The Elemental Peak Master reappeared on her throne, her multicolored aura shimmering faintly as she glanced at Yu Xuan.
"Alright, you may go now, but the next time I see you, you should already be a proper cultivator."
Yu Xuan bowed deeply. "I will take my leave, Master."
With that, he turned and departed.
The Elemental Peak Master remained seated, gazing for a moment at the spot where Yu Xuan had vanished.
Then she relaxed into her throne once more... returning to the ancient art of doing absolutely nothing.
After about an hour of climbing down the mountain, Yu Xuan finally arrived near his residence. The moment his foot touched the path, he smacked his forehead lightly.
He had forgotten where to go.
After another twenty minutes of walking and retracing his path, he arrived beneath the multicolored tree he had chosen — the one he’d officially designated as his cultivation spot.
All around him was not just greenery — but vibrant, multicolored-nery, as if nature itself had splashed paint across the landscape.
Birds chirped lightly in the distance, and the wind carried the faint scent of spiritual energy and grass. Yes spiritual energy too, had a scent.
Yu Xuan gave himself a mental thumbs-up.
This... this was the true spirit of cultivation. Serenity, beauty, and harmony with nature.
He felt like he’d unlocked some ancient sage’s secret.
"Old sages cultivated under trees," he muttered. "People who lock themselves up in rooms and caves and call it ’cultivation’... they missed the point."
Fortunately, he had this place to himself. No distractions. No one to interrupt him.
He was grateful for that, because if someone disturbed him mid-session and caused a qi deviation, that would be tragic.
With a satisfied breath, Yu Xuan sat down cross-legged, back straight, and exhaled slowly.
With a satisfied breath, Yu Xuan sat down cross-legged, back straight, and exhaled slowly.
"Today... I really begin."
The wind around him stilled, as though Heaven itself paused to listen.
He recalled the words of his master: "Your body has already begun to absorb qi passively."
Adjusting his posture into the Tortoise Lotus Form — an ancient stance used to stabilize the lower dantian and spine, he began his breathing method: Primordial Breath Technique.
Inhale — long, deep, and slow — until form became formless.
The air felt dense, almost liquid, descending not just into his lungs but deep toward the Qihai Gate beneath his navel.
Exhale — equally slow, releasing warmth like a tide returning to the ocean.
Heartbeat, breath, and will — all must align.
With each breath, the world grew more distant.
The chirping of birds softened.
The voice of leaves faded.
Instead, he felt — the pulse in the earth, the hum in nearby stones, the breath of qi in the wind.
Life energy — ancient, vast, and slumbering.
A soft tingle ran down his arms. It began at his soles — the Yongquan Gate, the entryway of Earth Qi and then rose subtly, entering his body.
Like fine needles brushing skin, threads of energy entered his flesh.
His entire skin shimmered, not with light, but with presence.
He didn’t speak. He simply thought:
No longer just air in his lungs — this was qi, entering his meridians.
He focused inward and visualized his Lower Dantian — a dark, empty sea below his navel.
Like an unborn Universe. A flickering current of qi was beginning to pool there.
The Huiyin Gate, located at the perineum, stabilized this flow.
The Weilu Gate at the base of his spine opened gently, allowing qi to rise upward.
Along his navel, the Shenque Gate hummed — qi digestion had begun.
But raw qi was unstable. To cultivate it was to circulate it — to transform chaos into order.
The Small Heavenly Cycle was the path to that order.
He recalled the meridian diagram the updated one given by his system into his mind: two major vessels forming an eternal circuit.
Ren Mai (Conception Vessel): rising from the perineum along the front of the body, ending at the lips.
Du Mai (Governor Vessel): traveling from the base of the spine up the back, over the crown, and ending at the upper palate.
These two vessels formed the first circuit of every human cultivator.
But to activate them fully, different Gates of Qi Condensation must open. Like the ones he did.
Qihai Gate flared next — a swirling pool at his lower abdomen igniting like a furnace.
He moved his breath upward to Zhongwan Gate, receiving energy from food, then split it across Zuoqi Gate (yin energy on the left side of the body) and Youqi Gate (yang on the right), achieving balance.
At his chest, the Tanzhong Gate pulsed — breathing and heart aligned, energy circulating properly.
Higher still, his focus reached the Mingmen Gate at his back, the life-spark behind the navel, glowing like an ember.
Heat filled his limbs. The Xiawan Gate, the qi-sink, grounded it in the abdomen.
At last, the final key: The Gate of Breath — at the base of his throat. With one unified breath, qi rushed forward and —
The sound wasn’t heard — it was felt. A resonance in his bones. The Small Heavenly Cycle was complete.
The First Circuit was done.
[System Notification]
[Qi Condensation – Sub-Stage 1: Qi Gathering reached]
[Gates – 1st Realm Pathway: 12/12 Gates Stabilized]
[Primary Meridians(organs) Awakened: Lung, Kidney, Large Intestine, Bladder]
[Extraordinary Vessels: Ren Mai, Du Mai — FLOWING]
[Minor Spiritual Sense Detected... Initial Sensory Field Expanded]
Around him, the air shimmered. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩
Mist recoiled, as if the world itself bowed in acknowledgment. Petals on nearby spirit flowers curled gently inward.
The wind stopped — not from absence, but reverence.
Inside, his blood flowed differently. His bones hummed faintly. His breath no longer merely sustained life, it carried energy.
His vessels — those channels within his flesh, were no longer dormant.
They pulsed softly, alive and awake. He could now sense the qi moving through his body like wind whistling through flute-holes.
He exhaled slowly. The sky above was gold with dawnlight.
The first true step... had been taken.
And far away, in hidden parts of the sect, unknown eyes opened — one by one.
[A/N: This was the hardest part of the novel till time. I never thought It would require more than a day, research too, this is not the perfect cultivation system, I know that but this is the best I could do, this novel is a world on its own, and hardcore cultivation fans if you find mistakes forgive me. And if there’s something new don’t be surprised. Bless this author with gifts!!! Soon I will update or create a new Auxiliary Chapter for these info.]