My Profession Can Be Infinitely Upgraded

Chapter 11: Chapter 7: Cultivating the Innate Qi Sword

The One Qi Sword Technique was a classic example of a Cultivation Technique that was easy to start but difficult to master.

By cultivating a single breath of Primordial Qi and then transforming it into a sword, one could directly enter the Second Realm, the Familiar Realm. But precisely because the barrier to entry was so low, the Sword Technique was mediocre in its early stages, with almost nothing remarkable about it.

Its true power would only begin to manifest from the Third Realm of Mastery—smelting and unifying all the Primordial Qi from one’s Five Viscera to forge a breath of Innate Primordial Qi.

But this particular step was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

’But this is exactly what I want. To officially become a Qi Cultivator, I only need to complete my cultivation through the first two realms.’

This Cultivation Technique was perfect for Jiang Xuan’s current situation. But after a glance, he shook his head with regret and handed the booklet back to Dong Hao.

Dong Hao didn’t seem too surprised by this. As if he had expected it, he chuckled lightly and said, "Brother Jiang, are you hesitant to take this Cultivation Technique because you’re short on funds?"

"Yes."

Seeing Jiang Xuan nod, the smile on Dong Hao’s face widened.

"If that’s the case, you needn’t worry, Brother Jiang. As I’ve said before, I enjoy making friends, especially with people of genuine talent. I can give this Sword Technique to you as a gift, just a small token between friends."

His proposal made Jiang Xuan give him a second look.

It was often said that third-rate merchants chase profit, second-rate merchants build a reputation, and first-rate merchants invest in people.

Dong Hao’s perspective and foresight had clearly transcended the level of haggling over every last coin; he cared little for short-term gains or losses.

In the end, however, Jiang Xuan did not accept his gift.

In this world, debts of gratitude were the hardest to repay. This was especially true in a world where Cultivation was as much about cultivating one’s true self as it was about power. The heart could not be deceived, and Jiang Xuan was unwilling to be too deeply indebted to anyone.

Of course, he also knew that this Sword Technique would be of great use to him—he was still hoping to enter the Chengdao Class and earn an "Excellent" Evaluation.

Under these circumstances, having a head start was crucial.

Therefore, Jiang Xuan wasn’t prepared to reject the Cultivation Technique outright. His final decision was to borrow it.

"This is far too valuable. Please don’t mention it being a gift again. Let’s just say I’m borrowing it from you. I will be sure to repay you in the future."

Seeing Jiang Xuan’s firm stance, Dong Hao finally nodded in agreement, though he insisted on waiving all interest.

"Brother Jiang, I truly consider you a friend. By being so calculating, are you trying to distance yourself and draw a line between us?"

"Er..."

Having rendered Jiang Xuan speechless, Dong Hao left him the single-use Jade Slip for the One Qi Sword Technique and departed.

However, his arrival and the gift of the Sword Technique left everyone around Jiang Xuan completely stunned.

"No way! So putting on a show and cultivating with the airs of a Noble Family’s Descendant actually works?"

The ordinary students who had thought Jiang Xuan was just being pretentious never imagined that he would actually attract a Noble Family’s Descendant to befriend him and even gain some benefits from it.

This, in turn, made the eyes of a few "quick-witted" individuals light up. They immediately began to copy him, mimicking Jiang Xuan’s earlier display of extravagance.

"..."

This scene left Jiang Xuan speechless.

However, since it had nothing to do with him, he soon shook his head and put the whole farce out of his mind.

Afterward, he didn’t rush to study the Jade Slip and begin his Cultivation. Instead, he first took out the rice balls he had brought with him and began to eat slowly.

Refining Spiritual Qi consumed not only Heart Power, but physical energy as well.

The Cultivation Realm had a saying: "Refining Essence and Qi." The Shenxiao Mountain Gate, where Jiang Xuan studied, had abundant Spiritual Qi, so one didn’t have to rely solely on consuming their own Essence Blood to produce Magical Power.

But to convert the Unowned Spiritual Qi of the world into one’s own freely controllable Lifebound Magical Power, one still had to infuse it with their own qi and blood, branding it with their unique personal mark.

After a full morning of cultivation, Jiang Xuan was absolutely famished.

In this state, eating mortal food was not a good idea. It contained too many impurities that, while capable of filling one’s stomach, would contaminate the qi meridians and make subsequent cultivation twice as difficult for half the reward.

A cultivator’s diet needed to consist primarily of Spiritual Food. This was precisely why "Wealth" was the first of the four great pillars of cultivation: Wealth, Companions, Magic, and Land.

Without enough Spirit Stones, one’s path of Cultivation would be far more difficult than that of others.

Fortunately, while Jiang Xuan’s family wasn’t exceptionally wealthy or powerful, they did have a Cultivator among them. Thus, they could at least guarantee a supply of Spirit Rice sufficient to stave off hunger.

GULP...

As he chewed and swallowed, a warm, satisfying sensation spread from his abdomen throughout his limbs and bones.

His over-expended qi and blood began to slowly replenish at a visible rate.

Once his body had recovered slightly, Jiang Xuan still didn’t rush to begin cultivating. He first pressed the Jade Slip to the center of his forehead, allowing all the information about the Cultivation Technique recorded within to flood into his sea of consciousness and be firmly imprinted there.

Having done all this, he walked to the shade of the trees at the edge of the plaza, found a quiet spot, and lay down, closing his eyes to rest.

The students’ cultivation at the Chen Daoist School had always been divided into morning and evening sessions. This rule was established because after every full-effort cultivation session, Jiang Xuan and the others needed enough time for their Flesh Body and Divine Soul to fully recover before they could begin a second one.

For an ordinary Cultivator, managing two complete cultivation sessions in a single day was the absolute limit.

Of course, for a Noble Family’s Descendant with resources at their disposal, this limit was not unbreakable. Elixir Pills, Spiritual Liquid, and Concentration Incense could all drastically shorten the recovery time.

Dong Hao had now returned to the area where disciples from the Cultivation Clans gathered. All around, his peers were using various Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to rapidly recover from the strain of cultivation.

During the lull while the medicinal effects took hold, this group of Noble Family Descendants chatted idly. Unconsciously, the topic of conversation drifted to Jiang Xuan.

"Dong Hao, your judgment is seriously lacking, isn’t it? That Jiang Xuan is obviously a pretentious fraud. How could you fall for his act?"

The youth who pointed this out with a smirk was also dressed in fine brocade robes. His words were laced with insinuations that Dong Hao was a poor judge of character. As he spoke, he appeared to be addressing Dong Hao, but his gaze kept drifting to a cold and aloof girl nearby.

If Jiang Xuan had been there, he would have recognized the girl as Xie Hanyan, the very same person who had opened thirty-six acupoints that morning and received an "Excellent" Evaluation.

Unlike Qin Feng, who wore his joy openly, Xie Hanyan showed no trace of happiness despite receiving an "Excellent" Evaluation. She remained as cold and distant as ever, her brow even holding a faint, imperceptible trace of—dissatisfaction and anxiety.

The situation was now obvious. The youth, whose name was Zeng Jun, hadn’t brought up Jiang Xuan and Dong Hao just to make idle conversation or because he cared that Jiang Xuan was a fraud. Although, he did indeed share the opinion of others, believing Jiang Xuan’s behavior was nothing more than a pretentious display.

But instead of mocking him privately, he brought the matter up in public for the simple reason of putting Dong Hao down. He wanted to make him lose face in front of Xie Hanyan and, in doing so, elevate himself.

Dong Hao saw through this petty, underhanded little scheme in an instant.

He didn’t get angry, merely smiling faintly and replying with composure, "On the contrary, I feel Jiang Xuan has his merits. He doesn’t seem like the type to put on an act."

"Besides, I never expect every investment to yield a return. That’s the nature of investing. Nine out of ten may fail, but as long as one of them soars, it’s not a loss."

"As for the rest, I just consider it building good will."

Besides defending his own actions, Dong Hao didn’t forget to counterattack. "On the other hand, Brother Zeng, it is your mentality that is flawed. You’re always focused on immediate returns in everything you do. Haggling over every last coin like that... you’re more of a businessman than I am. It’s just that with such a narrow mind and perspective, I’m afraid your ’business’ will never get very far..."

...

Up ahead, the group of prodigies and Noble Family Descendants were engaged in a war of words, sparring over personal pride and social favors as subtle undercurrents churned between them.

But none of this had anything to do with Jiang Xuan, who was resting in the shade of the trees.

With his eyes closed, he slept soundly and peacefully.

He did not awaken until dusk. By the time the sun had set, his spirit and stamina had been fully restored to their peak.

He rose and walked over to a nearby mountain stream. There, he took some clear spring water and meticulously completed the ritual of the Three Purifications: Purification of the Body, Purification of the Hands, and Purification of the Mouth.

He performed the entire set of actions with solemn dignity, meticulously and without fault.

Once the ritual was complete and his body and mind were blessed by the Three Great Spells, he finally sat down cross-legged and began his second cultivation session of the day.

This time, however, he was not cultivating the standard Acupoint Opening Technique taught by the Chen Daoist School, the Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique.

Instead—the Innate Qi Sword.

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