Spirit Refinement Method

Qin Wentian stared at Fan Le, disbelief in his eyes. Three days of slumber?

"Astral Soul," Qin Wentian whispered to himself. In his sea of consciousness, two Astral Gates had opened successfully. Within them resided the Heavenly Hammer Astral Soul and the Great Dream Astral Soul. Beside these Astral Gates, a faint figure of the tiny Astral-Being loomed.

"Fragments of memory, there were indeed fragments of memory. My head feels like it's about to split open." Qin Wentian shook his head, trying to alleviate the pain as the new memories slowly integrated into his mind.

"Dreamcast Art, a Heavenly Dipper Realm Level cultivation technique. This technique can support my cultivation all the way to the Heavenly Dipper Realm."

"Dreamcast Art consists of three levels: Shallow Dream State, Immersed Dream State, and Forgotten Dream State.

"The Shallow Dream State has the slowest cultivation speed, but it's still several times faster than my normal absorption rate. It allows the user to enter a light sleep and cultivate in that state."

"Immersed Dream State enables deep sleep and significantly accelerates cultivation speed. Moreover, the user can create dreams, forcing others into a dream-like state."

"Forgotten Dream State. The user can shape dream-wills, where dreams become reality. They can even control life and death within the dream."

Qin Wentian immersed himself in these memories, his heart trembling. When he had condensed his first Astral Soul, he received the Tempered Thousand Hammers Refinement Technique from the tiny Astral-Being. It was perfectly suited for his Body Refinement Level at the time. Now, after condensing his second Astral Soul, the Dreamcast Art surfaced in his memories. It seemed the tiny Astral-Being was deliberately imparting memories of secret arts and techniques based on the Astral Souls he condensed.

But this time, along with the Dreamcast Art, an even more profound memory unlocked: the Spirit Refinement Method.

The Spirit Refinement Method wasn't a cultivation technique or a Secret Art to boost one's cultivation level. Instead, it was a supremely formidable method that allowed the user to condense and refine the Astral Energy within their body.

Qin Wentian delved further into the memories. The 1st level of the Spirit Refinement Method, as per his understanding, required 1st-level Divine Imprints to condense and refine the Astral Energy he absorbed, transforming it into Divine Yuan Energy.

The concept of using Divine Imprints to condense and refine Astral Energy was mind-boggling to Qin Wentian. Divine Imprints were renowned for their ability to transform ordinary weapons into Divine Weapons. For instance, inscribing a flying-sword Divine Imprint onto a weapon would imbue it with a cutting-edge aura, significantly increasing its power.

Now, consider applying this idea to Astral Energy within a human body. If it were refined and compacted by a 1st-level Divine Imprint and then unleashed, bolstered by the Divine Imprint's effects, the potential power was staggering. Moreover, if Innate Strength replaced Astral Energy and was amplified by the Divine Imprint, the resulting force would be nothing short of terrifying. Just contemplating such possibilities could make any cultivator's blood surge.

However, mastering the Spirit Refinement Method was like ascending the heavens in terms of difficulty. To fully convert the Astral Energy within one's body into Divine Energy, not only was an abundant source of Astral Qi required, but also exceptional talent in comprehending the intricacies of Divine Imprints. On top of that, this cultivation method demanded an enormous amount of time.

Stellar Martial Cultivators faced another challenge – they expended their True Yuan Energy during battles. This meant that the painstakingly refined Divine Yuan Energy would be completely depleted after a fierce battle, necessitating its re-refinement. To practice the Spirit Refinement Method, one would need vast resources and dedicate an immense amount of time.

"Hu…" Qin Wentian took a deep breath, slowly digesting the memories.

Difficult! The Spirit Refinement Method was incredibly challenging to master. While the Dreamcast Art could accelerate cultivation speed, the Spirit Refinement Method seemed to do the opposite, potentially slowing it to a crawl.

"That middle-aged man from the Qin Heavenly Divine Sect... he must have been practicing this Spirit Refinement Method." Qin Wentian recalled the image, his heart filled with reverence. But one question remained: What was the true connection between Qin Wentian and the middle-aged man?

Qin Wentian muttered to himself, his expression a mixture of curiosity and frustration. He couldn't help but think about Uncle Black, but his thoughts were interrupted by Fan Le, who waved his hands erratically in front of Qin Wentian.

"What's wrong with you?" Fatty inquired with genuine concern. Had his excessive sleep turned Qin Wentian into an imbecile?

Qin Wentian raised an eyebrow, his face breaking into a smile, causing Fatty to involuntarily shiver. Hastily, Fatty corrected himself, "Boss, I was just kidding. I meant to say that I'm worried about you."

Fatty still vividly remembered the beating he received earlier, so he quickly added, "You know, because of what happened..."

"Shall we return to the Emperor Star Academy tomorrow?" Qin Wentian interrupted Fatty's stammering.

Fatty's eyes lit up, and that familiar mischievous grin returned. The prospect of returning to the Emperor Star Academy had him eagerly anticipating the future.

Qin Wentian, now at the Arterial Circulation Realm, had no qualms dealing with Orfon, especially with his formidable Astral Souls.

Fatty's eyes glittered with a touch of malevolence. "Master."

Qin Wentian turned his attention to Francis. "What is it?"

Francis beamed with delight. "Good news, Master. The Divine Weapon Pavilion auctioned a divine weapon you forged today. It caused quite a stir in the Royal Capital. Some influential figures even tested the weapon and found that, aside from its boosting effect, it has an unexpected ability. It can store Yuan Energy and release it in a sudden burst during a fight, catching opponents off guard. Care to guess how much it sold for?"

Qin Wentian was intrigued. "How much?"

"Fifteen 2nd-layer Yuan Meteor Stones!" Francis exclaimed. "Normally, a 2nd-level low-grade Divine Weapon would cost just one Yuan Meteor Stone. But this auction created such a buzz that it drew countless onlookers, inspiring some to delve into the art of Divine Imprints and become weaponsmiths themselves."

Qin Wentian smiled, realizing that the auction had a profound impact. He also noted that once he improved his understanding of Divine Imprints, he could forge even higher-grade weapons, ensuring a steady supply of Yuan Meteor Stones for his Spirit Refinement Method.

"Master, here are the Yuan Meteor Stones," Francis said, handing over eight of them after deducting the Divine Weapon Pavilion's share.

"Keep two for yourself," Qin Wentian instructed. "I'll return here in the future to forge weapons. And you should spend time studying the Divine Imprints and avoid stagnating in your cultivation."

"Thank you, Master," Francis gratefully accepted the two Yuan Meteor Stones.

"You may go," Qin Wentian dismissed him, returning to his practice of the Dragon Subduing Fist. He aimed to comprehend the Spirit Refinement Method and the Dreamcast Art further.

Meanwhile, Fatty observed in amazement. Qin Wentian seemed to be cultivating in his sleep, with Astral Energy from the two constellations in the 5th Heavenly Layer cascading onto him. Fatty was left in disbelief, wondering if this was even possible.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

On the second morning, Qin Wentian and Fan Le bid farewell to Francis and rented two horses for their journey to Emperor Star Academy. As they approached the academy, they noticed a bustling crowd moving in the same direction.

"What's with all the commotion today?" Qin Wentian asked, genuinely curious.

"Maybe they're excited that I'm back," Fan Le quipped with a grin.

Qin Wentian rolled his eyes. He was more concerned about how to enter the academy, contact Senior Sister Luo Huan, and acquire the Emperor Star Jade Medallion. To his surprise, today the academy's gates were open to everyone, granting free entry.

"Which academy are you guys from?" A girl with braided hair approached them with a friendly smile.

"We're from Emperor Star Academy. And you?" Qin Wentian replied.

"Wow, if you're from Emperor Star Academy, you must be quite powerful," the girl said. "I'm from the Crimson Flame Academy. Today is the last day of the ranking competition, and since your academy extended an invitation to students from other martial academies, I decided to come and see the strength of Emperor Star Academy's elites for myself. I might even join the battles later."

After a brief conversation, the girl bid them farewell and departed.

Qin Wentian and Fan Le exchanged knowing grins. They joined the flow of people and soon arrived at Emperor Star Academy's training ground. There, a battle was underway, and spectators gathered to watch.

"That's Murong Feng, undoubtedly the strongest among the newcomers at Emperor Star Academy," someone in the crowd remarked. "He's on par with the ten prodigies of the Royal Capital, having condensed two Astral Souls and reached the 4th level of the Arterial Circulation Realm at just 16. His potential is monstrous."

Qin Wentian observed the battle as Murong Feng effortlessly defeated his opponent. The academy was indeed a place filled with exceptional talents.

"Chu Country's top academy," Fan Le mused. "Geniuses are as common as clouds here."

Discussions continued in the crowd as the audience marveled at the talent on display.

"The number one genius, yours truly, hasn't shown his true potential yet," Fan Le whispered to Qin Wentian. He chuckled and continued, "You don't have to worry. Your first Astral Soul came from a higher layer than the 3rd Heavenly Layer, just like mine. You probably didn't even need to absorb Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi until after you condensed your first Astral Soul and began your cultivation journey, am I right?"

Ignoring Fan Le's jests, Qin Wentian focused on a figure standing on the Arena.

"It's Orfon," Qin Wentian remarked, his eyes narrowing.

"The guy who nearly got us killed, remember?" Fan Le grinned.

"Right," Qin Wentian confirmed.

"Want to make a big move?" Fan Le's eyes gleamed mischievously.

"How?" Qin Wentian asked.

"We'll make a spectacle out of him," Fan Le proposed with a sly smile.

"Fine, let's do it." Qin Wentian locked eyes with Fan Le, both of them sporting wide grins.