Chapter Fifty-Eight: Gaining Insight Into the Way Once More

Creak.

As the old wooden gate to the courtyard swung open, a fresh breeze swept through, setting the copper bell by the window chiming with a crisp, clear sound.

“In the blink of an eye, years have passed since I last stayed here. Still, this place brings me the greatest peace,” Song Changsheng murmured, gazing at his small courtyard, his heart settling into a tranquility he had never known.

He had been through so much lately, his nerves taut as bowstrings, but only now did he truly relax.

The courtyard, untouched for several years, had accumulated a thick layer of dust. Song Changsheng set to work, cleaning every corner inside and out.

Once everything was tidy, he settled cross-legged on his bed, contemplating his next steps.

Foremost was the search for clues regarding Dragonblood Orchid. Once he found it, he could begin practicing "Inscribing Formations Upon the Body"—this was his highest priority.

Apart from that, his mastery of formations had already advanced to the second rank, lower grade, and for the moment, he saw no way to progress further. His artifact forging remained at first rank, top grade, always a hair’s breadth from breaking through to second rank, lower grade.

He planned to request a batch of forging materials from the family, intending to temper his skills and strive to breach this bottleneck as soon as possible.

His cultivation had reached the critical point of the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, just short of perfection. He needed to cross this threshold quickly.

Qi Refinement Perfection was a unique stage: cultivators must condense a Dao Foundation unique to themselves, the prerequisite for attempting Foundation Establishment. Without it, one lacked even the right to try.

Condensing a Dao Foundation depended greatly on aptitude and consumed much time. Many mediocre cultivators spent decades unable to accomplish it, watching their vitality ebb away until they returned to the earth.

Song Changsheng’s talent was decent, but he could not predict how much time he would spend condensing his Dao Foundation; thus, it was best to begin as soon as possible.

“Though I’ve avoided taking pills these past years, my meridians and acupoints are still tainted with pill toxins and impurities. Before breaking through to Qi Refinement Perfection, I must cleanse them. It seems I’ll need to exchange for a Marrow-Cleansing Pill—and while I’m at it, issue a task to search for Dragonblood Orchid.”

Song Changsheng rose and made his way to the Contribution Hall. First, he posted a bounty for Dragonblood Orchid at the price of five hundred spirit stones.

Then, after demonstrating his cultivation to the clan elders, he successfully exchanged for a single Marrow-Cleansing Pill.

Though only a first-rank, top-grade pill, the Marrow-Cleansing Pill was extraordinarily precious. The flowers used to refine it could only be grown in superior spiritual fields, watered daily with spiritual spring water.

The planting cycle required fifteen years for the flowers to be suitable for alchemical use. With the Song clan’s resources, only a few batches could be refined each year.

It possessed the power to cleanse meridians, purge marrow, dissolve pill toxins, and expel bodily impurities. A cultivator could only take three in a lifetime, most often when breaking through a bottleneck.

Such a pill would normally cost at least three hundred contribution points, but Song Changsheng, as the clan’s Purple Mansion candidate, was entitled to one free pill. Such was the privilege of status.

Returning to his courtyard, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged by the pond in the back garden and took the Marrow-Cleansing Pill.

The thumb-sized pill melted into sweet medicinal liquid as soon as it touched his tongue, spreading through his limbs and bones. He hurriedly circulated his cultivation method to refine the medicine.

Soon, warmth suffused his body, an immense comfort.

Half an hour later, the pill’s power was fully refined, and a layer of sticky, foul-smelling sweat—tinged with black—covered him.

These were the pill toxins and impurities expelled from his body, the stench so acrid it nearly made Song Changsheng retch.

He dove headlong into the pond, scrubbing himself thoroughly over and over until his skin was nearly rubbed raw before climbing ashore.

He dried himself, dressed neatly, and sat cross-legged again, taking out the Sunfire Pill he had obtained in the cave residence.

Having cleared his bottleneck with the Marrow-Cleansing Pill, he needed only to take this pill to break through to Qi Refinement Perfection in one fell swoop!

Swallowing the crimson pill, Song Changsheng felt a surge of pure spiritual energy erupt within him. He quickly circulated his cultivation method, striving with all his might to refine the immense power.

As a second rank, lower grade spirit pill, refining it was exceptionally difficult. The process lasted a full day and night, and as his dantian and sea of qi expanded to a critical point, Song Changsheng broke through to Qi Refinement Perfection, just one step from Foundation Establishment!

After consolidating his cultivation, he drank a round of spirit wine as usual, then stilled his breath and entered his sea of consciousness.

As a Qi Refinement cultivator, his sea of consciousness was vast and empty, with only a single jade scroll floating in midair, emitting a faint glow.

With excitement in his heart, Song Changsheng slowly unfurled the Dao Scripture and began to meditate upon it.

Each time he broke through a minor realm, insights from the Dao Scripture would bring unexpected gains—from "The Mystery of Yin and Yang" to "Commanding Water and Fire," each had greatly aided him.

So he eagerly anticipated what miraculous technique he might comprehend this time.

He meditated for three days and two nights.

Just as Song Changsheng’s spiritual power, stamina, and energy reached their limits, a golden character for “Eye” soared from the Dao Scripture.

It began to twist and transform...

Several hours later, Song Changsheng opened his eyes, a brilliant smile brightening his pale face: “I never imagined I’d gain an eye technique this time. Each breakthrough brings me surprises.”

He had obtained an eye technique called "Piercing the Veil," a secret skill that allowed him to see through confusion and trace things to their origin.

This technique offered little direct aid in combat; its primary function was support. For instance, when breaking formations or seeking their cores in the future, Song Changsheng could deploy this ability with ease.

Still, there was no news of Dragonblood Orchid. As he waited, aside from condensing his Dao Foundation, it was the perfect time to cultivate this eye technique...

Cultivation knows no time; the mountain is oblivious to the years.

Time slipped by, and five months passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Song Changsheng steadfastly absorbed the power of sun and moon each day, using it to condense his Dao Foundation.

His ambitions were considerable; he did not want to form a non-attributed Dao Foundation or an elemental Dao Foundation, but aimed directly for the Grand Dao.

A non-attributed Dao Foundation was pure spiritual power, the most common and unremarkable type.

An elemental Dao Foundation was condensed from spiritual power aligned with one's elemental roots. It was harder to achieve, but once Foundation Establishment was broken through, one could comprehend the true meaning of the corresponding element.

The Grand Dao Foundation referred to principles such as life and death, destruction, or slaughter. One had to absorb the matching power to condense it, and could likewise comprehend its profound truths.

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