29: Successful induction of air

Wang Tiezhu had already given up on trying, huddled in a corner wrapped in a thin quilt, muttering, "This is too hard. Is this thing even meant for humans to practice?" before falling into a deep sleep.

Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on Li Qingfeng's forehead, and his body trembled slightly due to the prolonged rigidity and intense concentration of his will.

Once, twice, ten times... a hundred times... He couldn't feel any "Qi," only the exhaustion brought by the depletion of his mental energy and a faint, swelling pain in his Meridians.

But the stubbornness in his bones was completely ignited. The faces of his parents in Li Family Village, the bricks and tiles of the Qing Family's new house, his Fourth Brother's calm gaze... everything was supporting him.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but just as his spirit was about to scatter and his body had reached its limit of coldness and rigidity—

A strand, extremely faint yet carrying a metallic, cold, and sharp sensation of "Qi flow," was laboriously "chiseled" out at the end of the path guided by his will, without any warning!

This wisp of Qi flow was as weak as a candle in the wind, yet exceptionally condensed and sharp! Like a tiny, cold golden snake, it "bored" forward slowly and tenaciously along the path opened by his will!

Everywhere it passed, it brought a peculiar "scraping" sensation and a faint stinging pain, as if an invisible carving knife were truly sculpting inside his body.

Success!

Li Qingfeng snapped his eyes open, an astonishing light bursting from his weary eyes!

Although it was only a negligible wisp, this was indeed the Golden Qi of Heaven and Earth drawn by the Golden Halberd Spirit Induction Art!

He had succeeded!

Suppressing his wild joy, he cautiously used his will to guide this faint but incomparably sharp Golden Qi, completing an extremely difficult cycle within his body.

When this wisp of Golden Qi finally sank into the position of his lower abdomen (Lower Dantian), a faint warmth dispelled some of the cold, while an indescribable sharp aura quietly radiated from his body.

He looked at the metal bow on his lap and lightly brushed his fingers over the bowstring.

Buzz... The bowstring seemed to vibrate ever so slightly, as if responding to the newborn, kindred Golden Halberd Qi within his body.

The next day, at the Libing Platform.

The cold black stone ground reflected Iron Yama's even colder face.

The new Disciples held their respective weapons, nervously practicing the Qi induction art.

Li Qingfeng held his breath and focused, running the technique once more.

Though it was clumsy and slow, his will was firm, and his hands holding the weapon seal were steady and powerful.

A moment later, a faint but clearly visible pale gold Qi flow, like a substantive metallic thread, slowly exhaled and inhaled between his nose and mouth, circling his body with a faint, sharp whistling sound.

He had succeeded, and the Qi induction process was relatively stable!

"Hmph."

Iron Yama's gaze lingered on Li Qingfeng for a moment, and he gave a nearly imperceptible nod before coldly spitting out a single word:

"Pass."

Li Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxing, and only then did he notice Wang Tiezhu beside him.

Pillar was covered in sweat, his face flushed red, and his posture while holding the spear was somewhat deformed.

The Qi within his body was extremely disordered, and the Golden Qi he drew was intermittent, like golden cotton wool dancing in the wind, flickering and almost collapsing several times.

He tried hard to stabilize it, but the more anxious he became, the more chaotic it got.

"Unstable Qi induction! Five lashes!"

Iron Yama's cold voice sounded like a sentence.

Two older Disciples with steady auras stepped forward expressionlessly.

Wang Tiezhu's face turned white with fear, and before he could react, he was pinned to the ground.

"Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!"

A dark metal short whip whistled through the air and struck Wang Tiezhu's back with a vengeance!

That whip was clearly no ordinary item. After five lashes, the grey Disciple robes on Wang Tiezhu's back instantly tore open, and five bone-deep bloody gashes rolled out hideously, his flesh mangled!

"Ah—!"

Pillar let out a shrill scream, his body twitching violently, and his face was instantly covered in tears and snot.

Li Qingfeng's heart tightened suddenly, and his fists clenched tightly.

He looked at the horrific wounds on Pillar's back and then at Iron Yama's indifferent profile; a chill mixed with anger rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

This was the Immortal Sect! Cold and cruel!

The assessment ended, and the crowd dispersed.

Wang Tiezhu collapsed on the ground, gasping from the pain, without even the strength to stand up.

"Pillar! Hold on!"

Li Qingfeng immediately rushed over, carefully avoiding his wounds, and draped one of Pillar's arms over his own shoulder.

Pillar grimaced in pain, his entire weight pressing down on Li Qingfeng.

"Feng... Feng-zi... it hurts so much..."

Pillar's voice carried a hint of crying.

"Endure it!"

Li Qingfeng gritted his teeth, half-dragging and half-carrying Pillar toward the stone house.

He glanced at several older Disciples nearby who were watching the scene, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice sound steady:

"Senior Brother, may I ask where I can find some herbs to treat external wounds?"

An older Disciple who looked slightly more amiable glanced at them, appearing accustomed to such scenes. He casually fished a handful of dried leaves that emitted a pungent odor from a small leather pouch at his waist and tossed them over:

"Pick them yourself on the shaded side of the back mountain, or take contribution points to the General Affairs Hall to exchange for Golden Sore Ointment.

Chew this 'Ironwire Grass' and apply it; it's okay for stopping blood, though the pain is unavoidable."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Li Qingfeng caught the herbs, voiced his thanks, and without worrying about anything else, laboriously got Wang Tiezhu back to the cold stone house.

He carefully placed Pillar face-down on the cold stone bed, taking a sharp breath as he looked at the mangled, still-bleeding whip marks.

He picked up the dry, hard Ironwire Grass and stuffed it into his mouth to chew vigorously.

The bitter and spicy juice instantly filled his mouth, stinging so much that tears almost came to his eyes.

Enduring the nausea, he carefully applied the chewed herbal paste onto the wounds on Pillar's back.

"Hiss—! Ow! Gentler, gentler! It hurts so much!"

Pillar was in so much pain that he hammered the stone bed.

"Endure it! It'll be worse without the medicine!"

Li Qingfeng's hands didn't stop, but his tone carried a trace of anxiety and concern that even he didn't notice.

Once the herbal paste was applied, the bleeding slowly stopped, but the pungent smell and the waves of sharp pain from the wounds made Pillar groan incessantly.

After finishing with the wounds, Li Qingfeng was drenched in sweat from exhaustion.

He sat by the edge of the cold stone bed, looking at Pillar groaning on the bed, and remained silent for a moment.

"Pillar,"

he spoke, his voice low:

"When you're inducing Qi, don't just think about being afraid of that whip. Think about your spear, think about the feeling of thrusting it out. That Golden Halberd Spirit Induction Art is very domineering; you have to be tougher than it!"

"Your intent must be like the tip of your spear—accurate, steady, and fierce—nailed firmly onto the Qi Circulation route, don't let it wander! Last night, I just thought about my bow, thought about the force of drawing the bow and releasing the arrow, and only then did I manage to draw out a strand..."

Pillar's groaning softened. He turned his head and looked at Li Qingfeng with swollen eyes:

"Really? Just thinking about the spear works?"

"Yes! Concentrate and don't get distracted! Spiritual Qi and weapons are connected; the more you fear it, the more chaotic it becomes!" Li Qingfeng shared the insights he had puzzled out overnight without reservation. Though they were simple, they were derived from his own practice.

Pillar nodded as if he partially understood, a bit of unyielding ferocity appearing in his eyes:

"I get it! Tomorrow... tomorrow I'll definitely make it! Damn it, I can't have taken those five lashes for nothing!"

Seeing Pillar regain his fighting spirit, a weary smile finally appeared on Li Qingfeng's tense face. In that cold stone house, the two brothers—one lying down, one sitting—silently felt the burning pain of the wounds and that faint yet resilient Golden Halberd Qi within their bodies.