Mingwei cultivated for 19 days, and felt himself breakthrough to Middle 1-star once he hit 4,000 Qi. At 195 Qi a day, his speed was exceptionally fast. But he knew this was just the early part, when the learning curve was still shallow.

Qi Cultivation

4,105/10,000

Qi Storage

200/200

Qi Output Limit

40

Core Toughness

500/500

His core now shaped like a hollow star, the newly formed pillars intersecting to form an emerging latticework that would soon support the roof, the next layer. In parts of the core, there’s now a layer of condensed Qi The additional structures enhanced his strength, and also his output, which is why his toughness and storage have all grown.

A Qi block now could release up to 40 Qi. During this time, most of the junior disciples stayed indoors. The elders would start Technique lessons once they breakthrough 2-stars. If they fail to breakthrough to 2-stars within a year, they will be expelled.

Yu Huadao also cultivated diligently, his soul-bound Qi-sword most likely added an additional 100 Qi per day. Together with his cultivation methods, which added 45 Qi per day, he would most likely need around 70 days to get to 2-star, if he didn’t screw it up.

The cultivation method they practiced was light, and gentle. It didn’t have any physical prerequisites that are common for high-tier methods. Mingwei knew so many high-tier methods, but they all needed at least 5-6 stars before he could even try it, and some required specific physiques and elemental roots or meridians.

Mingwei paused for a day, and spent time to maintain his cultivation. Again, with the mothballing analogy, there are ways to preserve his cultivation such that it doesn’t decay or break down during pauses or breaks, but most afford just a temporary protection. This protection is removed once the Qi is used.

“Ah.” Elder Qing was apparently outside. “I see you have made good progress, young Mingwei. The Qi around you is calm, and your control is superb.”

Mingwei bowed. “Greetings, Elder Qing.” Of course. He had the feelings and memories of more than a hundred cultivators who are intimately familiar with Qi. It wasn’t particularly hard for him to tap into their thoughts to master this.

“In fact, it’s almost as if... you don’t have any irregularities.”

“Huh?” Mingwei looked at the elder, wondering what she meant. Then, as elder Qing led him to another area, he heard some faint screaming and shouting in the distance.

“Some of the cultivators have yet to master the control of Qi, and yet they still build their layers quickly. It is not impossible, of course, and one can always return to repair their earlier pillars.” Elder Qing said. “It’s just that... it would be a painful, painful one.”

“Elder?” Mingwei had a gut feeling something was happening, and Elder Qing wanted him to watch.

They stopped outside the door of the block that housed the 384th batch. It quickly opened and a girl probably 2 years older nodded. “Elder Qing, elder Qing, Disciple Lunli is not well.”

“I know.” Elder Qing nodded. She beckoned Mingwei to follow. “Come.”

They walked up the three story building to the highest floor, and opened the door and saw a girl on the floor. There were multiple blotches of blood throughout the floor, and she looked deathly pale.

There was another girl in the room, and she looked uncomfortable. But she was instantly relieved when she saw Elder Qing. “Elder Qing, Lunli... she’s...”

“Enough.” Elder Qing said, and she walked closer to the girl. Mingwei looked at her and he knew what happened. He had seen it many, many times in his past lives. The Qi in the room was unstable. Her breathing was irregular and she is in pain.

This was a sign of greed and impatience.

She looked insane, delirious, even. But before she could attack Elder Qing, Elder Qing had used five large needles. One to each of her core meridians, and she froze.

“Help me put her down.” Elder Qing spoke, and both Mingwei and the other girl helped to put her on her bed.

The disciple had fallen asleep. There was a technique that they couldn’t see. Elder Qing most probably used a high speed paralysing acupuncture jab to knock her out, but Mingwei lacked the Qi-technique to enhance his vision to catch it.

She looked at both Mingwei and the other disciple. “What do you think happened here?”

The other female disciple shook her head. “She had an imbalance of Qi? She cultivated and suddenly the layer she was building collapsed?”

“Wrong. A collapsing layer does not cause insanity. It’s just very painful.” Elder Qing looked at Mingwei. “How about you, I think you might know the answer.”

Mingwei paused. How? Was it the fine-control that leaked it? But he decided to answer truthfully. “I think she suffered from pill poisoning. She probably took a few more cultivation pills than her body is able to absorb, so the ingredients overreacted and drove her insane.”

It was honestly a very common issue in impatient, hot-headed cultivators who were not properly educated in the drawbacks of pills and cultivation resources.

Elder Qing smiled. “Good. It is a very common issue. Even natural pills can cause this problem in lower-starred cultivators.” She looked back at the sleeping disciple, and gently tapped the 5 needles. She used the needles to temporarily calm the 5 meridians, and that would buy herself some time.

She took out a small pill, and Mingwei recognised the scent. A cultivation poisoning neutralisation pill.

That’s unnecessary for such a common symptom! If he was the healer, he would use his Qi to draw out the unstable ingredients from the body! But Elder Qing had already placed it in the cultivator’s mouth and with a light jab, induced her body to swallow it.

She would be better in about half-an-hour, but she would be unable to cultivate for at least three days.

“I’m afraid I must report this to Elder Hulong.” Elder Qing sighed.

The other female disciple had the look of fear in her eyes. “Uh... please don’t. She’ll kill me!”

“That won’t happen.” Elder Hulong was already at the door, and he looked at the sleeping girl. “Her actions endangered herself and others. I will expel her once she wakes up and regains some of her strength. I’ve already assigned an inner disciple to observe her.”

He gently nodded at Elder Qing, and thanked her for her help.

“Quite a waste, really. She had a little bit of talent, but far too impatient.”