The four old men in pale blue frowned and issued the reminder again, with a sharper edge to it.
“Don’t let your mind wander.”
For practitioners across the nine provinces, a War Temple refinement was an opportunity not easily obtained. If distraction caused the qi to pass through the body and leave only ten or twenty percent behind — the regret would last for years.
With the words said, all four formed their seals simultaneously.
The eyes of the arhat golden form brightened further. It seemed to be waking from deep sleep — or perhaps its thoughts were still scattered, consciousness only gradually assembling. At last, with excruciating slowness, it turned its head toward the first golden form on its right. A thread of golden light was drawn from the yaksha expression, and drifted gently into the black-armored young man.
The four old men silently counted the time. This was also an opportunity to gauge the participant’s aptitude — those who showed exceptional results were recorded in the War Temple’s records.
Ten breaths passed.
They looked up together, waiting for the golden light to leave the body and return to the golden form.
Shen Yi simply sat. No golden light leaving his body. Not even a thread of qi moving outward.
He waited deliberately for a moment, then looked at them.
“You can continue.”
The sensation of being wrapped in a warm current — it was extraordinarily comfortable, and the results had surpassed what he’d expected.
【Year one — you run the Condensate method with practiced ease, consuming the golden form’s qi. Under the accumulation of vast qi, the Heaven-Devouring inner core takes its earliest shape.】
【Lifespan increased by two hundred years.】
One of the old men’s eyelids gave a twitch. He exchanged a look with the other three.
Was this young man a Pixiu? Only taking in, nothing leaving?
They formed their seals again.
The arhat golden form stirred once more — that same slow turn of the gaze, this time toward the second form.
The same golden light was drawn out and flowed into Shen Yi.
The result was the same.
This time they didn’t wait to be told. When ten breaths passed, the third golden arc came through immediately.
Shen Yi looked inward.
In the qi sea, held under the Solar-Fusion Furnace’s suppression — a white jade-like inner core was taking shape at a visible speed.
【Year five — consuming the golden form’s qi, you enter the full-core stage.】
【Lifespan increased by two hundred years.】
“At the current rate, this is already equivalent to what ten normal refinements would produce — and he still hasn’t reached Condensate Perfection? What Condensate method is he using?”
The old men felt something almost like distress about the resources being spent. Before they could say more, they found the young man looking at them again.
“Heaven-Devouring Core-Consuming Art.” One of them sighed.
“Which province’s Demon Suppression General? Don’t tell me it’s—”
“Qingzhou.”
“How is this one even better than the last one? I remember she could only retain seven and a half parts in ten.”
The four kept talking quietly while their hands kept working without pause.
Then the ninth arc of golden light came through.
【Year nine — your Heaven-Devouring inner core has condensed to Perfection.】
【Heaven-Devouring Core-Consuming Art: Novice.】
【Remaining Lifespan: 956 years.】
Feeling the vast qi spilling outward from the young man’s body, the old men finally exhaled. They looked at the nine golden forms, noticeably dimmed now, with expressions that moved between several things at once.
Shen Yi still showed no sign of rising.
One of them finally offered a reminder.
“Young friend — you’ve just broken through, and you’re at your most saturated state. There’s no need to supplement further. Even additional refinements won’t produce any effect right now.”
Shen Yi’s attention was still inside.
In the qi sea — the Heavenly Demon external pill, still at a hundred percent cultivation, was circling around his Heaven-Devouring inner core with a distinctly shameless air.
By rights, both were at Perfection — but the Heaven-Devouring inner core was several times more substantial, its qi linked to the major apertures throughout the body, moving through the meridians fluidly and without any resistance.
This was what Condensate Perfection genuinely felt like.
He gave the external pill another authoritative push from the suppressive force and sent it back to its corner.
He opened his eyes and stood slowly.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d hold the remaining allocation for me. I’ll return for more refinements next time.”
The comfortable feeling of the golden light was one thing. He hadn’t become indulgent enough to spend a precious opportunity on pure enjoyment.
The four old men waved away the white mist at the entrance and watched the young man walk out.
“…”
“That fast? How does it feel?” Jiang Chengyun came forward with some surprise.
“Not bad.” Shen Yi stretched slightly.
He felt a quiet appreciation. A dynasty’s accumulated foundation — in certain circumstances, it wasn’t far behind the panel itself. Fortunately he had access to both.
What genuinely occupied his attention more than the power increase was the lifespan.
He’d already experienced Condensate Perfection cultivation through the external pill, so that part held no particular novelty.
But looking at nearly a thousand years of lifespan — Shen Yi found himself momentarily at a loss. He had no clear sense of what to do with it.
Power increases could be felt directly. But for a person in their twenties, facing an expanse of time that long — there was no real concept to attach to it.
Would he just… live until the world got old?
He steadied his thoughts quickly and turned toward the accommodation.
“How much longer before the weapon comes through?”
“Should be soon. Getting the court rewards for the other Qingzhou demon-hunters at the same time makes it a bit more involved—” Jiang Chengyun added, “And we have the banquet at the estate tonight anyway. No rush for a day or two.”
“I won’t be going.”
Shen Yi went back to his room. He genuinely had no interest in it.
Compared to spending the evening making conversation, he’d rather try for a core-nurturing breakthrough.
“This—”
Jiang Chengyun exhaled with resignation. The young man had every right to decline — but he himself couldn’t afford to give offense to the Ji prince.
“It’s getting late. I’ll go on my own? We’re both from Qingzhou — I can’t leave General Jiang to attend alone.”
Even if he accomplished nothing there, one more body was better than none.
“Sure.” A small nod.
When Jiang Chengyun had turned and left the courtyard, Shen Yi sat at the table.
He ran his qi first and felt the difference between using his own inner core and the external pill.
Then he closed his eyes and went back over the sections of the Heaven-Devouring Art that covered the core-nurturing divine spirit cultivation.
Then footsteps in the courtyard.
He glanced sideways.
A tall figure stood in the courtyard, still. A long dark skirt moved slightly. Dark hair to the waist. That pale, refined face — clear eyes, bright features. Anyone looking at her would feel something catch in the breath.
But he noticed, sharply, that the body beneath the long skirt had a slight stiffness to it. She didn’t seem entirely comfortable in the clothing.
Jiang Qiulan walked into the room and sat at the table without announcing herself.
She took two crocks of wine from the storage implement at her waist, pushed one toward the young man, and said quietly.
“Warm yourself up.”
“What are you doing here?” He didn’t reach for the crock.
Jiang Qiulan glanced at him once, then drank from her own without comment.
She wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, let out a breath.
“Because I suddenly felt it wasn’t necessary.”
“What wasn’t necessary?”
He raised an eyebrow.
The young woman looked at the crock in her hands. Something sharp and clear moved through those eyes.
Her voice was level.
“Qingzhou has me. Why would we need anyone else’s hand?”
(End of Chapter)