Chapter 62: Second-Realm Cultivation Manual

Liucheng, City Lord's Mansion.

Inside the magnificent and luxuriously grand main hall, a middle-aged man dressed in a black-and-gold robe sat upright upon a gilded throne.

His face was lean, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's, and at this moment, he was leisurely sipping the spiritual tea bestowed by the royal court.

Before him, Qin Tianfang's father and Qin Jue's grandfather, Qin Zhengting, the head of the Qin family's branch, was kneeling on both knees, his posture exhibiting the utmost reverence.

"My lord, you have finally arrived." Qin Zhengting's voice carried an undisguised joy, his tone thoroughly submissive.

Ever since he was forced to evacuate the ancestral grounds, Qin Zhengting had spared no effort in seeking reinforcements from Qinghe Commandery's prefectural city, single-mindedly intent on retaking Dongchuan City.

After all, Dongchuan City was the ancestral ground of the Qin family, bearing the family's dignity.

Now that this dignity had been trampled upon, as the clan head of the lineage guarding the ancestral grounds, if he could not resolve this matter properly, death would be his only outcome.

Fortunately, the commandery had finally dispatched people to arrive.

"What movements has the Cui family made?" The middle-aged man fixed his gaze on Qin Zhengting, his sharp eyes flashing with tiny points of icy starlight.

In his eyes, the tiny Qingfeng Stronghold was not worth fearing.

The crucial factor was still the Cui family!

As one of the five great clans of the Great Zhou, the other party had always been a thorn in the Qin family's side.

And this time, had it not been for the Cui family supporting Qingfeng Stronghold from behind the scenes, they would never have been forced to abandon their ancestral grounds.

Such utter humiliation was something the Qin family was bound to repay manifold.

"Replying to the lord, aside from providing some weaponry and resources, the Cui family has not made any major moves," Qin Zhengting answered respectfully.

Even while staying in Liucheng, he had never relaxed his surveillance on Dongchuan City, especially regarding the interactions between Qingfeng Stronghold and the Cui family.

The middle-aged man nodded slightly.

If the Cui family truly intended to stand by with folded arms, then Dongchuan City this time was well within his grasp.

"Go down and make preparations. The commandery's ten-thousand-strong army will arrive shortly, and this time, Dongchuan City will undoubtedly fall!" The man's expression was cold and stern, his words sounding as though they were wrapped in frost as he spoke with unyielding certainty. His eyes revealed an unquestionable confidence and determination.

In order to salvage their dignity and prepare for the subsequent actions targeting the Cui family's location in Liaoyuan Commandery, Qinghe Commandery had spared no expense this time.

Therefore, the man had to win!

Otherwise... he would only be able to atone for his failure with his death.

Hearing this, Qin Zhengting was initially startled, his heart suffering a violent jolt. Immediately following that, overwhelming joy instantly surged into his heart, the wrinkles on his face bunching up together due to the smile.

He truly had not expected that Qinghe Commandery would be able to muster as many as ten thousand soldiers to come and assist this time.

In his eyes, an army of this scale would take Dongchuan City with the effortless ease of picking something up from the palm of one's hand.

Qin Zhengting was so excited that his voice trembled slightly, and he instantly dropped heavily to his knees with a loud thud, kowtowing in gratitude: "Understood, my lord! This subordinate will surely make every preparation and await the arrival of the army!"

With that, he knocked his head heavily against the ground several times more before slowly getting up, backing away cautiously, and finally leaving the main hall.

...

On the other side, after Qin Jue left the City Lord's Mansion in the company of his master, Wang Zhong, he timely brought up the matter concerning the second-realm cultivation technique.

Wang Zhong immediately instructed his subordinates to take his beloved disciple to receive the complete set of second-realm techniques.

Upon obtaining the second-realm technique, Qin Jue did not linger for even a moment and headed straight back to his residence...

Taking advantage of the time Jiang Wan spent brewing the medicinal soup, Qin Jue impatiently opened the *Primal Fire Body-Refining Art* and began to study it.

Recalling his duel with Captain Wu, the other party had once mentioned that the core of breaking through from the first realm to the second realm lay in transforming natal vital energy into a furnace flame.

Yet, these few short words were as difficult as scaling the heavens when put into actual practice.

The cultivation technique recorded that wishing to enter the threshold required undergoing three rigorous steps: condensing blood and qi to transform into vital energy, compressing vital energy to transform into a furnace flame, and manipulating the furnace flame to cleanse the entire body.

Qin Jue was well aware in his mind that for the first step of condensing blood and qi, because of the system's assistance, he did not need to worry like ordinary martial artists about deficient blood and qi or unstable vital energy.

However, to play it safe, he still instructed Jiang Wan to meticulously prepare medicinal soup that enhanced blood and qi.

"Master, the medicinal soup is ready!"

Jiang Wan moved with lotus steps, approaching while carrying a steaming bowl of medicinal soup.

Her features were delicate and gentle, and her eyes were filled with deep concern.

Qin Jue reached out to take the bowl of medicinal soup and tilted his head back, draining it in one gulp.

In an instant, a surge of heat coursed violently through his body like a raging fire, making his blood feel as though it had been ignited and was boiling without pause.

Vigorous power rushed into his limbs and bones like a tidal wave, his skin flushing with a deep red, and his entire aura underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.

Daring not to delay, Qin Jue immediately followed the technique's incantations and postures, plunging heart and soul into the cultivation of guiding blood and qi to strengthen his natal vital energy.

With closed eyes and steady, powerful breathing, the aura around his body gradually rose.

Beside him, Jiang Wan took the empty bowl and looked at Qin Jue before her, her beautiful eyes flashing slightly.

During this period, she had witnessed Qin Jue's earth-shattering changes.

His once slightly slender figure had grown increasingly robust and imposing, and paired with his clean and handsome facial features, it actually caused ripples of emotion to stir in the depths of her heart.

In the courtyard, Qin Jue's aura was soaring high, blood and qi surging torrentially through his meridians like rolling heat waves.

With eyes like torches, he steadily gathered his concentrated blood and qi into his dantian.

Instantly, his dantian felt like an ignited smelting furnace, blazing hot, and wisps of natal vital energy curled upward and emerged from within.

This newly born power, like a surging wave, brought a overwhelming sense of immense strength to Qin Jue.

The first step—condensing blood and qi to transform into vital energy—had proceeded with absolute smoothness, just as he had anticipated, thanks to the system's blessing.

However...

The next step, turning vital energy into furnace flame, was the true hurdle.

Qin Jue clenched his teeth tightly, concentrating his entire mind as he attempted to compress the vital energy.

Yet that vital energy was like a stubborn loach; the moment it was gathered together, it would instantly spring apart again.

In his mind, descriptions of the formation of primal fire from the cultivation technique continually surfaced, and he forced himself to imagine the vital energy as charcoal fire inside an alchemical furnace.

Yet with every attempt to shape it, the vital energy behaved like an unruly wild horse, surging about wantonly and completely failing to condense into a stable flame form.

This second step brought immense pressure upon Qin Jue.

Sweat poured down from his forehead like a waterfall, soaking his clothes.

Qin Jue's breathing grew increasingly heavy, and his body trembled slightly from maintaining high concentration for an extended period.

Despite failing repeatedly, the determination in his eyes never wavered.

Until... his entire body's strength was completely drained, forcing him to finally stop his cultivation.

Coming back to his senses, Qin Jue looked around and saw that the sky was faintly turning light.

He had actually practiced for an entire night!

"This second-realm technique is indeed extraordinarily difficult. It seems I must go and consult my master," Qin Jue thought to himself, pondering quietly.

He simply could not grasp the crucial key to compressing his natal vital energy and transforming it into a furnace flame.

At this moment, he knew deeply that he urgently needed someone who had walked this path before to point him in the right direction.

Thus, after resting for a short while and relying on his formidable physical constitution to radiate vigor once more, Qin Jue headed toward the military camp.

Upon arriving at the camp, Qin Jue marched straight toward the commander's mansion.

However, he was informed that his master had gone to the City Lord's Mansion early in the morning.

Qin Jue furrowed his brow slightly, thought for a moment, and already had an idea in mind.

Since his master was absent, he would first go and ask Captain Wu, a second-realm martial artist...