NOVEL NEXT Chapter 69: Foundation Realm
From what Lucian had learned by reading through the Abyssal Qinglong Soul Scripture, the Qi was never perfect.
As a conscious being, it reflected its wielder's mind and changed its shape accordingly. Depending on the course of one's techniques and practice, its forms changed indefinitely.
To those who were inept, its existence was nothing short of a god. A god that truly listens yet doesn't demand loyalty.
But to truly use its potential, one had to purify his physique several times over the minor stages of the Body Forging Realm.
Lucian had already achieved that. By breaking through the nine minor realms, he had cleansed his physique perfectly. All that was left was to energize his Qi channels and open the dams that blocked his Qi paths.
These dams were known as meridians, something that controlled the flow of qi in one's body. Overall, there were nine meridians in one's body.
Each opening meant a minor breakthrough in the Qi Condensation Realm—a step above his current realm.
However, to transition between realms, one had to prove their strength to the heavens. After all, the Qi originally belonged to Heaven and Earth.
Thus, one had to undergo drastic tribulations—natural disasters that could otherwise kill millions in an instant.
Last time Lucian had skipped this stage. But this time, that option wasn't available.
He swiftly focused on his inside and felt his Qi spreading out of his abdomen. It wasn't running rampant, just wastefully energizing his muscles.
'This is bad,' Lucian thought, as he shifted his focus towards his core. There, three different embers were kindled—stacked one upon another at an equal distance.
Each ember varied in size and intensity. While the bottom flared in a bright, palm-sized flame, the topmost barely ignited the amount of a fingernail.
These flames were distributed around his body, signifying the presence of the different aspects that came together as life.
Body (Lower Dantian), Soul (Middle Dantian), and Mind (Upper Dantian).
The Qi gathered in his abdomen and became one with his body. At the center of his chest, his soul remained gated behind meridians, thriving on his life energy.
And at the center of his forehead, the ember was the weakest. It only made sense since the mind was left untouched before a certain high level was reached in cultivation.
However, the scripture said otherwise.
'To channel Qi directly through the upper dantian at the age of 10. Though risky, it allows one to create a foundation that doesn't depend on either body or soul.'
At the very beginning of the scripture, a note was left by its writer.
***
"The process is full of difficulties. Even while creating it, millions of experiments ended in failure. Even now, I do not know whether this technique can flourish or not. However, I've seen a slight glimmer of success. 10 years. Yes. If you succeed in mastering this technique, the legend shall be written once again."
***
Recalling the note, Lucian's lips slightly twitched. He knew that failed experiments were being referred to as deaths. And frankly speaking, a million wasn't a small number.
But Lucian wasn't afraid. After all, this wasn't his first gamble. Nonetheless, he could either trust his luck and have a chance at clearing this gate or wait miserably for his own death.
Without hesitation, he redirected all of his Qi towards his head. Through the three dantians, a special passage — Governing Vesse l— ran along one's spine.
It was the main circuit of the wires that ran through Lucian's body. Though, clogged like it was meant to be until his next major breakthrough.
But Lucian didn't have time to wait. He simply pushed through — something he had become quite proficient in since a while ago.
A sharp pain surged through his fingertips as the rest of his body grew numb. But, this pain wasn't as bad.
Although his body felt a sense of excruciating pain surge through his muscles, there remained a faint glint of exhilaration. Not the kind that made one ecstatic, but that one feeling of anticipation.
Lucian was looking forward to his advancement. After all, 5 years later, his practice was finally being answered.
With a focused mind, he pushed his Qi through the clogged vessels and made them penetrate through. For a moment, he felt as though his heart had skipped a beat, but even that didn't stop him.
*Ding!*
A loud system alert rang in his mind, but he paid no attention. Naturally, his mind was busy with not dying.
But a screen materialized in front of his eyes anyway.
---
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[#~System Notification~#]
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[Congratulations! A new passive skill—Pain Tolerance—is being created!]
[Your element of creation—Infinity—and its trait—Transcendence—have noticed the rising energy within your body.]
[Both Infinity and Transcendence are looking forward to your next moves.]
---
Before long, his qi pierced through the middle dantian, filling it with a fresh surge of energy. His Inner Qi—the very essence of one's life force that is present since birth—shimmered in a bright light.
At this point, Lucian's body had begun to convulse greatly. His neck lunged forward, shuddering as blood dripped down his nostrils and mouth.
Seeing his condition worsening, Mira felt a strange warmth welling in her eyes. She was clenching her hands tight, hoping for it to end in success.
*Swoosh!*
As his Qi pierced through his governing vessel further and reached the upper dantian, an overwhelming feeling of nothing but sheer pain took over his body.
Even as he unintentionally floated, his body broke free from the meditative stance. With a soft thud, his body lay straight on the ground.
His eyes opened wide, a strange ghastly glow illuminating within. With each second, the glow intensified, letting a bright, visible ray of light stretch in the air.
Mira let out a sharp gasp as she lunged towards Lucian. Ignoring her previous worries, she quickly picked his head off the ground and tried to wake him up.
"Tian! Wake up! TIAN!!" Her voice wavered as tears trickled down her face.