Chapter 16
A few days passed by like flowing water.
Baek-Cheong’s daily life began to trace a regular orbit like a cogwheel.
In the mornings, she reported to Yak-seon’s Pill Room, sweating as she stoked the fire in front of the brazier.
“Today, it is time to Refine Blood Coagulation Pills.”
Yak-seon assigned her a new type of medicinal pill to Refine every day.
While grumbling inwardly, Baek-Cheong fully utilized her Divine Sense and Five Elements Qi to separate the essence of the medicinal herbs and Refine the pills.
Having become adept at controlling her energy, and with the output of spiritual energy stabilized by the Cycle of Five Elements Mutual Generation, her failure rate dropped to zero.
“Excellent! A high-grade Blood Coagulation Pill once again. You are truly a child born for Pill Refining!”
Every time she completed a task, Yak-seon poured out endless praise and handed her Top-grade Medicinal Pills as a reward.
Top-grade Water Spirit Pill, top-grade Vajra Pill, top-grade Earth Essence Pill.
The spiritual medicines, consumed evenly across the different attributes, tightly filled the empty space in her Dantian, and her Five Elements Spirit Root slowly grew in size as it absorbed their medicinal efficacy.
“It’s worth the hard work.”
Baek-Cheong’s only joy was returning to her Abode to swallow the medicinal pills and consolidate her energy.
Once her energy was recovered, she unfailingly connected to the Nameless Forum to relieve stress by browsing the forum with the Dao Friends.
“Any interesting drama going on?”
Baek-Cheong’s gaze, which had been skimming the Chat Board, stopped on a certain post.
It was a popular post with views and replies skyrocketing explosively.
『Dao Friend (553.24): I’m a Five Elements Spirit Root Holder too, and I succeeded in High-Grade Pill Refining.』
[Even though I reached the Foundation Establishment stage thanks to a fortuitous encounter, I could barely make mid-grade Spirit Gathering Pills even when putting in my utmost effort. But when I applied the principles of Water countering Fire and Metal countering Wood to twist it with the Five Elements, I actually made a high-grade Spirit Gathering Pill. The Pill Furnace lid flew off and my eyebrows were all burnt, but isn’t this a profit? In the end, Dao Friend (913.14) was right.]
It was a verification post from a Cultivator who had actually succeeded with the Five Elements Pill Refining Method that Baek-Cheong had casually tossed out.
Below the post, hundreds of replies mixing astonishment and praise appeared.
[Dao Friend (11.23): You actually succeeded at this? Do you have ten lives or something?]
[Dao Friend (201.9): I’m digging into the Five Elements Pill Refining Method starting today too. Let’s escape the Bigu Pill life!]
[Dao Friend (88.4): What is 913.14's true identity? They’re only at the Qi Condensation Stage, yet they propose a new Pill Refining Method? Are they some Peerless Prodigy with severed meridians but insane comprehension?]
└Dao Friend (732.1): Even so, it’s just at the level of a Five Elements Spirit Root Holder acting like a human. Don’t make a fuss.
Watching the Cultivation World’s Pill Refining common sense being overturned by her post, Baek-Cheong rolled around clutching her stomach.
“They actually copied this…?”
But her laughter was brief as a reply left by someone caught her eye.
[Dao Friend (55.19): The original poster was just lucky. If an ordinary Cultivator forcefully clashes the Five Elements, nine times out of ten the Cultivator’s Dantian will twist and the Cultivator will fall into Qi Deviation. The method 913.14 shared is a Secret Method that can only be used without side effects by someone who has fully established the Circulation Loop of Five Elements Mutual Generation inside that person’s Dantian. Do not rashly copy it.]
A chill ran down Baek-Cheong’s spine.
The insight of Dao Friend (55.19), who remembered her and saw right through her Cultivation Method, was enough to give her goosebumps.
“This mister is scary. I should refrain from provocative posts for a while.”
Baek-Cheong hastily exited the post and posted another nonsense post to distract herself.
『Dao Friend (913.14): Breaking through the wall of a Five Elements Dantian seems to be the hardest part.』
[I ate medicinal pills, and my Dantian is completely full, but the wall is too thick. Even when I knock on the wall, it doesn’t leave a mark.]
As soon as she uploaded the post, the Cultivators' mockery flew in.
[Dao Friend (11.23): How many days has it been since you bragged about reaching the 2nd stage, and now you’re whining about walls?]
[Dao Friend (88.4): It’s common sense that a Five Elements Spirit Root Holder grows old and dies in the Qi Condensation Stage.]
[Dao Friend (201.9): Go buy and eat a Realm Breakthrough Pill. If you’re a poor Rogue Cultivator, just do some more Meditation.]
She was ignoring the unhelpful replies and observing the reactions.
[Dao Friend (237.309): A wall that has grown due to Five Elements Mutual Generation is not meant to be forcefully broken through. Condense your energy and crush it with weight.]
A Dao Friend who gave off the vibe of a Five Elements Spirit Root veteran user left a reply.
Perhaps it was a Cultivator who had long since accepted the information that Dao Friend (718.44) had spread.
“Crush it with weight?”
Baek-Cheong quickly posted a question below the reply.
[Dao Friend (913.14): How do I condense it? When I gather the energy, it scatters because of the repulsion.]
This time, Dao Friend (237.309)'s reply did not come quickly.
Baek-Cheong nervously refreshed and glared at the screen.
After waiting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the reply finally appeared.
[Dao Friend (237.309): The center of the Five Elements is Earth. Utilize its property of embracing all things and sinking heavily. If you compress the remaining energies by wrapping them in a spiral around the Earth Qi, they will not explode. I believe you should have understood enough from this.]
It was Dao Friend (237.309)'s final reply.
No matter how many times she posted questions, no reply came.
However, the value of the advice exceeded imagination.
“Compress it around the Earth Qi.”
Baek-Cheong closed her eyes and simulated the advice in her head.
Until now, the method of piercing through like an awl using the clash of opposing elements was powerful, but it lacked sustainability.
As the wall of the Dantian grew thicker, tearing it down in a single strike was close to impossible.
But if it was a method of crushing it with heavy weight, the story was different.
A massive force applied continuous pressure, accumulating fatigue on the wall until it eventually collapsed on its own.
That method was precisely the energy of the Earth.
“With this, I should be able to break through to the 3rd Stage Qi Condensation.”
Without delay, Baek-Cheong sat in the Lotus Position on her bed.
Due to the various Top-grade Medicinal Pills and the growth of her spirit root, spiritual energy was filled to the limit in her vast, ocean-like Dantian.
She had heard concerns about taking her Cultivation slowly, but deliberately not breaking through would be a waste.
“Huu.”
Firming her resolve to achieve a Realm Breakthrough right away, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
She focused her mind on the Circulation Loop of Five Elements Mutual Generation spinning ceaselessly inside her Dantian.
At the center of the rippling lake of spiritual energy, she gathered the Earth-attribute Qi into a round shape.
Then, she began to wrap the energies of water, wood, fire, and metal in a spiral around the Earth Elemental Sphere.
“Ugh.”
As the Five Elements Qi concentrated in one place, immense density and repulsion were generated.
Her breath hitched at the pressure that felt like her Dantian was going to burst.
However, the steadfast embracing power of the Earth attribute silently absorbed the clashes of the other energies, maintaining the shape of the sphere.
Baek-Cheong focused her mind and compressed the sphere, making it even smaller and harder.
The sphere, which had been the size of a head, became the size of a fist, and then shrank again to the size of a plum.
The Five Elements Sphere, its density reaching the extreme, exuded a heavy sense of weight and dropped straight down to the bottom of the Dantian.
The sphere collided with the Barrier leading to the 3rd Stage Qi Condensation.
However, although the inside of the Dantian shook violently, the Barrier did not budge.
‘There’s no way it would work on the first try.’
Baek-Cheong did not panic and tossed the remaining Top-grade Medicinal Pills from the jade bottle into her mouth.
She endlessly poured the newly introduced spiritual energy and the energy of the medicinal pills into the Five Elements Sphere, increasing the pressure.
A dull sound, like a massive boulder being crushed, seemed to echo from her Dantian.
Under the overwhelming weight radiating from the Five Elements Sphere, the Barrier slowly began to crack.
Baek-Cheong poured all her strength into compressing the energy, sweat dripping from her forehead like rain.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
It was around the time dawn broke outside the window.
Finally, the sturdy Barrier shattered into pieces and crumbled down.
Like a blocked dam bursting, a massive tsunami of spiritual energy poured into the new Territory.
She had finally reached the realm of 3rd Stage Qi Condensation.
The size of her Dantian expanded massively, to a degree incomparable to when she was at the 2nd stage.
The root of her spirit root, situated deep within, also grew noticeably thicker, exuding its presence.
“I did it…!”
Baek-Cheong opened her eyes, panting heavily.
The fatigue vanished as if washed away by the pleasure and lightness enveloping her entire body.
But her joy was brief as she frowned at the terrible stench piercing her nose.
The impurities expelled through her pores as her realm rose were covering her entire body.
“Again?”
She wondered if that much foul energy had accumulated in her body.
She didn’t know the exact reason, but she felt uncomfortable.
She hastily soaked her body in the bathtub and washed away the impurities.
Her cleansed skin took on a clear and transparent luster like jade.
The face reflected in the mirror boasted distinct beauty.
It was a pleasant change brought about by the purification of spiritual energy.
After changing her clothes, Baek-Cheong checked the changes in her Divine Sense.
Focusing on her glabella, she extended her Divine Sense outward.
Her Divine Sense, which had lingered at 7 zhang, expanded, cutting through space without hesitation.
8 zhang, 9 zhang, 10 zhang.
Her Divine Sense reached a distance of a whopping 11 zhang.
Beyond her Abode, even the breathing of a guard dozing in a corner of the Clan’s garden was grasped three-dimensionally.
It was an abnormal Divine Sense that already far surpassed the level of the Qi Condensation Stage.
“With this much, there shouldn’t be any particular issues with searching.”
Baek-Cheong headed to the Pill Room with a satisfied smile.
The morning air felt exceptionally refreshing today.
As she opened the door to the Pill Room and entered, Yak-seon welcomed her gladly.
“Oh, Cheong-A, you’re here. You’re a little late today… Hmm?”
Yak-seon’s words cut off mid-sentence.
His gaze stiffened, fixed on Baek-Cheong’s Dantian area.
There was no way the senses of a Core Formation stage Expert would miss the change in energy radiating from Baek-Cheong’s body.
“Why has your energy changed? I distinctly heard you had just entered the 2nd stage when I saw you at the banquet.”
Yak-seon’s voice was trembling slightly.
Her energy had deepened compared to the previous day, so it was clear she had reached a 3rd Stage Qi Condensation, but it was at a level incomparable to a normal 3rd Stage Qi Condensation.
It was at least comparable to the Mid Qi Condensation Stage of a Heavenly Spiritual Root Holder.
“Oops.”
In her joy of achieving a Realm Breakthrough, Baek-Cheong hadn’t thought of an excuse.
She urgently racked her brain and made up a story about her rapid Realm Breakthrough.
“Ah, that’s… I ate the medicinal pills grandfather Yak-seon gave me and was meditating when I suddenly felt like my stomach burst wide open, and then it became like this.”
Baek-Cheong opened her eyes wide and laid out her excuse with an innocent expression.
However, Yak-seon’s expression suggested he wasn’t fooled.
Yak-seon stroked his beard and scanned Baek-Cheong with a sharp gaze.
“No matter how thin the wall of the Early Qi Condensation Stage is, breaking through realms consecutively in a short period is close to impossible. Furthermore, the Five Elements Qi inside you does not clash, but interlocks harmoniously to a bizarre degree. It is certain that you must have received someone’s teachings or obtained a special fortuitous encounter.”
At Yak-seon’s sharp interrogation, cold sweat ran down Baek-Cheong’s spine.
She couldn’t possibly confess honestly that she had obtained the information through browsing the forum on the Nameless Forum.
If she continued to be interrogated, there was a risk that even the existence of the Nameless Forum would be exposed.
“I-it’s true! I just did Meditation…”
It was when Baek-Cheong trailed off and was just reading the room.
Urgent footsteps were heard from outside the Pill Room, and a Clan guard ran in.
“Young Lady! The Clan Head has ordered me to escort the Young Lady to the Family Head’s Hall!”
Yak-seon and Baek-Cheong’s gazes turned to the guard simultaneously.
“What is the matter to make such a fuss?”
Yak-seon asked, furrowing his brow.
The guard answered, panting.
“A Core-Formation-stage elder from the Biun Sect has come! They say they wish to see the Clan Head and the Young Lady regarding the matter of Young Master Baek Gyu!”
Baek-Cheong’s eyes widened into circles.
It seemed to be about the matter her father had mentioned declining politely at a meal not long ago.
The proposal from the elder of the Biun Sect to take the Eldest Son of the Baek Clan as a True Disciple.
For someone from a Great Sect to personally visit the Baek Clan was by no means a light matter.
She didn’t know the reason they were looking for her, but she felt a sense of foreboding.
‘Don’t tell me they’re planning to do harm to our Clan?’
It was fortunate that she had escaped the headache-inducing interrogation, but Baek-Cheong’s heart sank heavily as it seemed a new crisis had arrived.
However, as her father had said, even the Biun Sect wouldn’t be able to touch them easily, so she also thought they might have visited for a different proposal.
“Originally, this was not a matter for an outsider to interfere in, but… let us go together.”
Yak-seon took the lead, as if he had caught wind of something.
Belatedly, Baek-Cheong followed Yak-seon and headed toward the Family Head’s Hall.