Chapter 152: Sect Master, Zhou Shentong...is Dead!
Li Jie sat cross-legged in his private meditation chamber, surrounded by arrays of spirit stones carefully arranged in concentric circles, the complex array was designed to help gather and purify what little rouqi remained in the world.
If he was going to break through to Tier 3, it would have to be here. If it was even still possible.
Li Jie adjusted his breathing, following the rhythmic patterns laid out in the Three Leaf Clover method.
Inhale for seven heartbeats, hold for three, exhale for seven.
Each cycle drew in more rouqi, refining it through his meridians before circulating it through his dantian. The process was maddeningly slow – where once this chamber could fill a Rouqin’s reserves in minutes, now it took hours to gather even this modest amount. But those days were long past.
"Focus," he muttered to himself, pushing away the familiar bitterness. Self-pity wouldn't help him break through.
The real challenge would come next. Breaking through to Tier 3 required more than just gathering energy – it demanded a fundamental transformation of one's essence. The accumulated rouqi had to be compressed until it reached a critical density, forcing a phase change that would permanently alter their spiritual foundation.
Li Jie began the compression process. The rouqi in his dantian grew heavier, more concentrated. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he maintained precise control. Too fast and the energy would disperse, too slow and it would stagnate. The margin for error was vanishingly small.
Through his spiritual sense, he could feel the energy approaching the critical threshold. Just a little more... The air in the chamber grew thick with pressure as centuries of accumulated power condensed into an infinitesimal point within his dantian.