Youth must be seized early; one cannot remain forever young. Chapter 113: Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement

Time passed day by day.

More than two months had slipped away since the competition, and now it was August, the peak season for crop growth.

Just a few days after the competition, thanks to Bai Qingzhou’s efforts, the Beast Meat Shop in Shuiying District finally secured stable supply agreements with numerous independent cultivators. They then carefully selected an auspicious day to officially open the store.

Bai Qingzhou’s victory in the contest had made his name widely known, so the shop’s grand opening immediately drew the attention of many cultivators.

However, when people learned that Bai Qingzhou was running a beast meat shop, jaws dropped in shock.

A prodigy with such formidable strength suddenly opened a seemingly lowly meat shop!?

What was going on here?

This astonishing news spread rapidly, quickly boosting the shop’s reputation. Though the acclaim was mixed—some praise, some understanding—more often it was met with ridicule and mockery.

But Bai Qingzhou, having endured the trials of Logu District, had long grown indifferent to such jeers and simply focused quietly on running the business.

As time passed, the gossip gradually dwindled.

Eventually, the Beast Meat Shop officially established a solid customer base, and from then on, Bai Qingzhou and Fan Tianhe were kept endlessly busy.

...

Evening approached, the sky dimming.

“Senior Brother Bai, shall I close up now?” Fan Tianhe asked with a cheerful smile.

“Go ahead, close up,” Bai Qingzhou replied, reclining on a wooden chair in the shop and waving his hand.

After a full day’s work, he looked somewhat fatigued.

Fan Tianhe, however, remained energetic and spirited. He eagerly moved the door plank to close the shop’s main entrance, leaving just one door slightly ajar.

After securing the doors, he returned all the unsold beast meat of the day to the ice bucket, washed his hands with clear water, and then approached Bai Qingzhou holding a notebook.

Standing before him, Fan Tianhe glanced at the notebook and reported, “Senior Brother Bai! Today we sold a total of nine hundred and eighty pounds of beast meat, earning twelve spirit stones and over forty taels of gold. Based on the prices, we might have made a net profit of three spirit stones today!”

“Heh,” Bai Qingzhou chuckled softly, affirming, “Not bad. This performance nearly matches the sales volume of the Logu District.”

Hearing this, Fan Tianhe’s face brightened with pride, and he straightened his back unconsciously.

The Logu District shop had been open for over a year, while Shuiying District’s shop had only been running for a little over two months. To nearly catch up with a year’s achievement in just two months was truly something to be proud of.

Seeing Fan Tianhe’s excited expression, Bai Qingzhou smiled faintly, knowing what was on his mind.

But he didn’t intend to tell him that the better sales in Shuiying District were simply because its population was more than twice that of Logu District; such results were perfectly normal.

“All right, let’s go out and celebrate properly tonight!” Bai Qingzhou said with satisfaction.

“Great! Senior Brother Bai, what shall we eat tonight?” Fan Tianhe asked eagerly.

Bai Qingzhou pulled out two spirit stones and tossed them to Fan Tianhe, saying, “You decide what to eat.”

Fan Tianhe caught the spirit stones clumsily, then curiously asked, “Aren’t you coming with me, Senior Brother?”

“I have a feeling tonight might be a good opportunity for a breakthrough, so I won’t join you. You can invite your friends and have some fun.”

Having lived here for several months and possessing a generous nature, Fan Tianhe had made many friends in the district, often going out to eat, drink, and play.

Upon hearing this, Fan Tianhe’s eyes lit up with joy. “Senior Brother, are you about to ascend to the eighth level of Qi Refining?!”

Bai Qingzhou smiled and nodded in confirmation.

“Then I wish you success in your advancement!” Fan Tianhe said with a grin, saluting respectfully.

“I will,” Bai Qingzhou replied, standing and heading toward the door. “I’ll go ahead now. Remember to lock the door.”

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother!” Fan Tianhe assured, patting his chest.

Bai Qingzhou smiled slightly and turned to walk out onto the street.

After more than half a year of diligent cultivation, Bai Qingzhou had made rapid progress.

He had sensed the opportunity to advance last night but chose to wait until tonight to ensure the best chance.

The best place to enter seclusion and attempt realm breakthroughs in the district was the Bu’er Inn.

After all, it housed a breathing array.

Bai Qingzhou walked steadily along the road.

Along the way, several cultivators greeted him.

His battle on the contest stage, especially his victory over an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator while he himself was only seventh-level, had shrouded him in a mysterious aura, making him a relatively well-known figure in the district.

Before long, he arrived at the Bu’er Inn.

He checked in with practiced ease.

This time, to be safe, he booked a top-tier room costing five low-grade spirit stones.

The five hundred low-grade spirit stones he earned from the competition had all gone into his pocket. His personal assets now exceeded one thousand low-grade spirit stones, with more than six hundred available as liquid funds.

So spending five spirit stones on a room was no burden at all.

Inside the room, the furnishings were much like the last time, but with more fruits and vegetables on the table and more exquisite decorations.

The biggest difference was the breathing array in the center of the room.

This array was not only twice the size of those in lower-ranked rooms but also radiated a dense spiritual energy from its core. As soon as Bai Qingzhou entered, he felt the spiritual energy inside him stir slightly.

“Honored guest! This is the Advanced Breathing Array,” the female attendant explained. “It can increase cultivation speed by fifty percent. You can go ahead and try it.”

“I have been here before; I’m familiar with these,” Bai Qingzhou replied calmly.

“Very well. Call on me if you need anything,” she said respectfully.

“Mm.”

After the attendant left and the door closed, the room fell completely silent. Bai Qingzhou gazed at the Advanced Breathing Array in the center, tilted his head thoughtfully, then walked directly into its core and sat cross-legged.

Let’s begin.

With a thought, a white pill appeared in his hand.

The Qi Refining Pill.

He swallowed it.

His mind activated the Heart-Questioning Sword Technique as instinctively as his own body, and his body instantly began absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.

In the late stage of Qi Refining, one must refine and strengthen the brain with spiritual energy, which is a constant process throughout this stage.

However, there are subtle differences.

When advancing from the sixth to the seventh level of Qi Refining, a bottleneck often appears. Without a fortunate chance, one might never progress beyond it. But this bottleneck does not exist between the seventh and eighth levels.

Because the hallmark of advancing from the seventh to the eighth level is filling the entire brain with spiritual energy.

Once filled, advancement is achieved.

Following his usual routine, Bai Qingzhou’s mood was calm as he absorbed the spiritual energy.

The combined effect of the Qi Refining Pill, the Advanced Breathing Array, and his familiarity with the Heart-Questioning Sword Technique accelerated the expansion of spiritual energy in his mind, spreading into the undeveloped regions of his brain.

The whole process was as natural and effortless as eating or drinking.

After an unknown span of time...

Bai Qingzhou slowly opened his eyes, which now shone with a radiant light. Feeling the immense power within, he exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Finally... Qi Refining Level Eight.

(End of chapter)