Cultivation begins with earning spirit stones

Chapter 53 Returning to Shangqing

"boom!"

The giant sword struck the rock-armored bear, sending stone chips flying. The bear let out a miserable cry, its massive body being thrown back several feet, rolling on the ground and crashing into several large trees.

But it was not seriously injured. It struggled to its feet, its eyes gleaming with even greater ferocity.

Zhang Lin raised an eyebrow slightly.

This beast's defenses are indeed impressive.

The Rock Armored Bear roared, opened its blood-red maw, and a beam of earth-yellow light shot out from its mouth, heading straight for Zhang Lin.

Zhang Lin's figure swayed, and he activated the Wind Control Technique, his whole body like a falling leaf, lightly flashing past the pillar of light.

The beam of light slammed into the rock wall behind them, blasting a large crater and sending debris flying everywhere.

Zhang Lin raised his hand, and a stream of emerald green spiritual energy surged from his palm.

Wood Vine Technique - Thorns.

The ground cracked open, and dozens of thumb-thick vines burst forth from the soil, wrapping around the rock-armored bear's limbs.

The poisonous thorns on the vines pierced the gaps in the scales, and the toxins seeped in through the wounds, causing the rock bear to slow its movements slightly.

It roared and struggled, tearing the vines off one by one.

But what Zhang Lin wanted was this momentary delay.

He raised his hand, and the Azure Gang Sword was drawn.

The sword transformed into a streak of azure light, moving at incredible speed, silently cutting through the air, aiming directly for the Rock Armor Bear's eyes.

Sensing danger, the rock bear turned its head to avoid it.

But the speed of the Azure Gang Sword was too fast.

"puff--"

The sword tip pierced his left eye, and blood spurted out.

The rock-armored bear let out a shrill scream, its massive body tumbling wildly, crushing the surrounding trees to dust.

Zhang Lin remained calm, his right hand forming a hand seal. He stirred the Azure Gang Sword within the Rock Armor Bear's eye socket, causing the runes on the sword to light up and unleash a burst of sword energy.

"boom!"

The rock-armored bear's head exploded, splattering red and white matter everywhere.

Its massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

Zhang Lin sheathed his Azure Gang Sword and walked to the corpse of the Rock Armor Bear.

This beast is a treasure trove.

Animal hides can be used to forge weapons, animal cores can be used to refine elixirs, and bear paws and bear gallbladders are all valuable items.

He took out a dagger and skillfully peeled off the skin, removed the bones, and took out the pit.

Before long, a yellowish-brown beast core was in his hand.

The beast core was about the size of a fist, its spiritual light was restrained, and it faintly fluctuated with earth-type spiritual power.

Zhang Lin put the beast core into his storage bag, and then carefully put away the scales, bear paws, and bear gallbladders.

After cleaning up the battlefield, he returned to the cave and sat down cross-legged again.

This battle lasted no more than ten breaths.

The trapping formations they had set up were not even used. Relying solely on third-tier spells and superior-grade flying swords, they skillfully overcame brute force and ended the battle effortlessly.

This is the result of his forty-five days of cultivation.

His proficiency with spells has greatly increased, and he can now cast third-tier spells instantly without needing to perform hand seals or chant incantations.

Zhang Lin closed his eyes and continued his cultivation.

The sixtieth day.

Zhang Lin sat cross-legged beside the spiritual spring, and the liquid true qi in his dantian had increased to seventy-two drops.

Seventy-two drops of liquid true energy were arranged in the dantian, like a rotating galaxy cluster, sparkling with spiritual light, a sight to behold.

He took a deep breath, circulated his internal energy, and guided his true energy to converge at the core of his dantian.

The seventy-third drop, liquid true energy condenses at the core.

Just as it was about to take shape, Zhang Lin felt a throbbing pain in his dantian.

My dantian is full.

Zhang Lin frowned slightly, stopped circulating his internal energy, and opened his eyes.

He sensed the state of his dantian and had already made a plan in mind.

The dantian is like a container. In the early stage of qi cultivation, the container is only the size of a cup or saucer. In the middle stage of qi cultivation, the container expands to the size of a bowl or basin. In the later stage of qi cultivation, the container has become as large as a vat or jar.

But even the largest jars and pots have a capacity limit.

Seventy-two drops of true qi is the current limit of his dantian.

To gather more true energy, one needs to expand the dantian.

The Shangqing Qi-Guiding Technique contains a secret method for expansion.

This is also the difference between superior techniques and other techniques.

To accumulate more, one needs to slowly expand the dantian using secret methods.

"The dantian is the foundation; during the Qi Refining stage, the dantian is like a pool."

There are two methods for expanding the dantian:

The first method is "spiritual medicine expansion," which involves using the power of specific spiritual medicines to expand the capacity of the dantian.

Secondly, expand your skills by gradually applying the power of superior techniques.

Elixir-based cultivation methods offer rapid expansion, but damage the foundation, preventing the attainment of the perfect Heavenly and Earthly Fiends. Cultivation techniques, on the other hand, are slower to develop, but offer a more stable foundation...

Zhang Lin read it carefully and had already made up his mind.

He has a system at his disposal, so spiritual medicines are not hard to come by, but this method damages his foundation and is not advisable.

The expansion of the cultivation method, though slow, has a solid foundation.

This process of expanding the dantian must be done step by step, steadily and surely, without rushing it.

Zhang Lin carefully put away the jade slip and closed his eyes in deep thought.

Seventy-two drops of true energy, though already his limit, were enough for him to deal with the situation ahead.

The Zhou family has their eye on him; they must have a backup plan.

What he needs to do is not to blindly pursue the quantity of true qi, but to refine the existing seventy-two drops of true qi to a higher level and to cultivate his techniques to a higher level of proficiency.

Cultivation is the foundation, but combat relies on comprehensive strength.

Cultivation techniques, spells, magical artifacts, elixirs, and on-the-spot adaptability are all indispensable.

Zhang Lin opened his eyes, took out a Qi-Nourishing Pill, and swallowed it.

Once the elixir enters the abdomen, it transforms into a warm medicinal power that seeps into the meridians.

Instead of guiding the medicinal power to condense true qi, he guided the medicinal power to warm and nourish the dantian, nourish the meridians and strengthen the body.

Seventy-two drops of true qi circulated slowly in the dantian, naturally absorbing the medicinal power and becoming more condensed and pure.

This is what it means to hone one's foundation.

The seventieth day.

Zhang Lin sat cross-legged beside the spiritual spring. The seventy-two drops of true qi in his dantian had condensed to the extreme, each drop crystal clear and radiating a faint spiritual light.

He opened his eyes, stood up, and stretched his limbs.

He walked to the cave entrance and looked out through the curtain of water.

Outside, the sun was rising, and sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, casting dappled shadows on the deep pool.

The mist was thick, shimmering with iridescent colors in the sunlight.

Zhang Lin took a deep breath, leaped out of the cave, and landed on the rocks by the deep pool.

He took a deep breath and started walking down the mountain.

It's time to go back and say goodbye to Shangqing Temple.

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On the bamboo forest path.

Zhang Lin climbed the mountain path step by step, his steps steady and unhurried.

After seventy days of seclusion, his skin, nourished by the spiritual spring, became as smooth and lustrous as jade. Although his blue Taoist robe was only a low-grade magic artifact, it accentuated his upright posture and composed demeanor.

He walked slowly, each step firm and steady, his gaze calm as he looked at the faintly visible eaves of the mountain gate ahead.

Shangqing Temple.

He spent the first three months after his transmigration here.

From the early stage of Qi cultivation to the middle stage, from knowing nothing about cultivation to having a basic grasp of techniques, from being alone to having fellow disciples.

Although it was only a few short months, it was still a cause and effect.

Zhang Lin walked to the mountain gate and stopped.

The three characters "Shangqing Temple" on the lintel are written in a vigorous style, but they have become somewhat mottled after weathering the elements.

He took a deep breath and stepped across the threshold.

The courtyard remains unchanged, with bluestone paving and ancient cypress trees reaching for the sky.

The morning bell had just rung, its lingering sound echoing through the courtyard.

Several Taoist priests were sweeping the courtyard when they saw Zhang Lin enter. They were taken aback at first, then exclaimed with delight.

"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Brother Zhang is back!"

A young Taoist priest, around fourteen or fifteen years old, dropped his broom and ran towards the inner courtyard, calling out as he ran, "Senior Brother Qi, Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Zhang is back!"

Zhang Lin watched the young Taoist priest's excited back, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Before long, a series of hurried footsteps came from the inner courtyard.

Qi Yuntian was the first to step out.

He remained as composed as ever, with a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation level, wearing a blue Daoist robe and a long sword at his waist.

But Zhang Lin noticed that his aura was more robust than it had been two and a half months ago, and he was not far from reaching the late stage of Qi Refining.

"You're back?" Qi Yuntian walked closer, looked him up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "You... you've reached the late stage of Qi Refining?"

Zhang Lin nodded: "It was a bit of luck, a breakthrough by chance."

Qi Yuntian remained silent for a moment, then patted him on the shoulder without asking any further questions.

"It's good that you're back."