Yang Wenqing quickly opened the wooden box and took out the longan-sized pill inside. He subconsciously sniffed it before swallowing it in one gulp.

The pill melted the moment it entered his mouth. A medicinal power, many times more potent than the White Dragon Ginseng, instantly exploded within his body, transforming into a torrential flood of Spiritual Qi that felt as if it would burst his meridians.

At this critical moment, the Golden Core deep within his Sea of Consciousness generated a powerful suction, absorbing most of the rampaging medicinal power and converting it into a gentler Spiritual Qi that swiftly replenished his Qi Sea!

At the same time, he frantically absorbed the docile Spiritual Qi gathered by the Gathering Spirit Array, which worked in tandem to support the high-speed circulation of Spiritual Qi within his Spiritual Veins.

Yang Wenqing focused his entire consciousness on the Spiritual Veins within the projection of the Golden Core World, ensuring the Spiritual Qi followed the absolute correct path. Under his watch, the Spiritual Qi surging through his Spiritual Veins expanded at a visible rate.

An unknown amount of time passed. The surging Spiritual Qi rushed toward the starting point of the Qi Sea with unstoppable momentum, connecting head-to-tail with the Spiritual Qi from the other end.

The instant they made contact—

BUZZ~

A hum that only Yang Wenqing could feel flashed through his Spiritual Veins!

The cycle was formed.

Qi Cultivation... was achieved!

From this moment on, the Qi Sea within Yang Wenqing’s body could drive the Spiritual Qi to circulate through his Spiritual Veins without his conscious guidance, forming a complete Grand Circulation. It would now absorb and refine Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi at every moment!

The cycle would repeat endlessly, never-ceasing!

An unprecedented sense of fulfillment instantly spread throughout Yang Wenqing’s body. His Spiritual Veins, which had been aching and swollen, began to slowly widen and strengthen under the nourishment of this stable cycle.

Joy from successfully stepping into the Qi Refining Realm surged in his heart, but Yang Wenqing knew this was no time to relax. After all, the newly formed circulation cycle was still fragile and needed to be carefully stabilized to build a solid foundation.

He suppressed his turbulent emotions and continued to guide his energy using the "Basic Qi Cultivation" technique. With the continuous support of the Gathering Spirit Array, the process went smoothly.

After an unknown period, Yang Wenqing felt his Qi Sea become full to the brim once more, and his Spiritual Veins had reached their expansion limit under the current circulatory intensity. Only then did he open his eyes, emerging from his meditation.

The Quiet Chamber was still silent, the light from the Gathering Spirit Array soft and steady. But the world in Yang Wenqing’s eyes was completely different from before. He could clearly feel that his control over the Spiritual Qi in his body was more direct. His Qi Sea would no longer be depleted by casting just two Spells.

He had successfully broken through the first barrier that stumped countless Cultivators and had officially become a Qi Cultivator. With Spiritual Qi nourishing his body, he would be immune to common illnesses. As long as no accidents occurred, he could live to be at least one hundred and twenty years old.

A smile of relief and hope finally appeared on Yang Wenqing’s face. At this moment, the path of cultivation had truly unfurled at his feet.

After sitting cross-legged and regulating his breath for another ten-odd minutes, Yang Wenqing deactivated the Gathering Spirit Array. When he opened the iron door and walked out, a gust of cool winter wind hit his face, making him feel as if he had stepped into a brand new world.

CLACK CLACK

The distinctive sound of police-issue leather boots on the stone floor echoed in the corridor. Brother Zhang, the one who had brought Yang Wenqing to the training room, appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Wenqing!"

Brother Zhang called out and walked over quickly.

Yang Wenqing also walked toward him, though his pace wasn’t as fast.

"Your aura is stable, and Spiritual Qi is gathering around you. You’ve successfully broken through!" Brother Zhang’s face lit up with joy.

"Yes, thanks to this training room," Yang Wenqing said with a smile.

"Haha!"

Brother Zhang laughed heartily. He looked Yang Wenqing up and down, a smile still on his face, and said, "Go home, take a shower, and change into some fresh clothes. I’ll send a message to Old Xiao. You can report to the station tomorrow."

He paused for a moment, then added, "You’ve been in seclusion for two days and two nights. Don’t worry, this time off won’t count against your five-day Spring Festival holiday."

With that, he cast a Dust Clearing Skill on Yang Wenqing.

Only then did Yang Wenqing notice his inner shirt was almost soaked with sweat. Even in winter, there was a strong smell of body odor.

"Thanks for looking out for me, Brother Zhang."

"Don’t mention it."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Yang Wenqing took his leave. As he walked out of the building, he realized it was already late. Only the patrol and on-duty guards were left in the sub-bureau.

When he reached the sub-bureau’s main gate, he saw his classmate, Song Yu.

"When did you get here?"

Song Yu looked Yang Wenqing up and down.

Yang Wenqing replied, "During the day. I borrowed a training room. Were you moved to the night shift?"

Song Yu didn’t suspect a thing.

The two chatted for a few more moments before Yang Wenqing said his goodbyes and left. After he had walked some distance, an old man with the rank of a senior sergeant stepped out of a nearby guard post and asked Song Yu, "A classmate of yours?"

"Yeah!"

"He’s already advanced to the Qi Cultivation Stage. He probably broke through this time while using the training room."

"Huh?!"

Song Yu was stunned. He stared blankly in the direction Yang Wenqing had left, then looked back at the old man before spitting out two words: "Holy shit."

...

It was over half an hour later when Yang Wenqing returned to his dorm. He first went to the communal washroom, took a cold shower, and came back to his room. He subconsciously started to prepare a meal, but he didn’t feel the slightest bit hungry.

Those in the Qi Refining Realm could already practice Fasting. Eating too many worldly foods would even consume the Spiritual Qi in one’s Qi Sea to digest. Still, many Qi Cultivators maintained their three meals a day. As an instructor from the Police Academy put it: "If you go too long without eating grains, you’ll start to feel empty. Over time, you might even begin to wonder if you’re still human."

Yang Wenqing decided to follow his senior’s advice. He steamed half a taro, mixed it with white sugar, and ate it. His gaze then fell on the pile of clothes he had changed out of.

He also knew the Dust Clearing Skill. In fact, he had learned it back in his clan’s schoolhouse. It was just that before, the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea was insufficient, so he couldn’t bear to use it often.

He extended his left hand, drew upon the Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea, and formed the Dharma Seal for the Dust Clearing Skill.

As the Dharma Seal formed, a faint Spiritual Light flickered at his fingertip. An invisible wave spread out, gently brushing over the pile of clothes. The dirt and even the odor clinging to the fabric were wiped away as if by an unseen hand.

In the span of a few breaths, the pile of clothes was as clean as new, even carrying a hint of the fresh scent left after being cleansed by Spiritual Qi.

Yang Wenqing looked at his handiwork with satisfaction, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face. He then muttered to himself, "Cultivation truly is endlessly fascinating!"

With that said, he folded the "washed" clothes and put them in his wardrobe. Then, he sat cross-legged on his bed to enter meditation and cultivate. However, he didn’t have a Secret Technique for the Qi Cultivation Stage at the moment. Although he knew the theory, he didn’t try anything for safety’s sake. He could only simulate casting the Spell Dharma Seals he had already learned within his Golden Core World.

Unconsciously, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he let himself drift into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Yang Wenqing woke up before dawn as usual. He was about to go wash up when he remembered he was now a Qi Cultivator. He cast a Dust Clearing Skill on himself, then sat on his bed to meditate, absorbing and refining Spiritual Qi with the basic technique to replenish his Qi Sea.

「After daybreak.」

He put on his city defense uniform, picked up the envelope with the money he’d received, and took the small piece of steamed taro left in the pot before heading out. He first went to an ATM at the city bank across from his dorm’s courtyard to deposit the money, then headed toward the public security station.