After purging the miasma from his body, Li Fan's panel underwent a tremendous change.
Name: Li Fan
Realm: Mortal
Physiological Age: 42/120↑
Psychological Age: 505/2053↑
Reversion Charging Progress: 121%
Anchor Charging Progress: 51%
Current Anchors: 1
Bound Items: Golden Chapter of Thousand Mechanisms and the Jade Cosmos, Taiyan Boat, Step-Halting Broken Stele (Damaged)
Cultivation Method: Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Incantation
The upper limit of his physiological age had broken through the hundred-year threshold, and for now, it showed a continuing upward trend.
What pleasantly surprised Li Fan even more was his psychological age limit: it had nearly doubled outright, reaching over two thousand years!
Relying on the Purifying Spirit Pool alone could never have produced such an effect.
Was it because of this mysteriously appearing Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Incantation...?
As for why the Xuanhuang Mind-Clearing Incantation had become the Heart-Refining Incantation, Li Fan himself was utterly baffled.
In the spirit pool, unable to bear the searing agony, he had almost completely lost consciousness.
He had no idea what had happened afterward.
However, now was hardly the time to examine it closely. Li Fan calmed his mind, cupped his hands to He Zhenghao, and said, "I, Li Fan, shall never forget the Immortal Master's kindness. I will surely repay it handsomely in the days to come."
These words were precisely what He Zhenghao had been waiting for, and his tone grew even more amiable. "What are you saying, young friend? The immortal path is arduous; I merely do what little I can to lend a hand."
He brought out a book and handed it to Li Fan. "After expelling the miasma, the next step is to sense the world's spiritual energy and draw qi into your body. Once you can condense the first wisp of spiritual energy within you, it signifies entering the Qi Condensation stage, at which point you may formally be called a cultivator. This Five Spirits Qi-Sensing Method is a compilation of our predecessors' insights on sensing spiritual energy. You must study it carefully."
He then took out a square talisman and solemnly handed it to Li Fan. "This is a Dust-Transcending Talisman. You must carry it with you at all times before you successfully draw qi into your body."
Seeing Li Fan put the two items away, He Zhenghao explained, "Although you have purged the miasma from your body, it is not a permanent solution. You still live in the secular realm and interact with mortals daily; over time, you will inevitably become tainted by miasma again. This Dust-Transcending Talisman can shield you from its intrusion, though it cannot last indefinitely—only about five years.
"However, with your talent, young friend, breaking through to the Qi Condensation stage within five years should not be difficult," He Zhenghao said with a smile.
"Once you break through to the Qi Condensation stage, you may come find me in the island's center. At that time, I will lead you to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' base in the Congyun Sea, Wanxian Island. Once there, you will be able to select a suitable cultivation method and continue your cultivation."
He Zhenghao explained in detail some precautions to observe when drawing qi into the body.
Li Fan committed every word firmly to memory.
Once all relevant matters had been addressed, Li Fan tactfully took his leave.
"I hope this venture yields some fruit."
Watching Li Fan's receding figure, He Zhenghao murmured to himself.
Then He Zhenghao surveyed the mountain peak beneath his feet and shook his head. "Its potential is exhausted. It is time to change mountains."
With that, he soared up above the sea of clouds and waved his long sleeves, drawing the tumbling layers of clouds into his robes.
Looking down at the undulating mountain range below, He Zhenghao began selecting the peak that would grow the tallest over the next hundred years.
The cultivation method He Zhenghao practiced was called the Mountain-Sitting Formula.
The greatest trait of the Mountain-Sitting Formula was sitting on a mountain and reaping the rewards.
One would select a peak, sit upon it, and circulate the formula over several years to harmonize one's aura with the mountain.
Thereafter, each fraction of a measure the peak grew higher, one's cultivation would be nourished in return, rising accordingly.
Conversely, if one misjudged and the mountain failed to grow taller afterward, it was equivalent to wasting over a decade of cultivation time in vain.
Aside from benefiting from growing mountains, one could also gain advantages by helping others.
Just like his assistance to Li Fan this time: if Li Fan could break through to the Qi Condensation stage in the future, He Zhenghao would receive a subtle karmic feedback in the unseen, bolstering his own cultivation.
This was not absorbing or stealing the other party's cultivation, but rather something akin to when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
A mountain's growth carried along the trees on its slopes to greater heights; a giant's growth lifted whatever was carried in his sleeves.
Of course, compared to mountains and rivers, helping people was far less restrictive: one was not bound to a single person and could cast a wide net. Yet correspondingly, how much one invested initially determined how great the harvest would be later.
Therefore, whenever he encountered a junior with promising prospects, He Zhenghao was never stingy with lending a helping hand.
...
Leaving the central formation array of Liuli Island, Li Fan alerted no one and quietly returned to Tingyou Building.
Having expelled the miasma, Li Fan indeed sensed a profound difference compared to before.
He felt as though he had grown over a decade younger; both his vision and hearing were vastly improved.
Even more so, he could faintly perceive the pure, omnipresent energy coursing through the world.
Is this spiritual energy...?
Li Fan felt a surge of joy.
Once he drew qi into his body, he would become a Qi Condensation cultivator.
Li Fan wished he could immediately begin cultivating day and night without pause.
Before that, however, he still needed to examine the mysteriously acquired Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Incantation.
Searching his mind, he found no new circulation method.
Thus, Li Fan proceeded to cultivate according to the method of the Xuanhuang Mind-Clearing Incantation.
The instant he began circulating it, Li Fan noticed the difference between the Heart-Refining Incantation and the Mind-Clearing Incantation.
In the past, practicing the Mind-Clearing Incantation often took the better part of an hour just to gradually calm his mind and banish all stray thoughts from his head.
Yet once this Heart-Refining Incantation was activated, within mere moments, Li Fan felt his mind become clear as a pristine mirror.
It was as though a colossal millstone had appeared in his mind, ceaselessly drawing in and grinding stray thoughts to dust, transforming them into nourishment that strengthened his spirit.
After three years of cultivating the Mind-Clearing Incantation, apart from the changes reflected on the True Reversion panel, Li Fan had noticed no other benefits.
Cultivating the Heart-Refining Incantation, however, allowed him to distinctly feel his spirit growing stronger every passing moment.
Although the increment was minuscule, it was undeniably growing!
Li Fan was pleasantly astonished, yet immediately following that came endless questions.
Why had the Xuanhuang Mind-Clearing Incantation—a method ubiquitous in the cultivation world and used merely to expel miasma—transformed upon him into this extraordinary Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Incantation?
Immortal arts could not be cultivated concurrently; did this Heart-Refining Incantation count as a cultivation method for immortals?
With his current understanding of the cultivation world, Li Fan could find no answer.
Yet Li Fan faintly sensed that a tremendous secret had to be hidden behind this.
If the chance arises in the future, I must investigate this in secret, Li Fan thought to himself.
...
Standing just one step away from crossing the threshold into becoming a cultivator, and having fortuitously obtained such a wondrous technique as the Xuanhuang Heart-Refining Incantation, Li Fan could not help feeling a bit elated.
Before long, however, he received a letter.
The news within smashed all the complacency in his heart to pieces.
Xiao Heng had successfully drawn qi into his body and had already departed for Wanxian Island.
Chapter 41