Chapter 58: Breaking Through in a Single Day |
A flash of insight suddenly sparked in Li Shun’s mind, and he abruptly recalled the opening general outline of the Twelvefold Longevity Methods.
“The calculations of Heaven, the numbers of Earth, and the fate of Man all arise from a single source, unified within the primordial innate qi.”
A faint glimmer flickered in his eyes as a trace of realization surfaced within his heart.
“The rank of this Life Qi actually surpasses both Primordial Qi and Principle Qi! It’s just a pity that Life Qi is ordained by the Heavenly Dao—it is the very source of one’s lifespan. Mortals simply have no way to cultivate it.”
“For the Qian Emperor to have created the heaven-defying method of ‘borrowing lifespan from the heavens,’ forcibly seizing Life Qi… that alone is already beyond comprehension.”
“But precisely because Life Qi transcends all things…”
Li Shun drew in a deep breath. With a shift of his thoughts, the vast surge of blood and vitality within his body instantly began to boil violently.
At the same time, his Principle Qi seemed to be stimulated, its circulation speed increasing by more than thirty percent in an instant.
“So Life Qi can directly amplify Principle Qi to such a terrifying degree.”
“In this world, Life Qi isn’t merely lifespan. It is a supreme resource, one capable of overturning the entire situation in an instant.”
“So this is why the Great Qian places such importance on how much lifespan one borrows.”
Understanding dawned on Li Shun.
“It’s not just temporary amplification.”
“Consuming Life Qi can even accelerate cultivation itself!”
With a subtle shift of his thoughts, a strand of Life Qi ignited like a wisp of smoke, dispersing throughout his body.
Moments later, the Principle Qi within him erupted violently.
Its circulation speed surged more than tenfold, like a roaring flood sweeping through his meridians, causing faint pain to arise within them.
The rapidly circulating Principle Qi formed something akin to a massive vortex.
At that moment, even the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth seemed to be drawn in, pouring into Li Shun’s body in great quantities.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was as if the sound of wind and thunder faintly echoed within his ears.
After being absorbed, the Primordial Qi of heaven and earth needed to be refined through the “Mind Furnace” before it could transform into usable Principle Qi.
If any other novice cultivator attempted what Li Shun was doing now, recklessly burning Life Qi and drawing vast amounts of Primordial Qi into their body, they would have no time to refine it.
They would be overwhelmed and burst apart from the excess energy, dying with their cultivation collapsing into nothing.
But Li Shun was different.
He possessed the experience of Fang Xun’s century of arduous cultivation.
His Mind Furnace had long been tempered through countless trials, unshakable and indestructible.
It was more than capable of handling cultivation at the Mortal Physique stage.
His mind remained exceptionally clear as he calmly observed the earth-shaking transformations within his body.
As his Life Qi continued to burn, the storm of Primordial Qi it triggered showed no signs of subsiding.
It was as though time itself had been accelerated. Changes that would normally take years of accumulation appeared within him in mere moments.
Suddenly, the storm came to a halt.
The influx of Primordial Qi from the outside world ceased entirely.
A trace of understanding arose in Li Shun’s heart.
“With this brief session of cultivation, I have already reached the peak of the lower tier of the Mortal Physique realm.”
“To break through, one must shatter the barrier.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Shun closed his eyes and gathered his consciousness upon the Principle Qi within his body.
A figure seemed to be born from within that Principle Qi, drifting forward until it stood before him.
Its appearance was identical to Li Shun.
The figure sat cross-legged, then spoke:
“For what purpose do you cultivate?”
“What is the essence behind subtle words and profound meaning?”
“Do you believe in it?”
“Can you uphold it?”
…
Each question was posed in succession, resonating like the toll of a great bell, echoing deep within Li Shun’s heart.
If he showed even the slightest hesitation, the reverberations would shake his soul, making it impossible to maintain his state and break through on the path of Dao.
Yet, with the insights and knowledge granted by Fang Xun of the Spirit Resonance realm, Li Shun felt neither hesitation nor fear.
He answered fluently, his conscience clear and unburdened.
With every successful response, the furnace of his mind seemed to undergo refinement, becoming ever more solid and unshakable.
At the same time, his own Principle Qi continued to ascend and transform throughout the process.
At last…
The figure questioning the Dao shattered inch by inch, merging into Li Shun’s mind.
Li Shun suddenly opened his eyes. In that instant, his mind became clearer and more agile than ever before.
A realization arose within him:
“I have reached the mid-tier of the Mortal Physique realm!”
The previously stagnant Principle Qi began to flow once more, while the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth of the outside world surged wildly into Li Shun’s body.
He continued to drive his Life Qi, accelerating the entire process.
“The seven realms of cultivation are Mortal Physique, Primal Simplicity, Spirit Resonance, Grotto Mystic, Celestial Phenomena, Creation, and Heaven-Earth.”
“Each realm is divided into three tier: lower, middle, and upper.”
“To advance from lower to middle, from middle to upper, and from upper to the lower tier of the next realm, one must break through a gate.”
“These are known respectively as the Gate of Human, the Gate of Earth, and the Gate of Heaven.”
“The Gate of Human is the easiest. Those with firm will and a steady Dao heart can pass it in an instant.”
“The Gate of Earth is difficult. It depends on one’s fortune and opportunity.”
“As for the Gate of Heaven…”
Li Shun’s thoughts paused slightly.
“It is like the will of the heavens itself, elusive and unfathomable. It cannot be known or predicted. Perhaps no effort is required at all, and after a single night’s sleep, one may inexplicably succeed in breaking through.”
“Or perhaps, even after exhausting one’s entire life, it cannot be stirred in the slightest.”
“One may remain trapped within a realm for a lifetime, unable to advance, dying with lingering regret.”
…
Li Shun continued cultivating without rest.
By nine o’clock that night, he had already reached complete perfection at the mid-tier of the Mortal Physique realm, standing before the threshold of breakthrough.
“The Gate of Earth…”
After a moment of thought, he did not rush to break through, instead choosing to pause for the time being.
“The Gate of Earth will not be as easy to pass as the Gate of Human. Even with Fang Xun’s knowledge and experience as support, I will likely have to go through some twists and turns.”
“No need to rush for now.”
Li Shun first examined his own condition.
The accelerated cultivation brought about by burning life essence showed not the slightest side effect.
It was as if he had truly lived through additional years, his foundation solid and flawless.
However, Li Shun also noticed something unusual.
“According to Fang Xun’s understanding, burning life essence can indeed speed up cultivation. Yet across the world, very few cultivators choose to do so.”
“After all, not everyone is like me, able to borrow as much as two hundred years of lifespan on the first attempt. In the short term, I have no need to worry about my longevity.”
“And more importantly…”
“It’s simply not worth it.”
A faint glimmer flickered in Li Shun’s eyes.
“Under normal circumstances, burning one year of lifespan only amounts to about half a year of diligent cultivation.”
“In some cases, it may even yield less than that.”
“Unless one is in a life-or-death emergency where survival outweighs all else, the vast majority of cultivators would never engage in such a losing trade.”
“But for me…”
Li Shun closed his eyes and carefully calculated once more.
After confirming there was no mistake, his heart gave a sudden jolt. He discovered that the efficiency of his cultivation when fueled by burning life essence was astonishingly high.
“Burning one year of life essence is practically equivalent to a full year of cultivation.”
“Any loss is so minimal it can almost be ignored.”
“This…”
“Doesn’t this mean I can compress years of arduous cultivation into the shortest possible time?”
“On the path of cultivation, the only things that can truly hinder me are the three great barriers of Heaven, Earth, and Human!”
“But why is there such a difference?”
Li Shun suddenly recalled the strand of qi—tinged with purple within its azure hue, that he had seen when he borrowed two hundred years of lifespan.
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