Chapter 47

The Qi Refinement Technique is merely the most basic spiritual technique.

Not only the younger members of the Nie family cultivate this technique, but almost all children at the Qi Refinement stage cultivate the Qi Refinement Technique from a young age.

This is a simple and easy-to-understand spiritual technique that helps children build a foundation.

Before reaching the Later Heaven stage, the young people of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, Lingyun Sect, Ash Valley, and Mystic Mist Palace all primarily cultivate the Qi Refinement Technique.

Such a simple and common spiritual technique should not be too extraordinary.

However, when Nie Tian circulated the Qi Refinement Technique this time, he felt a warm current rapidly converge towards the Spirit Sea within his dantian.

After his previous slumber, his essence, energy, and spirit had already recovered. Upon an internal inspection, he clearly felt that his Spirit Sea... was slowly expanding!

In his soul perception, the Spirit Sea appeared as a chaotic cloud of mist.

Within that cloud of mist, pure spiritual energy swirled. When he needed it, he could draw it out from the Spirit Sea and channel it through his meridians to any part of his body, transforming it into various wondrous spiritual techniques.

The Spirit Sea is the source of power for a Qi Refinement practitioner, the reason for their strength, and the greatest difference between them and ordinary people.

For a Qi Refinement practitioner, cultivation means continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the Spirit Sea, gradually expanding the cloud-like Spirit Sea.

The Spirit Sea can be considered a container for spiritual energy.

The larger the Spirit Sea, the more spiritual energy it can hold, and the more power a Qi Refinement practitioner can utilize.

In general, only when the Spirit Sea is full of spiritual energy and cannot absorb more, can a Qi Refinement practitioner use additional spiritual energy of heaven and earth to expand the Spirit Sea, upgrading this "container" to make it larger and hold more spiritual energy.

Usually, when absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the Spirit Sea to expand it, he could not feel any changes in the Spirit Sea.

This is because the amount of spiritual energy absorbed in one cultivation session is extremely limited, and the expansion of the Spirit Sea is minimal.

Under normal circumstances, he could only slightly feel an increase in the capacity of the Spirit Sea after a month of hard cultivation.

Cultivation is measured in years, and each minor breakthrough at the Qi Refinement stage requires at least a year.

Those who are not diligent enough or lack talent often need several years to break through a minor stage.

Originally, he could only see changes in the Spirit Sea after a month of cultivation.

Now, by channeling those warm currents into the Spirit Sea, he could see the cloud-like Spirit Sea gradually extending outward.

The Spirit Sea was clearly in the process of being expanded!

Moreover, he could clearly perceive this slow expansion of the Spirit Sea, an experience he had never had before!

"The flesh of spirit beasts contains power! That power is the result of spirit beasts refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, purifying it before dispersing it into their flesh and blood."

"That power is far more concentrated and pure than the simple spiritual energy of heaven and earth!"

"The flesh of spirit beasts is a great tonic! It not only helps to temper my body but also aids in expanding my Spirit Sea, greatly accelerating my cultivation!"

He quickly realized this and used the most basic Qi Refinement Technique to incorporate the power from the spirit beast's flesh into his Spirit Sea.

After an unknown amount of time, when he no longer felt any power emanating from his abdomen, he stopped cultivating.

However, this single cultivation session expanded his Spirit Sea by one-tenth!

He was currently at the sixth level of Qi Refinement. At his normal cultivation speed in the Nie family, it would take him one and a half months to reach this level.

To break through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement, his Spirit Sea needed to double in size, capable of holding twice the amount of spiritual energy.

If he continued to cultivate in the Nie family, even with day and night hard work, it would take him at least a year and a half to reach the seventh level.

But after just a binge on spirit beast meat and one cultivation session, his Spirit Sea expanded by one-tenth, equivalent to a month and a half of hard cultivation in the Nie family!

"I came to the Azure Illusion Realm for the right reason!"

Before coming here, he had no clear direction, only viewing the Azure Illusion Realm as a test of his endurance.

He had thought that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the Azure Illusion Realm was scarce, and he would often have to fight spirit beasts, leaving his Spirit Sea in a state of constant depletion.

He had not considered using the Azure Illusion Realm to enhance his cultivation level.

It was only when he discovered that the flesh of spirit beasts could significantly speed up his cultivation that he truly found his direction and realized how much the trial in the Azure Illusion Realm would help him.

After recovering and resting, An Ying and her group set out again into the depths of the ice field, attempting to kill the Mystic Ice Python.

Unfortunately, the Mystic Ice Python seemed to have hidden itself. They searched the ice field for over ten days but could not find it.

During this time, they encountered some scattered first-level spirit beasts.

These first-level spirit beasts were all killed under their combined attacks.

The fresh and delicious meat of the spirit beasts became food for everyone, shared among them.

A single Cold Armor Rhino could weigh several hundred to a thousand pounds. With Qin Shun and Zu Fang gone, only thirteen of them remained.

These thirteen people could eat at most a hundred pounds of meat in one meal.

They could not carry a hundred pounds of meat each while searching for the Mystic Ice Python under heavy loads.

Moreover, they could kill new spirit beasts at regular intervals.

This allowed Nie Tian to consume a terrifying amount of meat every day.

Realizing that spirit beast meat could aid his cultivation and enhance his level, Nie Tian's appetite exploded.

Every day, the amount of spirit beast meat he consumed was enough to match the total consumption of the other twelve people!

These days, what he did every day was to finish off the spirit beast meat that the others couldn't eat.

What he couldn't finish, he carried as much as possible, to continue binging when they didn't encounter new spirit beasts.

An Ying and the others were lazy about carrying large amounts of spirit beast meat, as they might capture more in the next battle.

Of course, if their luck was really bad and they didn't encounter any spirit beasts for a day or two, they would need food.

Thus, Nie Tian naturally became the person who carried the spirit beast meat for everyone.

At this time, Nie Tian's astonishing carrying capacity gradually became known to everyone.

Carrying several hundred pounds of spirit beast meat, Nie Tian followed them without showing any signs of strain, still moving swiftly.

Those who didn't know the reason were quite satisfied with Nie Tian's "diligence and willingness to endure hardship," thinking it was quite good to have someone help with logistics, carrying enough food for everyone for several days.

Even Tong Hao and others, who had been dissatisfied with Nie Tian, no longer glared at him when they felt hungry after not encountering spirit beasts for a few days and saw the mountain of spirit beast meat on his back.

"Too awesome!"

"This trip to the Azure Illusion Realm might be the happiest experience of my life!"

"Today! The Spirit Sea expanded by another one-tenth. In total, the expansion of the Spirit Sea has increased by ninety percent since I entered!"

"Just two more days! As long as I have two more days, I can break through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement!"

Every day, Nie Tian was immersed in immense joy, secretly delighted.

Every day, he could clearly feel his own progress!

Carrying several hundred pounds of spirit beast meat, this astonishing load was itself a form of tempering his physical body.

He knew that, with his physique, bearing such a load was just right for cultivation.

While carrying several hundred pounds to temper his body, he also used the constant consumption of spirit beast meat to expand his Spirit Sea, which also strengthened his body, making these days enjoyable.

—He even wanted to stay in this state forever.

What did it matter to him about the Mystic Ice Python, the Earth Lizard, the trial in the Azure Illusion Realm, or the rewards from the outside world?

Because he felt himself getting stronger all the time!

One day, while An Ying and the others were resting around a campfire and chatting, Nie Tian, who was sitting ten meters away and circulating the Qi Refinement Technique, suddenly trembled. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with joy.

"Seventh level of Qi Refinement!"

...