Mr. Carter stepped forward, took Henry Carter's hand and looked him up and down, sighing repeatedly: "My son has grown taller, ah. Sigh, it's good that you're back. As for cultivation, if you don't want to practice, then don't. I never expected to rely on you in the future anyway. But you being gone for seven years and not coming home, I missed you so much... Now that you're finally back, just stay at home and live in peace. Others may cultivate immortality, but we don't envy them..."

Before Henry Carter could explain anything, Mr. Carter was already comforting him, which moved him a little.

"Hmph, others cultivate immortality, you also cultivate immortality. Others become true disciples, but you were expelled. Isn't that just useless? Yet Master, you treat him like a treasure and protect him. If outsiders saw this, who knows how they'd laugh at us..."

At that moment, a sharp and sarcastic voice sounded. It was Concubine Harris, adorned with jewels, who came out and sneered coldly.

Chapter 3: A Breath of True Qi

When Mr. Carter heard this, his eyes widened, wanting to retort, but in the end he didn't dare. He just held Henry Carter's hand and led him toward the inner courtyard.

Henry Carter gave a wry smile and ignored this concubine, following his father inside.

He knew well that Mr. Carter was naturally afraid of his wife. When his own mother was alive, he feared her; after she passed away, he became afraid of Concubine Harris. In recent years, the son born to Concubine Harris, his eldest brother, had grown up and started taking over the family business, making Concubine Harris's authority even greater, and Mr. Carter dared not scold her.

Of course, this "not daring" also contained some guilt. After Henry Carter's birth mother died, Mr. Carter should have made Concubine Harris the official wife, but for some unknown reason, he stubbornly refused, dragging it out for more than ten years. In the early years, Concubine Harris would still make a fuss from time to time, but now she never mentions it, having completely given up.

As for Concubine Harris's behavior, Henry Carter could only sneer inwardly.

He understood that although Concubine Harris had given birth to his elder brother, she was still just a concubine. In terms of status, he himself was the legitimate son and rightful heir to the family. Concubine Harris feared he would compete for the family property and had disliked him since he was a child. Later, when he went to cultivate immortality, it was actually a relief, since a cultivator would hardly care about worldly wealth. But unexpectedly, after seven years, Henry Carter actually returned.

No doubt, Concubine Harris now wished she could drive him out of the house immediately!

"Where's big brother?"

Henry Carter asked casually.

Old Mr. Carter sighed and said, "He went outside the city to collect rent. Never mind him, let's have a drink together, just the two of us!"

At this time, the The Bennett Family was holding a grand banquet to celebrate Edward Bennett officially becoming a true disciple. Nearly every notable figure in Four Elephants City attended, and those who couldn't make it sent gifts. The place was bustling with guests. Meanwhile, The Carter Family's Henry Carter had been expelled from the immortal sect, which was nothing to celebrate, so there was no banquet—just a small family gathering to mark the second young master's return. Even this celebration, however, carried an awkward and indescribable sense of discomfort.

Henry Carter was well aware of this but said nothing. After practicing the Great Sickness Immortal Art, his perspective had become much broader, and he no longer cared about such trivial matters. This time, his return to Four Elephants City was mainly to see his father before setting off to explore the vast world. Unlike Edward Bennett, who returned home to visit relatives, he was actually here to ask for money.

Henry Carter could refine illness into pills, while Edward Bennett could only buy spiritual herbs and divine minerals.

After sharing two pots of wine with his father and chatting about trivial matters, Henry Carter excused himself, claiming fatigue, and went to his room to rest.

It was still his old room, unchanged and spotlessly clean.

He sat on the bed and instructed the servants not to disturb him, then sat cross-legged.

He opened his palm, and a wisp of black energy floated up from his palm, twisting and writhing—it was the trace of sickness from Master Grant.

Under the refinement of Henry Carter's Great Sickness Immortal Art, the black energy gradually shrank, spinning continuously, and finally condensed into a round, black pill. Though formed from sickness, it looked just like a real medicinal pill.

Satisfied, Henry Carter let out a breath. The vital energy around him formed a dragon's head, which swallowed the second-grade sickness pill.

"Boom..."

As the sickness pill entered his body, it immediately transformed into surging vital energy, clashing with his true qi.

At this moment, Henry Carter's vital energy had already reached a bottleneck. With the addition of this energy, a transformation occurred. The energy surged like a dragon, circulating through his body before finally settling within his true qi.

"Whoosh..."

Henry Carter opened his eyes. In the darkness, his eyes shone with a dazzling light.

"Seventh level of true qi, I've finally broken through..."

Henry Carter felt the true qi surging within him, as if he could fly. He closed his eyes slightly, savoring the pleasure of this breakthrough.

So-called true qi is the first breath a person takes upon being born.

The sages called this breath the original vital qi, or simply true qi.

This breath determines a person's strength, life, and wisdom. What people call cultivation is actually the practice of this breath, using every possible method to strengthen it.

For example, martial artists refine this breath by tempering their bodies.

When martial artists talk about "training to refine their breath," this is what they mean.