"And with this herb, I could easily reach the peak of the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm. If I could refine it into a pill, I could directly advance to the Sixth Level Qi Gathering Realm."
"However, I can't do it. Firstly, I don't know alchemy, and secondly, it would be too troublesome to ask an alchemist. I'd have to gather other herbs, and I only have one Twilight Azure Lily. If the alchemist fails to concoct the pill, I'd lose the herb. Moreover, the cost of hiring an alchemist is also very much."
"Additionally, possessing the Twilight Azure Lily is like being a child with a golden brick. So, instead of dealing with all that trouble, I'll simply absorb this Rank 1 high-grade herb to advance my cultivation directly although its wasteful but I only have this choice."
[Year 14: Thanks to the healing pills you found in the disciple's space bag, you only needed to recuperate for 1 and a half year and finally recovered from your injuries.]
[Year 15: After two years of seclusion, you finally emerged and were in a joyous mood because you had broken through to the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm after absorbing the Twilight Azure Lily.]
"It would have taken me a few more years to break through if I had cultivated regularly with Senior Sister to the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm. But with this herb, it took at most half a year."
"I could have absorbed this herb and made a breakthrough in 5 months at most, but due to healing my injuries, I wasted more than a year, so it took me almost 2 years in total. And there are still many medicinal properties that I haven't fully absorbed. If I digest them, I'll be able to reach the peak of the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm," Wu Jin said, his hands tightly clenched.
"But there's no rush. Let's first see the situation outside. I've been in seclusion for five years, and thanks to my completion of numerous missions beforehand, I don't have to worry about being expelled for not following to the mission quota rule each year. Sister Meng should be reassured as well," Wu Jin remarked calmly."
With these thoughts, Wu Jin rose from his bed and left his room, only to find Meng Hua standing outside. Her expression brightened upon seeing Wu Jin emerge. "Brother Wu Jin, you're finally out from your seclusion! If I hadn't felt your presence, I would have thought you had died inside," she exclaimed.
However, her expression quickly shifted to one of shock as she observed Wu Jin's cultivation level and said: "Brother Wu, your cultivation—"
"I was fortunate. During my recuperation, I broke through," Wu Jin explained. "And looking at your aura, it seems you've also had a breakthrough," he added, observing Meng Hua's aura.
He hadn't learned any breath concealing techniques, so Meng Hua could sense his aura. And before his mission to hunt the beast, Meng Hua was very close to breaking through to the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm. Therefore, her breakthrough in these years isn't surprising.
[Year 16: After suppressing your lust for five whole years, you finally couldn't resist any longer. You took Meng Hua to your bedroom, shaking the bed for the entire year.]
…
"System, don't you feel it's unfair?!" Su Han gritted his teeth as he muttered angrily.
"Why is it that whenever the best parts come, I only see pixels and not the clear picture?" But he received no reply. Frustrated, he couldn't help but curse, "Son of a bitch! Bullying the weak."
…
[Year 18: After two years of dual cultivating with Meng Hua, you finally digested the leftover medicinal properties in your body and reached the peak of the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm, not far away from the Sixth Level Qi Gathering Realm.]
"Even though I've reached the peak of the Fifth Level Qi Gathering Realm, I still need two more years to break through to the Sixth Level Qi Gathering Realm. My spiritual roots are of the Sixth Rank Mid-Grade, so it would have taken less time if my spiritual roots were better," said Wu Jin.
Spiritual roots are foundation of cultivators, helping them gather Qi from their surroundings. When this Qi enters their body, it becomes their own and is stored in their dantian.
However, during this process, a lot of the gathered Qi is lost. So, if a person has high-quality spiritual roots, they can convert more Qi into their own while losing less. The quality of a person's spiritual roots greatly affects how well they can absorb Qi.
Additionally, the quality of someone's spiritual roots determines how far they can progress in their cultivation journey. For example, those with low-grade spiritual roots have a very slim chance of reaching the foundation establishment realm.
In contrast, cultivators with middle-grade spiritual roots have a much better chance of reaching the foundation establishment realm, and with luck, they could even reach the gold core realm.
High-grade spiritual roots provide an even greater chance of reaching the gold core realm and, with luck, may even attain the nascent soul realm.
Earth-grade and heaven-grade spiritual roots are like being blessed by the heavens themselves, granting cultivators the potential to reach even greater heights in the cultivation world.
In summary, spiritual roots aren't just something you're born with – they're the very base of a cultivator's journey. They affect how easy cultivation is, how far someone can progress, and how high they can reach in the mystical realms of cultivation.
Just as he was thinking about this, the door to his room swung open, and Meng Hua walked in with a smile. "Brother Wu, I have good news. The sect's secret realm is about to open, and anyone with a mid-grade Qi Gathering Realm or lower than Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation can enter."
"Really? Wait, our sect has a secret realm?" Wu Jin exclaimed in disbelief as he looked at Senior Sister Meng Hua.