Chapter 7

Lying on the ground with his butt high up, Yi Yun, under the dim light of a 25-watt bulb, began to focus intently on the life-relying *Zixu Qi诀* (Purple Void Qi Technique):

Desiring to soar through the six realms, dispelling the fog and ascending the Purple Void. The Purple Void is about soaring through the six realms; the six realms are Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, Earth, and Mystery.

The opening seemed profound and ethereal, even though it was written in Yi Yun's "chicken-claw" handwriting, it still felt very profound. As he read on, Yi Yun was instantly petrified:

Ancient text is too tiring, damn it! Let's use plain language!

His expression froze: Could these words really appear in this ancient and elegant book?

It seems that the *Zixu Qi诀* not only displays content in the handwriting of the person whose blood it absorbs, but the content itself also adapts to the habits of the person who drops the blood:

Primordial energy is mainly divided into six types: Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, Earth, and Mystery. Cultivating Qi involves condensing these six types of primordial energy from the world, and then refining the suitable energy into one's body. As the refined energy increases, one can control the corresponding type of primordial energy, thus enhancing one's cultivation.

To put it simply: Cultivating Qi is divided into two steps. The first step is to condense the required primordial energy, which takes up nine-tenths of the cultivation time; the second step is to refine the condensed energy into one's body, which takes up one-tenth of the cultivation time.

So, most of the time spent cultivating Qi is actually spent condensing primordial energy.

Alright, now let's get to the main point:

This *Zixu Qi诀* is the most basic method of cultivating Qi. Now, drop another drop of blood to determine your innate cultivation, and then choose the most suitable primordial energy to refine.

"Another drop of blood!" Yi Yun cursed inwardly, thinking irritably: It seems that cultivation is something that anemic people can't do.

Reluctantly, he dropped another drop of blood.

The blood quickly seeped into the *Zixu Qi诀*, and a sentence appeared. Yi Yun was furious when he read it:

Idiot! Can you be faster? Everyone is so busy, if you don't want to cultivate, don't waste time!

This book actually has a temper! Yi Yun almost grabbed the book to tear it apart, but he looked at the dirty apricot-yellow Taoist robe and the heavily worm-eaten peachwood sword, and held back: It seems that to survive the three months of catching demons, this book is the only slightly reliable support.

After the blood was absorbed, a crooked sentence appeared:

Innate cultivation: Purple Rank 1, low, equivalent to a waste; physical condition never exercised, soft bones, no muscles, all meridians blocked, poor energy, listless mind, and a depressed attitude. Oh my God! What can you do with such a quality?

Seeing the last sentence, Yi Yun felt like dying: This book is too damn direct, completely disregarding whether one can take it or not.

The book paused for a moment, then a plain sentence appeared:

Just pick one, I'm kneeling for you, the only conclusion I can draw is: very good, you are suitable for all types of primordial energy. Of course, to avoid misunderstanding, I must clarify: nonsense, you are completely unsuitable for cultivating Qi.

"Damn! No need to explain it so hurtfully!" Yi Yun muttered. The book then displayed six words: Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, Earth, Mystery.

Looking at the first five, which were common elements, Yi Yun naturally chose with a gamer's mindset: Is this Mystery some hidden category? Generally, such categories are quite powerful.

His hand trembled as he reached for the Mystery character.

Before Yi Yun's finger touched it, a sentence slowly appeared below the Mystery character: Friendly reminder, with your current cultivation, you cannot choose Mystery-type primordial energy.

"You're playing with me!" Yi Yun was furious, slapping the book page: "Damn, if you can't choose it, why show it?"

The book page quickly displayed a sentence:

"Like it! What can you do? I'll just play with you! Do you still want to choose? Idiot!"

After some hesitation, he finally gave in to the thought of preserving his life, consoling himself: "Why bother with something that should be thrown into the toilet paper box?"

Looking at the remaining five characters, not knowing the difference, he decided to choose one randomly. Just as his hand was about to touch one, the black sphere beside him hit the "Wood" character.

The text on the book page quickly changed:

Done, you can start cultivating. Based on your innate cultivation and physical condition, it will probably take over ten years to advance to the next level. Idiot! See you in ten years!

Before Yi Yun could say anything, the book page dimmed, and a large section of text on how to condense and refine Wood primordial energy appeared.

Wood is characterized by its flexibility, one of the primordial energies of heaven and earth, born from Earth and cut by Metal; it is restrained by Water and consumed by Fire; it ultimately returns to Mystery.

The first step in cultivating Qi is to open and close the meridians, condensing primordial energy...

Yi Yun, reading through, was excited as he had never encountered such things before; he immediately began to cultivate.

Following the diagrams and text in the *Zixu Qi诀*, he started to condense Wood primordial energy.

This technique was quite simple, divided into two parts: condensing and refining. However, condensing Wood primordial energy was like squeezing water from a dry dough ball. Yi Yun spent a long time condensing, and only saw a tiny strand of Wood primordial energy, as thin as a hair, slowly fusing into his body.

"Damn! What a scam! At this speed, it seems that the book's estimate of ten years to advance is already being generous." Yi Yun lay back, feeling dejected, and then realized something was wrong: he noticed that his broken wooden bed had disappeared, and the dirty, slightly smelly bedding was now directly on the ground.

"Click... click..."

The black sphere was happily bouncing around in front of him. Yi Yun grabbed it, venting his frustration, and then held it up to his eyes:

"Hey, are you stuck with me?"

"Click... click..."

The black sphere confirmed, its big eyes blinking, clearly indicating yes.

"Alright, but let me tell you, I have no car, no house, and this job as a demon catcher, I don't even know if it counts as a job. I have only ten yuan and eighty cents in my bank account, and I can't even withdraw it." Yi Yun listed his situation, realizing he truly had nothing, and bitterly smiled, pinching the black sphere: "Even with this, you're still stuck with me?"

"Click... click..."

The black sphere continued to confirm, blinking its big eyes.

Yi Yun sat up, sighing: "You're a real piece of work, sticking with me, a complete waste. Well, fine, you can stick with me, approved!"

The black sphere happily bounced in Yi Yun's hand, clearly excited by his agreement.

"Even though you're just a black ball, since you've decided to stick with me, I'll give you a name." Yi Yun scratched his head, thinking: "How about Black Ball?"

"Click... click..."

The black sphere jumped, clearly dissatisfied.

"Black Sphere?"

"Click... click..."

"Then how about Black Ball?"

"Click... click..."

"You're not satisfied with this, not satisfied with that, what a hassle. Fine, I'll call you Super Invincible Pitter-Patter Black Ball! How's that?"

"Click... click..."

"Hey!" Yi Yun grabbed the protesting black sphere, frowning: "Alright, I'll call you Kaka. You keep clicking, it's annoying."

The black sphere paused, then quickly blinked its eyes, clearly accepting the name.

"Kaka." Yi Yun petted the black sphere, smiling.

The black sphere bounced in Yi Yun's hand, "clicking" in response.

"You." Yi Yun was happy for a moment, then became gloomy, thinking about catching demons, and the dangerous scenarios that came to mind, shivering: "Sigh, my life will probably be over the moment I face those things."

He pulled the slightly smelly apricot-yellow Taoist robe: "Damn, how long has it been since this was washed!"

He picked up the peachwood sword with hope.

Then, wrapping the bedsheet around himself, he imitated scenes from TV and movies, holding the peachwood sword and mumbling gibberish, thrusting the sword forward:

"By the order of Laozi, I am the demon catcher Yi Yun, demons and ghosts, come to your doom, oh yeah!"

"Crack!"

A low sound, and the heavily worm-eaten peachwood sword broke in half, the front part falling to the ground.

Yi Yun's eyes widened, and he roared: "Damn! What a scam! With this thing, I have no hope against demons!"

Kaka jumped onto Yi Yun's hand, staring at him with its big eyes.

"It's all over now." Yi Yun lay down in the dirty, smelly bedding, feeling hopeless.

"Click... click..."

Kaka was frantically calling and bouncing.

"Kaka, stop it, it's annoying, let me sleep and think." Yi Yun's first reaction to any trouble was to sleep.

"Click... click..."

Kaka, for some reason, was frantically calling and bouncing. Yi Yun, annoyed, sat up and saw Kaka bouncing on the open *Zixu Qi诀*, clearly urging him to continue cultivating.

"What's the point of cultivating? I spent so much time earlier and only condensed a tiny strand of Wood primordial energy. By the time I cultivate to a level that can save my life, I'll probably be dead thousands of times." Yi Yun was about to lie down again.

"Ahh!" He suddenly screamed as Kaka jumped onto his back and bit him, causing intense pain.

He tried to swat Kaka, but couldn't reach it, and writhed on the ground. Kaka stuck to his back like glue.

After a while, Yi Yun, in pain, had to beg for mercy:

"Alright! Alright! I'll cultivate, okay!"

Saying this, he felt Kaka's bite loosen.

Yi Yun thought: "I could sleep standing up when I was punished, I can certainly sleep while cultivating!" He sat cross-legged, and Kaka fell off his back.

Glancing at the *Zixu Qi诀*, he assumed the posture for condensing Wood primordial energy, but had no intention of condensing, preparing to adjust and fall asleep.

"Whoosh!"

A dense cluster of green threads shot at him. Looking up, he saw Kaka floating in the air, and noticed a bright green light pattern on its black body.

"Wood primordial energy!" The green threads that entered his body felt the same as the tiny strand of Wood primordial energy he had struggled to condense earlier.

Without time to think, he immediately used the *Zixu Qi诀* to refine the Wood primordial energy into his body.