I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 145: Chapter 100: Cultivation of the Fourth Refinement (2)

Fiery red Spiritual Qi flowed to the heart in the south; verdant green to the liver in the east; heavy, earthen yellow to the spleen in the center; clear, silvery white to the lungs in the west; and deep, inky blue to the kidneys in the north.

The Five Qi Returning Yuan Array responded in kind. Its canopy of spiritual essence began to spin faster, guiding the five streams of already exceptionally pure Spiritual Qi. Following Yang Wenqing’s will, the energy slowly permeated his body along the specific pathways of the Fourth Refinement of the Nine Refining Secret Skill, nourishing the corresponding organs.

Within the projection of his Golden Core World, Yang Wenqing saw his own interior with greater clarity than he had four years prior. The basic forms of his five major organs, the pathways of his main meridians, and the subtle changes brought on by the flowing Spiritual Qi were all laid bare to his senses.

All told, with the dual aid of the Array and the Spiritual Medicine, Yang Wenqing’s overall progress in the Fourth Refinement—nourishing his organs with essence—had quietly surpassed the halfway mark, reaching about fifty-five to sixty percent.

His cultivation session lasted for about two hours. The Spiritual Qi in the Five Qi Returning Yuan Flower resting in his lap was depleted. Its petals lost their luster and drifted softly to the ground, and the Array’s canopy of spiritual essence slowly subsided.

And just like that, ten thousand yuan was gone. It was cheaper than the Crimson Blood Lingzhi he had used for the Third Refinement because it could be artificially cultivated, though the process was somewhat troublesome.

The Array beneath him, on the other hand, had cost nearly one hundred and sixty thousand. If he were just an ordinary patrol captain, he would have needed to save for several years to afford it. On top of that, the silver powder the Array consumed each month cost close to eight thousand.

So, despite his current means, Yang Wenqing wasn’t so extravagant as to use a Five Qi Returning Yuan Flower every single night. He had only used one tonight because he felt a certain pressure to advance. On a normal day, he simply relied on the Array and the Spirit Gathering Array for his meditation.

When the Spiritual Medicine was fully consumed, Yang Wenqing opened his eyes. A five-colored light seemed to flash within their depths before vanishing, leaving behind a profound calm. He could clearly feel the surging vitality within his body and a sense of harmony and power emanating from his organs.

"Still another forty percent to go," he muttered to himself, growing even more expectant of the ten sets of potent Five Elements Spirit Grass.

Afterward, Yang Wenqing gathered his focus and calmed his mind according to the Spirit Nurturing Art, allowing his body’s functions to operate on their own. The Spiritual Qi in his Qi Sea ebbed and flowed like the tide, gently nurturing his recently fortified organs and repairing the damage to his Spiritual Veins caused by the rapid energy circulation.

It was a form of deep, restorative relaxation, far more efficient than ordinary sleep.

As the first ray of dawn shone through the high transom window of the Quiet Chamber, landing precisely on the spot before his meditation cushion, Yang Wenqing opened his eyes right on cue.

He performed a simple Dust Clearing Skill. A Spiritual Light swept over his body, instantly whisking away the dust and impurities from his night-long meditation, leaving him feeling completely refreshed.

He pushed open the door of the Quiet Chamber and stepped out. The cool morning air, carrying the fresh scent of the plants in the backyard, flooded his lungs. Without delay, he headed straight for the training grounds.

He came to a stop in the center of the training grounds. With a mere thought, the Cyan Blade short sword slid silently from its sheath at his waist and hovered a foot in front of him. In the last four years, his mastery of the first formula, ’Nine Heavens’ Thunder’, had become perfect. Vice Director Gao had also privately taught him the next two stances of the Jingzhe Sword Formulas.

He took a deep breath. The Heart Fire Qi, tempered by the Fourth Refinement, surged within him. The circulation route of his Spiritual Power shifted abruptly as he changed the Dharma Seal his hands were forming.

The hovering Cyan Blade shuddered, and a thin, almost illusory layer of crimson flame erupted from its body. This was no real fire, but a manifestation of highly condensed Heart Fire Spiritual Qi merged with Sword Qi. Its heat was contained, yet it possessed a sharpness capable of searing through solid metal.

"Go!"

The short sword shot out like a streak of crimson fire, carving a series of unpredictable trajectories through the air. It moved like an agile serpent of fire, like the spark that ignites a wildfire, instantly blanketing the space several yards ahead and leaving scorching afterimages in its wake.

Its speed was perhaps slightly less than the explosive burst of ’Nine Heavens’ Thunder’, but its range and continuous, searing corrosive power were far superior.

After drilling the move several times until it was second nature, Yang Wenqing changed his Dharma Seal again.

"Earth Dragon Overturns!"

This time, he drew upon a combination of his refined Spleen-Earth Qi and Lung-Metal Qi. The resulting Spiritual Qi was both immensely heavy and sharply piercing.

The Cyan Blade let out a low thrum. The light around it shifted to a heavy, earthen yellow laced with a subtle, silvery white as it plunged downwards, its tip touching the ground.

THOOM!

It was the muffled boom of vibrating Spiritual Qi. Centered on the point where the sword had touched down, a heavy wave of Sword Qi, condensed like a drill bit, hugged the ground and plowed forward in a violent zigzag.

The elastic soft mats covering the ground, though undamaged, were pressed with deep grooves by the invisible force. The resulting shockwave carried a sharpness that felt like it could slice one’s skin.

This stance specialized in low attacks. It was immensely powerful and heavy, with exceptional guard-breaking potential. Moreover, with the Sword Qi hidden underground, it was a sudden and unexpected attack.

After drilling the two new sword formulas to proficiency and practicing transitioning between them and the first, beads of sweat had formed on Yang Wenqing’s temples. He was, however, extremely satisfied with the increase in Spiritual Qi control and the sheer power of the sword formulas that came with the Fourth Refinement.

Unlike a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had yet to cultivate the Five Elements Spiritual Veins. Relying too heavily on the Five Elements Spiritual Qi generated by his organs would damage their foundation. As such, he wouldn’t normally use these kinds of techniques. At his current Cultivation in the Qi Cultivation Stage, firearms were still the most practical weapon.

After resting for a moment, Yang Wenqing used his Golden Core World to observe his body. Once his organs had recovered, he began to practice a new Dharma Seal from the Fourth Refinement called the Rejuvenation Seal. Guided by the Qi of his Liver-Wood, it could release a verdant Spiritual Light brimming with vitality. When shone upon a wound, either his own or another’s, it could accelerate the healing of flesh wounds, dispel minor toxins, and briefly bolster the recipient’s spirits.

Yang Wenqing wasn’t short on the money he could make from selling Rune Paper. He inscribed these Dharma Seals primarily for his own use, so he could react immediately if something happened. They could also be used on any injured workers at his estate.

Holding his fingers together like a blade, Yang Wenqing traced an arcane pattern in the air. Verdant Spiritual Light gathered at his fingertips, and inscribed sheets of Rune Paper rapidly formed one after another. In the blink of an eye, he had created ten. At that point, the strain on his organs became too great, and he had to stop to recover for a moment. However, this process also served to further temper his organs.

By the time he recovered, it was already 7:30. He put away the newly created Rejuvenation Seal Rune Paper, cast another Dust Clearing Skill to wash away the sweat and dust from his training, and walked to the small dining hall adjacent to the main hall.

Aunt Zhou was already standing quietly to one side. Breakfast was laid out on the large, square mahogany table.

The main dish was a small bowl of millet and pumpkin porridge, simmered until the grains had blossomed. Beside it were two savory soup dumplings and four exquisite side dishes.

Ever since Vice Director Gao’s reminder, Yang Wenqing had made time to live like a mortal, balancing out the humanity that his arduous cultivation tended to neglect. He ate his breakfast in peace. His tense nerves relaxed, and he felt a more tangible sense that he had truly established a foothold in the county and now had a home to call his own.

At 7:50 AM, Yang Wenqing boarded his Flying Shuttle and headed for the City Defense Division.

As his Flying Shuttle neared the division’s main building, he noticed with his sharp eyes that the plaza out front was far more crowded than usual. It wasn’t just packed with official Flying Shuttles; there were also many bearing the insignias of the Civil Affairs Bureau, the technical department, and even units directly under the municipal bureau. Several large, industrial Flying Shuttles were particularly conspicuous.

Yang Wenqing immediately remembered something mentioned at an internal briefing a few days ago. In response to a directive from their superiors to strengthen local communications and information infrastructure, and also because of the imminent development of New Town to the south, Qianjiao County had been designated one of the first pilot counties for an upgrade to the civilian communications network.

’Looks like the engineering teams have officially moved in.’

’This is a good thing. In the future, I won’t have to rely on letters to contact my family; I’ll be able to send messages directly via communication arrays. As for the cost, since the higher-ups want it to be for civilian use, it can’t be that expensive.’

He skillfully found a parking spot for his Flying Shuttle. Just as he pushed open the door, a somewhat jarring mechanical hum came from behind the main building—the sound of a large-scale industrial Magical Artifact powering up.

’Looks like the division won’t be very quiet today.’ Yang Wenqing straightened his collar and strode steadily toward the main entrance. He passed many hurried colleagues and technicians, exchanging nods with them. The air was thick with the bustling, restless energy unique to a major project kickoff.

He walked into the lobby, where a crowd had gathered around the bulletin board. They were looking at a newly posted "Notice Regarding Cooperation with the County-Wide Civilian Communications Network Upgrade Project" and a map of the temporarily designated construction zones.

Yang Wenqing glanced at it briefly before turning his attention away and heading straight for the floor where the Major Case Team was located.

Nothing major happened that day. When Yang Wenqing returned home in the afternoon, Aunt Zhou immediately came up to him. "We have guests," she said.

"Who?"

"Yang Lin and his son!"

Yang Wenqing paused, then it clicked. Yang Lin was the father of Yang Wenqi, the young man he had been keeping an eye on. And this was right around the time for Yang Wenqi’s post-graduation job assignment.