He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

His mind sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, where the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian on the meridian chart was clearly etched, its starting point, the Zhongfu acupoint, like a hidden checkpoint, silently blocking the path of spiritual energy flow. Zhang Bufan cleared his mind of all distractions, concentrating all his attention on the vortex of energy in his dantian. Following the advanced method recorded in the Xuanqing Daoist's inheritance, he slowly circulated the "Xuanqing Daoist Technique." As the technique flowed, the abundant spiritual energy within his dantian moved accordingly, like a torrent poised to burst forth, circulating smoothly three times through the eight extraordinary meridians, thoroughly activating them.

"Now!" Zhang Bufan shouted in his heart, his will tightening sharply, guiding the spiritual energy circulating in his meridians to converge. The spiritual energy, originally scattered throughout the eight meridians, was drawn together as if by an invisible magnet, slowly gathering at the starting point of the Taiyin Lung Meridian on his right hand, finally condensing into a thin yet incredibly refined stream of spiritual energy in front of the Zhongfu acupoint. This stream of spiritual energy was different from the gentle flow of normal circulation; under his mental control, its tip gradually became sharp, like a drill bit, shimmering with a faint light.

"Charge!" Driven by his will, the spiritual energy drill slammed into the Zhongfu acupoint. "Hiss—" A sharp, piercing pain instantly shot through the Zhongfu acupoint below his shoulder, as if countless tiny needles were simultaneously piercing him, spreading along his meridians, causing Zhang Bufan to gasp involuntarily. The pain was far more intense than he had imagined. After all, the Zhongfu acupoint, as the starting point of the twelve primary meridians, was the easiest to open, but it was also a blocked area in his mortal body that had never been nourished by spiritual energy. Forcibly opening it would inevitably require enduring the pain of meridian expansion.

But the stinging pain didn't deter Zhang Bufan. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the pain, and instead focused even more intently on manipulating the spiritual energy drill. Decades of programming experience had instilled in him an unwavering perseverance. He had tirelessly battled countless tricky bugs while coding, spending days meticulously troubleshooting and debugging until the problem was solved. At this moment, the blockage at the Zhongfu acupoint was like the most stubborn bug in programming; as long as he found the right direction and possessed enough perseverance and patience, he could overcome it.

He subconsciously overlapped the cultivation process with the logic of debugging code: the strength of the spiritual energy drill was the "parameter," the frequency of impacts was the "number of cycles," and the degree of blockage in the Zhongfu acupoint was the "error code" that needed to be gradually cracked. Each impact was a "debugging attempt," and even if it could only advance by a tiny bit, it was still a crucial step towards success.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Bufan manipulated the spiritual energy drill and began a continuous assault. "Puff, puff, puff," subtle sounds of spiritual energy colliding echoed within his body. Each impact was accompanied by a sharp, stinging pain, and the muscles around his meridians tensed slightly from the agony. However, he remained calm, adjusting the intensity and angle of his spiritual energy based on the feedback after each impact—if he found the resistance from a direct impact too great, he slightly adjusted the drill's direction, seeking a breakthrough at the edge of the blockage; if he felt his spiritual energy being consumed too quickly, he paused the assault, allowing it to circulate half a circle within his meridians to replenish itself before continuing.

Time slipped away silently amidst the monotonous impacts and stinging pain. Outside the wooden hut, the light emanating from the spirit stones on the cave ceiling remained soft, and the babbling of the stream served as a constant background sound, undisturbed by Zhang Bufan's focused cultivation inside. He had long since entered a state of complete absorption, his mind consumed only by the obsession to "crack the bug." The pain in his body was gradually replaced by numbness, and only his will remained as steadfast as a rock, manipulating the spirit drill to repeat the impact again and again.

After each impact, he could clearly feel that the blockage in his Zhongfu acupoint seemed to loosen slightly, and the spiritual energy drill could penetrate a little deeper than before. This subtle progress, like finding a crucial clue while debugging code, gave him a continuous source of motivation. He recalled how he had once spent three days and three nights at the company fixing a core bug affecting the system's operation, eating instant noodles when hungry and dozing off at his desk when tired, ultimately succeeding in solving the problem through sheer perseverance. Now, conquering the Zhongfu acupoint was just another "long debugging session" for him.

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed. During these two days, Zhang Bufan had hardly stopped. Except for the occasional time when he exhausted his spiritual energy and took out a low-grade spirit stone to absorb and replenish it, he spent the rest of the time focusing on breaking through his Zhongfu acupoint. His face was slightly pale due to the continuous consumption, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, which soaked the hair in front of his forehead, but his eyes became brighter and more determined.

At this moment, when he once again manipulated the spiritual energy drill to strike the Zhongfu acupoint, he clearly felt the resistance decrease significantly. After two days of continuous impact, the blockage inside the Zhongfu acupoint had been worn down to only a thin layer, like rotten wood about to collapse, requiring only one final strike to completely penetrate it.

"Now!" Zhang Bufan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he held back no longer. He abruptly activated the vortex of energy within his dantian, drawing out all the spiritual power contained within and converging it into a torrent of spiritual energy several times stronger than before. Under his mental control, this torrent surged toward his Zhongfu acupoint, its tip still condensing into a sharp drill shape, but this time, the light on the drill was even more dazzling, carrying an unstoppable momentum.

"Drink!" Zhang Bufan shouted, pushing his will to its limit. The thick spiritual energy drill, like a cannonball, slammed into the last blockage of the Zhongfu acupoint with overwhelming force. This time, there was no more stagnation than before; instead, there was a smooth, unstoppable flow—the high-speed spiritual energy surged like a rushing river against the dam already riddled with "ant holes." A clear "snap" resounded within his body, and the last blockage shattered!

The moment the blockage was broken, the sharp stinging sensation vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable feeling of comfort. The surging spiritual energy, like a wild horse breaking free of its restraints, rushed forward wildly along the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, flowing unimpeded for a long distance until it reached the next acupoint—Chize (尺泽)—where it was intercepted by a new blockage, like a torrent stopped by a new dam, slowly coming to a halt.

Despite being blocked by the Chize acupoint, Zhang Bufan's elation was uncontrollable. He could clearly feel that the flow of spiritual energy within his body had increased significantly. The spiritual energy, which previously could only circulate within the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, could now flow smoothly through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and the front section of the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin. More importantly, with the opening of the Zhongfu acupoint, the total capacity of spiritual energy within his body had also been further increased. Although the vortex of energy in his dantian had consumed a considerable amount of spiritual power due to the full-force impact just now, its volume had increased by one size compared to before, and its rotation was more stable and powerful.

"Qi Refining Level Two! I've finally reached Qi Refining Level Two!" Zhang Bufan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze burning with fervor, and he couldn't help but clench his fists. From the completion of Qi Refining Level One to breaking through to Qi Refining Level Two, it seemed like just a small step, but it was a significant leap on his path of cultivation. This not only meant a substantial improvement in his cultivation, but also proved that even with a mixed spiritual root of five attributes, he could still progress rapidly with the help of the secret realm's resources and his own perseverance.

He slowly stood up, stretched his limbs, and his bones cracked with a series of crisp sounds, full of power. After entering the threshold of the second level of Qi Refining, his body underwent even more significant changes: his breathing became exceptionally powerful and long, each inhale drawing in more spiritual energy from heaven and earth, while each exhale completely expelling the turbid energy from his body; his already transformed physique became even more resilient, his muscle lines became smoother, and his skin radiated a healthy glow; his mental strength also improved significantly, his thoughts became clearer, and he could clearly perceive everything around him—the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the wooden house, the babbling of the stream, and even the subtle sound of petals falling in the distant peach grove, all seemed to be ringing in his ears.

Zhang Bufan walked to the door of the wooden house, pushed it open, and a fresh breeze carrying the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms wafted in, invigorating him. He took a deep breath, feeling the spiritual energy flowing through his body, his heart filled with confidence. Reaching the second level of Qi Refining was just a new beginning. Next, he needed to methodically continue developing the remaining five acupoints of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian—Chize, Lieque, Taiyuan, Yuji, and Shaoshang—to completely open up the meridian and then fill it with spiritual energy to its fullest extent, reaching the perfect state of the second level of Qi Refining.

He looked up at the spirit stones on the cave ceiling, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes. Now that he had reached the second level of Qi Refining, his efficiency in absorbing and refining spiritual energy had improved. With the help of the low-grade spirit stones, he believed that he could conquer the remaining acupoints of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian much faster than when he conquered the Zhongfu acupoint. Moreover, with the improvement of his cultivation level, he could make fuller use of the resources of the secret realm. For example, the spirit fish in the small lake and the herbs by the stream might become aids to his cultivation in the future.

Zhang Bufan stood at the door for a moment, feeling the surging power within him and the rich spiritual energy around him, his goal becoming increasingly clear. He knew that there were no shortcuts on the path of cultivation; every step required hard work. Although he possessed opportunities that others could hardly match, if he wanted to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible, leave the secret realm, and reunite with his parents, he had to put in far more effort than ordinary people.

At this moment, he felt hungry again. Last time, he ate two peaches and they sustained his body for four days. This time, he could try the taste of the silver fish in the lake. He couldn't just eat peaches all the time. Zhang Bufan was a carnivore, so he walked towards the lake.