East China Sea, Red Algae Islands.
Red Shrimp Island, where many redwood trees grow, looks like a giant cooked shrimp lying on the sea when viewed from the sky, hence the name.
The terrain of the island is high in the south and low in the north. The south is a mountain range of varying heights with a large number of trees growing on it. The middle is a plain with a small town where tens of thousands of people live. They make a living by farming, fishing and hunting and are self-sufficient.
There is a small pier in the southeast. There are very few people on the pier, only a dozen people who look like fishermen, sitting on a small boat beside the pier to rest.
Deep in the mountains, at the foot of a high peak shrouded in clouds, dozens of mortals gathered.
They placed tributes and, led by the town mayor Han Dong, kowtowed toward the mountain.
"I, Han Dong, lead the townspeople to kowtow to the Immortal Master and pray for good weather and good harvests in the coming year."
After the worship was over, they left without taking even the offerings.
"Grandpa, you always say there are immortals on the mountain, why have I never seen any?" a four-year-old boy asked curiously.
Han Dong smiled slightly and said in a friendly manner: "There is a difference between immortals and mortals. Unless it is a big deal, we must not disturb the immortal master's practice. You will be able to see the immortal master next year. If you have spiritual roots, you can have a generation name and go to Huludao to practice immortal arts. You can fly into the sky and hide in the ground, and you can do anything."
At the end, Han Dong looked a little excited.
"Spiritual roots? Generation name?"
"All of us are from the Han family in Huludao. Our ancestors were all immortals. Unfortunately, I don't have spiritual roots, so I can't practice immortal arts. Well, you'll understand next year. That's when the Spirit Testing Conference will be held every five years. Mortals with spiritual roots will have a generation name, go to Huludao to practice immortal arts, turn rivers and seas upside down, and achieve immortality."
After hearing this, the boy's young face showed a look of longing.
On the top of the mountain, which is covered by clouds, there is a courtyard covering several acres.
There is a three-storey green bamboo building in the courtyard, with golden rice fields on both sides. There is a magical well behind the bamboo building, and more than twenty green magical bamboos are planted next to it. When a breeze blows, the bamboo leaves make a rustling sound.
A cobblestone path leads from the attic to the door.
A young man in his twenties in a yellow shirt stood in front of the rice field, bringing rain to the spiritual valley.
The rice fields are full of golden rice ears half a meter high. On each ear of rice are hung dozens of golden rice grains the size of soybeans. The shells are golden and shining, as if they were made of pure gold. The air is filled with an enticing fragrance.
The young man is tall, with delicate features and a pair of bright eyes.
The young man’s surname is Han and his given name is Changming. He was born in the Han family of Huludao. The Han family is a family of immortal cultivators. There are more than 200 immortal cultivators in the family, including three foundation-building cultivators.
More than six hundred years ago, the Han family moved to the Red Algae Islands. At that time, there were less than fifty cultivators in the Han family and tens of thousands of mortals. After more than six hundred years of reproduction and development, the Han family has more than two hundred cultivators, controls twenty-two small islands, and has more than four hundred thousand mortals under its jurisdiction.
According to the family tree, the Han family has forty generations, in order: Zhengda Guangmingyuan, Wenxue Daodechang, Benduan Zhongyongmao, Zili Shiyanfang, Yilong Renshengxian, Guoxing Zhenjiabang, Guangxin Zhaohongda, Sixu Qiyuanchang. Currently, the oldest generation in the Han family is the Zhang generation, and the one with the highest cultivation is Han Zhangxiang, who is in the late stage of foundation building.
According to the Han family's ancestral books, the realm of immortal cultivation is divided into five realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Building, Dan Jie, Yuanying and Huashen. The Qi Refining stage is divided into nine levels. After the foundation building, each major realm is divided into four small realms: initial, intermediate, final and great perfection. Before the Qi Refining stage, there is also a Body Refining stage.
During the body refining stage, one practices martial arts and refines the essence and blood. Once one has reached the ninth level of body refining, one will have the opportunity to transform all the essence and blood into vital energy and enter the ranks of immortal cultivators. Because one does not have a trace of magic power during the body refining stage, one cannot enter the realm of immortal cultivators.
Han Changming is twenty years old this year. His spiritual roots are water, earth and fire, and he is at the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Han Changming's parents were mortals. When he was five years old, Han Changming was found to have spiritual roots and was sent back to Huludao to study literature and martial arts and practice immortal arts.
He entered the first level of body refining at the age of seven, broke through the ninth level of body refining at the age of eleven, and entered the Qi refining stage. This cultivation speed is considered average in the Han family.
It is easy and simple to move from the Body Refining Stage to the Qi Refining Stage. Some lucky people can advance to the Qi Refining Stage naturally. Some unlucky people cannot advance to the Qi Refining Stage before they are thirty years old. Those who are particularly unlucky will never be able to advance to the Qi Refining Stage in their entire lives.
According to clan rules, clan members in the Body Refining Stage can receive one kilogram of first-grade low-quality spiritual grain every month. If they have not advanced to the Qi Refining Stage by the age of 20, the family will no longer distribute spiritual grain, and their relatives will provide the spiritual grain instead. This is also to encourage clan members to practice.
Han Changming can now receive two spirit stones and twenty kilograms of first-grade low-quality spirit grains every month. He practices the earth-attributed technique "Thick Earth Art". This technique is simple to practice and only requires step-by-step practice. It is only a matter of time before he reaches the ninth level of Qi Refining. The disadvantage is that the practice speed is relatively slow.
He and his uncle Han Deyun stayed on Hongxia Island, protecting the people on the island from the attacks of sea monsters.
The spiritual fields are planted with golden sprout spiritual rice, which is a first-grade low-quality spiritual grain that harvests once a year. Qi-refining cultivators are not yet able to fast, so they usually fill their stomachs with spiritual grains. Spiritual grains contain spiritual energy, and regular consumption is beneficial to cultivation.
After applying rain to the rice fields, Han Changming walked towards the bamboo house.
There is an open space under the bamboo building, with dozens of black cloud grass planted. Ten-year-old black cloud grass is one of the main ingredients for refining Qi Refining Pills. Black cloud grass likes shade and cannot be exposed to sunlight.
The interior of the bamboo building is simply decorated. Currently, Han Changming and Han Deyun live in this bamboo building.
Han Deyun is the eighteenth in the "De" generation. He is thirty-five years old this year and has reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.
It is the tradition of the Han family for the elders to guide the younger ones. Han Deyun occasionally has some insights and is practicing in seclusion, so the responsibility of looking after the spiritual valleys and medicines is given to Han Changming.
Han Changming came to the stove, poured one or two ounces of golden sprout rice into a porcelain jar, poured in clean water to wash the rice, poured in clean water again, and held the porcelain jar with one hand.
With a "puff" sound, a ball of red flame appeared in the palm of his hand, wrapping around the porcelain jar.
Not long after, an enticing aroma wafted out, whetting one's appetite. The rice grains were crystal clear and looked very appetizing.
One or two ounces of spiritual grain can be used to cook a bowl of spiritual rice, and then add a plate of white jade tofu. White jade tofu is made from spiritual beans and also contains spiritual energy.
Breakfast was ready quickly and Han Changming ate it all up, leaving no juice behind.
After breakfast, he sat cross-legged and used his internal energy to refine the spiritual energy contained in the food.
Not long after, a layer of yellow glow appeared on his body surface, and a yellow mist emerged out of thin air. As he breathed in and out, the yellow mist poured into his body.
After half an hour, Han Changming finished his practice and the yellow glow on his body dissipated.