That unignited conflict on the mountain path, like a small stone thrown into a lake surface, its ripples dispersing, the surface quickly returned to calm. But Tang Xiaoqi knew in his heart that beneath this calm lurked unknown undercurrents. He more deeply appreciated his master's words about "holding a treasure invites guilt," and increasingly understood that only strength was the fundamental basis for dealing with all storms.
Returning to that familiar little courtyard, closing the wicker gate seemed to temporarily isolate outside disturbances as well. Xiaoqi didn't rush to immediately begin cultivation but first sat quietly for a while, slowly suppressing the slight displeasure and alertness from the daytime encounter until his mental lake returned to clear and pure.
Night deepened, moonlight pouring down like liquid silver, shrouding the little courtyard in clear radiance. Xiaoqi sat cross-legged on the stone stool in the courtyard that he normally used for eating, adjusting his breathing, letting himself enter a state of selflessness.
It was time.
He carefully took from his storage bag that jade box sealing the Vermilion Fruit. The moment the box lid opened, a rich, pure fruit fragrance carrying scorching life-force instantly permeated, even making the rabbit spirit napping by the medicine patch prick up its ears, its ruby-like eyes looking over curiously.
Inside the jade box, that dragon-eye-sized, completely crimson Vermilion Fruit lay quietly, its surface seeming to have flowing light rotating, containing astonishing spiritual power. This object was one of the main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills. For Qi Refining stage cultivators, direct consumption was a great waste, and might even damage meridians from overly violent spiritual power. But Xiaoqi had no choice—he needed to improve his strength quickly, and he believed the "Everlasting Spring Art's" gentle characteristics and the jade pendant's assistance could help him maximally absorb the medicinal power and reduce risk.
He no longer hesitated, picking up the Vermilion Fruit and putting it in his mouth. The fruit melted upon entering, transforming into a scorching torrent, like a river bursting its banks, surging violently into his four limbs and hundred bones! Intense burning pain instantly transmitted, meridians feeling as if they would burst, his skin surface flushing unnaturally.
Xiaoqi grunted, daring not the slightest neglect, immediately fully circulating the "Everlasting Spring Art."
Unlike the "Qi Drawing Art's" simple crudeness, the "Everlasting Spring Art's" spiritual power circulation route was more extended and complex, emphasizing silent nourishment. When that scorching, violent Vermilion Fruit spiritual power surged into the meridians, the originally gentle Everlasting Spring Art spiritual power didn't clash head-on but rather wound around it like flexible vines, guiding, dispersing, soothing. That balanced, peaceful, life-force-rich characteristic constantly nourished the somewhat damaged meridians from the violent medicinal power impact, alleviating the burning pain.
At the same time, the jade pendant on his chest again played a key role. A cool aura flowed from the jade pendant, merging into his meridians—not opposing the Vermilion Fruit's fiery spiritual power but acting like the best harmonizing agent, making that violent spiritual power become more tame and easier to absorb under the Everlasting Spring Art's guidance. Cool and warm intertwined, destruction and repair coexisted. Xiaoqi tightly guarded one point of clarity in his spiritual platform, fully guiding this massive energy along the "Everlasting Spring Art's" specific route for cyclic circulation.
One cycle, two cycles...
Sweat constantly seeped from his forehead, then was evaporated by his body's high temperature, forming a faint white vapor shrouding him. His body trembled slightly, teeth clenched, clearly enduring tremendous pain. But correspondingly, his internal spiritual power was increasing rapidly and his qi sea constantly expanding.
Who knows how much time passed, when the eastern horizon showed the belly of a fish, the surging spiritual power torrent within Xiaoqi finally gradually quieted, mostly refined and absorbed, with a small amount of residual impurities expelled through sweat. He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of essence in his pupils, then returning to restraint.
He carefully sensed the changes in himself. The qi sea had expanded nearly double from before, the spiritual power within abundant and surging. Though still liquid, it was more condensed and pure, already reaching the peak of the sixth layer of Qi Refining, only one step from late Qi Refining! Not only that, his meridians, under the Vermilion Fruit spiritual power's impact and the Everlasting Spring Art's repair, had also become broader and more resilient, and physical strength seemed enhanced as well.
More importantly, he felt his spirit and soul seemed to have been washed, more condensed, and his spiritual sense's perception range had expanded considerably. This was clearly the result of the Vermilion Fruit and "Everlasting Spring Art" working together.
"Success..." Xiaoqi let out a long breath, carrying exhaustion but even more joy. This risky consumption of the Vermilion Fruit, though the process was painful, the harvest far exceeded expectations.
In the days that followed, Xiaoqi's life became extremely regular and fulfilling.
During the day, he still went to the platform outside his master's cave dwelling to cultivate the "Everlasting Spring Art," consolidating his suddenly elevated cultivation. As his understanding of this technique deepened, he increasingly appreciated its profundity. Though this technique wasn't skilled in attack and progressed slowly, its spiritual power was balanced, peaceful, and rich in life force, with excellent effects for warming the physical body and stabilizing the spirit and soul. Each cultivation session was like a washing and nourishing of body and mind, making his mental state peaceful, with no distracting thoughts arising. Even his understanding of that "Basic Purification Technique" seemed to become clearer and deeper in this state of "stillness" and "life." The jade pendant on his chest continuously emitted warmth during cultivation, blending perfectly with the Everlasting Spring Art's life-force spiritual power, mutually promoting.
At night, in his own little courtyard, he conducted various basic cultivations. He hadn't abandoned that basic sword technique but practiced even more diligently. After his cultivation improved, employing the sword technique again felt different—the sword wind was sharper, footwork more agile. He knew that before finding a more suitable attack spell, this basic sword technique and that sturdy frying pan remained his primary means of confronting enemies.
Additionally, he began trying to cultivate the "heart-refining" method mentioned in that "Miscellaneous Discussions on Artifact Refining." Of course, not truly refining artifacts but following the concept described in the book of "communicating with mind and spirit, warming and nourishing with spiritual power." Each day during cultivation breaks, he diverted a thread of mind and a wisp of gentle Everlasting Spring Art spiritual power, slowly channeling into that frying pan.
Initially, the frying pan had no reaction, still cold and silent. But Xiaoqi wasn't discouraged, day after day, persisting unremittingly. Gradually, he sensed that an extremely weak, hard-to-describe connection seemed established between himself and this pan. When holding the handle, he could more clearly feel every texture of the pan body, even vaguely perceiving that hidden deep within, a trace of if-there-or-not spirituality. This change was extremely minute—if not for his enhanced spiritual sense and intent feeling, almost undetectable.
The rabbit spirit still frequently invited itself, sometimes bringing what appeared ordinary but actually slightly beneficial herbs or glittering stones for low-level cultivators, placing them at Xiaoqi's door, then looking longingly at the food cooking in his pan. Xiaoqi also got used to its presence, always leaving it a portion of light food without spiritual energy. This one person and one rabbit formed a wonderful tacit understanding in this little courtyard.
Cultivation steadily consolidated at the sixth layer peak of Qi Refining, the "Everlasting Spring Art" increasingly proficient, initial understanding of "heart-refining," and the connection with the frying pan seemed to be deepening... Xiaoqi could clearly feel himself steadily advancing on a correct path.
However, he also didn't completely relax vigilance. He vaguely sensed that feeling of being watched hadn't completely disappeared but had become more hidden. Other disciples encountered on mountain paths, though no longer openly provocative, some probing gazes hidden beneath smiles still made him feel like needles in his back.
He knew this peace was only surface appearance. Undercurrents still surged, only temporarily lurking deeper. And all he could do was in this brief tranquility before the possible storm, desperately accumulating power, making his little boat more resilient, sufficient to face the future's monstrous waves.
Under moonlight, Xiaoqi slowly waved the wooden sword, sword light blending with moon radiance, his figure determined and persistent. His Dao path had only just begun.