Chapter 30: Drawing Qi into the Body, Stepping into the Qi Refining Stage

So for that entire month, whenever Bai Chen had free time, he sought out Zhang Wenxuan to build their friendship.

Zhang Wenxuan had a slight streak of vanity, so Bai Chen played right into it — heaping on flattery and keeping the conversation going until Zhang Wenxuan was absolutely beaming with delight.

By now, the two of them could throw their arms around each other's shoulders and call each other brothers without a second thought.

At last, the cooldown had completed.

Zhang Wenxuan's Talent Trait — "Cultivation Efficiency Doubled" — was copied by Bai Chen during dinner that evening.

The moment he finished eating, Bai Chen hurried back to his small wooden cabin.

He took out the three Qi-Gathering Pills he had prepared beforehand and tossed them all into his mouth.

The medicinal power of the three pills instantly fused together, transforming into a torrent of Spiritual Energy several times more potent than anything he had experienced before, surging down through his throat.

He immediately closed his eyes, formed a hand seal, and turned his inner gaze toward his dantian.

The torrent of Spiritual Energy was still split apart by the apertures of his five-element Spiritual Root, each stream rushing toward its corresponding meridians.

But this time, with the "Cultivation Efficiency Doubled" Talent Trait active, the meridians that would normally require slow, patient saturation were filled rapidly with Spiritual Energy — the efficiency of absorption and refinement had multiplied several times over.

Five streams of Spiritual Energy flowed like five lively currents, circulating back and forth through his meridians.

The Spiritual Energy gradually wore away at the barriers, and eventually seeped slowly into his dantian, where the five streams intertwined and coiled together, forming a small spiraling vortex of Spiritual Energy.

Bai Chen felt a warm, suffusing glow spread through his entire body. With each breath, the five types of Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth actively converged toward him.

He lost track of how much time passed.

When the Spiritual Energy vortex within his dantian had fully solidified — the five streams balanced against one another, no longer scattered — Bai Chen snapped his eyes open, a faint gleam of light flashing through his gaze.

He had firmly stepped into the first level of the Qi Refining Stage, and right from the start, he was already nearly approaching the second level.

The three Qi-Gathering Pills and "Cultivation Efficiency Doubled" had done tremendous work!

He raised his arms and stretched his numb, stiff limbs, unable to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Though it had taken a full month to draw Qi into his body, he had immediately pushed close to the second level of the Qi Refining Stage — that was faster progress than most people could claim.

When he thought about it that way, his cultivation speed was no slower than someone with a three-element Spiritual Root.

In the midst of his elation, a loud, boisterous voice suddenly rang out from beyond the door.

"Brother Chen, you up yet? Did you manage to draw Qi into your body today?"

Fang He's amused voice followed right behind: "Zhou Shi, you're really persistent — asking every single day."

Only then did Bai Chen realize it was already morning.

He had been cultivating through the entire night.

Time truly passed without a sound when one was deep in cultivation.

Bai Chen got up and slid open the door bolt.

Outside, Zhou Shi and Fang He were craning their necks around the doorframe, while Zhang Wenxuan stood behind them, perfectly upright and composed.

Over the past month, because Bai Chen had been constantly visiting Zhang Wenxuan, Zhou Shi and Fang He had grown familiar with him too, and the four of them had been spending their days together.

The four had fallen into a routine: every morning they would head to the Dining Hall together for breakfast, then return to their individual cultivation, reconvening in the afternoon to chat, eat dinner, and head back to their rooms to cultivate again.

The day after Fang He successfully drew Qi into his body, Zhou Shi had managed it as well.

After getting to know Bai Chen better, Zhou Shi discovered he could take a joke, and so the daily question had become a running gag.

It had practically become a fixed routine.

The wooden door creaked open, and Zhou Shi grinned and asked again: "Brother Chen, have you drawn Qi into your body today — wait, huh?"

His eyes swept over Bai Chen's clear, bright complexion and the faint wisps of Spiritual Energy swirling around him, and his eyes went wide. "You drew Qi into your body?!"

Bai Chen smiled and gave a small nod. "By sheer luck — it took a whole month, but I've finally caught up with you all."

"Oh, this calls for a celebration!"

Zhou Shi was instantly overjoyed, throwing an arm around Bai Chen's shoulder.

"We absolutely have to celebrate! Come on, let's go to the Dining Hall — your brother is treating you to something good today!"

Bai Chen took the opportunity to place his order.

"Well, I won't hold back then — I don't ask for much, just four meat buns."

The Outer Sect Dining Hall provided meals free of charge.

But if you wanted anything extra, you had to spend contribution points to buy it.

Four meat buns cost 1 contribution point — not much on paper, but for Outer Sect Disciples who had just entered the Qi Refining Stage, it was already a fairly generous expenditure.

Bai Chen was only joking, of course. Among the four of them, he was actually the wealthiest right now.

Zhou Shi barely had any contribution points to his name, and Bai Chen had no intention of making him actually pay.

But Zhou Shi, without the slightest hesitation, slapped his chest and agreed on the spot: "No problem! It's just four meat buns — let's go!"

Fang He, watching from the side, sidled over with a grin: "Thanks, Brother Zhou — I'll take four as well."

Zhou Shi immediately spun around and glared at him. "Get lost! I'm only treating Brother Chen — who do you think you are?"

Fang He tilted his head back with a dramatic sigh. "Some people really hold a grudge. It's been a whole month and you still haven't let it go. With such a petty heart, how could you ever hope to seek immortality? Truly pitiable, truly lamentable."

"Oh, you—!"

Zhou Shi immediately launched a kick straight at Fang He's backside.

The two of them immediately broke into a scuffle, one chasing the other, while Bai Chen and Zhang Wenxuan followed behind, laughing heartily.

The group made their way to the Dining Hall amid laughter, banter, and playful roughhousing.

Bai Chen glanced over at Zhang Wenxuan walking beside him. Noticing that the Spiritual Energy around him was considerably denser than usual, he asked, "Wenxuan, judging by your Spiritual Energy fluctuations, could it be that you've already reached the second level of the Qi Refining Stage?"

Having been seen through by Bai Chen, a barely perceptible flash of self-satisfaction crossed Zhang Wenxuan's eyes.

But he quickly reined it in, clasping his hands together with a modest smile. "After parting with Brother Chen yesterday, I went back to cultivate and suddenly had a moment of insight. By early morning, I had broken through to the second level of the Qi Refining Stage — purely by luck."

Humble words, yet the smile at the corners of his mouth refused to be suppressed.

Zhou Shi, hearing this, perked right up again.

"Wenxuan, not bad at all! If you didn't say anything, who would ever guess you have a four-element Spiritual Root? Your cultivation progress is way faster than mine and Fang He's."

Fang He gave Zhou Shi's arm a swat. "Don't lump me in with you — I'm nearly at the peak of the first level, at least. You're the slowest one here."

Zhou Shi didn't feel the least bit embarrassed. He flexed his bicep and huffed, "I'm building a solid foundation before making my move. You wouldn't understand."

Bickering all the way, the group arrived at the Dining Hall.

The Hexu Sect's Outer Sect Dining Hall was a spacious, open-beamed wooden hall, with long tables and benches arranged in neat rows inside.

It was currently the breakfast hour, and nearly all the Outer Sect Disciples from the valley were present.

The Outer Sect Disciples' cultivation was still confined to the Qi Refining Stage — far from the Foundation Establishment Stage where one could practice Inedia.

Moreover, the contribution points they earned from menial chores day to day were meager at best, barely enough to exchange for some basic spirit herbs or low-grade talisman paper. No one was willing to spend them on Inedia Pills, so they all relied on the sect's Dining Hall for their daily meals.

The Dining Hall's breakfast was a free allotment provided uniformly by the sect — nothing lavish, but always enough to fill you up.

It was generally coarse rice porridge, accompanied by a few dishes of crisp pickled vegetables and cold-dressed greens — all ordinary fare.

For those who wanted something better, there were options.

Things like steamed buns filled with spiritual beast meat, white rice steamed from spirit grain, or dew-flower-braised spiritual fowl soup — all delicious and beneficial for the body and Spiritual Energy alike.

But these all required contribution points, and most Outer Sect Disciples were reluctant to spend them.

Today, however, Zhou Shi waved his hand grandly at the Dining Hall attendant and declared: "Four spiritual beast meat buns!"

Bai Chen quickly moved to stop him. "Don't buy them."

But Zhou Shi was magnanimous about it. "I said I'd treat you, so I'm treating you."

As he spoke, he transferred the contribution points and thrust the buns into Bai Chen's hands.

"Here!"

Seeing that he had already bought them, Bai Chen smiled and reached into his pouch, pulling out a bottle of lychee-flavored Inedia Pills and handing them to Zhou Shi.

"You treated me to buns, so I'm treating you to Inedia Pills. No refusing — or you can eat the buns yourself."