Jun Xie, at this moment, remained in the same dazed state, devoid of surprise or joy, continuing his circulation technique as if entirely oblivious to everything around him.|//| It must be said that while the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong (Creation of Heaven and Earth Art) was undeniably miraculous, the supreme cultivation method since ancient times, the laws of heaven decree that cultivation is inherently an act against the heavens. It tests one’s very disposition most severely, and the initial stages of this art are the hardest to master.

Beyond demanding immense willpower and unyielding perseverance, it also requires great fortune! Thus, throughout history, even those who managed to gain access to practice the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong saw very few who truly succeeded!

Imagine, if someone with an ordinary, unsteadfast mind couldn't feel a reaction after circulating for a hundred cycles, they would likely give up. Such monotony is something most people cannot endure.

Furthermore, if one’s spirit essence (Shen Hun) is even slightly weak, they cannot possibly persist. A freak like Jun Xie, capable of circulating for hundreds or thousands of cycles straight, is utterly unprecedented for someone with no prior cultivation experience!

Even if someone possessed such stamina, they would risk qi deviation and madness (zou huo ru mo) due to insufficient spiritual sense (Shen Shi) during the process! Yet, Jun Xie happened to possess every requirement for cultivating the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong.

Jun Xie was inherently a person of extraordinarily tenacious character; once he set his mind on something, he never deviated from his initial intent. This trait, spoken kindly, is called persistence; spoken harshly, it’s being pig-headed—refusing to turn back until he hits a wall.

But Jun Xie was the type who would crash right through that wall and still keep going! Now, tackling the most difficult first stage of the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong was like a tortoise meeting a turtle—they were kindred spirits.

Besides disposition, Jun Xie’s inherent fortune played a significant role. The Hong Jun Pagoda was his greatest boon; without the protection of such a great fortune, he would never have hoped to even begin.

Moreover, Jun Xie was a soul who had transmigrated, meaning his spirit essence was not weak to begin with. Aided by the Hong Jun Pagoda, his spirit essence merged seamlessly with Mo Xie’s physical body, making his spiritual power even greater.

All these factors combined allowed him to break through the first difficult barrier overnight! This achievement was not only unprecedented but likely inimitable!

The Ni Wan Gong (Mud Pill Palace) atop his head began to throb more violently, eventually pulsing with a steady rhythm, growing hotter and hotter. Jun Xie’s fair complexion slowly flushed deep red… He remained seated like this until the faint light of dawn began to break in the early morning!

Jun Xie distinctly felt the thread-like sensation of qi circulating within his body growing increasingly vibrant, gradually connecting into a continuous line. At the precise moment the last link of these fine lines connected, Jun Xie suddenly experienced a burst of dazzling, multicolored light before his eyes.

It was as if all the world’s flowers bloomed instantly before him, all seven-colored celestial clouds swirling around him. Simultaneously, he perceived thunderous rumbling overhead, lightning flashing, and booming sounds echoing violently.

Yet, Jun Xie’s eyes remained closed. Meaning, all of this transpired entirely within his consciousness!

This was the first crucial test of the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong: Establishing the Mind (Ding Xin)! Although Jun Xie clearly 'saw' these bizarre phenomena, he firmly remembered that he was cultivating with his eyes closed!

This meant he shouldn't be seeing anything, but he was. What did this signify?

It meant all of it was illusory! So, Jun Xie remained unconcerned, firmly guarding the single point of clarity in his spiritual platform (Ling Tai), continuing his circulation, paying no heed to the spectacle.

"Boom!" Like a bomb detonating in Jun Xie’s mind, his body jerked. He suddenly felt weightless, his spirit essence drifting loose.

With a gasp, he spat out a mouthful of blood that sprayed far away, immediately followed by him losing consciousness. The blood spat onto the pristine white bedsheets strangely appeared jet black, almost solid, refusing to flow, looking precisely like a lump of dark charcoal.

As Jun Xie lay unconscious, his body began to twitch slowly, unnoticed by him. Tiny beads of black fluid started seeping out from his skin again, slowly soaking and staining the soft white robe he wore, inch by inch… This was the true washing of marrow and cleansing of the veins!

The stains that previously seeped from his body only expelled the majority of impurities from the skin and muscles. What was being expelled now was truly from within the bones.

As for the chunk of dark blood he coughed up, that was the impurities from his internal organs—the most difficult contaminants to expel from the human body! If described in the terminology of cultivators, Jun Xie’s current state was the realm of 'Shedding the Mortal' (Tuo Fan)!

This meant that from this moment forward, he had broken free from the shackles of an ordinary mortal body and officially stepped onto the path of cultivation! One must know that every cultivator achieving the 'Shedding the Mortal' realm endures a process that is both agonizingly painful and lengthy—the shortest taking several months, the longest spanning years or even decades; some might never reach it in their entire lives!

Yet, Jun Xie accomplished it in just one night! This was truly a miracle among miracles.

If word of this spread, not a single cultivator would believe it! This was certainly not due to Jun Xie’s unique physique, nor solely because of his current powerful mental energy.

There was, naturally, another reason—the white mist was the most crucial factor, being the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth! Jun Xie was simply unaware of this fact yet.

Although Jun Xie was a martial arts master in his previous life, he had never ventured into the realm of cultivation; in fact, in his understanding, the talk of achieving immortality through cultivation was sheer nonsense! Therefore, even though he clearly understood the changes occurring within him, he would only attribute it to stumbling upon some incredible luck.

When Jun Xie awoke again, he found himself immersed in a large wooden tub, enveloped by warm water. Two soft, small hands were diligently attempting to scrub his body.

Opening his eyes, he saw the little maidservant **’s hair was soaked with sweat, her face flushed red from the heat. She held a soft cloth in her small hands, breathing heavily as she cleaned him.

Her small lips were pursed tightly, her expression looking distressed, on the verge of tears. Her pretty eyes were deliberately fixed on the ceiling, only daring to glance down when she needed to move the cloth to a new area, then quickly looking away again… “The little girl’s embarrassed expression is just too adorable!” Thinking this, Jun Xie’s focus snapped back, and he realized