Translator: Cinder Translations
"Did anyone succeed in sensing the existence of spiritual qi yesterday?"
After a moment, Ji Yin disappointedly withdrew his gaze.
"It's been three days, and still not a single person has successfully sensed the presence of spiritual qi."
Seeing that no one reacted, Song Wen didn't actively reveal his own perception of the spiritual qi.
"It seems my cultivation talent is pretty good, at least stronger than these hundred or so people before me!"
Song Wen thought to himself silently.
That evening, Song Wen successfully drew the first strand of spiritual qi of heaven and earth into his body.
He sensed the bright spots in the air surging into his body. In an instant, a faint warmth appeared in his meridians, following the route of the 'Longevity Method' within his body.
Song Wen's eyes brightened. Just as he was about to redouble his efforts, an unsettling thought crossed his mind.
"What if Ji Yin can sense others' progress? If he finds out that I've successfully drawn qi into my body and deliberately conceal it, it might be disastrous for me."
With this consideration, Song Wen immediately ceased his cultivation.
As soon as he stopped cultivating, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, which had been attracted and flowing towards him, immediately lost its target and began to drift aimlessly in the air again.
The strand of spiritual qi that had just entered his body, not having been refined in time, failed to truly merge with Song Wen's own spiritual power. After losing the guidance of the 'Longevity Method', it slowly dissipated into the air.
"That was close. It looks like I'll have to pause cultivation for the next few days. I just need to put on a show in front of others."
With his mind made up, Song Wen lay down and went to sleep.
In the blink of an eye, four days passed, reaching the seventh day of cultivation.
As soon as Song Wen stepped out of his room, he heard someone loudly discussing.
A man with dark skin, slender yet strong, and somewhat taciturn, was surrounded by a group of young people with envy in their eyes.
"Er Niu, did you really manage to gather qi into your body?"
"Er Niu, please guide us and share your experience of gathering qi into the body!"
Er Niu's dark face flushed with embarrassment. Coming from a rural background and not used to social interactions, this was the first time he felt like the center of attention, which excited him but also left him unsure how to respond.
Blushing, he didn't know how to react for a moment.
"What are you all doing!"
A rough and severe voice suddenly interrupted the discussion.
Ji Yin stepped into the wing area with an angry expression on his face.
"Early in the morning, instead of cultivating properly, why are you making so much noise?"
Confronted with Ji Yin's reprimand, everyone instantly fell silent, lowering their heads in fear.
As Er Niu stood at the center of everyone, Ji Yin's gaze naturally fell upon him.
Er Niu suddenly felt apprehensive. Ji Yin's stern gaze made him extremely uncomfortable, reminiscent of being targeted by wolves and tigers while hunting back in his hometown.
Er Niu dared not move, only daring to explain in a low voice.
"Report to Master, I successfully gathered qi into my body last night, so..."
"What? You've already gathered qi into your body!"
Ji Yin's expression of rage instantly turned into delight. Stepping forward, he grasped Er Niu's wrist, carefully sensing it, and praised him repeatedly.
"Er Niu, you've done well. From today onwards, you are my personal disciple. After today's lessons, you will move into my small building, where I will personally instruct you."
Feeling Ji Yin's appreciation, Er Niu's heart surged with excitement and gratitude. He seemed to see a bright future ahead and even stumbled over his words.
"Th-thank you, Master Ji Yin."
"Why still call me 'Master'? From now on, address me as 'Master Zun'!" Ji Yin said warmly.
TL Note: The first use of the word 'Master' is like when a servant refers to his 'Master' while the second one is for 'a teacher or mentor'
After encouraging Er Niu for a while longer, Ji Yin turned to the others.
"You all should strive as well. As long as you can successfully gather qi into your body, you can also become my disciples and Er Niu's younger brothers."
"Come, Er Niu, sit beside me. Let's begin today's lecture."
Listening to Ji Yin's uninterrupted teachings ahead, Song Wen's mind was dissecting a series of recent events.
Firstly, judging from Ji Yin's ecstatic reaction upon learning of Er Niu's success in gathering qi, Ji Yin clearly didn't know which individuals possessed cultivation talent. Ji Yin's method of gathering over a hundred young people to spread his teachings seemed more like casting a wide net to strike lucky.
Secondly, Ji Yin couldn't remotely sense others' cultivation levels; physical contact was necessary.
Thirdly, Ji Yin had just declared Er Niu as his 'Personal disciple'. From the conversations and reactions of Elder Yan and Gou Hang, it was evident that this group of young people wasn't Ji Yin's first batch of disciples. Were there none among the previous groups who successfully gathered qi into their bodies? If so, where did those people go? And where did those who failed go?
Without clarifying these questions, Song Wen couldn't find peace of mind, feeling as though a sword was hanging over his head, threatening his life at any moment.
However, after confirming that Ji Yin couldn't remotely probe others' cultivation levels, Song Wen could confidently resume his cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, twenty days passed, and another young man named Zhang Cheng successfully gathered qi into his body.
This greatly excited Ji Yin. To have two out of over a hundred people show cultivation talent was a stroke of great fortune, far exceeding his expectations.
During this period, Song Wen had been quietly cultivating. The heat flow within him had grown stronger, and with each advancement in cultivation, his physical fitness, strength, and mental state had greatly improved.
In terms of physical fitness and strength, he couldn't test them conveniently, but now he could clearly feel his spirit becoming more vigorous, even feeling his mind becoming sharper and more intelligent.
He had also been observing Er Niu's progress. Er Niu's improvement was visible to the naked eye. A person of simple mind, Er Niu had no intention of hiding his cultivation and often demonstrated his strength in front of others.
Yesterday, Song Wen witnessed Er Niu lifting a stone weighing over fifty catties, eliciting admiration and envy from onlookers.
TL Note: 1 catty is equivalent to 1.32lb or 0.6kg
In his heart, Song Wen assessed that his own strength should surpass Er Niu's. That meant the force he could exert now definitely exceeded fifty catties.
Moreover, the concerns he had been harboring—that Ji Yin might do something unfavorable to those capable of cultivating—had not materialized.
In the evening, after dinner, Song Wen strolled along the courtyard walls, a daily ritual now taken for granted by others. No one paid him special attention.
However, instead of digesting his meal, Song Wen was carefully observing the layout of the courtyard, preparing for any possible escape in the future.
The courtyard's walls were over a zhang high, making direct climbing over them difficult. Guards were stationed inside and out, so the chance of escaping over the wall without being noticed was very low.
TL: A zhang is equal to 3.3 meters or about 10 feet
After nearly a month of observation, Song Wen hadn't come up empty-handed.
He found a dog hole about ten zhang away from the living rooms. The size of the dog hole was large enough for a person to crawl out. Low shrubs and plenty of tall grass grew around it, making the dog hole extremely concealed. Without his careful examination over several days, he might never have discovered it.
However, guards were posted near the dog hole. Even if he exited through the dog hole, he would still be within the territory of the Tian Sha Gang. To escape through this dog hole, he would need the right timing.