"Scorching Purge!"

  Ning made a series of hand gestures, qi converging from all directions as a wisp of flame appeared out of thin air and burned the stubborn weed to ash.

  It almost felt euphoric, watching the tenacious weed erased from existence, wiped clean from the face of the earth.

  "This technique is quite useful," Ning murmured, nodding to himself as he examined the result.

  Unlike the flashy "throw-a-fireball-and-blow-up" kind of spell, Scorching Purge was refined. It carried a specialized focus. Though it possessed the fire attribute, its true purpose was precision, eradicating unwanted elements while leaving the surrounding soil untouched.

  In this world, weeds were no ordinary plants. They came in all kinds of troublesome breeds, fast-growing, invasive ones that could strangle a field of spiritual grains within days, and hardy types that absorbed the nutrients meant for cultivators' crops. Some even secreted toxic qi, posing danger to anyone foolish enough to pull them out by hand.

  Ning crouched slightly, feeling the lingering heat against his palms and inhaling the faint, acrid scent of burnt grass.

  "Power of the sun at the palm of my hand..." Ning mumbled, gazing at the power of his first offensive spell.

  Of course, that was just a bit of theatrics.

  Now, he had learned three different types of spiritual farming techniques. In fact, he was looking forward to the next technique even more.

  The Flourishing and Withering Technique, like the Small Cloud Rain Technique, was indispensable for spiritual farmers. It allowed the cultivator to absorb the wood qi from one plant and transfer it to nourish others, greatly reducing the long growth periods of certain crops. Unfortunately, the technique demanded a large amount of spiritual energy and could only be properly used by cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

  Speaking of cultivation;

  [Cultivation Method: Pure Qi Sutra (1st Floor: 96/100)]

  The Pure Qi Sutra served as the sect's primary cultivation method, renowned for its stability and reliability. It was an excellent foundation-building technique, suitable for almost anyone.

  Its essence lay in its name, pure qi. As a rare, attribute-less cultivation method, it allowed cultivators of any spiritual root to refine their qi up to the late stage of Qi Condensation. Moreover, this technique had a major benefit. It didn't require supplementary material for practice.

  In every way, it was truly a great beginner technique for everyone, no matter the status.

  Of course, as a primary cultivation technique, it also had three different levels or floors, each granting faster cultivation speed and a greater degree of purity.

  Now, Ning was only one step away from reaching the second floor.

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  He took out one of his remaining Star-Marked Pills and swallowed it. A rich aura spread through his body, flowing into his meridians. The influx of energy brought with it a faint sensation of expansion and a subtle resonance.

  Ning focused his mind, recalling the sutra's essence.

  According to his comprehension of the technique, the best way to achieve the pure Qi was through the use of compression. By condensing qi within the dantian and removing its impurities, one could attain true purity.

  He concentrated, visualizing the process. Each breath drew in vital energy; each exhalation expelled turbid qi. Slowly, his internal energy began to refine and condense.

  Using his otherworldly knowledge, he imagined his dantian as a sealed chamber, a vessel of gas being steadily compressed. With every controlled breath, his qi particles condensed, occupying less and less space. Like a phase transition, where vapor turned liquid, his qi shifted into a denser, more potent form.

  The process was delicate, like an alchemist refining crude ore into essence. Each breath, each visualization required precision.

  As time stretched on, Ning's qi grew purer and denser. Each passing second brought him infinitesimally closer to a breakthrough.

  Finally, the moment arrived.

  Ning directed his compressed qi through his meridians. Suddenly, the pressure burst forth, a surge like a dam breaking. His body trembled as waves of energy flooded through him, glowing faintly beneath his skin. Within his dantian, the qi took on a milky-white hue, brilliant and refined.

  [Cultivation Method: Pure Qi Sutra (2nd Floor: 1/400)]

  "It's done." Ning exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He could feel it; the improvement was tangible. His qi was cleaner, smoother, and his cultivation speed had increased by nearly half again.

  The path to the third stage was now within sight.

  "Fortunately, everything went according to the theory." Ning smiled.

  Compression without any regard to meridians would naturally lead to failure. Thankfully, he can observe if the process was successful or not using the panel.

  Over the past months, Ning had grown to understand its true nature. The panel wasn't some broken, game-like cheat that erased bottlenecks. It didn't grant power endlessly.

  It was not like those RPGs where one can just continue to progress in a technique as long as they put in effort.

  The panel simply reflected his progress. It was a mirror of cultivation, not its substitute.

  And that alone was enough.

  Through it, he could see his mistakes, adjust his method, and recognize when he had strayed from the correct path. It was a tool for guidance, a learning tool.

  With it, even without the guidance of teachers, he could choose the most effective path.

  Thanks to it, he had refined his qi with remarkable efficiency.

  In the following month, Ning secluded himself, tending his fields, practicing his spells, and cultivating as if possessed by a demon to make his numbers go up.

  With such single-minded practice, he soon reached a critical point.

  One evening, seated cross-legged in his quiet room, Ning steadied his breathing and guided his spiritual energy through his body. Then, using the stored potential within his compressed Qi to propel his pure Qi to attack the bottleneck toward the third stage of Qi condensation.

  Boom!

  The bottleneck shattered under the sheer intensity of his pure Qi. A surge of power coursed through Ning's body, almost doubling the vigor of his Qi. The meridians, once tranquil conduits, now roiled turbulently, circulating the amplified energy within his being.

  He had broken through.

  After consolidating his breakthrough, Ning opened his eyes; they were shining brightly with the huge influx of spirituality.

  [Cultivation: Third Stage of Qi Condensation (Consolidating)]

  For the past two months, he had focused solely on cultivation, rarely leaving seclusion except to buy pills. The only major activity is the second harvest of the spiritual grain.

  After all, he was not the protagonist. He didn't have to fight bandits, awaken ancient bloodlines, or survive a lightning tribulation to upgrade each level.

  With the help of pills and his advanced technique, the breakthrough came naturally.

  "Seven months," he murmured, looking up at the faint light streaming through the window. "Finally, I've achieved my goal."

  ...

  Thanks for reading~