Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 301: Chapter 201: Demonic Qi_1

Let’s do it!

Within the cabin, atop the bed, Xu Yang sat cross-legged in the posture of Five Hearts Facing Yuan, preparing to harness the Heavenly Earth Prime Spirit and experience what it felt like to cultivate with a Five Elements Spiritual Root comparable to a superior Heavenly Spirit.

However…

As the Qi began to connect and the Yuan Spirit started to stir, Xu Yang furrowed his brows.

Filth!

Demonic Qi!

In this world, there indeed existed Yuan Spirits, unlike the world after the Taoism catastrophe.

But within these Yuan Spirits, there was not only Yuan Qi and Spiritual Energy but also a trace of Demonic Qi, a filthy strand of Demonic Qi.

This Demonic Qi… felt familiar, seemingly originating from the same source as the one he had forcibly extracted and brought back to the Wandao School before.

Remembering the nature of that Demonic Qi, Xu Yang’s frown grew even deeper.

This Demonic Qi was entangled with the Spiritual Energy, difficult to separate, almost integrated like milk and water, impossible to dispel. If he allowed the Yuan Spirit into his body, he would inevitably be eroded by the Demonic Qi.

The consequences were imaginable.

This was a world of demons, and Xu Yang had no intention of merging with the demonic system, so naturally, there was no reason for him to absorb the Demonic Qi into his body.

But without absorbing the Demonic Qi, he could not harness the Heavenly Earth Prime Spirit, and without harnessing it, how was he to cultivate?

He certainly couldn’t overturn the plan he had just set and recruit disciples to develop his power again, could he?

“It has come to this; there is only one thing I can do.”

Xu Yang shook his head, shifting his focus.

A moment later, a new line of text appeared in the skill section.

Skill: Martial Practice (Qi and Blood Furnace)

When in doubt, consult the Origin Body; if the Origin Body is unsure, consult external help—this is the exemplary quality of a clone.

Faced with this conundrum, the solution given by the Origin Body was—to cheat!

Therefore, through the Attribute Panel, the Xu Yang of the World of Dao and Law expended a portion of his Divine Soul’s power to transfer the “Qi and Blood Furnace” trait of the Martial Practice skill.

After cultivating the Yang God clone and transferring skill traits, the Taoism Origin Body was now exhausted and couldn’t provide further assistance for a while.

As for the real self, the Yang God was not fully healed and likewise needed rest.

So…

“From now on, I have to rely on myself!”

Xu Yang smiled, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate anew, drawing the Yuan Spirit into his body.

This world indeed had Yuan Spirits, but they were not particularly abundant. At least this was the case for Wuzhe Lake, a first-tier inferior Spirit Land, roughly the same level as Fish and Dragon Island was at the very beginning.

Even though it was just a first-tier inferior Spirit Land, it was enough to satisfy the needs of early-stage cultivation, especially with the effects of the Five Elements Spiritual Root and the Five Spirits True Jue…

“Huff!”

In the void, ripples emerged, faintly forming a vortex, and the surge of Yuan Spirits came forth.

Is this the Five Elements Spiritual Root?

Truly marvelous, even though it is just an inferior Yellow Spirit, its cultivation efficiency is comparable to a superior Heavenly Spirit.

If one were to diligently practice the Five Spirits True Jue, collect various Spiritual Objects of the Five Elements, and elevate to the Mysterious Spirit, Earth Spirit, and even Heavenly Spirit, wouldn’t the cultivation efficiency be comparable to a Spiritual Body?

Xu Yang sighed, then focused intently and began his first cultivation of the Spiritual Root in this life.

The Yuan Spirit entered his body, accompanied by Demonic Qi.

However, the Qi and Blood worked like a furnace, smelting and refining, not only burning away the demonic nature of the Demonic Qi but also converting its Spiritual Energy into fuel, aiding his cultivation.

The so-called Demonic Qi is actually the Yuan Spirit’s Qi that has been demonized. As long as one can remove its demonic nature, it can be absorbed into the body and transformed into the cultivator’s Mana.

But many things are difficult because of the “as long as” part.

Fortunately, Xu Yang had the help of skill traits, and without much cost, he was able to refine that demonic nature.

Qi and Blood like a furnace, demonic nature like kindling. Amidst the blazing fire, Xu Yang’s cultivation level continuously rose.

Qi Refinement first tier, Qi Refinement second tier, Qi Refinement third tier…

Upon his first cultivation, he broke through three levels, reaching Qi Refinement third tier before concluding the practice.

There are four stages and twelve levels within the Qi Refinement realm, and the third level is the early phase of Qi Refinement.

Xu Yang opened his eyes, looked outside the cabin, and saw the sunlight shining in, revealing it was already broad daylight.

Unwittingly, a night had passed.

In just one night, simply by meditating and absorbing the Heavenly Earth Prime Spirit, he had entered the third level of Qi Refinement.

Is this the power of the Five Elements Spiritual Root?

If he had pills and other resources, with its cultivation efficiency comparable to a superior Heavenly Spirit, wouldn’t he reach perfect Qi Refining within a month and plan for Foundation Establishment?

Indeed, to compare oneself with others is to invite despair.

“Although progress is fast, there are also hidden dangers.”

“The Qi and Blood Furnace can refine Demonic Qi, but it is not without a price.”

“Refining too much is also a significant burden on the physical body and Qi Blood.”

“Either slow down the cultivation and take it slowly or begin farming, cultivating some Spirit Plants that are not tainted by Demonic Qi to use as resources.”

“However, in this world where the Demonic Qi corrosion is so deep, the Spirit Plants I cultivate might hardly avoid contamination.”

“Even so, this land still needs to be farmed. The Five Elements Spiritual Body has many advantages, but it comes with one particularly troublesome point—at every stage of advancement, Five Elements Spiritual Objects are needed, otherwise there will be deficiencies that are difficult to compensate for later.”

“Fishing must be done, lands must be farmed, and spells must be practiced. This world is far from peaceful!”

His thoughts were jumbled, but he made a decision in an instant.

Xu Yang cast his eyes down, looking towards a corpse beside him.

Scarface, the corpse of this fisherman pirate, had accompanied him in the cabin for an entire night of cultivation.

Sharing a room with a corpse, for most people, would certainly be a very horrifying experience.

But for the “Lord of the Yin Mountain Mansion,” it was completely insignificant.

It was just material, nothing worth mentioning.

Xu Yang sat down, ready to begin practicing his spells.

Yin Mountain mana scrolls, ghost enslaving skills.

He hadn’t tinkered with this stuff for quite a while.

In the real world, his main job was focused on Spirit-Treasure Mech Armor.

In the world of Dao and Law, there had been a millennium of peace, with absolutely no foreign enemies to threaten them. As the master of the Wandao School, naturally, he couldn’t use the souls of ordinary people to practice his spells. Even the ghost gods of the Yin Mountain Mansion relied on incense for support, with the Increase and Decrease Two Generals even having to change their diet from evil ghost souls to sacrificial offerings.

Therefore, his ghost enslaving skills had been neglected for quite some time.

But that didn’t detract from its value. Xu Yang now wanted to put it back into use, and the corpse at hand was the material.

After death, unless one has cultivation, the soul will not immediately become an Underworld Ghost. It requires a period of fermentation, awaiting the accumulation of Yin Qi to combine with the soul.

Before this, the soul of the deceased hides within the corpse. If it turns into a ghost and is not taken away by the Governors of the Underworld, it will always use the corpse as a foundation.

Xu Yang channeled mana, injecting it into the corpse to help condense the soul.

In just a moment, the air in the cabin grew chill and the temperature plunged abruptly.

In the midst of the cold, eerie wind, a phantom figure emerged from the corpse, and upon seeing him, lunged forward to attack.

“Hmph!”

Xu Yang snorted coldly and threw out a talisman, forcefully pressing it into the ghost’s forehead.

“Roar!!!”

The evil ghost let out a miserable howl, collapsing to the ground while convulsing violently.

After what seemed like an eternity, the evil ghost finally managed to lift its body, kneeling on the ground and repeatedly kowtowing.

Xu Yang paid it no mind, casually grabbing a jar and pointing at the corpse. The ghost, along with the body, transformed into a stream of Yin Qi and was absorbed into the jar.

Next, he used his finger as a brush to trace a talisman in the air, pressing it to the lid of the jar to seal it.

With that, a simple “Yin Altar” was ready.

He stored the Yin Altar beneath the bed, where it would sit undisturbed for seven days. Once the Yin Qi hardened, he would have a usable Underworld Soldier at his disposal.

By repeatedly refining in this manner, without attracting too much attention, he would be able to amass a force of Five Chaotic Generals and Soldiers in a few years.

When that time came, whether it was for reconnaissance or fighting against others, they would prove to be quite useful.

But for now…

“I still have to rely on myself.”

Xu Yang shook his head, picked up a harpoon, and walked out of the cabin.

Man is iron, food is steel—a meal missed and one feels distressed!

Despite possessing a Five Elements Spiritual Root comparable to a top-tier Heavenly Spirit, one should not live on Spiritual Energy from heaven and earth alone.

Before reaching a certain level of cultivation, one still needs to eat—let alone that the role of the Spiritual Root is not only in absorbing Heavenly Earth Prime Spirit, but that food and provisions also have an effect.

The same spiritual pill could have entirely different absorption and effects when ingested by someone with a top-tier Heavenly Spirit versus someone with an inferior Yellow Spirit.

So, Xu Yang needed to eat, and he needed to feast.

First, he cast a spell on himself to transform into the appearance of Scarface. Then, carrying the harpoon, he stepped outside the cabin, skillfully pushing off the boat and heading out of the reeds.

His movements were truly deft. After all, he had fished in Dongting Lake for nearly half his life.

A life of fishing for fifty years was a choice made out of necessity because the Immortal Fate Surveillance System established by the Three Sects was too strict.

This world should be more lenient. As long as one didn’t go too overboard, surely no one would pay attention to a mere fisherman.

Even so, Xu Yang didn’t plan to waste time on meaningless social interactions and relationships.

His wealth of knowledge allowed him to be entirely self-sufficient. He had no need for interactions with the outside world. To hell with the fish tyrants, gangs, and government officials—let them stay where it’s cool.

He would simply fish honestly, then find a deserted island to farm, feed a few birds, raise a few dogs, start a fish breeding facility, bring over some electric eels for training, and recreate the blissful life he once knew on Dongting Lake.

And thereby, he would…

“Bang!!!”

A loud crash jolted the boat, interrupting his train of thought.

Xu Yang turned around and watched coldly for a while before picking up his harpoon and diving into the water.

Shortly afterward, blood surged from beneath the water like a fountain.

A shadow emerged, exploding out of the water with tremendous force and slamming onto the deck of the boat.

It was a fish with scales like armor, its body pitch-black and its mouth full of sharp, interlocking teeth—a large fish.

The big fish landed on the deck, bleeding profusely, revealing two gaping wounds that had penetrated its body.

“Splash!”

The sound of water splashing as a man broke through the surface, landing on the deck and without a word, lifting the already deformed harpoon and striking viciously once more.

“Puff!!!”

Although the harpoon was bent out of shape, the strength of the man was enough to pierce through the fish’s head, nailing the black fish to the deck as its fishy blood sprayed out, creating a grisly scene.

Despite its head being pierced by the harpoon, the black fish’s thrashing did not cease, and it continued to struggle violently.

Xu Yang stood aside, frowning without a word.

A moment later, with the smell of blood thick in the air, the black fish’s struggles gradually subsided, announcing its death.

Xu Yang stepped forward and pulled out the harpoon, noticing that the tip was severely twisted and even a piece had broken off.

Looking around, there was no sign of any other boats with oiled-paper awnings on the vast lake surface. There were only a few large ships with distinctive markings, and the people on board seemed to have noticed the commotion here. Immediately a few small boats started rowing his way.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yang didn’t say much. He kicked the black fish into the cabin and then grabbed the oars himself, rowing away with great force.