The next day, Rin Tianhai sat cross-legged on the stone bed.
With his eyes closed and hands clasped together, he adeptly performed a Grand Circulation.
Specks of blue and red light gathered sporadically above his head, slowly sinking into the Sky Spirit Cover. From there, they flowed through the seven meridians and eight channels of his body, finally converging in the Qi Sea Dantian.
After a full circulation, his meridians flowed smoothly. He then took out a jade bottle of elixirs. Pouring one out, it was indeed a Qi Condensation Pill.
Without hesitation, Rin Tianhai swallowed the pill.
Its rich fragrance and sweet taste refreshed his spirit.
At once, he began refining it, transforming its medicinal essence into streams of violent spiritual power that surged into his Qi Sea Dantian. Under divine sense, he could faintly see the Dantian expanding at a minimal but steady rate.
Rin Tianhai cultivated one of his family's core legacies—the Fire Origin Decision, a Fire-Attribute Mysterious Grade technique. Its offensive power was formidable, but its cultivation speed was comparatively slow. At its peak, it could be cultivated to the late stage of Core Formation.
In the Cultivation World, techniques were divided into Heavenly, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow Grades.Techniques of the Heavenly grade are the highest and can be cultivated up to the Divinity Transformation Stage, followed by Earth-grade techniques, which can reach the Nascent Soul Stage, while the lowest Yellow-grade techniques only allow cultivation up to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The Rin Family, with over eight hundred years of heritage, possessed just five techniques: two of Mysterious Grade and three of Yellow Grade, covering the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. They had none for rare attributes.
Unusual Spirit Roots such as Wind, Ice, and Thunder were exceedingly rare, and corresponding techniques even rarer. Even millennia-old clans or great sects might not possess them.
Of the Rin Family's legacies, the Fire Origin Decision and Spring Wood Creation Classic were the only Mysterious Grade techniques, both capable of reaching the late stage of Core Formation.
The Spring Wood Creation Classic was gentler and easier to cultivate, with fewer bottlenecks—usually chosen by those with the Wood Attribute Spirit Root.
Besides that, there are three Yellow Grade techniques. The Metal Attribute technique, Golden Gang Classic, has extremely strong offensive power. The Water Attribute technique, the Water Origin Sword Decision, is a sword technique that can at most control nine Flying Swords to form a Sword Array, useful for both offense and defence and quite extraordinary. The Earth Attribute technique, Thick Earth Decision, can congeal an earth shield with excellent defensive power but slightly weaker offensive ability, so not many clan people cultivate this technique.
Time passed quietly as Rin Tianhai cultivated.
It took him three full days in seclusion to refine the first Qi Condensation Pill, his cultivation reaching the peak of the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement.
With one pill consumed and two remaining, he decided to attempt a breakthrough. Swallowing the second pill, he guided its immense medicinal power, repeatedly striking against the barrier of his Dantian.
Two days later, the Qi Sea within his Dantian expanded several times over, and Rin Tianhai successfully advanced to the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement.
His strength had multiplied, his Dantian enlarged by half, its capacity nearly doubled, and his spiritual power denser than before.
Overjoyed, he refrained from leaving seclusion immediately. Instead, he consolidated his breakthrough through another five days of meditation.
After ten days, his gains were tremendous—smooth advancement to the Fifth Level, with one Qi Condensation Pill still remaining. It had far exceeded his expectations.
This success was partly due to his previous half-month retreat, during which he had concocted elixirs, exhausted much of his spiritual power, and then replenished it through steady cultivation. This solid foundation had made the breakthrough smooth.
Still, excessive reliance on elixirs might harm his foundation. With one Qi Condensation Pill left, he chose restraint.
At last, Rin Tianhai ended his seclusion and pushed open the door.
It was still early in the day. Remembering the 300 merit points awarded by his grandfather, he summoned his Flying Sword, leapt upon it, and headed for the Family Merits Hall.
With his breakthrough, even his Sword Flight had doubled in speed. The wind whistled past his ears, sending his blue robe fluttering behind him.
Along the way, he passed several important halls of the Rin Family, greeting clansmen busily engaged in their duties before departing.
The Rin Family had flourished through strict rules: respect for elders, care for the young, clear rewards and punishments—a complete and stable system.
The family was organized into ten departments: Elders' Council, Enforcement Hall, Skill Transmission Hall, Hall of Merit, Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Scripture Pavilion, Alchemy Hall, Artifact Training Hall, Talisman Crafting Hall and FormationHall.
The Elders' Council, led by the Clan Leader and Hall Masters, deliberated on minor matters; major decisions were referred to Foundation Establishment Supreme Elders.
The Enforcement Hall maintained discipline, punishing corruption, bullying, fratricide, or betrayal. Light offenders were detained; the worst had their cultivation abolished and were confined for life. It also tracked criminals, oversaw training expeditions, and commanded in external wars.
The Skill Transmission Hall preserved ancestral legacies, taught cultivation methods and secret arts to new disciples, and nurtured clan identity.
The Hall of Merit managed the treasury, spiritual medicine gardens, and mines, overseeing resource exchanges and sales.
The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall scheduled clan tasks. Every member above thirty, even at the First Level of Qi Refinement, had to complete at least one task every three years. Only those under thirty who had yet to reach the Fifth Level were exempt to focus on cultivation.
The Scripture Pavilion safeguarded cultivation methods and ancient texts, granting appropriate manuals to beginners.
Finally, the Alchemy, Artifact Training, Talisman Crafting, and Formation Halls nurtured talents in specialized skills. Members above the Fourth Level could choose freely—or even pursue multiple paths.
After centuries of reform, this system had stood unshaken for over three hundred years.
Inside the Merits Hall, Rin Tianhai greeted an elder.
"Great-Nephew pays respects to Great-Uncle Ten," he said, bowing to Rin Shixin.
Rin Shixin waved him off with a smile. "No need for such formality."
"Great-Uncle Ten, I wish to sell thirty-one Fasting Pills."
He presented a pouch of freshly concocted pills. Rin Shixin examined them carefully before nodding.
"Thirty-one Fasting Pills. At one Spirit Stone each, with a twenty percent discount, that is twenty-four merits."
Rin Tianhai handed over his Family Token. "I wish to exchange for a Four Symbols Furnace, ten sets of Fasting Pill ingredients, and five sets of Qi Condensation Pill ingredients."
Rin Shixin calculated swiftly. "The Four Symbols Furnace costs 250 merits. Ten sets of Fasting Pill ingredients, 30 merits. Five sets of Qi Condensation Pill ingredients, 40 merits. Altogether, 320 merits."
Selling his thirty-one Fasting Pills had earned him twenty-four merits, leaving him with a slight loss. Still, Rin Tianhai thought to himself, Once my success rate improves and I refine more pills, I'll surely make a profit.
Rin Shixin deducted the amount from his token, leaving him with only ten merits.
Gathering the Four Symbols Furnace and the pill ingredients, Rin Tianhai bowed once more and left the Merits Hall.