Chapter 21: Changchun Xing Qi, Li Huo Zhen Fa

For the next month, He Pingsheng lived through this monotonous routine.

Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, he cultivated.

He strained to guide spiritual energy from outside into his body.

Yet after a month, He Pingsheng still could not make the spiritual energy complete a single circuit through his meridians.

His eyes, bloodshot, stared blankly at the moonlight outside the window.

Is cultivating with the Five Elements really that difficult?

Earlier, Senior Hao Yun had said he achieved a full circuit of qi intake within half a month, breaking through to the first level of Qi Refining.

And those prodigies could do it in just two or three days!

Yet here I am, a full month gone.

Is the scripture wrong?

Pah…

He Pingsheng hurled the [Basic Breathing and Qi Absorption Method] onto the table.

Then he reached under the bed and pulled out the dark clay pot.

Throughout this past month, He Pingsheng had not abandoned experimentation—he used the pot daily to enhance objects.

Ten catties of rice became twenty, with superior quality.

But, as He Pingsheng had not imagined, the rice did not turn into spiritual rice.

After a month of trials, He Pingsheng had roughly grasped the Treasure Basin’s properties.

First, it could only increase quantity and strength.

It could not alter type.

For example, rice and spiritual rice are two distinct species, two entirely different things.

Thus, rice could not become spiritual rice.

Likewise, the axe had merely grown sharper—it had not transformed into a divine artifact wielded by immortals.

Then the question arose:

What should he enhance today?

He Pingsheng glanced around the room.

Over the past month, he had enhanced nearly every object his family owned.

Shovels, spoons, bowls—even his own pair of shoes.

Moonlight flowed like water.

Yet He Pingsheng’s gaze settled on the [Basic Breathing and Qi Absorption Method] on the table.

A bold thought suddenly surged in his mind: Could a scripture be enhanced?

Try it!

I’ve already memorized the first three levels; even if I ruin this, it doesn’t matter.

Pah…

Without hesitation, He Pingsheng tossed the book into the clay pot, producing a crisp sound.

Yet he held little hope that the Treasure Basin could enhance something as abstract as a book; soon after placing the pot back under the bed, he fell fast asleep.

The next morning, he awoke.

He Pingsheng rubbed his eyes, half-asleep, and reached out instinctively to pull the wooden basin from under the bed.

He looked: Hey… two books!

It had truly been enhanced.

His heart leapt to his throat; he eagerly pulled one book from the Treasure Basin.

Sssss…

This texture.

The previous book had been copied by Hao Yun.

Its feel was crude—just an ordinary paper notebook.

Now, the paper’s resilience was immediately apparent.

Holding it, He Pingsheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He noticed the scripture’s cover had changed.

Previously, it bore the words: [Basic Breathing and Qi Absorption Method].

Now, it read: [Changchun Xing Qi Jue].

Holy shit…

He Pingsheng’s breath quickened!

It changed!

The scripture had changed—no doubt, it had been enhanced from the [Basic Breathing and Qi Absorption Method].

Let’s see!

He opened the first page.

The first page had originally borne a name: Hao Yun.

Proof it was Hao Yun’s book.

Now, it bore only one character: Tian.

What did it mean?

He Pingsheng stared blankly at the [Tian] character, murmuring: “Could this book have been created by Heaven?”

Hmm…

That must be it.

As he spoke, he turned another page.

General Outline!

The General Outline stated this was a scripture suited for Wood-element spiritual roots.

Then came detailed cultivation methods for each level.

From Qi Refining Level One to Level Twelve.

And the content appeared far richer and more comprehensive than Hao Yun’s original.

For instance, the method for Qi Intake at Level One differed entirely from before.

Moreover, at the end, two Wood-element spells were appended.

He Pingsheng did not rush to cultivate.

He reached out and took the second book.

The title was different again.

This one was titled: [Li Huo Zhen Fa].

This…

A scripture of a different element.

He Pingsheng picked up this book and read it.

The first page, again, bore only one character: Tian.

Behind it was the General Outline.

The General Outline stated this was a Fire-element scripture, suited for cultivators with Fire-element spiritual roots.

Likewise, it contained the complete path from Qi Refining Level One to Level Twelve, with two Fire-element minor spells appended.

He Pingsheng took a deep breath.

Try it?

Which one?

His gaze settled on the Fire-element scripture: [Li Huo Zhen Fa].

Hmm…

Let’s try this one first.

He Pingsheng tidied away all other unused items and hid them under the bed.

Finally, he sat cross-legged on the bed, lifting up [Li Huo Zhen Fa].

First, memorize thoroughly, then understand.

Of course, he needed only to comprehend the General Outline and Level One.

This took He Pingsheng half the day; by the time he was ready to cultivate, it was noon.

After a simple meal, He Pingsheng began Qi Intake once more.

At this moment!

Spiritual energy from heaven and earth flowed slowly over his body’s surface.

The sensation became extraordinarily clear.

As the scripture stirred, Fire-element spiritual power coalesced and clung to He Pingsheng’s skin.

Then, guided by his will, these Fire-element energies entered his flesh through countless pores.

From flesh, into blood and muscle!

From blood and muscle, into his meridians!

But before entering the meridians, there is another barrier!

The spirit root!

The spiritual energy drawn from outside first enters the spirit root.

Only after exiting the spirit root does it reach the meridians.

He Pingsheng’s spirit root is a five-element spirit root!

As the fire spiritual energy he guided passed toward the spirit root, the four other elemental roots—metal, wood, water, and earth—automatically closed, leaving only the fire element open.

Although this stream of spiritual energy was extremely weak, it still consumed him a great deal of time passing through the spirit root.

Think of the spirit root as a pipe: if it is too narrow, it blocks the flow of spiritual energy, thereby reducing the efficiency of spiritual energy accumulation.

This is also the fundamental reason why five-element spirit roots are difficult to cultivate.

With a single-element spirit root, these problems would not exist.

Because a single-element spirit root is ten times thicker than He Pingsheng’s fire spirit root, the flow of spiritual energy through it is certainly much faster.

After passing through the spirit root, the spiritual energy is compressed once before entering the meridians.

Once it circulates a full cycle through the meridians, it is refined.

After refinement, it gathers in the dantian, and only then is the first level of Qi Refining achieved.