I Cultivate in a Government Office

But right now, these acupoints had already been opened during his breakthrough to the Fifth Refinement just a moment ago, and they were incredibly resilient and spacious!

'How is this possible?' Yang Wenqing was shaken to his core. 'I just reached the peak of the Fourth Refinement. I haven't even officially started practicing the Cultivation Technique for the Fifth Refinement…'

But after the shock wore off, he recalled his cultivation journey, and a vague theory began to take shape.

Ever since he obtained the mysterious Golden Core, every cultivation session—especially when he used its projection to aid his practice of the first four refinements—had been imperceptibly expanding his meridians.

Then there were the expensive Spiritual Medicines and energy crystals. They didn't just provide medicinal power and Spiritual Qi to temper his organs; the immense energy they contained would inevitably dissipate partially into his meridians while impacting his organs, producing an effect similar to meridian expansion.

It was just that before, his attention had been focused on tempering his five viscera. Since his Fourth Refinement was incomplete, the qi from his organs had not yet fully integrated. So, while changes were occurring in his meridians, they weren't obvious and hadn't reached the critical point for a qualitative leap.

Now, with his Fourth Refinement complete, the potent Five Elements Spiritual Qi had become a perfectly unified whole. This new, integrated power was like a long-dammed flood crest that had finally broken through its last restraint, connecting flawlessly with the meridian system he had unknowingly been expanding all along.

Everything simply fell into place.

It wasn't that he had skipped the cultivation for the Fifth Refinement. Instead, while unconventionally pushing through the first four refinements, he had unknowingly laid most of the foundational groundwork required for the Fifth Refinement's meridians at the same time.

Now, the perfected power of his organs had fully erupted, revealing this hidden progress and elevating it even further.

'That's the only possible explanation.'

Yang Wenqing exhaled a turbid breath. A wave of understanding washed over him, followed by irrepressible excitement.

This meant he hadn't just successfully broken through the Fourth Refinement; in that very instant, he had leaped past the most difficult early and even middle stages of the Fifth Refinement!

From here, all he might need to do was circulate the Fifth Refinement's Cultivation Technique step-by-step. By utilizing his now river-like meridians and abundant organ Spiritual Qi, he could rapidly advance his progress and perhaps even reach the Sixth Refinement in a relatively short time.

He let out a satisfied chuckle.

Outside the Quiet Chamber, Vice Director Gao sensed Yang Wenqing's laughter through a special Array. Assuming he was simply happy about his advancement in Cultivation, he decided not to disturb him. Instead, he quietly retreated to the outer hall and contacted the secretary of the municipal bureau's Director Qin. He began to discuss, in a low voice, taking Yang Wenqing to handle the promotion procedures the next day, as well as the specific time and arrangements for a potential meeting with Director Qin.

Inside the Quiet Chamber.

Yang Wenqing suppressed his excitement and began to carefully read the contents of the Secret Technique for the Fifth Refinement:

"The fifth stage of Qi Refining is called 'Unblocking and Expanding the Meridians.' The meridians are the pathways for the circulation of qi, blood, and spiritual essence; they are the bridges that connect the organs to the limbs and the entire body. Once the organs are tempered in the Fourth Refinement, Inner Qi becomes abundant, like a river overflowing its banks. However, if the riverbed is narrow and clogged, the powerful current cannot flow smoothly. This can easily cause stagnation and may even damage the banks in the process."

"Therefore, one must use external medicine as a supplement and Inner Qi as a guide, progressing step-by-step to widen the meridians and unblock the sealed acupoints."

"The primary medicine is the Meridian-Passage Purple Spirit Ginseng. Its nature is gentle and rich, containing a spiritual essence that unblocks and expands. It also has stabilizing and nourishing properties, which can protect the meridian walls and lessen the pain of breaking through barriers."

"The method involves dissolving the medicinal power of the Spirit Ginseng into the Inner Qi and circulating it in sequence through the Twelve Main Meridians…"

"…When the main meridians are as clear as channels and Inner Qi flows unobstructed, the gains from each full circulation will multiply. Spiritual Qi will surge with every gesture. At this point, the stage is considered initially complete. The subsequent work requires patience and persistence, opening up the finer, branching meridians to lay the foundation for higher realms."

In short, the core of the Fifth Refinement was to use gentle, meridian-expanding Spiritual Medicines like the Meridian-Passage Purple Spirit Ginseng, powered by one's own potent organ Spiritual Qi, to systematically widen and clear the body's Twelve Main Meridians in a specific order, thereby building a more efficient primary network for Spiritual Qi circulation.

Although Yang Wenqing didn't have any Meridian-Passage Purple Spirit Ginseng on hand, his meridian foundation already far surpassed that of someone in the initial stage of this realm. It was the perfect moment to try circulating the Heart Method of the Fifth Refinement and see how the official cultivation path matched his current state.

He immediately cleared his mind of distractions. Following the Secret Technique, he began to guide the potent, condensed Spiritual Qi in his body, slowly circulating it along the specific path designated for the Fifth Refinement in the Nine Refining Secret Skill, starting with the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian.

The moment the Spiritual Qi entered this meridian, an unprecedented feeling of openness washed over him. The breadth and resilience of the channel far exceeded the Cultivation Technique's description for an initiate of the Fifth Refinement. The Spiritual Qi surged through it without the slightest obstruction, like a great river flowing through a deep, wide bed—unstoppably powerful, yet perfectly within his control.

As he circulated the Heart Method, the Spiritual Qi flowed sequentially through the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, and Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian. Each main meridian grew slightly warm as the Spiritual Qi cleansed it. The channels resonated naturally wherever the energy passed, as if they had been cleared out long ago and were only now being officially put into use.

After a full cycle, Yang Wenqing slowly withdrew his power. His heart filled with an ineffable satisfaction and certainty. The Spiritual Qi within him flowed endlessly through his foundational Spiritual Veins and circulated stably within the microcosms of his five viscera. His main meridians were completely unobstructed.

Just as this feeling of perfection peaked, a forgotten memory fragment surfaced from the depths of his mind.

It was from his time at the Police Academy. An old instructor teaching a theory class had casually mentioned something while discussing the transitions between the different levels of the Qi Cultivation Stage:

"All of you, remember this: cultivation is a natural process, but one must also understand how to use momentum. When you reach a point in the Fifth Refinement where your meridians are clear, your qi and blood are in harmony, and you feel your body and mind are complete and unhindered, you have in fact built the initial foundation to access Divine Sense. If you are confident, you may dip your toes in the water and try to perceive the mysteries of the Sixth Refinement's Sea of Consciousness. You might reap an unexpected reward. Of course, remember to act within your limits and never force it, or you risk harming your consciousness."

At the time, the students in the class were still just learning how to sense Spiritual Qi, so the lecture went completely over their heads. Although Yang Wenqing had diligently taken note of the advice, he had no personal experience to relate it to, and he soon buried it deep in his memory.

But now, standing personally on the threshold of the Fifth Refinement and feeling the perfectly unified momentum within him, the old instructor's words—"meridians are clear, your qi and blood are in harmony, and you feel your body and mind are complete and unhindered"—seemed tailor-made for his current state. A theory that had once felt dry and abstract now struck him with the force of an epiphany, and everything became crystal clear.

A powerful urge to explore, combined with confidence in his current state, prompted him to immediately use his badge to access the opening section of the Nine Refining Secret Skill on the Sixth Refinement: "The Initial Opening of the Sea of Consciousness."

"The sixth stage of Qi Refining: 'The Initial Opening of the Sea of Consciousness.'"

"The Spirit is the master of life; consciousness is the function of the Spirit. In ordinary mortals, the Spirit scatters outward while consciousness is muddled within. They live in a daze, unable to perceive their true selves."

"To open the Sea of Consciousness, you must first gather your Spirit. The method: sit upright in a Quiet Chamber, cast aside all worldly attachments, withdraw your sight, and turn your hearing inward. Gather the spiritual thoughts that normally dissipate through the external senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought—and converge them, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, within the ancestral acupoint between your eyebrows."

"Next, focus your intent. Within the ancestral acupoint, visualize a single point of ethereal Spiritual Light, initially the size of a millet seed, then gradually like a bright pearl. Nurture and irrigate this light with your gathered spiritual thoughts. Do not let it scatter or dim. Meditate upon it day and night, ensuring its constant, unbroken existence."

"Once your spiritual thoughts solidify and the Spiritual Light is stable, you can begin to visualize the opening…"

"…This technique requires patience and discipline; guard against arrogance and impatience. The Sea of Consciousness is the foundation of the Divine Soul. It is normal to experience stinging pain, dizziness, or a flood of illusions during the expansion process. Just hold fast to a single point of clarity in your mind. If progress is too rapid, be wary of an unstable foundation, as it could damage your sanity."

Yang Wenqing memorized the method, his mind already drawing comparisons. He immediately steadied his mind and calmed his qi. He had paid special attention to the Secret Technique for the Sixth Refinement the first time he'd read it, because the perceptual abilities of Divine Sense overlapped somewhat with his Golden Core World—for instance, Introspection and the focusing of consciousness.

Therefore, when he went to gather his spirit, it all fell into place effortlessly. In a single instant, his consciousness converged between his eyebrows.

He then visualized the Spiritual Light. The Golden Core's projection again suffused him with a cool, clear sensation, as if it contained the purest form of spiritual thought. This caused the visualized Spiritual Light not only to stabilize instantly but also to shine far more brightly than the technique described.

Seizing the momentum, he proceeded to visualize the expansion. Aided by the Golden Core's power, the Spiritual Light erupted in a brilliant flash, effortlessly carving out a space of pure clarity within the void between his eyebrows!