"Hmph, Junior Brother Xu, just give up! Unless you possess the talent of a Heavenly Spirit Root, or the Mutant or Pure Spirit Root, even with a True Spirit Root, it would be difficult to sense the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth within ten days, let alone condense True Qi."
Seeing this, Qian Xiu couldn't help but mock him again. "Besides, the Qi Refining Method you are cultivating is not even graded. If you can sense the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth within a month, you could already be considered a cultivation genius!"
While disposition is also a form of talent, for a cultivator, spiritual root talent is even more important, especially in the early stages of cultivation.
Cultivation relies first on spiritual roots, second on cultivation methods, third on medicinal pills, fourth on comprehension, and fifth on temperament.
In the early stages, spiritual roots, methods, and pills are paramount.
In the later stages, the higher the realm, the more one is plagued by inner demons and the more treacherous the path to immortality becomes; thus, comprehension and temperament surpass the previous three factors.
But even in a large sect like the Taixuan Sect, how many people really make it to the later stages?
Naturally, they focus on spiritual roots and cultivation methods.
In Qian Xiu's view, Xu Fēngnián lacked both spiritual roots and cultivation methods—what did it matter if his temperament was good?
If you cannot even cross the threshold, your temperament is effectively useless.
Furthermore, although Xu Fēngnián possessed the pills gifted by Elder Zhou of Lingfu Peak, pills cannot be consumed indiscriminately.
For a mortal to take an immortal pill, the only result is to be filled to death.
The pills bestowed by an Inner Sect Elder were absolutely not something a disciple without cultivation could consume.
"Junior Brother Xu, you have at most three more days. After three days, you will be thirsty to the point of wishing for death. When that time comes, you will surely yield and hand the pills over to me."
Qian Xiu sneered relentlessly.
Yet, Xu Fēngnián, inside the green light, could not hear Qian Xiu's voice at all.
At this moment, he had entered a strange state. He felt as if there were many little water-like fish swimming in every direction.
These fish were colorful; some were active, some calm, some darted to and fro like lightning, while others were as slow as crawling turtles...
"Are these the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth? Why are they so clear, unlike what is described in the Qi Refining Method?"
Xiǎo Fēngnián was astonished.
The Qi Refining Method only stated that when one senses the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth, one would vaguely feel invisible currents flowing between heaven and earth.
But what Xiǎo Fēngnián sensed were like tiny streams of water, and he could even clearly discern the difference between each droplet within those streams.
Although he did not understand why this was, he vaguely felt it must be a good thing.
"Next should be guiding the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth into the body..."
Xiǎo Fēngnián encouraged himself secretly, "Once the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth enters the body, I can refine it into True Qi. According to the Basic Methods of Talisman Dao, as long as my cultivation reaches the first level of the Qi Refining Stage, I will have a chance to craft a first-grade Fulu. I must be able to craft the Water-Gathering Talisman!"
"Only by crafting the Water-Gathering Talisman can I possibly force Senior Brother Qian to leave!"
Xiǎo Fēngnián began to guide the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth into his body according to the Qi Guiding Technique in the Qi Refining Method.
In an instant, Xu Fēngnián felt the swimming fish within a ten-foot radius of his body frantically converging toward him.
These fish seemed desperately trying to squeeze into his body, but could find no way in.
The Spirit Qi of heaven and earth wanted to bore into Xiǎo Fēngnián's body, but found no gate, instead making him endure the pain brought by the impact of the Spirit Qi.
A look of pain appeared on Xiǎo Fēngnián's face.
"What is happening? Could it be that he sensed the Spirit Qi so quickly and entered the Qi-guiding stage?"
Seeing the look of pain on Xu Fēngnián's face, Qian Xiu was filled with disbelief.
Only by sensing the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth can one perform the guiding of Qi into the body, and the process of doing so involves finding the 'Qi gate.' It requires using the Spirit Qi to constantly impact the body, which naturally would be extremely painful.
Although Qian Xiu had the talent of a Mixed Spirit Root—specifically Metal and Wood dual roots—his talent was considered relatively high among disciples with Mixed Spirit Roots.
When he began cultivating back then, it took him only eleven days to sense the Spirit Qi and guide it into his body, already counting him as a genius among Mixed Spirit Root disciples.
Yet Xu Fēngnián had only been running the Qi Refining Method for a quarter of an hour before sensing the Spirit Qi and starting the guiding process. How could this be possible?
"No, it must be that he erred while contemplating the Qi Refining Method, which is why he is in such pain. Otherwise, it is absolutely impossible to sense the Spirit Qi in just a quarter of an hour; even a genius with a Mutant Spirit Root couldn't have such comprehension!"
An Inner Sect elder once lectured at the Outer Sect, saying that the higher a disciple's comprehension, the faster they sense the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth when they first start cultivating.
In the Taixuan Sect, any disciple who can sense the Spirit Qi within one day is considered a genius in terms of comprehension.
Xu Fēngnián's firmness and steadiness, however, had already made Qian Xiu feel afraid.
He refused to believe that Xu Fēngnián's comprehension could rival the geniuses of the sect.
Sensing Spirit Qi in a quarter of an hour.
This was even more terrifying than the geniuses of the Inner Sect!
Qian Xiu outside the green light wore a grim expression, refusing to believe that a little country bumpkin could have astonishing comprehension.
Meanwhile, Xiǎo Fēngnián outside the green light kept enduring the pain of the Spirit Qi impact.
Fortunately, since he had been plagued by illness since childhood, he was long used to it, so he did not feel it was too unbearable.
After adapting for a quarter of an hour, Xiǎo Fēngnián gradually forgot the pain and began trying to guide the Spirit Qi into his body.
"The Qi Refining Method says that the higher the spiritual root talent, the easier it is to guide Qi into the body. The spiritual root is the channel between the human body and heaven and earth; the higher the talent, the wider the channel..."
Recalling the contents of the Qi Refining Method, Xiǎo Fēngnián tried inch by inch all over his body.
Half a day passed, and Xiǎo Fēngnián had already tested every part of his body from head to toe, yet he still could not find the location of the Qi gate.
"The Qi Refining Method clearly states that even without a spiritual root, mortals are still born of heaven and earth; there is always a square inch of flesh on the body that can connect with heaven and earth and guide Spirit Qi into the body. Why can't I find mine?"
Xiǎo Fēngnián was deeply puzzled and opened his eyes to examine his body.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the soles of his feet.
This was the only place he had not yet tried.
"Could it be here?"
Without hesitation, Xiǎo Fēngnián immediately resumed the Qi Refining Method.
"Found it!"
A few breaths later, Xiǎo Fēngnián was so happy he almost jumped up.
He felt a sensation of soreness and swelling coming from the soles of his feet.
A thin, tiny fish of Spirit Qi was moving at a very slow speed, drilling from his left sole into his body.
It took a full quarter of an hour for this strand of Spirit Qi of heaven and earth to enter his meridians.
Xiǎo Fēngnián dared not be careless and immediately used the Qi Refining Method to refine it.
Another quarter of an hour passed, and this strand of Spirit Qi of heaven and earth finally transformed into a strand of True Qi within his body!
"I did it!"
Xiǎo Fēngnián shouted in excitement.
This trace of True Qi meant he had finally stepped onto the real path of cultivation!
Although the process of absorbing Spirit Qi was very difficult and the speed of refining it was very slow.
Still, he had finally succeeded!
"Success? What success?"
A ferocious look appeared on Qian Xiu's face as he stared fixedly at Xu Fēngnián inside the green light.
However, Xiǎo Fēngnián did not lose focus and continued guiding Spirit Qi into his body to condense True Qi.
Two nights and one day passed like this. When the next morning arrived, Xiǎo Fēngnián's throat was dry, and his voice had become hoarse.
Having not had a drop of water for a full two nights and one day, how could a mortal like Xu Fēngnián, just starting his cultivation, endure it?
Moreover, what worried Xiǎo Fēngnián even more was that although he could now guide Spirit Qi into his body, after a day and night of practice, the True Qi in his body was only as thick as a single strand of hair.
"Without a spiritual root, the progress of cultivation is indeed very slow. According to the Qi Refining Method, to reach the first level of the Qi Refining Stage, the accumulated True Qi must be at least the size of a little finger. At my current speed, I fear it will take years to reach it."
Xiǎo Fēngnián put on a worried face.
The Basic Methods of Talisman Dao stated that one must at least reach the first level of the Qi Refining Stage to craft a first-grade Fulu.
Although Xiǎo Fēngnián had long known it would be difficult, he hadn't expected it to be this hard!
"I can only try the Qi-Nourishing Powder that Senior Brother Sòng gave me."
Reluctantly, he took out a small porcelain bottle and muttered to himself.
This porcelain bottle was the Qi-Nourishing Powder that Sòng Wúyī had given him back when they were at Xǔ Family Village.
At the time, Zhāng Sīmíng had mentioned that Qi-Nourishing Powder could allow disciples at the Qi Refining Stage to quickly improve their cultivation.
He had also said that the Qi-Nourishing Powder was extremely precious, something even he could not easily procure.
Zhāng Sīmíng was an Inner Sect Disciple; one can imagine the value of a pill that even he found difficult to obtain.
Although Xiǎo Fēngnián was reluctant, he had no other choice. He pulled out the stopper of the porcelain bottle and poured out some small blue pills.
These pellets were only the size of two or three grains of rice and exuded a faint fragrance. After just a single sniff, Xiǎo Fēngnián felt his spirit lift.
He could sense that each of these blue pills contained Spirit Qi of heaven and earth equal to more than a hundred of those tiny Spirit Qi fish.
Moreover, the Spirit Qi contained in the pills was even purer than that found in heaven and earth.
If he used the Qi-Nourishing Powder to cultivate, his cultivation would undoubtedly improve much faster.
Xu Fēngnián estimated that there were at least a hundred pellets in the bottle; if he refined them all, he might even reach the second level of the Qi Refining Stage.
However, right at this moment, Qian Xiu outside the green light suddenly screamed.
"Qi-Nourishing Powder! This is the Qi-Nourishing Powder that can only be crafted by alchemists of the Sòng family within the Taixuan Sect—Xu Fēngnián, how could you have such pills!"
Qian Xiu's eyes widened, his expression extremely excited.
His gaze stared greedily at the Qi-Nourishing Powder in Xu Fēngnián's hand, his voice rising by an octave.
Although he didn't know what pill Elder Zhōu Cháng had gifted to Xu Fēngnián, he was certain it was not Qi-Nourishing Powder.
Because the container Elder Zhōu Cháng gave Xu Fēngnián was a jade bottle, not a porcelain one.
Qian Xiu truly could not understand why Xu Fēngnián, a boy from a peasant background, could have been admitted to the Outer Sect as an exception and received pills bestowed by an Inner Sect Elder.
And now, Xu Fēngnián even possessed Qi-Nourishing Powder.
The reason Qi-Nourishing Powder was precious was not because of how much Spirit Qi of heaven and earth it contained, but because every strand of Spirit Qi it held was extremely pure.
For a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, the purer the Spirit Qi obtained, the faster one's cultivation improved.
Therefore, a tiny grain of Qi-Nourishing Powder was worth several spirit stones, and it was a case of having the price but no goods.
Qian Xiu had previously wanted to buy Qi-Nourishing Powder many times to break through cultivation bottlenecks, but he had no way to acquire it.
Seeing Xu Fēngnián take out a whole bottle, it was no wonder he was shocked.
At this moment, Xiǎo Fēngnián, naturally unaware of the value of the Qi-Nourishing Powder, didn't think much of it and swallowed a pill, then activated the Qi Refining Method to begin refining it.