"For calculations subtract, then there's poverty and depletion, often encountering worries, everyone fears it, penalties and troubles follow, good fortune avoids it, bad stars bring disaster, when calculations are exhausted, death."
"It's not the action of strange people doing evil, but strange people suffering the consequences; one's deeds bring one's results, all beings are like this."
As Lu Yan contemplated the Visualization Heart Sutra from the Red Lotus Karma Fire Scripture, his five senses seemed to sink into silence, with only the words from the Heart Sutra reverberating continuously in his consciousness.
The world began to blur, as if stripped of its original reality, transforming into an empty void.
Suddenly, a barely detectable dot of light appeared in the void, and then more light dots gathered like countless stars in the night sky.
These countless dots of light eventually formed an invisible stream of energy, hovering in front of Lu Yan.
Instinctively, Lu Yan began to perform the Energy Introduction Technique, drawing the invisible stream of energy into his body.
In an instant, Lu Yan felt as if every cell in his body was trembling, just one stream of Spiritual Qi was enough to induce transformation in this ordinary mortal form that had grown for over twenty years.
There wasn't even time to circulate according to the Circulation Route Map, the invisible energy was utterly absorbed by the flesh.
Exiting the cultivation state, Lu Yan opened his eyes.
"Was that Spiritual Qi just now?"
There was a hint of curiosity in Lu Yan's gaze.
Although he had used Spirit Stones and non-grade Spirit Talismans, without cultivating any Cultivation Technique, he couldn't truly utilize Spiritual Qi.
So this was Lu Yan's first time capturing Spiritual Qi through his own cultivation.
Feeling the changes after his body devoured Spiritual Qi, there wasn't the imagined expulsion of impurities, nor any apparent changes; just a vague sense that his body seemed much more relaxed, likely due to the insufficient quantity of Spiritual Qi.
Glancing at the time, from the first contemplation of the Heart Sutra to the introduction of energy, it had taken Lu Yan a full three hours.
Seeing the time, Lu Yan couldn't help but crease his brow, the joy that had just arisen immediately vanished.
"Introducing energy to the body is just the most basic step of cultivation, next is continuously absorbing large amounts of Spiritual Qi, using Spiritual Qi to cleanse the flesh and shed the mortal form, once the flesh can no longer absorb Spiritual Qi, then transport the Spiritual Qi according to the Circulation Route Map.
As long as Spiritual Qi can circulate through Heaven, it will give birth to the first strand of Magical Power, truly stepping into the Qi Cultivation Stage!"
"The Circulation Route Map of the Red Lotus Karma Fire Scripture is inherently more complex than generic skills like Chang Chun Skill; to fully operate through Heaven will naturally take a lot of time.
But now, it has taken three hours just to draw one stream of Spiritual Qi, still far away from cleansing the flesh, let alone subsequent Heaven circulation."
At the Spirit Talisman Workshop, those staff, even when practicing with Chang Chun Skill alone, could accomplish Qi cultivation, there was no reason for Lu Yan, with better conditions and superior technique, to progress so slowly.
"Could it be... due to the low concentration of Spiritual Qi in the urban version?"
Lu Yan could only think of this possibility.
What he lacked most now was time, according to the version update progress, the next version update would be around three months.
Three days had already passed, the cultivation journey had just begun, if it dragged to the world update without having entered the Qi Cultivation Realm, he would surely bear more risks.
Other versions likely didn't have the stable cultivation environment of the urban version.
"If that's the case, the only choice is to spend money!"
Lu Yan decisively took out the pre-prepared Spirit Stones, making a full circle around himself with thirty Spirit Stones, even directly holding two Spirit Stones in his hands to start the second round of cultivation.
In the last cultivation, Lu Yan first perceived a void, then captured dots of light, waiting for them to form a stream of Spiritual Qi before completing energy introduction.
But this time, as soon as he entered the contemplation state, Lu Yan noticed countless dots of light already filled his surroundings, with just a thought, Spiritual Qi was led into his body, easily absorbed by the flesh.
Lu Yan felt for the first time how simple cultivation really was.
Lu Yan then plunged into tireless cultivation, copious amounts of Spiritual Qi cleansed the flesh, enhancing his flesh's affinity for Spiritual Qi day by day.
Impurities were gradually expelled, some minor ailments retained from various torments suffered over the last three months were completely purged, thus restoring Lu Yan's flesh to a state of unprecedented peak.
On the eleventh day of formal cultivation, after consuming eight Spirit Stones, Lu Yan completed the cleansing of his flesh.
Thereafter, he entered the most crucial stage of Qi Circulation through Heaven.
In Lu Yan's view, flesh cleansing was pure grinding work, as long as one breathes energy into the body and has sufficient Spiritual Qi, it could be accomplished easily.
However, Qi Circulation through Heaven involved too much, the mindset, will, and the Circulation Route Map were indispensable.
Controlling the Spiritual Qi entering the body was already extremely difficult, let alone guiding it through the complex meridians for Heaven circulation.
Just preliminary control of Spiritual Qi took Lu Yan a full day.
Under ordinary circumstances, guiding Spiritual Qi through Heaven circulation simply wouldn't work, it required practicing alongside contemplating the Heart Sutra.
Indeed, normally cultivating quality techniques required joining a sect, having a master spontaneously smooth the Heaven meridians before cultivation could proceed.
Lu Yan didn't have such treatment, he could only rely on Spirit Stones and grinding work to try continuously.
Time passed until the third month of the urban version, finally dawn was in sight.
In the guest bedroom, most of the originally placed bedding and furniture were discarded by Lu Yan, transforming into a cultivation room.
Lu Yan sat cross-legged on the ground, revolving the Red Lotus Karma Fire Scripture with his heart facing Heaven.
In over two months, Lu Yan completed a transformation akin to rebirth, the body that had stopped growing grew taller by several centimeters again, though the slender body didn't possess the distinct muscles of fitness enthusiasts, its strength far exceeded ordinary people.
On his handsome face, his skin was like a baby's, his whole body exuded a tranquil, otherworldly aura, during the practice of the technique, a layer of milky white halo enveloped Lu Yan, seemingly to transcend the mundane world and ascend to immortality.
And within Lu Yan's body, Heaven circulation was at the most crucial step.
When that stream of Spiritual Qi passed through the last meridian, Heaven circulation momentarily cleared, a strand of Magical Power coalesced within Lu Yan's body.
In the next moment, a breeze stirred inside the cultivation room, a large amount of Spiritual Qi from the Spirit Stones was immediately extracted, streams of Spiritual Qi rushed into Lu Yan's body furiously, following the established Heaven meridians, transforming into the purest Magical Power.
With two Spirit Stones forcibly drained, the breeze finally subsided.
Opening his eyes, instantly the entire dark cultivation room seemed to turn into daylight, but then it returned to its usual calm.
"Qi Cultivation Stage."
Lu Yan stretched out his right hand, the Magical Power inside his body circulated his waist storage bag, actively opening, under the guidance of Magical Power, Spirit Stones and Spirit Talismans actively fell into Lu Yan's palm.
At this moment, Lu Yan truly entered the cultivation gate, becoming a genuine cultivator.
His mood was immeasurably stirred, Lu Yan looked at the virtual screen in front, the version update progress had reached 72.3%, the urban version had already lasted mostly past its time.
"Since I've entered the Qi Cultivation Stage, it's time to settle some matters."
Lu Yan's gaze gradually turned profound.
"Letting the Demonic Cultivator behind Shopkeeper Chu go unchecked, is not my style.
If the next version holds Extraordinary Power, the Demonic Cultivator's strength might even exceed mine.
It's best to take advantage of the urban version where everyone is still mortal and solve them early on."