21: A jade futon, for quiet cultivation of the Dao mind.

Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, his True Essence had liquefied and his Spiritual Sense had surged; Li Muchen could clearly feel the leap in his own strength. Although that pool of Dantian Jade Liquid was small, it contained a majestic energy and pure essence far exceeding the previous mercury-like True Essence.

With a slight thought, his True Essence flowed as easily as his own limbs, casting consumption drastically decreased, and power doubled. The Purple Mansion was stable, and his Spiritual Sense coverage had reached thirty-five zhang, allowing for meticulous insight where even the finest details were visible.

Suppressing the slight agitation in his heart after the Breakthrough, he habitually calmed his mind, preparing to welcome his once-a-day sign-in. After his cultivation Breakthrough, the System's opportunities often changed, and he was already looking forward to it.

Sure enough, after he silently thought "Sign-in," the notification sound in his mind seemed a bit clearer than usual:

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the host for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage; the Opportunity Rank has increased!]

[Obtained a new Opportunity reward: Low Grade Magical Artifact · Cold Jade Heart-Condensing Meditation Cushion × 1]

As the notification sound faded, a faint green light flickered on the open ground next to the Bluestone Formation Base in the Main Hall, and an object appeared out of thin air.

It was a meditation cushion about two feet square. It was pale green all over, appearing like jade yet not jade, like stone yet not stone. The material was warm and delicate, feeling slightly cool to the touch.

The surface of the meditation cushion naturally formed elegant patterns like clouds and water, with a faint radiance flowing through them. Even more peculiar was that the cushion itself emitted a cool and tranquil aura. This aura was not bone-chillingly cold, but rather a refreshing sensation that could reach straight to the mind, dispersing heat and clearing one's thoughts.

Li Muchen picked it up; it felt warm, cool, and comfortable, with a moderate weight. As his Spiritual Sense swept over it, he could clearly perceive that the meditation cushion contained a gentle and stable intent of stillness, coolness, and condensation. The material itself seemed capable of spontaneously absorbing and storing trace amounts of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, transforming it into this tranquil and cool field.

[Cold Jade Heart-Condensing Meditation Cushion: Refined using Low Grade cold jade as the primary material, supplemented by spiritual materials such as heart-clearing grass and Mind-Concentrating Wood. It possesses the effects of weak spirit gathering, mind soothing, and resisting external interference from Heart Demons. Long-term meditation and cultivation upon it can help the practitioner stay calm and peaceful, improve the efficiency of entering meditation, and stabilize the mind. It also provides minor assistance in comprehending the Heavenly Dao and breaking through Bottlenecks.]

"Spirit gathering, mind soothing, resisting Heart Demons..." A look of joy flashed in Li Muchen's eyes. This cold jade meditation cushion was exactly the supplementary item he urgently needed!

After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, his True Essence had liquefied, and while his strength had greatly increased, the consumption and burden on his mind had also risen. Cultivating a high-grade technique like the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture required extremely high Heart-Nature and concentration. Especially the tempering of the Purple Mansion's Spiritual Sense; any carelessness could easily lead to distracting thoughts or even the birth of Heart Demons. Although he previously had the help of the heart-clearing grass's fragrance, it was ultimately an external object with limited effects.

This cold jade meditation cushion came with its own tranquil and cool field, which could directly assist in stabilizing the mind from an environmental level. The material's own absorption and transformation of Spiritual Qi could also slightly increase the Spiritual Qi concentration in the meditation area. Although it was far inferior to the Spirit Gathering Formation, the combination of the two would yield even better results.

Especially that effect of resisting external interference from Heart Demons; though it was only weak, it was already extremely rare. This meant that at critical points in his cultivation or when attempting to break through to higher Realms, this meditation cushion could provide him with an extra layer of protection specifically for his mind.

Furthermore, this was the second Magical Artifact he had obtained, and its grade was clearly defined as a Low Grade Magical Artifact. This gave him a clearer understanding of the System's reward levels.

He immediately placed the meditation cushion at the core position of the Spirit Gathering Formation in the Main Hall, which was atop the Bluestone Formation Base. Once the meditation cushion was set, its inherent cool and tranquil field naturally spread out, blending with the Spiritual Qi gathered by the Spirit Gathering Formation, the fragrance of the heart-clearing grass, and even the faint sandalwood scent that originally existed in the hall. Together, they formed an environment that was even more comfortable and conducive to entering meditation and cultivation.

Li Muchen sat cross-legged on the cold jade meditation cushion.

As soon as he sat down, he felt a warm and cool sensation enter his body from the cushion, quickly flowing through his limbs and bones and piercing straight into the Purple Mansion's Spiritual Platform. The slight mental fatigue from days of cultivation and Breakthroughs, along with the subtle agitation caused by the sudden surge in strength, were instantly smoothed away. His mind felt as if it were immersed in clear spring water, becoming exceptionally clear, tranquil, and focused.

He attempted to circulate the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture.

Once the Cultivation Technique was activated, the effects were immediate!

First was the speed of absorbing Spiritual Qi. The meditation cushion's weak spirit-gathering effect, combined with the Spirit Gathering Formation, made the Spiritual Qi concentration around him about five percent higher than usual. Do not look down on this five percent; over time, it would be a considerable improvement.

More importantly was the mental aspect. In the past, during cultivation, especially during long periods of meditation, it was inevitable that distracting thoughts would arise, requiring him to divert his attention to suppress them.

Now, under the shroud of the cold jade meditation cushion's cool field, those subtle distracting thoughts seemed to be isolated and faded by an invisible force, making them extremely difficult to sprout. His mind could more thoroughly sink into the circulation of the Cultivation Technique and the comprehension of heaven and earth, with efficiency increasing by at least twenty percent!

Moreover, when he guided the True Essence Jade Liquid to impact certain subtle meridian nodes or attempted to comprehend the more profound True Meaning of Returning to Origin within the technique, the mind-concentrating intent emitted by the meditation cushion seemed to turn into an invisible support, steadily holding his mind. This allowed him to explore and experiment more boldly and focusedly without having to worry too much about losing control of his mind.

After finishing one complete cycle, Li Muchen slowly withdrew his power, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

This Cold Jade Heart-Condensing Meditation Cushion was indeed a good thing! It seemed like a mere supplement, but its improvement to cultivation efficiency was all-encompassing. Especially in terms of mental tempering and comprehension, its value even exceeded several furnaces of qi nurturing pills.

"The System really provided timely help this time," Li Muchen thought to himself. After his cultivation Breakthrough, he precisely needed this kind of Magical Artifact that stabilized the mind and assisted in comprehension to consolidate his Realm and explore the path ahead.

He stood up, carefully moved the meditation cushion aside, and tried meditating in other positions. After leaving the range of the meditation cushion, that feeling of a clear mind and no distracting thoughts immediately weakened by more than half. It was evident that the cushion's effective range was limited, mainly concentrated on its surface and within three feet of its surroundings.

"It seems that for deep cultivation in the future, I must be on this meditation cushion." Li Muchen decided to make the cold jade meditation cushion the core auxiliary item for his daily cultivation.

Over the next few days, Li Muchen immersed himself in the new Realm of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. While consolidating his surging cultivation and becoming familiar with the characteristics of the True Essence Jade Liquid, he also used the cold jade meditation cushion to gain a deeper understanding of the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture, especially the mysteries of Returning to Origin Qi Refining and Nourishing the Spirit in the Purple Mansion.

After his True Essence liquefied, his ability to sense and absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi also strengthened. His Spiritual Sense could more clearly distinguish Spiritual Qi of different attributes, and he could even attempt preliminary "filtering" and "guiding," prioritizing the absorption of Spiritual Qi that was more compatible with his own Cultivation Technique's attributes, resulting in higher refinement efficiency.

He tried to dissolve a drop of True Essence Jade Liquid and cast Palm Thunder. He saw that the lightning was more condensed and brilliant white, the thunder sound was deeper and more powerful, and its power was nearly double what it was before! Moreover, the amount of True Essence Jade Liquid consumed was less than thirty percent more than when he previously cast a Palm Thunder of the same power! This meant his sustained combat capability and explosive power had both received a massive boost.

The auxiliary effects of the cold jade meditation cushion also became increasingly apparent. Sitting on it to Cultivate not only allowed him to enter meditation faster, but his comprehension of some obscure and difficult parts of the Cultivation Technique also seemed smoother. He even faintly felt that the Spiritual Sense in his Purple Mansion was growing slightly faster than usual under the nourishment of the cushion's "heart-condensing" aura.

Inside and outside the temple, everything was as usual. The ancient cypress tree was still full of vitality, the spirit well water vapor was clear and cool, the vegetables in the garden were nearing harvest, and the heart-clearing grass was growing well. The incense Power Of Will from down the mountain still gathered daily; though weak, it was continuous and faintly blended with his Dao Foundation and Luck.

However, Li Muchen did not relax his vigilance toward the outside world. His Spiritual Sense would habitually sweep over the surrounding mountains and forests every day. He could feel that those hidden prying eyes had not completely disappeared; they had only become more secretive, more like they were conducting some sort of long-term, long-distance monitoring.

Regarding this, he still maintained an attitude of "not taking the initiative, not refusing, and not getting deeply involved." As long as they did not cross the line, he would let them be.

His focus always remained on his own cultivation and the management of the temple.

Cultivation was the root, and this increasingly reviving Qingfeng Temple was his Foundation and Dao Field. With the assistance of the cold jade meditation cushion, he was even more full of confidence for the future.