Chapter 11: Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering
Before a skyscraper in the city center.
Zhang Yu raised his head, gazing at the tower that soared into the clouds as if to pierce the very heavens. He could faintly see what looked like a celestial palace looming at its peak.
This was the Immortal Resonance Group’s office building in the center of Songyang City.
Beyond it, Zhang Yu could see an even taller giant of a building in the distance, one that seemed to connect to the very edge of the sky. He knew that was Songyang City’s tallest skyscraper, the 999-story Central Tower, a landmark he often saw on his way to and from school.
At this moment, he turned his head back to the office building before him.
The Immortal Resonance Group?
On the way over, Zhang Yu had already searched online for information about the Immortal Resonance Group.
It was a mega-corporation under the Myriad Laws Sect, with business operations that included developing and selling cultivation techniques, Immortal Dao education, and book publishing.
The Myriad Laws Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects, and in this world of Kunxu, a person’s life—from the cradle to the grave—was inextricably linked to them. This was, of course, even truer for the cultivation of the Immortal Dao.
Therefore, Zhang Yu was not surprised that a corporate giant like the Immortal Resonance Group was part of the Myriad Laws Sect, one of the Ten Greats.
He lowered his head and walked into the building. After stating his purpose at the front desk, Zhang Yu went through registration, signed a contract, and underwent a simple physical examination before finally being led to a place that resembled a classroom.
He saw that several other students were already seated in the classroom.
After waiting for some time, once the number of students in the classroom reached fifteen, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit walked in and began to explain the day’s trial.
“Hello, everyone. I am your instructor for today.”
“All of you here have already signed the contract, but I must still remind you that nothing we discuss here today is to be shared. If our company discovers that any of you have leaked information, we will find you, no matter where you run.”
Hearing these words, a chill went down the spines of the students, but they knew he was not bluffing. With the power of the Immortal Resonance Group and its backer, the Myriad Laws Sect, accomplishing such a feat would not be difficult.
“The cultivation technique you will all be attempting to learn today is what we call Experimental Technique 113. Now, please watch the instructional video…”
According to the instructional video, this was a Qi Refinement realm breathing exercise. However, what set it apart from the Basic Breathing Technique was its immense complexity. It was like trying to establish some kind of magic power circuit throughout the entire body.
So much so that after watching the video, most of the students who had come for the trial remained completely bewildered.
It was not until the instructor’s detailed explanation that the students began to grasp a vague understanding, yet they only felt their scalps tingle with dread.
“No way… they want us to practice this technique? Are we even qualified?”
The technique’s circulation path was simply too complex, its difficulty too high. It was like trying to paint the Along the River During the Qingming Festival[^1] scroll on a single sheet of A4 paper.
If Zhang Yu had to describe it, he would say it was as difficult as carving a flower on a piece of shit.
Forget about circulating magic power according to the instructional path; no one present could even memorize the route. Most of them had forgotten the majority of it almost as soon as the explanation was finished.
Forget about leaking it; the students had absolutely no confidence they could even learn the technique and complete the experiment.
Seemingly sensing the shift in the students’ mood, the instructor spoke from the front of the room, “Rest assured, this experiment does not require you to master this technique.”
“In fact, it’s impossible for a beginner to master this technique on their own.”
“What we are testing today is an auxiliary circulation device designed to pair with Technique 113…”
Next, the students were taken to a testing room where ‘magic detection patches’ were attached to their hands, feet, chests, and backs.
Then, silver needle-like objects connected to wires were presented before each student by robotic arms.
The instructor continued from the side, “Once you begin circulating your magic power, the detection patches will continuously monitor its flow within your bodies.”
“The Primordial Magnetism Needles will then be guided by the robotic arms to stimulate points along your circulation pathways, helping you identify and correct the route…”
Zhang Yu listened for a moment and understood.
It’s basically an auto-pathing system… oh, no, an auto-circulation system.
Because the magic power pathway for Technique 113 was so convoluted and its requirements for the timing and positioning of spiritual energy and magic power flow were so high, it was necessary to simultaneously monitor the cultivator’s circulation path and use the Primordial Magnetism Needles to guide them by stimulating various points on the body.
However, the process was not without considerable risk, as the circulation path for Technique 113 was exceedingly complex.
With such a complicated circulation path, the slightest error would cause one’s magic power to spiral out of control and disperse throughout the body, creating an agonizing mix of itching and aching, hot and cold flashes, and easily leading to a greater loss of control.
If this persisted, it would lead to internal injuries, which would grow more severe the longer the situation dragged on.
Afterward, the victim would have three options: go to a hospital and pay a high price for a powerful expert to suppress the runaway magic power; rely on their own physical resilience to endure it until the magic power exhausted itself; or successfully master the technique and use it to actively rein in the errant magic power along the circulation path.
Meanwhile, the instructor continued, “…As stipulated in the contracts you signed, payment for this trial will be based on the percentage of the circulation path you complete. Only those who finish 100% of the route will receive the full ten thousand yuan.”
“If your magic power only makes it halfway, you will only get five thousand.”
“Alright everyone, if there are no more questions, please begin.”
Zhang Yu glanced at the information that appeared on his Feather Book.
Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method Level 0 (0/1)
Does this mean I only need to complete it once? he thought to himself.
Zhang Yu closed his eyes and began to circulate the technique he had just learned, starting from his dantian and moving the energy toward his spine.
At the same time, he felt a slight prickling on his back and knew it was the Primordial Magnetism Needle guiding his magic power’s flow.
He then followed the needle’s guidance, slowly and carefully circulating his magic power along the indicated path.
…
Meanwhile, outside the testing room, a group of people was observing the students’ progress.
“They’ve started.”
The lead researcher, a man with messy short hair, was staring intently at the constantly changing data on the screen.
It displayed the status of each student’s internal magic power circulation as they attempted to practice Experimental Technique 113.
An assistant stood beside him, his expression just as grave as he watched the cultivation diagrams of the students on the screen. These images were generated from the magic power data collected from various points on their bodies and depicted the circulation paths within them.
The correct circulation path was displayed in green, while any deviations were marked in red.
As the seconds ticked by, more and more red errors appeared on the circulation paths, and the assistant’s eyes filled with growing disappointment.
“Professor, it seems we still need to improve the guidance precision of the Primordial Magnetism Needles. Otherwise, they can’t meet the accuracy requirements for a beginner practicing Technique 113.”
“It’s still too difficult for beginners to master 113. Should we recruit a batch of test subjects with a higher Dao heart level?”
The researcher, addressed as “Professor,” frowned.
“Both Technique 113 and the Primordial Magnetism Needles were developed specifically for beginners. I will not change that direction.”
“Besides, those with higher Dao heart levels have better cultivation techniques to learn; 113’s passive breathing effect isn’t competitive for them. It’s beginners who need this passive effect the most…”
Just then, a student who had made a mistake grunted and violently coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The ‘Professor’ said coldly, “Get him out of here immediately. Don’t let him disturb the others’ state of mind.”
But with the first student coughing up blood, more and more of those attempting the technique began to show signs of distress. Some turned blue in the face, unable to breathe; others screamed and fainted from the pain. A few with milder injuries merely grew pale, feeling pain or itching where their magic power was circulating…
Watching the students being carried out one after another, the ‘Professor’s’ expression grew increasingly grim.
He said with displeasure, “The quality of this batch is terrible. Can’t we recruit some more capable students?”
The assistant explained in a low voice, “Professor, the test subjects from the previous trials were too severely injured. No school is willing to work with us anymore.”
The ‘Professor’ snorted, his face etched with displeasure.
“They’re just a bunch of poor students. Once we successfully refine Technique 113 and the Primordial Magnetism Needles, think of the size of the beginner market. What does it matter if a few batches of them die?”
Meanwhile, only three students were left in the testing room, still persevering with the technique.
Two of them were holding on because they had fewer errors, and thus very little of their magic power had gone out of control.
But the third student, pale-faced, surprised even the ‘Professor’.
“This kid has made quite a few mistakes. He must be in unbearable pain right now, yet he’s still holding on?”
The assistant asked, “Professor, should we stop him?”
The ‘Professor’ shook his head, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
“Since he wants this money so badly, let’s give him the chance.”
“Besides, more data on the mistakes made during a complete circulation is clearly beneficial to our research.”
…
Inside the testing room, whenever Zhang Yu felt like giving up, he would feel the chill of the ritual’s power and see the countdown timer in his mind.
“This stupid thing! All it knows how to do is pressure me. Why don’t you try it if you’re so great?”
As he circulated the technique, Zhang Yu could feel that with every small mistake, magic power would spill out of control from the pathway, leaving various parts of his body aching and itching, alternating between hot and cold.
He finally managed to complete the entire circulation path once. Glancing at his Feather Book, he saw ‘Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method Level 0 (0/1)’ change to ‘Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method Level 1 (0/20),’ and he breathed a small sigh of relief.
Zhang Yu admitted to himself that he had taken a gamble, but luckily, this time it had paid off.
At that moment, the memory of performing this technique hundreds, even thousands of times, flooded his mind, making him feel as if he had been practicing it for months.
In that instant, Zhang Yu felt that with just a thought, he could use the Celestial Cycle Qi-Gathering Method to rein in all the runaway magic power in his body and establish a complex circulatory system.
He did not do so immediately, however. Instead, he endured the aching and itching all over his body and slowly stood up.
The instructor quickly walked over, a look of surprise on his face.
“Young man, are you alright?”
It was the first time he had ever seen someone with such a high error rate manage to persist and complete the entire technique.
Zhang Yu clutched his stomach and said, “I feel like my insides are on fire. It’s itchy and painful. My upper body feels like it’s burning, and my lower body feels like it’s frozen… It’s unbearable.”
The instructor quickly supported him.
“Let me take you to the medical office to get you checked out.”
“No need!” Zhang Yu waved his hand dismissively. “What I mean is… I want more money.”
The instructor looked him up and down, taking in Zhang Yu’s incessant trembling and increasingly pale face. He said, “One thousand yuan. And you sign another contract stating that whatever happens to you from now on has nothing to do with us.”
After some haggling, the Immortal Resonance company finally added another 3,000 yuan for Zhang Yu, on the condition that the company would not be held responsible for any injuries he sustained, no matter how severe.