Chapter Six: The Condensation Realm

After returning to his quarters, Luo Tian immediately began preparations for his breakthrough. The duel with Shen Lingbo earlier did not weigh on his mind at all. Of course, if that fellow went to fetch reinforcements, he would have to be cautious; however, outer disciples were already considered true members of the Divine Sun Sect, and there were corresponding protective measures. There was no need for excessive worry.

Luo Tian took several deep breaths with great seriousness, steadying his emotions. No matter how many times he had rehearsed the scene of his breakthrough in his mind, when the moment of actual practice arrived, he could not help but feel a trace of anxiety. This was perfectly normal—he only needed to overcome it as best he could.

Very well, let’s begin—right now!

Sensing that he was in excellent condition, Luo Tian solemnly performed the Three-Stage Breathing Technique. Barring any surprises, this would be the last time.

Heaven and earth’s primordial energy entered Luo Tian’s body and, under his control, soon flowed into his meridians. Luo Tian felt a ripple of relief. This was an advantage of his rebirth: a remarkably powerful spiritual force that allowed him, even at the Body Tempering Realm, to control the unrefined primordial energy—something no ordinary laborer could possibly achieve.

Without such delicate control, it would be impossible to fully open all the hidden meridians.

At this moment, Luo Tian’s body was completely connected; his meridians flowed freely, and his flesh and bones were infused with a vast quantity of unrefined primordial energy. Because of this, his strength far surpassed that of other laborers at the ninth level of Body Tempering.

Thus, the primordial energy entering Luo Tian’s body naturally lingered in his meridians, unable to further strengthen his body. He had reached the pinnacle of this stage.

Once the primordial energy, drawn in by the Three-Stage Breathing Technique, entered his body, Luo Tian guided it through a minor circulation within his nine hidden meridians. As it flowed, it seemed imbued with a mysterious and powerful magic, summoning countless traces of previously scattered energy from his flesh and blood, drawing them forth to converge with the main current.

Luo Tian surveyed his body with his divine sight.

What he saw was a body resembling flawless jade, its luster distributed evenly—not like those of other laborers, whose tempering results varied according to their natural gifts and circumstances.

The ninth level of Body Tempering required the opening of nine hidden meridians—an essential prerequisite for reaching the Qi Condensation Realm. As primordial energy opened these meridians, a portion would naturally temper other parts of the body as well. Even the simple act of breathing, over the years, would allow tiny amounts of primordial energy to enter, though the effect was negligible.

The results of such tempering were, at best, barely adequate—just enough to meet the minimum requirement for entering the Qi Condensation Realm.

But Luo Tian was different.

In two years, aside from the initial period when he had to perform some menial labor himself, he was soon relieved of such duties. With no further knowledge to absorb, his only pursuits were sleep, guiding others, and, above all, refining and tempering his own body.

Under his divine sight, Luo Tian could see his body as a seamless whole, as though painted with the most precise brush—no flaws, no discordance. Every inch had been tempered by primordial energy, leaving him as close to perfection as the realm allowed.

True, limited by the boundaries of his cultivation, he could not surpass other Body Tempering disciples by too large a margin. But it did not matter; the enhanced abilities granted by the evolution of his divine sight gave Luo Tian absolute confidence that once he broke through into the Qi Condensation Realm, he would soar as a fish takes to water, as a dragon ascends to the heavens.

“Bastard—damn bastard!” Shen Lingbo, though now on his feet, remained hunched, his right hand pressed hard against his abdomen, face twisted in pain and fury. “That Luo Tian—I’ll never let him off!”

“That’s enough, Shen Lingbo!” retorted a voice. “From the start, you approached Senior Luo seeking guidance with a condescending attitude, all bluster and arrogance. Senior Luo is good-natured, but that doesn’t mean he should indulge you endlessly.”

Seeing Shen Lingbo still blaming Luo Tian, without a hint of self-reflection, the speaker’s brows furrowed in disdain. “Even if the Shen family is powerful, you have no right to order others around like that!”

“I have no right? Hmph! And who are you to judge me?” Shen Lingbo straightened with effort, his tone dripping with contempt. “Country bumpkins! I am an elite heir, carefully cultivated by the Shen family. Naturally, I deserve things you people can only dream of! That’s fate—what you lack, I possess! There’s no explaining it to you. But don’t think I’ll let you fools off. Once Luo Tian enters the Qi Condensation Realm, he’ll be in for trouble, and I won’t spare you two either! Just wait—I’ll find my brother now and teach your Senior Luo a lesson!”

Watching Shen Lingbo’s awkward gait, the pain in his abdomen clearly lingering, Li Min snorted coldly. “Arrogant scion! Just look at the Chen family—aren’t they more powerful, yet far more honorable than the Shen family?”

“That’s only on the surface,” sighed the other. “Within the sect, the influence of these noble disciples is unimaginably vast. Seven or eight tenths of all cultivation resources are monopolized by their families; we commoners are left with scraps. There’s nothing to be done—our starting lines are different, our foundations are different. Naturally, it’s easier for them to excel in every test, winning more resources as a matter of course.”

“Too true,” Li Min replied with a melancholy tone. “What we commoners lack is a leader.”

Primordial energy surged like a dragon through Luo Tian’s meridians. As it completed a circuit through the nine hidden meridians, that initial thread—once as fine as a hair—had multiplied in thickness dozens of times. No longer weak and feeble, it now ran with irrepressible momentum.

Countless minute motes of light seeped from his flesh, entering the meridians and joining the mighty current of energy, further increasing its power.

Luo Tian was overjoyed. These two years had not been wasted; even though he had remained at the Body Tempering Realm, he felt no regret whatsoever. His foundation was far sturdier than others’. Once he reached Qi Condensation, his starting point would be higher than anyone’s.

With his meridians fully open, he would save time learning any cultivation method or martial technique, and his robust foundation would make his practice even more efficient.

The nine hidden meridians were traversed without the slightest mishap, as expected—physically, Luo Tian outclassed his peers by leagues, and the advantages of his reborn spirit and mental control were insurmountable. If something had gone wrong, that would have been the true anomaly.

As the energy left the last hidden meridian, it took on a faint crimson hue. The closer it drew to his dantian, the richer that color became, until, upon entering fully, it was entirely crimson.

Like a tired bird returning to its nest, a dragon plunging into the sea, this freshly condensed energy coalesced into pure red, radiating an aura of transformation.

Like a butterfly breaking from its chrysalis, a cicada shedding its shell, Luo Tian was reborn.

Qi Condensation Realm, First Cycle—the Realm of Crimson Qi!

Next—

Luo Tian lifted his head slightly, gazing towards Mount Ziyang, as if he could pierce through the roof and the vast space beyond to glimpse that new world awaiting him.