Beside a pond in Jade Wind Valley, Li Hao sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes slightly closed, focusing his mind inward.
After his initial excitement had faded, Li Hao felt something was amiss. Two Dantians?No matter how he thought about it, this seemed abnormal. He decided to investigate the small vortex Dantian deep within his core.
This time, he saw it clearly. The Small Vortex Dantian was only about the size of a palm, constantly emitting a pulling force. It was precisely this suction that instantly drew in all the Profound Qi he absorbed after every training session.
This vortex devoured all the Profound Qi from his Dantian, preventing him from becoming a true Profound Practitioner. No—to be accurate, he hadtechnically become one long ago. The criteria for becoming a Profound Practitioner was simple: if one could refine their body and absorb Profound Qi, they qualified. But his Qi was absorbed by the vortex the moment it entered his body, leading him to mistakenly believe for an entire year that he lacked the talent. By the standard definition, he had been a Profound Practitioner all along.
Li Hao attempted to control the small vortex. He reasoned that since it resided within his body, it should be part of him, subject to his will. Yet, he was disappointed. Every time he tried to pull Profound Qi out of the vortex, it would spin faster, as if provoked, refusing to yield even a wisp of energy.
"That Profound Qi is mine!" After struggling fruitlessly for what felt like an eternity, Li Hao's frustration boiled over. If he couldn't control this vortex, wouldn't he just be slaving away for it his whole life?
More critically, without Profound Qi, how could he intensify his training? His current regimen was already at his absolute limit. Without cultivation resources or the restorative power of Profound Qi to repair and strengthen his body, pushing further risked causing irreversible damage.
"Just a little, give me just a little," Li Hao pleaded, switching tactics. Anger hadn't worked; perhaps negotiation would. The thought grated on him—that Qi was earned through his sweat and blood—but necessity forced his hand. His future as a genuine Profound Practitioner and an Outer Sect Disciple depended on it. "You need to understand, without me, you wouldn't get any Profound Qi either. Give me a share, and I'll be able to absorb more Qi. Whatever I absorb will eventually come to you, right? This is a partnership! We benefit together, or we lose together!"
For a moment, there was no reaction from the vortex. Just as Li Hao was about to curse again, a wisp of pale golden Profound Qi slowly flowed out. His heart leaped with excitement! Then another wisp followed, and gradually, strand after strand of the Pale Golden Profound Qi trickled out. About twenty wisps in total emerged before the vortex finally stopped.
The Pale Golden Profound Qi flowed into his normal Dantian. Elated, Li Hao was ready to shout for joy when suddenly, the golden Qi surged into his meridians, spreading throughout his body. Strands of it slowly infiltrated his muscles. In that moment, he felt as if he could hear the joyous cries of countless cells within his flesh. The accumulated soreness and fatigue vanished silently, replaced by a rapidly growing, abundant vitality.
While Li Hao was still marveling at this change, he felt a strange crawling sensation on his skin. He quickly stripped off his shirt and looked down, his eyes widening in shock. The skin all over his body was peeling off at a visible rate!
Skin Shedding!
This was the sign of reaching the Fourth Layer of the Body Forging Art! And reaching the fourth layer meant he was now a Fourth Grade Profound Practitioner!
"Haha!" The realization hit him. Li Hao jumped to his feet, laughing heartily. After a moment, he caught himself, stifling his laughter and looking down at his body again.
Watching the old skin continue to slough off, he hastily removed the rest of his clothes and plunged into the pond. After the peeling finished, he rolled around in the water, then climbed back onto the bank. He ran his hands over his chest; it felt like touching smooth, hard stone, transmitting a unique, firm solidity to his palms.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Suppressing his excitement, Li Hao picked up a nearby branch and immediately launched into the Basic Sword Art. The movements created sharp whistling sounds, stirring up dust from the ground—a level of power and momentum utterly incomparable to his past performances.
After finishing the sequence, Li Hao immediately sank his consciousness inward again. A moment later, wild joy surged across his face. It was true! He had genuinely reached the Fourth Grade!
Jumping from not even being a recognized Profound Practitioner straight to the Fourth Grade felt like a dizzying dream. But he quickly understood. From the moment he had arrived at the Sword Sect, he had pushed himself relentlessly with the Body Forging Art. Among the outer sect disciples, he might not have been themost hardworking, but he certainly ranked in the top three.
He had been practicing the Art for nearly two years now. His body had already been tempered to a remarkably tough state. The influx of Profound Qi was like finally being given the password to a vault containing a fortune he already owned. With the password, he could now access the wealth that had been locked away.
In simple terms: his immense accumulation had finally erupted!
Suddenly, Li Hao frowned, recalling a crucial detail. His Profound Qi was pale golden! Was this unique to him, or was everyone's Qi the same color? He was puzzled.
"Whatever," he decided after a moment's thought. Li Hao wasn't one to obsess over unsolvable mysteries. "Once I become an Outer Sect Disciple and interact with others, I'll naturally find out if I'm different."
Sitting down again, he focused inward. His normal Dantian was now empty; the golden Qi that had been there earlier had vanished.
"Alright, friend," Li Hao addressed the vortex, the feeling that it could understand him now firm in his mind. This negotiation was essential; if the vortex hoarded all the Qi, he'd be truly helpless. "I think you understand me. Here's the deal: from now on, we split the Profound Qi I absorb fifty-fifty. I'll give all the raw Qi I absorb to you, but you need to give me that pale golden Qi in return. This isn't me trying to cheat you. You must realize that only if Ibecome stronger can I absorb moreQi for you. Conversely, if I stay weak, the intake will be pitifully small. So, for now, the focus needs to be on strengthening me. It's an investment! When I'm powerful, you'll get far more Qi. What do you say?"
He waited. After a tense moment, just as impatience began to gnaw at him, the small vortex suddenly spun rapidly for a few seconds, then settled down again.
Sensing its response, Li Hao smiled. His intuition told him the vortex had agreed. Clearly, it was also dissatisfied with his current absorption rate and saw the logic in investing in his growth.
After putting his clothes back on, Li Hao walked to his hiding spot and retrieved the heavy iron blocks, strapping them back on. Now, he could barely feel their weight.
Without a proper cultivation manual, intensifying his physical training was his only way to absorb more Profound Qi. The harder he trained, the more Qi he would absorb. The more Qi absorbed, the more of the potent Pale Golden Profound Qi he would receive from the vortex. And with more of that golden Qi, he could further enhance his body and raise his cultivation level. It was a virtuous cycle, finally within his grasp.
"Yah! Help! Don't chase Bao'er! Grandpa, save me!"
Just as Li Hao prepared to push his body to the limit, a piercing shriek, clearly from a young girl, erupted from the forest in the distance.
Li Hao halted, his gaze snapping towards the trees. Suddenly, a little girl in a white dress with floral patterns burst out from the woodland, running in sheer panic. She looked about thirteen or fourteen, with a long braid flying behind her. Her face was deathly pale, her small mouth clenched tight as she scrambled forward with all her might.
Spotting Li Hao, the girl's already pale face turned ashen. "You! Little janitor! Run! The little snake has gone crazy!" she screamed while sprinting past him.
BOOM! CRASH!
Before Li Hao could process her words, the ground trembled. A colossal creature smashed through the trees behind the girl, charging out with devastating force.
Frenzied Python King!
Seeing the monstrous beast, Li Hao's face lost all color, mirroring the girl's terror. Little snake?!This was the Frenzied Python King!
A Fifth Grade Profound Beast, its body was as large as three grown men combined, stretching three zhanglong. Its eyes were the size of fists, and most daunting was its scaly armor—so tough that even sword techniques might fail to pierce it.