Xiao Minghuang had originally planned to start Guiding Qi into the Body and break through to the Qi Refining Realm as soon as she got the Cultivation Method, but after learning that the Body Tempering Realm had three more levels, she changed her mind.
“I want to reach Body Tempering Realm Great Perfection before I try to break through.”
With her mind made up, Xiao Minghuang activated the Spirit Gathering Array.
The Body Tempering Realm was all about drawing in the world’s Spiritual Energy to wash over the body, refining flesh, blood, and bones.
With a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones and the Spirit Gathering Array, I should be able to break through to Body Tempering Twelfth Level! Xiao Minghuang took out a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones and placed them all around her.
The moment the pile of Spirit Stones appeared, the air in the Cultivation Room seemed to freeze for a second.
Dense Spiritual Energy formed a white mist, so thick it almost seemed to drip.
Xiao Minghuang activated the Spirit Gathering Array, feeling the Spiritual Energy around her grow denser.
She immediately sat cross-legged and silently recited the Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture.
“Ziwei is the North Star, standing in its place as all the stars gather around it…” The Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture harnessed Star Power.
When cultivated to the extreme, the stars themselves would answer your call—unimaginably powerful.
In the blink of an eye, strands of thick Spiritual Energy were drawn to her, constantly washing over her body.
Xiao Minghuang’s skin grew more radiant, golden light flowing, starlight sparkling, as if she were cast from divine gold from beyond the heavens.
Every inch of her skin glowed like stars, dazzling and majestic, making her look like a true empress.
This meant her body was growing stronger, her flesh and blood crystal clear, her bones shining, all thoroughly refined.
The pile of Spirit Stones beside her suddenly lost much of their Spiritual Energy, many turning to dust as they were completely drained.
Suddenly, Xiao Minghuang’s cultivation surged, Qi and Blood Power roaring within her.
Her petite figure seemed like a slumbering ancient Ferocious Beast.
Body Tempering Tenth Level! Body Tempering Eleventh Level! She advanced two levels in a row.
Xiao Minghuang’s face showed no joy or sorrow, only growing calmer, her whole presence solemn and noble.
“It’s not over yet!” Xiao Minghuang shouted in a low voice.
In the next moment, her aura climbed again! Body Tempering Twelfth Level! Body Tempering Extreme Boundary! Done! As her aura exploded, her Qi and Blood Power instantly withdrew, and a humming sound rang out.
A faint golden light flashed at Xiao Minghuang’s brow, a speck of golden light emerging and circling around her.
“With the Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture, once you reach Minor Accomplishment, you can use Starlight Body Protection!” Xiao Minghuang’s face lit up with joy.
Cultivators’ understanding of a Cultivation Method is divided into Entry Level, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, Perfection, and Extreme Boundary.
She was only at the Body Tempering Realm, yet she’d already reached Minor Accomplishment with a Heaven-Rank Cultivation Method.
Her talent was terrifying! But just as she was feeling pleased, all one hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones beside her lost their Spiritual Energy and turned to dust! The entire Cultivation Room was emptied of Spiritual Energy!
Without Spiritual Energy to support it, the golden starlight quickly faded and vanished.
“Golden starlight is both offensive and defensive, incredibly strong, but my cultivation is too low right now.
I can’t maintain it for long.
I’ll need to reach a higher level before I can use Starlight freely.”
Xiao Minghuang let out a breath and looked at the pile of Spirit Stone dust.
“Just breaking through the last three levels of Body Tempering used up a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones.
When I reach the Qi Refining Realm, how many more will I need?”
Luckily, the Spirit Gathering Array was protected by mechanisms, so the Spirit Stones inside hadn’t been completely drained.
Under the Formation Compass, there were still a hundred and twenty low-grade Spirit Stones left.
“This seclusion used up two hundred and forty low-grade Spirit Stones and took two days.”
Xiao Minghuang focused her mind, feeling the changes in her body, and began circulating the Purple Star Imperial Path Scripture again.
The moment she activated the Cultivation Method, strands of Spiritual Energy seeped through her flawless skin, flowing through her meridians and finally gathering in her dantian.
Guiding Qi into the Body happens naturally when the body reaches its limit.
Most Martial Artists only reach the ninth level of Body Tempering, with a physical strength of forty or fifty thousand jin and not enough Qi and Blood Power.
Even if they prepare a lot of Spirit Stones for breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, they might not succeed.
But for her, it was as easy as a thought.
Xiao Minghuang focused inward, sensing the changes in her body.
“So this is the Qi Refining Realm…” Qi Refining is both a Realm and a cultivation method, absorbing the world’s Spiritual Energy to strengthen oneself and unleash all kinds of mystical abilities.
This is the Qi Refining Realm, the first threshold on the path of cultivation.
The moment she entered the Qi Refining Realm, a faint light flickered in Xiao Minghuang’s lower abdomen, and a small vortex began to form, glowing softly as it constantly drew in Spiritual Energy from the world, gathering it for her own use.
This vortex endlessly absorbed Spiritual Energy from the world, as if stealing the power of creation itself to replenish her body.
“The Qi Refining Realm has three hundred and sixty acupoints throughout the body, and ten major acupoints.
Each time you open a major acupoint, you advance one level.”
The ten major acupoints are at the crown of the head, between the brows, chest, lower abdomen, the centers of both palms, both knees, and both soles of the feet.
“When you enter the Qi Refining Realm, the Sea of Qi Acupoint is opened.
I’m now at Qi Refining First Level.”
The acupoint in the lower abdomen is the Sea of Qi Acupoint.
Xiao Minghuang murmured to herself, withdrawing her aura, and the vortex in her lower abdomen faded away.
Compared to the Body Tempering Realm, advancing in the Qi Refining Realm is much harder.
Even if she stayed in seclusion and used up all the Spirit Stones in the Spirit Gathering Array, she wouldn’t be able to make any more progress.
“Two days have passed.
It’s time to come out.”
The System’s compensation count had refreshed, and the pill she’d won from the Seventh Prince still hadn’t been delivered.
Who knows what reward she’d get this time.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Xiao Minghuang’s lips, her eyes glinting with amusement.
In a flash, she stepped out the door.
After breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm, her Spiritual Awareness/Divine Sense had grown much stronger, letting her sense every movement in the entire Residence/Mansion.
With her Spiritual Awareness/Divine Sense covering everything, every blade of grass and tree in the Residence/Mansion was laid bare before her.
“Let’s see if little Ruo Shui has been cultivating seriously…” Xiao Minghuang remembered that before her seclusion, she’d given Ye Ruoshui the Dragon Soul Mind Method and told the little girl to practice diligently.
But in reality, with Ye Ruoshui’s talent, even twenty days might not be enough to reach Entry Level, let alone just two days.
Besides, Ye Ruoshui wasn’t even at Body Tempering First Level yet, and knew nothing about cultivation.
Her Spiritual Awareness/Divine Sense stopped outside Ye Ruoshui’s Room.
She couldn’t sense any Cultivation presence from inside.
“As expected, she still hasn’t reached Entry Level.
It’s time to help the little girl improve her Cultivation.”
Xiao Minghuang let out a soft sigh, withdrew her Spiritual Awareness/Divine Sense, and walked over.
A few breaths later, she arrived outside Ye Ruoshui’s Room.
“Ruo Shui, Sister’s here to see you.
Open the door.”
As soon as she finished speaking—
A trembling, coquettish voice came from inside the Room.
“…Wait… wait a second.”
Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly, not understanding.
“Ruo Shui, you’re not up yet?”
She glanced up at the Sun in the Sky, which was right overhead—warm and bright.
It was clearly noon.
“…Almost… mm~ just a second!”
Xiao Minghuang didn’t know what Ye Ruoshui was doing, so she waited a little longer.
After about half a quarter of an hour, the door slowly creaked open.
Ye Ruoshui’s fair little face was flushed red, making her look especially charming and alluring.
Her clothes were a bit messy, her long black hair unkempt, and her soft pink lips were slightly parted as she panted, as if she’d just finished some particularly exhausting task.
