Chapter 21: The Qi Condensation Stage.
Mortal Realm~
Endless Catacombs~~
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As Yin Yu revealed the Goodluck Wishing Weed, Yang Chen and Lu Xie Tong were captivated, their eyes glued to the miraculous treasure.
Yang Chen wondered what Yin Yu intensions with it were, but he had a hunch.
The four-leafed Goodluck Wishing Weed was an extraordinary find, rare throughout the nine realms. Its value varied depending on the number of it's leaf variant; even a single-leaf Goodluck Wishing Weed variation was considered a miraculous encounter in the mortal realm.
The highest grade ever discovered in the mortal realm was a seven-leaf Goodluck Wishing Weed variant which had sparked a catastrophic event - a realm war fueled by powerful figures seeking to lay their avaricious hands on it, but till today it was still a mystery as to whose hands had successfully attained it.
This enchanted weed had an incredible ability: granting rare powers proportional to the number of its leaves. Yin Yu's four-leafed variant could bestow four abilities on Lu Xie Tong, provided she successfully assimilated it. The higher the weed's grade, the greater the chances of assimilation, which explained the bloody wars sparked by the seven-leafed variant discovered in the mortal realm.
But that wasn't its most valuable use. Under the right conditions, one could gain the essence of the Goodluck Wishing Weed, granting the "Aura of Fortune" - a mythical aura promising lifelong good fortune.
Legend had it that a mortal, armed with this aura, had equaled the heavens across the nine realms, becoming the strongest expert beneath the heavens.
Only a know few had successfully assimilated with the Goodluck Wishing Weed, and gained this aura, and each had transcended to a higher realm, hence, the he Goodluck Wishing Weed was synonymous with fortune!
Lu Xie Tong's eyes sparkled at the sight of the Goodluck Wishing Weed. While many knew about its "aura of fortune," few realized that in higher realms, even eight and nine-leaf variants existed. However, even in the higher realms assimilating with them was still an extremely challenging feat. Those who could successfully obtain the "aura of fortune" were considered blessed by the heavens.
Goodluck Wishing Weeds were extraordinary, but there was something even more extraordinary than it – the God Wishing Tree.
Evolving from Goodluck Wishing Weeds, these trees were precious yet still considered a parasite in some ways. They granted a number of fortuitous encounters relative to their origin variation and they also produced miraculous fruits that offered immunity to toxins and poisons.
Most importantly was the God Reaching Dew, a mysterious murky liquid that dripped from the God Wishing Trees at dawn. It had the ability to increase the chances of attaining godlyhood, but this fable tree could be encountered but not sought after.
However, this dew came at a cost. God Wishing Trees could spread roots across an entire domain, siphoning it's fortune and potentially plunging the domain into chaos by exhausting it's fortune. With each round of fortune it siphoned it would condense the God reaching dew by the following dawn.
A wishful glint shone in Lu Xie Tong's eyes. "Finding one would accelerate my cultivation immensely," she thought.
Yin Yu interrupted Lu Xie Tong's train of thought, "Are you ready?" She asked, Lu Xie Tong nodded affirmatively.
The dilution phase was critical and required everyone's utmost concentration as the slightest diversion could cause a ripple effect.Yin Yu gracefully waved her wrist, conjuring a pitch-black fog around the Goodluck Wishing Weed. Tiny green glowing specks emerged, dispelling the fog.
Under Yin Yu's guidance, these specks morphed into a neon stream that merged with the berserk emerald mist, initiating the dilution phase.
With the primordial duo overseeing the process and Lu Xie Tong controlling the energy stability with the aid of the energy puppeteering array, everything progressed smoothly till it was over.
The final step was to merge the two energies and reap the benefits. Lu Xie Tong's void constitution made assimilation a breeze, but integrating the energies would take a bit of effort on her part, along with the aid of the energy puppeteering array.
With a deep breath, Lu Xie Tong meditated, and began to integrate the two energies within her. The process placed a huge burden on her mental capabilities, making her sweat bullets.
~Anhourlater
Phew
Lu Xie Tong exhaled heavily, relieved, as the energy puppeteering array deactivated. Integrating the Jumbling Decal Bushweed's berserk energy and the Goodluck Wishing Weed's neon essence stream while operating the energy puppeteering array simultaneously had been a challenge, especially with her weak cultivation.
Lu Xie Tong scanned the room, surprised to find it empty. The primordial duo must have discreetly left, allowing her to focus, she presumed.
Elated with her progress, Lu Xie Tong felt confident about reaching Qi Condensation before the New Year showdown. Upon unsealing her physique, she had sensed a tug at the third Body Augmentation stage – the Falsified Qi level. A little push would secure her breakthrough.
Now, she began the final phase – assimilation . At this stage Lu Xie Tong special constitution took over, circulating the integrated energy within her in a specific rhythm, repeating the cycle over and over again. She didn't need to concentrate too much for this process, as it was mainly a passive action, courtesy of her special constitution.
Normally, refining and assimilating energy without attaining Falsified Qi would be reckless deed as there would be no catalyst to refine the energy and furthermore one's body would only be able to bare the pressure of circulating Qi after surpassing the second level of the Body Augmentation stage. However, Lu Xie Tong's special constitution and body, strengthened by trials and sanguine essence of the primordial carps, overcame such problem.
In fact, her physical body surpassed many Qi Condensation stage cultivators in raw power, this would be an unbelievable feat if any was to know of it, as it would be uncanny for such dainty body to pack such a punch.
~Halfanhourlater
Lu Xie Tong achieved the Falsified Qi level in no time, "That was amazingly fast! Much more faster than I expected!" she exclaimed, feeling a subtle, gentle sensation coursing through her body. A self-satisfied smile spread across her face in glee.
Now, she focused on attaining the Qi Condensation stage, her true goal. This required condensing the Falsified Qi and storing it in her lower dantian. As she continued assimilating, the false qi slowly condensed into murky drops, with the first came a second then a third and so on...., filling her dantian. With each drop, she felt her energy accumulating.
Upon saturation, Lu Xie Tong successfully attained the first tier of Qi Condensation! She didn't stop, cultivating further with the abundant energy still left within her. She had achieved what would be deemed the impossible in the mortal realm, and that at half the expected time. She initially taught the process would last at least two days.
"The heavens are smiling down on me." She declared as she stretched her beginning to sore hands with a wide satisfied smile planted on her face
"Dad would be happy if he saw me now," she thought triumphantly, refocusing on assimilating the remaining energy
As she continued the Qi within her condensed over and over again as her dantian expanded fivefold climbing to the peak of the Qi Condensation's level. Next, Lu Xie Tong aimed for a new goal now; the Qi Refining stage but realized she wasn't making progress. She wisely decided to pause determining it wasn't feasible, allowing her body to assimilate at its own pace.
"I have a day left until the New Year battle. What should I do with the remaining time?" she wondered, leaning back with her hands supporting her frame.
A light bulb lit over her head metaphysically, as suddenly, an idea struck her, brightening her eyes with excitement!