Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Therefore, the information he could obtain was extremely limited.

Beyond this, the most important gain for Hu Qi was the pockmarked old Daoist’s Cultivation Method.

This was also the primary reason he had attacked.

At this thought, he recalled the contents the man had recited.

It was a Breathing Technique for Cultivation called the Guixi Qi-Introducing Technique.

Core Principles:

[Fill the four directions, with the heart as a guide and the body as a furnace. Draw spiritual energy into the body, let it travel along the meridians, gather Qi into a stream, and nourish the entire being.]

’It sounds pretty impressive.’

’In reality, you could tell just from the name.’

’This Dharma Gate was a rather common, run-of-the-mill technique.’

It was divided into a total of nine layers.

Every three layers corresponded to a minor Realm within the Qi Cultivation Realm.

The first three layers: Initial Sense.

The middle three layers: Qi Gathering.

The final three layers: Meridian Passage.

This also meant that this Cultivation Technique could only be used to cultivate up to the Qi Cultivation Great Perfection stage.

As for the Dao Foundation Realm that came after, it was completely impossible to break through to it.

This was the disadvantage of being a Loose Cultivator.

Obtaining subsequent Cultivation Techniques depended entirely on one’s own personal opportunities.

But that was incredibly difficult.

In comparison, most of the powerful Cultivators in this world came from the various Cultivation Sects.

Cultivators like the pockmarked old Daoist weren’t unwilling to join Cultivation Sects.

Rather, their aptitude was lacking, and the Cultivation Sects wouldn’t even give them a second glance.

They had only embarked on this path after stumbling upon a Qi Cultivation Technique by some stroke of luck.

This particular Breathing Technique for Qi Cultivation was created specifically for the Human Race; the Demon Race naturally couldn’t practice it.

However, it wasn’t entirely useless to him.

With Hu Qi’s Ability, he was fully capable of using it as a blueprint.

By referencing the structure of his current snake body, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to extrapolate a Cultivation Technique suitable for himself, a member of the Snake Demon Race.

After several days of Cultivation through breathing exercises, Hu Qi had already gathered over ninety strands of gray Demon Power in his body.

He cross-referenced this with the Guixi Qi-Introducing Record and calculated that once his Demon Power reached one hundred strands, he would enter the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer—the Late Stage of Qi Gathering—and possess strength comparable to the pockmarked old Daoist.

However, because the Taiyu Serpent Bloodline within Hu Qi’s body had begun to awaken, coupled with his innate Talent for Water Control Divine Techniques, if he were to truly clash with an opponent of the same Realm, his strength would far exceed that of the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer.

But as for how much stronger he was, Hu Qi himself wasn’t sure due to the limited information he had. Perhaps he would only find out by clashing with an opponent in real combat.

Additionally, he had obtained some other information.

For example, the general state of affairs in this world.

Although the pockmarked old Daoist was merely a Loose Cultivator, even they have their own circles.

They would communicate with each other in their free time, and could even purchase Talismans and various Magical Artifacts from marketplaces established by some Cultivation Sects.

Therefore, he knew a thing or two about the general state of this world.

This world was composed of various states, both large and small.

The size of each state varied.

Within this world, Cultivators could be divided into five types.

They were: Dao, Confucian, Buddhist, Fiend, and Demon.

Among these, the paths of Dao, Confucianism, and Buddha all referred to human Cultivators.

While their major Realms were similar, their cultivation methods differed somewhat.

The Dao reveres inaction, following one’s heart and true nature. Its followers model themselves on the wonders of the natural world, letting their hearts roam free between heaven and earth.

The Buddha Lord teaches compassion, seeking to clarify the mind and see one’s true nature. Its followers must comprehend Karma Reincarnation and make a grand vow of universal salvation to transcend the bitter sea of the mortal world.

Confucianism values self-cultivation and the investigation of things to attain knowledge. Its followers read the classics, histories, and philosophical works, striving to be upright and incorruptible, thereby nurturing a noble, righteous aura.

Finally, there were the Demons and Fiends.

Demons, or Yao, referred to various animals that had gained spiritual intelligence and form.

Fiends, or Mo, on the other hand, was a much broader classification.

It referred to practitioners of the demonic path, which could include both Demons and humans.

For the most part, however, it referred to Cultivators who used wicked and unorthodox methods to advance their Cultivation, and even disembodied ghosts.

Such beings had an even lower status than Demons.

Any Cultivator who encountered them would hunt them down and kill them.

Therefore, the entire Cangzhou Realm could be seen as being ruled by the three great traditions: Dao, Buddha, and Confucianism.

These three orthodox traditions stood above Fiend Cultivators and Demon Cultivators.

The region he was currently in was called Qingli State.

Within it, besides the Da Ye Dynasty, there were two other dynasties.

According to the pockmarked old Daoist, the Human Race of this world seemed to hold an absolutely dominant position.

Whether they were Demon Cultivators or Fiend Cultivators, they could only eke out a miserable existence in the presence of the Cultivators from the three great orthodox traditions.

The reason for this, he’d heard, was that someone from the Immortal Sects of these three traditions had achieved Ascension to Immortality.

The pockmarked old Daoist had read all of this in some book.

He hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, so it was impossible to know if it was true or not.

Even so, it was of great help to Hu Qi.

It gave him a much clearer understanding of this world.

Afterward, Hu Qi submerged himself back into the nearby river and flowed downstream with the current.

At the same time, he divided his focus.

He began to analyze the Guixi Qi-Introducing Record and synthesize it with his own Cultivation experience in order to create a Cultivation Technique suitable for himself.

...

「Three days later.」

The setting sun was the color of blood. The sea of reeds suddenly parted, three dark paths cleaving through it.

A giant Black Scale python at the lead raised its head, breaking through the waves of grass.

Two smaller snakes, one red and one yellow, followed close behind.

The churning mist over the water ahead was reflected in Hu Qi’s Crimson vertical pupils.

This was Tai Ze Lake.

A vapor hung over the lake’s surface. In the light of the setting sun, the mist was tinged a faint red, intertwining with the shimmering ripples of the water.

It cast a strange, blood-red hue over everything.

Hu Qi flicked his tail, his body of white-spotted Black Scales slithering forward.

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