68: Chapter 68 Qi Refining

If Ye Jing had any regrets after living in this world in a daze for so many years, the answer would be Cultivation!

Having no Spiritual Root was equivalent to a death sentence in the world of Cultivation.

Now that an opportunity for Cultivation was placed right before him, it would be impossible not to be excited.

Ye Jing took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down; he needed to understand whether this "Qi Induction Mantra" was suitable for him to leave for his descendants to Cultivate.

The "Qi Induction Mantra" was written in great detail and was easy to understand, allowing Mortals to practice it and step onto the path of Cultivation.

Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is scattered among mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, as well as the sun, moon, and stars; the Mortal body is like a dust-covered vessel, entangled with turbid Qi, making it difficult for Spiritual Qi to enter.

The "Qi Induction Mantra" teaches one to guide Qi into the body, using breathing techniques to cleanse turbid Qi, concentration techniques to draw in Spiritual Qi, and warming methods to integrate the Qi into the body.

Repeating these three steps is known as Qi Refining.

Ye Jing also understood that the "Qi Induction Mantra" mentioned different stages of Cultivation, and this Qi Refining Stage was merely the lowest level in the entire world of Cultivation.

Qi Refining is divided into ten levels; after reaching the Peak of Qi Refining, one can advance to higher stages such as Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. From Foundation Establishment onwards, each stage is divided into early, middle, and late phases.

The higher the Rank, the greater the gap, and naturally, the more difficult it is to Cultivate.

But this made Ye Jing think of the Blood Fiend Elder, who could control Corpse Persons and use bizarre Spells during the day; the rebel army he led had slaughtered an entire county!

If not for the three Essence Spirits assisting him and the protection of the Spiritual Artifact golden light bowl, he would likely have died long ago.

This made him sigh, realizing that even the lowest level of the Qi Refining Stage in the world of Cultivation was something beyond the reach of Mortals like them.

Therefore, compared to being a Martial Artist, Ye Jing felt that leading his Family onto the path of Cultivation was the only way to truly develop and strengthen the Ye Family.

Thinking of this, Ye Jing continued to study the "Qi Induction Mantra," only to see that the most important point for inducing Qi was that the practitioner must possess a Spiritual Root.

Those without a Spiritual Root cannot Cultivate; Ye Jing knew this.

With this in mind, Ye Jing flipped through the "Qi Induction Mantra" and saw a breathing technique written on it, which involved breathing in the surrounding Spiritual Qi to see if it could trigger resonance with the Spiritual Root within the body.

If one can resonate with the Spiritual Qi, they are a person with a Spiritual Root and can Cultivate.

Spiritual Roots are divided into the most basic Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. There are also the rarest mutated Spiritual Roots, such as Wind, Lightning, and Ice. Among them, a single Spiritual Root is the best, while dual and triple Spiritual Roots are inferior.

There is also the lowest-grade five-element Spiritual Root, also known as a mixed Spiritual Root.

There are also basic Qi Refining Spells, such as Fireball Spell, Lightning Summoning Spell, Water Control Spell, and so on, but they all rely on the Spiritual Root to be driven.

It seems that although this "Qi Induction Mantra" is so detailed, it only paves the way for those with Spiritual Roots.

Ye Jing tried to practice breathing according to the "Qi Induction Mantra" for a long time, but his body remained as still as stagnant water. He sighed helplessly: "As expected, without a Spiritual Root, I cannot Cultivate."

However, since it was written on the Immortal Willow that as long as there is a practitioner among the Family descendants, the Immortal Willow can be upgraded to grant Cultivation Aptitude, surely among so many of Ye Jing's descendants, he could find one with the Aptitude of a Spiritual Root?

Having made up his mind, Ye Jing called everyone in the Family to his side the next evening, even five- or six-year-old Ye Tianhui came.

He revealed the existence of the "Qi Induction Mantra" and his plan to have the Family embark on the path of Cultivation to his entire Family.

Upon hearing this, the whole Family was shocked and then fell into silence; some had eyes filled with longing, while others wore troubled expressions.

"Father, do you mean for us to step onto the path of Immortality?" Ye Yi was stunned.

Ye Jing nodded and said: "Yes, this 'Qi Induction Mantra' can allow our Ye Family to break free from the shackles of Mortals and truly strengthen our Family. The path of a Martial Artist, at its Peak, is nothing more than expanding territory."

"But in the end, one cannot escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. Only by Cultivating can we truly stand firm in this world. For the future of the Ye Family, this risk is worth taking!"

As soon as Ye Jing finished speaking, everyone in the Family held their breath for a moment.

The four words—birth, aging, sickness, and death—struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

The members of the Ye Family were all Mortals, and no one could refuse the path of Cultivation that offered eternal life.

After a moment of silence.

The Family looked at each other; they already had their answer.

The eldest son, Ye Xuan, spoke first, his voice trembling with unconcealable emotion: "Father, we are willing to follow you and try to Cultivate!"

Seeing this, Ye Jing felt a little relieved and immediately took out the transcribed breathing technique formula.

He read it to everyone word by word: "Inhale through the nose for three breaths, sink it into the Dantian, exhale turbid Qi through the mouth, repeat nine times, concentrate and perceive your entire body. If you feel your skin tingling and a warm current surging within your body, that means you have resonated with the Spiritual Qi."

After reading it, Ye Jing personally demonstrated the breathing rhythm, his breath long, steady, and as stable as a mountain.

Seeing this, the Family members also began to try the breathing method.

The "Qi Induction Mantra" stated that using the breathing method to perceive Spiritual power requires two to three days, during which one must not be disturbed and must breathe and blend with a calm heart and mind.

Therefore, Ye Jing decided to watch over his Family first, and as for the business and other matters, he would handle them on their behalf.

During this period, Ye Jing also went up the mountain to search for any remnants of the Red Lotus Cult in the Qinling Mountains, but the crows found nothing.

However, this did not make Ye Jing let down his guard. He exchanged letters with Guo Zhengning every day, wanting to know if the Emperor above would send people to wipe out the Red Lotus Cult members.

He was constantly vigilant about every move in the outside world.

Three days passed.

The first in the Ye Family to perceive the Spiritual Qi was actually the eldest son, Ye Xuan!

That day, Ye Jing was practicing swordplay in the courtyard when a deep, resonant voice suddenly appeared in his mind.

"The eldest son of the Ye Family, Ye Xuan, has guided Qi into his body, resonated with his Spiritual Root, and stepped onto the path of Immortality! Reward: 50 Immortal Light. You can spend 500 Immortal Light to upgrade the Immortal Willow!"

As soon as this message appeared, the sword in Ye Jing's hand slipped from his grasp.

At that time, the sky was just brightening, and the courtyard was still filled with the chill of morning dew.

Ye Xuan sat cross-legged in the room, having concentrated and breathed according to the breathing technique formula for nearly three days.

His originally tense brows relaxed slightly, and his fingertips trembled uncontrollably. Immediately, a weak yet clear warm current slowly rose from his Dantian and spread throughout his limbs and bones.

Even a fine tingling sensation appeared on his skin.

"Father! I... I felt it!" Ye Xuan opened his eyes suddenly, his eyes full of unbelievable ecstasy, and his voice trembling uncontrollably.

He got up and walked quickly to Ye Jing, who was guarding the side of the courtyard, and excitedly grabbed his father's arm: "Father! I can feel the Spiritual Qi!"

Ye Jing was also incredibly happy. A gratified smile blossomed on his face instantly, and his voice carried a hint of imperceptible choked emotion: "Good! Good! Worthy of being my eldest son! Xuaner, you succeeded! You can Cultivate!"

The commotion in the courtyard startled the other Family members who were practicing breathing inside the house. Everyone rushed out, and upon learning that Ye Xuan could already perceive Spiritual Qi, their faces showed both envy and a more determined resolve.

Ye Yi curiously leaned over to Ye Xuan, asking with a curious face: "Big Brother, what does that feeling actually feel like? Is it really magical?"

Ye Xuan smiled and nodded, describing in detail the strange sensations inside his body.

Ye Jing, listening from the side, did not forget to say with a chuckle: "Xuaner being able to be the first to perceive Spiritual Qi shows that his Spiritual Root Aptitude is good. Next, you should follow the method in the 'Qi Induction Mantra' and begin to formally guide Qi into your body!"

Ye Xuan bowed solemnly and said: "Father, rest assured, this child will certainly not let you down!"

With Ye Xuan as a successful precedent, the Ye Family members were even more motivated to Cultivate.

Over the next two days, good news came one after another.

Grandson Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao also successfully triggered resonance with Spiritual Qi.

Only the youngest, Ye Tianhui, had no reaction yet. The little guy was so anxious his eyes were red, and he obediently sat cross-legged and breathed every day, unwilling to slack off in the slightest.

Counting it up now, in the Family, Ye Xuan, Ye Tianhao, and Ye Tianyao all possessed the Aptitude for Cultivation.

As for Ye Yi, the two daughters-in-law, as well as the young Ye Tianhui, Ye Tianxue, and Ye Tianyao, there was no reaction to the Spiritual Qi in the subsequent breathing.