While the outside world was in turmoil, Zhao Chun entered closed-door cultivation, training hard to break through her realm. Many other cultivators had also heard the rumors and learned of the old grudge between the two sects.
The True Spirit Sect had previously relocated to the Secluded Valley in a sorry state, its strength greatly diminished, with only half of its disciples having been preserved. In a war between two sects, those with low cultivation bases were naturally in the most danger. For a time, everyone felt insecure, and rumors were rampant.
It was only after Li Su punished several people with a thunderous hand that things slowly quieted down. For this session of closed-door cultivation, Zhao Chun consumed the Scarlet-Crowned Sunflower obtained from the ruins of the Flaring Wind Sect.
Aided by the Lotus Heart Qi Harmonizing Pill gifted by Liu Xuan, the Metal and Fire Qi in her body only surged for a moment before being suppressed by the external Wood Qi, which then coursed towards her Dantian and meridians. The Scarlet-Crowned Sunflower was truly worthy of being a top-grade Mortal Rank spiritual medicine.
Zhao Chun cultivated for three months before she completely absorbed its medicinal properties and refined a mouthful of True Qi within her body, stepping into the seventh level of Qi Refining! The shackle between the middle and late stages was now broken. The cultivation that followed would only require the accumulation of True Qi.
Another nine months passed like this. After she had been in closed-door cultivation for a full year, half of the Qi in her body had been refined into True Qi, and she had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining! There were less than five months until the Hundred Sects Assembly.
At this time, Zhao Chun also had to start considering the matter of Foundation Establishment. In as short as a year, or as long as three, she would be able to touch the threshold of Foundation Establishment. The spiritual objects required to build the Spiritual Foundation were what she needed to seek out.
She cultivated both Metal and Fire. If she only sought one type of spiritual object, the two attributes would be unbalanced after Foundation Establishment, which would likely be harmful to her. This was also why most cultivators chose to cultivate a single spiritual root.
Cultivating multiple attributes meant that during Foundation Establishment, one had to find spiritual objects of various attributes to ensure the Spiritual Foundation was stable. Flipping through the Compendium of Spiritual Materials, she learned that among Fire-attribute spiritual objects, the most suitable for her was the Earthfire Ganoderma, which grew on the upper walls of underground lava caves.
Among Metal-attribute spiritual objects, it was a spiritual ore called Sunsky Jade; taking its ore core was optimal. If she were to undergo Foundation Establishment, she had to be like Meng Han and find the treasures most suited to her to build a superior Spiritual Foundation.
Although these two items were rare and hard to find, Zhao Chun was unwilling to give up. The only thing that comforted her was that the environments where they could be found were similar, both discoverable in the caves of the Eastern Region, so she would not have to run from east to west.
However, the current priority was the Hundred Sects Assembly. It would not be too late to venture out to train and search for the spiritual objects after it concluded. Although it was called closed-door cultivation, Qi Refining cultivators could not practice inedia.
For short periods, they needed to rely on Fasting Pills, but for long-term seclusion, relying solely on Fasting Pills was not feasible. They still needed to eat to replenish their blood and vitality. Therefore, closed-door cultivation during the Qi Refining Stage was not a complete seclusion isolated from the outside world.
She could still learn of major events within the sect through Cui Cui. For instance, Zhao Chun's nominal Chief Disciple, Li Su's head disciple Huo Zixun, had successfully broken through, becoming the True Spirit Sect's fifth Core Formation great cultivator. He was also granted the title of Elder.
For a time, Li Su's faction was unrivaled in the sect, presenting a scene of spectacular prosperity. Another matter was a message from Cui Lan'e. Lian Jing had defeated an official outer sect disciple in the Outer Sect Grand Competition and had now cast off her menial laborer status. This was truly a great joyous event!
Although there were many changes within the sect, they had no direct impact on Zhao Chun. When there were only a few days left until the Hundred Sects Assembly, Zhao Chun finally emerged from her seclusion.
At this time, eighty percent of the Qi in her body was True Qi, and she was not far from the ninth level of Qi Refining. Sect cultivators often stabilized themselves at the ninth level of Qi Refining and would not break through rashly.
Therefore, in the nearly year and a half she was in seclusion, among the twenty people going to the Hundred Sects Assembly, many had also broken through their realms, but none of those at the ninth level of Qi Refining were seen breaking through to Foundation Establishment. They suppressed their cultivation for two reasons. One was to solidify their foundation.
The second was that after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, they could no longer attend as Qi Refining disciples. They would have to compete with Foundation Establishment disciples, and only the victor could go. However, how could an early-stage Foundation Establishment disciple defeat a mid-stage, or even a late-stage disciple?
It was better to suppress the opportunity for a breakthrough and do it after the Hundred Sects Assembly. During the Grand Assembly, there would be duels between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators. Qi Refining cultivators were not yet worthy of the great sects' notice.
Among those going this time, Li Su and Qiu Jianying were both at the late stage of Core Formation. The former was already over a hundred years old and could not participate in the battles. Qiu Jianying, however, was within a hundred years of age and could compete.
The newly promoted Core Formation cultivator, Huo Zixun, was also on the list of participants. In addition, ten Foundation Establishment disciples would be participating. They were all elites selected from the Inner Sect, all late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples under fifty years of age.
Zhao Chun recognized Liu Xuan and Du Fanzhi among them. Even Jiang Yun stood in the ranks, holding her sword. After not seeing her for a year and a half, Zhao Chun had broken through from the sixth level to the eighth.
Among dual spiritual root cultivators, her speed was considered fast, especially since she was cultivating two attributes concurrently. The twenty Qi Refining disciples did not stand in their original order. In this period, they had each made progress.
Another battle would likely result in a huge change in rankings, so they simply arranged themselves randomly, each finding their own spot. Beside Zhao Chun was Fang Cairan, with whom she had spoken before. Although she was still at the ninth level of Qi Refining, the aura from her body was more profound and practiced.
It seemed her progress was good.
"This journey is to Tunqi Pond. It is in the far south of the Southern Region, one could say it is the extremity of the Drifting Clouds World."
Her eyes showed a great yearning.
"The Southern Region's foremost sect, the Perceptive Moon Sect; the holy land of talisman cultivation, Glorious Clarity Mountain; the Alchemical Terrace Sect; Windsea Tower... All the famous sects of the Southern Region will gather. Geniuses will emerge in droves. It is truly a grand event..."
The sects Fang Cairan mentioned had numerous Core Formation cultivators and several at the Profound Division stage within their ranks. The most powerful was the host, the Perceptive Moon Sect, which had a full thirteen Profound Division cultivators, ranking in the top three of the entire Drifting Clouds World!
There were even rumors that within such sects, there were experts above the Profound Division stage, which was something beyond their knowledge.
News had long spread throughout the Southern Region that the two most dazzling geniuses in this domain, Song Yikun of the Perceptive Moon Sect and Xue Yun of Glorious Clarity Mountain, had both stepped into the Core Formation stage at the age of nineteen, surpassing all others.
Before their breakthrough, they were known as invincible at the Foundation Establishment stage, suppressing everyone at previous Hundred Sects Assemblies. Only when facing each other could they use their full strength. Now that they had broken through to the Core Formation stage, they were bound to fight for a great name among the Core Formation cultivators.
"There's no need to pay much mind to those kinds of sects. The ones we really need to be wary of are others..."
Fang Cairan said with a solemn expression.
"The Yang Water Sect is also in the Southern Region. They will definitely come to the Hundred Sects Assembly this time. The two sects have a long-standing grudge. Since they could do something like assassinating our disciples, they probably have no moral bottom line whatsoever and might make a move against us. I heard from a senior brother in the sect that at past assemblies, there have been disciples who died for no reason. The reason three Core Formation cultivators are accompanying us this time is also for the sake of protecting the disciples."
Zhao Chun had also dealt with the Yang Water Sect before and had nearly lost her life at the hands of Tu Mian. She knew that this sect's Gu arts were bizarre and that they excelled at covert attacks. Hearing these words, her vigilance immediately rose.
(End of Chapter)