The spiritual qi gathered, condensing in the dantian from the size of a grain of rice, to a soybean, a peanut, a pea, then to the size of an egg, and finally a goose egg!
Yu Xian's expression remained unchanged, still calm.
But on his forehead, beads of sweat had already started to form.
Opening the qi sea in the dantian is a painful process.
Moreover, during this process, the pain is secondary.
Controlling the spiritual qi, compressing it while preventing it from going out of control, is the most crucial part!
So, amidst the pain, one must still be extremely cautious!
A fist-sized mass of spiritual qi, emitting a white glow, rotated within the dantian.
Qi Condensation, in fact, had already been achieved at this moment.
Yet Yu Xian remained seated cross-legged, still guiding the spiritual qi into his body.
He was not content with just having a fist-sized qi.
The Elmheart Basic Qi Refining Secret Method clearly stated.
The first time opening the qi sea and stepping into the Qi Condensation Realm, the larger the qi sea, the stronger the foundation, and the better the aptitude!
Fist-sized? That's really too small.
This amount of spiritual qi isn't even enough to cast two spell techniques!
The qi sea continued to expand.
Palm-sized, large bowl-sized, and even one foot in diameter!
But when it reached the size of a washbasin, the surrounding spiritual qi stopped entering his body.
It wasn't that Yu Xian couldn't absorb it, but rather, that green spiritual root was saturated!
Spiritual roots, whether innate or acquired, are divided into six levels.
Inferior Spiritual Root, Low-Grade Spiritual Root, Mid-Grade Spiritual Root, High-Grade Spiritual Root, Supreme Spiritual Root, Perfect Spiritual Root!
Each level of spiritual root is vastly different!
What Yu Xian didn't know was that his spiritual root, with a one-foot qi sea, could only be... a Low-Grade Spiritual Root.
But at this moment, Yu Xian was already satisfied.
He smiled slightly and slowly formed a hand seal: "Open the qi sea, achieve Qi Condensation!"
The spiritual qi within the qi sea immediately began to rotate rapidly, merging with the dantian, becoming one.
This is known as the Dantian Qi Sea, Qi Sea Dantian!
Yu Xian opened his eyes, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sensed the cloud-like qi sea within his dantian, his face full of joy.
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Qi condensing like clouds signifies the Early Qi Condensation stage.
Qi condensing like flowing water signifies the Mid Qi Condensation stage.
Qi condensing like silver mercury signifies the Late Qi Condensation stage.
Qi condensing like iron and stone signifies the Perfected Qi Condensation stage.
And beyond Qi Condensation is Foundation Establishment!
The Foundation Establishment stage is extremely profound; once achieved, one can be said to transcend the mortal body, with a lifespan of two hundred years, and possess great power with every gesture.
Having just reached the Early Qi Condensation stage today, there's no need to think about the distant matter of Foundation Establishment.
Striking while the iron is hot, Yu Xian took out the jade slip and began to look at the next section.
"Qi Condensation Chapter"
Expanding the qi sea is the foundation of Qi Condensation, refining the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, transforming it into boundless power, tempering the muscles and bones, strengthening the body, and increasing longevity...
Through the annotations in the Qi Condensation Chapter, Yu Xian understood that in the Qi Condensation Realm, while consolidating the qi sea to advance in realm, the expansion of the qi sea is also particularly important!
For instance, if Yu Xian's qi sea is one foot, and someone else's is three meters, then even if both are in the Early Qi Condensation stage with qi like clouds, the other person can easily overpower Yu Xian!
Because Yu Xian can release five spells, while the other person can release fifty!
Thus, when cultivators reach the Qi Condensation Realm, the difference in spiritual root aptitude begins to manifest, growing ever larger, like an insurmountable chasm.
However, Yu Xian still didn't think too much about it.
Cultivation is about cultivating oneself!
Upon stepping into the Qi Condensation Realm, cultivation became slower.
In one night, attracting spiritual qi into the spiritual root, refining it, and then storing it in the qi sea, but the qi sea showed almost no change.
But Yu Xian was not lacking time now, and his mind wasn't that complicated, not overthinking things.
He had too many things to do now.
First, he needed to comprehend those five spell techniques.
Minor Fireball Technique.
Seeing that man conjure a fireball with a wave of his hand, but for Yu Xian, it was extremely difficult.
The incantation combined with the hand technique, even the speed and amount of spiritual qi mobilization, all needed to be pondered, learned, and practiced bit by bit.
Yu Xian immersed himself in it, cultivating daily, sometimes producing a small spark, which made him extremely happy.
***
Half a month passed in a flash.
Snow fell heavily, every household hung red lanterns, pasted couplets, spring flowers, and the character for fortune.
It was the New Year.
"Go!"
Inside the house, Yu Xian shouted softly, waving his hand!
A walnut-sized fireball suddenly appeared, shooting out and striking a large wooden stump in front.
The stump was already charred and battered, having endured all sorts of undeserved impacts.
"Go!"
A fireball flew out, and Yu Xian formed another seal, and in just a breath, shouted again!
Bang! Another fireball flew out, hitting the stump.
"Go!"
After two consecutive shots, Yu Xian still didn't stop, forming a seal and shouting low, he actually fired a third shot!
Minor Fireball Technique, three consecutive shots!
Hahaha!
Yu Xian, his face slightly pale, laughed heartily, full of pride.
After more than half a month of diligent cultivation, he finally mastered the Minor Fireball Technique!
It's just that his current realm is too low, the qi sea is still only one foot, so the fireball he conjures is only walnut-sized.
But don't underestimate this walnut-sized fireball; just one is enough to kill a wild wolf in the mountains!
Since his mother's passing, this New Year was truly the happiest for Yu Xian.
After laughing for a while, Yu Xian gradually stopped, took a breath, and began to tidy up.
Even though he was the only one at home, the New Year still had to be celebrated.
The dumplings were made last night, he cooked a pot, served three plates, set three sets of chopsticks, and Yu Xian bowed three times to the two empty seats, happily saying, "Dad, Mom, Happy New Year!"
After speaking, he sat at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating the dumplings.
But as he ate, Yu Xian's hand slowed down, and two tears fell into the plate.
"Dad, Mom... I miss you so much..."
***
On New Year's Eve, every household kept their lights on.
Naturally, Yu Xian's place was no exception. After eating the dumplings and tidying up, he sat cross-legged on the bed, looking out the window at the light snowflakes, peaceful and serene.
At this moment, he neither cultivated nor practiced spell techniques, just like in previous years, he sat quietly, waiting for the arrival of the new year.
With no one at home to stay up for the New Year, he would do it.
The short knife and the token inscribed with Ascending Immortal White Cloud Sect were placed at the bedside.
The short knife remained the same, but the Ascending Immortal White Cloud Sect token, at some point, began to move gently.
It was shaking, and becoming more and more intense.
Yu Xian, who had been watching the window calmly, waiting for the arrival of New Year's Day, finally noticed the vibration at the bedside.
Yu Xian turned his head in confusion and looked over.
He saw the Ascending Immortal White Cloud Sect token, at this moment, jumping on the bed like a frog!
"What's going on?"
Yu Xian frowned, reaching out to grab the token.
As soon as Yu Xian grabbed it, the token stopped jumping.
But the next moment, a sharp pain came from his palm, and Yu Xian was startled, waving his hand and directly throwing the token away.
His palm had been pricked by something, oozing a few drops of blood.
And the token lay quietly on the ground, the five large characters of Ascending Immortal White Cloud Sect glowing slightly, then returning to normal.
"What kind of thing are you, are you alive?"
Yu Xian wiped the blood from his palm, got out of bed, and crouched down to examine the token closely, not daring to pick it up for a moment.
This thing actually bites?
The token, of course, did not respond, lying on the ground, a purely dead object.
Yu Xian thought for a moment, got up and took a pair of chopsticks, clamped the token, and looked at it from all angles, but no matter how he looked, it was undoubtedly a dead object.
"Moving for no reason, and even biting... it seems you're not an ordinary thing. In the future, when my cultivation is higher, I should be able to discover your uses."
Yu Xian looked at it for a while, then stopped thinking about it, smiling as he placed it back on the bedside.
Then he propped his head with one hand, looking out the window again.
Time passed, snowflakes drifted, falling heavier and heavier.
Gradually, those flying snowflakes seemed to form a human figure, flying towards his small courtyard.
Yu Xian felt he was seeing things, thinking he was sleepy.
After all, he was only in the Early Qi Condensation stage, not yet transcending the mortal body, needing to eat, drink, and sleep.
So Yu Xian raised his hand to rub his eyes.
But upon looking again, not only did the figure not disappear, it became clearer, until it landed in his courtyard amidst the falling snow!
"Hmm!?"
At this, Yu Xian was suddenly startled, fully awake!
On New Year's Eve, in the middle of the night, someone flew in from the sky!
Is he a ghost or a god!?
Without a second thought, Yu Xian reached for the short knife, jumped out of bed, opened the door, and shouted, "Who!?"
The figure gradually became clear, a middle-aged man in a white robe, blending with the snow.
The man looked at Yu Xian, indifferently saying, "Are you the one who awakened the Ascension Token?"
Yu Xian asked cautiously, "Who are you? What Ascension Token?"
"You possess a Wood Spiritual Root and have been favored by the Ascension Token, which is fate. I must fulfill the promise made a hundred years ago, to bring the descendant back to the White Cloud Sect."
The man's gaze carried a hint of disdain, as he raised his hand indifferently.
Inside the house, the Ascending Immortal White Cloud Sect token on the bedside instantly transformed into a white light, flying out in a flash, landing in the man's hand.
Simultaneously, the token's name quickly changed, becoming three characters: Ascension Token.
With just this move, Yu Xian stopped speaking.
The man hung the Ascension Token at his waist, saying calmly, "Aren't you curious?"
"The immortal elder's power is boundless, this junior only follows orders, as for other matters, this junior is not curious."
Yu Xian's expression was respectful, but his muscles were already tense, ready to instantly release three Minor Fireballs!
After the incident with the man in the back mountain, Yu Xian had walked the edge of life and death, and he was wary of everyone!
So towards the man in front of him, he was equally cautious, just not showing it.
The man stood with his hands behind his back: "I am Quan Dao, an Inner Sect Elder of the White Cloud Sect. Today, I am here to fulfill the White Cloud Sect's promise to your ancestor. If within a hundred years, a descendant with spiritual root and favored by the Ascension Token appears, they may enter the White Cloud Sect without selection. Today is exactly the last New Year's Eve of the hundred years."
Yu Xian's brow twitched slightly.
With just Quan Dao's words, Yu Xian almost understood his purpose.
Unexpectedly... the man he killed, his ancestor actually had this connection?
Unfortunately, he was not favored by the Ascension Token.
Therefore, no matter how long he wore it, he never awakened the Ascension Token, nor attracted this strong person's guidance.
Now, this opportunity has fallen into his own hands...
He was bound to leave Great Elm Village sooner or later!
The path of cultivation, if relying solely on hard work, would take a lifetime just to reach the Late Qi Condensation stage!
Originally, Yu Xian planned to leave Great Elm Village after this year, when he turned sixteen, becoming a truly adult man, to venture out and cultivate.
Unexpectedly, now there was a strong person to guide him...
The White Cloud Sect...
It must be a great sect in the cultivation world!
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