Chapter 117: Opening the Qi Orifices, Drawing Primordial Qi, White Mist Appears, and the Innate Real

"Grandpa Chen!"

Early morning at the hillside cottage.

Lu Qing held Xiao Yan's hand, with Xiao Li perched on his shoulder, having just climbed up from the foot of the mountain.

Seeing Old Doctor Chen practicing his boxing routines in the courtyard, Xiao Yan called out sweetly.

"You're here?"

The old doctor finished the last movement of his health-preserving boxing routine and relaxed his stance.

"Master, your health-preserving boxing has reached a sublime state, far surpassing my own skill," Lu Qing marveled.

The boxing form his master had just displayed, devoid of any worldly aura and almost blending seamlessly with the surroundings, was something Lu Qing couldn't replicate yet.

"Your master has had a few more decades of practice than you, so it's only natural that I'm more proficient," the old doctor smiled.

"It seems that Master has been adjusting well these past few days."

Lu Qing glanced at his master; at this moment, he looked like an ordinary old man, giving no hint of the powerful martial artist about to step into the Innate Realm.

Even Lu Qing, without the use of his supernatural abilities, couldn't detect a trace of it.

This showed that his master's control over his body had reached an incredible level, not betraying even a hint of his true power.

"You're a bit stronger than me. It's impressive that you've already achieved minor success in the cultivation of your tendons and bones."

At his current realm, Old Doctor Chen could easily discern Lu Qing's current level.

Master and disciple exchanged a few more words of praise before entering the courtyard.

"Master, where do you plan to attempt your breakthrough?" Lu Qing asked.

"Right here in the courtyard. I've lived here for many years and am most familiar with this place. The scent of medicinal herbs in the courtyard gives me a sense of peace," the old doctor replied.

Lu Qing nodded.

From the inherited knowledge in his mind, he knew that the requirements for the external environment during a breakthrough to the Innate Realm weren't overly strict.

Primordial qi was everywhere, and as long as one's realm reached the necessary level, drawing it into the body to initiate the breakthrough could be done anywhere without much hindrance.

Of course, there were some renowned mountains and rivers, natural blessed lands, where primordial qi was inherently more abundant. In those places, martial artists had a higher chance of success in their breakthroughs.

However, such blessed lands were usually occupied by powerful forces and were not accessible to Lu Qing and his group.

Therefore, since his master felt a sense of peace in this hillside cottage, it was the best place for the breakthrough.

"Qing'er, this is my first attempt at breaking through to the Innate Realm as well. Observe carefully, and perhaps it will bring you some benefits," the old doctor said as he sat cross-legged on the stone table where he usually drank tea, his expression solemn.

"Mhm." Lu Qing nodded seriously and then said to Xiao Yan and Xiao Li, "You two little ones, watch Grandpa Chen's transformation closely as well."

Being able to witness a breakthrough to the Innate Realm up close was a rare opportunity for any Post-Natal Realm martial artist.

That was why Lu Qing had brought the two youngsters along.

Even though they were still young and might not understand everything, the essence of the Innate Realm breakthrough would leave an impression on them, benefiting their future growth.

This applied to Xiao Li, the spirit beast, as well.

These weren't just Lu Qing's speculations; they were recorded in the Li Weitian inheritance he had obtained.

The inheritance also mentioned that in some major sects, breakthroughs to the Innate Realm were often witnessed by core disciples in a ceremony, allowing them to experience the realm ahead of time.

The purpose was to hope that the breakthrough would bring blessings to the disciples, granting them insights that would smooth their cultivation path.

Hearing Lu Qing's words, the two youngsters widened their eyes and stared intently at Old Doctor Chen.

Especially Xiao Li, whose spirit beast's keen senses allowed it to perceive that something extraordinary was about to happen to the old doctor.

The old doctor closed his eyes and breathed quietly, adjusting his body to its optimal state.

Then, he mobilized the spirit force, honed through countless temperings, toward the qi orifice at his dantian.

For a Post-Natal Realm cultivator to break through to the Innate Realm, the first step was to refine the spirit force.

The second step was to use this spirit force to polish and open the qi orifice in the dantian.

The third step was to draw in primordial qi, guide it into the dantian's qi orifice, and refine it into one's unique Innate Qi.

Only when the Innate Qi was formed could one be considered to have truly broken through to the Innate Realm.

Among these three steps, the second and third could not be separated.

Once the qi orifice in the dantian was opened, if it wasn't nourished by primordial qi in time, it would quickly wither and close.

At that point, reopening it would be ten times more difficult, if not impossible.

Thus, for a Post-Natal Realm cultivator aiming for the Innate Realm, the first breakthrough attempt was the most crucial.

If one was disturbed or attacked during the process, causing the breakthrough to fail and the qi orifice to close, attempting another breakthrough would become incredibly challenging.

Chapter: The Wonders of the Heavens and Earth

Such actions are no different from severing all paths of humanity.

When that time comes, even the closest of kin, husbands and wives, and children may turn against each other.

Lu Qing was aware of this critical factor, which was why he had offered to protect his master during his breakthrough.

Guided by Old Doctor Chen's mental prowess, the wisp of divine soul force in Lu Qing's mind quickly reached his dantian and located the qi orifice.

The qi orifice in the dantian exists between the tangible and intangible, abstruse and profound. Only a warrior's divine soul force can perceive it.

This is why it is said that only after reaching post-natal perfection and tempering one's divine soul force can there be hope for a breakthrough to the Innate Realm.

Without a divine soul force to sense the qi orifice, no matter how powerful one is, they cannot open the qi orifice and advance to the Innate Realm.

Having consumed the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid, Old Doctor Chen's body thrived with abundant life force, and his entire being was flawless and without leaks. His qi orifice had already loosened.

Thus, after locating the qi orifice, he smoothly opened it and cultivated it.

A newly cultivated qi orifice is still fragile and unstable. At this point, one must utilize their divine soul force to carefully refine and stabilize it.

This is a tedious and time-consuming process that demands exceptional mental focus and stability from the warrior.

The slightest impatience or excessive force could damage the qi orifice.

In such a case, even if one eventually breaks through to the Innate Realm, their foundation may be affected, hindering further progress and trapping them at the initial stage of the Innate Realm.

Fortunately, Old Doctor Chen, a healer who had lived for over half a century, had experienced countless life-and-death situations, witnessed human suffering, and treated patients in dire conditions.

He had felt the overwhelming joy of those he had cured.

His heart had been tempered by these experiences, making him unperturbed by fame or gain and indifferent to life and death.

In terms of mental stability, even many genuine Innate Realm powerhouses might not compare to him.

Thus, he continued to work on refining his qi orifice patiently and steadily.

Even when his mental energy was exhausted, he remained unhurried.

Finally, when his mental energy was almost depleted, the qi orifice in his body was thoroughly stabilized and would never close again.

After stabilizing the qi orifice, Old Doctor Chen had a moment of enlightenment.

He immediately directed the remaining divine soul force toward the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head, known as the confluence of all meridians and acupoints.

Intangibly, the old doctor seemed to hear a faint sound.

As the Baihui acupoint opened, he felt his qi orifice establish a mysterious connection with the outside world.

At the same time, his divine soul force sensed the ubiquitous yet previously undetected primordial qi between heaven and earth.

What a profound mystery of the heavens and earth! Old Doctor Chen was intoxicated and moved by this newfound world that he had sensed.

Fortunately, he soon came to his senses and realized he must not lose himself in this heavenly insight.

Otherwise, it would be easy for his mental energy to be exhausted, and his will could be assimilated by the primordial qi, making it difficult to wake up again.

Upon realizing this, Old Doctor Chen immediately retracted his mental focus but maintained the subtle connection between his qi orifice and the outside world. Carefully, he used his divine soul force to attract a wisp of primordial qi into his body, guiding it to the qi orifice in his dantian.

As the primordial qi entered the qi orifice, he began to refine it according to the secret method left by Li Weitian.

This was another tedious process.

After an unknown amount of time, Old Doctor Chen finally transformed the wisp of primordial qi into a strand of his own Innate Qi.

When this strand of Innate Qi appeared in the qi orifice, it was as if an ancient god had opened the heavens and the earth. The once stable qi orifice suddenly expanded, merging with the entire dantian as one.

From then on, the dantian and the qi orifice were indistinguishable from each other.

With the formation of the dantian qi orifice, it was like a chain reaction, and Old Doctor Chen's entire body, including his divine soul force in his mind, began to undergo astonishing transformations.

At the same time, outside in the heavens and earth, an intangible intent emerged out of thin air.

Countless strands of primordial qi quickly gathered, condensing into a white mist that poured into Old Doctor Chen's body, providing the energy needed for his bodily transformation.

Lu Qing, Xiao Yan, and the others watched this astonishing scene, feeling the earth-shattering heavenly will that shook their souls. They stood there with their mouths agape, filled with astonishment.

After the initial shock, Lu Qing's face lit up with joy.

"The white mist has appeared, and the Innate Realm has been achieved! Master has successfully broken through to the Innate Realm!"

With the Li Weitian inheritance in his mind, Lu Qing naturally understood the significance of what he was witnessing.

"White mist appears, Innate achieved."

This was recorded in the Li Weitian inheritance.

The white mist was formed by the condensation of extremely rich primordial qi, a reward from heaven and earth to a warrior who had endured hardships, defied the heavens, and broken through to the Innate Realm.

With the support of this extremely rich Innate Qi, a warrior would have sufficient energy to transform their physical body into an Innate one.

Not only would their physical strength increase significantly, but their lifespan would also extend, allowing them to live a healthy life for three hundred years if they avoided disasters and illnesses.

Chapter: The Wonders of the Heavens and Earth

Lu Qing's spirit was still stirred as the white mist continued to gather.

The time it took for each Post-Natal Realm cultivator to reach perfection and break through to the Innate Realm was uncertain.

The longer the transformation took, the more it indicated that the martial artist's foundation was solid, and their potential for future advancement would be greater.

Usually, a typical breakthrough to the Innate Realm would take no more than fifteen minutes.

Some martial arts prodigies, with exceptionally solid foundations, could maintain their transformation for longer.

As a result, they would also stand out in the Innate Realm and become powerful figures within it.

Lu Qing, of course, hoped that his master's transformation would last as long as possible.

However, he also knew that his master was not obsessed with martial arts cultivation, so he had no idea how long his transformation would take.

As they waited, the heavenly will continued to awe Lu Qing, Xiao Yan, and the others.

At the same time, the strands of white mist formed by the heavenly earth qi settled on their bodies and merged with them.

This was the blessing of witnessing a breakthrough to the Innate Realm.

Whether it was the imprint of this heavenly will or the mist of heavenly earth qi, they were both extremely beneficial to Lu Qing and the others.

It would make their future cultivation journey much smoother.

Time passed, second by second, and Lu Qing kept track of it.

Gradually, his mouth hung open in surprise.

Because he realized that his master's transformation had already taken twice as long as a typical Innate Realm breakthrough, and it still hadn't stopped.

"Is Master's foundation that solid, or is it because of the Earth Vein Spirit Liquid?" Lu Qing was astonished.

As Lu Qing marveled, more than forty-five minutes passed.

Then he saw that the white mist around his master was gradually fading, and the heavenly will that had enveloped the courtyard was also dissipating.

When his master's body became visible, Lu Qing's eyes widened in surprise.

His master's appearance had changed significantly.

His originally graying hair had turned pitch-black, the wrinkles on his face had disappeared, and his entire being was radiant, as if he had suddenly become decades younger, returning to his middle-aged appearance.

"Brother, the tree is blooming!"

At that moment, Xiao Yan exclaimed in surprise.

Only then did Lu Qing notice that the tall, old plum tree next to the stone table was now covered in white plum blossoms, shading his master.

Under this blanket of white, the old doctor opened his eyes.

His eyes were calm, like a tranquil sea.

"Congratulations, Master, on successfully advancing to the Innate Realm," Lu Qing congratulated him.

"Yes, I've finally broken through," the old doctor replied, his eyes showing a hint of emotion, and his tone filled with wonder.

He had thought that this breakthrough would be swift and smooth, but he had not expected there to be so many dangers along the way.

Especially when his consciousness burst out of the Baihui acupoint and comprehended the heavenly earth qi, if he hadn't come to his senses quickly, his will might have been assimilated by the heavens, leaving him a soulless husk.

Indeed, every step of the cultivation path required caution.

No matter how well one prepared, there were still dangers during breakthroughs.

One would not understand this unless they experienced it themselves.

"Grandpa Chen, you look so young!" Xiao Yan exclaimed as she approached him, full of wonder.

"Oh?" The old doctor examined himself and then chuckled.

"What's the point of looking like this at my age? I'm just inviting ridicule. People might even call me a monster, and then how would I be able to treat patients in the future?"

Lu Qing was left speechless.

His master was indeed the purest of healers.

Even after reaching the Innate Realm, his first thought was about how he would continue to heal and save people in the future.

Such sincerity was truly admirable.

However, Lu Qing was also astonished by his master's ability to manipulate his qi and blood to alter his appearance.

Being able to change one's appearance at will was far more impressive than any disguise technique.

The Innate Realm was indeed formidable.

"Master, now that you've broken through to the Innate Realm, how is it different from the Post-Natal Realm?" Lu Qing asked curiously.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end