Chapter 287 - 159: First Attempt at Cultivating in the Marrow Cleansing Realm

Chapter 287: Chapter 159: First Attempt at Cultivating in the Marrow Cleansing Realm

Inside the Quiet Chamber.

Yang Wenqing sat in silent meditation on his cushion for a few moments, calming his mind until his Heart Lake was utterly tranquil. Only then did he retrieve the materials from the Storage Bag gifted by his master, Qin Huaiming, for the auxiliary Array he would use to cultivate Qi and Marrow Fusion.

This Array was called the Nine Palaces Earth Marrow-Nourishing Array. Its base consisted of nine Warm Jade Boards arranged in the pattern of the Nine Palaces, with an Earth Essence serving as the core Array eye for guidance. Its main function was to gently penetrate and nourish the bone marrow, stabilizing the circulation of Spiritual Qi within the body.

Yang Wenqing didn’t immediately begin setting up the Array. Instead, he first centered himself and performed Introspection, sinking his consciousness into the projection of his Golden Core World. There, he used his will to simulate the construction of the Array’s basic form.

Unlike the grand and complex Circumferential Stars Aperture-Guiding Array he had used before, this Array focused more on penetration, nourishment, and stability.

The Array Base was comprised of nine palm-sized, neatly cut Warm Jade Boards. This jade, sourced from deep within the earth’s veins, was gentle in nature, excellent at conducting Spiritual Qi, and could steadily emit an energy that stimulated qi and blood activity over long periods. This set alone was worth around 200,000 on the market.

Yang Wenqing needed to arrange the Warm Jade Boards around himself in the Nine Palaces formation, creating a basic field for Gathering Spirit and harmonization.

The core of the Array was a pigeon-egg-sized Earth Essence. Condensed from the essence of the earth’s veins, this item had supportive and stabilizing properties. It could effectively suppress and guide the Spiritual Qi flowing into the bone marrow, preventing it from becoming overactive and causing damage or dissipation. This single piece of essence alone was worth over 80,000.

Moreover, it was a consumable item that needed to be replaced once its internal energy was depleted. However, his master had already prepared ten of them for him.

Yang Wenqing placed the illusory projection of the Earth Essence in the center of the simulated Array, making it resonate with the projection of his own Qi Sea.

Next were the auxiliary runes and spiritual channels. His master was generous, giving Yang Wenqing gold sand instead of the more common silver sand. He would need to mix it with spiritual ink to draw the complex Marrow-Nourishing Patterns and Foundation-strengthening Talismans on the Warm Jade Boards. This material was also a monthly consumable, but since gold sand could be exchanged at the bank, his master hadn’t prepared a large supply.

The Array’s energy drive and circulation relied on thirty-six standard Energy Stones embedded in specific nodes on the Warm Jade Boards. They would provide the basic power for the Array’s operation, simulating the most suitable, gentle environment for bone marrow absorption. This was yet another major expense.

The cultivation costs for this Array were so high that even with his current wealth, Yang Wenqing could barely afford them. This was especially true for the Earth Essence; the item had a known price but was almost impossible to find on the market. If Yang Wenqing had to search for one himself, it could take several months just to find a single piece.

Within the projection of his Golden Core World, Yang Wenqing ran simulations of the Array’s layout ten times. He confirmed that every runic node, every path of the spiritual channels, and the Spiritual Qi interactions between all materials had reached a perfect balance. Only then did he withdraw from his state of Introspection.

Opening his eyes, Yang Wenqing began the actual setup. His movements were calm and steady. Nine Warm Jade Boards settled into the Nine Palaces formation. The Earth Essence was placed beneath the central cushion. His spiritual ink brush moved with fluid grace, leaving trails of faintly shimmering patterns on the Warm Jade Boards. Finally, he embedded the thirty-six Energy Stones one by one into their designated slots.

As the last Energy Stone clicked into place, the floor of the Quiet Chamber faintly lit up. A halo of pale yellow light, as gentle as moonlight yet imbued with the profound weight of the earth, silently spread outward, forming a stable Light Domain about one zhang in diameter.

The Spiritual Qi within the Light Domain became exceptionally docile. It began to subtly permeate toward Yang Wenqing at its center, nourishing him as silently and gently as a spring rain.

"It’s done."

Yang Wenqing noted the Array’s effects with satisfaction.

He sat cross-legged on the cushion at the eye of the Array and took out a whole Blood Marrow Lingzhi. The spiritual mushroom was as red as crimson jade, and felt warm and smooth to the touch. He could faintly sense the surging, yet gentle, medicinal power contained within it.

He then carefully broke off a small piece and placed it under his tongue.

In the blink of an eye, the Blood Marrow Lingzhi dissolved. A warm current rushed through his limbs and torso, boring deep into his very bones. Yang Wenqing immediately activated the First Transformation of the *Xuanyue True Marrow Cleansing Scripture*. Aided by the Nine Palaces Earth Marrow-Nourishing Array, he began guiding his pure Spiritual Qi to slowly permeate every bone in his body.

The process was much smoother than he had anticipated. His Purity Body was naturally permeable, the Blood Marrow Lingzhi was of the highest quality, and the Array was working perfectly. Combined with the initial guidance his master had provided, these four factors greatly reduced the resistance he faced as the Spiritual Qi permeated his bone marrow.

Before long, he could clearly feel a cool, life-filled sliver of Spiritual Qi seeping into the hard substance of his bones, attempting to connect with the vibrant marrow deep within.

Then came the inevitable pain. This was something all Cultivators without natural-born root bones had to endure. He was already accustomed to pain, but this sensation was different, and it would take some time to adapt.

This was a slow, meticulous process that required great patience. Yang Wenqing remained calm and focused, his mind fixed. He suppressed the pain while carefully observing every minute change, ready to use his Divine Sense at any moment to fine-tune the Array’s output and the rhythm of his own Spiritual Qi, ensuring the process remained stable and safe.

An unknown amount of time passed. The Blood Marrow Lingzhi in Yang Wenqing’s hand was completely consumed. When the last wisp of its unique warmth faded, he ceased his cultivation and turned his focus inward, performing Introspection.

In the projection of his Golden Core World, he could see that the image of his skeleton seemed a touch more lustrous than before, as if coated in an extremely faint halo of Spiritual Qi.

This was the first sign of Qi and Marrow Fusion; Spiritual Qi had begun to establish a foothold on the surface of his bones. He estimated his progress. ’At this rate, if I can maintain this quality of cultivation every night and have enough Blood Marrow Lingzhi, I might perfect the First Transformation of Qi and Marrow Fusion in just a year and a half. By that measure, it would take less than ten years to break through the entire Marrow Cleansing Realm.’