Cultivation begins with ice harvesters

Chapter 4: Patrol

Feeling the flow of spiritual energy in the meridians, the increase of magical power in the dantian, and the gradually increasing spiritual energy in the room under the effect of the spirit-binding array.

Tong Bingfeng would naturally not forget the elixir he purchased at the cost of months of painstakingly gathering spiritual ice.

The jade bottle containing the Qi Refining Powder had already been uncorked. Tong Bingfeng circulated his spiritual power, and as soon as he opened his mouth, a suction force came from inside. Under the pull of this force, the Qi Refining Powder, which was entirely emerald green, turned into a stream of light and fell smoothly into his mouth.

The Qi Refining Powder melted in the mouth, and a burnt and slightly sour smell instantly filled the taste buds. After all, it was only a first-grade low-level entry-level pill, and neither purification nor fermentation had met the true requirements of a pill.

Faced with this strange and unbearable smell, Tong Bingfeng, as the owner, had anticipated it and did not show any abnormality throughout the entire process.

The spiritual liquid transformed from the Qi Refining Powder flowed down his throat, and throughout the process, streams of spiritual energy of varying thickness and quantity dissipated into different locations along his meridians.

The spiritual energy from the Qi Refining Powder did not obediently integrate into the Great Circulation of Qi that was being purified. Instead, it immediately transformed into strangely temperamental spirit snakes and scurrying spirit rats, which darted about throughout the meridians and the body.

Sometimes they would clump together, blocking more than 80% of the already narrow spiritual veins, causing considerable trouble for the operation of the Great Circulation and the refining of spiritual energy. At other times they would run back and forth, constantly crashing into different parts of the meridians, and the pain they experienced was unimaginable.

"Water benefits all things without striving; water dripping wears away stone and refines it."

Enjoying the blissful yet troubled experience of refining the Qi-refining powder, Tong Bingfeng never showed any extra expression from beginning to end. His hands, which were originally stacked on top of each other outside his abdomen, moved rapidly up, down, left, and right, completing a task that required a special technique as an aid.

As the hand seals were completed, the speed of the originally rapidly circulating Great Circulation suddenly decreased by more than 30%, and the semi-purified spiritual energy did not flow into the dantian all at once.

The spiritual energy that had been trapped in the meridians immediately transformed into a layer of sticky gas, which first adhered to the spirit snake that was coiled up and blocking the meridians.

These serpents move slowly, but the trouble they cause is quite troublesome, reducing the circulation rate of the Great Circulation by more than half.

In contrast, the spirit rat's random scurrying through the meridians, while causing some pain, does not inflict additional damage on the physical body; one simply needs to endure the pain.

For an ice harvester struggling at the bottom of the cultivation world, enduring various forms of pain is an essential course of learning.

"hiss"

As the spiritual energy fully attached itself, these spirit snakes from the Qi Refining Powder seemed to sense the coming of the apocalypse as well. Accompanied by snake cries, their not-so-thick snake bodies began to writhe and thrash within their meridians.

"Hmm"

The meridians of the human body are inherently fragile. Although the meridians of cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining are nourished by spiritual energy, their ability to withstand such internal and external impacts is still limited.

Moreover, the pain from refining the Qi Refining Powder this time far surpassed the impact of the previous, even lower-quality Qi Refining Powder, catching Tong Bingfeng, who was quite familiar with this kind of reaction, somewhat off guard.

Despite her best efforts to neutralize the snake's slapping, her meridians were fragile, and a few drops of blood, difficult to suppress, still appeared on the corner of Tong Bingfeng's mouth, a backlash from the refining process.

However, it is ultimately just a low-grade first-level Qi Refining Powder. The amount of spiritual power contained in each pill is limited, and once it enters the meridians, no matter how much it is impacted, it will ultimately be nothing more than a rootless source or a tree without water.

Under the active coverage of the Great Circulation of spiritual energy, the spirit snakes went from being wild and unruly to being obedient. Finally, under the guidance of the magic power, they transformed into gentle streams and smoothly merged into the Great Circulation of spiritual energy, flowing into the sea and into the magic power in the dantian.

A cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining only has a dantian the size of a fist, and the magical power contained within it exists only as a special gas-like mist.

The magical power refined through the Great Circulation is continuously replenished into it to increase the density of magical power, praying that one day it can be transformed from qi into liquid, thereby achieving a major leap in cultivation and advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Of course, given Tong Bingfeng's cultivation aptitude with three spiritual roots—water, wood, and earth—and the current state of extreme scarcity and depletion of various spiritual resources, the Foundation Establishment stage is destined to be a distant goal that requires hard work and struggle.

Time flies like an arrow, and the three-hour supply of spiritual energy passed in the blink of an eye.

Tong Bingfeng was still immersed in the joy of cultivation when he clearly sensed that the spiritual energy around him had become thinner again, returning to its normal state.

"Bang"

"Master, please appear immediately! We are market patrol officers, ordered to apprehend a fugitive suspect."

Before Tong Bingfeng could successfully complete the last major cycle of his energy circulation, a loud bang was heard in the courtyard, accompanied by shouts and urging.

It seems that if he hesitates even slightly, he will be immediately identified as a suspect.

The patrol was specially formed by the Chen family, the master of Ice Spirit Island, who were at the Foundation Establishment stage. It was led by several Qi Refining Level 9 cultivators and supported by Qi Refining Level 1 cultivators. Its main task was to maintain the normal operation of the spirit island.

"Ice harvester Tong Bingfeng greets you, esteemed guards of the upper clans. I have been making a living by harvesting ice for the upper clans for many years. I have lived on Ice Spirit Island for two years, paying my rent on time without any arrears. I have a clean record and am hardworking. I hope you, esteemed guards, will understand."

Despite his thousand grievances, he could only bow his head in the face of cruel reality. Tong Bingfeng disregarded the shock and discomfort in his meridians caused by hastily ending his practice.

With a fawning expression, he bowed deeply and handed over a crudely made wooden identity token, trying his best to prove his identity, fearing that the slightest negligence would bring him unwarranted disaster.

Although these guards came from the Chen family, who were at the Foundation Establishment stage, there are all sorts of birds in a big forest. Every place and region has some bullies who enjoy oppressing others.

Of course, there are also those who want to squeeze every last drop of spirit crystals from the already impoverished cultivators.

"Having taken so long, is it because you're hiding contraband in the house? Or are you showing contempt for us patrol guards?"

The leading cultivator immediately began to frame Tong Bingfeng, his triangular eyes flashing with sharp light as he looked Tong Bingfeng up and down, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

"Your Excellency is wise. I had just finished my cultivation when I heard of your arrival, and came to pay my respects immediately. I would never dare to neglect Your Excellency in the slightest."

Tong Bingfeng cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, bowing even lower, but still refused to offer up the spirit crystals he had worked so hard to earn for nothing.

"Having lived on Ice Spirit Island for two years, you still lack discernment. You deserve your bad luck today."

"Brothers, this place is suspected of harboring a wanted criminal from a family. Search every inch of this area."

Seeing that he had not achieved his goal, the triangular-eyed cultivator immediately gave an order to completely raze the small courtyard in front of him to the ground.

"Your Excellency is wise to see this; how dare I, a mere junior official, conceal my dissatisfaction?"