"Kid. If you succeed in becoming a Qi Refinement practitioner, come find me!"
"...Yes."
Chen Xiaoming paused at Fang Yi's words, nodded in answer, and hurriedly left the Spirit Elixir Pavilion heading home.
He walked the main road with a peaceful expression, but along the way he felt his chest several times to confirm the spirit stone was there.
'Finally!'
The reward from three years of risking his life climbing the mountain.
If he could just absorb the spirit qi contained in this spirit stone, entering Qi Refinement Level 1 was possible.
'The first step is always the hardest.'
Three years to reach Qi Refinement Level 1. It was terribly slow, but he wasn't discouraged.
As soon as he arrived home, he immediately locked the door.
Only after closing all the windows did he take out the spirit stone to examine it.
He stared entranced at the mysterious crystal glowing with brilliant blue light.
"Indeed!"
He couldn't contain his admiration. Just holding the spirit stone made warm energy seep in.
The pure spirit qi condensed at high density in the crystal stirred an instinctive craving.
It was a higher-dimensional power that stimulated the essence of life.
The intuition carved into his soul whispered. If he could just absorb this spirit qi, he could take another step forward and become a superior existence of higher status.
To immortals it was just currency, but to ordinary people it was no different from treasure.
Just making it into a necklace and wearing it would naturally make you healthy enough to live long without illness.
'...Let me get some sleep first.'
Since he'd woken up at dawn and gone to the mountain, his whole body was tired. He couldn't attempt entering Qi Refinement in this state.
Since it was a precious spirit stone obtained through three years of hardship, he had to use it in peak condition.
If he failed to enter Qi Refinement because of his physical state, he'd be too frustrated to even die.
A hidden gap in the corner of the bed. He hid the spirit stone under his pillow and tried to sleep.
It was hard to fall asleep because of his pounding heart, but he forced his eyes shut.
How much time had passed?
Rustle.
He naturally woke up in the middle of the night.
After eating lightly and thoroughly checking his whole body, he made his decision.
"Alright. Let's start."
His condition was peak thanks to the rest. There was no reason to delay further, so he immediately sat cross-legged.
He calmed his mind through meditation, becoming one with the darkness on the shabby bed as he focused.
Whoosh.
Even with the windows closed, a faint wind blew. The weak flow gradually began to grow.
Spirit qi that existed everywhere under heaven spiraled and was absorbed with his breathing.
How hard had he worked for three years?
Circulating according to the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique was carved into his instincts.
He concentrated. He built a pillar centered on his dantian and guided the absorbed spirit qi.
Whiiiiir!
The peaceful wind grew increasingly rough. The vortex formed around the pillar continued expanding.
After a while.
A throbbing headache came along with the limit of his mental strength.
Just as the spirit qi vortex in his dantian began shaking unstably, he quickly gripped the spirit stone and circulated the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique with full power.
Whoosh!
Pure spirit qi explosively poured into the vortex that had been shaking like it would collapse.
The flow grew increasingly fierce, instantly reaching an uncontrollable point.
Stopping was impossible now.
Several times more spirit qi than usual was absorbed. His dantian throbbed like it would burst, and his whole body's meridians felt like they'd tear.
Buzz buzz buzz!
The pain didn't cease. Thick spirit qi surged in along with the violently raging wind.
"Kuk!"
His mind grew hazy and he wanted to let go of his reason right then.
But how could he give up? If he gave up now, three years of effort would turn to nothing. The spirit stone obtained at the end of hardship would shatter into powder and disappear.
Just as he gritted his teeth and desperately endured.
Boom!
Along with the illusion of the solid wall blocking him shattering.
The vortex's rotation reached its peak and broke through the critical point!
Whiiiir...
Even the rough wind gradually subsided.
The ferocious spirit qi became docile as if it were a lie. No sound could be heard in the quiet room. Only a faint breeze informed him that what just happened wasn't an illusion.
Success!
Finally, after three years of hardship!
The pain that had been tormenting him persistently vanished as if washed away. Instead, pleasant sensations and ecstasy rose along with cool comfort.
"Aah!"
The dense and pure spirit qi soothed the wounds in his dantian and meridians. It restored his wrecked body to optimal condition.
Power boiled through his whole body. He wanted to rush outside and run until his heart burst.
"Ahahahaha!"
Laughing in joy, he savored the flow of spirit qi felt in his dantian.
The vortex rotating majestically in his dantian. He could feel a structure resembling a spiral galaxy.
Even though he'd already stopped the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique, this vortex never stopped.
The attraction generated by the rotation sucked in surrounding spirit qi, and the injected spirit qi gradually increased the vortex's scale.
The continuing virtuous cycle sustained the vortex on its own.
'Finally!'
Excited, Chen Xiaoming clenched his fist and jumped up. Now he could absorb and accumulate spirit qi just by breathing.
This was proof of being a Qi Refinement practitioner!
"Now I'm also a cultivator who trains in the Dao!"
How long had he waited for this day?
Among cultivators as numerous as sand on a beach, he was the lowest tier, but the beginning was half the battle.
How could he not be happy after achieving this at the end of hardship?
"Hm?"
Chen Xiaoming, who'd been happily savoring the spirit qi, paused.
"Supreme Great Power?"
Good things come all at once, they say. Fortunes doubled.
At the same time as entering Qi Refinement and stepping onto the path of immortality.
The divine ability carved into his soul. He'd awakened the [Supreme Great Power].
'An omnipotent power that can achieve anything?'
His pupils dilated as he covered his mouth.
Such a miraculous power. Shock came along with joy.
How long did he go crazy waving his fists in the air?
He soon calmed down and collected himself.
He carefully examined the Supreme Great Power divine ability floating in his mind.
"Hmm."
When he focused his mind, a mysterious illusion was felt in his head.
It was a golden bead where the [Supreme Great Power] divine ability had condensed, and microscopic characters floated on the bead's surface, giving an extremely mystical feeling.
Tens of thousands of characters circled around the bead like an honor guard.
Even though he was seeing these characters for the first time, he somehow felt like he could understand their meaning. It was as if the great Dao of heaven and earth had taken form and changed into writing.
"Ah..."
Just looking at them felt like he could gain enlightenment, but when he actually focused and examined them, he couldn't figure out anything.
It was so fascinating.
The characters moved endlessly like living beings. They floated around the bead forming Dao clouds.
For a long while, Chen Xiaoming muttered while watching the golden bead like an entranced person.
"There are ten beads total."
He forcibly suppressed his excited heart. He organized what he'd learned about the [Supreme Great Power] one by one.
First, the Supreme Great Power was 'the power to fulfill wishes.'
However, there was a restriction—the harder the wish to fulfill, the more the power consumption increased exponentially.
Second, consumed power naturally recovered with the passage of time, and it took one month to fully charge.
Third, the Supreme Great Power's might grew stronger proportional to his realm.
Chen Xiaoming narrowed his eyes. The more he learned about the divine ability, the more his excitement calmed.
[If there's enough, wishes can be fulfilled.] This condition itself was the problem.