The Almighty Doctor

Chapter 7 Qi Refining Level 1

Night had fallen by the time Lirael sent Eldric to a sprawling villa in Herbshire's suburbs—a property the Veyra Family had purchased years ago.

The mansion was vast and lavishly decorated, yet had stood empty for years. With the Veyras' main operations based in Aetherdale, Herbshire was just a smaller city they rarely visited.

Lirael had come to oversee a new local project as its lead executive. She planned to establish a Veyra branch office here while finding partners to co-develop the venture.

Yet there was more to her trip than business. Old Man Veyra had entrusted her with another task: find Eldric and bring him back to Aetherdale if possible.

She'd already made progress—not only locating him but exchanging contacts. To her surprise, the more time she spent with Eldric, the more intriguing he became. She found herself wanting to get to know him better.

If he could win her heart in time... well, perhaps Grandfather's arrangement might not be so bad after all.

Originally, Lirael intended to host a dinner to meet with Herbshire's elite and discuss partnerships. But when the governor learned of her arrival, he insisted on organizing a grand welcome banquet instead.

As one of Herbaea's most influential clans from the capital, the Veyras commanded nationwide respect. The governor saw this as his prime opportunity—to build connections and attract Veyra investments to Herbshire.

Imagine the benefits: new jobs, increased tax revenue, economic growth... The vision filled the governor with excitement. He personally oversaw preparations, distributing coveted invitations to every prominent figure in Herbshire.

News of the Veyras seeking partners set the local business community abuzz. Those receiving invitations were eager to attend—some even offering to cover the entire event's costs. Others tried every means to obtain an invitation.

Lirael had planned to attend immediately after arriving, but Eldric's personal situation forced her to postpone through her assistant.

But today, Lirael came down with gastritis, so she had her assistant reach out to the governor of Herbshire once more, postponing the banquet until tomorrow.

Still reeling from Naviya's betrayal, Lirael wanted to drag Eldric back from the edge—to help him heal faster.

She figured getting him out among people would do him good, so she personally invited him to join her at the banquet. A change of scenery, new faces—anything to take his mind off things.

When life knocks you down like that, surrounding yourself with others is the quickest way forward. Left alone, you just get stuck replaying the pain, drowning in bitterness.

Though he hesitated, Eldric finally gave in to her insistence. Only then did Lirael have her driver take him back to the luxury villa, promising to send a car for him in the morning.

Soon, Eldric arrived at the Veyra family's property. Though uninhabited, a cleaning crew maintained it spotlessly—every room pristine, every necessity accounted for.

Once the driver left, Eldric wandered the halls, getting familiar with the layout before shutting the gates and settling cross-legged in the courtyard. Time to begin his cultivation.

His father’s legacy wasn’t just peerless healing arts—it was the path of cultivation itself. That wisp of qi left behind had already awakened his potential. Now, he needed to walk the path.

And how fiercely he yearned to begin. Cultivation demanded persistence—day after day tempering both body and spirit until true mastery was within reach.

For years, Eldric had been weak—the Logan family's personal punching bag. Pathetic. Unworthy of respect. And now? Betrayed. Had it not been for his father's legacy, Demontae’s fists would’ve ended him.

The memories burned like poison in his blood. This wasn’t the life he wanted. He craved power—more desperately than anyone.

Before, the chance had never come. Now that destiny had handed him this chance? He wouldn’t waste it.

Eldric steadied his breath, following the cultivation method etched into his inheritance. The moment he began, the atmosphere itself seemed to vibrate.

Ambient spiritual energy surged toward him—surging like tides to the moon—pouring into his body, racing along his energy channels before pooling in his dantian.

With every pulse of absorbed energy, the swirling qi in his core expanded, condensing into pure vital force, laying the groundwork for his ascent.

The churning vortex of energy in his Dantian swelled relentlessly, accumulating more and more Vital Qi as Eldric's cultivation base steadily progressed.

Greater cultivation meant greater power—and right now, Eldric was absorbing the ambient spiritual energy that permeated the cosmos, refining his own strength with each breath.

An intoxicating euphoria flooded his senses. Every meridian in his body, bathed in the nourishing energy, tingled with a bone-deep, liquid warmth that melted away all tension.

Consumed by the cadence of his cultivation, Eldric barely noticed time slipping away. Only when a seismic surge of power erupted from his Dantian did he finally stir. His phone showed 2:00 AM.

Six hours of unbroken cultivation—yet the gains were undeniable.

According to his inherited knowledge, those hours had catapulted him into the threshold of Qi Refining Level 1.

And then—the breakthrough crashed through him like a thunderclap. Cultivation energy thrummed through his meridians, crackling through his muscles like living lightning. His body had been forged anew in his first true breakthrough.