Chu Chen was unaware of the fantasies of those impoverished scholars. His cultivation had reached a critical juncture, and he was in seclusion for a breakthrough.
As another Foundation Establishment Pill was swallowed, Chu Chen quickly circulated his energy.
A large amount of spiritual energy dissolved from the pill and surged into his dantian. Driven by the True Essence Profound Technique, it circulated within his body, continuously expanding the capacity of his meridians and dantian.
One by one, the氪丹 (Ke Dan) pills were consumed, and Chu Chen quickly completed nine cycles, expanding his meridians and dantian to their maximum capacity.
Then, he controlled a large amount of spiritual energy, starting from the front of his dantian, passing through the central court to the Purple Mansion, and then from the back of the Purple Mansion, passing through the central court to the dantian.
He completely unblocked the Ren and Du meridians with spiritual energy.
As the spiritual energy completed this final process, in an instant, the spiritual energy within his body seemed to encounter a whirlpool's gravitational pull. The spiritual energy in his meridians, cells, bones, and organs all surged into his dantian!
The spiritual energy, originally distributed throughout his body, converged. The dantian could not possibly contain it.
Just as he was about to explode, Chu Chen calmly continued to circulate the True Essence Profound Technique, controlling the violent and immense spiritual energy in his dantian. From a microscopic elemental level, he used his divine sense to fuse with the spiritual energy, using it as a neutralizing agent.
In an instant, a drop of liquid fell into his dantian, followed by another and another. Vast amounts of spiritual energy transformed into liquid, descending into his dantian like heavy rain.
Then, Chu Chen divided his attention, controlling the liquefied spiritual energy and guiding it back into his meridians. Following the circulation of the heavenly cycle, this higher-quality spiritual energy washed over his meridians, acupoints, organs, bones, and cells.
It then resettled in various parts of his body, and finally, all the immense spiritual energy was completely transformed.
In his dantian, like a bucket filled with water, it was brimming with liquid spiritual energy. His body had also initially adapted to the higher-quality spiritual energy, while also strengthening his physique and the speed of spiritual energy circulation.
"Finally, it's finally done!"
Chu Chen opened his eyes excitedly. Ever since he broke through to the Foundation Establishment realm with a single pill from System Dad, he had been stuck for a full year until now, reaching the Qi Transformation realm.
Only now did Chu Chen understand why the Qi Transformation realm was so difficult to break through.
Chu Chen extended his right hand, circulating spiritual energy and his technique.
His palm instantly froze, yet he himself was unaffected by the cold.
Immediately after, Chu Chen extended his left hand, and a fierce wind swirled around his palm.
These were the Frost Fist and Cloud Dispelling Palm that Chu Chen had obtained from his previous lottery draw. These two Spirit Platform level techniques originated from the Feng Yun television series, and also comics and movies, that Chu Chen had watched in his past life.
When he had obtained them before, Chu Chen had tried to use them, but he couldn't even grasp the basics. Now, he could perform them preliminarily.
"So that's how it is!"
Feeling the ice and wind elements in both his palms, Chu Chen suddenly understood.
"So this is the Qi Transformation realm!"
"Before Body Refining, moving qi and blood was divided into Body Tempering, Martial Apprentice, and Ancient Martial Arts."
"Body Tempering was merely the realm of a strong and healthy person. Martial Apprentices mastered eighteen kinds of martial arts, possessing agility. Ancient Martial Artists moved qi and blood to circulate martial arts, using qi and blood to enhance the power of martial arts and their own reactions."
"These three were all pre-school education. Subsequently, Body Refining was also the initial learning for entering the path of martial arts. Body Refiners absorb spiritual energy to clear the meridians throughout the body, allowing the body's muscles, meridians, cells, and blood to be infused with spiritual energy. They use their own qi and blood cosmic universe to attract and contain the spiritual energy and energy of the greater universe, transforming their own adaptability, and preparing for entry into the path of martial arts."
"The Foundation Establishment realm is like building the foundation of a tall building. Clearing meridians and acupoints is like digging the foundation, and strengthening body cells, organs, and bones is like laying rebar and pouring concrete on the foundation."
"Starting from the Qi Transformation realm, the foundation is complete, and the construction of the tall building begins. From this point on, spiritual energy transforms from elemental form to liquid. Circulating techniques erupts from pores and acupoints, transforming into unpredictable spiritual energy."
"Following the techniques, it should manifest as earth, water, wind, fire, lightning, yin, and yang, as well as the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, for offense, defense, and attack."
"No wonder the great power and wide-ranging destructive means of martial arts begin from the Qi Transformation realm. It's actually like this!"
Chu Chen finally understood why, despite being a martial arts cultivator, he was still unable to contend with armies, ballistas, and catapults formed by ordinary people in the Body Tempering and Foundation Establishment realms. It turned out that these two realms were also pre-school education, paving the way for the later Qi Transformation realm?
He just didn't know if the Qi Transformation realm was also paving the way for the future, serving as pre-school education for the later realms.
If the combat power difference between the Body Tempering and Foundation Establishment realms was obvious when fighting one-on-one, but not so obvious when fighting many against one, then the Qi Transformation realm represented a heaven-and-earth difference.
Ten-odd Body Tempering cultivators could still defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator when working together, but ten-odd Foundation Establishment cultivators facing a Qi Transformation realm cultivator were just fodder!
"Now I can release spiritual energy externally. Although I've just entered the Qi Transformation realm, I have the advantage of techniques, equipment, and pills. If I face the three Foundation Establishment realm venerables of the royal family, they should be the ones fearing me!"
"I just don't know if the Second Princess has given the breakthrough pills to the royal family's techniques yet. However, even if one of the venerables breaks through to the Qi Transformation realm, they will absolutely not be my opponent, even if they break through directly to the mid-stage of Qi Transformation!"
Feeling the power within him and his numerous advantages, Chu Chen thought with great confidence.
At night, taking advantage of the darkness, Chu Chen's feet seemed to be carried by the wind. He rose a hundred meters into the air and, with a few leaps, left Shuangyue City suspended in the air.
Then, he mounted the warhorse that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had prepared for him in the small forest outside and galloped towards more sparsely populated areas.
This warhorse was naturally the one rewarded by System Dad.
When he reached his destination, a desolate area with no one around, Chu Chen dismounted and began to test his combat power in the Qi Transformation realm.
Chu Chen clenched his right fist, and a cold icy aura condensed in his fist. With a shout, "Frost Fist!"
In an instant, he unleashed a punch. The flowers, grass, and trees in front of him, within a hundred-meter radius, were all frozen in a fan shape.
"So powerful! This is just like the effect of a spell! And it doesn't require any casting preparation! No wonder they say that in the same realm, martial arts cultivators can easily defeat non-body-refining cultivators when closing the distance!"
Chu Chen was stunned for a moment before exclaiming in shock.
Immediately after, eager to try, he impatiently unleashed the Cloud Dispelling Palm. With a palm strike, fierce winds erupted, like countless sharp little knives, slicing and cutting everything that had been frozen in front of him into fragments less than a centimeter in size, which danced in the wind.
"Amazing! Awesome! As expected of the martial arts from the Feng Yun world! As expected of the techniques rewarded by System Dad!"
Chu Chen was overjoyed, eagerly anticipating when he would draw the final Wind God's Leg.