Chen Mo’s eyes scanned the thin pages of the compendium, finally finding the clarity he had been seeking. Cultivation, it seemed, was not just raw strength—it was structured, methodical, and layered.

  A cultivator’s journey began with sensing the qi of Heaven and Earth, learning to circulate it steadily through the dantian. This signaled entry into the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation, divided into three levels. At these initial levels (1–3), practitioners focused on strengthening their body and meridians, stabilizing the dantian, and performing simple spells—like calling rain, purifying water, or creating small flames.

  The Middle Stage (Levels 4–6) awakened spiritual senses, granting the cultivator control over middle-rank spiritual weapons, the ability to read jade slips, operate space pouches, and execute a wider variety of techniques.

  By the Late Stage (Levels 7–9), both spiritual sense and qi power reached formidable heights, enabling mastery over high-grade spiritual weapons and complex spells. At this level, differences between cultivators were stark: a Level 7 could not hope to match a Level 8.

  The book made one thing clear: the early stage built a stable foundation, the middle stage awakened perception and versatility, and the late stage refined both strength and spiritual sense, allowing a cultivator to dominate lesser peers and command extraordinary tools. Chen Mo nodded slowly, committing every detail to memory—his path ahead, while dangerous, was no longer completely unknown.

  The compendium didn’t stop at theory. It also contained a section on cultivation aids, listing various types of pills corresponding to each stage of Qi Cultivation—carefully categorized for early, middle, and late stage practitioners.

  For the early stage, the book recommended Qi Perception Pills, which helped novices sense and stabilize Heaven and Earth qi more effectively. Middle stage cultivators were guided toward Spirit Sense Pills, enhancing their ability to manipulate spiritual weapons and operate jade slips or space pouches. Late-stage practitioners could use Refinement Pills, designed to sharpen both spiritual perception and qi output, allowing mastery over complex spells and high-grade artifacts.

  In practice, the section read like a subtle advertisement for the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion, showing the rare and essential goods the pavilion stocked, alongside their purported benefits. Every pill, every aid, was tied back to the pavilion—suggesting that any serious cultivator, no matter their level, would eventually need to visit the center of the eastern market. Chen Mo noted this with interest, already plotting how to gather enough spiritual stones to buy the items most useful to him.

  Chen Mo carefully uncorked the small bottle and swallowed a single Qi Perception Pill, feeling its faint warmth spread down his throat like liquid fire. Almost instantly, a subtle vibration coursed through his body, and his hands tingled as if tiny currents of energy were brushing against his skin.

  He settled cross-legged on the floor of his courtyard, closing his eyes and taking a slow, deep breath. At first, the sensation was faint—just a whisper of movement along his meridians—but as he concentrated, he felt the currents grow stronger, flowing steadily from his extremities toward his lower dantian. The channels, which had seemed sluggish and obstructed before, now glimmered with a soft, pulsating light in his mind’s eye, each meridian vibrating in resonance with the pill’s effect.

  Chen Mo ran his awareness along them, sensing blockages loosen and energy begin to circulate with a newfound rhythm. He adjusted his breathing, matching it to the flow of qi, and could almost feel the Heaven and Earth energy hovering just beyond his perception, teasing the edges of his senses.

  Opening one eye slightly, he estimated: if this effect continued consistently, and he trained diligently, within a month he would likely be able to sense and absorb the ambient qi of Heaven and Earth, marking the true beginning of his Qi Cultivation journey. He smiled faintly, the first glimmer of genuine anticipation touching his otherwise pragmatic mind.

  The next morning, Chen Mo made his way back to the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion, moving with quiet purpose. The bustling stalls and haggling cultivators seemed distant to him now; his focus was sharp, unshaken. Once inside, he purchased two more bottles of the basic Qi Perception Pills, tucking them carefully into his pouch.

  Back at his courtyard, Chen Mo cleared a small space, setting aside all distractions. Today marked the beginning of closed-door cultivation—an intensive, uninterrupted session designed to push him toward the First Level of Qi Condensation. He settled cross-legged, uncorked a pill, and swallowed it with deliberate care. Almost immediately, the familiar warmth coursed through his body, his meridians vibrating with an awakened resonance.

  He knew that with the panel supporting his cultivation, progress would be extraordinary. Once initiated, his rate of absorption would far exceed any ordinary practitioner. Those so-called geniuses, even dual or triple attribute prodigies, wouldn’t be able to touch him. But Chen Mo’s gaze was fixed further ahead—the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation. Only there could he awaken his spiritual senses, enabling him to comprehend and wield the spoils of war he had collected, and, most importantly, unlock the legendary legacy that had been the target of two Innate experts for years.

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  Settling into meditation, Chen Mo allowed the pill’s effect to fully permeate his body. His mind sharpened, his awareness extended, and a faint aura of pure, calm energy shimmered around him, his first step into a path that promised power, knowledge, and revenge—all intertwined.

  A month of relentless, intensive training had passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. Chen Mo now sat cross-legged in his modest courtyard, eyes closed, his mind utterly focused. The air around him shimmered faintly as if responding to his presence, and for the first time, he felt the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth flowing within him.

  It started subtly—a gentle tug at the edges of his awareness, like a whisper brushing against his meridians. Chen Mo adjusted his breathing, slow and rhythmic, guiding the qi through the pathways he had meticulously memorized from the Azure Pine Nourishing Art. Gradually, the qi began to circulate steadily through his meridians, spreading warmth and a smooth vibration throughout his body. It moved as a calm, flowing river, pooling finally into his lower dantian, condensing into a quiet, radiant core of energy.

  What amazed him most was the harmony—or rather, the separation—between this newly sensed qi and his tyrannical True Qi. The True Qi roared quietly in the depths of his primordial body, powerful and unruly, a storm waiting to erupt. Yet, the Heaven and Earth qi respected the boundaries he set. It was like two rivers running side by side: one wild and unstoppable, the other calm and methodical, each unaware of disturbing the other. Chen Mo could circulate the spiritual qi freely, without it clashing or corrupting his innate power.

  A faint smile curved his lips. The panel had once again verified his potential, and the doors to cultivation had finally opened. He could now draw from the spiritual qi of the world itself, steadily building the foundation he had been denied as a five-element root cultivator. With this, the path to Middle Stage Qi Cultivation no longer seemed an impossibility—it was simply a matter of time and perseverance.

  Chen Mo opened his eyes, and the familiar holographic glow of the panel appeared before him, visible only to him. It displayed his vital stats, a clear reflection of both his progress and potential:

  Name: Chen Mo

  Age: 16 / 140

  Realm:

  ? Body: Innate

  ? Spiritual: 1st Level of Qi 1/100 Condensation

  Body Refining Art: Primordial Body Art (Incomplete)

  Immortal Cultivation: Azure Pine Nourishing Art (9th Level Qi)

  Skills:

  ? Threaded Movement (Perfect)

  ? Archery (Perfect)

  Chen Mo’s eyes lingered on the panel, the details starkly reminding him of how far he had come—and how far he still needed to go. The spiritual qi now circulating within him was confirmed by the panel, marking his first tangible step into formal cultivation.

  Chen Mo leaned back slightly, eyes scanning the panel as he murmured to himself: “It seems there are some changes… the appearance of the new cultivation method was expected, but what I didn’t expect was the age limit—140 years.”

  He recalled the compendium he had studied: most Qi Condensation cultivators rarely lived past 120 years. Only by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm could one extend life to around 300 years.

  “Maybe it’s because the Primordial Body Art adds twenty more years,” Chen Mo reasoned quietly, a trace of satisfaction in his tone.

  His gaze shifted to another detail on the panel: the Azure Pine Nourishing Art could only be cultivated up to the 9th level of Qi. Chen Mo frowned slightly, knowing this limitation could become a significant problem—but that was a concern for later. For now, he just needed to grow stronger, steadily and without distractions.

  Chen Mo didn’t intend to stop now. He leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he began running calculations in his mind, estimating the time required to reach the Middle Stage of Qi Condensation—and perhaps even beyond.

  He knew the hard truth: as a cultivator aged, chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment diminished sharply. Past sixty, most were effectively out of options; their bodies, meridians, and dantian had lost the flexibility and vitality necessary for true advancement.

  Chen Mo didn’t need to worry. With the panel at his side, success was all but guaranteed—and probably at a speed no ordinary cultivator could ever hope to match. No bottlenecks, no hidden limits; as long as he put in the grind, not even a Heaven Child could rival his pace.

  “Sixty years old limit?” Chen Mo snorted, a faint grin tugging at his lips. “I’ll reach the ninth layer of Qi Condensation in two or three years at most.”

  The thought alone sent a surge of confidence through him. With steady cultivation and the panel guiding every step, the path ahead was clear, and he would leave every so-called genius far behind.

  Chen Mo leaned back slightly, feeling the familiar flow of Heaven and Earth qi coursing through his meridians. Two hours of steady absorption and circulation had pushed him to his limit for the session, but the exhaustion was sweet—he knew every drop counted.

  He summoned the panel once more, the translucent column appearing before him:

  Realm: Spiritual Cultivation: 1st Level of Qi Condensation 6/100

  A small, satisfied smile crept across his face. Five or six points… he thought. If I use pills, I might gain even more. Even without them, in two weeks I can make it.

  A low, almost triumphant chuckle escaped him. “The grind has finally begun,” Chen Mo murmured, eyes gleaming with anticipation. “And it will be unstoppable.”

  The courtyard was silent except for the soft rustle of qi in his body—a quiet testament to the beginning of a cultivation storm that no one could foresee.