Burial Furnace

Zhang Yuan completely absorbed a high-grade spirit stone in just half an hour.

The amount of true essence in his dantian has increased several times compared to before!

He persevered and continued to absorb the second, third, and fourth coins.

After he completely absorbed the fourth high-grade spirit stone, the true essence in his dantian finally reached a critical point.

It was a very strange feeling.

It's as if his dantian is a bucket, and his true essence is the water in the bucket.

Now, the container is full, and not a single drop more can be added.

Zhang Yuan knew that it was a barrier at the first level of Qi Refining.

He was overjoyed and continued to circulate his energy.

The vital energy surged through the meridians, completing a grand circulation, repeatedly impacting that invisible bottleneck.

Once, twice, three times...

Each impact is like waves crashing against rocks; though the rocks remain unmoved, the waves never give up.

After eight cycles, he guided that surging true energy and once again slammed it into that invisible barrier.

"Click—"

A crisp cracking sound came from deep within his dantian.

That invisible barrier has finally shattered.

Zhang Yuan's body suddenly trembled, and an unprecedented sense of power erupted from his dantian, surging along his meridians to his limbs and bones.

Every cell in his body was cheering, rejoicing, and transforming.

Every meridian in his body is expanding, extending, and becoming more resilient.

Qi Refining Level 1!

Breakthrough!

Zhang Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.

The world had become completely different in his eyes.

The walls that were once blurry are now clearly visible, with every texture clearly visible.

Even the dust particles floating in the air became clearly visible to him, like tiny sprites dancing gracefully.

The chirping of insects outside the window, the barking of dogs in the distance, and even the sound of rats gnawing on wood all reached his ears clearly.

His sense of smell also became exceptionally sensitive, allowing him to detect various scents in the air—the fragrance of roses, the earthy smell of soil, the fumes wafting from the kitchen in the distance, and even the faint smell of sweat emanating from his own body.

He looked down at his hands.

The hands, which were originally dry and covered with age spots, are now smoother, although they are still old, and the wrinkles have faded considerably.

He walked up to the bronze mirror and examined it carefully.

The person in the mirror still had gray hair, but the wrinkles on their face had become much shallower.

His complexion became rosier, no longer that sallow, near-death color.

Most importantly, his eyes had changed—no longer the cloudy, dull eyes of before, but bright and clear, as if two small flames were dancing within them.

"I've finally broken through to the first level of Qi Refining..."

Zhang Yuan murmured to himself, his voice trembling slightly, choked with emotion, and filled with barely suppressed elation.

Zhang Yuan, a born waste with a useless meridian, a transmigrator who had been a coward for eighty years, finally embarked on the path of cultivation!

From this day forward, he was no longer a mortal.

He's a monk!

He clenched his fist, feeling the unprecedented power within his body, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.

That smile carried a hint of vicissitude, a touch of relief, and a dash of domineering pride.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room through the window paper, Zhang Yuan opened his eyes.

He slept exceptionally well that night.

It wasn't because the bed was soft, nor because the blankets were warm, but because—he was a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining!

He lifted the covers and was about to get up when he suddenly discovered something that made him blush with embarrassment.

How many years has this happened?

Since turning sixty, his sexual function had gradually declined, and after turning seventy, it had completely ceased, with no further activity.

Even the absurd night with Liu Ruxue a few days ago, he barely managed to complete the mission by risking his life.

But now, that youthful vigor that he once possessed has returned to him.

This means that his health has indeed improved.

It's not just about extending lifespan, but about fundamentally reversing aging.

He got out of bed, dressed, washed up quickly, pushed open the door, and walked into the yard.

The morning air was exceptionally fresh, carrying the scent of dew and earth.

The roses in the yard are in full bloom, with glistening dewdrops hanging on their petals, reflecting a rainbow of colors in the morning sun.

Zhang Yuan walked to the corner of the yard, where there were several bluestones piled up for stepping on, each weighing two or three hundred pounds.

He bent down, gripped the bottom of the stone with both hands, took a deep breath, and used his waist strength to pull himself up sharply.

He actually managed to lift that 300-pound bluestone steadily!

Although it was a bit strenuous and his arms were trembling slightly, he did manage to lift it up!

Zhang Yuan held the stone, stood there for a few breaths, then gently put it down and patted the dust off his hands.

"His strength is about three times that of an average person."

He then tried to concentrate his true energy into his fist and punched the jujube tree, which was as thick as a bowl, in the courtyard.

"Bang—"

With a muffled thud, the jujube tree shook violently, its branches and leaves rustling.

But only a faint white mark remained on the trunk, without even breaking the bark.

Zhang Yuan looked at his fist, then at the tree trunk, and shook his head helplessly.

Although true essence can be projected onto the body surface, extending approximately five inches beyond the skin, its offensive power is truly limited.

It might be enough to deal with ordinary people, but against a true cultivator, this power would probably not even be enough to tickle them.

"The road ahead is long," he reassured himself, then straightened his clothes and walked out of the shop.

Zhang Yuan walked slowly toward Old Man Xia's breakfast stall with his hands behind his back.

"Old Zhang is here!" Old Xia greeted him warmly.

"Same as always." Zhang Yuan sat down in his usual spot by the window.

Cuihua quickly came over with a steaming bowl of noodles.

"Grandpa Zhang, your noodles!" She gently placed the noodles on the table, then looked at Zhang Yuan curiously. "Wow, Grandpa Zhang, you look so healthy today, you seem several years younger!"

"Really?" Zhang Yuan touched his face, secretly pleased, but said modestly, "Maybe I slept well last night."

"That's more than just a little better." Old Man Xia also came over, his one eye scanning Zhang Yuan's face back and forth, clicking his tongue in amazement, "You old fellow, you didn't secretly eat some kind of magic pill, did you? Your complexion is as rosy as a young man's."

"There's no magic pill or elixir," Zhang Yuan said with a smile, waving his hand. "It's just that when you live a comfortable life, you naturally look younger."

After breakfast, Zhang Yuan did not stroll around the town as usual, but instead headed to the busiest street in the town center.

Zhang Yuan walked into a small bookstore.

The bookstore was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the smell of old paper and ink.

The four walls are lined with bookshelves, densely packed with all kinds of books and jade slips.

Behind the counter sat an elderly man with gray hair, wearing reading glasses, who was looking down and flipping through a yellowed ancient book.

"Boss, I'd like to buy a few jade slips containing low-level spells," Zhang Yuan said bluntly.

At the first level of Qi Refining, one can already learn and use some low-level spells.

He needs some practical magic to protect himself.

Even minor spells used for lighting, starting fires, or cleaning can significantly improve his quality of life.