Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 240 Qi Refining Perfection, Void Palace Fusion

After bidding farewell to Qin Xijun, Song Yan returned to the Earth-Class 21 Cave.

By this time, Xiao Ju had roughly cleaned up the cave and the courtyard.

Song Yan took out something he had prepared beforehand from his Qiankun bag: a dark gray ancient scroll that was neither gold nor silk and had a slightly cool touch.

Five characters are written on the cover in vigorous ancient seal script.

The Essential Record of Battle Formations.

"Xiao Ju." Song Yan handed her the ancient scroll. "This is an ancient book on array formations that I came across by chance. Although it is not some mysterious or world-shaking inheritance, it is quite insightful in its explanation of array principles, especially emphasizing basic deductions and spiritual pivot changes."

Xiao Ju reached out her hands in surprise and caught it steadily.

Song Yan's tone carried a hint of gentle affirmation: "These days, I've observed that you have a keen sense of spiritual energy flow and qi connection. You had some contact with talismans and formations when you were sewing clothes and making robes before, so there may be some connection between the two."

"Since you have such comprehension, you might as well study the art of array formations. If you can truly achieve something in the future, it will be of great help to your cultivation path."

Song Yan wasn't just flattering her; in the past few days, when he was giving Xiao Ju guidance on cultivation, he had discovered that her comprehension was already quite good.

As I am about to go into seclusion to establish my foundation, it would be very helpful for her to study a cultivation technique on her own in her spare time.

She had some exposure to divination techniques when she was sewing Taoist robes.

Furthermore, since Song Yan is now determined to make Xiao Ju a sword cultivator, perhaps the way of formations is the most suitable.

In the art of swordsmanship, sword formations are complex and intricate, requiring considerable strength of the practitioner's spiritual awareness and mastery of formation techniques.

If Xiao Ju is to study this in the future, laying a foundation in formations in advance will make it much easier for her to understand sword formations in the future.

This ancient book was not actually obtained through travel, but rather it was exchanged within the sect by Song Yan when he first studied sword formations, in order to make thorough preparations.

The content isn't particularly advanced, but it's sufficient for building a foundation.

"Take it."

Xiao Ju held the ancient book, her eyes slightly warm.

Although she possessed sewing skills, she knew that this skill was ultimately insignificant in the context of spiritual practice.

He nodded vigorously: "Xiao Ju understands! I will definitely study diligently and live up to your guidance!"

In this world...

Is it really possible for such a good thing to happen to me?
Watching that calm and collected figure turn and walk towards the secluded room, Xiao Ju kept asking herself the same questions.

Why would someone as radiant as Senior Song treat me so well?

What Xiao Ju didn't know was...

Even if you asked Song Yan these questions, he wouldn't be able to answer them.

If we really want to get to the bottom of this, perhaps we should go to the Jieyou General Store by the Lingyuan Marsh and ask Qin Xijun, who bought a few low-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills from him back then.

Song Yan gave a few more instructions to She Bao, then entrusted the operation of the cave to the two of them, and did not delay any longer.

Layers of spiritual light shone from the barrier, isolating it from all external disturbances.

In the spacious secluded training room, Song Yan's eyes were completely calm, without a trace of emotion. Only the sword intent resonated in the Zhendao Sword Mansion, and the spiritual power in his dantian was ready to be unleashed.

Instead of immediately consuming the elixir to cultivate, he subtly moved his mind and summoned the sword pill "Mirage" from the Zhendao Sword Palace, which emitted a dreamlike pinkish-blue halo.

The next moment, invisible ripples spread out from her center.

Slowly closing his eyes, a wisp of spiritual power accompanied his divine consciousness as he sank into the illusion formed by the "Mirage" sword pellet.

It was still that hazy pink flowering tree, stirred by the slightest breeze, its spiritual energy so rich it was almost tangible.

Song Yan pointed his sword.

Six flying swords and three sword shadows swirled and flowed, including the Unmoored Boat, the Sacrificial King, the Couple, the Moon Crying, and two flying swords of decent quality left over from the spoils of war, all circling along mysterious trajectories.

With a buzzing sound, it landed near Song Yan, and a more complete Spirit Gathering Sword Formation gradually took shape.

The moment the sword formation was completed, the entire small illusion seemed to tremble slightly.

The pure spiritual energy contained within the illusion, coupled with the powerful pulling force of the Spirit Gathering Sword Array, caused an endless stream of boundless spiritual energy to surge in from all directions like a burst dam, instantly cleansing the entire body.

The spiritual energy within the illusion was abundant, so Song Yan did not intend to take any pills for the time being.

Admittedly, elixirs can quickly fill a cultivator's body with spiritual energy and rapidly improve their cultivation level, but they are not without their drawbacks.

After all, it is a product made by humans. No matter how skillful the alchemist is, there will always be some impurities in it.

Even the purest materials used to refine elixirs may be contaminated with "turbid energy," "evil energy," or "mixed spiritual energy" from the world.

It is difficult to completely eliminate the impurities during the refining process, especially for low-grade pills and pills refined in batches.

These things cannot be absorbed and refined by cultivators. Therefore, if one consumes pills without restraint during cultivation, they will accumulate and eventually form pill poison.

If erysipelas is not treated for a long time, it will gradually accumulate.

In mild cases, it can block the meridians and hinder cultivation; in severe cases, it can lead to failure in cultivation and demonic possession.

The so-called "grades" of elixirs are the standards for measuring the amount of impurities in elixirs.

Low-grade pills contain more toxic substances, while mid-grade and high-grade pills are less common, but they are naturally more difficult to refine and more expensive in the market.

Now, thanks to the mirage miniature realm bestowed by the old man in the straw raincoat, his cultivation speed, without the need for elixirs, is almost the same as when he was taking elixirs.

For daily cultivation, there is naturally no need to take pills.

Song Yan's mind gradually calmed down, and he immediately activated the "Qi Condensation Scroll" by making hand seals.

His divine sense condensed, and spiritual energy was continuously refined into spiritual power and sword energy, which sank into the Sword Palace of the Dao, flowing and circulating through his meridians according to the trajectory of the cultivation technique.

After several hours of cultivation, Song Yan finished circulating his energy and opened his eyes, clearly feeling that his cultivation had obviously improved.

He couldn't help but nod to himself.

At this rate of cultivation, the time required to reach the Qi Refining Perfection stage will probably be much faster than I imagined.

After a brief pause, we temporarily exited the illusion.

Reaching the pinnacle of Qi Refining is a gradual process, not something that can be achieved overnight, and one should not be too hasty.

He took out a book from his Qiankun bag.

It was the foundation-building insights obtained from Yuanzhen that made this book unnamed, and the fonts used in it are all different.

It must have been collected from various places by Yuanzhen and then compiled here.

Yuanzhen used to practice Buddhism and knew nothing about the basic foundation building of ordinary spiritual refinement, so he naturally wanted to make more preparations.

They never expected to be caught off guard in such a small place as Chu, which ironically benefited Song Yan.

Study it carefully and try to understand all the details about foundation building recorded in it.

The ambiguous points are then compared and verified to arrive at a clear conclusion.

Once his mind had calmed down, he entered the mirage again to continue his cultivation.

Initially, Song Yan was not in a hurry to achieve quick results. Instead, he used the spiritual energy of the Mirage Realm and the overwhelming power of the sword formation to first thoroughly stabilize and solidify his Qi Refining Level 9 realm.

Every meridian and every acupoint becomes more resilient and permeable under the surging spiritual tide.

Like meticulously crafting a spiritual artifact nearing completion, one repeatedly refines oneself, removing hidden obstacles and allowing spiritual energy to flow freely and seamlessly. Time loses its meaning in absolute focus.

Outside the illusion, inside the Earth-character 21 cave, Xiao Ju held the "Essential Record of Array Diagrams," her fingers shimmering with spiritual light as she attempted to outline the most basic spirit-gathering array patterns. Sometimes her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and sometimes her face showed a look of sudden realization.

Snake Treasure would either doze off by the spiritual spring or curiously peer around Little Ju, occasionally looking up at the tightly sealed secluded cultivation room.

During the Qi Refining stage, one cannot completely abstain from grains. When one feels hungry, one takes a fasting pill. When thirsty, one uses spiritual power to condense a lotus leaf of dew to drink.

Only after he felt that he had completely stabilized his cultivation level did he begin to use elixirs to a limited extent.

Furthermore, he did not take any strong medicines that aimed at accelerating cultivation, but instead opted for elixirs that strengthened the foundation and refined spiritual energy.

Using the rich spiritual energy of the mirage and the amplification of the Spirit Gathering Sword Array, the medicinal power is completely released, transforming every bit of the pill's effect into pure spiritual energy that fills the dantian.

Ten months passed by in this monotonous and repetitive training, day after day.

During this time, Song Yan keenly sensed that the immense spiritual energy contained within the mirage, far exceeding that of the real world, was undergoing a subtle change in intensity.

After the initial surge subsided, the abundance of spiritual energy, while still far exceeding that of the outside world, was no longer as inexhaustible as it had been at the beginning.

It became relatively "stable".

Whether this is a characteristic of the mirage or something else, it's like an invisible reminder that spiritual energy will eventually run out.

However, this information did not shake his mind in the slightest; on the contrary, it made him even more composed.

Inside the Zhendao Sword Mansion, the sword energy surrounding the Sword Dao Seed has formed a vortex, and its size is approaching perfection under the continuous influx of the Spirit Gathering Sword Array and the Mirage Realm spiritual energy.

Each rotation of the vortex carried immense pressure, and each fluctuation caused the meridians throughout his body to tremble slightly, emitting a subtle hum that only he could perceive.

This indicates that one's current realm has reached its peak and there is no further room for advancement. Spiritual energy overflows and sword energy is abundant, which is a natural sign of an eagerness to break through the current constraints!
With the Qi Refining stage at its peak, Foundation Establishment is within reach!
Song Yan slowly finished her practice and opened her eyes, which had been nurtured for over ten months.

His expression was calm, and his entire being was extremely still, like a block of quiet ice.

However, if one looks inward, one can discover that both spiritual energy and sword energy are incredibly surging.

At this moment, he entered an extremely mysterious state.

His mind was clear and bright, filled with sword energy, and his Observing Sword Eyes operated naturally.

With a clear and unobstructed mind, all past experiences—whether the lessons learned from travels, the pursuit of the Great Way, or the vigilance against the invisible demons of the heart—are readily apparent.

All sorts of thoughts and ideas were sorted out and integrated, leaving only the purest ambition.

His condition has been adjusted to the perfect peak that can be achieved in the Qi Refining Realm!

"All preparations are complete; now is the time to break through!"

When he opened his eyes again, Song Yan's gaze was like a deep well, calm and undisturbed, but his will was as firm as a rock, cast from iron.

All energy and spirit are highly concentrated, and all worries are suppressed to the deepest level of the mind.

At this moment, his only thought was to mobilize all that his body could bear and break through the first natural barrier that separated immortals and mortals and determined the foundation of his path!
He slightly raised his hands, placed them on his knees, and lightly tapped them with his fingertips, holding back his attack.

As the final cycle of the Great Heavenly Cycle completes, the last wisp of spiritual energy will return to the Qi Sea, and the surging spiritual energy and sword energy vortex will transform into a torrent that will break through the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment.

The spiritual energy of the mirage had long been exhausted, and Song Yan had already withdrawn from it.

Sitting cross-legged in the secluded cultivation room, he had reached the pinnacle of the perfected tenth level of Qi Refining. The sword seed within the Zhendao Sword Mansion was swirling with a vast vortex of sword energy, almost materializing.

The circulation of spiritual energy within his body did not stop. His will acted like an invisible carving knife, guiding the energy throughout his body to begin building the foundation of his Dao.

For ordinary cultivators, the Foundation Establishment process involves compressing the spiritual energy in their dantian and dantian, causing it to liquefy.

But as a sword cultivator, Song Yan's foundation lies in the "Sword Dao Seed" that contains the essence of his swordsmanship.

So before that, there is a crucial step.

With the circulation of spiritual energy and the flow of sword energy, the entire "Suppressing Sword Mansion" began an astonishing transformation.

It was no longer a floating illusory palace, but began to slowly expand, gradually merging with the sea of ​​qi that was the source of spiritual power.

This process is not particularly difficult.

But it hurt so much!
Song Yan felt an unbearable burning pain in her lower abdomen, a pain far exceeding any suffering she had ever experienced before.

It felt as if two worlds were overlapping, merging, and reshaping within my own body.

Endless pain completely overwhelmed his consciousness.

But at this moment, his natal flying sword hummed softly, and his unwavering pursuit of the Dao and powerful divine sense allowed him to barely maintain a little bit of consciousness.

Like a small boat in a raging storm, it floats on the turbulent waves, yet it can never be completely capsized.

In the end, he became numb.

I don't know how much time passed, but the pain gradually subsided.

With the completion of the fusion between the Zhendao Sword Mansion and the Qi Sea, a new and broader space was born.

This is a world of pure sword energy.

The pure spiritual energy originally stored in the Qi Sea was instantly drawn into the Sword Dao Seed by a powerful attraction. However, it was not transformed into liquid spiritual energy, but was extremely condensed and transformed into a purer and more powerful sword light.

The vortex transformed into a sea of ​​sword energy, surging and boundless, its capacity and power far exceeding the spiritual energy of a cultivator of the same level.

This step was close but ultimately safe.

For ordinary cultivators, the difficulties they face in establishing their foundation are nothing more than three major obstacles.

Physical body, spiritual power, and divine consciousness.

These correspond to a cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit, respectively.

Song Yan is not yet twenty-three years old and has never suffered any serious injuries.

Moreover, with the nameless body-refining method and the baptism of the Qilin's precious blood, there is no problem with the physical body.

Needless to say, his spiritual sense has been invaluable ever since he obtained the inheritance from the Yin-Yang Pearl. He has never stopped cultivating the Five Star Pulse-Catching Technique.

His spiritual sense has now reached almost the level of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

As for that last mountain...

Perhaps the spiritual energy in the Chu region is indeed thin, but the Foundation Establishment Pill is the key to overcoming this difficulty.

With a casual wave of his hand, several items that had been prepared beforehand fell into his hand.

A flash of inspiration appeared in his left hand, and three Pure Moon Talismans appeared simultaneously, instantly activated under the impetus of spiritual power.

The clear, bright moonlight suddenly rose, like the sound of a mountain spring, gently soothing all the restlessness and anxiety he felt as he faced a breakthrough to a higher realm.

The Wuxiang Pill was kept aside, but not used for the time being.

Now his consciousness has entered a state of complete emptiness, with only the purest foundation-building will and unwavering belief in his own path remaining, protecting him from the afflictions of inner demons.

Now is the perfect time to take the Foundation Building Pill.

He wiped the seal off the bottle in his right hand, revealing the golden pill.

This piece is the size of a lychee, golden and radiant, brimming with spiritual energy, and perfectly formed by nature.

It was that top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill!
(End of this chapter)