There's Something Wrong With My Immortal Path

Chapter 20: Is Qi Refining Equivalent to Boiling Water?

December, the 88th day of winter.

After heavy snowfall, the accumulated snow reached three inches.

Icicles hung from the eaves, and frost flowers could be seen through the window panes.

For Xia Ming, this was a good day.

Because on this day, He Nian Sheng passed on to him a method of Qi Refining.

This technique was called the "Great River Qi Refining Formula."

...

"Xia Ming, since you possess the Water Spirit Root, I will teach you the top Qi Refining technique of the Great River Sect."

"Thank you, Master!" Xia Ming replied gratefully.

In Xia Ming's expectant gaze, He Nian Sheng took out an old leather scroll.

Made with jade as the axis, it had a simple and ancient appearance, clearly not an ordinary item.

Respectfully accepting the scroll, Xia Ming listened as He Nian Sheng continued:

"Xia Ming, this technique is the Qi Refining method passed down by our ancestors. Our ancestors also possessed the Water Spirit Root, and the water from the stream was as clear and cold as ice."

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this technique upon me. Xia Ming will definitely practice diligently and not disappoint your high expectations!"

After taking a deep look at Xia Ming, He Nian Sheng nodded slightly.

"Xia Ming, do you have any other questions?"

After pondering for a moment, Xia Ming bowed respectfully once again.

"I dare to ask, Master, how is it possible to store things in the acupoints?"

Perhaps Xia Ming had come into contact with too many acupoints.

His obsession with acupoints was somewhat extraordinary.

Or perhaps it was curiosity.

Upon hearing Xia Ming's question, a hint of impatience flashed in He Nian Sheng's eyes.

However, he concealed it well, and even the cautious Xia Ming couldn't detect it.

"By using spiritual energy to cleanse the acupoints and guiding them with the soul, each acupoint is like a box that can be opened and closed."

"Some acupoints should not be randomly cleansed. You have experienced the corpse collectors at the Soul Capturing Cliff, so I don't need to explain the reasoning to you."

"Thank you, Master, for your teachings," Xia Ming replied.

After glancing at Xia Ming, He Nian Sheng waved his hand and gave him a hundred spirit stones.

"You can use the spirit stones to refine your acupoints, but don't become obsessed. The path of cultivation still relies on oneself."

"Practice the Great River Formula diligently. If you encounter anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance," Xia Ming respectfully replied.

...

After a while, He Nian Sheng left.

Xia Ming didn't feel the slightest discomfort towards this mysterious Master.

To him, it was just right.

Not long after He Nian Sheng left, Xia Ming opened the ancient scroll.

The weight of the years came rushing in, and everything he saw seemed illusory.

With unwavering focus, Xia Ming watched as the scroll began to move.

The words on it gradually came to life.

Stretching their arms, shaking their heads, they slowly stood up.

One by one, the little figures held hands and danced around a central symbol, jumping and hopping.

They danced, they prayed, and they looked at Xia Ming...

And Xia Ming looked at them.

...

After a while, Xia Ming raised his head.

His face was almost written with the word "shock."

Because the information that appeared on the scroll had exceeded Xia Ming's imagination.

...

[Great River Qi Refining Formula]

[Qi Refining is equivalent to boiling hot water.]

Who said that a diode doesn't emit light or heat?

Guide various streams of water into the lower dantian, then evaporate them with a diode.

Refine, purify, and obtain pure water elemental spiritual energy.

Mentally recite Qi Refining and check the progress.

Don't panic, what you see is science.

...

Seeing this, Xia Ming was starting to feel overwhelmed.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Guiding water into the lower dantian?

Listen to this!

Is this even human language?

Does this have anything to do with science?

Speechless, Xia Ming then saw another sentence below.

[Isn't the lower dantian also an acupoint?]

Huh?

Upon reaching this point, Xia Ming suddenly felt a tremor throughout his body.

Is the dantian a meridian?

As far as Xia Ming knows, it seems that cultivators do not consider the dantian as a meridian.

Because it is simply too big.

And for cultivators, the dantian is the foundation of cultivation.

It is of great importance, so one cannot casually attempt it.

The dantian can be divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower.

And there are barriers between these three layers.

Lower dantian is Qi Refining, middle dantian is Foundation Building, and upper dantian is Core Condensation.

That's why there is an old saying.

Danger comes at the first layer, and the first layer is the key.

Breaking through the first layer is difficult, asking the way to immortality is arduous.

Breaking through the dantian and becoming an infant, from then on, it's a world beyond the world.

...

Upon reaching this point, Xia Ming sighed. Fortunately, he has a Water Spirit Root.

If he had a Wood Spirit Root, would he have to... stuff wood into his stomach?

Just thinking about it is exciting!

Without hesitation, Xia Ming directly refined his lower dantian.

It is terrifying to think that the first meridian Xia Ming refined was his dantian.

With the help of the spiritual stones left by He Niansheng, Xia Ming embarked on a difficult journey of refinement.

This refinement... went on until the ninety-ninth day of the winter month.

Spring was about to arrive.

Finally, on the last day of this winter month, Xia Ming refined his lower dantian.

One-third of the dantian was consumed at such a cost, but Xia Ming also knew that it was all worth it.

As his thoughts circulated, a faint white light slowly lit up in Xia Ming's lower abdomen.

Trembling hands... an excited heart...

Xia Ming picked up the teapot...

And poured it in with a gurgling sound.

He poured in more than half of the teapot, and Xia Ming felt a sense of fullness in his lower abdomen.

Muttering the words "Qi Refining," a scene appeared in Xia Ming's mind.

In a black bowl, a small blue diode was emitting a faint blue light.

The area around the diode was filled with dense bubbles. As the bubbles surged, a few strands of light blue water vapor floated up.

Those strands of water vapor gradually condensed, like wisps of smoke, drifting elegantly and calmly.

Slowly opening his eyes, Xia Ming looked at his unremarkable lower abdomen, revealing a complex expression.

At this moment, Xia Ming already knew.

He had embarked on an unusual path of immortality.

The future was uncertain, with both blessings and misfortunes.

To be honest...

Xia Ming was a little panicked.

After worrying for a few hours, a hint of joy suddenly appeared on Xia Ming's face.

In just these short two hours, the water he poured into his lower dantian had actually evaporated.

Wow, this small diode is so powerful!

It's much stronger than those cultivators who practice diligently!

I can even cultivate Qi Refining just by walking!

Looking at the strands of spiritual energy floating above the bowl, Xia Ming suddenly burst into laughter.

The strands of spiritual energy he painstakingly refined were not wasted.

He used them all to replicate the diode.

A diode that can boil water is already so powerful.

If there were more of them, it would be even better!

Moreover, Xia Ming was also thinking about that High Grade Spirit Root.

As the saying goes, a tall building starts from the ground. Xia Ming deeply understood the importance of laying a solid foundation.

In this way... after a few hours, another small blue diode appeared in Xia Ming's lower dantian.

Creating something out of nothing was difficult, but replicating the diode was much simpler.

The situation was just as Xia Ming had expected.

With an additional diode, the speed of boiling water indeed increased significantly.

And so, several days passed.

In Xia Ming's lower dantian, there were already seventeen blue diodes.

The seventeen diodes were evenly distributed, vaguely forming the radical "three dots of water."

During this period, Xia Ming also discovered a serious problem.

The water in this secluded valley... was no longer enough for him.

With seventeen diodes working together, the water he poured in would be gone in a matter of minutes.

Although the water boiled quickly, the spiritual energy obtained was very thin.

The problem was not with Xia Ming himself, but with the water.

Simply put, the water... was not good enough.

Xia Ming needed better water.

(End of this chapter)