Over the next couple months Qi found that just like being able to practice meditation while also studying the information his father pushed him to memorize thanks to his Parallel processing talent. Qi could cultivate while also studying other skills the only draw back being his cultivation practice would slow down a bit.
It only took Qi two months to fully form the 48 cycles of the Green qi strengthens Roots technique and create his sea of Qi base. This officially brought Qi into the first stage of Qi refining allowing him to start using spirit for practicing Spells. This was different than he had expected as he thought as soon as he brought spirit qi into his body it would make him a cultivator of the first stage. But one strand of qi didn't fill the requirement of Establishing the first stage Qi refining.
During this time while trying to successfully establish his cultivation Qi learned a lot from Quan. Especially when he noticed older Cultivation books his father had for Fire, earth and metal elements. The fire and earth cultivations weren't very good just basic cultivations of 18 and 12 cycles respectively. The metal one was better at 30 cycles making it a low grade cultivation.
This of course lead to a discussion of what marked a cultivations Grade. Twelve cycles was the bare minimum of creating a cultivation technique. Then low Grade techniques started at 24 cycles, with medium grade techniques starting at 48 cycles. High grade techniques started at 96 cycles and top grade were at 144 cycles.
However why would Quan keep these books instead of selling them for spirit stones? Turns out Quan still practiced these techniques even after gaining the medium grade wood technique. Stringing these techniques together could allow for denser spirit qi. This allowed loose cultivators without foundations to reach higher levels of cultivation when they didn't have access to high level Techniques.
The draw back of stringing a bunch of low level techniques is you needed at least an advanced level of understanding of every technique before you can even start working them together. With cultivation techniques also having the problem of putting strain on your meridians during the cycles especially at lower comprehensions. This would slow down the progress of most loose cultivators as the time to learn a new cultivation to the advanced level isn't always easy.
You could always grind away at increasing your foundation with a single technique to eventually break through a bottleneck. However denser spirit qi would make these bottlenecks easier to break through with less accumulation needed. This made the stringing method important for cultivators but also made a bigger divide between loose cultivators and ones from sects or families. As starting with even a middle grade technique would achieve the same result as four basic level techniques strung together.
The other factor was the size of ones sea of qi as higher spirit roots allowed for more qi to gather naturally. This made cultivators with a better root natural targets for recruitment for sects and factions as the potential was higher.
Quan worked with the Red dawn kingdom faction as they were in great need of resources and combat power; contributed by loose cultivators in their ongoing Expansion and rat suppression efforts in green valley county.
With the Green qi strengthens roots technique and Qi having a fourth class spirit root; his father figured Qi should be able to break through to the middle stages of the qi refinement realm without issue.
Either way Qi had broken through to the first stage of Qi refinement and had to let his father know about it. Qi went to his fathers cultivation room and knocked on the door. It wasn't long after his fathers voice came through the door inviting Qi in.
As Qi walked in his father inspected him closely and a smile grew on his face.
Quan: So it seems you have broken through the first level of Qi refinement and sooner than I thought you would. This is good spending decades working for the Red dawn kingdom to gain the opportunity to purchase the Green qi technique was worth it. Now as long as you work hard for master Dong he may give you a stronger Fire cultivation that can be supplemented by your wood technique. Tomorrow when you go to his smithy make sure you let master Dong know about your cultivation.
Qi: Yes father
Quan: Also starting tomorrow when you come back from the Master Dongs' you will come to the fields with me to practice some of the farming techniques. This way after we are done the harvest next month and get the next crops planted you will be able to maintain the fields. This will allow me to take on missions again for the kingdom and earn merits and spirit stones.
Qi: Isn't looking after the spirit fields a task by the kingdom?
Quan: No it cost me to initially rent out these fields it cost about 55 spirit stones to rent this courtyard and the 5 acres of spirit fields.
Qi: Isn't that a lot?
Quan: yes but with the lands in the area being fertile and even my minimum skills in spirit planting; I can usually get a yield of 1200 jin per acre with the spirit rice and that sells for 1 stone per 100 jin. The spirit peas we grow are about the same in price but we can grow 1400 jin per acre. If we could find a better sales channel to sell more soul splitting peas id grow more than half an acre. As it stands the Lou Family grocery we deal with will only buy 600 jin every harvest.
This was the first time Qi heard about the actual state of running the farm as before he had no responsibility to help with it. Qi did know this region had a very short cold season allowing for two harvest a year meaning one good harvest could cover the cost and the other would be profit. How ever the cost of cultivation was no joke. One bottle of QI condensing pills of a medium quality was one stone per pill and most people able to efficiently consume one pill every 3 days. With superior grade pills costing double and being easier to process.
Qi wasn't responsible for the family funds however and had to either figure out a way to earn money else where or hope for an allowance.
Quan: Hurry and go prepare well the next couple months as I expect you to not fall behind in any of your task when I leave to gain merit.
With this said Qi bowed, took his leave to begin his practice. With his father inside he promptly stepped out side and look at his Status.
[ Name: Bao Qi ]
[Qi Refining 1st level]
[Cultivation]
Green qi strengthens roots 23/100 entry level
[Skills Panel]
Basic meditation (mortal) perfect
Reading and writing (mortal) Perfect
Poison Resistance 141/200 intermediate
Sword control 1/100 entry
low Fire manipulation 1/100 entry
Fireball technique 1/100 entry
Iron palm technique 1/100 entry
Golden needle technique 1/100 entry
Red dawn golem control 1/100 entry
Spirit rain 1/100 entry
Floating cloud step technique 1/100 entry
[Arts]
Artifact refining 1/100 entry level
[Talents]
Spirit root - 4th class (22/100)
Parallel processing 60/100 entry level
Qi had read through all his fathers technique books and was a little frustrated to not be able to practice up his skill. He also found out that skills seemed to max out at perfected level. With thorough knowledge read from the books he was more than ready to start preforming the techniques to practice.
The only draw back was he had little spirit qi to practice his techniques with. So with this in mind he decided to concentrate on practicing his Fire manipulation and the Spirit rain skills. With little sunlight left he decided attempting the Spirit rain skill once to feel the cost of casting it. Then with what time he had left he would attempt some fire manipulation.
With only book knowledge and it being his first attempt at actually using a skill the casting was less than expected. The coverage area was small the amount of rain was more like a drizzle and still managed to look like an uneven spread.
Qi was glad it was late and no one else was near by to see this display. Even with this miserable display Qi didn't have enough spirit left for another cast. So with a quick turn he went back inside to his room to recover and attempt to practice fire manipulation. At least he would practice as long as he could till he couldn't cultivate anymore. As his understanding of the wood technique was still to low to practice it without his meridians feeling pressured.
By morning Qi woke up to head to the north gate smithy. Last night he did manage to practice some fire manipulation and found that practicing with present fire would help him with saving spirit; and still gain insight into the skill.
After some breakfast Qi went outside and as he started out early to get too the smithy early. The sky was still dark and no one else had come outside yet. With the ability to cultivate and preform other task at the same time with parallel processing, such as walking. Qi attempted another spirit rain before his walk.
As expected not better than the previous night as far as he could tell but with more time he would get better. With a brisk pace he started off towards the smithy while replenishing his spirit. This wasn't as effective as when he sat and fully concentrated on cultivation but it would be enough for him to be able to practice his low fire manipulation technique; if he found the opportunity.
Once he arrived at Master Dongs' smithy he briskly entered the side door and looked around for master Dong. As usual he spotted master Dong already working on a project by his forge. Typically as an unofficial apprentice Qi would greet his master in the morning to show respect and confirm his presence for work. However one shouldn't distract any profession cultivator from their work as they could be at a critical part of the process.
So Qi waited at the side with a couple other unofficial apprentices. Shortly after Dong Jaun put the piece he was working on to the side to issue task to the Apprentices. The older unofficial apprentices were issued some ore refining task as for younger unofficial apprentices they were to assist official apprentices with fetch work.
As Dong Juan dismissed the apprentices he noticed Qi remained behind.
Juan: Why aren't you heading over to help Li Yong?
Qi: Master Dong I was instructed by my father to let you know I'm now of the first layer of qi refinement.
Juan: Hmmm.. I see let Li Yong know and he will assist you.
With that master Dong returned to work and Qi took his leave to find Li Young at his usual work station.
Qi: Morning mister Yong
Young: Morning Qi glad your hear I'll get you to grab some of the materials we will need for the day.
Qi: Yes sir but I was told to inform you I have entered the First layer of Qi refinement.
Yong: Ahh I see what element type of cultivation do you use?
Qi: I use a wood type cultivation
Yong: Well it will be harder to learn fire manipulation than if you had a Fire cultivation but wood qi does feed fire well so its not bad wait here.
Young left to a back room to retrieve a technique book called the wood feeds fire technique. Another fire manipulation technique that worked with wood qi.
Yong: Learn this technique when you have time and practice when you can once you have an intermediate understanding of it we can get you to start helping refine low level ores.
Qi: Thank you
Qi didn't specify that he already had a fire manipulation technique as it worked better with fire cultivation than wood. This meant this new technique would be easier to preform with his current cultivation type. Also one couldn't have too many techniques as the more knowledge one could accumulate the more they could draw on when facing challenges in the future.
Yong: Remember to give this back to me at the end of everyday as we wouldn't want you to lose it by accident.
Qi acknowledged this condition and with that they both began their work day. Li Yong actively gave Qi less to do than normal allowing him more time to study the technique book which Qi appreciated immensely.
Qi wasn't able to gain the skill this first day but he did feel he was close. With the day ending he returned the book to Yong li and headed home to practice the spirit rain technique and cultivate more. With these initial steps into cultivation Qi was excited to progress on his path to hopefully immortality.