After having dinner, Wen Lingxue fell asleep. The young girl hadn't slept for two days and nights, and combined with the mental torment, she was already exhausted. She yawned throughout the meal. Chen Jin felt a pang of heartache and offered her own boudoir for Wen Lingxue to rest.
Meanwhile, Su Yi arrived by the lakeside and practiced the Songhe Body Refinement Technique over and over again. During his cultivation, the qi within him burned and boiled like a furnace, continuously tempering his blood and qi. Sounds of rumbling echoed within his meridians, resembling the clear and powerful cries of cranes.
Until the ninth repetition of the Songhe Body Refinement Technique, a faint, sharp aura began to emanate around Su Yi's tall and straight figure. The aura was incredibly pure and sharp, slicing through the air and producing faint, hissing sounds as it created fine waves of energy.
Gradually, the ethereal aura resembled a school of densely packed fish, lively and swirling around Su Yi's body, with light and shadows flowing, resembling thousands of flickering sword lights.
Suddenly, Su Yi stomped his foot, extended his fingers like a sword, and casually made a slash towards the lake three zhang away.
Swish!
A strand of sword qi condensed from true Gang force shot out, cutting through the air and leaving a straight fissure as if the fabric of space had been sliced. In the lake three zhang away, a clear dewdrop on a green lotus leaf was sliced into two petals by the sword qi. Then, with two hissing sounds, the dewdrop fragments burst and evaporated.
Immediately after, a loud bang!
A straight fissure, a zhang in length, appeared on the emerald green lake surface, with water splashing and rolling on both sides, creating waves like snowflakes.
One finger, like a sword.
Splitting the dew on the lotus leaf, breaking the zhang-long lake surface!
The former vividly demonstrated Su Yi's precise control over his strength, while the latter showcased the terrifying power of this finger.
Su Yi exhaled a breath of turbid air, slowly retracting his power. The boiling furnace-like qi within his body and the school of fish-like Gang force around his body returned to silence.
"You've already reached the late-stage of Qi Gathering Realm?" Not far away, Tea Jin's charming eyes were filled with unconcealed astonishment.
That sword from earlier, releasing true qi externally, condensing it into Gang!
This was a power that only those in the late-stage of Qi Gathering Realm, at the "Manifestation of Gang" level, could command!
Tea Jin remembered clearly that when she and Su Yi left Yunhe County City together, he was only in the mid-stage of Qi Gathering Realm. It was during the battle with the Crimson Flame Azure-eyed Beast in the wilderness a few days later that Su Yi reached the mid-stage of Qi Gathering Realm with consummate mastery.
And now, just five days later, he had once again stepped into the late-stage of Qi Gathering Realm!
His cultivation speed was simply astonishing.
If Tea Jin were to know that from the awakening of Su Yi's memories of his past life in Guangling City until now, it had only been a little over a month, she wouldn't know how to react.
"Not bad," Su Yi nodded. Ever since he tempered the "Hidden Vein" that triggered the unprecedented anomaly, he could step into the late-stage of Qi Gathering Realm at any time.
It was just a sudden impulse during the practice of the Songhe Body Refinement Technique that broke through the realm.
"This... This is truly incredible..." Tea Jin's eyes were wandering, recalling the monstrous geniuses known as the "Seven Sons of the Moon" in the Moonwheel Sect.
When she compared them, she realized that none of them could rival Su Yi's cultivation speed.
"Incredible?" Su Yi shook his head. In the vast Nine Prefectures, the core disciples of those top-level Dao Sects would hammer their Martial Four Realms to perfection within a month when they were still children.
Those were the true monstrous talents, each of them blessed with great opportunities.
Like when Qingtang joined his sect, she was only seven years old but progressed like a hurricane, refining her Martial Four Realms to an unprecedented level.
In the eyes of the major powerhouses in the vast land of Jiuzhou, the four realms of martial arts are considered ordinary and mundane. The cultivation process only focuses on the physical body and the flow of Qi, forging the foundation of cultivation.
The true battle for the great path begins with the path of living on the mists and dew, and abstaining from eating in seclusion.
However, no matter how talented someone may be, without great determination and courage, they will eventually fade into obscurity.
Whether in the past or the present, Su Yi has always disdained categorizing cultivators as geniuses or mediocrities.
In his view, as long as one wholeheartedly pursues the Dao, even the foolish and clumsy can accumulate strength and soar to the heavens!
At the core of cultivation, ultimately, lies in "mindset".
When engaging with the world, one sharpens the mind.
When withdrawing from the world, one cultivates tranquility of the mind.
In summary, it can be encapsulated by the phrase "nurture the mind like jade, sharpen the mind like a blade".
Tea Jin hesitated for a moment, speaking softly, "Young Master, I... I have made up my mind."
"Hmm?"
Su Yi was about to return to the loft but stopped upon hearing her words. "What are you considering?"
"Uh..."
Tea Jin lowered her head and said, "I hope... I hope to... stay by... um... Young Master's side..."
Her voice gradually grew smaller, barely audible.
"I see."
Su Yi suddenly realized that he had given Tea Jin two choices before: one was to leave, and the other was to stay and continue serving him.
"A very wise choice."
Saying that, Su Yi stepped into the loft.
"Why does his evaluation sound strange..."
Watching Su Yi's figure leave, Tea Jin couldn't help but cry and laugh. She had chosen to stay, so why couldn't she show some satisfaction and joy?
However, Su Yi's casual attitude made Tea Jin inexplicably relieved. If she were too polite and concerned, she would feel uneasy...
"Oh, remember to go to Furui Pavilion and buy some clothes for Lingxue."
Su Yi's voice came from the tower.
Tea Jin shook her head and smiled. This was the Su Yi she was most familiar with.
After thinking for a moment, Tea Jin didn't delay any longer. She decided to go to Furui Pavilion now, and oh, while she was at it, she would buy some beautiful clothes for herself too!
With that thought, Tea Jin's heart became much happier.
...
In the room.
Su Yi stood by the bed.
Wen Lingxue was sound asleep, her long eyelashes disheveled, her rosy lips slightly parted, and a peaceful expression on her exquisite and beautiful face.
Listening to the girl's subtle and rhythmic breaths, Su Yi's heart also softened considerably.
He smiled and gently pulled the beddings that were pressing against the girl's legs, covering her up before turning and walking out of the room.
In this mundane world, there were only a few individuals who could make him genuinely concerned and care, and Wen Lingxue was undoubtedly one of them.
He wouldn't forget the warmth this bright and sunny girl had brought him during those dark times before his memory awakened.
Exiting the room, Su Yi entered the study and sat at the desk by the window. After contemplating for a moment, he took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began writing quickly.
After a while, Su Yi threw down the brush and flexed his wrist, deep in thought.
In the later stage of Qi Gathering Realm, it is called "Hua Gang" (Transforming Astral Energy).
Reaching this stage, one can release true Qi externally, condense it into astral energy, and manipulate water to kill enemies from a distance!
The core of all this lies in refining the true Qi into the power of astral energy.
The quality of astral energy determines the strength of its power.
In the vast land of Jiuzhou, the quality of astral energy is divided into three levels: Earthly Gang, Heavenly Gang, and Spirit Gang!
Earthly Gang is the most common.
Heavenly Gang can only be refined by those with exceptional talent.
As for Spirit Gang, it can almost only be refined by the core disciples of the top ancient sects.
It is not because of the cultivation technique but rather related to the cultivation aptitude, foundation, and talent.
However, in Su Yi's eyes, above Earth, Heaven, and Spirit Gang, there is Dao Gang!
What is Dao Gang?
Astral energy merging with the Dao, containing Dao marks, displaying the might of the Dao!
At this stage, one's cultivation already possesses an intangible aura of the Dao. In battle, it can be used like the miraculous effect of the "Cai Xuan" command, able to influence the overall situation and utilize a portion of the power of heaven and earth!
To refine the "Dao Gang," the prerequisite is to cultivate a foundation of "spiritualized apertures" in the early stage of the Qi Gathering Realm and open the "hidden meridians" in the middle stage.
Based on these foundations, one can forge the cultivation foundation to refine the Dao Gang!
Otherwise, it's all in vain.
And this also means that among those in the world who can achieve this level, there are very few!
In the endless years of Jiuzhou's history, only a handful of individuals have reached this stage, leaving behind legends that are enough to shine throughout the ages.
And now, Su Yi has refined his own strand of "Dao Gang." Although it is still scarce, it can already be considered a significant progress.
His "Dao Gang" is as sharp as a sword, as translucent as beautiful jade, and carries traces of the Dao. Its power is naturally extraordinary.
"At this rate, it will likely take a considerable amount of time to refine all of my true Qi into Dao Gang."
Su Yi murmured to himself.
The downside of having such a solid foundation is that it requires a great deal of time and effort to refine the Dao Gang.
After a while, Su Yi left the study.
At noon, Chajin returned with numerous packages.
She was obviously in a very good mood and even remembered to buy lunch.
"Master, I bought clothes, rouge, hairpins, bracelets, jade pendants for Lingxue..."
Seeing Su Yi sitting in the courtyard waiting for lunch, Chajin smiled and reported the fruits of their shopping trip.
Su Yi wasn't interested in hearing about these things and waved his hand, saying, "Put the things down first and go call Lingxue for lunch."
Chajin playfully stuck out her tongue and hurried off.
"This woman has become much livelier... It seems she must be quite happy after deciding to follow me as a maid..."
Su Yi pondered.
Soon, Chajin and Wen Lingxue walked out of the attic together.
When Su Yi saw Wen Lingxue, his eyes lit up.
The young girl was wearing a light blue floral dress. Her thick black hair was tied up in a ponytail, revealing a lovely and exquisite face with a melon seed-like shape that could display both anger and joy.
The girl had clearly regained her vitality. As she walked, her graceful figure moved lightly and elegantly, her ponytail swaying in a refreshing and neat manner, making her look stunning.
"Master, how do you like the clothes I bought for Sister Lingxue?"
Chajin pursed her lips and smiled.
"Clothes are just embellishments. The real beauty lies in the person."
Su Yi calmly replied.
Wen Lingxue blinked her clear and transparent eyes like stars and happily raised her thumb, saying, "Brother-in-law, you have a good eye!"