Novel Full Chapter 22: Five Grains Qi Nourishing
Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Five Grains Qi Nourishing
For the next few days, Li Yuan maintained a fixed routine.
Every morning, he practiced the Iron Bull Skill once, ate two pounds of White Jade Rice, then patrolled the market square. In the evening, he cultivated the Spirit-Introducing Skill, squeezing in practice for the Nourishing Essence Skill whenever he could.
After eating the White Jade Rice, his Qi Blood was abundant, and his cultivation speed increased significantly.
After these few days, the numbers on his panel had changed quite a bit.
[Iron Bull Skill: Proficient (344/400)]
[Nourishing Essence Skill: Proficient (25/400)]
His Nourishing Essence Skill had broken through to the Proficient level. The feeling was similar to when his Iron Bull Skill advanced from Entry to Proficient; the refinement of his Qi Blood circulation had risen to a new level.
As for the White Jade Rice, he had encountered no problems with his daily consumption of two pounds.
A Mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivator with vigorous Qi Blood could digest Spirit Grain much more efficiently than an ordinary Cultivator. He could fully absorb two pounds in a single day.
The next afternoon, Li Yuan cooked the last pound of White Jade Rice.
As the jade-white Spirit Grain entered his stomach, a warmth spread from his gut. Qi Blood surged throughout his body, so abundant that even his fingertips grew slightly warm.
The moment he swallowed the last bite, a notification popped up on the panel.
[Condition for making Five Grains Qi Nourishing (White) permanent has been met]
[Make permanent?]
A thought flashed through Li Yuan’s mind.
’Yes.’
[Permanence successful]
[Five Grains Qi Nourishing (White) has become a permanent entry]
[Equipment consumed]
The panel updated accordingly:
[Current Equipment Slots: 1/2]
[Equipped Items: Meridian Opening Pill]
[Permanent Entries: Clean Body (Gray), Spiritual Qi Filtration (White), Five Grains Qi Nourishing (White)]
Three permanent entries.
With the White Jade Rice consumed, an equipment slot was now free.
Li Yuan took out the Iron Bull Skill manual. It had been several days since he last unequipped it, so the cooldown was long over.
’Equip.’
The manual dissolved into light and merged into his body. The Iron Bull Skill’s Spell became clear in his mind again. The warmth that enveloped his organs deep within his abdomen resurfaced, and a resilient force began to slowly fortify his viscera.
’The organ strengthening is back.’
[Current Equipment Slots: 2/2]
[Equipped Items: Meridian Opening Pill, Iron Bull Skill]
[Equipment Entries: Circulatory Acceleration (White), Organ Strengthening (White)]
[Permanent Entries: Clean Body (Gray), Spiritual Qi Filtration (White), Five Grains Qi Nourishing (White)]
With five entries active at once, Li Yuan sat down cross-legged and began circulating the Spirit-Introducing Skill.
Spiritual Qi surged in from all directions, purified and free of impurities after passing through the Spiritual Qi Filtration. Circulatory Acceleration spurred his Spiritual Power to race through his meridians, while Organ Strengthening provided a stable foundation.
Compared to before, he now had the permanent Five Grains Qi Nourishing.
The stamina recovery and Qi Blood enhancement were continuous effects. They didn’t require an equipment slot or food, and were active at all times.
The most noticeable change was his endurance during cultivation. Cultivation also consumed stamina. Previously, his body would start to ache after continuously circulating his energy for a dozen or so cycles, forcing him to rest before continuing. Now, at the same intensity, Li Yuan circulated his energy for twenty straight cycles before the first signs of fatigue began to appear.
After cultivating for over two hours, Li Yuan ceased his practice.
The proficiency of his Spirit-Introducing Skill had increased significantly, and he was not far from Great Success.
Not much time had passed since his transmigration, but with the boost from his entries, Li Yuan’s Spiritual Power accumulation speed far surpassed others of the same level.
With the three effects stacked, Li Yuan’s Spiritual Power growth in a given period was several times that of an ordinary Qi Refining Fourth Level Cultivator, and his Spiritual Power was even purer.
The amount of Spiritual Power in his Dantian was steadily increasing, now nearly fifty percent thicker than when he had first broken through to the fourth level. His Spiritual Power circulation was robust and powerful, with not a single trace of impurity left in his meridians. He was still some distance from the Qi Refining Fifth Level, but his foundation was exceptionally solid.
Li Yuan dismissed the panel, stood up, straightened his clothes, and hung the waist token at his side.
...
Outside the eastern gate of the market square, the wild grass on both sides of the dirt road had grown even taller than the last time he was here.
Li Yuan followed his patrol route north, then turned east, passing several intersections on the outskirts of the Spirit Field District.
Ever since he hunted down that lizard Demon Beast, things had been much quieter around the Spirit Field District.
In the distance, the tassels of Cyan Jade Rice swayed in the wind between the field ridges. A few Spirit Farmers were busy at work, bent over in the fields. A Spirit Farmer named He spotted Li Yuan from across a ridge and gave a distant wave.
Li Yuan took out his Spirit Detecting Disc, infused it with Spiritual Power, and extended his senses.
In the direction of the Spirit Field District, the faint auras of the scattered Spirit Farmers were barely perceptible. It was quiet among the ridges, and there were no abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuations within a radius of several dozen zhang.
’The Spirit Field District is fine.’
Putting away the Spirit Detecting Disc, Li Yuan continued south along his route for a while before heading back to the market square.
The situation on the outskirts was similar to his previous patrols; he didn’t encounter anything unusual on the road.
When he returned to the market square’s eastern gate, a dozen or so Loose Cultivators were gathered there. They were squatting by the base of the wall in small groups, speaking in hushed tones with grim expressions.
As Li Yuan walked past, fragments of their conversation drifted into his ears.
"...heard the market’s guard patrol team ran into a Tier One Top Grade Demon Beast to the east," one Loose Cultivator said.
"How would you know guard business? Besides, why would a Tier One Top Grade Demon Beast come here instead of lording over its own territory in the mountains?" another Loose Cultivator mumbled, clearly skeptical.
"It’s all over the place. A few Loose Cultivators saw the badly injured guard Cultivators, and another was mumbling about seeing a wounded Demon Beast when he came over."
"The guards couldn’t handle it at all," a third Loose Cultivator chimed in.
"If they couldn’t win, they should’ve just run. Scatter and save whoever you can," the first Loose Cultivator continued.
"They ran, alright, but it’s not clear how many died. The Demon Beast was wounded, though."
"I’m telling you, we can’t stay in this market square anymore. It’s too dangerous."
Li Yuan didn’t break his stride, but he kept his ears peeled.
"Then where else can we go? The market square managed by the Li family is all shops. There’s no place for us Loose Cultivators to set up stalls."
"And what about that damn market set up by the so-called Loose Cultivator Alliance? They claim to be helping us, but they’re the ones who rip us off the most. Not only do they charge stall fees, but their management is a joke. At least here, you can see the patrol and guard teams pretending to do their jobs."
The topic changed quickly. Li Yuan crossed the market square along East Street and went straight to the patrol team’s headquarters.
The door to the main hall was ajar. Wang De was sitting behind a desk. Seeing Li Yuan enter, Wang De barely lifted an eyelid.
"Heard about what happened in the east?"
"The Loose Cultivators at the gate are talking about it." Li Yuan stopped in front of the desk. "A guard patrol team was ambushed? By a Tier One Top Grade beast?"
Wang De pushed a stack of documents aside.
"News travels fast. A guard team ran into a Tier One Top Grade Demon Beast east of the market. The captain was seriously injured, two members died, and the rest ran back."
Tier One Top Grade, equivalent in strength to the Late-stage Qi Refining realm. That was a whole level higher than the lizard in the Spirit Field District.
The guard teams surpassed the patrol teams in both average strength and numbers, as they had to face more dangers. However, even they were no match for a powerful Demon Beast as just an ordinary patrol squad.
The members of an ordinary squad were around the Qi Refining Third Level. A Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator could serve as a squad captain, and if the squad was large enough, a vice-captain of the same stage would also be assigned.
Wang De picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down.
"The guards are reassigning personnel. Three Late-stage Qi Refining clansmen from the family will participate in the subsequent cleanup operation. But this won’t be resolved in a day or two."
"The family might make a move as well, possibly by sending more people."
Wang De glanced at Li Yuan, then took out a pouch and handed it to him.
"Your perimeter patrols are canceled for now, but there might be more tasks for you later. These are the Spirit Stones for your patrols over the past few days."
Li Yuan took the pouch. He could feel the shapes of the Spirit Stones inside. He nodded in acknowledgment.
He left the headquarters as dusk settled in. The lanterns of the market square were being lit one by one.
Returning to his residence, Li Yuan slid the bolt on his door and sat cross-legged on his bed.
’The situation in the market square is getting more and more dangerous. The only way is to improve my strength as much as possible.’
He began to circulate the Spirit-Introducing Skill, and the Spiritual Qi within his body revolved at high speed.