Surviving in the Demonic Sect, one begins cultivation by retrieving corpses.

Gu Zhao inhaled.

The moment the Taihua Yuanjing Dew touched the tip of the tongue, it quietly dissolved, and before one could even taste its flavor, it had already entered the body.

Once the liquid enters the dantian, the originally dry and barren dantian is like a parched spring receiving sweet rain, filled with a pool of cool spiritual liquid.

It's refreshingly cool and incredibly soothing.

Gu Zhao's body exuded a faint, cool aura, not the biting cold of the Yinshui River, but a pure and refreshing coolness that seemed to cleanse even the soul, making it feel suddenly light.

The indescribable pleasure made Gu Zhao unable to suppress a soft groan.

My dantian is now full of spiritual liquid, but how should I cultivate from here on out?

The only book Gu Zhao is currently studying is the "Corpse Water Blue Wave Scripture" from the Corpse Retrieving Room.

This technique was created by the sect specifically for disciples who retrieve corpses; it is not considered profound and does not even qualify as a ninth-grade technique.

Fortunately, in the initial stages of cultivation, the Great Dao originates from the same source, and generally does not deviate from the two major hurdles of refining essence into qi and transforming qi into spirit:

Refining essence into qi: This is the first stage of cultivation. Cultivators control their desires to make their essence full and complete without being wasted.

Once the essence in the lower abdomen (dantian) is full, it is transformed into qi through cultivation and raised to the middle dantian in the chest.

Refining Qi into Spirit: Based on the fullness of Qi, the practitioner refines Qi into spirit and elevates it to the upper Dantian in the head.

Once the two dantian are opened, the internal energy can be guided to circulate and flow through the 365 acupoints throughout the body according to the twelve meridians, forming a self-circulating system.

It is also known as the Small Heavenly Circuit.

To put it bluntly, it's nothing more than meditation, quiet contemplation, and cultivating one's inner energy and spirit.

It may seem simple, but you can't be careless at all.

Before working as a handyman, Gu Zhao had studied Taoism for two years for free at the Mingyi Sect, which laid a solid foundation for his meditation skills.

Many aspiring Daoists failed to enter meditation repeatedly and ultimately did not even qualify to join the sect as menial servants.

The distracting thoughts in one's mind are like a restless monkey; restraining one's thoughts is like tethering a wild horse.

Based on his memory, he concentrated and entered a meditative state, circulating the "Corpse Water Blue Wave Scripture".

"Accumulating essence and energy is like water wearing away stone; if you persist in this practice, fetal movement will naturally occur."

"...Iron oxen plow the land to plant money, and children carve stones to connect them."

Two hours later.

The internal energy within his dantian grew stronger again, and the two drops of Taihua Yuanjing Dew were completely refined and exhausted.

Gu Zhao slowly exhaled a breath of frosty white air, which lasted for more than ten breaths before gradually stopping.

Ordinary people eat grains and inhale foul air, so their body's orifices naturally contain impurities. At this moment, they only need to expel the filth from their lungs and internal organs, and they will feel completely comfortable.

His cultivation level has already steadily entered the fourth stage of the fetal movement realm.

Gu Zhao smiled.

It took less than two hours to break through the first level from the three stages of fetal movement.

I broke through two realms in one day.

Such speed, if mentioned in a morgue, would be horrifying.

The fourth level of fetal movement is a level that ordinary corpse retrievers can only reach after four or five years of arduous training.

It took the stable more than four years of retrieval of corpses for it to reach the fourth level of fetal movement.

If they knew that Gu Zhao had crossed two realms in a single day, I wonder what they would think.

But Gu Zhao was not prepared to reveal it.

The first five stages of the Fetal Movement Realm only involve cultivating the internal energy of the dantian. Without actually engaging in combat, it is extremely difficult for others to detect.

Gu Zhao's mind stirred, and the large cauldron seemed to possess a spirit, with characters appearing on its surface.

[Master of the Cauldron: Gu Zhao]

[Cultivation Level: Fourth Level of Fetal Movement (12% complete)]

【Technique: Corpse Water Azure Wave Scripture (Minor Success)】

[Rare Item: A Wisp of Pure Yang Qi]

Gu Zhao looked up and saw that his cultivation level had changed from the second level of fetal movement yesterday morning to the fourth level of fetal movement.

There's just one more category: [Strange Items].

The Xuan Shui Yuan Jing Lu obtained today has been consumed and will no longer be displayed.

Gu Zhao glanced at the sky and saw that it was still early, so he began cultivating again.

The main difficulties in cultivation lie in entering a meditative state and circulating internal energy, which are extremely mentally taxing.

Fortunately, Gu Zhao had a pure Yang True Qi within his body to assist him, which allowed him to spontaneously circulate it while cultivating the Corpse Water Azure Wave Scripture.

The next day, early in the morning.

"Zhao-ge'er, up so early again?"

"I noticed the Dharma lamp in your room was still lit last night; it seems you were practicing until midnight."

A surprised exclamation came from the stables, as people looked at Gu Zhao, who had already gotten up and washed.

The Gu Zhao of the past would never have gone to work, would never have gotten up this early, and would never have practiced meditation until late at night.

Gu Zhao turned around and said with a smile, "Diligence can make up for lack of talent, and a slow bird can fly first."

He himself couldn't remember when he fell asleep last night; when he opened his eyes, it was already dawn.

This was also the first peaceful sleep I had since transmigrated.

A proper practice will only result in saliva production in the mouth, a slight warmth in the lower abdomen, and a refreshed feeling upon waking.

If one's breathing is disrupted during practice, one will experience dizziness, nausea, and lower abdominal pain. This is a dangerous situation and should not be imitated.

After waking up, Gu Zhao did not force himself to cultivate anymore.

Spiritual practice requires a balance of tension and relaxation; excessive practice will only backfire.

He strolled slowly around the courtyard, but the sacrificial cauldron in his mind remained silent, without the slightest movement.

It seems there are no spiritual creatures in this courtyard.

"Huh—"

The stableman stared at Gu Zhao's face, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Brother Zhao, you look even paler than yesterday?"

"If you changed into the outer disciple's clothes, I guarantee no one would recognize you as a handyman."

"If you really go to a place like Drunken Village, you're sure to find plenty of fairies throwing themselves at you."

The last sentence, however, sounded rather sour.

Gu Zhao didn't respond to that question, but instead asked, "Brother Ma, do you know where in the Lower Academy you can exchange for legitimate cultivation techniques? Preferably those that have reached a certain rank."

Last night, his cultivation speed far exceeded that of the past, but he also felt that the Corpse Water Azure Wave Scripture was too useless. It was clearly this rudimentary technique that was hindering the circulation of pure Yang Qi in his body.

The stableman was taken aback, and exclaimed in astonishment, "A cultivation technique that has reached the highest level?"

He seemed to have noticed something and sighed, "Zhao-ge, why have you suddenly become so diligent lately? Could it be that you're trying to break through to the Qi Refining Realm and enter the outer sect?"

He shook his head and let out a long sigh:

"I've been there, so take my advice, brother. Since we've become menial laborers, to put it bluntly, we're people without status, background, or qualifications. Going back five generations, there might not even be one person who could reach the Qi Refining stage."

"It's incredibly difficult to make a name for yourself here. To be honest, I once harbored ambitions to enter the inner sect, but now... don't even mention it."

"It would be better to honestly save up some money for the Dharma, return to the mortal world in the future, and live a peaceful and stable life for the rest of my days."

Gu Zhao said slowly, "What difference is there between a person without ambition and the floating corpses in the Yinshui River?"

The stableman saw the boy opposite him looking extremely serious and suddenly realized something.

After a long pause, he sighed:

"Never mind, you'll understand in the future that I meant well."

He changed the subject, "In the lower courtyard, there are a few fellow practitioners who have formed a private society and have indeed circulated several ninth-grade martial arts manuals."

"Among them is a profound skill that can be practiced in conjunction with the Corpse Water Blue Wave Scripture."

~

The lower courtyard of the corpse retrieval room is a large four-courtyard house.

Those who own such residences within the morgue are all stewards of the morgue.

There were seven or eight young boys and maids in the courtyard to serve him.

The atmosphere in the quiet, secluded room was oppressive.

"How did things go? A few days ago, someone actually survived from the water monkeys."

The one who spoke was a man in black robes, his face hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable, sitting upright in the main seat.

There were four or five people standing inside the room, all holding their breath and not daring to even breathe loudly.

If the stable keeper and others were here, they would immediately recognize that these people were all stewards of the corpse retrieval room, among whom was Wu Cenpan.

One of them asked in a low voice, "Senior brother, should I make a move...?"

The man in black robes raised his hand to interrupt: "No need, let's not complicate things."

"Now both the Mountain Patrol Hall and the River Suppression Division are keeping an eye on it, and both of them have Foundation Establishment Realm experts behind them."

Upon hearing the words "Foundation Establishment True Person," everyone in the room tensed up.

The man in black robes added, "Don't be afraid, your master will protect you."

"Anyway, the people who retrieve morgues don't have much time left to live; they're all going to die."

"There's no need to ruin everything for one person."

Everyone agreed.