NOVEL NEXT Chapter 463: Taking The Next Step
Han Yu closed his eyes again, reigning in his excitement.
"Not now though." The future could wait.
His hands clenched faintly on his knees as he forced himself to return to the present. The path ahead of him was clear, and it demanded his complete attention.
He had reached the very peak of Qi Refining, but this was only a temporary plateau. The next step lay just beyond, and it was far harder than any he had yet taken. In the Qi Refining realm, the progression was straightforward in concept, though never simple in practice.
At the early stage, one's Qi was like a gas, thin wisps that filled roughly half of the dantian. With growth and effort, the gaseous Qi would expand until the dantian was completely filled, marking the mid stage. Then came the Late Stage, when that gaseous Qi was condensed into liquid form, dense and flowing like a spiritual sea.
And now, here at the peak, Han Yu's dantian was a shimmering lake of liquid Qi.
To advance further, he needed to condense this liquid into solid form. That process would forge the very core that defined the Core Condensation realm.
But it was no easy matter. Compressing Spirit Qi to this level was a monumental task, one that pushed against the natural limits of the body and spirit. Most cultivators, even talented ones, required the aid of a Core Forming Pill to succeed.
Han Yu, however, had other plans. His pride and his ambition both told him the same thing: with his foundation, with the refinement he had achieved, it would not be impossible to attempt this without external help. He had already proven himself once by progressing more efficiently than others.
Why should this be any different?
Drawing a deep breath, Han Yu began to circulate the Twin Peak Qi Refinement Manual once more. His meridians responded smoothly, guiding the liquid Qi within him. Slowly, carefully, he began the attempt.
The manual's methods were clear. He had to gather the liquid Qi into tighter and tighter clusters, compressing them until the structure transformed into solidity. It was akin to pressing water into ice, but far more delicate.
He focused intently, drawing a portion of the liquid Spirit Qi from his dantian and compressing it inward.
The liquid rippled as though resisting, waves pushing back against the pressure. Han Yu held steady, forcing his will upon it, channeling his control to maintain order. For a moment it seemed to work, the Qi drawing tighter and forming a dense cluster. But then, in the blink of an eye, it unraveled.
Poof
The liquid burst apart, some dissipating back into the sea of his dantian the rest leaking out of his body.
Han Yu exhaled softly. 'Failure.'
But he was not discouraged.
He had known from the start this would not come easily. He closed his eyes again, gathering the liquid Qi once more. This time he moved slower, exerting less force, guiding the energy as though coaxing it rather than forcing it. The cluster began to form, tighter and denser, but again it slipped away, scattering back into liquid or dissipating away.
He opened his eyes briefly, a wry smile crossing his face. "So this is how it is," he murmured under his breath.
He could see now why the Core Forming Pill was considered nearly essential. This process was not about raw strength, but about precision and stability. Every push carried the risk of unraveling what he had built.
Still, he did not falter. His determination only grew stronger. This was a test of his will, his control, and his patience. He had failed twice, but he would continue.
He began again, letting his breathing settle into a steady rhythm. He guided the liquid Qi into a cluster, layer by layer, compressing it into a tighter form. The strain built within him, his meridians trembling faintly at the pressure.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his concentration reached its peak. Slowly, the cluster became denser, its glow intensifying, almost as though something within it wanted to crystallize.
But just as hope flickered, a tremor surged through his dantian, and the cluster burst apart once again. This time the rebound was stronger, rippling through his body and making his chest ache. Han Yu coughed lightly, opening his eyes with a grimace.
Yet he still smiled. "Not yet, but close," he whispered.
He could feel it. Each attempt brought him closer, teaching him something new about the flow of his Qi and the resistance it gave. He knew he was walking a narrow path, one that could end in failure or even injury, but the possibility of success burned brighter in his heart.
This was what cultivation was meant to be. Not shortcuts, not easy roads, but challenges that pushed one's limits. And Han Yu, sitting there in the silent tent, steeled his heart once again.
He picked up another Spirit Essence pill, swallowing it down to stabilize what remained of his Qi. The soothing energy spread, calming the turbulence in his dantian and restoring the integrity of his liquid Qi.
He closed his eyes and prepared to try again, his determination as firm as iron. Only a day had passed, and he would take as many days as needed.
Han Yu continued to sit cross legged in the silence of the private tent, his breathing even though his body trembled faintly. Sweat clung to his brow and soaked the back of his robes, yet he did not stop.
The past few days had been a relentless climb, a struggle against the mountain that was the Core Condensation realm.
Again and again he had gathered the liquid Qi within his dantian, compressed it, guided it, and watched it fall apart.
Each failure had scattered his Qi like shattered glass, leaving him drained and hollow. But he had not despaired, because the repository's pills had been his lifeline. With each wasted attempt, he consumed another pill, replenishing his dantian and restoring the lost liquid Qi.