Chapter Twenty-Six: The Realm of Qi Condensation

"Shopkeeper, ten portions, please—three qian each of wolfberry and chrysanthemum, two qian each of windflower and mulberry seed, two qian of earth dragon shell, two qian of white cardamom..."
Datong Apothecary.

Disguised as a gaunt, sallow-faced young man covered in pockmarks, Qi Xiu handed a prescription to the shopkeeper behind the counter.

His recent full-force cultivation of the Sun-Gazing Vitality Technique had caused a sharp increase in his consumption of secret elixirs. With repeated preparation and decoction, Qi Xiu was surprised to find a new skill—alchemy—had appeared on his abilities panel.

If talismans ever became hard to sell, perhaps he could try honing this new skill instead. Remedies for wounds, safflower oil, or even those little blue pills would surely find a market.

Propping his chin with one hand, Qi Xiu considered his options.

In another corner of the apothecary, a burly man who was copying down a prescription paused when he heard the list of herbs. He glanced up at Qi Xiu, then quickly lowered his head, pretending nothing had happened, and continued writing.

The prescription for the Sun-Gazing Vitality Technique?

Once the medicines were wrapped and silver exchanged, the shopkeeper cheerily escorted Qi Xiu out.

"Shopkeeper, may I trouble you—do you know who that person just now was?" Watching Qi Xiu leave, the burly man approached the counter.

"That fellow? A customer, just like yourself. He bought some medicine, is there a problem?" The shopkeeper looked at him in puzzlement.

"Oh, nothing. I’ve finished my prescription—please prepare thirty portions according to it." Handing over his recipe, the burly man stepped out the door, scanning the busy street for the tall, pockmarked youth.

But among the bustling crowds, there was no sign of him.

He left so quickly?

Muttering to himself, the man turned and went back inside.

Opposite the apothecary, at the entrance to a tailor’s shop, a fat man with greasy skin watched the burly fellow return, his face full of suspicion, before turning away.

I don’t know that man at all. Why was he so intent on asking about me?

Twisting and turning, circling the streets three times and changing his appearance twice more, Qi Xiu finally returned home. Closing the door behind him, he sat silently on the steps.

He frowned, replaying his actions in the pharmacy and recalling the burly man’s odd behavior.

The prescription!

I recited the prescription aloud to the shopkeeper. It’s the secret recipe for the Sun-Gazing Vitality Technique. Anyone who practiced this martial art would recognize it instantly. That man must have realized what it was and become suspicious of me. Good thing I wasn’t using my real face.

Understanding the crux of the matter, Qi Xiu’s expression grew grave. Suddenly, he raised a fist and knocked himself hard on the forehead.

Recently, I’ve become far too careless! Having mastered the Black Sand Palm, Swallow Flight, and advanced my calligraphy to the second realm—gaining the “Martial” talisman—slaying two strange priests, and handily defeating Peng Fei, I’ve grown confident, even arrogant.

If I hadn’t caught myself today, and continued this way, I’d surely make a fatal mistake sooner or later. In this world, a single mistake can mean death!

A fine sheen of cold sweat broke out on his brow. Qi Xiu’s eyes flickered as he entered the main hall, took up brush and ink, and wrote in bold characters:

“A true gentleman is wary when alone; be vigilant, never reckless.”

He pasted the words to the ceiling above his bed, so he would see them every morning upon waking—a daily reminder not to overindulge or become arrogant.

“Fortune grants me what I have; fate takes what I lose. Though I nearly attracted unwanted attention today, I became aware of the dangerous shift in my mindset and was able to correct it. All in all, there was something to be gained.”

With his attitude restored, Qi Xiu put aside further worries, turned to the kitchen, and began simmering the newly purchased herbs in a medicine pot, preparing the elixir for the Sun-Gazing Vitality Technique.

Shedding his cotton robe, he stepped into the courtyard to practice the Black Sand Palm.

Unlike his other two martial arts, the Sun-Gazing Vitality Technique could only be practiced at specific hours—dawn and noon. The rest of his time, Qi Xiu devoted to the Black Sand Palm and the newly acquired manual on striking acupoints from a distance.

In the courtyard, the wind from his palms stirred, shadows flickered.

Qi Xiu’s eyes were sharp, lips pressed tight, and as he moved, powerful force gathered and circled in his palms. Ever since breaking through to the first realm of the Black Sand Palm, each practice session brought flashes of unfamiliar knowledge and subtle breathing techniques to his mind.

By now, his Black Sand Palm had diverged noticeably from the original—while the basic structure remained, its inner workings were completely transformed. It was, in essence, an optimized version.

He could sense the tremors of muscle exertion, the adjustments in his breathing; Qi Xiu’s mind slowly sank into a meditative state. It felt as though he was a spectator, standing aside, watching his own body practice.

Scrutinizing each movement, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

What was that?

Returning to himself, Qi Xiu halted and scanned his hands repeatedly.

Nothing?

Was it just my imagination?

He frowned, recalling the sight his mind had glimpsed while detached from his body.

No, I definitely saw light, like cracks, appearing on the surface of my hands.

It must have disappeared when I stopped moving.

A thought struck him. Qi Xiu resumed the Black Sand Palm stance, this time keeping a part of his focus fixed on his hands, determined to verify what he’d seen.

As his body moved once more—muscles rippling, breath adjusting—he truly saw faint, glowing fissures appear across his skin.

At the same time, a surge of unfamiliar knowledge welled up within him.

The confusion faded from Qi Xiu’s face as he absorbed this new understanding.

“So, above the Tempered Force Realm lies the Condensed Qi Realm.”

He gazed at his hands, eyes alight.

Condensed Qi: through martial cultivation, one forges a unique type of “qi.” It is formless, carried within, and released with a strike. Each martial art produces a distinct qi.

The Black Sand Palm, when mastered to the Condensed Qi level, would generate “black sand qi.” Struck with this qi, the victim’s flesh would fester, wounds refusing to heal, accompanied by spasms and convulsions. In essence, this black sand qi was like a venom carried by the palm—once afflicted, it was as if poisoned. Unless another Condensed Qi master could draw out the toxin, the victim would die in agony.

“This black sand qi is practically a living tetanus.”

Realizing the power of black sand qi, Qi Xiu clicked his tongue in awe.

The cracks he’d seen on his skin just now were the external manifestation of this qi. However, as his Black Sand Palm had not yet fully reached the Condensed Qi Realm, the qi was faint, not yet truly formed—hence it flickered in and out of sight.

…