“Craving earth qi.”
“Craving sunlight.”
“Craving water.”
“Craving spiritual qi.”
“Craving vitality.”
These were the thoughts that Lin Donglai had summarized as frequently emanating from the mysterious Dao Seed.
When it craved spiritual qi, Lin Donglai needed to diligently cultivate the Primordial Breathing Art—after all, he had no spirit stones. When practicing the Primordial Breathing Art, if he aligned with the breathing rhythm of the Dao Seed itself, there would be a synergistic effect, greatly increasing the speed at which he drew in spiritual qi.
When it craved sunlight, he would find a secluded spot, strip off his clothes, and sunbathe.
When it craved water, he drank water.
When it craved earth qi, he would practice his standing post barefoot on the soil. This post method involved marrow cleansing and tendon changing, and it emphasized "rooting like an old tree."
When it craved vitality, he would go into the small woods, where the mysterious Dao Seed would absorb vitality on its own. If that wasn't enough, Lin Donglai would go cut some wild grass, drawing vitality from it as a supplement.
Though this was far less effective than the half-spirit grass or low-grade spirit grass bought with spirit stones.
Because he always practiced barefoot, this eccentric behavior drew gossip behind his back—people said the country bumpkin couldn't shed his old habits—which ironically gave Lin Donglai a bit of fame among the disciples.
Even Elder Qin personally asked Lin Donglai why he came to class without shoes—had he sold the shoes issued to outer disciples for spirit stones?
Lin Donglai could only explain that walking barefoot allowed him to better feel heaven and earth and nature, to grasp the artistic conception of the unity of man and heaven, and thus better practice the Tendon-Changing and Marrow-Cleansing Post Method.
Elder Qin did not believe that a seedling who hadn't even completed qi induction could grasp the unity of man and heaven. But since he noticed nothing else unusual, he merely said, "In that case, this really is a technique of your own. After all, although you're also a five spirit roots, lower grade, you do have a Low Grade Jia-Wood Body, which is a bit stronger than ordinary five spirit roots lower grade. Perhaps you really can draw some inspiration from the earth like a tree. Consider it a liberation of your natural instincts."
"But next time, better not sunbathe with your bare rear end exposed. People flying high can still see you."
……
After Elder Qin's questioning, Lin Donglai continued doing as he pleased; it was only when sunbathing that he put in a bit more effort, procuring several mirrors to reflect sunlight into his room from outside, no longer stripping naked to lie on the great bluestone.
With the tendon-changing stage complete, he began the great undertaking of marrow cleansing.
Marrow cleansing was not just cleansing the marrow—it also included changing the blood. Within the Tendon-Changing and Marrow-Cleansing Post Method, there was a technique called [Marrow Quaking], which involved emitting a low-frequency sound from the throat while breathing, like the rumbling purr of a tiger or leopard.
This technique easily damaged the internal organs. Fortunately, the air roots of the mysterious Dao Seed breathed and circulated at every moment, nourishing his flesh body, so he had no fear of minor injuries.
Judging by the cultivation progress of Ding Zhen and the others, Lin Donglai's marrow cleansing progress was not slow at all.
After marrow cleansing, the bones gradually grew light, as ordinary marrow absorbed spiritual qi and transformed into spirit marrow.
Spirit marrow was responsible for producing blood, especially "essence blood."
Whether marrow cleansing succeeded could only be verified through "essence blood."
The steps to achieve innate fetal breathing required consuming essence blood to "refine essence into qi."
Without sufficient essence blood, refining essence into qi was impossible.
Only by achieving innate fetal breathing could one guide the external spiritual qi into the body and complete qi induction.
For ordinary people, as long as they completed marrow cleansing and condensed nine drops of essence blood, they could basically achieve fetal breathing. However, it was best to retain three drops of essence blood, or else their vitality would be severely damaged.
Essence blood was something cultivators frequently had to consume—for instance, refining magical artifacts... or performing certain desperate secret arts.
For example, Lin Donglai's refinement of his life Dao Seed required essence blood.
So far, Lin Donglai had condensed five drops. Since beginning marrow refining, he could basically condense one drop every three days on his own. Placing a hand over his heart, he could faintly sense it—this was a change that could only occur after marrow cleansing. Essence blood was heavier than ordinary blood and far more spiritual.
Of course, the greatest credit belonged to the spirit food and meals from the cafeteria. Without them, the consumption of condensing essence blood could never be replenished even by eating an entire ox daily in the mortal world—he would easily refine himself into a skeleton ghost.
But refining the Dao Seed required forty-nine drops of essence blood in total—seven times seven. These five drops were a drop in the bucket.
Lin Donglai planned to complete the refinement before achieving fetal breathing, to avoid complications from delays. He was only worried he wouldn't complete qi induction before the second Hundred-Day Assessment.
"Donglai! We've got to find a way to earn some spirit stones! Otherwise, even if we're just one day late in completing qi induction, we'll still be demoted to menial servants!"
"I've only condensed five drops of essence blood! With the Marrow-Nourishing Pills, I could condense one drop in seven days, but those ten pills are long finished. Without them, it takes half a month to condense one drop. And the ordinary spirit food from the cafeteria is getting less and less effective. If only I had proper spirit meals from the second floor along with Marrow-Nourishing Pills..."
Having tasted pills, Ding Zhen could hardly endure that plodding cultivation anymore. But he was too embarrassed to borrow spirit stones from Xue Hong again, and he wasn't close with anyone else.
Luo Jie and Yu Jiang, who lived in the same courtyard, didn't look like they had spirit stones to spare either.
Lin Donglai wanted to earn some spirit stones too, to get stones and spirit medicines to stimulate the mysterious Dao Seed into growing another fine root thread. With a double effect like that, he would surely complete the refinement of the Dao Seed before the second Hundred-Day Assessment.
But for the moment he had no way to earn spirit stones. "Only Qi Refinement first layer disciples get an outer disciple stipend. Although we've formally joined the sect, we're not yet true outer disciples... And to study the hundred arts of cultivation, we have to go to Lingxi Peak. Do you actually have some connection for earning spirit stones?"
Ding Zhen nodded and urged, "Lai'er, there really is a way! Just past Lingxi Peak is the Outer Sect Hall. Any outer disciple can take missions there!"
"Even though we haven't completed qi induction and can't receive the one spirit stone stipend, we can still take missions and earn spirit stones!"
"Things like gathering spirit rice left behind in the spirit fields, or weeding the spirit fields, or catching bugs in the orchards—half a spirit stone a day."
Lin Donglai shook his head upon hearing this. "Half a spirit stone a day? Better to focus on cultivating the Primordial Breathing Art. The Primordial Breathing Art pairs perfectly with the Tendon-Changing and Marrow-Cleansing Post Method, and I've gained some insights lately. How about I share them with you? It might shorten the time it takes you to condense essence blood."
But Ding Zhen said, "Lai'er, I've done the math. Earning half a spirit stone a day, even if it means pausing a day of cultivation, is still worth it for me."
"I only need to work four days, then use two spirit stones to buy ten Marrow-Nourishing Pills, and I'll definitely succeed at marrow cleansing. It's much faster than cultivating on my own. Then I can go learn a trade at Lingxi Peak sooner! Or take missions at the Outer Sect Hall to earn spirit stones! Worst case, there's still a monthly stipend of one spirit stone!"
Seeing he couldn't be persuaded otherwise, and remembering that the mysterious Dao Seed's root threads had been craving vitality and spiritual qi with increasing frequency lately—and that condensing essence blood and refining the Dao Seed were matters of great importance to him—Lin Donglai said, "Fine. I'm going to become a spirit farmer eventually anyway, so going early to take a look and get familiar with it isn't bad."
Early the next morning, before dawn, around a quarter past three in the yin hour, Lin Donglai got up.
The route required going around Lingxi Peak to reach Gongde Peak, where the Outer Sect Hall was located.
Without even completed qi induction, and without any travel talismans, they could only set out early to have a chance at finding suitable missions.
Another seedling going along to do missions was one called Zhong Xuan. He also had five-element lower grade spirit roots, but he was a sociable sort who often visited the various seedling courtyards, passing along news. It was he who had discovered this way of earning spirit stones.