Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

Time flies, and a month and a half has passed in the blink of an eye.

Autumn arrived silently; a few leaves on the soapberry tree turned yellow and hung on the branches, falling down with a gust of wind.

Chen Ping sat in the courtyard with a half-bowl of water in front of him, a thin layer of steam accumulating on the rim.

He stared at the water in the bowl for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The water was completely still, and the fine sand at the bottom of the bowl was clearly visible, even the tiny gaps between the grains were clearly discernible. He tilted his ear slightly, and heard footsteps outside the courtyard wall, someone stepping on fallen leaves. The footsteps came from afar, so light it was as if they were muffled by a layer of cotton wool, but he could hear them clearly.

A line of small print flashed across my retina:

[Skill: Water Observation Technique (Perfected)]

[Effect: Keen observation, profound perception, tranquility, and the manifestation of all things]

Chen Ping put the bowl away, stood up, and looked around the yard.

Within a few dozen meters, the patterns on the bark of the soapberry tree, the direction of the moss in the corner of the wall, and the dewdrops hanging on the spider web under the eaves were all so clear that they seemed to be right in front of my eyes.

He took a deep breath and looked away.

That night, Chen Ping sat cross-legged in the room, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

The blood and qi circulate in the meridians, heavy and thick as if they are about to solidify.

70%.

Each time blood and qi flow through the heart, the stinging pain penetrates deeper, no longer just in the heart, but spreading outwards from the heart, along the blood vessels, stinging wherever it flows.

He clenched the heart-protecting pill in his hand, feeling his blood and qi flowing forward little by little.

80%.

At that very moment, something inside my body began to go out of control.

Every blood vessel in the body contracts and expands as blood flows through it, as if it's about to burst.

The swelling that pushes outward from deep within the skin and flesh feels like someone is pouring molten iron into your blood vessels, spreading upward from the soles of your feet, over your knees, over your waist and abdomen, over your chest, every inch of it is burning.

My heart is beating harder and harder.

thump.

thump.

Each blow felt like a pounding on the sternum, making the ribs tremble and the jaws chatter.

Chen Ping put a heart-protecting pill into his mouth. The bitter taste melted on the tip of his tongue, suppressing the surging blood. But it only lasted for a moment before the blood surged up again, even more violently than before.

He gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into his knees until his knuckles turned white.

There were no lights in the room; in the darkness, only the sound of his own heartbeat could be heard, each beat heavier and faster than the last, until it became a continuous thud, indistinguishable from one another.

He swallowed one heart-protecting pill after another.

At one point, the pain began to blur, as if the pain had reached its extreme and the sensation had become dulled. He couldn't tell whether he was truly enduring it or had become numb.

Sweat soaked through his clothes, clinging to his skin, and left a wet ring on the ground.

I don't know how much time passed.

I've finished all the heart-protecting pills.

He felt the surging blood and qi within his body, like waves at sea, one higher than the next, almost overturning him.

Just when he thought he was about to give up.

thump.

A sound.

Extremely crisp and clean, it came from the deepest part of the body. The stinging pain dissipated, the impact subsided, and something finally settled down. A stone sank into the deep pool, landing steadily at the bottom, motionless.

Then came silence.

It lasted for a breath.

thump.

thump.

thump.

The continuous heartbeat emanated from my chest, clear and powerful, each beat as solid as stepping on solid ground, without the trembling sensation of dancing on the line between life and death.

The pain has subsided.

Suddenly, the throbbing pain that had been pressing down on my whole body vanished, leaving behind an unprecedented emptiness. From my skin to my bone marrow, everything felt empty, waiting for something to fill it.

Qi and blood have returned.

Smoothly, quickly, and with a whoosh, it opened up all the meridians, and wherever it flowed, the bones and muscles felt as if they had been recast, heavy and solid.

Chen Ping took a deep breath.

The surrounding air rushed into his mouth, as if his body had become a cavity, and something from heaven and earth seeped in with his breath.

Humph.

A very soft groan escaped from his chest, and his blood and qi surged with each breath. His skin, muscles, and bones made a series of crisp sounds, like popping beans, which spread from the soles of his feet upwards, all the way to his neck. After each crisp sound, that part became heavier and more solid, as if the foundation was being tamped down, layer by layer.

The final, crisp sound emanated from the top of the head.

It fell silent.

Chen Ping slowly opened his eyes.

The darkness inside the house changed; the cracks in the corners of the walls, the wood grain on the roof beams, and the joints between the blue bricks on the floor were all clearly visible.

He slowly stood up.

Feel the heartbeat in my chest.

He clenched his fist; he had achieved the Dirty Refinement Realm!

The autumn breeze blowing through the courtyard was cool.

He stood under the soapberry tree, and all the sounds from dozens of meters away rushed into his ears: the chirping of insects, the sound of the wind, and the flowing water on the river in the distance.

He was inspired and acted divinely.

He stomped down, his legs suddenly generated explosive power, and a rebound force came from the floor, lifting his legs and feet up, and his figure suddenly disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared seven steps away.

He stopped, stood beside the soapberry tree, and pondered for a moment.

Previously, he could move with incredible speed, disappearing without a trace within five steps.

After the purification, seven steps.

Power, perception, and explosive power—all were present. The breakthrough to the Refining Realm had dramatically enhanced his overall strength.

Only then did he understand why he was powerless to fight back when Li Yuan fed him the moves.

He stood in the courtyard, trying to achieve resonance of his internal organs.

After trying it for a while, I felt nothing; my internal organs were acting independently, showing no signs of resonance whatsoever.

Chen Ping thought for a moment and decided that instead of blindly figuring things out on his own, he should ask someone for help.

The door to the inner room of Lü Cheng's residence was half-closed.

Chen Ping stood outside the door. Hearing a noise inside, he pushed the door open and went in. He saw Lü Cheng standing in front of the table with his back to him. There were two memorial tablets on the table. He was bowing his head and not saying a word.

Chen Ping remained silent for a moment.

Hearing the commotion, Lü Cheng turned around, his gaze falling on Chen Ping. His eyes flickered slightly, and he stepped forward, as if confirming something. After examining him for a moment, he asked, "Is it tainted?"

Chen Ping nodded: "Yes, I came here today to ask about the resonance of the five internal organs."

Lu Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, patted Chen Ping on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "The resonance of the five internal organs is something that can only be performed by those who have reached the perfection of the Refining of the Internal Organs. You are still too early for that."

Chen Ping understood and nodded.

Lu Cheng stopped laughing, turned around, and his gaze fell on the red cloth strip around Chen Ping's waist. He remained silent for a moment, then walked to the table, picked up a wooden plaque from the table, walked over, and handed it to Chen Ping.

The wooden sign was small, with the words "Chen Ping" engraved on it.

"Now that you're a filthy cultivator, the managerial position that Li Yuan promised you should be returned to you," Lu Cheng said calmly. "The territory that Ghost Hand Zhang originally occupied is yours."

Chen Ping looked at the wooden sign but did not immediately reach out.

He knew he would eventually have to leave this place, and if he accepted the task now, it would be a responsibility.

Seeing that he didn't take it for a long time, Lü Cheng put the wooden plaque back on the table, thought for a moment, and said, "We actually know that you're going to Tianyan Prefecture."

Chen Ping raised his head, his eyes flickering slightly.

Lu Cheng waved his hand: "Nothing else. Li Yuan had also wanted to go to Tianyan Prefecture before, but later he said that he was already over thirty years old. Reaching the Transformation Realm at that age is considered a genius in Qingkou Town."

"But if he goes to Tianyan Prefecture, he'll probably end up mediocre. He can't accept that gap for now, so he plans to hone his skills here before going."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The Bai family is moving to Tianyan Prefecture. Bai Ming and you have a good relationship, so we can naturally guess that the Bai family wants to invite you to go with them. You don't need to worry about anything. If you can help my Qingyi Society win the Dragon Head Sacrifice, we will naturally be even."

He picked up the wooden sign again and placed it in front of Chen Ping.

"This position of manager is a promise, and you have to keep your word. If you don't want to be in charge, you can just do what Li Yuan did and delegate things to others for the next few months."

Chen Ping paused for a moment, then reached out, picked up the wooden plaque, and hung it on his waist.

Lu Cheng waved his hand: "That's enough, you can go now."

Chen Ping's footsteps disappeared outside the courtyard.

There was a moment of silence in the room. Footsteps sounded at the door, and Rouge Tiger walked in, looking at Lü Cheng, and asked, "Senior Brother, have you thought it through? Should you give him the item or not?"

Lu Cheng sat on the edge of the chair and shook his head: "No."

Rouge Tiger said anxiously, "The sects are about to make their move. Once Prefect Qian leaves, you and I can both guess what the Hua Sect is going to do."

Lu Cheng shook his head: "If we throw this hot potato at him now, he'll realize it later and the friendship between us will fall apart. This will hurt him, and it will hurt us even more."

Rouge Tiger said anxiously, "He's leaving. What if the Hua Sect makes a comeback?"

Lu Cheng smiled slightly: "The Great Perfection Fist Technique of the Bone Refining Realm. When the Bai family reports this, they will definitely mention it. As you and I both know, the benchmark of Cangwu Terrace is the Tendon Refining Realm. Ordinary martial artists here can at most master the fist technique. The Great Perfection Fist Technique relies on comprehension. No matter how diligently you practice, it is useless."

He paused for a moment: "If the Cangwu Terrace finds out that a genius has mastered the Great Perfection Fist Technique while still in the Bone Refining Realm, they will definitely send another instructor to verify it."

Rouge Tiger paused for a moment, then asked, "Instructor?"

"That's right," Lü Cheng laughed. "What's the use of the Huamen faction sending more people? The more they send, the more mistakes they make. It's laughable that the Bai Gang thinks they can do whatever they want once Prefect Qian leaves."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "These last few months will be their final days."