[Congratulations on mastering another technique.]
[Allocate 1 Attribute Point to Basic Qi Gathering Technique?]
[Yes/No]
"Hahahahahaha! I have finally done it!"
Xu Qingxian burst into laughter, unable to suppress the surge of joy bubbling inside him. Though it was a minuscule achievement—one that countless others would overlook—Xu Qingxian felt like he had touched the heavens. In his eyes, this was no small feat; it was monumental.
A soft sigh escaped his lips, and a single, invisible tear trickled down the side of his face, disappearing behind his ear.
His fate was among the worst in the annals of transmigration history. Yet, despite the despair and hopeless odds, he chose to press forward. Relentlessly.
Pushing aside the heavy tide of melancholic thoughts, Xu Qingxian turned his gaze back to the glowing system screen. With a single thought, he confirmed his decision and selected "Yes" without a hint of hesitation.
The standard Basic Qi Gathering Technique had always been useless to him. It did nothing to fix his crippled dantian, shattered meridians, or broken cultivation foundation.
As soon as he clicked "Yes," the screen flickered with radiant light. His technique evolved before his eyes.
[Basic Qi Gathering Technique: Qi Nourishing Technique (Incomplete)]
A cascade of profound information flowed into Xu Qingxian's mind, filling it with strange clarity. He inhaled sharply, his eyes widening with astonishment. His heartbeat quickened, hammering against his chest like war drums.
The Qi Nourishing Technique, as its name suggested, could nurture the dantian, meridians, and root bone. It offered a sliver of hope. But that was all it offered.
Because the technique was incomplete, there was no exact method for how to carry out the nourishment process. Still, Xu Qingxian noticed something else. His understanding of the Spirit Gathering Technique had also deepened.
His eyes glinted slightly.
"Incomplete?" he muttered, voice low and hoarse. His bloodshot gaze turned fierce. "I must make you complete!"
Having found a possible way to restore his cultivation, Xu Qingxian was determined. Nothing would stop him from reclaiming his power.
He glanced at the 71 attribute points displayed on the system interface. Without a second thought, he mentally selected the technique again.
[Allocate 2 Attribute Points to Basic Qi Gathering Technique?]
[Yes/No]
As the familiar line appeared again, Xu Qingxian confirmed the selection.
[Basic Qi Gathering Technique: Qi Nourishing Technique (Incomplete)]
He examined the result with narrowed eyes. Still incomplete. He barely blinked before evolving the technique once again.
[Basic Qi Gathering Technique: Qi Nourishing Technique (Incomplete)]
"Still incomplete?" he scoffed, evolving it again with cold amusement. How stubborn was this technique? Would it forever mock him with that same cursed word?
"Incomplete again?" he whispered. This time, he showed little emotion. His face remained composed even as he clicked again.
[Basic Qi Gathering Technique: Qi Nourishing Technique (Incomplete)]
Xu Qingxian clenched his fists but pressed on. Without a shred of hesitation, he poured in another batch of attribute points. Sixteen in total.
The glow of the system subsided. He glanced at the remaining count.
"Forty."
A frown creased his face. "Surely this is enough to complete it now," he muttered.
Scratching the bridge of his nose, he wore an embarrassed look before confirming his choice once again.
Instantly, 32 points vanished. His remaining count dropped to 9.
He let out a slow sigh and turned back to the system.
[Basic Qi Gathering Technique: Qi Nourishing Technique (Incomplete)]
Xu Qingxian's expression darkened with fury.
"How stubborn!" he screamed inwardly. He felt like smashing the system screen apart. With only 9 points left, there was no way to complete it. At least, not yet.
A shadow fell across his face. Would he gather enough points before the date of his execution?
Xu Qingxian's brows furrowed deeply as he calculated.
"Let me review what I have gained so far." He had evolved the technique six times. That had to count for something.
He closed his eyes and offered a silent prayer to his ancestors before diving into the depths of knowledge embedded in his mind.
Time passed in silence.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he gasped.
His throat felt dry, and for the first time in forever, the spark of true hope ignited in his eyes.
"Hahahahahaha! I knew it. My ancestors are watching over me!"
Xu Qingxian's heart overflowed with joy. He had found a method to recover his cultivation. Not only that, this new method might allow him to surpass everyone and become the most terrifying cultivator in existence.
Normally, a cultivator had only one dantian. Their meridians connected to it, enabling the flow of qi. But his dantian had been crushed and his meridians shattered beyond recognition.
He could no longer absorb qi the conventional way.
Yet, the new method offered by the Qi Nourishing Technique revealed a loophole. A miracle.
By persistently nourishing the fragments of his dantian with qi, each piece could begin to condense and take form again. Each fragment could eventually become a dantian of its own.
"As many dantians as I want…" Xu Qingxian whispered in awe.
"And as for my shattered meridians, that's an even smaller issue. With enough qi, I can reconnect the severed channels and force them to regrow. By nourishing them like the dantian, I can forge a network of meridians beyond human limits."
Xu Qingxian's heart pounded against his ribcage. His veins surged with anticipation.
He could see it clearly now. His path to strength was no longer blocked.
Once his foundation was restored, his cultivation would skyrocket. He would surpass everyone, break through every boundary, and rise as an entity feared by gods and demons alike.
Execution in four days? A group mission?
"With enough strength, I'll carve my path with a sword in hand and destroy all who stand in my way."
Realizing he was getting ahead of himself, Xu Qingxian took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Then, with complete focus, he began to cultivate.
He tried to sense the qi in the surrounding air.
It was possible, even with broken meridians, to feel qi. But absorbing it was another matter entirely. The moment one tried, searing pain would erupt through their body, as the broken meridians rejected the flow.
Even those with intact meridians would face disaster if their dantian was destroyed. Absorbed qi had nowhere to be stored, so it would flood the body uncontrollably.
Continuous absorption with a crushed dantian often ended in death. The body would rupture from the inside, unable to contain the energy.
Xu Qingxian had learned all of this from the Qi Nourishing Technique. It held many profound truths, far beyond what he expected from a system technique.
He wondered what might happen if such a technique were released into the world. How many cultivators were crippled and desperate for a second chance?
"Hehe. Too bad I'm not a benevolent man," Xu Qingxian murmured.
He abandoned the thought and centered himself once more.
It was time.
He placed his hands on his knees, took a deep breath, and began circulating the basic Qi Nourishing Technique.
"Time to restore my cultivation…"