Chapter 3: Continuous Cultivation Improvement

Lei Jun silently gathered his energy, and the five qi seas in his body vibrated simultaneously.

The purple-golden ginseng shadow swayed accordingly.

A large amount of spiritual energy was continuously refined and absorbed by Lei Jun, transforming into true qi in his qi seas.

The small bottleneck he previously faced was easily broken through this time, much faster than expected.

A sixth qi sea was newly formed!

Lei Jun opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

His cultivation realm had improved, advancing from the fifth level of the Qi Refinement stage to the sixth level.

As far as Lei Jun knew, the cultivation world was conventionally divided into nine major realms, also known as the Nine Heavens.

Depending on the cultivation methods of different sects, the specific characteristics of each realm might vary, but they were generally divided into the Nine Heavens.

For example, the Daoist Pill Sect typically refers to the Nine Heavens from low to high as Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Cauldron, Golden Core, Cultivation, Dao Fetus, Yuan婴, Infant Transformation, and Great Enlightenment.

The Celestial Master's Mansion, where Lei Jun is located, is the ancestral temple of the Daoist Talisman Sect. The Nine Heavens from low to high are Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Altar, Primordial Talisman, Dao Palace, Dao Seal, Heaven Connection, Divine Altar, and Great Enlightenment.

Some of these major realms are further divided into smaller realms, with varying numbers.

For example, the first heaven of the Qi Refinement stage is divided into twelve smaller realms, known as the Twelve Levels.

The second heaven of the Foundation Establishment stage is divided into four smaller realms, known as the Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, and Perfect stages.

And so on, with many variations.

The Celestial Master's Mansion, being the ancestral temple of the Daoist Talisman Sect, has unique aspects even in its most basic cultivation methods.

Although Lei Jun had only recently joined and practiced for a short time, he had already reached the fifth level of the Qi Refinement stage.

However, recently, he felt that his cultivation improvement speed was gradually slowing down.

On one hand, the higher the cultivation realm, the greater the difficulty, and the more time it often takes.

On the other hand, the various spiritual resources he used for cultivation were relatively limited.

Although the Celestial Master's Mansion is a large and prosperous institution, resources are only abundantly supplied to Daoist novices who participate in the ordination ceremony and become official disciples.

Fortunately, the purple-golden ginseng provided Lei Jun with a special advantage.

"But this is just a single resource. Once I participate in the ordination and become a formal disciple, the treatment in terms of cultivation methods, resources, and companions will be comprehensively improved."

Lei Jun slowly concluded his practice: "I still need to strive to participate in the ordination as soon as possible, leave the Daoist Novice Academy, and head to the main mansion on the mountain."

The purple-golden ginseng shadow in his dantian decomposed into threads of golden light, dispersing into his limbs and bones.

However, it can be reformed whenever needed, but it remains hidden most of the time.

A good omen, a fifth-grade opportunity... Lei Jun nodded slowly.

I wonder what the sixth-grade opportunity is for the middle-grade ginseng platform?

The next day, he attended the morning practice as usual.

After the morning practice, Lei Jun and the other novices who escaped the disaster were allowed to visit their injured fellow disciples.

"Junior Brother Lei, you didn't go to Elder Du's cave to participate in the selection, and thus avoided a disaster!" a novice sighed repeatedly.

After a night, various rumors began to spread in the Daoist Novice Academy:

"By the way, I heard that the spiritual vein of the ginseng platform also suddenly revived yesterday!"

"Is it related to Elder Du's altar?"

"If there's a way to revive the ginseng platform, why wasn't it implemented earlier?"

"Maybe it was a lucky coincidence..."

A fellow novice nudged Lei Jun: "Senior Brother Lei, did you hear? Not only did the ginseng platform's spiritual vein revive, but a pure golden ginseng also sprouted!"

"Pure golden ginseng?"

Lei Jun turned to look.

"Right!"

The novice nodded vigorously: "I heard that due to the long-dormant spiritual vein regaining vitality, the spiritual energy reversed, and thus a pure golden ginseng sprouted immediately upon the revival of the spiritual vein. Whether it will happen again in the future is uncertain.

According to the elders, before the ginseng platform was damaged, a purple-golden ginseng, which is even higher in grade than pure golden ginseng, once sprouted!

However, the revival of the ginseng platform is already a great event, and the sprouting of a pure golden ginseng is a double joy. We shouldn't ask for too much."

Lei Jun: "...That makes sense."

"I heard this too, but I also heard something else." Another novice suddenly said: "The newly sprouted pure golden ginseng was picked by a senior brother from our Daoist Novice Academy!"

The crowd was shocked: "Is that true?"

The novice gestured with his hands: "Yes! A senior brother from the Eighth Division, I remember his name is... Chen Yi, yes, Chen Yi!"

Rumors spread, and the novice Chen Yi from the Eighth Division of the Daoist Novice Academy didn't go to Elder Du's cave that day.

When the spiritual vein revived, Chen Yi happened to be near the ginseng platform, and he got the first prize, picking the newly sprouted pure golden ginseng.

Zhang Senior Brother, who survived but was severely injured, was both envious and jealous:

"There's no justice in the world! We were injured by the explosion of the altar, while he got a huge benefit!"

Lei Jun: "...That's true."

Someone said with a sour tone: "How can such a spiritual item be picked privately? Won't the mansion take it?"

The opposite novice shrugged: "I heard that the mansion announced that the revival of the ginseng platform and the sprouting of the golden ginseng are unexpected blessings from heaven, so whoever encountered it is considered lucky, and they won't be held accountable. Furthermore... it seems Chen Yi ate the pure golden ginseng on the spot!"

The crowd: "This kid is really lucky!"

Lei Jun cleared his throat: "It's getting late. Senior Brother Zhang and the others are injured and need to rest."

"Senior Brother Lei is right." The crowd gradually dispersed.

Lei Jun left the infirmary, walking on the road, deep in thought.

Elder Du's revival of the long-damaged ginseng platform must have been an unexpected event, right?

That Chen Yi kid, did he just happen to be there at the right time?

But if he knew about Elder Du's plan in advance, he would have gone to Elder Du's cave to look for the purple-golden ginseng shadow, not to the ginseng platform.

In terms of quality, the purple-golden ginseng is higher than the pure golden ginseng.

Regardless of the fortune of the draw, the difference between a fifth-grade opportunity and a sixth-grade opportunity lies here.

The revival of the ginseng platform could have formed a top-quality purple-golden ginseng.

But it was a mixed blessing, with both advantages and disadvantages.

Affected by the green lightning, although the ginseng platform revived, the essence of the purple-golden ginseng was just forming when it was shattered by the lightning.

Thus, only a lower-grade pure golden ginseng sprouted at the ginseng platform.

The essence of the purple-golden ginseng transformed into a shadow, entangled with the lightning, and flew to the periphery, landing near Elder Du's cave.

Initially, the green lightning and the ginseng essence entangled each other, canceling out their effects.

The green lightning masked the spiritual energy of the ginseng essence.

The ginseng essence neutralized the violence of the lightning.

As the green lightning gradually dissipated, the essence of the purple-golden ginseng was about to reappear before being perceived by others, and Lei Jun just happened to pick it up.

Lei Jun shook his head, gathered his thoughts, and diligently completed the Daoist Novice Academy's assignments as usual.

In the evening, he returned to his small courtyard and practiced according to his own pace, without rushing.

The essence of the purple-golden ginseng continuously transformed into spiritual energy, nourishing Lei Jun's flesh and blood and boosting his progress.

Thus, some time passed.

True qi roared in Lei Jun's body like a long river, quickly opening the seventh qi sea.

The seventh level of the Qi Refinement stage was also achieved!

"Hmm, not bad, not bad."

The next morning, the instructor looked at Lei Jun and nodded in satisfaction: "Your progress is faster than I expected."

Previously, he had felt regret.

This young man named Lei Jun had a good will and some insight, but unfortunately, his innate talent was average.

Not that he was particularly bad, but he was just an ordinary person.

But this is the Celestial Master's Mansion, the ancestral temple of the Daoist Talisman Sect, where geniuses and prodigies abound.

The instructor himself is a genuine disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

What other sects would consider top-tier talent is not uncommon here.

Unfortunately, Lei Jun started his cultivation late.

Many novices in the Daoist Novice Academy have been there for several years and are only fourteen or fifteen years old.

Lei Jun was already eighteen when he joined.

However, the instructor now felt that he had misjudged Lei Jun.

Lei Jun: "I started my cultivation late, and I was already quite old when I began. I can only work harder and not slack off in the slightest."

The instructor was satisfied: "If you focus on your cultivation, although you won't be able to participate in the ordination ceremony next year, you still have a chance in the one four years from now."

In this world, the ordination ceremony for Daoist novices to become official disciples in the Celestial Master's Mansion is held every three years.

To participate in the ordination, one of the basic requirements is to reach the perfected stage of the first heaven, which is the twelfth level of the Qi Refinement stage.

The cultivation methods practiced by the novices only cover the foundational stages of the Qi Refinement stage.

Only by participating in the ordination and becoming a formal disciple can one receive the true transmission and aspire to the second heaven, the Foundation Establishment stage.