bīng dāo gē zài shēn shàng ， téng tòng wú bǐ ， lín xuān tóu shàng de lěng hàn ， yě hěn kuài bèi dòng zhù ， rěn zhe cháng rén nán yǐ rěn shòu de tòng kǔ ， lín xuān nǔ lì xiū xíng zhe 。
冰刀割在身上，疼痛无比，林轩头上的冷汗，也很快被冻住，忍着常人难以忍受的痛苦，林轩努力修行着。
The ice blade sliced through his skin, causing excruciating pain. Lin Xuan's forehead was soon covered in frozen sweat as he endured the unbearable agony, striving to refine himself.
tiān kōng zhōng fēi wǔ zhe yí gè gè guāng diǎn ， zhè xiē jiù shì líng qì ， bù guò tōng cháng qíng kuàng xià ， xiū zhēn zhě yě kàn bú jiàn ， zhǐ yǒu dāng líng qì jīng chún dào yí dìng chéng dù ， cái néng gòu gǎn shòu dào 。
天空中飞舞着一个个光点，这些就是灵气，不过通常情况下，修真者也看不见，只有当灵气精纯到一定程度，才能够感受到。
Above them, countless light points danced in the sky—these were the essence qi. However, usually, cultivators couldn't see these unless the essence qi became sufficiently refined.
lín xuān yào zuò de ， jiù shì jiāng zhè xiē líng qì guāng diǎn xī rù dào shēn tǐ lǐ ， zhè yàng jīng chún de líng qì ， jiāng tā men liàn huà chéng fǎ lì yào gèng jiā róng yì 。
林轩要做的，就是将这些灵气光点吸入到身体里，这样精纯的灵气，将它们炼化成法力要更加容易。
Lin Xuan’s task was to inhale these light points into his body and then refine them into mana. Since he could see them, absorbing them wasn’t difficult; but it required enduring the pain of the ice blade cutting through his flesh.
yóu yú kàn dé jiàn ， suǒ yǐ xī shōu qǐ lái bù nán ， dàn qián tí shì ， yào rěn shòu zhù bīng dāo shì tǐ de tòng kǔ 。
由于看得见，所以吸收起来不难，但前提是，要忍受住冰刀噬体的痛苦。
One by one, the light points were absorbed into his body. Following the sect's inner refinement method, Lin Xuan stored them in his dantian and then condensed them into a ball of essence qi.
yí gè yòu yí gè de líng qì guāng diǎn bèi xī rù dào shēn tǐ zhī zhōng ， àn zhào shī mén xīn fǎ ， lín xuān jiāng tā men quán bù nà rù dān tián ， rán hòu jù jí chéng le yí gè líng qì tuán 。
一个又一个的灵气光点被吸入到身体之中，按照师门心法，林轩将它们全部纳入丹田，然后聚集成了一个灵气团。
Next came the refining process. The essence qi ball rotated nonstop within his dantian, shrinking in size but growing increasingly dense in color. Finally, it transformed into a stream of mana that spread throughout his dantian.
jiē xià lái yào zuò de jiù shì liàn huà ， zhǐ jiàn nà líng qì tuán zài dān tián lǐ bù tíng xuán zhuǎn ， tǐ jī suō xiǎo ， dàn yán sè què yuè lái yuè nóng 。
接下来要做的就是炼化，只见那灵气团在丹田里不停旋转，体积缩小，但颜色却越来越浓。
Lin Xuan's endurance was at its limit, and he quickly ran out of the illusory realm’s range.
zuì hòu ， zhōng yú huà wèi le yī dào líng lì ， sàn fà dào dān tián zhī zhōng 。
最后，终于化为了一道灵力，散发到丹田之中。
Lying on the ground, Lin Xuan gasped for breath, not even wanting to move a finger.
ér lín xuān de rěn nài yě dào jí xiàn le ， lián máng bá tuǐ pǎo chū le huàn jìng de fàn wéi 。
而林轩的忍耐也到极限了，连忙拔腿跑出了幻境的范围。
---
dǎo zài dì shàng ， lín xuān zhí chuǎn qì ， lián yí gè shǒu zhǐ tou dōu bù xiǎng dòng 。
倒在地上，林轩直喘气，连一个手指头都不想动。
This process repeated itself hour after hour until nightfall when Lin Xuan walked toward the exit of the Heart Refinement Path.
……
……
"Did you hear? That disciple without a spirit root went through the Heart Refinement Path."
zhè yàng de guò chéng zhōu ér fù shǐ ， chí xù le shù gè xiǎo shí ， zhí dào tiān hēi ， lín xuān cái xiàng liàn xīn lù de chū kǒu zǒu qù 。
这样的过程周而复始，持续了数个小时，直到天黑，林轩才像炼心路的出口走去。
"Hmm, I heard Master Shi witnessed it with his own eyes."
“ tīng shuō le ma ， nà ge méi yǒu líng gēn de dì zǐ qù liàn xīn lù xiū liàn le 。”
“听说了吗，那个没有灵根的弟子去炼心路修炼了。”
"Hmph. Having perseverance means nothing; ordinary people are destined to achieve nothing in the realm of immortals! They will always be waste!"
“ ń ， jù shuō mǎ shī shū qīn yǎn kàn jiàn le 。”
“嗯，据说马师叔亲眼看见了。”
---
“ hēng ， yǒu yì lì yòu rú hé ， pǔ tōng rén zhù dìng zài xiān dào shàng bú huì yǒu suǒ jiàn shù ， fèi wù shǐ zhōng shì fèi wù ！”
“哼，有毅力又如何，普通人注定在仙道上不会有所建树，废物始终是废物！”
On his way back, Lin Xuan overheard discussions about him. Despite being noticed, the disciples paid no mind and continued mocking him.
……
……
Lin Xuan frowned but didn’t get angry. He knew that gaining respect in the cultivation world required strength alone; it was better to return home, rest, and continue practicing rather than waste his energy on unnecessary anger.
huí qù de lù shàng ， lín xuān ǒu rán tīng jiàn le duì zì jǐ de yì lùn ， jǐn guǎn yě fā xiàn le tā ， kě nà xiē dì zǐ sī háo yě bù zài yì ， jì xù yǐ cháo fěng de yǔ qì wā kǔ 。
回去的路上，林轩偶然听见了对自己的议论，尽管也发现了他，可那些弟子丝毫也不在意，继续以嘲讽的语气挖苦。
Back at his residence, Lin Xuan opened a drawer and took out papers filled with cultivation methods.
lín xuān zhòu le zhòu méi ， dàn tā bú huì shēng qì ， yīn wèi yú shì wú bǔ ， zài xiū zhēn jiè xiǎng yào dé dào bié rén de zūn jìng zhǐ yǒu yī tiáo lù ， nà jiù shì shí lì ， yǔ qí zài zhè ér shēng bù bì yào de qì ， hái bù rú huí qù xiū xī hòu jì xù liàn xí 。
林轩皱了皱眉，但他不会生气，因为于事无补，在修真界想要得到别人的尊敬只有一条路，那就是实力，与其在这儿生不必要的气，还不如回去休息后继续练习。
Drive Object Technique: A spell to manipulate objects using essence qi. It’s one of the most fundamental yet essential spells in the cultivation world—its foundation for using magical treasures. However, such treasures were still too distant for Lin Xuan now, but he could practice this technique.
huí dào zhù chù ， lín xuān lā kāi chōu tì ， qǔ chū xiě mǎn xiū liàn fāng fǎ de zhǐ 。
回到住处，林轩拉开抽屉，取出写满修炼方法的纸。
He focused his true energy and concentrated his mental awareness, attaching it to an object to make it move.
qū wù shù ， yòng líng lì gé kōng qū dòng wù tǐ de fǎ shù ， shì xiū zhēn jiè zuì jī běn ， dàn yě zuì zhòng yào de fǎ shù zhī yī ， nǎi shǐ yòng fǎ bǎo de gēn běn ， dāng rán ， fǎ bǎo duì xiàn zài de lín xuān ér yán ， hái tài yáo yuǎn ， bù guò kě yǐ liàn xí yī xià zhè ge fǎ shù 。
驱物术，用灵力隔空驱动物体的法术，是修真界最基本，但也最重要的法术之一，乃使用法宝的根本，当然，法宝对现在的林轩而言，还太遥远，不过可以练习一下这个法术。
Throughout the afternoon, Lin Xuan practiced repeatedly. He had tried before but failed. After days of Heart Refinement Path training, his essence qi had strengthened, allowing him a new attempt.
yùn yòng zhēn yuán ， jí zhōng shén niàn ， jiāng yì shí fù zhuó zài wù tǐ zhī shàng ， ràng tā yí dòng 。
运用真元，集中神念，将意识附着在物体之上，让它移动。
Hours passed as he stared intently at the cup in front of him, his eyes sore and head dizzy. Lin Xuan took a brief rest before continuing…
zhěng gè xià wǔ ， lín xuān liàn xí le yī biàn yòu yī biàn ， yǐ qián ， tā yě shì guò ， bù guò shī bài le ， zài liàn xīn lù xiū liàn le zhè me duō tiān ， líng lì yě zēng qiáng le yī xiē ， suǒ yǐ cái yǒu le xīn de cháng shì 。
整个下午，林轩练习了一遍又一遍，以前，他也试过，不过失败了，在炼心路修炼了这么多天，灵力也增强了一些，所以才有了新的尝试。
Hard work paid off; suddenly, the cup moved slightly.
zhuǎn yǎn guò qù le shù gè xiǎo shí ， yì zhí jí zhōng jīng lì dīng zhe qián miàn de bēi zi ， yǎn jīng fā suān ， tóu hūn nǎo zhàng ， lín xuān shāo shì xiū xī le yī huì er ， rán hòu jì xù ……
转眼过去了数个小时，一直集中精力盯着前面的杯子，眼睛发酸，头昏脑胀，林轩稍事休息了一会儿，然后继续……
Though barely perceptible, it did move. Lin Xuan didn’t stop, channeling essence qi to continue practicing Drive Object Technique until late into the night when he finally went to bed.
gōng fu bù fù yǒu xīn rén ， tū rán ， bēi zi dòng le yī xià 。
功夫不负有心人，突然，杯子动了一下。
The next day, Lin Xuan returned to the Heart Refinement Path.
suī rán hěn qīng wēi ， dàn què shí yǒu dòng ， lín xuān méi yǒu tíng xià lái ， yùn zhuàn líng lì ， jì xù duì qū wù shù liàn xí ， zhí dào hěn wǎn ， cái shàng chuáng xiū xī 。
虽然很轻微，但确实有动，林轩没有停下来，运转灵力，继续对驱物术练习，直到很晚，才上床休息。
Misty and eerie, with ghostly apparitions everywhere—this time, the illusion was of the underworld. Countless ghosts lunged at him, but the young man ignored them.
dì èr tiān ， lín xuān yòu lái dào le liàn xīn lù 。
第二天，林轩又来到了炼心路。
This arduous training not only enhanced his strength but also made his mind more resilient and mature. His endurance had significantly increased; initially, he could only endure a few minutes in this terrifying illusion, but now, despite deeper penetration into it and even more horrifying hallucinations, he could last an hour.
mí wù sēn sēn ， guǐ yǐng chóng chóng ， zhè yī cì de huàn jué shì yīn cáo dì fǔ ， wú shù lì guǐ xiàng lín xuān pū guò lái le ， shào nián què shì ruò wú dǔ 。
迷雾森森，鬼影重重，这一次的幻觉是阴曹地府，无数厉鬼像林轩扑过来了，少年却视若无睹。
Ghosts and horrific scenes appeared in his mind as various devastating negative effects assailed him. Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, enduring the pain to absorb essence qi for cultivation.
zhè duàn jiān kǔ xiū liàn de shí guāng ， bù zhǐ shí lì zài zēng qiáng ， lín xuān de xīn zhì yě biàn dé gèng jiā jiān rèn chéng shú ， nài lì yě dà fú zēng jiā le ， zuì chū de shí hòu ， lín xuān zhǐ néng zài kě pà de huàn jìng zhōng dài shàng shù fēn zhōng ， xiàn zài suī rán yuè zǒu yuè shēn rù ， chéng shòu de huàn jué yě gèng jiā kě pà ， dàn tā què néng jiān chí yí gè xiǎo shí le 。
这段艰苦修炼的时光，不止实力在增强，林轩的心智也变得更加坚韧成熟，耐力也大幅增加了，最初的时候，林轩只能在可怕的幻境中待上数分钟，现在虽然越走越深入，承受的幻觉也更加可怕，但他却能坚持一个小时了。
---
guǐ hún ， yǐ jí gè zhǒng kě pà de chǎng jǐng zài nǎo hǎi lǐ fú xiàn ， gè zhǒng lìng rén bēng kuì de fù miàn yǐng xiǎng qīn xí ér lái ， lín xuān yǎo yá rěn shòu zhe tòng kǔ ， nǔ lì xī nà líng qì xiū liàn 。
鬼魂，以及各种可怕的场景在脑海里浮现，各种令人崩溃的负面影响侵袭而来，林轩咬牙忍受着痛苦，努力吸纳灵气修炼。
Exiting the illusory realm’s range, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, refining the absorbed essence qi and performing the Nine Circuits of Heaven exercise.
……
……
Through his meridians, the essence qi flowed back into his dantian. Lin Xuan performed this nine times; while it slowly increased his strength, it was a huge burden on his body. Most disciples only did three circuits, but Lin Xuan had set himself the goal of nine.
lí kāi huàn jìng de yǐng xiǎng fàn wéi ， lín xuān pán xī zuò zài dì shàng ， jiāng xī shōu de líng qì liàn huà ， rán hòu zuò zhōu tiān xún huán 。
离开幻境的影响范围，林轩盘膝坐在地上，将吸收的灵气炼化，然后做周天循环。
This was close to human limits—his first few circuits were manageable, but by the fourth and fifth, his meridians ached and swelled. By the seventh and eighth, it felt like being cut with knives, while the ninth circuit was akin to hell itself. Lin Xuan’s forehead was drenched in sweat, and his body trembled involuntarily, yet he persisted. After several hours, he finally completed his goal.
tōng guò jīng mài yùn zhuàn ， zuì hòu huí guī dān tián ， lín xuān yī gòng zuò le jiǔ biàn ， líng lì zài jīng mài zhōng liú dòng ， suī rán néng gòu ràng qí huǎn màn zēng zhǎng ， dàn duì shēn tǐ yě shì jí dà fù dān ， yì bān dì zǐ zhǐ zuò sān biàn ， lín xuān què gěi zì jǐ guī dìng yào zuò jiǔ biàn 。
通过经脉运转，最后回归丹田，林轩一共做了九遍，灵力在经脉中流动，虽然能够让其缓慢增长，但对身体也是极大负担，一般弟子只做三遍，林轩却给自己规定要做九遍。
Having finished the Nine Circuits of Heaven exercise, Lin Xuan re-entered the illusory realm.
zhè yǐ jīng jiē jìn rén tǐ de jí xiàn ， qián sān biàn hái hǎo ， sì biàn wǔ biàn de shí hòu ， jīng mài yòu suān yòu zhàng ， qī biàn bā biàn de shí hòu ， zé xiàng dāo gē yī yàng téng ， zhì yú dì jiǔ biàn ， nà jiǎn zhí shì liàn yù yī yàng de tòng kǔ ， lín xuān é tóu shàng mǎn shì dòu dà de hàn zhū ， shēn tǐ shèn zhì dōu téng dé bù yóu zì zhǔ de fā dǒu ， dàn tā yī rán wán qiáng de jiān chí zhe ， shù gè xiǎo shí hòu ， zhōng yú wán chéng le mù biāo 。
这已经接近人体的极限，前三遍还好，四遍五遍的时候，经脉又酸又胀，七遍八遍的时候，则像刀割一样疼，至于第九遍，那简直是炼狱一样的痛苦，林轩额头上满是豆大的汗珠，身体甚至都疼得不由自主的发抖，但他依然顽强的坚持着，数个小时后，终于完成了目标。
This process repeated day after day as Lin Xuan trained diligently on the Heart Refinement Path. The pain that a foundation stage cultivator could barely endure was borne by him through sheer perseverance.
zuò wán le dà zhōu tiān liàn xí ， lín xuān chóng xīn jìn rù dào le huàn jìng zhōng qù 。
做完了大周天练习，林轩重新进入到了幻境中去。
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, like an old monk in deep meditation. In his dantian, there was now a pale green ball, constantly distorting and changing shape—this was formed from the essence qi.
jiù zhè yàng zhōu ér fù shǐ ， lín xuān zài liàn xīn lù nǔ lì xiū xíng ， tōng cháng yào zhù jī qī xiū shì cái néng rěn shòu de tòng kǔ ， tā píng zhe jiān rèn de yì lì yìng káng xià lái le 。
就这样周而复始，林轩在炼心路努力修行，通常要筑基期修士才能忍受的痛苦，他凭着坚韧的毅力硬扛下来了。
A stream of essence qi continued to be injected into this ball. After a month of Heart Refinement Path training, Lin Xuan felt that his cultivation had increased significantly. He once again began to push for the second layer of the Agile Spirit Realm.
lín xuān pán xī zuò zài dì shàng ， rú tóng lǎo sēng rù dìng ， cǐ shí tā de dān tián zhī zhōng ， yǒu yí gè dàn qīng sè de yuán qiú ， bù duàn niǔ qū biàn huà ， nà shì yóu líng lì jù jí ér chéng de 。
林轩盘膝坐在地上，如同老僧入定，此时他的丹田之中，有一个淡青色的圆球，不断扭曲变化，那是由灵力聚集而成的。
For cultivators, every level advancement brought about changes in their essence qi. Lin Xuan was now at the critical stage.
yī sī sī de líng lì ， hái zài bù tíng de bèi zhù rù dào nà yuán qiú zhī zhōng ， zài liàn xīn lù xiū liàn yí gè yuè hòu ， lín xuān gǎn jué zì jǐ de xiū wèi zēng jiā le bù shǎo ， zài yí cì xiàng líng dòng qī dì èr céng fā qǐ chōng jī 。
一丝丝的灵力，还在不停的被注入到那圆球之中，在炼心路修炼一个月后，林轩感觉自己的修为增加了不少，再一次像灵动期第二层发起冲击。
Just a little more!
duì yú xiū zhēn zhě ér yán ， jìng jiè měi shàng shēng yī céng ， líng lì dū huì fā shēng tuì biàn ， lín xuān xiàn zài zhèng chǔ yú zuì guān jiàn de jiē duàn 。
对于修真者而言，境界每上升一层，灵力都会发生蜕变，林轩现在正处于最关键的阶段。
He expanded his divine sense throughout his dantian, searching for any remaining essence qi and injecting it into the ball. Lin Xuan felt like he was a sponge that had been squeezed dry but still trying to squeeze out one last drop of water.
hái chà yì diǎn diǎn ！
还差一点点！
Sizzle…
shén shí kuò dà dào zhěng gè dān tián ， nǔ lì sōu xún zhe cán yú de líng lì ， jiāng tā men zhù rù dào yuán qiú zhī zhōng ， lín xuān gǎn jué zì jǐ jiù xiàng yī kuài bèi zhà gàn de hǎi mián ， què hái yào pīn mìng jǐ chū yì diǎn shuǐ lái 。
神识扩大到整个丹田，努力搜寻着残余的灵力，将它们注入到圆球之中，林轩感觉自己就像一块被榨干的海绵，却还要拼命挤出一点水来。
The essence qi ball changed again; lightning appeared on its surface as essence qi began to overflow, threatening to shatter the ball.
cī lā ……
刺啦……
Lin Xuan didn’t give up and tried his best to maintain it. But he was already at his limit. With a soft pop, the pale green ball exploded, dispersing the gathered essence qi into fine strands of essence qi evenly distributed throughout his dantian.
The ice blade sliced through his skin, causing excruciating pain. Lin Xuan's forehead was soon covered in frozen sweat as he endured the unbearable agony, striving to refine himself.
Above them, countless light points danced in the sky—these were the essence qi. However, usually, cultivators couldn't see these unless the essence qi became sufficiently refined.
Lin Xuan’s task was to inhale these light points into his body and then refine them into mana. Since he could see them, absorbing them wasn’t difficult; but it required enduring the pain of the ice blade cutting through his flesh.
One by one, the light points were absorbed into his body. Following the sect's inner refinement method, Lin Xuan stored them in his dantian and then condensed them into a ball of essence qi.
Next came the refining process. The essence qi ball rotated nonstop within his dantian, shrinking in size but growing increasingly dense in color. Finally, it transformed into a stream of mana that spread throughout his dantian.
Lin Xuan's endurance was at its limit, and he quickly ran out of the illusory realm’s range.
Lying on the ground, Lin Xuan gasped for breath, not even wanting to move a finger.
---
This process repeated itself hour after hour until nightfall when Lin Xuan walked toward the exit of the Heart Refinement Path.
"Did you hear? That disciple without a spirit root went through the Heart Refinement Path."
"Hmm, I heard Master Shi witnessed it with his own eyes."
"Hmph. Having perseverance means nothing; ordinary people are destined to achieve nothing in the realm of immortals! They will always be waste!"
---
On his way back, Lin Xuan overheard discussions about him. Despite being noticed, the disciples paid no mind and continued mocking him.
Lin Xuan frowned but didn’t get angry. He knew that gaining respect in the cultivation world required strength alone; it was better to return home, rest, and continue practicing rather than waste his energy on unnecessary anger.
Back at his residence, Lin Xuan opened a drawer and took out papers filled with cultivation methods.
Drive Object Technique: A spell to manipulate objects using essence qi. It’s one of the most fundamental yet essential spells in the cultivation world—its foundation for using magical treasures. However, such treasures were still too distant for Lin Xuan now, but he could practice this technique.
He focused his true energy and concentrated his mental awareness, attaching it to an object to make it move.
Throughout the afternoon, Lin Xuan practiced repeatedly. He had tried before but failed. After days of Heart Refinement Path training, his essence qi had strengthened, allowing him a new attempt.
Hours passed as he stared intently at the cup in front of him, his eyes sore and head dizzy. Lin Xuan took a brief rest before continuing…
Hard work paid off; suddenly, the cup moved slightly.
Though barely perceptible, it did move. Lin Xuan didn’t stop, channeling essence qi to continue practicing Drive Object Technique until late into the night when he finally went to bed.
The next day, Lin Xuan returned to the Heart Refinement Path.
Misty and eerie, with ghostly apparitions everywhere—this time, the illusion was of the underworld. Countless ghosts lunged at him, but the young man ignored them.
This arduous training not only enhanced his strength but also made his mind more resilient and mature. His endurance had significantly increased; initially, he could only endure a few minutes in this terrifying illusion, but now, despite deeper penetration into it and even more horrifying hallucinations, he could last an hour.
Ghosts and horrific scenes appeared in his mind as various devastating negative effects assailed him. Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, enduring the pain to absorb essence qi for cultivation.
---
Exiting the illusory realm’s range, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, refining the absorbed essence qi and performing the Nine Circuits of Heaven exercise.
Through his meridians, the essence qi flowed back into his dantian. Lin Xuan performed this nine times; while it slowly increased his strength, it was a huge burden on his body. Most disciples only did three circuits, but Lin Xuan had set himself the goal of nine.
This was close to human limits—his first few circuits were manageable, but by the fourth and fifth, his meridians ached and swelled. By the seventh and eighth, it felt like being cut with knives, while the ninth circuit was akin to hell itself. Lin Xuan’s forehead was drenched in sweat, and his body trembled involuntarily, yet he persisted. After several hours, he finally completed his goal.
Having finished the Nine Circuits of Heaven exercise, Lin Xuan re-entered the illusory realm.
This process repeated day after day as Lin Xuan trained diligently on the Heart Refinement Path. The pain that a foundation stage cultivator could barely endure was borne by him through sheer perseverance.
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, like an old monk in deep meditation. In his dantian, there was now a pale green ball, constantly distorting and changing shape—this was formed from the essence qi.
A stream of essence qi continued to be injected into this ball. After a month of Heart Refinement Path training, Lin Xuan felt that his cultivation had increased significantly. He once again began to push for the second layer of the Agile Spirit Realm.
For cultivators, every level advancement brought about changes in their essence qi. Lin Xuan was now at the critical stage.
Just a little more!
He expanded his divine sense throughout his dantian, searching for any remaining essence qi and injecting it into the ball. Lin Xuan felt like he was a sponge that had been squeezed dry but still trying to squeeze out one last drop of water.
Sizzle…
The essence qi ball changed again; lightning appeared on its surface as essence qi began to overflow, threatening to shatter the ball.
Lin Xuan didn’t give up and tried his best to maintain it. But he was already at his limit. With a soft pop, the pale green ball exploded, dispersing the gathered essence qi into fine strands of essence qi evenly distributed throughout his dantian.