Chapter 25

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Chapter 25: The Qi Sea

“Also, the Primordial Yang Spirit Root is highly sought after among the Heavenly Spirit Roots. After all, everyone at our school is a virgin, and this Spirit Root can refine the Primordial Yang essence within a virgin’s body into Magic Power. It’s incredibly effective at boosting one’s power.”

Zhao Tianxing boasted proudly, “Especially the one we have at our high school. It’s been passed down for nearly twenty years and handled by generations of seniors. It has absorbed the Primordial Yang essence of thousands of students, which gives it a unique and profound quality.”

Zhang Yu’s brow furrowed as he listened. The Primordial Yang Spirit Root sounded rather dirty. And besides…

“Hasn’t everyone been sterilized? How can they still use this ‘virgin’ Spirit Root?”

“It’s the Primordial Yang Spirit Root,” Zhao Tianxing explained. “The sterilization surgery only temporarily removes certain organs. The Primordial Yang essence in our bodies still flows continuously from our kidneys, it just no longer stimulates our emotions or minds.”

“Otherwise, how would people regain their ‘roots’ when they undergo restorative surgery after growing up?”

As they walked, Zhang Yu continued to ask, “Among the school’s Heavenly Spirit Roots, are there any that are particularly good for increasing Magic Power?”

Zhao Tianxing’s heart stirred at the question. Recalling Zhang Yu’s recent actions, he realized that Zhang Yu had been unusually focused on improving his Magic Power lately.

Could it be for the Magic Power Competition?

After a moment’s thought, Zhao Tianxing said, “There are many Spirit Roots that can help increase Magic Power. The Qi Sea Spirit Root is probably the most effective one at our school, though it’s quite expensive. But since this is a free reward for you, the price doesn’t matter.”

The Qi Sea Spirit Root, nicknamed the “Wall-Piercer”, had a primary advantage of an enormous coverage range. It was capable of penetrating various obstacles like walls, buildings, and even the earth itself to gather spiritual energy over a vast area, significantly boosting the efficiency of Magic Power refinement.

After hearing Zhao Tianxing’s explanation, Zhang Yu had already decided to try this Heavenly Spirit Root.

When they arrived at the Spirit Root rental office next to the meditation chambers, Zhang Yu did not immediately state his purpose. Instead, he picked up an introductory manual from a desk and began to read.

The administrator on duty was a female teacher with a baby face.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s actions, she seized the opportunity to ask, “Student, are you a member here? Do you have a particular Spirit Root in mind?”

Without lifting his head, Zhang Yu said, “No, and no.”

The administrator immediately launched into her sales pitch. “We’re currently running a promotion where new members get 1,000 for every 10,000 yuan they deposit. Would you like to try it, student?”

Zhang Yu cut her off. “I’m here to claim my reward for a 0% distraction rate, which is a Heavenly Spirit Root rental. I’m just here for the reward, so you can skip the sales pitch.”

Hearing this, the administrator smiled wryly and stepped back. “Well, student, just let me know if you need anything else.”

Based on his words, she had already silently labeled Zhang Yu as “stingy” and lost all interest in making a sale.

Zhang Yu, however, did not care what she thought. He lowered his head and quickly scanned the manual, finding that the information matched what Zhao Tianxing had told him.

He then turned to the administrator and said, “I’d like to rent the Qi Sea Spirit Root.”

“Scan your student ID,” she replied.

Zhang Yu took out his student ID and handed it to her.

This Songyang High School student ID was his proof of status as a high school student. It was a crucial credential that allowed him to legally practice Cultivation and access various services related to the cultivation.

A few moments later, the administrator returned from inside the office with a jade box and placed it before him.

“The Qi Sea Spirit Root is inside. Go to Meditation Room Two, open the jade box, and consume the Spirit Root. That’s all there is to it.”

“Your rental period is for one hour, and the time starts the moment you enter the room. If you go over by even one minute, it will be charged as a full hour, so make sure you watch the time and come out accordingly.”

After the administrator in charge of rentals finished explaining the details, she urged Zhang Yu to hurry inside.

Zhao Tianxing, who was standing nearby, said, “Alright Zhang Yu, I’ll leave you to it. I have to go now.”

Zhang Yu nodded at him. “Thanks.”

Watching Zhang Yu turn and leave, Zhao Tianxing replayed Zhang Yu’s expression and tone in his mind. He thought to himself, I bet our relationship has gotten closer this time.

***

Meanwhile, inside Meditation Room Two.

The room was about twenty square meters in size. A meditation cushion sat in the center, and the surrounding walls were covered with soundproofing material adorned with countless intricate talismans of varying sizes.

It was said these talismans could accelerate the gathering of spiritual energy and had some effect on improving the efficiency of one’s breathing techniques.

However, Zhang Yu only had one hour for his practice from the moment he stepped through the door. He had no time to concern himself with the room’s decor. He directly went to the meditation cushion, sat down, and opened the jade box.

Inside the palm-sized Jade Box lay an exquisite, translucent crystal shimmering with a faint cyan glow.

The crystal floated in the center of the box, surrounded by swirling particles of light that resembled wisps of cyan smoke.

This was the Spirit Root he had rented, the Heavenly Spirit Root known as the Qi Sea Spirit Root.

Zhang Yu carefully picked up the Qi Sea Spirit Root. The moment he brought it to his lips, he felt a chill in his throat. The Heavenly Spirit Root plunged into his body like a stream of ice water, sinking swiftly to his lower abdomen and burrowing into his Lower Dantian.

The moment the Qi Sea Spirit Root entered his Dantian, it took root and sprouted crystalline tendrils that that anchored themselves within the surrounding magical power.

Zhang Yu understood that according to the user manual and the administrator’s instructions, the Heavenly Spirit Root had been successfully planted in his Dantian.

Now, all he needed to do was perform his usual breathing exercises and the Heavenly Spirit Root would naturally begin to function.

With this in mind, Zhang Yu took a deep breath and began to circulate the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method.

Boom!

A thunderous roar seemed to erupt in his mind.

Zhang Yu felt spiritual energy from all directions surge toward him, pouring into the Heavenly Spirit Root within his body.

Double?

Triple?

It’s too fast… and it’s still rising!

Sensing an ever-growing flood of spiritual energy pouring into his body, Zhang Yu immediately calmed his mind and focused all his energy on circulating the Level 6 Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method.

As the Magic Power circulated throughout his body accelerated, strands of spiritual energy were refined into Magic Power.

His Dantian, which had felt somewhat swollen from the initial influx of spiritual energy, gradually returned to normal.

But as if sensing Zhang Yu’s refining speed, the Qi Sea Spirit Root within his Dantian contracted and expanded, further increasing its rate of spiritual energy absorption.

This time, it was not just the spiritual energy in his immediate vicinity that surged toward him. Even the spiritual energy from outside the room was drawn in.

It was drawn from outside the room… from beyond the windows… from the sky… and even from underground.

The Qi Sea Spirit Root expanded its absorption range step by step in accordance with Zhang Yu’s refining efficiency, finally stabilizing at a radius of fifty meters.

Zhang Yu felt a massive torrent of spiritual energy, like a great river, begin to pour into his body without end. It was then channeled into his body’s Magic Power circulation and was gradually refined, strand by strand, into his own Magic Power.

At that moment, Zhang Yu felt a surge of exhilaration from the explosion of his Magic Power.

So this is the true efficiency of the Level 6 Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method?

He finally understood that his usual practice of breathing in spiritual energy and refining Magic Power had never come close to unleashing the method’s true potential.

Now, with the aid of the Qi Sea Spirit Root, he was finally pushing the method’s refining efficiency to its absolute limit.

Not daring to waste a single second, Zhang Yu focused entirely on his breathing exercises to refine the spiritual energy into Magic Power.

***

Meanwhile, in the Spirit Root rental office, the administrator who had just helped Zhang Yu stared at her computer screen in surprise. Huh? The spiritual energy concentration has dropped?

The meditation rooms rented out by the school offered more than just quiet. They were also equipped with Spirit Gathering talismans that controlled the room’s spiritual energy concentration to enhance the effectiveness of breathing exercises.

The administrator carefully examined the monitoring parameters and found a clear phenomenon of spiritual energy convergence in Room 2. It was drawing in a massive amount of spiritual energy from the area, which in turn caused the concentration in the surrounding rooms to drop.

“Room 2… I remember that’s the one being used by that First-Year student, right?”

“To achieve this level of spiritual energy convergence as a First-Year?”

The administrator’s surprise grew. In her memory, only Second-Year students had ever managed to achieve such an effect with the Qi Sea Spirit Root.

“Zhang Yu, was it?”

Recalling the student’s name and class from the registration, the administrator silently committed them to memory, completely overturning her initial assessment of him as stingy.

So skilled in his first year… This student must have spent a fortune on his cultivation path.

As she activated more Spirit Gathering talismans to restore the spiritual energy concentration, the administrator mused to herself, I’ll get his contact information later. If he signs up for a platinum membership with me, I won’t have to worry about my sales quotas for the next few months.

She decided not to tell anyone else and to focus on developing this potential client all by herself.

***

Back in Room No. 2.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Yu was lost in the euphoria of spiritual energy flooding into him. His Magic Power had unconsciously risen from 9.4 to 9.5. Clearly, this single hour had clearly been as effective as half a day of his usual arduous cultivation.

Just then, a woman’s voice crackled through the room’s intercom.

“Student Zhang Yu, your hour is almost up. Would you like to extend your time?”

For some reason, Zhang Yu felt the administrator’s voice had softened considerably.

Feeling the surge of spiritual energy and the satisfaction of the Cosmic Orbit Energy Gathering Method operating at full power, Zhang Yu could not help but ask, “How much to extend my time?”

The administrator quickly replied, “The rental price for the Qi Sea Spirit Root is 5,000 yuan per hour. However, we have a special promotion today. New users who recharge 100,000 yuan at once will receive a bonus of 10,000 yuan and a 12% discount on the rental fee.”

Zhang Yu sighed inwardly and reluctantly stopped his Breathing Technique. “I have other things to do today. I will not extend my time.”

As he returned the Spirit Root, Zhang Yu noticed the administrator’s courtesy had grown even more pronounced. As it happened, he also had some questions he wanted to ask.

With a lingering glance at the Qi Sea Spirit Root being returned to its Jade Box, Zhang Yu asked, “If this Spirit Root were for sale, how much would it cost?”

The administrator’s eyes flickered, and she smiled faintly. “The price of the Qi Sea Spirit Root is 60 million yuan.”

Zhang Yu gasped inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he remarked, “That expensive?”

The administrator smiled and replied smoothly, “That’s right. We generally do not recommend buying one either. Renting is far more cost-effective. Equipping a Heavenly Spirit Root in the early Qi Refining Realm is simply too extravagant. Most cultivators only consider buying a Spirit Root after getting into University.”

Zhang Yu nodded slightly. He knew that the final hurdle in the Qi Refining Realm before breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm was implanting one’s own Spirit Root. This was indeed something only University Students needed to consider.

However, whether one planted a Heavenly Spirit Root, an Earth Spirit Root, or a Human Spirit Root depended entirely on the cultivator’s financial resources.

As for the higher-level ones like the Divine Spiritual Roots and the Immortal Spirit Roots, those could only be transplanted after joining a special department or a Great Sect.

A useful Heavenly Spirit Root… is really… damn expensive.

Zhang Yu took one last deep look at the Spirit Root that was being put away, and silently vowed to buy one of his own someday.

Before he left, the administrator took the initiative to add him as a contact. Only then did Zhang Yu learn her name was Wei Xin.

Wei Xin silently changed Zhang Yu’s contact note to “Zhang Yu (Platinum Member Seed)”.