Chapter 23 - Earth Grade?

"Qi is the true essence of all things, it is the origin energy of heaven and earth. Qi is present everywhere, every being has an innate ability to absorb the Qi and improve themselves, but everyone's innate talents are different. That's why you will find that some cultivators can improve their cultivation by leaps and bounds without facing any barriers, while others struggle to improve a single level in their cultivation realm"

"We absorb the Qi around us to improve our cultivation. There are different realms in the path of cultivation, and each realm has nine levels. Mortals enter the path of cultivation by absorbing the Qi around them and channeling it through their meridians to form a cycle that improves their bodies, which is the first realm we call Body Refinement Realm. In the body refinement realm, the Qi refines our bodies with reach level and removes all impurities"

"Once you breakthrough from body refinement realm, your body will overcome the shackles of mortals. Next you will enter the Blood refinement realm, where you will refine your blood and organs. Both in Body refinement and Blood refinement realms, your body cannot store"

"Cultivation is the process of harnessing and refining the energy within ourselves, which we call as qi. Qi is the vital energy that flows through all living things, and it is what gives us life and vitality. Through cultivation, we can learn to control and harness this energy, allowing us to gain greater strength, health, and even special abilities"

"There are many different methods and techniques for cultivation, such as meditation, training, and the use of special herbs and elixirs. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the choice of which method to use depends on the individual and their goals"

"As we cultivate, we progress through different realms, each with its own level of power and abilities. The lowest realm is the Body refinement realm, where we learn to sense and control qi to refine our bodies. As we progress through the realms, we gain greater power and abilities, eventually reaching the highest realm and obtain immortality"

"But cultivation is not just about gaining power, it's also about finding inner peace and balance within ourselves. Through cultivation, we can learn to control our emotions and thoughts, becoming more calm and focused…"

The elder The crowd listened attentively, many nodding in understanding and appreciation of the cultivator's words. They knew that the path of cultivation would not be easy, but with the guidance of this powerful cultivator, they were eager to begin their journey.

"Now, if you have any questions or doubts, feel free to ask"

The group of new disciples were filled with curiosity and eagerness. They were all at different levels of cultivation, but they all shared the same burning desire to improve and increase their cultivation.

One of the disciples, a young man with a determined expression, was the first to speak.

"Elder, could you please explain to us the differences between the various cultivation realms? We've heard of different realms, such as body refinement, blood refinement, but what comes after that? What are the different cultivation realms?"

The elder smiled gently, his eyes crinkling with warmth. "Those who are in body refinement realm and blood refinement realms cannot be called truly as cultivators, but just quasi-cultivators, as the dantian is not yet formed and they cannot store qi"

"After body refinement realm comes Qi refinement realm, where you form your dantian to store your spiritual energy, which allows to learn cultivation arts that are beyond the grasp of mortals. It is the true beginning in the path on cultivation, your dantian acts as reservoir for your spiritual energy. The more you increase your cultivation, the more your reservoir grows"

Another disciple, a young woman with a studious look, asked questions regarding her bottleneck at peak body refinement realm. The elder answered her on how to overcome the walls between cultivation realms.

Ron decidedly raised his hand to ask a question,

"Elder, can you provide a Qi gathering cultivation technique?"

The elder looked at Ron with curiosity, one cannot enter the path of cultivation without knowing qi gathering techniques, and he sensed that Ron was already at Eighth level of body refinement realm.

"You can visit the library, and you'll be able to find a myriad of cultivation techniques over there, among them you should be able to find a few different types of qi gathering techniques"

The questions continued, and Ron listened intently to learn more about this world and the path of cultivation.

After the lecture ended, Ron immediately headed towards the library.

As he entered the sect library, he was struck by the grandeur and serenity of the space. The library didn't look that large from outside, but the inside felt like ten times larger. He was the high ceilings, intricate carvings, and large luminating crystals hung on the ceiling, that allow light to flood in. The floors were made of hardened wood, and the walls adorned with tapestries and paintings depicting important figures and scenes from the sect's history.

Ron entered the main hall where rows of bookshelves, filled with ancient texts and manuals, line the walls. The books are bound in sturdy materials and adorned with intricate illustrations and symbols. Ron felt a sense of awe and reverence as he strolled through the aisles of the library.

He wasn't able to open the manuals, as each manual was bound by restrictions. He would have to use his jade token to read the manual. Based on the grade and type of manual, the contribution points required changes.

Ding!

[Yellow Grade Technique, Iron Skin: 2,000 points required]

[Yellow Grade Technique, Swift Spear: 1,800 points required]

[…]

He browsed through multiple manuals, and finally ended up in the qi gathering technique manuals. Among those, as the contribution points required for those manuals is almost same, he picked three manuals which had the highest system points required to learn. Oddly, one of the manuals was half burnt, and the contents were missing.

[Yellow Grade, Five Elemental Qi Gathering Technique: 1,400 points required]

[Yellow Grade, Ying-Yang Qi Gathering Technique: 1,200 points required]

['incomplete' Earth Grade, Chaos Heaven Qi Gathering Technique: First Level 25,000 points, Second Level: 50,000 points, Third Level: 100,000 points]