Chapter 53: Proof of Cultivators Defying Heaven: Great Perfection of Qi Refining

Since embarking on the path of cultivation, Wang Ping has basically been cultivating alone, rarely interacting with others.

It was that year at Chiyan Peak when Chiyanzi casually offered a few pointers.

His ability to cultivate to this point is mainly thanks to his cultivation technique.

Whether it's the Azure Wood Longevity Technique or the Golden Body Technique, they share a common trait: simplicity.

So simple that it only requires a large amount of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy to clear the barriers.

In the world of cultivation, entry-level techniques are also called Qimeng Gongfa, which emphasizes simplicity.

The circulation route of the technique is not complicated, with few cultivation difficulties.

Wang Ping had not encountered any puzzling cultivation obstacles until the late stage of Qi Refining.

Now, to break through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, he must confront this issue.

Therefore, today's discussion among the myriad cultivators about their cultivation insights has benefited him greatly.

After hearing the cultivators impart the difficulties of breaking through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, Wang Ping realized his own approach to breakthrough was still somewhat rash.

If he does not understand these points, even taking pills that aid in breaking through bottlenecks will still result in flaws.

During this period, Wang Ping raised a question that had troubled him for a long time:

"Friends, do you know how many strands of spiritual energy can be refined during the Qi Refining stage? I've heard that one should extend the path to Great Perfection of Qi Refining as much as possible, but I don't understand: if one has already reached Great Perfection of Qi Refining, why is there still a path to walk? Shouldn't one be at the limit by now?"

Wang Ping thought the question was fairly simple, yet it left the cultivators present pondering for thirty breaths. In the end, Grand Master Ruru spoke up:

"Back then, I too had this doubt. Unable to resolve it, I once asked my master, who said: The numbers of heavenly gangs and earthly fiends, the major and minor celestial circuits, are the limits of heaven and earth. A cultivator's pursuit of the Dao is to go against heaven; how could one be confined by limits?"

Beside him, Tie Lanshan said:

"In the early stage, 108 strands of spiritual energy; in the middle stage, another 360 strands are condensed; in the late stage, on this base one can condense twice the amount of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy from the early and middle stages, namely 936 strands, totaling 1404 strands of spiritual energy! Friends, do you know why the late-stage Great Perfection of Qi Refining amounts to 1398 strands of spiritual energy?"

Wang Ping closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then hesitantly said:

"Being too perfect—could it be that heaven and earth do not allow it?"

At that moment, Zhang Zuo, the Alchemist Master, nodded with a smile and continued Tie Lanshan's words:

"Heaven and earth themselves are imperfect; how could they allow someone to surpass them in perfection? Thus, upon truly reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, six strands of spiritual energy are drawn away and dissipate in the six directions—up, down, east, west, south, north. Hence, the final remainder is 1398 strands of spiritual energy!"

Wang Ye snorted: "Even if heaven and earth forbid it, what then? Though humans are weak, there are those of great wisdom; our predecessors, under pressure, opened a minor realm above the late stage, which is the Great Perfection of Qi Refining—how magnificent!"

Zhang Zuo also spoke with fervent enthusiasm:

"This realm is the proof of us cultivators defying heaven in our practice; when you enter the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, you will find that each strand of spiritual energy condensed adds a measure of resistance."

"That is the obstruction of heavenly and earthly rules; it is said that when first clearing the path, one truly probes strand by strand, and the cultivators of that era faced far greater difficulties than we do now."

Wang Ping asked: "What period is that? Could it be antiquity?"

Zhang Zuo, the Alchemist Master, shook his head and said: "Who knows? But I believe it definitely predates antiquity, for this saying has been transmitted from the Upper Realm!"

As he spoke, Zhang Zuo pointed his left and right fingers toward the sky.

Wang Ping understood, realizing he was pointing to the Spirit Realm.

At this moment, Grand Master Ruru spoke again:

"Perhaps during the early, middle, and late three stages, practicing the Qimeng Gongfa is still feasible, but after breaking through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, the spiritual energy that the Qimeng Gongfa can mobilize is utterly unable to resist the endless heavenly and earthly obstruction!"

Tie Lanshan then said:

"Actually, the most important factor in the Great Perfection of Qi Refining is willpower; however, if one cultivates the Qimeng Gongfa, no matter how strong the will, it is useless—at best one merely stays in place. Basically, the techniques cultivated by those who can enter Foundation Establishment are of strong grade or higher."

Grand Master Ruru said: "I observe that, Blue Daoist friend, though your qi and blood are pure and thick, and your spiritual energy is refined, there is a faint sense of stagnation; surely your technique is not of high grade. With the auction imminent, many shops in the city have powerful techniques for sale! You may go select one or two."

Wang Ping nodded in thanks, claiming he already had a decision.

Besides discussing the matter of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining realm, they talked most about Foundation Establishment; among the eight cultivators present, aside from him and Wang Ye, all were at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining cultivation level.

Foundation Establishment is their foremost urgent matter.

Foundation Establishment Pills, the cultivator's condition, spiritual purity, the extent of qi and blood vigor, dantian capacity, as well as the crucial moment when spiritual energy condenses into liquid and mental power transforms into divine awareness—how to ensure no leakage?

The fellow cultivators exchanged insights; Wang Ping and Wang Ye could be said to have each gained a small opportunity.

This exchange continued straight into the deep night.

The cultivators, still feeling unsatisfied, departed and agreed to meet another day to surely try the tea brewed from rootless emerald-heart lotus.

After the cultivators left, Tie Lanshan directly tossed over a storage bag, saying:

"Blue Daoist friend! This is two thousand six hundred spirit stones, hahaha! You don't know—when I first took out the Black Blade, their envious expressions were... tsk tsk!"

Wang Ping laughed as he accepted it; today's discussion of insights benefited him greatly, and in fact not only him—Tie Lanshan and the other cultivators gained even more, so the two of them temporarily had nothing more to say.

Tie Lanshan led Wang Ping to a pavilion, then hurriedly departed; Wang Ping, habitually setting up a formation, immediately fell into contemplation.

The Great Perfection of Qi Refining is actually proof of cultivators defying heaven to seize life.

Technique, willpower, and abundant spiritual energy are the three key points for going further in the Great Perfection realm.

When technique and spiritual energy are roughly equal, willpower becomes the decisive factor.

So-called strong willpower is not merely strong mental energy; but a strong soul necessarily entails strong will.

He possesses refined spiritual liquid for spiritual energy, and Tie Lanshan gave him spirit pills; regarding willpower, he has the Refining Soul Heart Sutra to enhance the soul—even without undergoing transformation, his soul strength must surely be astonishing.

Of the three key points, he already possesses two; the remaining issue is the technique.

Wang Ping now has forty-two thousand spirit stones; adding his medium-grade magical artifacts and some miscellaneous items should yield about ten thousand more spirit stones. Furthermore, a top-grade magical artifact named Wu Ming should also fetch over ten thousand spirit stones, and a golden spear could sell for another twenty-five hundred spirit stones.

By then he would have sixty-five thousand spirit stones, but he must not pin his hopes on the Qingdi Changsheng Gong; he must seek another high-grade wood-system technique as a backup.

The night passed in silence; having pondered all night, Wang Ping opened his eyes at the first light of dawn.

Now, further cultivation no longer has any effect on him.

However, the minor details mentioned by Zhang Zuo, the Alchemist Master, yesterday regarding what to watch for when breaking through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, he still has many shortcomings.

Therefore, this night he repeatedly circulated his technique, striving to bring it to a perfect state; this work is clearly not something that can be fixed in a day or two.

Thus, as the sky faintly brightened, he ceased cultivation; today he intends to sell the items in his hand and then see whether there is a suitable wood-system technique.

Moreover, the materials needed to hatch the Flying Heaven Soul-devouring Butterfly—he only bought two stalks yesterday, plus talisman treasures, to be purchased together; afterward, he will enter seclusion again.

Qi Refining stage cultivators basically cultivate like this; only Wang Ping is more diligent.