Chapter 190: Difficult Breakthrough After Body Refining
“Master Jian, your immortal bearing is exceptional, your Qi pierces the heavens.”
“Even your painting skills have reached a state of returning to simplicity. With just a few lines casually sketched by your slender jade hand, I can see profound true meaning.”
“That sharp, straight longsword must surely be aimed at Shang Xiyao, Dou Yuankong, Chu River, and the masters of the external Immortal Villas from Feng Province, right?”
“Beautiful, I love it, I want to see more.”
“Sincerely, with respect.”
Even if he didn't understand, flattering her was always the right thing to do.
In the days that followed, the weather began to grow colder and colder.
Every day from early morning to noon, Ji You would sit in meditation in the Zen room, performing the sixteenth 'micro-illumination' to use the Spiritual Qi overflowing from his Spirit Origin as fuel, igniting a spiritual flame to continue refining his Physical Body.
However, this time, the Bottleneck of his Physical Body was extremely difficult to Breakthrough. It seemed to have reached the next critical point, and the pain caused by each burning became extremely intense.
For several consecutive days, the spiritual flame ignited within his body could only move within his Meridians, unable to penetrate his Physical Body.
This was the limitation of cultivation: the stronger the Physical Body, the more difficult the next burning would be.
From noon to afternoon, he used the time to search for an opportunity to Breakthrough, living a very disciplined life.
Days later, at high noon under a blazing sun, after several sessions of spiritual flame Body Refining, Ji You fell into a state of weakness. His strength was depleted, his Divine Thought exhausted, and he desperately needed rest.
So, he brewed tea in the courtyard, and after calming his Dao Heart, he began to ponder Master Jian's great work again.
Why would she aim a sword at me? Did she know that Yuan Caiwei saw the good stuff first?
There's still no reply to the letter, it's truly perplexing.
Seeing the sun begin to set, Ji You wrote a few temporary farewell letters—one for Cao Jinsong, one for Kuang Cheng,
and one for Senior Brother Ban and the others. He handed them to the Master's Courtyard Disciple guarding the Inner Courtyard, then walked towards the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.
He didn't intend to suppress his Realm for the Heavenly Dao Conference and decided to enter Integration Dao as soon as possible to gain higher Battle Intent.
The first threshold to entering the Rongdao Realm was to advance from the Tongxuan Middle Stage to the Tongxuan Upper Realm.
Through his search in the past few days, he had generally sensed the opportunity for a Breakthrough, so he planned to start his Breakthrough today.
Ji You stepped into the pure white, boundless Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, then sat cross-legged beneath the bamboo grove. His Divine Thought entered a state of meditation, continuously absorbing the vast Spiritual Qi from around the Zen Forest and transforming it into his body.
As the Spiritual Qi repeatedly filled him, gradually, the trickling stream within Ji You's body transformed into a rushing river,
beginning to surge and swell.
Subsequently, ripples of Mystic Light began to emanate from his entire body, continuously spreading from his forehead to the ground, with a faint but persistent humming sound.
Emptiness, darkness.
This was Ji You's only sensation during his Breakthrough. It felt as if he was being enveloped, his whole body tightening, but this was not an anomaly; it was a feeling he experienced every time he crossed a minor Realm.
However, he soon discovered that this sense of restraint was different from before.
In previous Breakthroughs, the sense of restraint was merely a single layer of pressing enclosure, but this time, the restraint seemed alive, growing stronger with each struggle.
And this intense restraint was most likely due to the strength of his Physical Body.
Cultivation in the Upper Five Realms was actually a process of separating Divine Thought from the Physical Body, and the strength of the Physical Body indeed imposed some limitations on Divine Thought.
It was like a caterpillar wanting to ascend to a higher dimension of life; it had to spin a cocoon. Sometimes they could break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly, but sometimes they would be trapped by their own cocoon.
Ji You's last Breakthrough was at Qi Ridge. At that time, he had not yet conceived the idea of refining his Physical Body with Spiritual Qi overflowing from his shattered Spirit Origin.
So that time, his Breakthrough was as smooth as a torrent, not to mention being unable to hold it back, he couldn't even pinch it off.
But now, in this Breakthrough, he had performed micro-illumination many times, and the limitations of Body Refining on Divine Thought were now fully exposed.
It doesn't matter, if there's too much water, add flour; if there's too much flour, add water.
He took a deep breath, continuing to absorb Spiritual Qi into his body, struggling with all his might to break free from the restraint, his entire Battle Intent beginning to boil.
As Ji You exerted himself fiercely, beads of sweat began to seep from his forehead, and at the same time, the Mystic Light around his body continuously flared. The accompanying humming sound gradually grew louder, turning into a series of howls, causing the bamboo leaves above his head to rustle continuously in the Zen Forest.
He had once asked his Grandpa Dean how the Martial Forest experts in TV shows practiced their Lightness Skill.
Grandpa Dean didn't actually know, so he just spun a tale, saying to tie heavy iron blocks to your legs, run every day, and once you reach your previous level, add more iron blocks and keep running.
One day, when you feel it's about right, take all the iron blocks off, and you'll have learned Lightness Skill.
He thought it made a lot of sense back then, and now, he still thought it made a lot of sense.
The intensity of the Physical Body's restriction was so great, it was like carrying an immense burden. So, he was determined to try and see what kind of Tongxuan Upper Realm he could Breakthrough into.
He Lingxiu had just finished her cultivation and was now walking along the Zen Forest into the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.
Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao were also there, drinking tea and resting.
The two of them were currently attempting to Breakthrough to the Yingtian Realm. After entering the Yingtian Realm, they would be chosen as direct Disciples of the Hall Master, a benefit they had gained by accompanying the envoy mission to the Yao Race.
He Lingxiu sat opposite them and asked, “How is the progress?”
Shi Junhao slightly frowned: “It’s been several days since we returned from the Snow Region, and we still haven't found an opportunity for a Breakthrough. It seems we need to prepare for the long haul.”
He Lingxiu heard this and said: “I heard from the Elders in the academy that the Yingtian Realm emphasizes following nature and conforming to Heavenly Dao. You two don't need to be too anxious.”
Cultivation in the Upper Five Realms presented a Bottleneck at each step, and the higher one went, the more difficult it became.
Because the Heavenly Dao was profound, at this stage, if one's Comprehension Ability was insufficient, it truly couldn't be compensated by mere effort.
However, both Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan had good talent and were respected figures in the academy.
Furthermore, although the Xiao Family and Shi Family were not Millennium Worldly Families, they were flourishing Worldly Families, and they also provided them with the conditions to sit in deep mountains, endure countless springs and autumns, and cultivate with peace of mind.
However, Shi Junhao didn't seem to think so: “I'll just wait for the Heavenly Dao Conference.”
He Lingxiu raised her eyes: “You want to Breakthrough at the Xianxian Holy Land?”
“Exactly. Breaking through there might be faster.”
“The top ten in the same-Realm battle can all enter the Xianxian Holy Land. This shouldn't be difficult for you.”
Shi Junhao heard this and said, “Since I've decided to participate, I want to aim for the best possible ranking. To be honest, I want to enter the very center of the Holy Land.”
He Lingxiu opened her mouth: “Then you can only take first place. What does Senior Sister Xiao think?”
Xiao Hanyan looked at Shi Junhao and chuckled: “Then perhaps we will be competitors.”
Shi Junhao was startled: “So you also had the same idea as me.”
“Even without the promise of becoming a direct Disciple, I would still go to the Xianxian Holy Land. For cultivators like us, who can resist such temptation?”
Just then, a whistling sound suddenly echoed from deep within the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, immediately drawing the attention of the three.
He Lingxiu turned her head and saw Ji You through the gaps in the bamboo grove.
The Mystic Light around his body became increasingly magnificent, and the whistling sound produced by the Qi surrounding him had already reached the tea pavilion.
From the aura, He Lingxiu could tell he was Breaking through from the Tongxuan Middle Stage to the Upper Realm, but Shi Junhao's subsequent murmur made her feel a slight unease.
“Do you think he might be trying to enter Integration Dao?”
“?”
He Lingxiu turned to look at him, then chuckled: “From Tong Xuan Realm to Integration Dao is also a big hurdle. Ji You has only been in Tong Xuan Realm for a year, he won't be that fast. And even if he enters Integration Dao, it will only be the initial stage. Senior Brother Shi, are you perhaps afraid he'll take your spot?”
After she finished speaking, she looked at Xiao Hanyan, thinking that Senior Sister might also laugh, but unexpectedly, Xiao Hanyan's expression also became slightly solemn.
This scene made her freeze for a moment, and she slightly parted her pink lips in confusion.
No, are you two actually worried?
He Lingxiu had never been to the Snow Region, had never faced the Soldier King, and had never seen the Forty-Nine Mountain Layers; she had only read the case files.
In her opinion, Ji You had merely blocked a punch from a Soldier King comparable to the Yingtian Realm. Although it was astonishing enough, blocking and defeating were worlds apart.
After all, after he blocked that punch, the Barbarian Soldier King was unharmed, while he suffered from Qi piercing his body, indicating he was still far from strong enough.
Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao were already touching the threshold of the Yingtian Realm; they shouldn't be so worried.
In fact, Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao thought the same way, but whenever they recalled the Forty-Nine Mountain Layers above the wilderness, they always felt a tremor.
What is learned from paper always feels shallow, and only those who have experienced it firsthand can understand how powerful that Sword Dao is. Shi Junhao now picked up his teacup: “In terms of combat power, he should not be feared, but… there's always a persistent feeling of worry.”
Xiao Hanyan nodded: “Perhaps it's his reckless spirit that makes us always overestimate his Battle Intent.”
“Does Junior Brother really want to enter Integration Dao as soon as possible?”
“Yes, he does indeed think so.”
On days when the temperature plummeted and frost hung on the branches, Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin were conversing, sitting around Cao Jinsong's courtyard.
A fragrant tea aroma wafted from the teapot heated by charcoal, bringing a hint of warmth to this biting winter day, adding a touch of leisure to the cold season.
Cao Jinsong had recently been busy with Xiang Fu, Liu Jianan, and Cong Yi's efforts to condense Spirit Origin and achieve Junior Third Realm Completion.
After all, they were all beloved Disciples who liked to give gifts. Although those gifts were eventually stolen by that wicked Disciple, the gifts were given nonetheless, so it was only right for an Instructor to put in more effort.
However, the cultivation paths of these three were not progressing smoothly, which made Cao Jinsong deeply feel the disparity between people.
He recalled how Ji You had achieved two Realms in one night—that speed was simply unstoppable, even by five oxen. Yet, Xiang Fu and the other two had been stuck on condensing Spirit Origin for several months, and they had even used some of the Spirit Medicine that Ji You couldn't afford back then, but still saw no results.
Wen Zhengxin now picked up his teacup, and after a moment of thought, said, “Perhaps it would be more stable for Junior Brother to participate in the Heavenly Dao Conference as a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator?”
“I told him the same thing, but Ji You said that was the right of a Worldly Family Disciple, not something a private cultivator from the countryside like him could have.”
“What right?”
Cao Jinsong raised his eyes: “The right to sit in deep mountains and cultivate peacefully.”
Ban Yangshu took over the conversation, looking at Wen Zhengxin: "Junior Brother means that the Worldly Family Disciples in the academy can cultivate Dao steadily because they have a Family background as support, but Junior Brother does not, so he has many more things to worry about, such as the Immortal Villa in Feng Province,"
the farming for the coming year, and the distribution of tax offerings, all of which are abundant."
Cao Jinsong nodded: "Ji You plans to change the crops in Feng Province and at the same time attract more cultivators to join in reclaiming large tracts of wasteland. Those Immortal Villas will certainly seize this opportunity to demand a redistribution of tax offerings for the coming year. For him, strength is the bargaining chip on the table."
Wen Zhengxin frowned slightly: "The path Junior Brother has chosen is too difficult."
"Feng Province has been divided by external Immortal Villas for thousands of years; someone has to walk this path."
In the following days, Cao Jinsong received a letter from Shengjing City, signed by Kuang Cheng, inquiring about Ji You's Breakthrough.
He still owed Ji You a meal, and the money was ready, so he was working from nine to five at the Immortal Supervisor's office while waiting.
His relationship with Wei Rui was going smoothly; they often met in private, and he was recently considering holding her hand.
However, Ji You's main energy was currently focused on Breakthrough, so he couldn't meet him, which meant Kuang Shusheng couldn't seek advice.
He had also thought about writing a letter to Tianshu Academy, but he felt that putting "I want to hold her hand" on paper seemed more reckless than saying it aloud, so he hoped Ji You would achieve Breakthrough soon.
Besides that, Kuang Cheng often went to the Orphanage to look after the orphans.
Hu Wa was at the age of growing, and each time he saw him, he was a little taller than the last, but he was still the same as before,
always muttering about his younger sister.
Kuang Cheng felt that he seemed to already know his younger sister had been harmed, because he usually only muttered her pet name, but he never asked Kuang Cheng to help him find her again.
However, Kuang Shusheng had never actually given up, always hoping to find at least the head of the household, or the grave, or even just her whereabouts.
But after Zheng Family Old Ancestor's Ascension failed, everything seemed to vanish into thin air; nothing could be found, as if it was just an interlude without a follow-up, merely grand in scale, and even fewer people mentioned it.
Kuang Cheng, who had just sent the letter, was sitting on a bamboo chair in the Orphanage, holding a sugar-coated hawthorn skewer and pondering for a long time when he saw Wei Rui gracefully approach.
"Miss Rui'er? Why are you here?"
"I came to bring some candied fruit for the children."
Wei Rui lifted the pastry box in her hand, took one out, thought for a moment, then handed it to his mouth: "It's just out from Furong Pavilion, have one—"
Kuang Cheng held his breath, then gently opened his mouth.
Wei Rui's pretty face flushed slightly, and she flusteredly found a topic: "By the way, why haven't I seen Young Master Ji for so long?"
Kuang Cheng covered his flushed cheeks: "Ji You, you're asking about him, he—who is he?"
"?"
"Oh, I remember now, are you talking about my sworn brother? He's in secluded cultivation for Breakthrough; I haven't seen him for half a month either."
Wei Rui blinked: "Does Breakthrough take that long?"
Kuang Cheng shook his head: "I don't know either."
Does Breakthrough take that long? This question is actually linked to Comprehension Ability.
And Ji You's Comprehension Ability has always been excellent, which is a recognized fact in both the Inner Courtyard and Outer Courtyard; it shouldn't take this much time.
So Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao also frequently observed him these past few days, and their subtly worried hearts gradually settled down.
Because Ji You's performance during Breakthrough was extremely difficult, gradually, some people began to understand.
He was limited by his Physical Body.
Human Race cultivators need to comprehend Heavenly Dao, and Divine Thought is the carrier of the connection between heaven and man. An excessively powerful Physical Body will restrict Divine Thought and hinder the connection between heaven and man. This is a common consensus in Qingyun World, which is why very few people practice Body Refining in the cultivation world now.
There are some miscellaneous Body Refining methods, but only private cultivators or those who have been stuck at a Bottleneck for many years would dabble in them.
And the fact that Ji You practices Body Refining is actually known to many.
"Although I don't know what Body Refining method Ji You adopted, in any case, Body Refining is a side path that wastes Comprehension Ability."
"Exactly. Although Body Refining strengthens Battle Intent among cultivators of the same Realm, its drawbacks are also very significant, completely offsetting the closeness to Heavenly Dao."
"Some untalented students, who have wasted many years, I would indeed suggest they try some unorthodox methods, but Ji You—he really shouldn't."
"He's a private cultivator from the countryside, what choice did he have? If not for Body Refining, could he have defeated Chu River? Could he have lifted the Forty-Nine Mountain Layers of Lingjian Mountain?"
Ji You's Breakthrough dragged on for an extremely long time, sparking countless discussions in the desolate winter, even among the Elders, leading to a dual discussion on Body Refining and Dao comprehension.
This was an extremely classic case, a once-in-a-century occurrence.
Because once something becomes a negative consensus, it's rare for someone to defy it again. Someone with talent like Ji You, yet stubbornly practicing Body Refining, is truly as rare as a Phoenix feather or a Dragon's scale.
So, should one practice Body Refining or not?
If one says yes, the limitations he is currently facing are obvious to all.
If one says no, some people feel that such a him might not have been able to withstand Chu River's Huantian Technique in the Autumn Tournament, nor could he have lifted the Forty-Nine Mountain Layers in the wilderness.
"Actually, I was quite afraid that Ji You would achieve Breakthrough easily, but now I'm a little relieved."
"Oh?"
"Does Junior Brother Pan not feel that this rising star makes things a bit difficult for us in the Inner Courtyard?"
On the mountain path of Dustless Hall, two figures were descending the mountain.
One was named Pan Bin, the other Liu Qichen; they had entered the academy before Ji You and, unable to sense the Heavenly Book, had been stuck at the threshold of the Rongdao Realm for many years.
Compared to Ji You, they were not well-known. Although they entered the Inner Courtyard without encountering strong enemies back then, without the Heavenly Book's assistance, their cultivation speed had always been slow.
When discussing Ji You's Breakthrough in the academy, they were actually the most embarrassed. Later, when they heard that his Breakthrough was difficult due to his overly strong Physical Body, they couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief.
In the twelfth lunar month, snow began to fall across the entire Kyushu region. Shengjing City was covered in white, with countless flakes like crushed jade falling profusely.
Ni Mountain's peak turned white overnight, and falling snow covered the entire capital.
Tianshu Academy, among the Seven Great Immortal Sects, is the closest to Heavenly Dao, accustomed to following the four seasons. They usually do not use immortal arts to drive away falling snow, so the eaves of the five great Immortal Halls in the Inner Courtyard are covered with crystal-clear ice icicles, like hanging glass.
In the morning, an Inner Courtyard Disciple came to Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.
After all, the plan for the day lies in the morning; the Human Race's mind is clearest within the first few moments of waking up in the morning.
Several Dao Comprehension spots had already been cleaned by people dispatched by the Master's Courtyard, and the meditation cushions were neatly arranged.
"Senior Sister Xiao, would you like some morning tea?"
"No, I don't have the habit of drinking tea in the morning. I'll go comprehend Dao first.
Xiao Hanyan waved to He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, Chai Ze, Leng Yingying, and others in the tea pavilion, then went to her own spot and entered silent meditation.
Seeking an opportunity is different from daily Dao comprehension; it doesn't require long-term persistence, nor does it require Medicinal Pills and Spirit Stones for nourishment.
Sometimes, the appearance of an opportunity often lies in a fleeting moment of Mystic Light.
Cultivators at this stage usually do not enter too deep a state of meditation, to avoid their mind becoming too quiet and overlooking a momentary flash of inspiration.
At this moment, Xiao Hanyan's eyes were tightly closed, continuously searching within Heavenly Dao.
After an unknown period, a gurgling sound of water suddenly echoed in the ears of this direct Disciple candidate, causing her brow to furrow slightly.
In recent days, the world seemed to be frozen by severe cold, with temperatures dropping to the extreme. Flowing water had turned into solid ice, and she had not heard such lively water sounds for a long time.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the unswept accumulated snow on the ground quietly melting.
Then, the snowmelt gathered in the ditches between the bamboo groves, forming trickling streams that flowed forward.
"The temperature has risen."
Xiao Hanyan thought to herself, subconsciously turning her head to the left, only to see other Inner Courtyard Disciples also casting astonished gazes in the same direction.
At that spot, the accumulated snow had already melted into a perfectly circular shape, and the snowmelt continuously overflowed outwards along the terrain.
Then, a pair of brilliant golden eyes slowly opened, and a scorching Qi continuously overflowed from the owner of those eyes.
Xiao Hanyan felt a slight chill, sensing a wave of heat coming towards her...
He Lingxiu and Shi Junhao had just finished their morning tea and were planning to go comprehend Dao.
During this time, there were constant jokes, and some people even seemed to be betting on whether Xiao Hanyan or Shi Junhao would achieve Breakthrough to the Yingtian Realm first.
However, just as they stepped out of the tea pavilion, their forward steps suddenly halted, and the smiles on their faces slowly faded.
Because at this moment, they happened to encounter Ji You walking out of the bamboo grove.
His lips were as pale as paper, completely devoid of color. He nodded slightly to the people in the tea pavilion, then dragged his somewhat heavy steps towards the outside of the bamboo grove, his brows and eyes filled with fatigue, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.
However, this analogy was not inappropriate, because the hardship of his Breakthrough was truly no less than enduring a serious illness. At this moment, in front of the tea pavilion, everyone opened their mouths, their expressions revealing a hint of solemnity.
"He's reached Tongxuan Upper Realm."
"His Qi is so strong—"
He Lingxiu and the others watched his departing back, clearly feeling his exhaustion.
But even more evident than his exhaustion was the Qi emanating from him, like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a Dragon, like the gushing morning light, roaring incessantly in the winter chill.
Qi is related to Realm, while Qi is usually related to Battle Intent.
Although this judgment is not entirely accurate, it does have some reference value.
He Lingxiu was still in the Rongdao Middle Stage at this time, but facing this Qi, she felt that she might not be able to easily defeat him.
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