Chapter 86: Chapter 69: The Cat Master on the Path of the Dao, 8800 Years

At this moment, Jiang Yi’s state of mind was wondrously profound. His heart was as placid as a lake, yet his spirit soared. It was like steering a small boat, racing through a tempest—an absolutely exhilarating rush!

He had never imagined that absorbing Spiritual Qi and refining Spiritual Energy could be so smooth, so comfortable.

’Mixed Refining Origin, Commander of Ten Thousand Truths… So this is the Qi Cultivation from a Perfect Dao Inheritance. It’s truly profound, the culmination of the wisdom and effort of countless generations.’

’It’s absolutely marvelous! No wonder the moment it appeared, it was destined to align with the infinite fate and fortune of a Dharma Lineage.’

Understanding dawned on Jiang Yi. Without opening his eyes, he could see clusters of qi, varying in shape, color, and attribute, floating within several yards of his body.

They danced like fireflies, shining brightly. He didn’t need to focus his mind, circulate his True Qi, or manipulate his Primordial Essence. They simply swarmed toward him of their own accord, encircling his body.

Even more wonderfully, when he activated his Primordial Gate and circulated his Brain God, he could sense faint, joyful, and lively auras.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism was actively responding to him!

’One Qi unites with virtue, water and fire refine Essence. Yang moves and Yin responds, the ten thousand gods are born. Grant me illumination, to perceive the highest mystery. Summoned, they arrive instantly, receiving their orders…’

This was the tens of thousands of words of Essentials that Jiang Yi had deduced and derived with the help of the Celestial Book, based on the eight-character maxim given to him by True Master Xuanmiao: “Mixed Refining Origin, Commander of Ten Thousand Truths.”

Every word was like a luminous pearl, slowly flowing through his heart, each one adding a tiny bit to his essential understanding.

’So that’s how it is…’

Jiang Yi contemplated the eight-character maxim again, and a profound understanding washed over him.

The essence of the Qi Cultivation Chapter from Cat Master was to first convert all the True Qi, Fire Attribute, fetal breath, and Primordial Essence within his body, organs, and Primordial Inner Mansion into the “Supreme Origin,” a substance that could merge with all things.

After completing this step, he would act as the origin and ancestor, breathing in Spiritual Qi and seizing Spiritual Energy.

’This isn’t just refining anymore; it’s a response from heaven and earth itself. It’s as if a king has given an order and his subjects must obey, without the slightest hint of defiance!’

Jiang Yi circulated his Brain God, sent out a thought, and drew in a wisp of scorching air that felt like furnace fire.

This was of the He Flame attribute, which could scorch True Qi and smelt Primordial Essence, making it difficult to utilize.

In the past, he would have had to expend great effort and exhaust his Heart Spirit just to collect it.

Now, with hardly any effort, this wisp of Spiritual Energy dispersed on its own and merged into his Primordial Gate.

Then, like melting ice and snow, it dripped like a drop of water and fell—PLIP—into his Inner Mansion.

His Cultivation rose, his Merit increased!

’It really is this simple, this easy.’

Jiang Yi felt as if he were in a dream. Thinking back on all his past struggles, he felt a bit wistful.

’If such a wondrous Qi Cultivation Method exists in the world, then what was all my past painstaking effort to perform Breathing and seize Spiritual Energy even for?’

Jiang Yi chuckled, cutting off these distracting thoughts. He mused:

’Reaching the Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer doesn’t seem so hard after all.’

It was no wonder his confidence surged, giving rise to such an audacious thought.

One must understand that in the Qi Cultivation Realm, the first Four Layers were for nurturing the body as a Furnace Cauldron. After entering the Fifth Layer, a cultivator would begin to focus on Qi Collection to strengthen the Primordial Gate and solidify the Inner Mansion.

This continued until one reached the peak of the Twelfth Layer, where the Divine Thought would transform, coalescing into a Profound Light that illuminated the fontanelle.

From then on, Magical Power would be generated naturally. One could fly through the skies and burrow through the earth, roaming an entire continent—a true carefree traveler of the mortal world.

Their abilities would be numerous, capable of grasping stars from the sky and commanding ghosts and spirits.

Ascending to become an Upper Cultivator who could establish their own sect and preside over a Dharma Lineage would be well within reach!

Just thinking about such a future was enough to make one’s heart race, wishing they could cultivate day and night to achieve it in an instant.

And yet, this was a Realm where one could not seek “speed.”

This was because the amount of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism was vast, as boundless as a sea of mist.

It was even rumored that there was a “Yiyuan” number of them—that is, “129,600 different types.”

Imagine trying to select and refine the few, or perhaps dozen, types of Spiritual Energy that matched one’s Cultivation Technique from such a virtually infinite pool.

How tedious and difficult must that be?

Even a True Inheritance disciple from an Ancestral Sect, possessing a superior Cave Mansion rich with Spiritual Energy, would rarely be able to defy convention and ascend to the Twelfth Layer Floors with explosive progress.

’Cat Master truly did not deceive me. No wonder Cultivators who obtain a Perfect Dao Inheritance can be considered ’Dao Material’ or ’True Inheritance.’’

’As long as their aptitude isn’t hopelessly poor, with enough patient, grinding effort, they will sooner or later cultivate to the Twelfth Layer and have one foot in the door of Foundation Establishment.’

Jiang Yi cultivated for a moment, and after absorbing less than five wisps of Spiritual Energy, the area around him was already empty.

He sighed internally. Beimang Ridge was a barren land to begin with, and it took a great deal of Spiritual Qi gathering together to form even a single wisp of Spiritual Energy.

For a Qi Cultivation Fifth-Layer Cultivator, a thousand wisps of Spiritual Energy were needed to constitute one portion of high-quality, full Primordial Qi.

Thinking of it this way, there was a good reason why his Grandpa, Yang Xun, had been stuck at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer for decades.

Jiang Yi put himself in his shoes and considered it. If it were him, he feared he too would have gradually fallen into despair during his cultivation, like walking down a bumpy road with no end in sight.

’To advance in Cultivation, one truly cannot do without Opportunity and one’s own innate destiny… The more I think about it, the truer that statement seems.’

Ceasing his Merit cultivation, Jiang Yi slowly opened his eyes, only to see True Master Xuanmiao crouched before him, as if it had been waiting for some time.

He asked with a smile:

“Was this Disciple so engrossed in Cultivation that I made a commotion and accidentally disturbed Cat Master’s rest?”

’Xiao Jiang is a pretty good kid, worrying about his master.’

True Master Xuanmiao’s round eyes showed a hint of warmth. The Cultivators it had met in the past were either overly reverent or had ulterior motives.

Although Xiao Jiang had asked for a Dao Inheritance, he had been frank and honest about it. Moreover, he treated it with genuine sincerity, never showing any disrespect due to its small form.

’That’s worthy of praise!’

With this in mind, True Master Xuanmiao spoke. “Lie down.”

Jiang Yi was slightly taken aback but didn’t ask any questions.

’A cat’s thoughts are always strange and unpredictable. It’s best just to go along with it.’

He straightened his Daoist Robe and lay flat on the couch as instructed.

True Master Xuanmiao immediately leaped onto his body and began kneading him gently with its front paws.

“Er… Cat Master, is this a reward? Or praise?”

Jiang Yi was a little confused.

“Xiao Jiang, have you thought about your future path in Cultivation?”

True Master Xuanmiao curled into a ball of fur, nestled on Jiang Yi’s abdomen, and pressed its paws down every now and then.

“I haven’t thought about it in detail.”

Jiang Yi answered truthfully:

“This Disciple is afraid of aiming too high and losing sight of the ground beneath my feet, only to end up falling.

“Besides, this Disciple has always been pragmatic. I just want to walk the path before me steadily before considering anything else.”

“Hmm, that’s not wrong. This True Master once heard a certain Great Power say, ’All those who pursue Cultivation must start from near to travel far, and start from low to climb high.’’

“But that Dharma Lineage you plan to return to, Xiao Jiang, is merely a small ’Inner Sect.’ It’s destined for mediocrity.”

For once, True Master Xuanmiao grew serious, looking very much the part of a master.

’Is Cat Master trying to poach me?’

Jiang Yi’s thoughts flickered. He met the cat’s amber eyes and said softly:

“The Qianji Sect is a decent place to be. Across the three-thousand-li Beimang Ridge, the only real paths forward are ’Illuminating the Dark’ and ’True Gu.’’

“Both of those Branch Sects have High Cultivators who consume Daoist Can. This Disciple has no prominent background or powerful backer. If I were to rashly go there and attract attention, I’m afraid I’d end up as Medicinal Materials.”

True Master Xuanmiao’s eyes widened, as if angered by his words:

“Who says you don’t have a good background! As a disciple under this True Master, a member of this… Dharma Lineage, forget Beimang Ridge, forget the Nanzhan Continent—in the entire Yanfu Vast Land, there might not be anyone with a better background than you!”

Jiang Yi put on a feigned look of confusion, but inside, his heart was in turmoil.

’What Dharma Lineage is Cat Master from, exactly?’

’The Taifu Sect?’

’Its behavior doesn’t quite fit.’

He had indeed considered using the Celestial Book to investigate Cat Master’s origins, but he had never gotten any results.

Asking about “True Master Xuanmiao” yielded no response. Inquiring about the “Taifu Sect’s True Master Cat” also led to no answer.

Only after receiving the eight-character maxim “Mixed Refining Origin, Commander of Ten Thousand Truths” and then asking about the “origin of my Dao Inheritance” did the Celestial Book finally vibrate.

However, the time required for the deduction was second only to the “one hundred three thousand two hundred kalpas” needed for the [Opportunity for Future Dao Attainment].

It was a staggering [eight thousand eight hundred years].

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep