Having completed his Qi Cultivation, Wang Ping did not rush to end his practice. He continued circulating the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian, absorbing the natural essence of the world to replenish his famished body.
Fifteen minutes later, Wang Ping finally concluded his practice. The Spiritual Energy Vortex in his Dantian, however, continued to spin on its own, automatically absorbing the world's ambient qi to fortify his body.
He opened his eyes...
The total progress for the Qi Cultivation section on the glowing panel had reached (100/100)!
"Not bad. From now on, I won't have to brew you soup every morning." A faint smile touched Yu Cheng Taoist's lips. Wang Ping was not a man of many words; upon hearing this, he immediately bowed to Yu Cheng Taoist.
"Come, have a seat," Yu Cheng Taoist said, gesturing to the stone stool opposite him.
Wang Ping walked over and bowed again before sitting down. He then listened as Yu Cheng Taoist spoke, "You saw it last night. Their aptitude is lacking, their comprehension is poor, and they can't even manage basic Marrow Cleansing."
"I usually have you read the classics of various schools to help you understand worldly matters and their underlying principles. All matters and principles in the world are interconnected. Once the principles are clear, comprehension naturally follows. But even a Cultivator's energy is finite, so we only read to understand the principles within the books, not to cultivate the Dao they contain."
Just as Wang Ping was about to nod and say "Yes," Yu Cheng Taoist stopped him and continued, "With your talent, the subsequent Marrow Cleansing and Foundation Establishment will naturally be no problem. But there's no harm in improving it further. Yuan Zheng Taoist of the Upper Dan Sect owes me a favor. Take this letter, and he will help you improve your aptitude once!"
After speaking, Yu Cheng Taoist took out a letter and handed it to Wang Ping.
Wang Ping's heart skipped a beat, then began to race. He respectfully rose and accepted the letter with both hands. He then heard Yu Cheng Taoist add, "You'll be nineteen after the New Year, won't you? Although you possess innate wisdom, you have yet to see the world with your own eyes. Consider this journey a part of your cultivation."
"Before your aptitude is improved, do not perform Marrow Cleansing more than twice a day. You can experiment further after the improvement," Yu Cheng Taoist instructed. "Prepare to set out after the New Year. Before then, you can go spar a few rounds with your third senior brother so you won't be completely flustered if you encounter danger."
Yu Cheng Taoist had said more today than on all previous occasions combined. When he finished speaking, he stood up and formed a hand seal. In response to his Magic Formula, two Talismans materialized before him. "These two Talismans—one is an Armor Talisman, the other a Soldier Talisman—will ensure your safety on this journey."
With that, he sent the two Talismans into Wang Ping's body and returned to his room to meditate.
It was still nighttime.
Wang Ping returned to his own room. Sitting cross-legged, he processed Yu Cheng Taoist's words. He felt a little afraid of the upcoming journey, but also a little expectant.
Sensing Wang Ping's emotional fluctuations, Yu Lian poked her head out and nuzzled his finger.
After playing with Yu Lian for a moment, Wang Ping calmed his mind and recalled the Marrow Cleansing section of the Guiyuan Technique. A glowing panel then appeared:
[Guiyuan Technique (Marrow Cleansing Section): Use the Spiritual Qi converted from Qi Cultivation to scour the body from the inside out, increasing its affinity with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. There are no shortcuts for this step. Your aptitude is upper-mid grade. Persist with ten Marrow Cleansing sessions daily, and it can be completed in fifteen years. (Progress: 0/100, Daily Progress: 0/10)]
[Note 1: Do not exceed ten Marrow Cleansing sessions per day, or it will cause irreparable damage to the body.]
Wang Ping was stunned by the time requirement. 'Fifteen years just for Marrow Cleansing with an upper-mid grade aptitude! I'll be thirty-five in fifteen years, and then there's still Foundation Establishment, which will probably take even longer!'
'No wonder most who cultivate the Dao must sever their worldly ties. The Foundation Establishment stage alone could take decades—the entire lifetime of an ordinary mortal! And that's not even counting the time needed to practice Secret Techniques afterward.'
"What are you doing?" Yu Lian's voice echoed in his Spirit Sea.
Wang Ping snapped out of it. 'I'm already lucky enough,' he thought. 'My three senior brothers don't even qualify for Marrow Cleansing.'
Wang Ping gently stroked Yu Lian's head. Yu Lian immediately coiled around his finger, trying to dart out of his sleeve, but she shrank back after only revealing half of her body. She was truly afraid of the cold.
Wang Ping chuckled.
Amused by her antics, Wang Ping settled his mind and prepared for the first Marrow Cleansing of his life.
The Marrow Cleansing process was actually quite simple. It involved circulating the converted Spiritual Qi to flush every corner of his body, washing away the turbid qi and impurities accumulated from the mundane world.
It was extremely uncomfortable at first. Everywhere the Spiritual Qi passed, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain. The pain was especially pronounced when it reached his internal organs, as that was where most of the impurities and turbid qi had gathered—particularly in his stomach and intestines.
By the time he endured a single Marrow Cleansing session, Wang Ping was drenched in a cold sweat despite the dead of winter. When he opened his eyes, the sky outside was already bright.
"I'm hungry..."
It was Yu Lian, crying out in hunger again. She was completely different from other snakes; she had to eat at least twice a day, and her appetite was constantly growing.
After stepping out of his room to feed Yu Lian, Wang Ping looked up and saw Wang Kang hurrying over from a distance with a meal box. Upon reaching the courtyard and seeing Wang Ping, he immediately called out, "Senior Brother!"
Since Wang Ping hadn't been training in the mornings recently, the two were able to chat for a bit.
"There's an assessment in the Outer Sect today. Do you want to go watch?" Wang Kang asked, knowing Wang Ping hadn't been busy the last few days.
"I'll pass. It's more peaceful up here on the mountain," Wang Ping said, shaking his head. His status within Qianmu Temple was too high now; if he went to the front hall, a crowd would just flock around him.
The Outer Sect disciples only learned some body-strengthening martial arts, and the assessment was likely more of a written exam. Even a high score offered no chance of promotion to the Inner Sect. The primary requirement for entering the Inner Sect was showing the potential for Qi Cultivation. Furthermore, one's character and temperament had to be evaluated before they could be taught a Qi Cultivation Method.
Wang Ping had learned from Su Dun that the Qi Cultivation Technique other disciples practiced was called the "Five Elements Circulation Art." It was only a method for Qi Cultivation and lacked sections for Marrow Cleansing or Foundation Establishment.
After the two exchanged a few more words, Wang Kang glanced at Yu Cheng Taoist's room and tactfully took his leave.
Wang Ping called his master out to eat. Yu Cheng Taoist, who had long since achieved Fasting, did not refuse. Today, as Wang Ping took a bite of a steamed bun, he felt something different—it seemed to digest the instant it reached his stomach.
"Once you've passed the Qi Cultivation stage, food is no longer a necessity. In fact, every time you eat, you must immediately use Spiritual Qi to digest it, or it will leave turbid qi in your body. It's troublesome, but if you have the means, you should still make a point to eat something at every meal. If you don't, over time, you might even begin to doubt whether you're still human!"
Yu Cheng Taoist spoke with great seriousness, as if imparting an important warning to Wang Ping, but he didn't elaborate. Long accustomed to his master's personality, Wang Ping simply nodded and said, "Yes."
After breakfast, Wang Ping took out his iron sword and practiced the Qianmu Sword Technique for a while. Once he had roused his fighting spirit, he followed his master's instructions and went to the small Dao Field of his third senior brother, Mao Yulong.
Mao Yulong no longer looked as wretched as he had the previous night; he seemed his usual self. He readily accepted Wang Ping's invitation to spar and even offered him pointers several times during their match.
For the next ten-odd days, Wang Ping followed a routine: one Marrow Cleansing session in the morning, sparring with his third senior brother Mao Yulong before noon, and studying the books Yu Cheng Taoist had specially collected for him in the afternoon.
「The tenth day of the first lunar month.」
As Wang Ping stepped out of his room that morning, Yu Cheng Taoist, having just cast a divination, reminded him that it was time to depart.