25: Chapter 25 The World of Cultivation (2)

When he was seventeen, an evil spirit haunted the town.

The young master of the Zhang family would wake up crying in terror every night, with strange, greenish-black handprints appearing on his body.

The immortal master they employed drew a few Talismans, but they were useless; instead, he got so scared that he ran away overnight.

The townspeople were in a state of panic.

Chen Fan took the initiative to approach Master Zhang.

He was not doing this to eliminate demons and defend the Dao, but for the potentially existing, more advanced cultivation Materials in the Zhang family's collection, or... a sum of money that would allow him to purchase the lowest-grade Medicinal Pill, "Qi Gathering Powder."

"You can exorcise evil spirits?"

Master Zhang looked at the youth before him, whose clothes were tattered but exceptionally clean, with a face full of disbelief.

"Allow this young one to try."

"If I fail, I won't take a single cent; if I succeed, I only need to borrow the books in your collection for three days, and ten taels of silver."

Chen Fan said calmly.

Master Zhang, treating a dead horse as a living one, agreed.

That night, Chen Fan kept watch outside the young master's room.

He had no offensive Spells, only the "Glimmer Spell" and a perception of Spiritual Qi that was sharper than an ordinary person's.

At midnight, a cold wind suddenly arose.

He indeed sensed a weak, chilly fluctuation of Spiritual Power coming from the direction of the old well in the backyard.

It was not a powerful ghost, but more like a wisp of remnant thought attached to something in the well due to resentment.

Chen Fan took a deep breath and walked to the edge of the well.

He mobilized all the meager Spiritual Power he had accumulated in his body over the past few days.

Mixing it with his strong will to survive and the Mental Energy honed from three years of bitter cultivation, he let out a low shout at the well mouth, while at the same time, the "Glimmer Spell" at his fingertips shone to the extreme!

There was no earth-shattering collision.

That chilly fluctuation of Spiritual Power, like thin mist illuminated by sunlight, struggled a few times before quietly dissipating.

A half-buried broken brick by the well, carved with blurry runes, cracked with a "click."

The evil spirit was removed.

Master Zhang was overjoyed; not only did he fulfill his promise, but he also gifted him some dry rations and old clothes.

Chen Fan soaked in the Zhang family's library for three days.

Although he didn't find any Cultivation Technique, he saw scattered records about "Spirit Stone veins," "low-grade Yao Beast Materials," and "Loose Cultivator markets" in a book of local unofficial history and miscellaneous talks, which greatly broadened his horizons.

He used all ten taels of silver to exchange for three portions of the lowest-quality "Qi Gathering Powder" when the gray-robed Loose Cultivator passed by again.

After the Qi Gathering Powder entered his stomach, it turned into a gentle stream of heat, equivalent to months of his bitter cultivation.

With the help of the medicinal power, he broke through the long-troubling Bottleneck in one go, and his Spiritual Qi was finally able to complete a full Small Heavenly Cycle circulation within his body, formally stepping into "Qi Refining Level 1"!

Although it was only the lowest level, it marked a qualitative change.

His total amount of Spiritual Qi increased, and his control over Spiritual Qi also became much more refined.

In the years that followed, Chen Fan struggled to survive among several nearby towns as a "Qi Refining Level 1 Loose Cultivator."

He helped people look at Feng Shui (by relying on sensing anomalies in Spiritual Qi), identified some low-grade Materials, and occasionally took on odd jobs using the "Cleaning Spell" and "Vision Spell."

He used the meager resources he earned to continue purchasing low-quality Medicinal Pills, never ceasing his bitter cultivation.

At twenty-eight, he broke through to Qi Refining Level 2.

At forty-two, he reached Qi Refining Level 3.

As expected, just as Liu Banxian said, the limit of his Five Elements mixed Spiritual Root seemed to be right before his eyes.

No matter how hard he tried, his cultivation could hardly advance an inch further.

His body, containing the Dao of Longevity, did not seem to directly increase his cultivation speed in this world.

However, it endowed him with patience far exceeding that of ordinary people, and precise control over his body.

This was perhaps one of the reasons why he was able to Cultivate to the third level with a mixed Spiritual Root.

He no longer obsessed over breaking through his Realm.

Instead, he delved into researching the techniques for utilizing Spiritual Power recorded in the book "Annotations on Small Heavenly Cycle Qi Circulation."

He also explored on his own how to attach his meager Spiritual Power to objects, creating "Dust-Repelling Talismans" and "Calming Talismans" with weak but lasting effects, which he sold to wealthy Mortals, making his life slightly more comfortable.

He also attempted to combine his understanding of the Martial Dao (from his original body's memories) with Spiritual Power.

Although his Spiritual Power was thin and could not support advanced Martial Skills, he actually created a method.

It was a technique that instantly infused a trace of Spiritual Power into specific parts of his limbs to burst out with brief power and speed, which saved his life in several conflicts with thugs and low-grade Yao Beasts.

At seventy-three, Chen Fan felt that his time was coming to an end.

His Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation, coupled with the depletion from his early years, could not extend his life by much.

He returned to that original dilapidated temple, which had already collapsed by more than half.

Sitting among the ruins, he looked back on his life: struggling to survive, with poor Aptitude, spending his whole life just lingering at the threshold of cultivation.

There were no miraculous encounters, no counterattacks, just a life so plain it was almost pale.

But he had no regrets.

In this life, he truly touched the existence of "Spiritual Qi," systematically went through the whole process from sensing to utilizing it, understood the essence and limitations of Spiritual Roots, and mastered the most basic Cultivation Technique and knowledge System.

These were exactly the "foundation" urgently needed by Li Changsheng's original world.

Rain fell, carrying the chill of late autumn.

Chen Fan (Li Changsheng) slowly closed his eyes, a faint, imperceptible sense of understanding on the corners of his mouth.

[Simulation Ended]

[Life Summary: Chen Fan, lived to seventy-three, Five Elements mixed Spiritual Root, relied on perseverance and Opportunity to step into Qi Refining Level 3, struggled to survive a lifetime in a low-magic cultivation world, laid a solid foundation of cognitive knowledge for Spiritual Qi cultivation.]

[Evaluation: Mid-B (Achieved cultivation Breakthrough under extreme disadvantages and established a systematic cognitive System, which is not easy).]

[Inheritable Options:]

[1. Small Heavenly Cycle Qi Induction Mantra and basic Spiritual Qi knowledge (includes a complete introductory System for Spiritual Qi sensing, guiding, refining, Small Heavenly Cycle circulation, basic Spell models, etc.)]

[2. Common knowledge of the low-magic cultivation world (includes Spiritual Root knowledge, basic Material identification, Loose Cultivator survival experience, simple Talisman making, etc.)]

[3. Experience in partial Spiritual Root tempering (a clumsy method for those with poor Aptitude, requires a long time, can slightly enhance affinity for Spiritual Qi of specific attributes)]

His consciousness returned to his original world, and Li Changsheng slowly opened his eyes in the secret chamber.

The memories belonging to Chen Fan's seventy-three-year life, especially that systematic, from-scratch cognitive knowledge of Spiritual Power cultivation, like a trickling stream, began to slowly and firmly fuse with his existing Martial Dao knowledge and the incomplete Spiritual Power samples obtained from the Blood Fiend Sect.

He raised his hand, his mind slightly moved.

This time, it was no longer a vague sense of Qi, but a clear "perception" of the free-roaming, extremely thin yet definitely existing energy in the air—Spiritual Qi.

Li Changsheng did not know if there were truly cultivators in this world; after all, the information he had obtained so far was still very little, and the area he was active in was not large.

Martial Dao cultivation, as it currently stood, was nearing its end.

And spiritual cultivation was a path with a higher ceiling.

It would provide more security for self-preservation or traveling the world.

Therefore, no matter what, with his talent of possessing the Dao of Longevity, cultivating Spiritual Power was the true broad road to success.

Although the concentration of Spiritual Qi in this Martial Dao world did not seem high, he had already grasped the "key" to sensing Spiritual Qi.

More importantly, he had obtained the most orthodox and fundamental introductory Cultivation Technique for Spiritual Power.

"Small Heavenly Cycle Qi Induction Mantra"!

As well as a whole set of underlying logic and common knowledge regarding Spiritual Power cultivation.

This was far safer and more reliable than the incomplete, evil techniques of the Blood Fiend Sect, and it was the cornerstone for him to truly step onto the great path of Spiritual Power cultivation.

"Spiritual Qi... Qi Induction... Small Heavenly Cycle..."

Li Changsheng muttered to himself, the light in his eyes gradually intensifying.

For the next simulation, perhaps he could try a higher-level Spiritual Power world.

And for now, he had to first utilize this foundation to prepare himself for the future.

Outside the window, in Qinghe Town, the morning light was faint.

And what Li Changsheng saw was already scenery from another dimension.