The Dantian Qi Sea is the foundation of a cultivator’s journey. For any mortal wishing to set foot upon the path of immortality, the first requirement is to force open this internal vessel. Without an open Qi Sea, cultivation is a fleeting dream.

Gu Xiu’s Dantian was the site of his most grievous trauma; it had been utterly shattered for years. Since his return from the forbidden land, he had dreamt of repairing it, but the damage was absolute. Even Guan Xuelan, a Great Ascension Supreme, had examined it and declared it beyond saving.

But now!

Under the influence of the mysterious, butterfly-like fragments of the ancient book, that ruined and hollow void was being reconstructed piece by piece. And it wasn’t just being mended; the butterflies were expanding his territory. Everywhere they touched, they rebuilt the foundation and pushed its boundaries further.

An ordinary cultivator’s Qi Sea is the size of a pond. A peerless prodigy might boast a vessel as vast as a great river. But at this moment, Gu Xiu’s Dantian was expanding into a boundless ocean!

As the expansion continued, it showed no signs of slowing down. Gu Xiu, having regained consciousness, was initially overwhelmed with ecstasy, but his smile soon froze. A cold prickle of trepidation ran down his spine.

A massive Qi Sea was generally a blessing—it meant deeper spiritual reserves and the power to overwhelm opponents of the same rank. However, if the vessel was too large, the requirements for advancement would become staggering. Without a top-tier technique to act as a floodgate, cultivation speed would slow to a crawl.

It was a simple matter of volume: if an ordinary person’s Qi Sea is a cup, they only need a few drops to reach Great Perfection. If Gu Xiu’s was an ocean, even a flood would take an eternity to fill it.

Fortunately, as his internal sea reached its limit, the butterflies ceased their expansion and gathered at the center. They reassembled, taking the form of the mysterious ancient book once more, and hung high above the vast waters.

“Huh?” Gu Xiu waited, feeling a flicker of confusion. “Where is the technique?”

According to his vision, this book was supposed to transform into a profound, Heaven-grade cultivation manual. But while the cover still bore the characters “Wu Kui,” the pages within were starkly blank.

Did I change things by writing ‘No Shame’ instead of ‘No Regrets’? he wondered. Wait… are these pages meant to be written upon?

He decided to test the theory immediately. Using his mental intent, he began to project words onto the nameless manual.

“The ancient True Men breathed Yin and Yang; all living beings looked up to their virtue…”

As the words appeared, a gentle breeze stirred within his Dantian. Gu Xiu felt a sudden, sharp clarity—a sense of total, unobstructed understanding. His eyes lit up; he could transcribe techniques onto the book!

He continued writing: “In ancient times, people wore their hair loose without collars; they ruled over all under heaven…”

This was the Tongxuan Jing, an ancient scripture said to be written by a sage. It was a common technique, widely circulated and often used by those just beginning their journey. Since Gu Xiu had severed ties with his sect, continuing to use Qingxuan Sacred Land techniques would invite karmic backlash and heavenly punishment. The Tongxuan Jing was meant to be a temporary bridge until he found something better.

But as the final character was etched into the book, a surge of profound enlightenment washed over him. His previous understanding of the scripture felt superficial in comparison. Subconsciously, Gu Xiu closed his eyes. The scattered spiritual energy of the surrounding mountains began to drift toward him, absorbed through his pores and channeled through his newly forged meridians.

Boom!

As the final cycle was completed, the first wisp of spiritual energy surged into his Dantian ocean. Gu Xiu’s eyes snapped open, sparkling with surprise. He could cultivate again! In the world of immortals, strength was everything. He had spent three years as a crippled mortal, but now, he had finally stepped back onto the path. Even if it was only a single wisp of energy—not even enough for a basic spell—it filled his heart with wild joy.

“Wait, what is this?”

His joy was interrupted by a new discovery. The pages where he had written the Tongxuan Jing detached themselves, forming a brand-new manual that floated beside the wordless book. Its cover bore four large characters: Tongxuan Dao Jing.

The content had been refined. It was more concise, more intuitive, and far more powerful than the original text. When he tried to cultivate using this new method, his absorption speed increased noticeably.

“The original scripture had no grade at all, but this… this has reached the threshold of a Yellow-grade technique! Does this wordless manual automatically elevate the grade of anything I write?”

To test his theory, he tried to copy the text again, but the characters vanished. It seemed a technique could only be upgraded once. Undeterred, he began to recite another common scripture: the Chongxu Jing.

As he finished the transcription, several pages emerged, transforming into the Chongxu Dao Jing. Once again, the technique was refined. Gu Xiu read through it, achieving an instant, absolute comprehension.

Then, something incredible happened. The Chongxu Dao Jing drifted toward the Tongxuan Dao Jing, and the two manuals began to merge. They fused into a single volume: the Xuanxu Jing.

Gu Xiu’s eyes widened. Creating a new technique was a gargantuan task requiring profound wisdom; merging two distinct paths was even harder, as the slightest misalignment could lead to a violent Qi deviation. Yet the wordless manual had done it effortlessly.

“If I keep merging common techniques, will they continue to grow stronger?”

He didn’t waste any time. He transcribed a third text, the Huangting Jing, which evolved into the Huangting Dao Jing. Once he fully comprehended it, it merged with the Xuanxu Jing.

The result was a new manual: the Xuantiang Xuijing.

Gu Xiu gasped as he read the contents. This was an Earth-grade manual! Even the core disciples of the Qingxuan Sacred Land only studied Earth-grade techniques. By merging three common, widely-circulated scriptures, he had matched the heritage of a great sect.

“What would happen if I merged stronger manuals?” he whispered. “And does this work for sword arts or spells?”

He was eager to try, but he lacked any “clean” techniques to test. He wasn’t anxious, however. His current priority was clear: he needed to reach the third layer of Qi Refining. The green bamboo pole was his greatest asset, but it required the strength of the third layer to activate.

With his new Earth-grade foundation, he closed his eyes and sank back into his meditation.