Chapter 6: Reaching the Fifth Level of Qi Refining

The next morning, Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on his stone bed.

With his eyes closed and hands together, he skillfully guided his cultivation through a major cycle.

Blue and red lights gathered above his head, slowly entering through his crown, flowing through his meridians, and finally converging in his dantian.

After completing one cycle, his meridians were clear and running smoothly. He took out a bottle of pills and poured out one, a Spirit Essence Pill.

Without hesitation, Lin Tianming swallowed the pill.

A rich and sweet aroma filled his senses, making him feel refreshed and invigorated.

He immediately began refining the pill, transforming it into waves of violent spiritual power that surged into his dantian, causing it to expand at a slow but steady pace.

Lin Tianming cultivated the Fire Origin Technique, a fire attribute technique of the Profound grade, which was extremely powerful but had a relatively slow cultivation speed. It could be cultivated up to the late Golden Core stage.

In the cultivation world, techniques were classified into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow grades. Heaven-grade techniques were the best, allowing cultivation up to the Transformation stage. Earth-grade techniques followed, allowing cultivation up to the Nascent Soul stage. The lowest Yellow-grade techniques could only be cultivated up to the Foundation Establishment stage.

The Lin family, with over 800 years of history, had only five techniques: two Profound-grade and three Yellow-grade, covering the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, but lacking any special attribute techniques.

Special attribute roots like wind, ice, and thunder were extremely rare, and techniques for them were even harder to find. Even ancient cultivation families and top sects might not have them.

The Fire Origin Technique and the Spring Wood Creation Sutra were the only two Profound-grade techniques the family possessed, both cultivable to the late Golden Core stage.

The Spring Wood Creation Sutra was relatively gentle and easier to cultivate, with fewer bottlenecks, making it a common choice for family members with wood attribute roots.

In addition, the family had three Yellow-grade techniques: the Gold Gang Sutra, a powerful attack technique; the Water Origin Sword Technique, which could control up to thirty-six flying swords in a formation; and the Thick Earth Technique, which could form an earth shield with excellent defense but weaker attack, rarely chosen by family members.

Time passed unnoticed. Lin Tianming had been in seclusion for three days, refining the first Spirit Essence Pill and reaching the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

With one pill consumed and two remaining, Lin Tianming decided to take another to try breaking through to the fifth level.

He continued, swallowing another Spirit Essence Pill and beginning to refine it.

He guided the immense and violent spiritual power repeatedly to impact his dantian. After countless attempts over two days, his dantian suddenly expanded several times, allowing him to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Feeling the surge in power, Lin Tianming was ecstatic.

His dantian, previously the size of a bucket, was now like a small pond, with its capacity several times greater and his spiritual power more substantial.

Although he had just broken through, his cultivation was unstable. Instead of rushing out of seclusion, he continued for another five days to stabilize his realm.

After ten days of seclusion, Lin Tianming had made great progress, breaking through to the fifth level with two Spirit Essence Pills, leaving one remaining. The outcome was much better than expected.

His rapid progress was thanks to the previous half month of intense alchemy practice, which had consumed a lot of spiritual power and helped build a solid foundation for this breakthrough.

Though he considered consuming the last pill to further deepen his cultivation, he decided against it. Over-reliance on pills might affect his foundation, and a gradual approach was the safest.

Resolute, Lin Tianming ended his seclusion and stepped outside.

It was still early. Remembering the 200 merit points his grandfather had rewarded him, he summoned his flying sword and headed straight for the family's Merit Hall.

With his breakthrough, even his flying speed had doubled, the wind whistling past his green robe.

Passing several important family halls, he greeted many busy family members along the way before reaching the Merit Hall.

The Lin family had developed strict rules over the years, emphasizing respect for elders, love for the young, clear rewards and punishments, and a complete family system.

The family had ten departments: the Elders' Council, the Law Enforcement Hall, the Transmission Hall, the Merit Hall, the Logistics Hall, the Library, the Alchemy Hall, the Tool Refining Hall, the Talisman Crafting Hall, and the Formation Hall.

The Elders' Council consisted of the patriarch and hall leaders, deciding minor matters and seeking approval from the Foundation Establishment elders for major decisions.

The Law Enforcement Hall supervised all members, punishing those who abused power, bullied others, committed murder, or betrayed the family. Violators faced confinement, loss of cultivation, or lifelong imprisonment, ensuring strict adherence to family laws.

The Law Enforcement Hall also tracked down criminals, led family members in training, and handled external conflicts.

The Transmission Hall promoted the family's history, instilling a sense of belonging and teaching cultivation techniques to new members.

The Merit Hall managed the family's treasury and all public assets, including spiritual herb gardens and mines, overseeing resource exchange and collection.

The Logistics Hall coordinated family tasks. Members above the fifth level of Qi Refining had to complete at least one task within their abilities every three years, receiving rewards upon completion. Those under thirty could focus on cultivation, but over thirty had to contribute, regardless of their level. The family didn't support idlers.

The Library safeguarded the family's cultivation techniques and ancient texts, providing suitable techniques for new members.

The Alchemy Hall, Tool Refining Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall, and Formation Hall trained members in various arts. Members could choose any or multiple arts from the fourth level of Qi Refining based on their talents and preferences, with no compulsory requirements.

After centuries of refinement, this system had been in place for three hundred years with no major changes.

At the Merit Hall, Lin Tianming appeared before Lin Shixin.

Lin Tianming respectfully greeted, "Grandson greets Tenth Grandfather."

"Tenth Grandfather, I want to sell thirty-eight Bigu Pills."

He handed over the pills for Lin Shixin to examine.

After careful inspection, Lin Shixin said, "Thirty-eight Bigu Pills, one spiritual stone each, calculated at eighty percent, totaling thirty merit points."

Lin Tianming handed over his family token and said, "I want to exchange for the Four Symbols Furnace, plus ten sets of Bigu Pill herbs and five sets of Spirit Essence Pill herbs."

Lin Shixin quickly calculated: the Four Symbols Furnace was 150 merit points, each set of Bigu Pill herbs was three merit points, totaling thirty merit points, and each set of Spirit Essence Pill herbs was eight merit points, totaling forty merit points. In total, he needed 220 merit points.

Selling thirty-eight Bigu Pills earned him thirty merit points, just enough to balance the exchange. As his success rate and pill count increased, he would start profiting, Lin Tianming thought.

After deducting the merit points, Lin Shixin left him with ten points.

Lin Tianming collected the Four Symbols Furnace, ten sets of Bigu Pill herbs, and five sets of Spirit Essence Pill herbs before bidding farewell.