Li Shun had long been trying to uncover the peculiar nature of that strand of purple-azure qi. Yet over the past half year, he had found nothing.
Only today, after truly stepping into cultivation and coming into contact with Life Qi, Primordial Qi, and Principle Qi, did realization finally dawn upon him.
“With the augntation of that strand of purple-azure qi, the ‘quality’ of my Life Qi is nearly twice that of an ordinary person.”
A thought stirred in Li Shun’s mind as he mobilized his Life Qi once more, forming the [Strength] Character Art.
The character shattered apart, transforming into streams of golden light that enveloped his entire body.
On the surface, his physique showed no visible change. Yet when Li Shun lightly clenched his fist, he could clearly feel the surging power coursing through him.
He stepped into the courtyard, arriving beside the stone table and stools. His right hand curved like iron hooks, gripping the edge of a stone stool. With a slight exertion of his arm, he lifted it effortlessly into the air.
“This stone stool weighs at least three hundred jin, yet now I can handle it as if it were a toy.”
“With the enhancent of the Strength Character Art, I possess nearly a thousand jin of force. That should only be achievable at the upper tier of the Mortal Physique realm.”
“Does the augntation of purple-azure Life Qi raise one’s strength by an entire minor realm? I wonder if this level of enhancent will persist beyond the Mortal Physique realm.”
Li Shun placed the stool back in its original position and withdrew the Strength Character Art.
“The enhancent of Life Qi does not an burning it. It simply uses the higher-grade nature of Life Qi to stimulate and accelerate the circulation of Principle Qi within the body. If I were to directly consu the purple-azure Life Qi, the result would likely be far greater than just a single minor realm increase.”
“Perhaps I can take advantage of this second self-reflection to test it.”
The commotion caused by Li Shun’s cultivation, drawing in the surrounding Primordial Qi with roaring force, naturally caught Li Qing’s attention.
However, knowing that Li Shun had just been accepted as a disciple by Fang Xun and was beginning his cultivation, he did not dare disturb him.
Now that the disturbance had subsided, Li Qing knocked and entered.
“Brother, how did your first day of cultivation cause such a huge disturbance? It’s a good thing our house is relatively remote in town, otherwise the authorities might have noticed,” Li Qing said, puzzled.
When he took a closer look at Li Shun, he was even more shocked.
“Brother… you’ve already reached the mid-stage of the Mortal Physique realm? You entered cultivation and broke through on the sa day?” His eyes were filled with disbelief as he quickly turned around and shut the courtyard gate tightly.
Li Shun nodded slightly, his expression calm as he explained,
“I didn’t expect my progress to be this fast either. Perhaps it’s a case of long accumulation finally bearing fruit. During my decades in Lengshan County, aside from labor, I often bought classical texts of the sages to read. Combined with surviving the calamity of Lengshan alongside my master, he likely decided to take in as a disciple because of that.”
“I see.” Li Qing nodded. “I thought that Fang Xun had discovered sothing and harbored ill intentions.”
“That’s not the case. With his level of cultivation, he cannot yet discern how much lifespan I’ve borrowed. But if officials from the Censorate arrive in the future, that may be another matter. That’s why Lao Wei’s thod of concealing the true amount of borrowed lifespan is so important,” Li Shun said, offering an explanation on Fang Xun’s behalf.
“It’s a good thing you’ve joined Dong Chunqiu’s lineage. After all, he is one of the Three Excellencies of the current court, holding imnse authority. You can now be considered half a disciple of his line. With that identity, you won’t run into trouble in Dongshan Town.”
“Oh, right. I’m not far from reaching the peak of the mid-stage of the Mortal Physique realm. I can faintly sense that the key to breaking through the Earth Gate lies sowhere in Dongshan Town and is connected to a certain person. But it’s not you Little Tuanzi, nor is it Lao Wei. I’ve been away from ho for decades and only recently returned. Aside from the two of you, I don’t seem to know anyone else here. How could this be?”
“Earth Gate?” Li Qing froze for a mont upon hearing this.
Li Shun’s cultivation speed was simply beyond belief.
However, cultivation in the Mortal Physique Realm was never particularly difficult. It could still be explained as a matter of steady accumulation leading to a breakthrough.
After pondering carefully for a mont, he frowned slightly. “The three barriers to breaking through… the Human Gate is a questioning of one’s own heart, the Heaven Gate is the confrontation with the vague and intangible fate of heaven.”
“As for the Earth Gate, it involves the karmic ties of the mortal world.”
“But here in Dongshan Town, who could possibly have any karmic entanglent with you?”
Even Li Qing was deeply puzzled.
Seeing that Li Qing could not find an answer either, Li Shun waved his hand. “Forget it if we can’t figure it out. I’ll take a walk around town and see if I can discover anything.”
Li Qing nodded and reminded him, “That works. If you find any clues to breaking through, don’t push yourself too hard. If anything happens, inform imdiately.”
Li Shun nodded, then stepped out of his courtyard and began strolling through the streets of Dongshan Town.
“From my perception, the person entangled with in karma is indeed sowhere near Dongshan Town.”
“To break through the Earth Gate, I must resolve this karmic connection.”
“Could it be… him?”
Jiang Chongguang’s figure suddenly surfaced in Li Shun’s mind.
He had spent nearly his entire life in Lengshan County. All worldly ties had been buried along with that great calamity.
As for Fang Xun, he had already been taken in as a Fangcun puppet. There was no longer any karmic connection to speak of.
Aside from Jiang Chongguang, Li Shun could hardly think of anyone else.
“Could it be that this kid has already quietly infiltrated Dongshan Town?” Li Shun was startled.
“Logically speaking, Jiang Chongguang should harbor greater hatred toward Fang Xun. I was rely the one who reported him and earned secondary rit. It shouldn’t escalate into a karmic tie strong enough to affect a breakthrough.”
“But… it’s better to be cautious.”
After a brief mont of contemplation, he made his decision.
On the other side, through Fang Xun, he imdiately ordered the constables to begin a full-scale search and lockdown of the entire town.
Li Shun quickly circled the entirety of Dongshan Town, attempting to use the resonance of the Earth Gate to pinpoint the other party’s location.
However, perhaps the ti had not yet co, as he found nothing. Only then did Li Shun slowly return ho. His consciousness entered the Fangcun space, and in that instant, he sensed sothing unusual.
At first, he could not quite grasp it. But after carefully examining the feeling, Li Shun finally realized what it was.
“The various influences brought about by cultivating the Spring and Autumn Brush lineage in my external body… seem to have been blocked by the Fangcun space?”
Cultivating the thods of the Hundred Schools inevitably ant being influenced by their respective philosophies.
This was because the entire process of cultivation was perated with the function of “Principle.” Whether it was absorbing qi and transforming it into principle, the circulation of principle and qi, or even breakthroughs, all relied on the tempering of thought.
“When a person cultivates the Hundred Schools, it may also be that the Hundred Schools are shaping the person.”
“Once one reaches the Spirit Resonance Realm, the use of divine abilities and techniques will manifest corresponding phantasmal projections from each school. Confucian robes, Daoist immortal garnts, and so on.”
Li Shun could not help but recall the phantom figure that had appeared on his body when he activated Threefold Self-Reflection.
“The higher the realm, the harder it becos to escape their influence.”
“It is no longer rely a thod to grow stronger, but a conviction born from the depths of one’s heart, even to the point of regarding it as a path worth defending with one’s life.”
“But I…”
Within the Fangcun space, Li Shun reflected on every line of the Subtle Words of the Spring and Autumn.
He no longer felt the instinctive sense of absolute conviction that would arise during cultivation in the outside world. To him, it now seed like nothing more than an ordinary text, rather than an unquestionable truth applicable to all under heaven.
He could even abandon it at any ti and cultivate anew.
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