Qin Feng tightly bit his teeth, enduring the bone-eroding pain. He made no sound and continued to exercise his cultivation technique, absorbing the medicinal power to cleanse his meridian channels and improve his aptitude.
As he repeatedly operated the cultivation technique Dragon and Tiger Profound Returning Origin Skill, his spiritual power quietly increased each time he absorbed the medicinal power.
He had initially planned to break through to the second level of Qi Refinement after cleansing his meridians and improving his aptitude. By then, he could attribute his rapid advancement to the effect of the medicinal bath his father had prepared.
But at this moment, he focused on absorbing the medicinal power, forgetting to suppress the spiritual power in his dantian. As he circulated the cultivation technique, he unintentionally expanded the veins and acupoints in his body. His spiritual power hit an extreme, and naturally, he advanced.
When Qin Long discovered his son had broken through to the second level of Qi Refinement, he was dumbfounded.
What kind of situation was this?
Hadn't his son been cultivating for just a short time and was currently improving his aptitude through the medicinal bath? How did he break through so suddenly?
Could it be that my son is the legendary cultivation prodigy encountered once in a millennium?
It must be. Otherwise, how could this happen?
Qin Long's heart pounded.
He was somewhat excited.
With such talent, there would be no worry for his son's future advancement.
Perhaps, his son could become the second Golden Core Cultivator in the family after the founder of their clan!
The first-generation ancestor who founded the Qin Clan was an Inner Sect Disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. Unfortunately, this ancestor passed away young and could not protect the family for long. This left the Qin Family to develop slowly in a small place like Kun City without further progress.
Qin Long thought that his son was now the family's hope. Whether he could enter the Inner Sect and lead the family to prosperity would depend on his future achievements.
In the bathtub, Qin Feng did not know about his father's high expectations. He continued to grit his teeth and endure the sensations of soreness, numbness, pain, and itchiness within his body. He also had no time to think about his breakthrough to the second level of Qi Refinement.
He relied solely on his strong willpower to persist. He had never thought that the combination of Marrow Cleansing Liquid and Bone Strengthening Pill would be so painful.
However, improving one's aptitude and maximizing potential is never easy. One must endure all kinds of suffering to make progress.
Who knows how much time passed before the pain began to diminish and the medicinal effects started to wane. Qin Feng felt a sense of relief, experiencing a sudden sensation of clarity and lightness, an illusion of being as light as a swallow.
This was because the impurities in his body had been cleansed.
Upon opening his eyes, he immediately saw his father grinning broadly, laughing silently without noticing that he had awakened.
Surprised and puzzled by the situation, Qin Feng hesitated and waved his hand in front of his father's face. Only then did Qin Long come to his senses, exclaiming, "Oh, it's over so soon. My son is indeed a natural prodigy."
Qin Feng smirked.
Was it really that fast? It felt like a long time to me.
After enduring such intense pain, his body was still weary. With his father's help, he stepped out of the bathtub.
Qin Long then cast a spell, summoning a stream of clear water to rinse him off again. Otherwise, the thick scent of medicine on his body would be uncomfortable.
"Feng'er."
After Qin Feng changed his clothes, Qin Long spoke with a face full of joy: "I didn't expect your aptitude to be so good. Just using these auxiliary spiritual objects to cleanse your body, you've managed to advance to the second level of Qi Refinement."
"Ha ha, the Qin Family's prosperity is in sight. When you enter the Inner Sect of the Beast Taming Sect, you will definitely lead our family out of Kun City and secure a better spirit vein. By then, what weight can the Zhao Family in Tieling carry?"
Qin Feng was speechless.
He hadn't expected that a minor breakthrough could make his father so excited, to the point of belittling the Zhao Family?
But it was understandable. Such rapid cultivation progress was usually seen only in exceptionally talented individuals or the offspring of great families with abundant resources, allowing them to advance swiftly.
Yet, cultivation built on resources alone could never compare to true talent. More than ninety percent of cultivators in the cultivation world faced ever-slowing progress in the later stages. Only true geniuses could continue to break through realms.
Qin Feng wanted to tell his father that he was not a genuine prodigy, but ultimately, he didn't mention the Demon Refining Pot.
It wasn't that he doubted his father's ability to keep secrets, but knowing would only add to his father's worries, fearing for his safety if someone coveted the treasure.
Moreover, the formidable being who had broken the Demon Refining Pot was likely still alive. If the pot was frequently mentioned, it might draw that being's attention, and who knew whether it would bring fortune or disaster.
For mysterious entities he knew little about, it was better to maintain reverence and caution.
Thus, Qin Feng decided not to add to his father's worries unless he became powerful enough to protect the treasure.
The cultivation world was filled with countless mystical techniques. Someone might detect his treasure from subtle clues. Hence, he had to be extremely cautious.
Qin Long excitedly talked to his son for a long time, discussing historical events and imagining the future, sharing tips about joining the Outer Sect of the Beast Taming Sect, whom to avoid, and how to gain benefits.
Despite having heard many things before, Qin Feng listened intently, knowing his father repeated these reminders out of concern for his safety and to advise him on securing more cultivation resources within the sect.
Talking far into the night, with the moon high in the sky, Qin Long finally stopped his advice reluctantly. He instructed, "Don't go out during this time. Stay in the courtyard and cultivate. After ten days or so, then go out. By then, even if people notice you've advanced to the second level of Qi Refinement, it won't cause such a stir."
"After all, I brought back a lot of elixir pills from the Commandery this time. If anyone asks why you advanced so quickly, just say it's because you took a lot of elixir pills."
Qin Feng nodded: "I understand. I won't go out for these few days."
He was well aware of the principle of standing out too much.
Although other elders in the family wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics for a spot, they might increase their focus on cultivating him, considering him the family's hope for revival.
But the news of his rapid advancement could spell trouble if it spread beyond the family.
The Qin Family was, after all, just a small family and might not protect him from harm.
Not to mention that some rivals of the Beast Taming Sect wouldn't hesitate to kill a promising enemy before he matured. Even in the small Kun City, things were not entirely stable.
Kun City housed three cultivator families, each aligned with different powers, sharing cooperation and rivalry.
The Wang Family in the west was relatively minor, being vassals of the Fog Hidden Sect, with no feud with the Beast Taming Sect.
But the Huang Family in the north was associated with one of the Beast Taming Sect's rival sects, the Sword Cultivation Sect of Taiyi Mountain Golden Light Cave, renowned for their Golden Light Cave Heaven, a thriving sect possibly even stronger than the Beast Taming Sect.
Qin Long wanted his son to reclusively cultivate at home for a while to avoid the Huang Family. Should they discover Qin Feng's progress, they could either harm him secretly or report to their sect, leading to a potential fatal threat to Qin Feng.
...
Qin Feng was even more patient than Qin Long anticipated.
He secluded himself for over half a month, only then stepping out to relieve his mind by walking in the family's forest.
He encountered some clan cultivators during his walk, but they were mostly ordinary members focused on tending the family's spiritual fields and didn't bother probing his cultivation level.
It wasn't until over a month later that a clan member noticed Qin Feng had advanced to the second level of Qi Refinement.
The news caused quite a stir among the younger generations of Kun City's three major families.
Qin Feng managed to advance to the second level within two months, making him a minor prodigy among the ordinary talent pool of his peers. If he survived, he might achieve Foundation Establishment and become a pillar of the Qin Family's future.
However, Qin Feng attributed his rapid progress to the numerous spiritual elixirs his father, Qin Long, provided.
This explanation eased concerns about him attracting undue attention from elders of the rival families, who themselves had children enjoying plentiful resources.
Nevertheless, young family members competing with Qin Feng for sect admission were disheartened.
His performance nearly guaranteed one spot, intensifying competitions for the remaining slots.
A few of those youths often lamented, wishing their fathers were like Qin Long—having accomplished enough for the family to earn resources. With similar supports, they might have progressed faster than Qin Feng.
Third Uncle, who watched the Book Collection Pavilion, was particularly anxious about his grandson's chances now that Qin Feng claimed a spot.
Even if Third Uncle wanted elixir pills for his grandson, years of stable service in the family's Scripture Pavilion meant fewer adventures and fewer accumulated resources compared to Qin Long.
Qin Feng often visited the Pavilion for cultivation travel notes and various cultivation books, causing his presence to unsettle Third Uncle, who sighed inwardly each time.
His grandson's average aptitude previously allowed fair competition, but now competing against Qin Long's resource-backed efforts seemed insurmountable.