the [Qingyuan Yanglun Sutra].

As the breaths gradually become longer and more even, wisps of spiritual energy from heaven and earth enter through the mouth and nose, flowing through the meridians and circulating throughout the body.

Since arriving at the temple, he has never had a day of leisure, cultivating diligently day and night. With the nourishment of his spirit and body, he has now reached the peak of the third stage of the Fetal Breathing Realm and touched the threshold of the fourth stage.

However, this first hurdle of fetal breathing is not so easy to overcome.

Despite the surging internal energy within him, he was always just one step short of the goal.

The spiritual energy surged wildly within his body, but it was all like a mud ox sinking into the sea, unable to enter.

Xiao Jin had no choice but to slowly stop his practice, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

He knew he had reached a critical point, but struggled to find a way to break through it.

"You should seek guidance from a master."

Chen Chuan was sitting quietly by the window when he saw him approach. He understood immediately and said gently, "Are you struggling with the bottleneck in your embryonic breathing technique?"

Xiao Jin bowed and said, "This disciple has reached the peak of the third stage of embryonic breathing, and my spiritual energy is abundant, but I am still unable to condense the fourth stage of embryonic breathing. I humbly request Master to guide me."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Your foundation is solid and your temperament is resilient. It is truly remarkable that you have reached this level."

The key to breaking through the four stages of embryonic breathing lies not in the quantity of spiritual energy, but in the single word "condensation."

He paused for a moment: "The first three breaths are mainly about drawing qi into the body and filling the dantian, which is called 'gathering'."

To break through the four stages, one must refine the scattered spiritual energy into a unified whole and condense it into a primordial essence, which is called "condensation".

Although you possess abundant spiritual energy, you have failed to maintain your inner focus and concentration, thus hindering your breakthrough.

Chen Chuan stood up, walked to Xiao Jin, and gently placed his fingertips three inches below Xiao Jin's navel, slowly injecting a gentle stream of spiritual energy to guide the circulation of spiritual energy within Xiao Jin's body.

"Concentrate and follow my guidance."

Xiao Jin followed Chen Chuan's instructions, closed his eyes and concentrated. After several attempts, he finally managed to condense a turbid spiritual energy under Chen Chuan's guidance. This was the embryonic form of the fetal essence. He only needed to spend some more time refining it to break through to the fourth stage of the fetal breathing stage.

Xiao Jin was overjoyed and told Chen Chuan what he had just felt.

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Very good. You have grasped its essence. With a calm mind and focused practice, you will be able to steadily enter the fourth stage of embryonic breathing in at most three days."

Xiao Jin bowed in thanks, not daring to delay, and turned to retreat to cultivate under the pine tree.

Chen Chuan watched his departing figure, his heart filled with joy.

He himself had already reached the threshold of the third level of Qi Refining, and he was just waiting for Xiao Jin to break through to the fourth level so that he could also break through in the same way.

"Shu'er!"

He summoned Shu'er and said, "I will be in seclusion for three days. You don't need to prepare meals for me during these three days."

.......

Two days later, in the main room.

Chen Chuan has been in seclusion here, practicing meditation and breathing exercises for two days.

For the past two days, he has tried to circulate spiritual energy through his body several times, but as soon as the spiritual energy enters his body, it is blocked by his spiritual root and destiny, just like it was twenty years ago.

Those who cultivate the Tao must avoid being restless.

He had experienced this scene many times before, so he regulated his breathing, like an old monk in meditation, and sat there for another half a day.

As the sun began to set and dusk deepened...

He suddenly felt a strange movement coming from deep within his dantian.

At first, it was just a warm current, like a warm spring emerging from a cold pool, barely perceptible.

He felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that Xiao Jin was beginning to break through his cultivation barrier.

Therefore, he dared not act rashly, but focused his mind inward and waited for the situation to change.

The warmth gradually spread, and in an instant, it transformed into gushing spiritual energy, bursting forth from the depths of the dantian!

Chen Chuan was greatly shocked.

Having cultivated Taoism for many years, I have never encountered such a strange phenomenon.

Xiao Jin must have broken through the fourth stage of the embryonic breathing technique!

Before he could think it through, the spiritual energy surged through his dantian like a wild horse.

The barrier that had stood for twenty years finally began to crumble under the impact of this spiritual energy!

He hurriedly activated his magic to slowly restrain the surging power.

Like rivers flowing into the sea, it eventually condenses into a perfectly round and smooth vortex.

An unprecedented feeling of clarity spread from my lower abdomen to my limbs and bones.

He took a deep breath and felt light and refreshed.

Qi Refining Level 3!

Chen Chuan was overjoyed, so he spent another day stabilizing his Dao heart.

At dawn the next day, he pushed open the main door of the house, and the wind blew through the courtyard, accompanied by the sound of the pines rustling in the wind.

He stroked his beard with his hand.

For the past twenty years, he has never felt as exhilarated as he does today.

He summoned Shu'er: "At noon today, you took the Green Horn. Your master will go with you to the Fengrun Spirit Field."

He then summoned Xiao Jin and said solemnly, "You must have entered the fourth stage of the embryonic breathing realm. Once you've entered the fourth stage, you can learn some first-level cultivation techniques. From now on, after dinner each day, you will practice cultivation techniques with me in this courtyard!"