After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, Lu Qingchen finished clearing all the steel bone grass ahead of schedule.

When the old man inspected the herb field, he slowly walked around with his hands behind his back, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. Finally, he nodded and said, "Not bad. You're not clumsy, and you did a fairly careful job."

He handed four low-grade spirit stones to Lu Qingchen, paused, and then said, "Boy, remember my surname is Sun."

"If you reach the Qi Refining stage in the future and become interested in the Dao of Spirit Plants, you can come to Panlong Peak to find me. However, the prerequisite is that you must first pass the hundred-day assessment."

Lu Qingchen accepted the spirit stones with both hands and bowed solemnly: "Thank you for your guidance and care, Elder Sun! This disciple will remember it!"

After bidding farewell to Elder Sun, Lu Qingchen held the still-warm spirit stone and walked briskly down the mountain.

Although I was tired, I felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Immediately afterwards, he went to the small market at the foot of Mingfa Peak—a trading place spontaneously formed by outer disciples, open on the 7th of each month, and today happened to be the 17th.

The market is small, with only a dozen or so stalls selling a variety of things: pills, talismans, low-level magic tools, seeds of spiritual herbs, second-hand Taoist robes... and even storybooks.

Lu Qingchen quickly calculated that he had four spirit stones and was at a crucial juncture of perfecting the Yi Jin Jing and entering the Xi Sui Jing stage.

The Marrow Cleansing Pill is the main medicine during the marrow cleansing period. This pill can assist in the marrow cleansing process, gently vibrate and stimulate bone marrow activity, accelerate the replacement of old marrow and the generation of new marrow, and slightly nourish the newly generated essence and blood. It is a must-buy.

The Qi-Boosting Decoction, when boiled and consumed, can replenish the vital energy depleted during the marrow cleansing process, and relieve muscle and bone soreness and mental fatigue, making it an essential remedy.

With a clear goal in mind, Lu Qingchen quickly found the stall selling pills.

The stall owner was a bald monk with no eyebrows, which looked somewhat strange, but he was very enthusiastic: "My stall offers fair prices and honest service to all, young and old."

Lu Qingchen glanced at the prices on the stall—Marrow Essence Pills, five pills for one spirit stone; Qi-Boosting Soup ingredients, four portions for one spirit stone.

"Ten pills of Suiyuan Pill, four portions of Yiqi Decoction ingredients."

Lu Qingchen made a decision.

"Okay!"

The bald cultivator neatly packed the package: "Ten Marrow Essence Pills for two spirit stones, four portions of Qi-Boosting Soup ingredients for one spirit stone, for a total of three spirit stones."

"Junior brother, the Marrow Essence Pill is specifically designed to target the bone marrow. One pill a day is sufficient. It must be taken when your Qi and blood are at their peak and when you are practicing the Marrow Cleansing Technique. Take half a dose of the Qi-Boosting Decoction in the morning and half in the evening, and use it for gentle tonification."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Lu Qingchen paid all the spirit stones and received two medicine packets and a small porcelain bottle in return.

After exchanging the pills, he still had one spirit stone left.

Lu Qingchen wandered around the small market for a while longer, then exchanged the last spirit stone in his hand for a small jar of Clear Dew Spirit Spring.

Clear Dew Spring is formed by collecting dew from the leaves of spiritual herbs in the morning. It contains a trace of the pure essence of plants and trees. After taking it, it can calm the mind and soothe the nerves, help maintain a clear mind amidst the heat and pain brought by marrow cleansing, and assist in refining the medicinal power.

At this moment, he was penniless, but he held the key resources for breaking through the marrow and undergoing marrow cleansing.

Back in the side room, Li Si and the others were not there.

Lu Qingchen closed the doors and windows and took out a Marrow Essence Pill.

The pills were dark red, about the size of a longan seed, with fine cloud-like patterns on the surface, and emitted a peculiar fishy smell that was a mixture of rust and plant roots.

He sat cross-legged, put the Marrow Essence Pill in his mouth, but did not swallow it. Instead, he pressed the tip of his tongue against his palate and began to practice the introductory breathing method of the Marrow Cleansing Chapter of the "Bone Strengthening and Tendon Changing Method"—"Turtle Breathing and Marrow Shaking Technique".

His breathing became extremely slow and deep, each inhale like drawing silk and each exhale like exhaling mist. His mind sank into his dantian, drawing upon that faint innate fetal breath.

With each breath, the marrow pill in the mouth gradually dissolves, transforming into an extremely pure, heavy, and slightly tingling medicinal essence, like mercury syrup. It flows along specific sublingual meridians, directly into the Ren meridian, and then, without lingering, descends all the way to the coccyx of the spine!

"Buzz..."

Lu Qingchen trembled violently!

It's like an invisible hammer, starting from the coccyx, striking upwards along the spine, segment by segment!

With each tap, a deep, bone-chilling sensation of soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain emanates from that vertebra, as if the bone marrow inside is instantly heated and boiled, and then repeatedly vibrated and squeezed by an invisible force!

He kept his mind focused and dared not relax for a moment, continuing to practice the "Turtle Breathing and Marrow Vibration Technique".

Breathing gradually synchronizes with the invisible "hammer" striking, each breath a complete oscillation cycle from the coccyx to the cervical spine.

As the vibrations continued, Lu Qingchen's bone marrow, which was originally slightly grayish-white and loose in texture, was gradually compacted and tempered under the dual effects of the high-frequency vibrations and the medicinal power of the Marrow Essence Pill, and its color gradually turned into a warm, jade-white.

This is the beginning of the transformation from mortal marrow to "spiritual marrow"!

At the same time, the trace impurities expelled by the bone marrow tremors, mixed with the waste from the replaced old bone marrow, turned into wisps of grayish-black oily sweat, which slowly seeped out from the pores of his body, emitting a faint fishy smell.

An hour later, the medicine finally ran out of power, and the invisible "hammer" sensation slowly dissipated.

Lu Qingchen slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which carried a faint gray tinge.

He looked as if he had been pulled out of the water; his clothes were soaked with sweat, and his skin was covered with a layer of greasy, grayish-black grime that smelled foul.

A strong sense of weakness washes over you like a tidal wave; your limbs feel weak and your vision blurs – these are typical signs of severe depletion of vital energy.

But he didn't care about any of that. He immediately struggled to get up and drank the prepared Qi-boosting soup in one gulp.

The gentle and mild medicinal power quickly dissolved in the parched meridians, like a long-awaited rain after a drought, slowly nourishing the almost depleted essence, and the unsettling feeling of weakness was barely suppressed.

After resting for a while, he washed himself and changed his clothes.

Although tired, her eyes were exceptionally bright.

He could feel that the color and texture of the bone marrow in the three coccyx vertebrae at the bottom of his spine had undergone an invisible but clearly perceptible change—it was denser, warmer, and faintly exuded a faint vitality.

This means that the marrow cleansing process has officially begun!

Although it is only a small, insignificant step, it is a crucial step from mortal body to spiritual body!

"With the continuous advancement of cultivation through the Dao Stele, the stimulation of transformation by the Marrow Essence Pill, and the replenishment of energy through the Qi-Boosting Soup... this path is viable!"

Lu Qingchen clenched his fist, a determined look appearing on his tired face.

......

It was already dark outside the window when Li Si, Wang Ming, and Sun Han returned one after another.

"Lu Qingchen, Elder Chen made the announcement today."

Li Si's face appeared particularly solemn under the dim oil lamp: "The second assessment will be held in ten days. All those who have not yet achieved Qi cultivation will have to undergo a comprehensive evaluation of their 'innate talent and progress'."

"This time... the bottom thirty will be eliminated directly and sent to the Service Peak, without waiting for the hundred-day period."

The air inside the room seemed to freeze instantly.