I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 38 Great improvement in cultivation
In the past, when Ying Chan went to take the exam, Master Yu of the Examination Institute tested him on how to deal with obstacles and confusions he encountered during his cultivation.

At that time, Ying Chan answered fluently, but in actual practice, he never truly encountered such a situation.

But I never expected to encounter this at this critical juncture.

Fortunately, these kinds of obstacles and illusions are far from being as terrifying as demonic manipulation or heretical supernatural phenomena.

As long as you can remain steadfast and respond in the right way, you will naturally be able to break through it.

"When practicing the method of discerning falsehoods, one should introspect with wisdom, look inward to the inner elixir (the crown of the head), first eliminate false thoughts, then dispel illusions..."

Ying Chan remained completely oblivious, for he was currently in the Heavenly Palace, and all that he saw, heard, smelled, and touched was illusory. He silently circulated his inner energy and unleashed his sword of intent—

Darkness returned to the inner world.

All light and joy have vanished, yet one feels a sense of purity arising naturally within one's heart.

"..."

One should cultivate humility and tranquility, and seek the Way from within.

After a long while, only after confirming that he had completely broken through the illusion did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

He reflected on himself and realized that his initial determination and courage were commendable. His ability to open three mysterious apertures in one go also demonstrated the solidity of his foundation.

But later, even though he was clearly struggling, he still didn't understand when to stop, which was a mistake of being impatient and rash.

Moreover, it was probably the smooth sailing he had experienced since entering the Taoist temple that unknowingly fostered some complacency in him.

Of course, spiritual practice is a process of constant change and response, constant stability and perseverance. Making mistakes is not a problem, as long as one can reflect on oneself from time to time, that is enough.

"I have indeed become somewhat unsteady lately."

Ying Chan thought to himself, "Perfect timing. Now that my cultivation has greatly improved, it's time to calm down and accumulate some experience."

Thinking of this, Ying Chan should examine himself again.

Originally, it was just a routine check of my progress before retreating, but unexpectedly, I made another discovery upon introspection.

It turns out that with that move just now, Ying Chan still barely managed to break through that mysterious aperture!
Although it was caught in a trance and hadn't had time to stabilize, the profound acupoint hadn't yet fully healed itself, even though a single thought in meditation could transcend countless eons.

He carefully channeled a wisp of magical power into it, slowly expanding it until it completely dispersed into the Xuanqiao (mysterious aperture), and then channeled more magical power into it...

After repeating this process twenty or thirty times, he finally stabilized the mysterious aperture and was overjoyed.

Although he experienced some minor setbacks during this Qi cultivation, he actually gained a great deal!
In the first stage of Qi Refining, there are thirty-six profound apertures. Only after perfecting this stage can one possibly open the meridians of heaven and earth.

At first glance, it seems so far away.
Ying Chan, however, had unknowingly traveled more than half the distance.

Fortunately, he had just reflected on his actions, so he wasn't too excited.

Ying Chan quickly calmed down, stepped out of meditation, and opened his eyes to see Li Xuanying and Cai Que'er guarding him.

Night had fallen again.

The colorful sparrow curled up into a ball of fluff and stood steadily on Li Xuanying's shoulder, seemingly asleep.

Li Xuanying had his eyes half-closed, seemingly resting, but he was still paying attention to the changes in the outside world.

Ying Chan barely stirred before he opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief: "Senior brother is awake?"

“Indeed.” Ying Chan nodded. “Thank you for protecting me, Xuan Ying.”

Li Xuanying waved his hand, but asked only, "I just noticed that your energy was disordered, could it be that you made a mistake in your cultivation?"

"I encountered a maze by chance, but it's no longer a problem... cough cough!"

Ying Chan's explanation was simple, but before he could finish speaking, he couldn't help but cough lightly.

Li Xuanying's expression changed slightly, and he quickly asked, "Senior Brother, does this seem like you're alright?"

Even the colorful sparrow was startled awake. Its fluffy balls rose slightly from its two delicate feet, but it still hadn't shaken off its rainbow feathers. Still half asleep, it asked, "What's wrong, Taoist priest?"

"I'm really not seriously ill."

Ying Chan hurriedly replied, "I was just in a hurry to break through the Xuanqiao, and I suffered a minor injury. I will recover naturally after a period of rest."

"Oh..." No one knew whether the colorful sparrow had heard clearly or not. It just responded and then shrank back.

Li Xuanying understood upon hearing this.

Qi Refining cultivators frequently attempt to break through their Xuanqiao (mysterious aperture), so it's impossible for them to achieve perfection every time. As long as they can open their Xuanqiao, suffering some internal injuries is not a big deal.

"Senior Brother, was it about a month ago when you last opened your profound aperture?"

Li Xuanying recalled, "He's made progress so quickly. I wonder which aperture he's opened up?"

"Just as the seventeenth acupoint was opened."

"The seventeenth aperture..."

Li Xuanying nodded, about to say something, when suddenly a look of surprise appeared on his face: "The seventeenth acupoint?"

“Indeed.” Ying Chan nodded and said, “It is also thanks to Xuan Ying that I was able to have such good fortune after drinking a cup of Brother Yuan’s spiritual wine.”

"..."

Having opened seventeen acupoints, approaching the level of minor Qi Refining, doesn't seem particularly impressive.

However, it should be noted that Ying Chan's cultivation has not even lasted for half a year!
Li Xuanying was actually a person of exceptional talent; otherwise, how could he have been brought into the Taoist academy at the age of eight?

But when he looked back, if he included the two years when he refused to study the Dao diligently, he had already been in the Dao Academy for four years when he achieved minor success in Qi cultivation.

After a long pause, Li Xuanying said, "Brother Yuan, this jar of wine is indeed extraordinary."

"It must have brewed the century-old Vermilion Fruit, along with other collected spiritual fruits, into this wine, hoping to use it to achieve a breakthrough and refine the transverse bone."

"But no matter what, it can only nourish your body and replenish your essence at most, how could it help you open all seven orifices in succession?"

Ying thought for a moment and then said, "It's not that all seven orifices were opened."

"Some time ago, I was gathering qi at the summit and accidentally entered a wonderful state, where I have already opened thirteen acupoints."

Li Xuanying scratched his cheek, revealing a hint of childishness befitting his age for the first time.

Ying Chan also knew that if he were to be overly modest, it would seem like he was being pretentious.

He didn't say anything more, but instead asked, "Where is Brother Ape?"

"Brother Ape has already led his troop away. They are free by nature and don't like to stay in one place all the time."

As Li Xuanying spoke, he suddenly smiled and said, "Senior brother, you don't know yet, do you? You were drunk for three days and three nights, and then you practiced Qi cultivation for two days and one night."

"It has now been six days."

Ying Chan was aware of the two days and one night of Qi Refining, but he only recently learned about the former.

"It's already the sixth day..."

Perhaps it was because of the fruit wine, but Ying Chan still didn't feel hungry.

But then he thought about it again and couldn't help but say, "Doesn't this mean I've missed several lectures by the professors?"

Li Xuanying paused for a moment before laughing and saying, "That's right, I was waiting for you, Senior Brother, but I had no choice."

His cultivation was higher, and he woke up earlier, so he had indeed been waiting for Ying Chan for a long time.

Ying Chan smiled upon hearing this.

"It was my fault, brother! When we return to the academy, I will attend a few more classes on behalf of Xuan Ying."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

As they chatted and laughed, they descended the mountainside and headed back under the moonlight.

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(End of this chapter)