The Breakthrough and the Trial of Fire

Lin Tian remained seated for three days and three nights, yet felt no hunger, for the air was remarkably rich in both moisture and nutrients.

Initially, his legs grew numb, but once his true qi circulated, all discomfort vanished without a trace.

Lin Tian was greatly astonished; though the cultivation method was profound, its efficacy seemed intrinsically linked to the world’s atmosphere. His body felt as if it were immersed in a nutrient-rich chamber, greedily absorbing sustenance.

A small ball of spiritual energy had already gathered in his Dantian. Recognizing the ample time and the exceptional cultivation environment, he simply sought out a secluded pile of rocks and continued his practice.

Seated cross-legged amidst the scattered boulders, shrouded by swirling mist, he knew that without a careful inspection, no one would ever discover his presence.

****

A month swiftly passed. Zhou Tao and others had searched for him, even reaching the mountaintop, but they had failed to find Lin Tian.

By this point, his Dantian was completely filled with spiritual energy; any further absorption would simply cause it to overflow. After two days of attempting to advance, he realized he could not progress further. He ceased his meditation, rising to descend towards the mountainside.

Upon returning to his dwelling, his first action was to retrieve his spatial pouch. He squeezed a wisp of spiritual energy onto his palm, using it to open the bag.

Inside, besides the ingots, were several blue stones and a few unknown herbs.

According to his books, this indicated that the Qi Gathering Art had reached a bottleneck, and a breakthrough required the aid of spiritual herbs or spirit stones.

“Spirit stones?”

Lin Tian picked up the scattered fragments on the ground, faintly sensing the spiritual power contained within them. They felt cool in his hand. With a thought, a surge of pure spiritual energy flowed from his palm into his Dantian.

His Dantian, which previously could hold no more spiritual energy, gradually became fully distended! Lin Tian rejoiced, picking up two more spirit stones and placing them on his Dantian, absorbing them completely.

A throbbing pain erupted in his abdomen. Too much spiritual energy had accumulated, and he couldn’t expel it all at once. He immediately stopped absorbing, clutching his lower Dantian with both hands.

He wanted to draw upon his spiritual energy to expel the excess, but any movement caused excruciating pain. His Grand Cycle continued to gather spiritual energy, forcing him to hold his breath and endure.

Just at this critical moment, his door was pushed open, and Luo Tao appeared, his face beaming with surprise.

“Yingkong, you’re back!”

However, as soon as he spoke, he saw Lin Tian clutching his lower abdomen with both hands, his feet constantly rubbing against the floor.

“Uh… I’m sorry.” Luo Tao retreated, his face flushed with embarrassment, and closed the door, having clearly misunderstood the situation.

Lin Tian paid no heed to anything else, gritting his teeth to stabilize the spiritual energy within his body.

Before long, his body vibrated slightly as the surge of spiritual energy burst through his meridians, flowing throughout his entire being.

The distending pain suddenly released, leaving his forehead beaded with sweat. Spiritual power permeated his entire body, replacing the previously sparse spiritual energy and flowing smoothly through his meridians. He knew this signified a breakthrough in his bottleneck.

His Dantian, fortified by the recent impact, became more robust, preventing spiritual energy from automatically leaking out.

He took a deep breath, waving his hands twice in the air. He felt the spiritual power within him resonate with the atmosphere, a subtle sensation whose purpose he couldn’t quite discern.

Glancing towards his door, he could sense Luo Tao still standing outside, as if he possessed an omniscient view, perceiving everything around him.

Rising, he opened the door. Luo Tao was startled at first, then found himself unable to utter a word.

“I was cultivating. Come in.”

“Cultivating?” Luo Tao wondered. What could one cultivate inside a room?

“Try this cultivation method.”

Luo Tao, looking perplexed, accepted the Qi Gathering Art and flipped through a couple of pages.

“A cultivation technique?”

“Yes, something like that.”

He saw that the first step alone required about three months of practice before one could even enter the first layer. His jaw dropped in astonishment.

“What kind of cultivation technique is this? Could it be that you’ve been practicing this all along?” Luo Tao memorized the first step, then closed the book.

“I’m about to go on a mission. I just came to tell you.”

Inner disciples were required to undertake an external mission each month. Lin Tian took two grenades from a box and handed them to Luo Tao.

“You know how to use these, right? Remove the safety, pull the pin, and it explodes in three seconds.”

Seeing the grenades, Luo Tao’s face lit up with joy. He had witnessed their power before and felt much more confident with them in hand.

After bidding farewell, he secured the grenades and jogged away.

Lin Tian continued to peruse the Qi Gathering Art, discovering that breaking through the first layer required the aid of Meridian-Refining Pills. Otherwise, it could lead to ruptured veins!

‘Hmph, why didn’t it say so earlier?’

Lin Tian secretly felt fortunate. He had consumed many herbs in the past, making his meridians sturdier than average, otherwise, he truly might not have survived. This time, he dared not overlook anything, reading the entire book thoroughly.

The Qi Gathering Art had a total of seven layers. He had only just broken through the first, and each subsequent layer grew increasingly difficult to cultivate.

He was more curious about the spells detailed further on: Fireball Art, Ice Condensing Art, Attraction Art, Body Strengthening Art, Spiritual Energy Shield…

These techniques required hand seals or incantations to assist the brain, consuming an immense amount of spiritual energy. Once mastered, they could be cast with a mere wave of the hand.

These were true spells! His scientific curiosity spurred him to practice immediately. Of course, he couldn’t practice here. He hung his spatial pouch on his waist and ran towards the mountaintop.

He had witnessed the Fireball Art once before; it was likely the kind the bandits had used, its power rivaling that of a grenade! Having just broken through, his internal spiritual energy was only at half capacity. He meditated, absorbing energy to maintain an optimal state.

After breaking through the first layer, his speed of spiritual energy absorption noticeably increased, with his pores expanding to absorb it. In just one day, his spiritual energy reached its peak.

He reviewed the key points of the Fireball Art. First, he formed hand seals, expelling spiritual energy from his palms.

A small, milky-white ball of spiritual energy appeared between his palms. Before he could proceed to the next step, this energy dissipated, merging with the air. It seemed he first needed to control the spiritual energy, keeping it from scattering in his hands.

Fortunately, his comprehension and mental fortitude far surpassed ordinary people. After roughly the time it took to eat a meal, he was able to expel spiritual energy from his body and keep it from scattering.

The next step involved incantations. Lin Tian recited strange, peculiar words, which felt like a signal transmitting to his brain, causing a slight itch in his prefrontal cortex, followed by a sensation of heat throughout his body.

“Gather!”

The final word was sharp and powerful. The spiritual energy within his body gushed out from his palms like a column of water, completely draining his reserves and coalescing into a single sphere.

His previously scorching body instantly turned icy cold. The spiritual energy between his palms suddenly contracted into a single point, then ignited in an instant, like gunpowder catching fire!

The intense heat left Lin Tian parched, and the surrounding mist abruptly dissipated by more than half.

This fireball was smaller than the old man’s. To launch it, he would need spiritual energy to propel it, but with only a trace left in his body, launching it was impossible. He held the fist-sized fireball in one hand and approached a small puddle, pushing the fireball into it.

With a sizzle, all the water instantly evaporated, yet the fireball remained unaffected. To further test its power, he found a hot spring several zhang wide. The moment the fireball entered the water, the entire pool began to boil, emitting copious amounts of steam.

The water level visibly receded, but the fireball’s power remained undiminished, still perfectly intact. He intended to try heating some rocks, but his spiritual energy was completely depleted, and the fireball consequently extinguished. To conjure another, he would have to wait for his spiritual energy to recover.

This was too troublesome. Lin Tian decided to prioritize practicing the Qi Gathering Art. Each breakthrough increased his stored spiritual energy, making it purer. However, practice required a significant amount of time. After some thought, he descended the mountain and headed to the Affairs Building.

****

Inside, a few outer disciples stood scattered, and upon seeing Lin Tian, they respectfully made way.

“Oh, young man, long time no see.”

“Elder, can I use Merit Points to offset missions?”

The elder chuckled heartily. “Of course, you can. One hundred Merit Points will cancel this month’s mandatory mission.”

The surrounding disciples, hearing this for the first time, cried out that it wasn’t worth it. Not only would they receive no income, but they would also have to pay so much. Unless it was an emergency, they would never make such a trade.

With three thousand three hundred Merit Points still in hand, Lin Tian immediately gave up three thousand, which would buy him two and a half years of time.

The elder was also greatly surprised. Although some people did use Merit Points to offset missions, it was always due to urgent matters. He would have no income during this period. What was he aiming for? He might as well convert his Merit Points into money and leave the sect.

Lin Tian had considered that idea, but the spiritual energy here was abundant, and with the cultivators visiting in a few months, he wanted to try his luck. Having a senior’s guidance was always better than fumbling on his own.

“Are you sure you want to exchange so much?”

The surrounding disciples were all dumbfounded. Three thousand Merit Points—they would have to toil for years to accumulate that much, enough to purchase inner disciple qualifications!”Can’t I exchange it?”

“Yes, yes, yes, of course you can.” When money was offered, there was no reason to refuse.