Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improved Spirit Rice

Chapter 26 The Master's Shock

As the saying goes, great things come from small beginnings.

Zhao Cheng'an had already sensed that his spiritual energy had reached a peak half a month ago. Like a cup filled with water, it was finally overflowing.

With some preparation, he immediately calmed his mind and began to harness the surge of inspiration.

After a full half hour, the surging aura emanating from Zhao Cheng'an gradually stabilized and remained at a high level.

At this moment, his spirit seemed to be overflowing. The fatigue on his face and body vanished, and he was radiant, with an indescribable sense of grace in every gesture.

Zhao Cheng'an could clearly feel that the newly born spiritual energy was like a rushing river, circulating and growing stronger within his meridians. He felt as if he had inexhaustible strength and his whole body was relaxed.

boom!

Zhao Chengan tried throwing a punch forward.

He had never learned any boxing or martial arts before; this punch was entirely based on his instinct.

A loud bang suddenly echoed through the air. Two or three meters away, the curtains hanging on the other window were fluttering wildly, as if they were about to be torn apart.

"hiss……"

Zhao Chengan was also shocked by the power displayed by this punch.

To achieve such an effect from such a distance... In terms of physical attributes alone, he should now be roughly equivalent to a grandmaster from one of the seven kingdoms.

But those grandmasters, which one of them didn't train hard in the coldest and hottest winters, enduring countless life-or-death trials to reach this level? Zhao Cheng'an, on the other hand, has only been studying at the Imperial Academy for a year at most.

"This is the difference between immortals and mortals."

Zhao Cheng'an sighed inwardly.

But he soon realized that such a comparison was obviously somewhat shameless and there was nothing to be proud of.

"To go further on the path of spiritual practice, one must remain humble and cautious."

Zhao Cheng'an silently reminded himself.

For the next period of time, he first stabilized his cultivation level. Then he carefully experienced the changes that came with entering the Qi Refining stage and becoming a true cultivator.

First and foremost, there's the all-round improvement in physical fitness. This includes not only the obvious physical strength and five senses, but also a person's energy, temperament, brain processing speed, memory, and so on.

It was a complete transformation, bringing Zhao Cheng'an many surprises.

On the other hand, although his understanding of the *Yi Mu Chao Yang Jing* did not deepen, his cultivation speed increased. This is because spiritual energy has an enrichment effect, much like gravity.

This made Zhao Cheng'an more efficient in his breathing exercises.

"Besides that, there's another crucial change after entering the Qi Refining stage: you'll be able to start casting spells. I need to discuss this with the Master specifically."

"Another point is that I promised to help Master Qi take care of the sacred fields..."

Over the past six months, Qi Weizhao has treated Zhao Cheng'an quite well. He not only helped him explain many difficult problems in cultivation, but also allowed Zhao Cheng'an to take back valuable items such as the Qingwei Illumination Mirror and the Golden Silk Talisman Brush for his use.

Zhao Cheng'an still valued this friendship and was determined to keep his promise to Master Qi.

……

……

A day passed quickly, and Zhao Cheng'an's cultivation level stabilized completely.

Before he could report his breakthrough to Shen Yanshan, he learned from Lingwei that the Grand Master of Ceremonies had temporarily started teaching.

"That's perfect, it saves us the trouble of making a special trip to see him."

Zhao Cheng'an thought to himself.

He straightened his clothes and set off for Chisui Valley.

In Qiansui Valley, Xiang Yunyuan, Sun Fuli, Xu Baiheng and others were already waiting, but Chen Heng was nowhere to be seen.

Xiang Yunyuan was somewhat arrogant, and he stood alone next to a large rock.

Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng were chatting and laughing together.

After all, they had been together for over a year and had seen each other several times in and out of class. Zhao Cheng'an felt that Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng seemed to be getting quite close, as they always came to and from get out of class together.

"Could it be...?"

Zhao Cheng'an shook his head, extinguishing the last spark of gossip within him.

They were all young people around seventeen or eighteen years old, full of energy and vitality, and most cultivators were quite good-looking, so it was perfectly normal for them to take a liking to each other.

However, Zhao Cheng'an had lived two lives and was therefore more mature. Furthermore, he didn't have enough time for daily cultivation and study, so he wouldn't let such matters distract him. Even if he had some suspicions, he only expressed them with slight emotion.

When Sun Fuli saw Zhao Cheng'an, she stopped talking, walked towards him, and bowed respectfully.

Zhao Chengan returned the gift.

Sun Fuli's eyes flickered slightly, keeping everyone in suspense.

"Brother Zhao, do you know why the Master suddenly summoned us here today?"

"Oh?" Zhao Cheng'an raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Has something happened?"

Even Xiang Yunyuan, who was standing to the side, looked over.

Sun Fuli seemed to enjoy being watched, and her smile widened.

However, he didn't keep them in suspense any longer: "This is because..."

Just as he was about to speak, Shen Yanshan's voice came from inside the room.

"Alright, no need to sneak around asking. Although I'm old, my hearing is still excellent."

Unlike his usual serious demeanor, Shen Yanshan's voice carried a hint of laughter, suggesting he was in a good mood.

Sun Fuli gave an awkward laugh. Everyone's gaze turned to look ahead.

Shen Yanshan wore a purple robe. Behind him was Chen Heng, with a moon-white skirt, standing tall and straight, her eyebrows sharp and her eyes bright.

Compared to when we last met, her aura seemed sharper, like a sword drawn from its sheath. The light shining in her clear eyes made one afraid to meet her gaze.

Zhao Cheng'an's heart skipped a beat, and he had already guessed what had happened.

As expected, Shen Yanshan spoke up excitedly.

"Just a few days ago, Chen Heng broke through to the second level of Qi Refining. I plan to teach her a technique, so I asked you to come and take a look."

"You may not need the content of this lesson now, but it will be helpful for your future spiritual practice. At the same time, you should thank Chen for being willing to share her opportunity for individual learning with you."

Zhao Cheng'an thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

He and the others spoke at the same time: "Thank you, Master. Thank you, Student Chen."

"Alright, without further ado, let's begin today's lesson." Shen Yanshan clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"You have already obtained the cultivation techniques from me and learned about the runes within them. The principles of spells and cultivation techniques are the same; both are based on runes to achieve different effects."

"The difference lies in the fact that spells release spiritual energy through runes to injure enemies or defend oneself. Cultivation techniques, on the other hand, absorb external spiritual energy into one's body through runes."

Shen Yanshan continued.

"Chen Heng has a single-attribute metal spiritual root, and the technique taught to her is the Golden Needle Technique. This is a low-level metal-type attack spell, characterized by its strong penetrating power, low energy consumption, and fast casting speed."

"The Golden Needle Technique involves a total of four runes. They are the Condensing Gold Rune, which condenses scattered spiritual energy into a needle shape; the Sharp Edge Rune, which compresses the needle tip to make it sharp and piercing; the Armor Piercing Rune, which ensures that the golden needle will not disintegrate upon impact and enhances its lethality; and the Swiftness Rune, which increases flight speed."

"Of the four runes, apart from the Swift Movement Rune, which is a basic wind-attribute rune, the remaining three runes are all metal-attribute. Therefore, every cultivator with a metal-attribute spiritual root will basically learn a golden needle technique after entering the Qi Refining stage."

Shen Yanshan added.

"Even without a metal-attribute spiritual root, it doesn't mean you can't learn the corresponding spells. There will just be a difference in power and casting speed, but they can still be surprisingly effective in some special situations."

After a brief introduction to the basic concepts, Shen Yanshan personally demonstrated the spell.

As he formed a hand seal, a golden light instantly appeared at his fingertips. Then, with a flick of his finger, the golden light shot towards the giant boulder not far away at an extremely fast speed.

A muffled thud.

The rock was pierced through, and a large tree behind it swayed slightly.

"Wow..." Sun Fuli and the others exclaimed in surprise.

The rock was over a meter thick and made of relatively hard granite. This type of stone is usually used for foundations or to build city walls, yet it was pierced through directly, and so quickly that they didn't even have time to react.

If it happened during a fight, he would probably only have time to see a flash of golden light before he passed away.

Seeing the students' reactions, Shen Yanshan's face also showed a satisfied expression. Young people always need some stimulation to make better progress.

Shen Yanshan said, "If you have any questions, you can ask them directly."

Xu Baiheng usually gave Zhao Cheng'an the impression of being a rather shy girl. After hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand.

"Master, casting a spell requires condensing runes, but each time it takes a lot of time to condense them. Could this lead to situations where there isn't enough time to react in actual combat?"

Shen Yanshan then explained.

"That's a good question."

"It is true that you need to condense runes before casting a spell, which wastes time and makes it easy to be killed by your opponent during the casting process. But is there no way to solve this problem? The answer is no."

"After entering the Qi Refining stage, the spiritual energy refined within the body is called True Spirit, and these True Spirits are the key. Cultivators can use True Spirits to inscribe runes within their bodies, thereby achieving the effect of instantaneous spellcasting."

"For example, the Golden Needle Technique requires four runes. If you are at the fourth level of Qi Refining, you can inscribe all four runes into your body. When fighting, you only need to think about it to release the spell directly."

"Most spells have at least four runes. This is why there is such a huge difference between the mid-stage and early-stage Qi Refining. Only after reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining can one be confident of passing the Dao Court's practical test and striving to enter a Dao lineage of the first rank or above."

"However, some cultivators break down different spells and only inscribe the most crucial runes into their bodies, thereby achieving the effect of accelerating spell casting and diversifying their methods."

"In addition, in the early stages of Qi cultivation, it is highly recommended that you inscribe your true spirit into the spirit-gathering patterns on your cultivation technique. In this way, even while sitting, lying down, or walking, your cultivation will naturally increase."

Shen Yanshan's words were like a wake-up call, immediately making everyone realize the enormous changes that came with entering the Qi Refining stage.

They meditate and cultivate themselves every day, which not only consumes their mental energy, but they are not necessarily able to maintain a stable and efficient state.

Once Chen Heng breaks through to the second level of Qi Refining, all he needs to do is inscribe the runes on the cultivation technique with his own refined true spirit, and he can achieve the same level of efficient cultivation as them, 24 hours a day.

In other words, even if Chen Heng lies in bed and sleeps every day from now on, they will not be able to catch up in the next few years; the gap will only widen.

Realizing this, everyone showed a hint of sadness on their faces.

The path of cultivation is truly one where every step taken slowly leads to even more slow progress. It pales in comparison to a genius like Chen Heng.

Shen Yanshan observed everyone's expressions but didn't say anything. When his spiritual root was first discovered, he also believed he was the chosen one, but in the end, he accepted his ordinariness.

His gaze finally settled on Zhao Chengan.

Shen Yanshan frowned slightly and spoke.

"Zhao, were you learning about spiritual field cultivation from Master Qi before?"

"Um?"

Zhao Cheng'an was surprised when the teacher suddenly called his name.

He raised his head and nodded slightly: "Reporting to Master, I have indeed been learning some things from Master Qi recently."

Shen Yanshan said, "Maintaining a strong sense of curiosity is a good thing. But you should focus your energy on improving your cultivation now. Breaking through to the Qi Refining stage as soon as possible and achieving good results in the upcoming major exam to enter a proper lineage is the most important thing."

"Don't wait until you leave the Imperial Academy to regret how hard-won this opportunity was, understand?"

"I understand," Zhao Chengan nodded obediently.

Shen Yanshan nodded in satisfaction.

Zhao Cheng'an's talent among the five students at the Imperial Academy was second only to Chen Heng's, and his comprehension was also quite good, so he was quite valued by him.

Shen Yanshan was about to ask Zhao Chengan about his cultivation progress.

But after seeing the faint spiritual light emanating from his body, his expression suddenly froze.

His heart skipped a beat, and then an unbelievable thought surged into his mind, so much so that Shen Yanshan's face showed a rare expression of hesitation.

"you……"

In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to Zhao Cheng'an.

"They've already broken through to the Qi Refining stage?"

Zhao Cheng'an raised his head and answered in a calm tone.

"I report to Master that I only broke through to the next level two days ago. I haven't had a chance to inform you yet, so please forgive me."