Man Xiongmu sat down on a stone chair and poured himself a bowl of bitter tea from the pot on the table.
The tea was brewed from the leaves of the Bitter Bamboo growing outside the cave entrance. Its taste was harsh and cooling, capable of calming the mind and sharpening one's focus—an acquired but distinctive flavor.
After finishing the tea, he looked at Wu Tian and said,
"I didn't expect you to perfect the Nether Communion Mantra so quickly. That speed already rivals cultivators with high-grade spiritual roots."
"You little dog are truly not ordinary. If fate allows, you may one day truly become a spirit beast, even taking human form."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The path of cultivation only truly begins once Foundation Establishment is complete and a strand of true qi is born."
"After Foundation Establishment comes the Nurturing Qi Realm, which is divided into four stages:Opening Apertures, Opening Meridians, Form Condensation, and Profound Gate."
"The time required in the Nurturing Qi Realm is generally ten times longer than Foundation Establishment."
Wu Tian couldn't help widening his eyes.
Man Xiongmu sighed.
"For those with low-grade spiritual roots, just reaching Foundation Establishment takes over ten years. To complete Nurturing Qi would require a hundred years—in theory."
"In reality, without great fortune, low-grade roots will never reach that stage in an entire lifetime."
"Mid-grade roots usually take three to five years for Foundation Establishment, then thirty to fifty years to complete Nurturing Qi. With enough perseverance, they at least have hope of entering the Cauldron Forging Realm."
"High-grade roots still need about ten years to complete Nurturing Qi."
"As for supreme-grade roots—those who complete Foundation Establishment in a hundred days—three years is often enough to break through the Profound Gate."
He set down his tea bowl, his expression turning distant.
"The first four realms of cultivation place extreme importance on aptitude. Without sufficient talent, higher realms are simply unreachable."
"My own spiritual roots were considered strong among the mid-grade."
"I entered the mountain at five years old. Three years for Foundation Establishment. Twenty-eight years for Nurturing Qi. Thirty years for Cauldron Forging."
"I am now sixty-seven—and only last year did I finally step into the Refining Law Realm."
"Sixty-two years of bitter cultivation. Looking back… it feels like a dream."
His voice carried a trace of melancholy.
"Among my generation, seventy percent are still stuck in Nurturing Qi. Some descended the mountain, some remain as sect laborers, others died to spirit beasts—or simply aged and passed away."
"Among the fifth generation, there were once over a hundred cultivators with mid-grade roots. Yet only a dozen managed to complete Cauldron Forging and enter Refining Law."
"As for high-grade roots—extremely rare. Fewer than ten exist in our generation, and only one has broken through. The rest remain trapped."
Man Xiongmu's gaze fixed firmly on Wu Tian.
"The Immortal Path is harsh. Talent alone is not enough—it requires decades of unrelenting perseverance. One moment of laziness can sever the road forever."
"Even with high-grade roots, most will still die as mortals in a hundred years."
He spoke slowly.
"You were once nothing more than a common white dog of the village. By chance, you awakened intelligence, nurtured Nether Qi, and encountered immortal fate—only then could you enter Skull Mountain."
"Human cultivation is already this difficult. For demons and spirit creatures, the path is even harsher."
"I do not expect you to become a Demon King."
"I only hope you do not fall into evil, do not slaughter indiscriminately, and—if you have the heart—one day protect White Dog Village."
"That would be repayment enough."
His words were sincere and heavy with meaning.
Wu Tian listened carefully, then barked twice and nodded slowly.
Man Xiongmu smiled.
"With your aptitude, reaching the spirit creature stage in just over a year… even if you never reach Demon King, becoming a Great Demon will be trivial."
"As long as you avoid provoking the few terrifying figures on this mountain, you can roam the wilderness freely."
"Now, calm your mind. I will transmit the method."
He began explaining the principles of the Nurturing Qi Realm.
"The four stages each have their mysteries. The first—Opening Apertures—is pure grind."
"Even without techniques, time alone can accomplish it."
"When the mind unites with true qi, the apertures become visible. By using qi to erode the acquired turbid energy within them, they can be opened one by one."
"There is no fixed order."
"This stage merely lays the foundation for opening meridians. I needed only three years to open all three hundred and sixty apertures."
"Though human bodies differ from spirit beasts, this step is the same."
"For wild spirit creatures, once demon qi grows strong enough, apertures naturally open without conscious effort."
Wu Tian followed his guidance.
He merged a strand of consciousness with his Nether Qi.
It felt as though an inner eye opened within his body.
Through this perspective, he could clearly see nodes of blockage—apertures.
When Nether Qi brushed past them, the turbid energy scattered easily.
"At this rate… one or two days per aperture should be enough," Wu Tian realized, shocked.
He soon discovered something else.
His canine body had only seventy-two apertures.
Far fewer than a human's three hundred and sixty.
Which meant—this stage would take him far less time.
Man Xiongmu nodded knowingly.
"You've sensed your apertures already. This stage is simple. I'll teach you some minor techniques later—nothing profound, just slightly improving efficiency."
"Foundation Establishment and Nurturing Qi both rely on incantations. Ancient sounds resonate with the organs, already removing much of the turbidity."
"If you practice other incantations, aperture opening becomes even easier."
Wu Tian immediately thought of the Thunder Resonance Mantra.
Its purifying effects were clearly significant.
Man Xiongmu continued,
"After Opening Apertures comes Opening Meridians."
"This is where true danger lies."
"Apertures must be connected to form qi pathways. The order, the route, the speed of circulation—every detail matters."
"One mistake can injure the apertures. Light injuries slow progress. Severe ones end your path."
"That is why joining a sect matters."
"Sects possess Circulation Diagrams, refined by generations."
"The diagram passed down in Qiyun Cave is called the Nether Cloud Circulation Diagram."
"It connects sixty-eight apertures and is directly linked to the later Cloud Leopard True Form and Cloud Leopard Cauldron Body."
"One lineage. One path."
He smiled at Wu Tian.
"You are a canine. Similar to a leopard. This inheritance suits you perfectly."
"Though it connects fewer apertures than some superior diagrams, those are meant for humans."
"For you, this is the best possible choice."
"And when you reach Cauldron Forging, your physique and aptitude can be reshaped. Even weak foundations can be compensated."
"For you—this is the optimal path."
Man Xiongmu raised his hand.
"Focus your mind."
"I will now transmit the Nether Cloud Circulation Diagram."
(End of Chapter)