Chapter 141. Eight-Meridian
Gao Sheng’s expression was somewhat grave.
“Over in the Level Four zone, the Bai Family must have promised the authorities some enormous benefit. They actually managed to get the authorities involved. With the two sides colluding, our Shangyang Residence has already lost two seven-meridian fighters and one eight-meridian fighter.”
Xu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat.
Even the authorities had gotten involved?
“Elder Gao, may I ask... what exactly are our two families fighting over?”
Gao Sheng stared at him for a moment, then said softly, “This is not really much of a secret. At Battle Overseer Xu’s level, you should know some of it by now.”
“In truth, our family and the Bai Family were still fairly amicable more than ten years ago. The change began with a spirit spring discovered by the two Family Heads.”
“Battle Overseer Xu has been to the medicinal fields, so you naturally know what goes on there. The reason the medicinal treasures ripen so quickly is because spirit spring water was added.”
As Xu Yuan listened, understanding dawned on him.
So that was it. He had thought it was because of the land itself. Looking at it now, the real key had been the spirit spring.
Something that could accelerate the growth of medicinal treasures was immensely important to martial artists. No wonder the two families had fought each other bloody over it.
“And the reason the relationship between the two families shattered is very simple.”
Gao Sheng continued, “At the time, the Bai Family was at the height of its power, so naturally they wanted a larger share. Our Shangyang Residence was unwilling to compromise, so frictions big and small began to appear. Over the last few months, it finally erupted completely...”
By the time Xu Yuan heard this much, he more or less understood everything.
“So the Bai Family is at a disadvantage now, so they took the initiative to invite the authorities into the game and caught Shangyang Residence off guard?”
“Exactly.” Gao Sheng nodded.
“The imperial court is far from this place, and things are somewhat unstable there as well, so they will not easily send reinforcements.”
“As for the authorities here, they are a notch weaker than either of our two families. If they want a seat at the table, they can only wait for someone to bring them in.”
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Then what does the Second Young Master mean by sending Elder Gao here?”
Gao Sheng smiled. “The Level Four zone is somewhat short on manpower at the moment, so the Second Young Master wants Battle Overseer Xu to be transferred there when the time comes.”
A helpless look appeared on Xu Yuan’s face. “It is a family order. I cannot refuse. It is just that I was attacked not long ago, and my injuries still make things inconvenient. I fear I might delay an important matter.”
Gao Sheng waved a hand and said with a genial smile, “Naturally, we are not asking you to go right now. You have seven days. Heal your injuries, then head immediately to the Level Four zone.”
Xu Yuan sighed inwardly. There was nothing left to say. He had no room to refuse.
Being too outstanding really was not a good thing.
The moment something happened, he was the first person they thought of.
“But do not worry.”
Seeming to see through his concerns, Gao Sheng added another sentence.
“The authorities are not of one mind either. Things will not go so smoothly for the Bai Family.”
Xu Yuan nodded and said nothing more.
After giving a few more instructions, Gao Sheng got up and took his leave.
Xu Yuan escorted him to the gate. Only after watching that figure disappear around the corner did he turn around and return to the courtyard.
Seven days...
Standing beneath the corridor, he looked at the gloomy sky and silently began making calculations.
At his current pace, he would break through to eight-meridian in just a few more days.
If he went to the Level Four zone then, at least he would have a little more confidence.
...
After Gao Sheng left, Xu Yuan once more sank into secluded cultivation.
His purse was now bulging, so in order to save time, he directly bought quite a lot of spirit beast meat from seventh transformation beasts. This kind of meat costs one hundred battle merits per jin, an exorbitant price.
But though it was expensive, the effects were excellent.
This was originally something meant for eight-meridian martial artists. Xu Yuan used it instead to complete the accumulation for the seven-meridian realm, and his cultivation speed rose by another thirty to forty percent.
At that rate, in less than three days, he was already on the verge of breaking through.
...
October 29, that night.
Inside the quiet chamber in the rear courtyard of the Workshop Master of Changlin Ward, Xu Yuan sat cross-legged. After another round of the Jade Platform Stance Art, he finally felt that familiar swelling sensation in his meridians.
【Skills: Jade Platform Stance Art (Mastery 99%) Thunderclap Fist (Perfection 73%) Wandering Dragon Step (Perfection 100%) Iron Garment Art (Perfection 100%)】
【Aptitude: 37 (one in ten thousand)】
【Martial Seed (0): Berserk, Paralysis】
‘In less than a month, I’ve finally reached the seven-meridian bottleneck again.’
Xu Yuan sighed inwardly, focused his mind, and closed his eyes as he began circulating the Jade Platform Stance Art.
His body was like a great furnace, refining the spirit beast meat completely clean and turning it into the purest energy. It poured into his meridians, then surged toward the bottleneck of the Yin Qiao Meridian.
Who knew how much time had passed before the candle flame gradually burned out and went cold.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, that bottleneck—which, for other martial artists, amounted to forty or fifty percent of the combined difficulty of all the previous bottlenecks they had ever crossed—seemed as though it did not exist at all. He pierced straight through it in a single rush.
His qi and blood surged forward unimpeded and flooded into it.
Xu Yuan’s brows relaxed, and a wave of comfort spread throughout his entire body.
The eight meridians within him linked together into a single complete network, forming a circulating heavenly cycle. His qi and blood roared through it like boiling water as he leapt toward a brand-new level.
Eight-meridian, achieved!
【Skills: Jade Platform Stance Art (Perfection 1%) Thunderclap Fist (Perfection 73%) Wandering Dragon Step (Perfection 100%) Iron Garment Art (Perfection 100%)】
【Aptitude: 39 (one in ten thousand)】
【Martial Seed (0): Berserk, Paralysis】
Xu Yuan opened his eyes. Even with a casual punch, he could feel a surging force packed within it.
‘Now that I’ve broken through to eight-meridian, and with the Iron Garment Art and Wandering Dragon Step both at Perfection, I should be able to move with ease among others in the same realm. As for the Thunderclap Fist, though, it still lacks a bit of polish.’
‘Still, if I were placed in the Level Four zone, I should at least be able to serve as a Chief Overseer...’
He began to think it over. Now that he had reached this level of cultivation, it was time to start planning his future path as well.
‘I wonder if I can get my hands on Shangyang Residence’s exclusive cultivation method. I can accept exchanging battle merits for it, but I’m afraid they may have blocked that road completely.’
Xu Yuan still had more than four thousand battle merits. The reward for repelling the Bai Family had not yet been settled either, and when it was, quite a bit more would be added. His purse was indeed quite full.
‘When I have time, I should go take another look at Shangyang Residence’s Instruction Hall.’
Outside the window, the night was deep and black as ink.
He rose and walked to the window. Looking out at the distant, flickering lights, he saw the last few streets of the Level Three zone that were still under repair.
The Level Four zone...
The authorities...
The spirit of spring...
Those words flashed through his mind one after another.
He had originally thought that, with the fighting in the Level Three zone over, he would be able to cultivate in peace for a while. Now, however, it seemed that the truly hard battle still lay ahead.
But that was fine too.
A faint smile rose at the corner of Xu Yuan’s lips.
Now that eight-meridian had been achieved, and with Berserk and Paralysis at his side, even if he faced a nine-meridian opponent, he could at least handle a few exchanges.
As for Bai Jinwu—
‘Next time, I’ll have a proper game with him.’
The corner of his mouth twitched upward. Then he turned and returned to the bed, once more sinking into cultivation.
The night deepened, and all was silent.
Only the occasional sound of the night watchman’s clapper drifted over from afar, echoing leisurely through the empty streets.
...