Chapter 350: Eating Qi

"Master, what are calamity qi and misfortune qi?"

Liang Qu asked humbly.

Calamity qi and misfortune qi—judging by their names—seem related to crimson qi and the qi of withered trees reviving?

"The path of martial cultivation is divided into four gates and seven paths. Do you know how to enter the Entering Zhen Xiang Path, the bridge between upper and lower realms?"

"I do not know. Please, Master, enlighten me."

Liang Qu had not visited the academy in a long time, but he had never stopped learning, often borrowing books to catch up.

Yet the academy's library held countless volumes, and books on Masters and above were exceedingly rare; even the concept of True Art was introduced to him by Si Si Tianye and Si Si Shenfu.

Clearly, the imperial court was deliberately controlling the flow of information.

Fortunately.

Before Liang Qu stood a genuine Grand Master.

"To enter the Master realm and extend your life by three hundred years, the most crucial step is 'eating qi.'"

"What is 'eating qi'?"

The old monk turned his prayer beads: "The Huainan Honglie says: All terrain has east-west as latitude and north-south as longitude; mountains accumulate virtue, rivers accumulate punishment; high places give life, low places bring death; hills and mounds are yang, valleys are yin…"

"All phenomena correspond to their qi, all things respond to their kind. Thus the south has the herb of immortality, the north has ice that never melts, the east has the land of gentlemen, the west has corpses with shattered forms…"

"Those who eat leaves grow silk and become moths; those who eat flesh are brave and fierce; those who eat qi become divine, long-lived…"

The old monk recited a long passage, but Liang Qu did not understand its meaning.

The old monk glanced at him, then looked around the western wing room: "If you were to build a house, what would you need?"

Liang Qu answered without hesitation: "Money?"

"Be more specific."

"Hmm… wood? yellow clay? bricks and stone?"

"Qi is the wood, the yellow clay, the bricks and stone. A Master's divine power is a mansion of ten thousand halls."

"Once the house is built, it withstands wind and rain for three hundred years—this is the truth of extended life."

Liang Qu pondered.

The old monk continued: "The heavens and earth contain countless inexplicable phenomena; each phenomenon corresponds to a specific qi, all phenomena reflect their qi, all things respond to their kind. Disaster phenomena produce disaster qi, chaos phenomena produce chaotic qi."

Liang Qu thought of his own crimson qi and the qi of withered trees reviving.

Crimson qi originates from the three-day eclipse that occurs every twenty-two or twenty-three years.

One thread every ten days; Inside Ze Ding had collected two threads total, one of which Liang Qu combined with ten thousand water essence to earn the River Lord's second favor.

Whether the two-day eclipse on Bing Fire days can be collected remains unknown; it must be verified again next July or August.

The qi of withered trees reviving came from the entire Huazhu County's post-disaster reconstruction, regaining vibrant life from profound sorrow and despair.

The sources of both matched perfectly.

"Master, since all phenomena correspond to their qi and all things respond to their kind, does that mean everything in the world has qi?"

"Yes!"

The old monk's eyes shone with approval: "Everything in the world has qi, but most qi are useless to humans. Do you know the four difficulties of eating qi?"

"Four difficulties?"

The old monk explained in detail.

"First difficulty: finding it. Mountains, rivers, waters, and marshes all have qi, but their qi is like rotten wood and muddy sludge—useless for building. Only at special nodes can you find good timber and solid stone!"

"Second difficulty: collecting it. Qi is ethereal and hard to grasp; only with specific containers can you gather and store it!"

"Third difficulty: consuming it. Different qi require different 'mediums' to guide and refine them; otherwise, even if you see the qi, you cannot eat it!"

"Fourth difficulty: transforming it. Qi and the cultivator have compatibility; if incompatible, the house will leak!"

Huh…

Is eating qi really that hard?

Liang Qu fell into deep thought.

"In truth, most people say eating qi has five difficulties; the last is 'difficulty of inner peace.' I do not agree."

Liang Qu perked up: "I beg to hear your explanation."

"Qi has superior and inferior qualities. Superior qi builds superior houses. The world says superior qi makes entering the Wu Sheng realm easier—but this is wrong. Superior qi and inferior qi make no difference on the path to becoming a Wu Sheng!"

"No difference? Then why do people speak of 'difficulty of inner peace'?"

"I believe 'peace' should be changed to 'struggle.' You began from obscurity—you should understand this meaning."

Liang Qu thought for a moment and roughly understood.

It was the difference between advantage accumulation and disadvantage accumulation: one step ahead, always ahead; one step behind, always behind.

Compared to a high starting point, even with equal opportunities, those with low starting points remain at a disadvantage, and that disadvantage tends to widen.

Not just for Masters—since the moment one steps onto the martial path, accumulation has already begun.

Liang Qu had Yang Yang Dongxiong behind him; his cultivation methods and martial arts required no worry—they were all top-tier, requiring little time, energy, or resources.

But many, upon earning their first great merit, did not exchange it for heavenly treasures to advance; they exchanged it for a suitable cultivation method.

When the next opportunity arose, Liang Qu already had both method and heavenly treasures—naturally, he gained his second great merit more easily.

Third round, fourth round…

Years passed; the road grew emptier. Suddenly looking back, former companions had drifted far away.

"But Master, isn't the difference between them not so great? If inferior qi is harder to compete for, doesn't that mean it's harder to enter the Wu Sheng realm?"

"No." The old monk shook his head. "See mountains as mountains; see mountains not as mountains; see mountains again as mountains. You will understand later."

Seeing the old monk unwilling to elaborate, Liang Qu did not press further, steering the conversation back to its original topic.

"So calamity qi and misfortune qi must be generated by chaos and disaster? That's why the dam breach reminded you of them?"

"Precisely. The Snow Mountain Sect's Snow Mountain Domain differs from Great Shun. Though it is the source of the Two Rivers, it is mysterious and treacherous, with harsh living conditions—cold miasma blankets the land, wheat cannot take root, ordinary people struggle desperately."

"Thus, the beliefs born there are extremely primitive—neither human nor ghost. You have never witnessed it; you cannot imagine."

"Calamity qi and misfortune qi are precisely the superior qi most Snow Mountain Masters cultivate—terribly powerful…"

Liang Qu found it odd that the old monk spoke of belief generating attributes, but he paid it no mind.

"Master, could you elaborate on its power?"

The old monk clasped his hands: "The Master I slew—every thought and action he took led inevitably to the worst possible outcome for me."

Liang Qu was impressed but confused.

So, is this a form of controlling fortune?

Strange…

"What containers are used to collect calamity qi and misfortune qi? Can one container hold only one type of qi?"

"Depends on compatibility. For example, calamity qi and misfortune qi are similar and often stored in the same container. That evil monk from the Snow Mountains came specifically to gather calamity qi for his disciples. I saw him use a ritual bowl made from a skull, inlaid with gold, the bone translucent and luminous—remarkable indeed. I destroyed it afterward."

A skull?

Liang Qu felt a chill run down his scalp, as if something invisible had just brushed across his forehead.

After much discussion.

Liang Qu's understanding of qi deepened; he now knew different qi often had unique effects.

Crimson qi and the qi of withered trees reviving—these must be the very qi needed for the Master realm!

Inside Ze Ding is invincible!

The five difficulties others face, Liang Qu faced none—and he seemed to have no compatibility issues with storage?

Crimson qi and the qi of withered trees reviving—neither seemed to have compatibility; logically, Inside Ze Ding was water-based, yet it could even absorb crimson qi.

So perhaps the reason crimson qi was unusable was due to his own incompatibility?

As for what qi the old monk ate and what divine power he refined—

Liang Qu did not dare ask; the question was too private, like asking someone about their secret weapon.

After a long pause, Liang Qu changed the subject.

"Master, has the Weishi Method made progress?"

"Yes!"

The old monk pulled a stack of handwritten manuscripts from a drawer beneath the desk.

"The Eye Recognition Method and Nose Recognition Method are both here."