Chapter 15: Qi-Circulation Puppet

The sun shone brightly, and cheerful flowers bloomed.

Silver Sword Peak once again awoke to the beauty of a perfect morning, featuring clear skies, pristine waters, the fragrance of the flowers, and the melodious songs of birds.

Chu Liang emerged from his humble wooden cabin. He stretched his body lazily and loosened his muscles.

With his Teacher away for the past two days, he was effectively the acting Peak Master of Silver Sword Peak. This gave him a sense of authority and responsibility, even though he would remain an Assistant Peak Master when Di Nufeng returned.

After basking in the sun for a while, he returned to his room, carefully closing the door behind him.

There were still tasks he needed to complete.

When he came back from the Southern Bastion Mountain last night, it was already quite late. He had parted ways with the disciples of Jade Sword Peak and returned to Silver Sword Peak by himself. Upon returning to the Silver Sword Peak, he immediately went to sleep.

Now, it was time for him to reward himself.

Allowing his divine sense to sink into his consciousness, he arrived inside the White Pagoda, where the enormous golden phantom of the Human-Faced Xiao's head was imprisoned in an iron cage. Chu Liang stepped forward and pressed his palm against the word "Refine."

Boom—

A crimson radiance flashed.

Chu Liang caught the shimmering light that drifted out and immediately received a message in his mind.

[Qi-Circulation Puppet: The puppet practices Qi-Circulation Technique[1] to aid in cultivation. It consumes one Qi-Gathering Pill during the day and two at night, enabling continuous cultivation throughout the day. All progress achieved in cultivation will be transferred to the host. Please be aware that this puppet is to be used strictly as a cultivation aid, and there is a risk of damage if used inappropriately.]

"

Eh?

"

Chu Liang held the three-chi-tall doll with a large head and felt pleasantly surprised.

Its appearance bore a resemblance to the Human-Faced Xiao, both having small, featureless heads that resembled white jade.

Possibly due to its lack of expression, it looked somewhat adorable.

But Chu Liang's excitement didn't stem from its cuteness.

It was because... this doll was a cultivation helper that would operate relentlessly, day in and day out, all year round without breaks. Every bit of cultivation progress it achieved would be credited directly to him. Wouldn't this imply that his cultivation speed could potentially double?

No, it might even exceed a doubling effect.

The path of cultivation was structured into three phases, each of which contained three realms. The ultimate phase, the Heavenly Gate, demanded progress through enlightenment. Even a single moment of enlightenment could result in advancements equivalent to decades of practice. In the second phase, the Earthly Gate, the emphasis was placed on resources, with personal cultivation taking a secondary role. On the other hand, in the first phase, known as the Mortal Gate, personal cultivation held paramount importance.

The Body Refinement Realm focused on toughening the physical body, while the Qi-Concentration Realm centered on expanding one's Dantian[2] and Sea of Qi[3]. In contrast, the Spiritual Awareness Realm emphasized the refinement of one's divine senses. At this level, cultivation progress was dependent on meditation, contemplation, and the activation of energy circulation, often referred to as the Qi-Circulation Technique.

Nevertheless, everyone had limited available cultivation time. Excluding daily necessities like eating and resting, one could devote a maximum of sixteen hours to cultivation each day. Additionally, a practitioner couldn't focus exclusively on qi cultivation; they also needed time for practicing divine arts and, in the case of Mount Shu Sect, for completing missions to earn treasures and pills, among other responsibilities.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator who could maintain eight to ten hours of energy circulation and cultivation was already considered exceptionally hard-working. For someone like Chu Liang, who would often leave for missions, they could only dedicate four to six hours per day.

It was crucial to emphasize that cultivation time had to be spent productively, and idling or slacking off would not be added to the progress of cultivation.

But...

With this Large-Headed Doll in his possession, Chu Liang now had an additional twenty-four hours of cultivation time.

This meant that the speed of his cultivation progress would increase by four to five times!

This also meant that he would be able to spend more time and energy on hunting and killing demons. This doll was perfect for his current needs.

As Chu Liang thought about this, he couldn't wait any longer. He placed the Large-Headed Doll on the ground, positioned himself in front of it, and administered a Qi-Gathering Pill to the doll.

Then, he placed his hand on the doll's head.

Activating the Qi-Circulation Technique...

The cultivation technique that Chu Liang practiced was the most orthodox method of the Mount Shu Sect, known as the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique: The Book of Spiritual Awareness.

The Mount Shu Sect's cultivation technique was renowned for its lack of uniqueness but helped build a solid and stable foundation. As long as one diligently cultivated, disciples of the Mount Shu Sect often exceeded others of the same cultivation level in overall strength.

While Chu Liang practiced the Qi-Circulation Technique, the Large-Headed Doll's body became transparent. Intricate white lines moved along complex paths, shimmering as they advanced.

By the time Chu Liang completed the Qi-Circulation Technique and withdrew his palm, the Large-Headed Doll's face and features astonishingly transformed into his likeness. It continued to emit a radiant aura, signifying it had entered a state of cultivation.

Chu Liang understood that the doll had become a mirror image of him, inside and out.

At a cost of three Qi-Gathering Pills a day, the expenditure wasn't insignificant, but neither was it exorbitant. Compared to the output of an entire day of strenuous cultivation, it was indeed a worthwhile arrangement.

Chu Liang made a silent commitment never to let the Large-Headed Doll cease its cultivation.

At worst, I will feed you by slaying lantern monsters.

However, it was rather peculiar that this Qi-Circulation Puppet possessed no intelligence. It was a mere cultivation machine, devoid of emotions. It consumed Qi-Gathering Pills day and night, yet it still had qualities that set it apart from a human.

It consumed one pill during the day and two pills during the night... It seemed as though the puppet was being paid double for working overtime.

Sigh. This was really unreasonable.

As Chu Liang thought about this, he suddenly hoped that this Large-Headed Doll was a human.

If so, he could set unattainable performance targets for the doll, like reaching the Golden Core Realm within three days, punishing it for not achieving the goal by deducting Qi-Gathering Pills. If it failed, it would have to work additional hours, and eventually, it might work overtime voluntarily, sparing Chu Liang from bearing the cost.

In such a case, he wouldn't need to pay double. In fact, he wouldn't even have to pay the doll the regular daytime rate. Just one Qi-Gathering Pill would be enough for it to work for twenty-four hours.

If it didn't achieve the target, Chu Liang would then deduct more Qi-Gathering Pills.

In the end, it might even end up owing Qi-Gathering Pills despite working for such long hours.

...

Chu Liang chose not to take the Large-Headed Doll out, leaving it to work in the White Pagoda.

After all, this item looked rather strange. Since it wouldn't be suitable for others to see, he decided to leave it in the White Pagoda.

The space in the White Pagoda was quite peculiar and marvelous. Chu Liang hadn't fully explored its capabilities yet. All he knew was that the White Pagoda could serve as a storage place for enchanted tools, but only items that the White Pagoda had bestowed could enter and exit the White Pagoda.

Then, Chu Liang set off for the Heaven-Reaching Peak.

After completing the mission at Southern Bastion Mountain, the fellow disciples from Jade Sword Peak thought that Chu Liang had suffered a significant loss. However, in reality, he had earned so much that he felt rather numb.

Although the Spirit Cat Leaping Talisman was precious, it hadn't cost him a single dime. He had acquired a few Hundred-Flower Antidotes that could heal one hundred types of poison and a highly useful Qi-Circulation Puppet. It was undeniably a lucrative gain.

Besides that, he had received a wage of fifty sword coins.

Usually, he would receive ten sword coins for one mission. If his companions hadn't given him their share of the reward, he wouldn't have ended up with so much money. In fact, this was the first time Chu Liang had ever possessed such a large sum.

Now, as a formerly penniless individual, he had suddenly become wealthy, and he knew he needed to spend his money.

He first arrived at the Hall of Alchemy and purchased a gourd of Qi-Gathering Pills, enough to sustain the Large-Headed Doll for a while. After leaving the hall, he turned left and headed to the Hall of Weapons.

The Hall of Weapons oversaw the enchanted artifacts and flying swords of the Mount Shu Sect. When Chu Liang entered the hall, he made his way to the section that specialized in selling swords.

1. The act of circulating vitality and qi within the meridians ☜

2. Dantian refers to an energy center within the body where foundational qi is cultivated, stored, and circulated. There are three main Dantian points in the human body: the upper Dantian (in the head), the middle Dantian (around the chest or heart area), and the lower Dantian (located in the lower abdomen). ☜

3. Sea of Qi is located in the lower abdomen and is considered a central area for the storage and circulation of qi. ☜