Tang Dynasty: Saving Lives and Helping Others, Li Lizhi Falls for Him

After the consultation ended and Li Shimin and the others left, Shen Chang'an closed the courtyard gate, stood in the courtyard, closed his eyes and concentrated, his spiritual sense quietly spreading out.

The hidden aura around the courtyard had completely dissipated, and as expected, all the secret guards brought by Li Shimin had been withdrawn by him.

After confirming that the surrounding environment was safe, Shen Chang'an felt relieved, turned around and went back to the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and with a thought, the system panel unfolded in front of him.

System Panel:

Name: Shen Chang'an

Age: 18

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 6]

[Technique: Green Wood Longevity Technique]

[Remaining Merit Points: 528]

[Meritorious deeds used: 1356]

……

Shen Chang'an looked at the 528 merit points and silently calculated in his mind.

These days, free clinics are constantly being held, and the illnesses of ordinary people are gradually cured. Merit points are gradually credited to their accounts, accumulating little by little. Combined with the remaining 352 points from before, this has led to the current number.

528 points.

Say no more, say less.

He looked down, scanning the list of redeemable items.

……

[Exchangeable Items] (Partial List)

[Essence: Spirit Gathering Pill] (150 merits, can accelerate cultivation speed for one hour)

[Essence: Foundation Establishment Pill] (1000 merits, a key pill for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage)

[Spirit Stone: Low-grade Spirit Stone] (50 merit points/piece, containing pure spiritual energy, can be used for cultivation or array formation)

[Spiritual Item: Spiritual Spring] (1000 merits, can be embedded into a spiritual spring eye in space)

【Magic Weapon: Green Edge Sword】(500 Merit Points, Low-grade Magic Weapon)

【Ritual implement: Heart-protecting mirror】(450 merits, low-grade ritual implement)

【Talisman: Swift Travel Talisman】(50 Merit Points/Talisman)

[Technique: Basic Weapon Forging] (300 Merit Points)

-

Looking at those magical artifacts, Shen Chang'an was extremely envious, but even if he wanted to exchange for them, he would have to heal Li Shimin and the others to accumulate enough merit.

He then turned his attention to the "Spirit Gathering Pill" and the "Low-Grade Spirit Stone".

Even with the help of the formation, his cultivation progress has slowed down significantly recently.

The amount of spiritual energy required to advance from the sixth to the seventh level of Qi Refining is far greater than before. Relying solely on the spiritual energy gathered through daily meditation and the Four Symbols Returning to Origin Array, it will probably take more than a month to reach the bottleneck.

After all, the seventh level of Qi Refining is considered the late stage of Qi Refining, making it much more difficult to advance.

Furthermore, he has more and more patients now, and acupuncture, in particular, consumes a lot of magical energy. The sooner he breaks through, the more benefits he will receive.

Not only is its self-protection ability greatly enhanced, but its therapeutic effect is also more significant, and it can treat more patients.

Shen Chang'an thought about Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun, Li Chengqian, Li Lizhi, Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang... With so many tasks weighing on his head, the higher his cultivation level, the more confident he would be in his actions. The sooner he broke through, the sooner he could feel at ease.

Thinking of this, Shen Chang'an gritted his teeth and said, "Exchange two Qi Gathering Pills and three spirit stones for me."

[Exchange for two Qi Gathering Pills and three spirit stones. Confirm?]

He silently confirmed it in his mind.

[Merit points consumed: 150×2 + 50×3 = 300 + 150 = 450]

[Redeem successful]

[Remaining Merit Points: 78]

-

As soon as he finished speaking, two beams of light appeared out of thin air in his palms.

These three spirit stones are a light blue color, about the size of a pigeon egg, and are crystal clear. There is a faint radiance flowing inside, and you can feel a warm spiritual energy when you hold them in your hand.

The two Spirit Gathering Pills were contained in two small white porcelain bottles. When the stoppers were removed, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Shen Chang'an took a deep breath, stood up, walked out of the bedroom, crossed the courtyard, and came to the door of the quiet room.

He pushed open the door to the meditation room, which was empty except for a futon in the center and spirit-gathering runes he had personally hand-painted on the walls.

Shen Chang'an entered the quiet room, sat cross-legged on the futon, placed three spirit stones beside him, and held two spirit gathering pills in his palm.

"Four Symbols Returning to Origin Formation, Gather Spiritual Energy—Activate!"

With a thought, a faint light suddenly shone from the array eye beneath the stone vat in the center of the courtyard.

The spiritual energy of the entire courtyard began to converge into the quiet room, making the air feel several times fresher, and even breathing became exceptionally easy.

Shen Chang'an took out a Spirit Gathering Pill and put it in his mouth.

The pill melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm current that slid down the throat into the abdomen, and then spread throughout the body.

At the same time, he picked up a spirit stone, clasped his hands together, and began to absorb the spiritual energy from the spirit stone by circulating the Azure Wood Longevity Technique.

The Spirit Gathering Pill accelerated the circulation of spiritual energy, the spirit stones provided a pure source of spiritual energy, and the Four Symbols Returning to Origin Array continuously replenished spiritual energy from the outside world—

A three-pronged approach.

Within Shen Chang'an's dantian, the Azure Wood True Qi began to spin wildly, like an invisible vortex, devouring every wisp of spiritual energy that surged into his body.

Time passed by, second by second.

There were no lights in the quiet room, only the moonlight streaming in from the window, cool and clear as water.

Shen Chang'an closed his eyes, his expression calm, but fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead. The spiritual energy within his body grew increasingly abundant, and the vortex in his dantian spun faster and faster, as if something was brewing and expanding—

"Click."

A faint, crisp sound, which only he could hear, came from deep within his body.

That was the sound of the bottleneck breaking.

Shen Chang'an felt a jolt throughout his body, and the vortex in his dantian suddenly contracted and then expanded.

The original trickle of Green Wood True Qi now surged forth like a river bursting its banks, spreading throughout the body along the meridians.

The meridians are widening, the dantian is expanding, and the vital energy is undergoing a qualitative change.

The difference between the sixth and seventh levels of Qi Refining may seem like only one level, but it is actually the watershed between the early and middle stages of Qi Refining.

At the sixth level, true qi is just "qi"; at the seventh level, true qi begins to transform into "liquid", becoming more condensed and purer.

As Shen Chang'an sensed the changes within his body, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

But he didn't stop.

The second Spirit Gathering Pill was swallowed, the second spirit stone was held in the palm of the hand, and the third spirit stone was placed in front of the knees for later use.

The spiritual energy continued to flow in, the dantian continued to expand, and the true qi continued to condense.

As dawn broke and the first rays of morning light streamed through the window into the quiet room, Shen Chang'an slowly opened his eyes.

He exhaled a long breath.

The breath condensed and did not dissipate, forming a white arrow of energy in the air, which shot out more than a foot before gradually dissipating.

"Finally reached the seventh level of Qi Refining."

Shen Chang'an stood up and stretched his limbs. Every muscle and bone in his body was full of power, as if he had inexhaustible energy.

He walked to the window, opened it, and the morning breeze rushed in.

The water lilies in the courtyard have bloomed, their pink and white petals glistening with dewdrops in the morning light.

Koi carp swim in the water, green bamboo sways in the wind, everything is as usual, yet everything seems different.

Shen Chang'an closed his eyes and extended his divine sense.

The area covered was more than twice as large as before, and every blade of grass, every tree, every insect, and every bird within a radius of several miles was clearly imprinted in my mind.

He opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"One step closer to Foundation Establishment."