Qi Creation

After successfully defeating the three dungeon guards, Lu Xian wasted no time. With quick but careful steps, he walked down the dark corridor that led him out of the prison. The throbbing in his chest had not subsided, but the determination in his heart was far stronger than his fear.

His destination tonight was only one—the sect library.

The Qinlin Sect Library was a large building with a high arched roof, surrounded by stone lanterns that were now extinguished because it was already late at night. But when Lu Xian arrived at the front yard, his steps stopped immediately.

The library door... was open.

"What...?" Lu Xian muttered softly. "Is there anyone inside? Why is he reading a book at this time of night? Could it be that... the sect supervisor forgot to close the door?"

He hesitated for a few seconds, but his curiosity was greater than his suspicion. Slowly, he stepped inside.

The library room was filled with the scent of old wood and ancient ink. The bookshelves towered high, neatly arranged and filled with scrolls of techniques, theoretical books, and secret notes. Lu Xian looked around, amazed—and at the same time confused for direction.

But when he was about to turn into the inner hallway, the sound of footsteps could be heard faintly. He instinctively hid behind one of the large shelves.

Carefully, he peeked towards the source of the sound.

His eyes widened.

"Qin Chang'er...?!" he whispered in a choked voice.

The figure he saw sitting at the reading table was none other than the sect's beloved daughter, Qin Chang'er. Her long hair was neatly tied up, her cultivation robe reflected the dim light of the library lantern. In her hand was opened a complicated-looking pill concoction scroll.

But as if realizing Lu Xian's presence, Qin Chang'er slowly turned her head towards his hiding place.

"Come out and show yourself." she said casually, without looking surprised. "Don't hide like a loser. I know you are Lu Xian."

Lu Xian had no choice but to come out of hiding.

"Qin Chang'er... What are you doing here at night?" he asked awkwardly.

"I'm looking for information on sixth-grade pill concoction." She answered calmly. "And you? Why are you here at night too? Don't the guards know where you are?"

Lu Xian lowered his head for a moment before answering, "I'm looking for a book on how to open meridians, and also… how much spiritual energy is needed to advance to Qi Creation level 2."

Qin Chang'er closed the scroll in front of her, looking at Lu Xian with appraising eyes. "That's easy. I can help you cultivate… but I want to know first, what cultivation path do you follow?"

"I follow the path of sword cultivation." Lu Xian replied.

Qin Chang'er nodded slowly. "How about you combine dual methods? Use both sword and magic. That will help balance the flow of Qi in your body. If you only rely on the sword, you will have difficulty fighting opponents who attack from a distance."

She paused for a moment, then asked. "Oh yeah, what spiritual roots do you have?"

"I have three spiritual roots—earth, wind, and wood," Lu Xian answered honestly.

Qin Chang'er was a little surprised. "Your spiritual root is of the life element… that's pretty good. It's not too rare, but it's easy to condense into Qi. And, in theory, it can even be used to form a new soul in reincarnation."

Lu Xian then bowed respectfully. "I beg senior to guide your junior in cultivation."

Qin Chang'er smiled faintly, then took out a jade slip from her robe pocket. She handed it to Lu Xian. "Don't worry. Next night, I will help you improve your cultivation. But for tonight, read and understand this. In the jade slip, I have written the method to open the eight meridians and twelve main meridians."

With a beaming face, Lu Xian accepted the jade slip. "Thank you, senior! But I must return to the prison immediately before the guards wake up."

Qin Chang'er simply nodded. "Hurry up and go. And don't get caught."

Lu Xian immediately ran out of the library, walking along the path with light steps. Arriving at the underground prison, he relocked the door, returned the key to its original place, and sat cross-legged in his cell.

He took a deep breath, then opened the jade slip.

"Alright. It says here, the Meridian will open when the Qi energy reaches the capacity required by the Meridian. The required Qi capacity is… one-third of the spiritual energy in the body."

Calmly, Lu Xian began to absorb and circulate the Qi energy into his body.

The air in the prison changed. A soft blue light began to radiate from his body, filling the small room with a moonlight-like glow.

"…Finally… I have successfully advanced to the Qi Creation realm level 2."