Looking up at the cloudless sky, its color a deep azure, and down at the vibrant wild grass growing under her feet, Zhao Chun felt as if all things before her eyes had been infinitely magnified.
After breaking through to the first level of Qi Refinement, she only felt that her five senses had become more profound; there was nothing else particularly special. Just as Xun Xian had said, in the Early Qi Refining Stage, one's strength was not yet apparent and one's qi was insufficient, making one no different from an ordinary person.
At this time, one should solidify their foundation, accumulate deeply to release thinly, open the first meridian, and step into the second level of Qi Refinement in one go. The boundaries between the first, second, and third levels of Qi Refinement were clear. The distinction between the first and second levels was whether a meridian had been opened.
After all twelve meridians were cleared, if one then broke through the first single acupoint, it would be considered entering the third level. As for the Mid Qi Refining Stage, its prominent feature was the formation of a Heavenly Cycle within the body, but that was a matter for later.
Whether it was difficult to go from the first level to the second depended entirely on the width of one's own meridians. Those with fine and narrow meridians could clear them easily but would find later cultivation difficult.
Those with wide meridians, though finding it difficult to clear them, would have a cultivation speed far superior to the former in later stages. There were gains and losses; it was just how things were. Zhao Chun had just completed Guiding Qi into her body.
The urgent task now was to select a primary spiritual root to cultivate, transform the elemental spiritual qi, and begin opening her meridians. Her metal and fire elements were overwhelmingly strong, while her wood element was weak.
The choice was certainly between the first two, but while she had an idea in mind, she ran into difficulty when she actually tried to implement it. Xun Xian had taught that spiritual roots generate and conquer each other but do not merge. Cultivating them separately was a common method used by cultivators with multiple spiritual roots.
However, the metal and fire spiritual roots in Zhao Chun's body were intertwined, the two types of spiritual qi inseparable, which further suppressed the wood spiritual root, making it afraid to move. She intended to ask again during the next minor class, so for now, she could only cultivate both types of spiritual qi simultaneously.
About two or three days later, Zhou Pianran came looking for her and asked with a smile, "The day before yesterday, I heard that there's a place in the Outer Sect called the Hundred Treasures Market, which sells artifacts used by cultivators. Are you interested?" Zhao Chun's purse was empty, and she wasn't lacking anything, so she declined.
Seeing Zhou Pianran's longing expression, she advised, "If you want to go, you might as well wait for the senior sisters to have their day off. That way, someone can take you. Those places are crowded, and it's not safe to go alone."
She nodded in agreement, then said, "I've made no progress in my cultivation these past few days. I can't understand the books, and I can't remember the incantations you told me. I finally understand that I'm just not cut out for this.
I was thinking, instead of wasting my days, I might as well find something to do. So I went and asked Senior Sister Lian. From now on, I'll go with her to watch over the gardens at the Reed River.
At least I can save up some things to take home for my parents in the future."
"It's just that they said I'm too young and are only willing to pay half the salary."
Zhao Chun laughed at her, "How old are you to be going to work? They actually dare to hire you. I reckon they're giving you that half salary on account of Senior Sister's face."
The task Lian Jing had taken was at the Reed River, a tributary flowing from the upper reaches of the Heaven-Piercing River. The spiritual qi there was abundant and the soil was fertile, with a large number of medicinal herbs planted.
The entire supply of the True Spirit Sect's daily medicinal powders came from there, so it was highly valued by the sect. For Lian Jing to be able to bring Zhou Pianran in, her connections were evident. However, the work was tiring.
Zhou Pianran was young, and Zhao Chun was afraid she couldn't handle it. She herself, however, was confident, saying, "With Senior Sister looking after me, I'll be fine, don't you worry!" After that, everyone else left early and returned late, and the courtyard became quiet for a time.
Zhao Chun then completely immersed herself in cultivation, never leaving her room except to eat. By the time of the second minor class of the month, her ability to transform spiritual qi had become very proficient. This time, Xun Xian only briefly mentioned a few basics, with the entire focus on magical arts.
He admonished the disciples, "Practicing magical arts appropriately can improve your control over spiritual qi, but you must not learn too many or too varied techniques. Most of the magical arts you have access to are only very useful in the Early Qi Refining Stage.
If you indulge in such external objects and neglect your own cultivation, the loss will outweigh the gain." Zhao Chun thought to herself, this was like a tree. No matter how lush its branches and leaves, if its roots were shallow, it still wouldn't be able to withstand the wind.
However, if it didn't grow at all, it would also show signs of withering. She thought that she could go to the sect and choose one or two techniques to practice controlling her spiritual qi. When it came to the Q&A session, Xun Xian first addressed the third-level Qi Refinement disciples, then asked the second-level ones.
By the time it was Zhao Chun's turn, not much time was left.
"Teacher Xun, this disciple originally intended to practice the Spiritual Root Separation Cultivation Method, but my metal and fire elements are always difficult to separate. When one moves, the other immediately follows. May I ask what the reason for this is?"
Xun Xian's eyebrows raised slightly. After a moment of thought, he replied, "The separation cultivation method requires choosing the spiritual root with the strongest potential to cultivate. Logically, there should be a gap between spiritual roots.
A small difference is called equal potential, while a large one of seven or eight parts is called strong potential and weak potential. But in the vast sea of people, there are bound to be exceptions.
The sect's Annals of Wonders record that there was once a three-element spirit root disciple whose three types of spiritual roots were perfectly balanced, without the slightest difference. Your situation is likely similar."
"Then what choice should this disciple make?"
Xun Xian shook his head regretfully, "In the past, that three-element spirit root disciple had no choice but to practice three-element concurrent cultivation and ultimately stopped at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. You are better off than him; you can try two-element concurrent cultivation." So there was no solution.
Zhao Chun bowed in thanks and sat back in her seat. Pitying gazes were immediately cast her way from all around. When she had arrived today, her seat had been moved much further forward.
Although Zhao Chun wasn't the only one among the three-element spirit root disciples to have completed Guiding Qi into the body, being able to break through to the first level of Qi Refinement in the first month still made others look at her differently.
Someone let out a soft laugh, mocking, "I thought she was a real genius, who knew she was just a silver-like pewter spearhead!" Zhao Chun looked forward. The speaker was dressed in purple robes with a golden crown, his attire vastly different from the surrounding disciples.
He had a pair of upturned, triangular eyes filled with mirth. He sat only one row away from Zhao Chun, appearing to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Zhao Chun was not a weak person; her temperament was even somewhat stubborn.
She held clear loves and hates, and so she said coldly: "A gentleman is reserved in his speech; only a base little person speaks of right and wrong."
Hearing this, the person's eyebrows immediately shot up, and he was about to cause trouble when a disciple next to him quickly grabbed his sleeve and persuaded him, "Teacher Xun is still here!" His nostrils flared and his chest heaved up and down, but he didn't dare to actually stand up and let Xun Xian notice.
He could only stare daggers at Zhao Chun, wishing he could rush up and devour her flesh and blood. Zhao Chun was not afraid of him. In the Early Qi Refining Stage, the difference in strength was not large.
Besides, this person had dark circles under his eyes and was gaunt and bony; one look was enough to tell that his internal foundation was extremely hollow. When Instructor Zheng said her strength was insufficient, she was being compared to martial artists.
If she were to really fight with this kind of embroidered pillow, Zhao Chun would have to worry about breaking two or three of his bones with a single punch! Deciding to ignore him, she focused on her cultivation. Zhao Chun sat cross-legged and began her Tuna Breathing, remaining calm under the man-eating gaze.
The purple-clothed youth was so angry that smoke seemed to pour from his seven orifices. The moment Xun Xian left after the bell rang, he shaped his hands into claws and lunged for Zhao Chun's neck! Zhao Chun's brows furrowed tightly.
She clearly hadn't expected him to be so vicious towards a ten-year-old girl. She immediately turned sideways, supporting herself on the ground with one hand, and kicked her leg out towards his chest! The youth let out a miserable cry and fell backward, crashing into the desk of a nearby disciple.
Zhao Chun said coldly, "I was originally going to teach you a lesson and let you suffer some superficial pain, but who knew you could be so ruthless even to a child of tender age. Although the sect rules state that disciples must not fight without reason, I am breaking your ribs today entirely because you attacked first.
Even if the Law Enforcement Disciples come knocking, there are others here who witnessed it!" The corners of the mouths of the surrounding people twitched.
They indeed wouldn't bend the truth for a second-level Qi Refinement disciple, but seeing Zhao Chun send a person three heads taller than her flying with a single kick, and then calling herself a "child of tender age," was somewhat embarrassing for everyone.
(End of this chapter)