Chapter 5 : Qi Refining Second Layer
Chapter 5: Qi Refining Second Layer!
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Within Gu Yan’s body, the inner force in the Tanzhong acupoint and the Qihai acupoint had been completely replaced by spiritual power.
He glanced at his personal panel, and the realm column had changed from Qi Refining First Layer to Qi Refining Second Layer.
What stirred his thoughts even more was that his lifespan limit had also increased—from eighty years to a full one hundred years.
“One acupoint, one layer?” Gu Yan observed the remaining seven acupoints within his body, understanding dawning upon him.
“It seems that when all nine acupoints are filled with spiritual power, it will be the moment Qi Refining Ninth Layer is achieved.”
Hopefully, the path of immortal cultivation would truly be this clear and straightforward.
The increase in realm brought not only longer lifespan, but also a preliminary ability to manipulate certain subtle energies between heaven and earth.
With a slight movement of his mind, a flame quietly flickered at his fingertip, then transformed into a sphere of water.
The flame burned silently, the water sphere flowed with clarity—both quite pleasing to the eye.
But after only a few breaths, Gu Yan noticed a small portion of spiritual power had been consumed, and he immediately dispersed both flame and water.
“Without corresponding techniques, relying solely on brute use of spiritual power consumes too much—flashy but impractical.” He felt no disappointment.
Because he knew clearly that once all nine acupoints were filled and his spiritual power surged like a vast tide, even without relying on refined techniques,
just the overwhelming superiority of spiritual power—far beyond the energy level of local martial cultivators—would be enough to handle many situations.
Moreover, he was not a pure immortal cultivator.
This body still retained the martial foundation forged since childhood, with vigorous vitality and blood.
Cultivating both immortality and martial arts—at present, it might only be a simple overlap.
But Gu Yan firmly believed that as his realm increased, the changes produced by combining the two would be far more than a simple one plus one equals two.
It was also worth mentioning that during this past month, that inner sect senior sister named Lin Wei would often find excuses to come to where Gu Yan was working while on duty in the herbal garden.
Sometimes she asked about the properties of herbs, sometimes she chatted casually about sect matters.
Within her shifting gaze, that faint, almost imperceptible goodwill—Gu Yan was no naive youth, so he naturally noticed it.
He also understood where that goodwill came from.
Though he had only just stepped into immortal cultivation, under the nourishment of spiritual energy, he had grown more handsome.
“It really is… being too good-looking comes with troubles.” Gu Yan sighed inwardly.
He knew well that at times, an overly striking appearance without matching strength often meant unnecessary trouble.
This applied equally to men and women.
Lin Wei might have feelings for him, but Gu Yan had no thoughts of romance.
To him, before possessing the strength to control his own fate, love was nothing more than an added shackle.
Having read countless web novels in his previous life, he had seen far too many conflicts arising from beauty.
An inner sect senior brother becoming jealous.
A powerful figure forcibly taking someone away.
The tropes might be old, but reality often followed them.
He did not want to one day be powerless, forced to watch someone important to him be manipulated by others.
If he did not want to experience such humiliation—
then he would have to keep fighting, endlessly.
Just thinking about it was troublesome enough.
For now, his goal was clear: use his outer sect status to cultivate steadily.
Once all nine acupoints were complete and he truly reached Qi Refining Ninth Layer, he would appropriately reveal late-stage first revolution martial cultivation and smoothly enter the inner sect.
Then, he would obtain the Second Revolution Chapter of the “Taiyi Dao Virtue Scripture” and use it to seek the opportunity to establish his foundation.
As for matters of love?
When one day his cultivation reached the heavens, able to traverse the universe freely—if he still desired such things, why would he lack companionship?
That afternoon, sunlight filtered through the clouds and fell upon the C-Grade Herbal Garden.
Gu Yan was bending over to inspect a patch of herbs when the sound of footsteps approached.
Looking up, he saw that it was Lin Wei.
Today, she was not wearing her usual black robe, but instead a flowing water-blue dress.
Her hair was lightly tied, her features even more radiant than usual.
She walked straight toward Gu Yan, completely unconcerned with the gazes of several outer sect disciples nearby.
Those disciples’ eyes were filled mostly with envy.
To be personally approached like this by a beautiful and higher-status inner sect senior sister—
in their view, it was a stroke of great fortune. Perhaps he might receive guidance.
Or even… something more imaginative.
“Junior brother, come with me for a moment, would you?”
Hearing this, several thoughts flashed through Gu Yan’s mind.
Though he could not discern what this Senior Sister Lin intended, directly refusing an invitation from an inner sect senior sister would not be appropriate in any sense.
His expression remained calm as he gave a slight nod. “Please lead the way, Senior Sister.”
Under many ambiguous gazes, Gu Yan followed Lin Wei out of the garden.
As they passed by the cold and composed inner sect senior sister Su Zhi, she lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over Lin Wei before pausing briefly on Gu Yan’s face.
“Junior Sister Lin, where are you going during duty hours?”
Lin Wei turned her head and smiled brightly at Su Zhi. “Senior Sister Su, please trouble yourself to watch over things for a moment. I have something to discuss privately with this junior brother.”
Su Zhi looked at her, then glanced at the calm-faced Gu Yan. She said nothing further, only speaking lightly:
“Go quickly and return quickly.”
“Got it.” Lin Wei responded, gesturing for Gu Yan to follow.