I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: A New Cultivation Attempt

The gathering ended in a relaxed atmosphere. Yang Wenqing and Xiao Liang walked back to Dongning Community together.

As they neared the community gate, Xiao Liang suddenly spoke. ”Wenqing, you’re still young with a long road ahead. After the conferment ceremony tomorrow, I’ll be an official Police Specialist, so there are some things I can be more open about. Competing for the vice-group leader position is a good thing, and it’s also good that Vice Director Gao and Director Wang think highly of you. But if something is truly out of reach, it’s okay to take a step back for now. You can always gather your strength and try again later.”

He knew Yang Wenqing was ambitious and talented, but he also worried that his youthful ardor would lead him to clash head-on and suffer for it. He was genuinely concerned for him.

Yang Wenqing knew Xiao Liang meant well. He nodded and said, ”Brother Xiao, I understand what you’re saying. Don’t worry, I have it under control.”

Xiao Liang didn’t say anything more. The two entered the community together, and after parting ways at an intersection, Yang Wenqing returned alone to Building 3, Room 305.

After closing the door and shutting out the rest of the world, a look of exhaustion finally appeared on Yang Wenqing’s face. He felt his feet grow heavy, and he trudged over to the sofa to sit down and rest.

Soon, his consciousness slowly faded with his fatigue, and he fell asleep without realizing it.

He had been utterly exhausted these past few days. Coupled with the immense pressure he was under for the first time, the moment he relaxed, his mind plunged into a deep sleep.

When he awoke, it was the middle of the night. Even the moonlight had vanished from the sky outside.

Yang Wenqing felt truly rested. He cast a Dust Clearing Skill on himself and then carefully took stock of his recent gains.

Then, he took out the special alloy Array Base from his Storage Bag and placed it flat in the center of his living room. He had already transferred the Zhenyuan Nourishing Vein Array onto the base.

BUZZ—

As he triggered the Spell, the Zhenyuan Nourishing Vein Array activated once more. An earthy yellow halo enveloped him, bringing with it a steady and tranquil aura.

Now fully awake, he didn’t waste any more time, planning to continue his cultivation before dawn.

He first circulated the basic technique of the *Nine Refining Secret Skill*, completing one Grand Circulation to bring himself to his peak condition. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he made a bold decision.

He took out an energy crystal, holding it in his left hand, and then placed ten grams of hundred-year-old Stone Marrow Liquid in his right.

The moment the Spirit Gathering Array on his wrist activated, he crushed the energy crystal in his hand and immediately began circulating the *Nine Refining Secret Skill*. In an instant, two immense powers were drawn into his body. The Spiritual Qi from the energy crystal was already refined and could be absorbed directly. It merged with the medicinal power of the Stone Marrow Liquid, forming a torrent of Spiritual Qi that, like scorching magma, aggressively permeated deep into his skin and membranes.

Under the clear projection of the Golden Core World, this torrent of Spiritual Qi continuously interwove with his skin and membranes, which then began to change at a speed visible to the naked eye.

That’s right!

It was changing at a speed visible to the naked eye. This rate of cultivation was unheard of, not recorded in any book. He had only heard teachers at the Police Academy mention it occasionally. However, it required a master at the Entry realm or higher to manage the medicinal power, would cause the Cultivator extreme pain, and needed a sufficiently powerful Spirit Gathering Array.

Now, with the help of his Golden Core, the Spiritual Qi provided by the energy crystal and the Spirit Gathering Array was barely sufficient. The pain, however, was so intense it twisted his expression. The stabilizing field of the Zhenyuan Nourishing Vein Array seemed to lose its effect. After just a few breaths, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, and cold sweat instantly drenched his clothes.

”Ugh...”

A suppressed groan escaped his throat. The pain was enough to make anyone with a weaker will instantly break down and give up on cultivation.

A few days ago, Yang Wenqing might have given up. Now, however, his mind flashed with images: the intangible pressure of authority from the meeting room, the grave look in Wang Jianchao’s eyes as he warned him about his rival, and the expectations of Vice Director Gao. This immense pressure transformed into the stubbornness of a man who, across two lifetimes, refused to admit defeat.

He clenched his jaw, his eyes turning bloodshot from the extreme pain and intense concentration. He had to remain conscious, focusing on the projection of the Golden Core World to guide the Spiritual Qi through his body.

Fortunately, the agony lasted for no more than twenty-odd seconds, as that was all the cultivation one energy crystal and ten grams of Stone Marrow Liquid could support. Yang Wenqing collapsed limply in the center of the Array, gasping for air with his consciousness blurring. Those twenty-odd seconds had felt longer and more torturous than a life-and-death battle.

Then, fighting the urge to immediately pass out, he struggled to sit cross-legged. He guided the residual Spiritual Qi in his body to slowly repair the Spiritual Veins, which had been slightly damaged by the violent surge of energy.

It took a full hour for the burning pain in his Spiritual Veins to mostly subside. The duration of the cultivation session was the same as before, but the efficiency was completely different.

Sensing his progress via the projection, he estimated he could reach completion using at least half the amount of Stone Marrow Liquid. However, the cost of the energy crystals he consumed more or less made up for the savings.

After a few seconds of thought, Yang Wenqing took out another energy crystal and ten more grams of Stone Marrow Liquid, and began a new round of cultivation!

He repeated this cycle over and over. By the time the first light of dawn appeared outside, Yang Wenqing had consumed six energy crystals and sixty grams of Stone Marrow Liquid. His face was now pale, his eyes were sunken, and he was so mentally exhausted that he looked like he could collapse at any moment.

’The last repair of my Spiritual Veins only took half an hour. This means the cultivation process itself is indirectly strengthening them. On top of that, my rate of progress has doubled.’

Yang Wenqing spoke in a low voice, as if to reassure himself he was still there. His voice was exhausted yet tinged with excitement—he was excited because he had completed the majority of the Second Refinement.

He estimated that he might only need another four hundred grams or so of Stone Marrow Liquid to reach the Third Refinement. That would also mean he’d need forty more energy crystals.

He only had a little over two hundred grams of Stone Marrow Liquid left in stock, but with forty-two energy crystals remaining, that wouldn’t be an issue.

Calculating based on a cultivation rate of one session every half an hour, he would only need twenty hours to reach the Third Refinement, provided he had enough time. If nothing important came up, that was just two days!

Meanwhile, an ordinary Qi Cultivator would need forty months just to refine the medicinal toxins in their body!

Yang Wenqing was in high spirits. If it weren’t already daylight, he would have continued cultivating. He decided not to practice the Sword Control Technique as originally planned, because he was mentally exhausted and needed to meditate and rest.

At 7:30 a.m., he first went to the Rain Pavilion to order the remaining Stone Marrow Liquid he needed. By the time he arrived at the branch office at 8:15, the sound of his colleagues’ idle chatter had helped him shake off the painful memories of the previous night. When he entered his office and heard his subordinates greet him, he slowly began to feel like himself again.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, following his orders, he led the members of Team Three to stand guard around the perimeter of the branch office’s main auditorium. After all, important leaders from both the county and the bureau had gathered for today’s conferment ceremony, so security was naturally at its highest level.

Through the thick walls, the solemn music, the voices of the leaders speaking, and waves of enthusiastic applause could be faintly heard from inside the auditorium. Every round of applause struck a chord in Yang Wenqing’s heart.

He couldn’t help but imagine Wang Jianchao and Xiao Liang, dressed in their brand-new white Police Specialist uniforms with silver-starred epaulets, taking the stage before an adoring crowd.

PS: Two more Chapters tonight!