Chapter Seventeen: Breakthrough

After a brief rest, Ge Qian found a secluded mountain stream for Wang Meng’s corpse, flung it down with a wave of his hand, and thus erased all traces.

He quickly returned to the herb garden and entered the thatched hut. Though he had absorbed Wang Meng’s soul, and his own had grown considerably stronger, Ge Qian still sensed an incomplete fusion. If, upon advancing to the second level, this fusion remained elusive, it would prove that directly absorbing another’s soul would inevitably leave hidden dangers. Until he found a solution, it was best not to take unnecessary risks.

He noticed the little white fox cultivating nearby and said, “Congcong, listen to me: tomorrow I will enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to the second level. I’d considered asking another cultivator to watch over the garden, but I simply can’t entrust it to anyone else. For the time being, I’ll have to ask you to help tend it. What do you think?”

Mei Die ignored Ge Qian, continuing her cultivation. She thought, “With such excellent moonlight, I mustn’t waste this chance. When have I, Mei Die, ever stooped to manage a herb garden? Hmph! I won’t bother with that—cultivation is what matters.”

Ge Qian arched an eyebrow. “Congcong, did you not understand me? Let me make it clear: since I provide for your food and shelter, you are expected to work for it. There’s no such thing as a free meal in this world. If you refuse or do the job poorly, I’ll throw you out. Will you do it or not?”

Mei Die was startled, suddenly realizing she was no longer the princess of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, but in others’ eyes, just a wild fox. A wave of melancholy washed over her, and she nodded listlessly.

Ge Qian was quite satisfied. With this clever little white fox, he could focus on his breakthrough. According to the records of the Threefold Foundation Art, though progress was slow, breakthroughs rarely met with bottlenecks. Feeling reassured, Ge Qian picked up a beast’s fang and began to carve out a cave-dwelling near Elder Cui’s quarters.

With the strength of a thousand pounds in his arms and the pangolin’s tooth to aid him, the work was completed in half a day. The cave-dwelling consisted of a single cultivation chamber, a resting area, and a passage leading outside. For a disciple at the Qi Absorption stage, who normally had no right to open a cave-dwelling, this was a rare privilege, all thanks to Elder Cui. Ge Qian couldn’t help but marvel at the advantages of having influential support. During breakthroughs, disturbances were most dangerous—at best, one’s efforts would be wasted, at worst, it could cost one’s life. Nearly all higher-level cultivators had private cave-dwellings protected by powerful arrays. The garden’s array was so formidable that even a Foundation Condensation cultivator would struggle to break through by force.

Settled in, Ge Qian handed a bottle of fasting pills to the little white fox. “Congcong, these will last you until I emerge from seclusion. Do your work well and I’ll treat you fairly. You mustn’t touch any of the spiritual herbs in the garden. Unless it’s urgent, don’t disturb me. Once I reach the second level, I’ll begin studying alchemy and won’t neglect to provide you with demon pills for your cultivation.”

Hearing that demon pills would be available for her own cultivation, Mei Die finally heard something worth rejoicing over. She agreed readily, scratching “Agreed” into the ground with her paw.

Satisfied that nothing had been overlooked, Ge Qian entered the cave-dwelling and sat cross-legged. The chamber was pitch black, but this didn’t hinder his vision. Activating his auxiliary spell, Celestial Eye, he could see everything clearly.

He poured out the contents of Wang Meng’s storage pouch. These pouches shielded items from spiritual sense, and unless the original owner’s imprint was broken, nothing could be retrieved. Now that Wang Meng was dead, the imprint had naturally faded, and the treasure trove within was revealed.

The chamber was illuminated by a gentle green light. A pale blue pearl, the size of a chicken egg, shone brightly. Ge Qian immediately recognized it as a Night Pearl, a treasure of immeasurable value in the mortal world—rare even in the imperial palace. In the world of cultivation, however, it was but a lighting tool. He set the Night Pearl into a niche in the rock wall, brightening the chamber. Sitting down cross-legged, Ge Qian felt elated—Wang Meng was truly wealthy. There were a dozen bottles of fasting pills, a bottle of Minor Rejuvenation Pills, and half a bottle of Marrow-Cleansing Pills, showing Wang Meng’s diligence in cultivation.

There were over twenty pieces of low-grade spirit stones, each suffused with spiritual energy, making Ge Qian’s excitement soar. Killing for treasure was indeed a fast path to riches, though risky; an ill-fated attempt like Wang Meng’s could cost one’s life and shatter all dreams of immortality.

He found a jade slip containing the Fire Cloud Art, Wang Meng’s primary cultivation method. As Ge Qian already had his own, he set this aside for later disposal. Another was a record of cultivation tales, chronicling major events and extraordinary people and stories from the cultivation world—something to read in his spare time to broaden his horizons. A third jade slip detailed the crafting of spiritual talismans, arousing Ge Qian’s curiosity. Pressing it to his forehead, he scanned it with his spiritual sense. It contained detailed instructions for making talismans, from simple to advanced.

This opened an entirely new door for Ge Qian. Spiritual talismans came in countless varieties—offensive, defensive, and auxiliary. The Vajra Talisman Wang Meng had used was defensive; the Fleetfoot Talisman, when affixed to one’s legs, mimicked the Windriding Art, allowing one to travel a thousand miles in a day. It also conserved far more spiritual power than casting the Windriding Art directly. Ge Qian was determined to master the art of talisman-making.

He also found an unused Vajra Talisman, ten Fireball Talismans—potent offensive tools making him far less vulnerable in combat—over twenty Fleetfoot Talismans, several Healing Talismans, and half a bottle of cinnabar. From these, Ge Qian concluded that Wang Meng was skilled in talisman-crafting, likely trading talismans for spirit stones and buying pills for his cultivation in Five Peaks City. No wonder Wang Meng was so wealthy among Qi Absorption disciples—he had a specialized skill.

Delighted, Ge Qian carefully repacked his spoils in the storage pouch. The sect’s Qi Absorption disciples all used standard-issue pouches, so there was little risk of arousing suspicion. He tucked the pouch away, took out a bottle of Marrow-Cleansing Pills and a bottle of fasting pills, sat cross-legged, and swallowed a fasting pill. Half an hour later, he took the Marrow-Cleansing Pill and began his first true seclusion.

After a month’s sleepless practice, he finally broke through from the first to the second stage of Qi Absorption. His soul felt more substantial and robust; his dantian had expanded, and a vortex the size of a thumb slowly rotated within, devouring ambient spiritual energy and refining it into spiritual power. Forming a vortex of spiritual energy—a sign of the second stage—meant his cultivation now advanced twice as fast as before.

Ge Qian was overwhelmed with emotion. After four years, he had finally entered the second stage of Qi Absorption. Achieving this had not been easy. The vortex was the hallmark of the second stage. Years of hardship had taught him humility in both victory and defeat, and his heart remained tranquil as still water. Perhaps this had something to do with daily recitation of the Nameless Heart Sutra; ever since discovering its wonders, he had recited it with utmost care.

He exhaled a long breath, took more pills to stabilize his cultivation, and continued his practice. The period immediately after a breakthrough was the weakest; one had to consolidate to achieve the best state.

A month passed without Ge Qian emerging. Mei Die was miserable—without magic, she couldn’t regain human form. As a fox, she had to weed the garden, water the herbs, tend a few special spiritual plants, and catch insects. She was sore and exhausted, her legs cramping. Every day, she went to check outside Ge Qian’s cave, longing to barge in, but remembering her dependence on him, she lost her nerve. She vowed that once she recovered, she would make Ge Qian pay—he would care for every beast of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain alone. Suddenly, she thought of Xiao Yue and wondered how she was faring.

……

Ten thousand miles away in a mysterious cave-dwelling, Li Qing smiled faintly at a burly, fierce-looking man. “It’s been a year, junior brother. Have you made up your mind? Master has asked several times, and I’ve always replied that you’re at a critical point in your seclusion. But from the look on his face, I doubt there’ll be another chance. I know this is unfair to you, but for the sake of our people’s future, I must ask you to make this sacrifice. If we succeed and Master acquires the Nine Glazed Lanterns, you won’t go unrewarded.”

The Path of Mortal Immortality, Chapter Seventeen: Breakthrough—End of update.