Daoqi Huangcheng

Chapter 3, Qi Gathering Realm

Chapter 3.3. Qi Gathering Realm

The test was described as "an iron rod breaking rocks, cracking through a hundred cracks".

If you can grasp the subtle brutality in the "Bear Hunting Picture", you can achieve this.

Therefore, the test results are quite clear.

Of course, some people may be born with superhuman strength, or they may be trained in martial arts, but there are obvious differences between them, and a wise person can tell the difference.

At this moment, General Wang changed his previous attitude, and his expression showed a hint of wanting to make friends.

He said enthusiastically, "Brother Song, great, great!"

This wasn't the first time he'd seen a aptitude test, so he knew what it meant to "understand the meaning of a painting within an hour and be able to apply it."

genius.

A true genius.

In an attempt to curry favor with the important person, he offered to reduce the three hours to one hour.

In this hour, even a truly talented person could only vaguely grasp a little bit of the meaning; how could they possibly fully comprehend it?

A nobleman standing nearby chuckled, "It's all thanks to General Wang for shortening the time; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to force out such a cultivation genius."

General Wang laughed heartily, "The magpies on the branches were chirping non-stop this morning. It turns out this is a double blessing. The lord has arrived, and we've found a promising talent for cultivation! Hahaha!"

After saying that, he looked at Song Chen with concern and said, "Brother Song, come, come. You were injured a few days ago and were drugged by that damned thief. You need to replenish your strength. My camp has some wine and some good meat. Please allow me to see you off."

The nobleman glanced at Song Chen.

The emaciated boy, looking weak, with a faint smell of sweat seeping from his clothes, combined with what General Wang had said, gave him a general idea of what was going on.

He turned his head and continued to ask General Wang questions, and after a while, he learned more.

For example, "Brother Song came out from under a bridge on the outskirts of the capital and almost didn't make it through the training at first," and "Brother Song is a lucky man. Three of his roommates died tragically while he was away, but he didn't go because one of them drugged him," and so on.
The nobleman suddenly turned to look at Song Chen and said gently, "Little Song, go take a bath, change your clothes, and come with me to the capital. It is truly remarkable that you were able to fully comprehend a trace of brutality in the 'Bear Hunting Picture' within an hour. Once we are in the carriage, I will explain the matter of cultivation to you."

grunt.

Amidst the envious gazes of the soldiers, Song Chen sank into the warm bathtub.

The water rippled and steam rose, and the herbs floating on the water clearly had the effect of invigorating the meridians and soothing the mind. His fatigue was quickly dissipating and his condition was rapidly recovering.

His dirty clothes have been taken away.

General Wang said he was going to the capital, so naturally he needed to get a new set of clothes.

His gaze remained fixed on the turbulent water, no longer looking in the direction of his own camp.

But he believed that his camp had probably been turned upside down by now.

He was too hasty.

But he had to hurry.

Because he has to leave here.

Since the one-hour deadline is the final time, he must comprehend the meaning of the "Bear Hunting Picture". Once this opportunity is missed, it will be gone forever. He can only seize this chance.

The Book of Three Lifetimes endowed him with high comprehension, which enabled him to do this.

But General Wang's "flattery" made his claim of "understanding the 'Bear Hunting Picture' in one hour" shocking, unbelievable, and questionable.

He lowered his head, immersing his face deeply in the medicinal bath, thinking to himself, 'The future is uncertain; I'll just have to take it one step at a time.'

creak creak
The bed in Song Chen's tent was completely moved, and every part of the tent was searched. Even the soil under the tent was dug up.

But nothing was gained.

The nobleman squinted at him, then rummaged through Song Chen's clothes again, but still found nothing.

He waved his hand.

The soldier rearranged the bed and then withdrew.

General Wang approached with a fawning smile and said, "Sir, why don't we wait for him to come and get it himself? If he really stumbled upon the treasure by accident, he'll have to come and take it before he leaves, won't he?"

The nobleman nodded.

General Wang suddenly lowered his voice and said, "A few days ago, three men in my camp died in gruesome circumstances, which, judging from their appearance, did not seem to be caused by humans."

The nobleman frowned and said, "I'm only here to test things out. You can report anything else yourself, and someone will handle it."

General Wang hurriedly agreed.

After taking a bath, Song Chen ate a lot of beef jerky "specially supplied to General Wang" and also drank a pot of General Wang's privately stored old wine.

He wiped his mouth and let out a long sigh of relief.

The dried meat didn't have that weird taste of meat paste; it was absolutely delicious.

As for a pot of wine, it made him feel even more refreshed.

He sat in the general's tent, having eaten and drunk his fill.

Outside the curtained curtains, the sky was a dusky hue.

After all this trouble, it was already quite late.

Song Chen did not return to the camp. He had nothing to pack and just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Hurry up!

General Wang was quite surprised. The nobleman was also taken aback.

The nobleman gave Song Chen a deep look and asked, "Really nothing else to pack?"

Song Chen scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Your Excellency, these tattered clothes and shoes smell too strong and are not suitable for your carriage. It's best not to bring them."

Those tattered clothes and worn-out shoes were naturally seen by the noblemen.

Beside him, General Wang patted Song Chen on the shoulder heartily and laughed, "Good brother, the clothes, shoes, food, and women in the capital are all good. You should make good use of your talents and enjoy all the good fortune in the world! When I come to the capital next time, I might just have to pay you a visit."

Song Chen repeatedly said he dared not, and added, "Brother Wang allowed me to rest for two days. I will remember this kindness forever."

Upon hearing this, General Wang paused for a moment, then looked into the clear eyes of the thin boy in front of him.

He himself had never imagined he would receive such a favor. That day, if the kid hadn't been drugged, he would have killed him outright.

Song Chen bowed deeply again and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Wang."

General Wang snapped out of his daze, his heart brimming with joy. He looked at the nobleman beside him, intending to say something like, "This kid doesn't seem to have any hidden treasures; he might just be a hidden genius." But seeing the nobleman's somber expression, he swallowed his words and instead patted Song Chen's shoulder, saying, "Good lad, I'll come to the city to drink with you next time!"

The nobleman said calmly, "It's getting late."

General Wang rushed forward, lifted the carriage curtain, bowed, lowered his brows, and said with a fawning smile, "My lord, please."

Inside the carriage, Song Chen and the nobleman sat facing each other.

The light was dim.

Outside the carriage, there was the crisp sound of wheels crushing fallen leaves, a crunching sound like human bones being crushed.

The curtains of the carriage curtains rose and fell with each movement of the carriage, casting rosy-red beams of light that were sometimes thin and sometimes thick.

Song Chen noticed that the sky outside was getting darker rapidly.

Suddenly, a cold wind slipped through the gap in the curtains, making a wailing sound like a ghost's cry.

Suddenly, Song Chen recalled the gruesome deaths of Brother Lin and the others a few days ago, and couldn't help but shudder.

The benefactor spoke up: "Those who can comprehend the meaning can gather qi, and the first realm of cultivation is the realm of gathering qi."

Song Chen immediately stood up, looking respectful and ready to learn.

He knew how valuable this information was.

The nobleman said, "Sit down."

Song Chen sat down again, sitting upright and listening attentively.

The nobleman said, "You do know the rules."

His deep gaze was shrouded in the dim light, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The nobleman continued, "This energy is divided into human energy, earth energy, and heaven energy."

The killing intent, the sorrow, the anger, and the fear of a military formation—these are the human emotions that arise from human beings.

The air of high mountains, the air of clear rivers, the air of the wind, the air of grass and trees—all these constitute the air of the earth.

As for the Qi of Heaven, such as the essence of the sun and moon, it is mysterious and exists only in legends. Those who can gather it are not cultivators at the Qi Gathering Realm. You can just know this for now.

As for those who are capable of comprehending the meaning of spiritual practice, they can be divided into two types.

One type can absorb the earth's energy, while the other cannot.

The latter can only absorb human energy, but lacking the stability of earth energy, the human energy they absorb is only temporary, difficult to store, and can only gather and disperse, and cannot be retained for long. Even so, it can still exert a powerful force in a specific environment.

For example, when a general leads his troops, he only needs to unleash the killing intent of his army to generate terrifying power. Even if he is not a match for a Qi-gathering cultivator in ordinary times, he can still kill the cultivator with a single strike on the battlefield.

For example, a chivalrous hero seeking revenge only needs to carry the anger and sorrow of the deceased's relatives to forge ahead without hesitation.

Although these people can absorb qi, they are not cultivators.

Only those that can draw upon the earth's energy are truly capable.

"Little Song, you've passed the first test, but you still need to be tested again to see if you can absorb the earth's energy for cultivation."

Song Chen respectfully replied, "I will leave it to you, sir."

The nobleman looked at him with a gentle gaze and said, "My name is Que Shenyun. I am from General Que's mansion. You can call me Mr. Shenyun."

Boom!

A sudden, deafening clap of thunder replaced Song Chen's answer, and almost without pause, raindrops began to patter against the carriage curtain.

The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and a gust of wind rushed in.

“Autumn thunder is indeed rare.” Que Shenyun frowned.

Song Chen glanced outside subconsciously.

Night.

heavy rain.