Refine the spirit

  In March, a warm breeze is already blowing, and the sky has been overcast for several days, with a spring rain brewing.

  Yu Hua City is located in the southeast of Long Yuan Province. If placed in the Da Wu Dynasty, it was just one of the 5,760 cities in the country's 48 provinces. Placed on the Yufeng Continent, it was even more just an inconspicuous speck of dust in the Milky Way.

  In the late afternoon, due to the gradually darkening sky, the Qin family on the south side of Yuhua City had already lit up their lanterns.

  The Qin family is the second largest family in Yuhua City, with a vast territory of thousands of acres, hundreds of high-rise buildings, densely packed and towering, lights twinkling within, and from afar, it seems like a silver river flowing into the mortal world.

  Compared with the hustle and bustle outside, Qin's study was still quiet as usual.

  Qin Yi was putting back a book he had just finished reading, "The Continental Chronicles", onto its original place on the bookshelf.

  Qin Yi is sixteen this year, with a face as white as jade, eyes like stars, and a slender figure. More importantly, he has a calm demeanor, as if external things can't distract him.

  "From three years ago to now, I have read a total of 1,750 books, but this is still less than one-thousandth of the total number of books at home." Qin Yi sighed as he gazed at the rows and rows of bookshelves stretching far into the distance. "I heard that the Imperial Academy of the Great Wu Dynasty has a collection of tens of millions of volumes, I really don't know how many people it takes to manage so many books."

  Looking out at the sky outside the window, Qin Yi lit the candles in the house and planned to choose another book to read later that night.

  The door of Langxuan Pavilion suddenly came a loud banging sound.

  The sound was loud and urgent, it didn't seem like someone knocking with their hand, but rather kicking the door with their foot.

  "Come in." Qin Yi frowned and said.

  The wooden door creaked open and a girl with a bun on her head, wearing a flowing emerald green long dress, about thirteen or fourteen years old, walked in.

  The girl has fair skin and a lovely face, but when she looks at people, she always carries an air of superiority, making others feel very uncomfortable.

  "Master Qin, Third Master wants you to go to the discussion hall. He says he has something to discuss with you." The girl addressed Qin Yi as "young master", but her tone was devoid of respect, and even had a hint of disdain.

  Perhaps if Qin Yi wasn't the young master of the Qin family, she wouldn't even give him a glance.

  "Third Uncle looking for me?" Qin Yi's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

  "The clan leader is also here, hurry up." The girl said bluntly.

  Upon hearing the words "tribal elder", Qin Yi's heart suddenly felt like it had been pricked by a needle, but his face remained expressionless: "Second Uncle is also here, you go back first, I'll be there soon."

  When the house was left with only Qin Yi alone, he took a few deep breaths to calm his emotions, then tidied up his clothes and pushed open the door, heading towards the council hall.

  The Qin family's estate was vast, with house after house connected by corridors. Hundreds of houses were linked together in a single complex. After walking for almost an hour, Qin Yi finally arrived at the entrance to the meeting hall.

  The main gate of the conference hall is twenty steps wide, with a nanmu wood gate over ten feet high, and two stone lions at the entrance look very majestic.

  Two Qin family guards, clad in fine steel chain armor, held two palm-wide long knives, standing like halberds on either side of the council hall. Seeing Qin Yi approach, a complex expression flashed across their eyes, with pity and regret.

  Qin Yi stood at the entrance of the conference hall for a breath, remembering that the last time he came here was three years ago. The scene at that time was something Qin Yi would never forget in his life.

  At that time, his father, who was still the master of the Qin family, was competing with the master of the Fang family, another prominent family in Yuhua City, for the position of the first family in Yuhua City. He suddenly fell ill and was killed by the opponent.

  Qin Yi lost his mother at a young age, and after his father's death, he was overcome with grief. He vomited three bowls of blood on the spot and fainted. When he came to, his strength, which had originally reached the level of "practicing tendons", suddenly dropped to the level of "practicing flesh".

  At thirteen years old, he reached the realm of practicing tendons, and has gone through all of Qin family's history. There is only one person like this!

  Qin Yi, was once the hope for the resurgence of the Qin family!

  But after the huge blow of his father's death, Qin Yi spent three whole years just recuperating and resting. His only form of entertainment during this time was reading books. Although he had recovered physically over the past three years, his strength had not been able to progress any further. In his heyday, his strength was far inferior to that of his peers, and now they were all effortlessly leaving him in the dust.

  Shaking his head, Qin Yi calmed himself down and stepped across the threshold into the conference hall.

  The meeting hall of the Qin family is over 100 steps long and wide, and even with a thousand people inside for a meeting, it won't feel crowded. The beams are more than three zhang high, and eight pillars that require two people to wrap their arms around stand on either side. The floor is paved with large slabs of red flame mixed concrete bricks, which can release warmth in winter and seep in cool air in summer. A small piece the size of a palm costs enough for a family of three to live on for a year.

  Directly opposite the gate, on the wall is a gigantic bronze tiger head, as tall as a person. The golden eyes gleam with a fierce and powerful aura, as if it's about to burst out of the wall. Ordinary people who see it may even go weak in the knees.

  At this moment, on the red wooden armchair under the tiger head, a man in his 40s wearing a red cloak, with distinct facial features and an aura of majesty, sat upright, his waist straight as a steel plate, his demeanor majestic like a mountain, deep like the sea.

  This man is Qin Yi's second uncle, the current head of the Qin family - Qin Hongyi.

  The man sitting in Qin Hongyi's seat was a slightly hunched man with a face similar to Qin Hongyi, but his expressionless face made it difficult for people to have a good impression of him. This person was Qin Yi's third uncle, Qin Hongren, who was now in charge of the Qin family's finances.

  "My nephew has seen the master and Third Uncle." Standing on the steps below, Qin Yi bowed his head in greeting. Unlike Third Uncle who always wore a flattering smile, he maintained an attitude of neither humility nor arrogance towards Qin Hongyi.

  The head of the household has a unique right and status in the family, so even Qin Hongyi's wife and children can only address him as "master" when they see him.

  Qin Yi lowered his head, but he could clearly feel that Second Uncle Qin Hongyi's gaze was fixed on him, a strong sense of oppression came straight at him, as if it were the oppressive feeling before a storm, making it difficult for him to breathe.

  "You're welcome."

  Qin Hongyi's voice came over, and Qin Yi also felt a slight relief from the pressure on his body.

  "Yi'er, how is your body recovering now?" Qin Hongyi's stern voice sounded again.

  "Thank you for your concern, after three years of recuperation, my body has recovered 90%."

  "What about his strength?"

  Qin Yi took a deep breath and gritted his teeth before saying, "I've recovered to the third layer of the Refining Flesh Realm."

  Qin Hongyi let out an "oh" and then fell silent.

  The Wind Continent values martial arts and respects fire. As long as a family has the conditions, they will train their children in martial arts from a young age.

  Martial arts, namely physical training, are divided into nine levels of realm, and each level is further divided into nine layers.

  First Realm Boundary: Refining the Skin. This is the most fundamental realm boundary in martial arts, and cultivating to this level will make one strong and healthy, with long and smooth breathing, far from illnesses.

  Second Boundary: Refining Flesh. This is also the boundary that Qin Yu fell into after his fall from the previous boundary. In this boundary, one's muscles are tempered, becoming sturdy and powerful, with a single punch capable of exerting a force of over 100 kilograms, enough to take on five men!

  Third Boundary: Refining the Membrane. After reaching this boundary, a protective membrane will appear within one's body, enhancing resistance to physical attacks. A single punch can exert a force of 150 kilograms, capable of sending an adult flying. Movements become swift and agile, like a galloping horse, allowing one to take on ten opponents at once!

  Fourth Realm: Muscle Cultivation. The muscles throughout the entire body merge, and the body's flexibility greatly increases, allowing one to be as flexible as a bow, storing power, and with one punch, unleashing strength of at least 220 kilograms, capable of defeating twenty people!

  Ordinarily, a young man would need to practice from the age of four and reach around twenty years old to attain the Fourth Realm. However, Qin Yi had already reached the Fourth Realm at the age of thirteen, three years ago. It can be said that he is extremely gifted, a genius among geniuses, and is regarded as the most outstanding figure among the younger generation in Yuhua City. Everyone believes that his future is boundless.

  The Fifth Realm: Bone Forging. Once one reaches this realm, all 206 bones in the body become as hard as iron or steel, and every part of the body can be used as a deadly weapon. A single punch can exert a force of 300 kilograms. If one can reach this realm before the age of 30, even if it's just the beginning of Bone Forging, they will be specially nurtured by their family, because those in the Bone Forging Realm are worth fifty men!

  Qin Yi at that time, and possibly even before the age of fourteen, reached the Bone Forging Realm, becoming a strong practitioner that had never appeared in the history of the Qin family or any other family in Yuhua City! This caused a sensation throughout the entire capital city, and even the imperial capital of the Great Wu Dynasty sent people from afar to inquire about this matter, which also became a hot topic at that time.

  The Sixth Layer of the Boundary: Blood Sacrifice. The Bone Refining Boundary is a threshold, and many people spend their entire lives unable to cross it. But once they break through, they shed their old skin and marrow, replacing all the blood in their body, allowing them to remember everything at a glance, connect their strength from head to toe, concentrate their power on any part of their body at will, and make rapid progress in their abilities, with their strength reaching 500 jin. With one punch, they can shatter a stone monument weighing over 1,000 jin, and defeat hundreds of enemies!

  Seventh Realm Boundary: Temple of Marrow. If you reach this realm, not only the Jade Flower City but even the imperial family of the Great Wu Dynasty will come to actively recruit you. Once you reach this realm, your speed is as swift as a flying arrow and one punch has the power of 800 kilograms, making you an unparalleled strong hand capable of taking on 500 enemies!

  The Eighth Layer of the Boundary: The Body of Sacrifice. Upon reaching this layer, the thick and true energy within the body is endless, like a vast ocean, condensing and emerging to kill people from a hundred paces away. One person can face an entire army fully armed, becoming the backbone of a family, a thousand enemies!

  Right before him was Qin Yi's second uncle, Qin Hongyi, who was a master of the Fetal Movement realm!

  Ninth Layer Boundary: Soul Sacrifice. This is the limit of human body cultivation, and also the threshold to cross into the next Great Boundary. In the Soul Sacrifice boundary, the soul and physical body merge and become one, the entire body condenses into a single entity, within 800 steps can clearly see autumn hairs, can defeat 3,000 enemies!

  Qin Yi's arms hung down on both sides of his body, quietly waiting for Qin Hongyi to speak.

  About half a stick of incense later, Qin Hongyi's voice finally came from above: "Yi'er, you should know that the Tian Sheng College will be recruiting students in Jinghua City twenty days later. This time, our Qin family has been allocated two places."

  When he heard the four words "Tian Sheng College", a hint of divine light burst forth from Qin Yi's eyes, and his heart was so excited that it even trembled slightly.

  "You should also remember that at that time, two places were allocated and one of them was assigned to you."

  "Yes." Qin Yi's voice was calm, but his heart had already stirred up waves.

  It's been so many years, and I've just been waiting for this moment!

  Tian Sheng College, one of the top ten sects on the mainland, has a status far surpassing that of the Great Wu Dynasty. Being able to enter the sect is an extremely honorable thing, even if it's just as a lowly miscellaneous disciple. If you can become a lower-ranking disciple, getting a noble title in the Great Wu Dynasty would be effortless! In the future, if there are further advancements, becoming a king or prime minister would also be effortless!

  Qin Yi's wish for so many years was to enter Tian Sheng College and become an invincible strongman, dominating the universe!

  Now that he has finally received news that Tian Sheng College is coming to recruit disciples, how can he not be excited.

  "Yi'er, I now have only one question for you. Do you think your current strength qualifies you to enter the Tian Sheng Academy?" Just as Qin Yi was getting excited, Qin Hongyi's words were like a basin of cold water poured over his head.

  It can be heard that Qin Hongyi has something in his words, and Qin Yi hurriedly raised her head to look at the other party.

  "Yi'er, today the master and I have brought you here to discuss this matter with you." Qin Hongren, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "The Tian Sheng Academy accepts disciples only if they have a certain level of strength and exceptional talent. If it were three years ago, we would have no objections, but now..."

  "Third Uncle, what do you mean?" Qin Yi's eyes narrowed, staring intently at the smiling face of Qin Hongren.

  "Yi'er, isn't Third Uncle's meaning clear enough? Qin Hongren's smile grew even brighter. 'If we were to send you to Tian Sheng Academy now, it would be equivalent to saying that our Qin family is losing face. Others will know that the Qin family of Yu Hua City sent a useless person who only has the strength of the Refining Flesh realm. I think Big Brother wouldn't want to hear such an evaluation even in the afterlife.'"

  When Qin Hongren mentioned his own father and directly called himself a waste, Qin Yi clenched his fists, with inner rage burning fiercely: "Third Uncle, the matter of recommending me to go to Tian Sheng College back then was passed unanimously by the entire family, no one opposed it. Although my strength is not as good as before now, once I fully recover physically, I can quickly return to my original level. You..."

  "Yi'er, don't say anything more." Qin Hongyi suddenly spoke up, cutting off Qin Yi's words. "This matter has already been discussed and decided with your Third Uncle. This time, the two spots for the Qin family are your cousin Qin Yuvie and your cousin Qin Hanzong. I'm telling you this today just to let you know. I know you'll be unhappy, but later on, let your Third Uncle give you 10,000 Aggregating Flame Pills as compensation for this matter."

  Among the various countries of the Wind Continent, they no longer use currency for circulation, but instead adopt a unified Flame Gathering Pill as currency.

  At market price, one Aggregation Inflammation Pill is equivalent to ten taels of silver in the past. One tael of silver is equal to 1,000 wen, and one wen can buy a large pancake that's enough for an adult to eat for one meal.

  Ten thousand Aggregation Inflammation Pills can be said to be a huge fortune!

  Moreover, the greatest effect of Jiyuendan is that it can be taken directly, transformed into gentle true energy, and enter the four limbs and hundred bones to enhance martial arts strength. Therefore, in the Yufeng Continent, families with conditions have been giving their children Jiyuendan since childhood, while only the poor and livestock would eat grains, flour, meat, and vegetables.

  But compared to the admission qualifications of Tian Sheng College, let alone one million Burning Flame Pills, even ten million, a hundred million, or a thousand million Gathering Spirit Pills wouldn't be comparable!

  Entering the Tian Sheng Academy, the Qin family's status will be greatly enhanced. As long as one's talent is not lacking, after entering the Tian Sheng Academy, their strength will make rapid progress, and they can even break through to the extreme limit of the Body Refining Realm, the Soul Refining Realm!

  At that time, turning over one's hand can make clouds and covering one's hand can make rain, even living forever is possible.

  Qin Yi had been waiting for the opportunity to enter Tian Sheng College, but his own quota was casually dismissed by Qin Hongyi and Qin Hongren with 10,000 Aggregation Flame Pills, how could he not be furious!

  "Second Uncle!" Qin Yi's anger made him change the way he addressed Qin Hongyi, "Qin Yuer is your daughter, and she has been exceptionally talented since childhood. In recent years, she has also reached the Refining Bone realm, I have nothing to say about that. But what about Qin Han?"

  Qin Yi glared at Qin Hongren: "Qin Han's innate talent is ordinary, and he can reach his current strength completely because of you, the father, using countless Flame Gathering Pills to pile him up! As for the family's financial problems, Uncle San, I'm afraid you're clearer than anyone else about what's going on."

  "Preposterous!" Qin Hongren's smile vanished from his face, and he suddenly slapped the armrest of his chair and stood up. His hair was disheveled with rage, and the true energy inside him surged and churned. He too had reached the Blood Sacrifice realm as a warrior. At this moment, he was so enraged that he didn't hide his killing intent at all, and it shot straight towards Qin Yi.

  Qin Yitian stood calmly and fearlessly, looking up at Qin Hongren with an air of majesty like Mount Tai.

  "Qin Yi! Don't be so arrogant! Back then, you had your father backing you up, and you could do whatever you wanted in the manor. But now that your father has been dead for three years, your strength is only at the Refining Flesh Realm, a complete waste. You're not even as good as the disciples in the manor, what qualifications do you have to enter Tian Sheng Academy?!"

  "I..."

  "Qin Yi, are you going to disobey the master's orders?" Qin Hongyi's words were like a stormy wave crashing down on Qin Yi.

  Qin Yi's current strength was far inferior to Qin Hongyi, and he was suddenly hit by this wave of energy, retreating three steps back, his chest surging with blood, feeling unbearable.

  "If you want to get the quota for entering Tian Sheng College, you must show convincing strength. I can give you a chance, if you can reach the Bone Refining Realm in twenty days, I will let Qin Han Zhong's quota go to you, how about it?" Qin Hongyi looked at Qin Yi.

  An ordinary person would need at least ten years to advance from the Flesh Refining Realm to the Bone Forging Realm, and some people with poor innate talent may not even reach the Bone Forging Realm in their lifetime. Now, Qin Hongyi seems to have given Qin Yi an opportunity, but this opportunity is no different from a fantasy, a fool's dream!

  "Twenty days, twenty days..." Qin Yi forced down the blood in his mouth, his fists clenched tightly, his fingernails even digging into his palm, fresh blood flowing down from his fingers.

  "Good, good, good." Qin Yi said three "good"s in a row, his face pale, his eyes slowly scanning over Qin Hongyi and Qin Hongren.

  Qin Hongyi looked ahead, no longer paying attention to Qin Yi, but Qin Hongren was startled by Qin Yi's gaze.

  He etched the faces of these two people deeply into his mind, and Qin Yi turned around and walked out of the conference hall without even bidding farewell to the host.

  After Qin Yi left, Qin Hongren's tense body finally relaxed, and he cursed: "This little beast, now dares to defy me. With the current Refining Flesh Realm, he actually wants to enter Tian Sheng College, what a joke."

  Qin Hongyi let out a cold hum, scaring Qin Hongren into a tremble.

  "Home, home owner...... If this little beast really reaches the Bone Refining Realm in twenty days, you won't actually plan to let him take the place of Han Zong, will you?" Qin Hongren asked with a smile.

  "Do you think it's possible?" Qin Hongyi said coldly.

  "I'm worried too." Qin Hongren said with some tension.

  "Pass down my order, on the day that Tian Sheng College comes to take in disciples, except for the elders of the clan and some guards, as well as Qin Yuwei and Qin Zonghan, all others are not allowed to step out of the Qin family. Those who disobey will be dealt with by the family law."

  With Qin Hongyi's guarantee, Qin Hongren finally put his mind at ease and flattered him with a big smile.