With Ziyuan’s words concluded, Li Yundong immediately nodded. “Alright, how do I learn to fly using Qi manipulation?”

Ziyuan didn’t rush to speak. She first turned her head toward Ruan Hongling and whispered softly, “You should head back first. I’ll teach him how to manipulate Qi for flight!”

Ruan Hongling made an “oh” sound, surprisingly not throwing a tantrum. Before leaving, she only gave Li Yundong a look layered with complex emotions, then flew back to her own quarters.

After Ruan Hongling departed, Ziyuan turned to Li Yundong and said, “Actually, flying with Qi is not difficult. The real challenge lies in the fact that anyone wishing to do so must possess an immensely vast reservoir of true essence power. Most people spend a lifetime cultivating and still might never reach a level where their power can lift their own physical body. However, you luckily obtained the Human Origin Golden Elixir; with that massive infusion of elixir energy, and having established your foundation as a virgin, your internal true essence is exceptionally pure and profound. You have no concerns on this front.”

Li Yundong asked, “Specifically, what should I do?”

Ziyuan instructed, “Sit down on the meditation cushion first. I will tell you what to do in a moment.”

Li Yundong followed the instruction, settling into a cross-legged position. He asked, “And then?”

Ziyuan replied, “Channel your Qi as you normally would, but pay attention—do not enter deep meditation. You must maintain your spiritual consciousness and consciously direct the true essence within you to release downwards, beneath you.”

Li Yundong’s mastery over breath control was already superb. He immediately followed Ziyuan’s instruction, closing his eyes and channeling his Qi to continuously summon the true essence within his body, directing its flow downward.

As soon as Li Yundong released his true essence, he felt as if countless tendrils had materialized beneath him, as if he had grown several extra legs, able to perceive things beyond his skin.

Before long, after releasing a sufficient amount of his vast true essence, his body slowly began to lift half an inch. At a glance, it looked as though he was floating in the air.

A little later, Li Yundong faintly perceived the Qi beneath his crossed legs transforming into a thick column, forcefully elevating his body.

Ziyuan, standing nearby, suddenly commanded, “Now, open your eyes.”

Li Yundong obeyed and opened his eyes. He immediately realized he was floating in the air, his posterior suspended half a foot above the ground!

A shock jolted through Li Yundong. This sudden surprise caused the Qi within him to immediately become chaotic. When Qi is disrupted, turbid energy is generated. His body plummeted straight down from that half-foot height, slamming hard onto the cushion.

Although Li Yundong possessed the body reconstituted by the Golden Elixir, he was not made of unbreakable metal. Falling like that was agonizing, especially for a man sitting cross-legged; despite the thick cushioning of his buttocks, his nether regions suffered collateral damage!

“Damn it!” Li Yundong felt as if his lower body had been struck by a sledgehammer. The pain made stars flash before his eyes, and grimacing, he glared at Ziyuan and ground out, “Why did you tell me to open my eyes? You nearly killed me!”

Ziyuan looked at Li Yundong with confusion. “Did it hurt a lot?”

Li Yundong shot Ziyuan a look full of grievance and said indignantly, “How would you women ever know what a ball-crushing ache feels like!”

Ziyuan blinked at Li Yundong. “And do you know what it feels like for women to have their monthly period?”

Li Yundong was caught between laughter and tears. “Listen, words like that shouldn’t come from the mouth of an ethereal fairy like you! Besides, shouldn’t you, having established your foundation as a virgin, already be beyond the time of your Tian Gui? How could you possibly know what menstruation feels like?”

Ziyuan stated calmly, “My master says that cultivators must taste the myriad experiences of the mortal world, so I simulated that scenario and attempted to experience that sensation…”

Li Yundong stared at Ziyuan, his mouth hanging open. The image of this celestial-seeming woman changing a sanitary napkin in a restroom flashed through his mind—that scene was utterly… chilling, profoundly chilling!!

Li Yundong gave her a thumbs-up. “Impressive. You’re formidable, unbeatable! I concede! Let’s drop that topic. What do I do next?”

As Ziyuan began to speak, she realized her words might have been ill-advised, but once spoken, spilled water cannot be gathered back. Although Li Yundong’s retort caused a faint blush to warm her cheeks, her self-control was excellent, showing nothing on her face. She merely stated blandly, “You must slowly learn to keep your Qi steady even when your eyes are open! Only with stable Qi can your true essence remain constant, and only with stable true essence can you balance yourself mid-air, allowing the power of your essence to lift you.”

Li Yundong nodded. He closed his eyes first, began controlling his breath, then released his true essence to slowly raise himself. Once elevated to a certain height, Ziyuan again instructed, “Now, open your eyes.”

This time, Li Yundong opened his eyes with mental preparation. His posture only wavered slightly at first, but he quickly stabilized.

Ziyuan nodded, then added, “Keep your eyes open while channeling your Qi, and lift yourself a little higher.”

Li Yundong tried to control the flow of true essence to raise himself further. Before long, he was more than a meter off the ground. Then Ziyuan instructed, “Slowly try to let your feet down.”

Li Yundong complied again, slowly lowering his legs. The moment his feet dropped, he immediately felt his body suddenly sink, and with a thud, he landed back on the cushion.

Li Yundong asked, perplexed, “Why is that? Why did my body suddenly feel so much heavier the moment I put my feet down?”

Ziyuan explained, “Because when a person sits cross-legged, the circulation of Qi within the body is the most fluid and unobstructed, flowing smoothly from the lower Dantian in the abdomen down to the Yongquan point on the sole of the foot. Although the vertical distance the Qi travels hasn't changed, the height it must traverse—up and then down—has changed. Before, the Qi had to travel nearly a meter high, but when sitting cross-legged, it only needs to cover the distance of a single palm. Naturally, the Qi flows more smoothly. So, when you lowered your legs, the internal circulation suddenly became less smooth, which is why you felt your body sink.”

Li Yundong finally understood. “What should I do about that?”

Ziyuan replied, “That’s easy. When lowering your legs, you must speed up the flow of your Qi!”

Li Yundong nodded, indicating he understood. He sat cross-legged again, then slowly channeled his Qi to float upward. Once he was over a meter above the ground, he opened his eyes and slowly lowered his legs. This time, having the experience, he only felt a brief downward dip of an inch before his posture stabilized.

Ziyuan nodded. “Yes, that’s it. Once you are skilled, you will be able to fly directly while standing, without needing to sit cross-legged first.”

Saying this, she walked to the balcony, and with a sudden lightness, floated outside, suspending herself in mid-air. Ziyuan gave Li Yundong a slight smile. “Now, come out with me and experience the great terror between heaven and earth!”

Li Yundong was somewhat taken aback. “Now? Immediately? I’ve only just learned to hover! You want me to fly? Isn’t that a bit fast?”

Ziyuan countered with a smile, “What? All those boasts you made just now—are you backing down already?”

Li Yundong’s eyebrows shot up. “Just kidding! Bring it on!”

With that, he forcefully commanded the true essence within him to move. His body accelerated instantly, and he shot out of the living room, flying onto the balcony in a flash.

Li Yundong found himself suspended in mid-air. It was his first time flying, and he involuntarily glanced down. Instantly, the earth below seemed to transform into an impossibly vast mouth, opening its blood-red jaws, waiting for him to fall so it could swallow him whole!

This terrifying sensation of high-altitude vertigo caused Li Yundong’s heart to pound violently. The Qi in his entire body immediately sank, and his frame plummeted sharply!

This sudden descent was disastrous. Li Yundong was struck by a wave of terrifying weightlessness that sent his heart racing and his blood surging wildly. His body tilted, and he began to fall rapidly toward the ground!

Li Yundong internally cried out, This is bad! But before the thought could fully form, his wrist was caught with a snap. It was Ziyuan, extending her pure white, delicate hand to gently secure his body.

Ziyuan smiled and said, “There is a great terror between heaven and earth. Only by conquering this terror can you maintain stable and smooth Qi under any condition. Only when your Qi is one hundred percent stable can you summon the Heavenly Thunder, ensuring that when the thunder strikes, it hits your target with absolute precision.”

Although Ziyuan hadn't directly mocked Li Yundong, he felt her smile was mocking his earlier grand pronouncements. Being a proud man, he immediately thought: She can do it, why can’t I?

With that thought, Li Yundong took a deep breath, firmly guarding his spiritual platform, making his mind utterly clear. Once he stabilized his form, he said to Ziyuan, “Alright, you can let go now.”

Ziyuan released her hand. Sure enough, Li Yundong was floating steadily in the air.

Fortunately, the clothes they wore were of inconspicuous colors, and it was the dead of night; otherwise, being seen might result in tomorrow’s top news headline.

Ziyuan nodded to Li Yundong. “Follow me and fly upward. Let’s see how high you can go.”

With his spiritual platform guarded, Li Yundong’s aura was robust and concentrated, holding steady and not scattering. This, in turn, steadied and calmed his state of mind, making him less prone to agitation upon encountering surprising events like moments before.

He nodded. “Good!” He then controlled his body and flew upwards.

Li Yundong guided his true essence upward continuously. He felt as if an invisible hand was enveloping him, constantly pulling him higher. Gradually, his flying speed increased, and he ascended higher and higher. In no time, the building where he lived was dozens of meters below his feet.

Ziyuan followed closely beside him and shouted, “Remember, never manipulate Qi to fly during thunderstorms, and definitely do not use magical artifacts for flight, as it can easily attract heavenly lightning. You can return now; flying any higher risks attracting the thunder!”

Li Yundong didn't reply. It was as if a stubborn surge of energy compelled him to prove something; he continued to control his body and soar rapidly toward the sky.

Ziyuan froze for a moment. Seeing that Li Yundong was still ascending, she couldn't help but yell, “Stop flying! It’s extremely dangerous if you go any higher!”

Li Yundong seemed not to hear. He was determined to challenge his limits and experience the nature of that great terror between heaven and earth. He exerted all his effort to surge toward the heavens, as if intent on punching a hole right through the sky!

Although the moon was out that night, there was a substantial amount of low-hanging, dense cloud cover. After Li Yundong passed through this cloud layer, he suddenly found the view ahead vast and open. The silver disc of the moon hung high in the expansive sky, alluring, charming, and exceptionally bright.

Li Yundong felt the sky was so immense, and he, within it, was as insignificant as a speck of dust, utterly alone and unsupported!

“This sky is truly vast, and man is truly small!” Li Yundong marveled inwardly. “But if this is the great terror between heaven and earth, then it’s greatly exaggerated.”

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he was suddenly struck by an extremely terrifying force converging in the air!

It was as if a black hole was forming around him, constantly swirling and tugging at the dark clouds below. These clouds were continuously pulled and compressed until they quickly morphed into a fierce countenance with furrowed brows and glaring eyes. The previously bright and clear moon was perfectly positioned within the center of this monstrous face, situated between the vertical pupils—cold, grim, like the emotionless gaze of a distant, supreme deity!

As he was pinned by that eye, Li Yundong felt a numbness spread through his entire body, a chilling horror instantly coursing through him!

Immediately following, a colossal BOOM echoed across the sky. Thunder and lightning churned within the menacing cloud-face. Li Yundong, caught amidst the impending, terrifying celestial tribulation, felt his hairs stand on end, his very blood seeming to freeze instantly!

“The great terror between heaven and earth… is this what it is!” Li Yundong’s eyes were wide open. He could feel his body trembling uncontrollably!

Just as the heavenly lightning was about to strike, a figure suddenly flashed next to him and grabbed him: “Move!”

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