Chapter 170. I’m Supposed to Avoid His Edge?
Xu Yuan looked at 《Purple Sun Treasure-Tempering Art》 and fell into thought.
This method required one to constantly temper the kidneys with qi and blood, refining a thread of vital essence from within them. Once ten threads of vital essence had been condensed, they could be used as a key to break into the Organ Nourishment realm.
But during that breakthrough process, those threads of vital essence had to be guided deep along the visceral meridian routes. The body would become extremely fragile, the spirit would weaken, and the slightest mistake could result in death from exhausted qi.
This was the life-and-death tribulation that struck fear into the hearts of martial artists.
However, once this barrier was broken, one became a Grandmaster of the Organ Nourishment realm.
Across the entire Jiuyang Commandery, only those who stepped into this realm could truly be said to have entered the hall and joined the Jianghu.
The difference between Meridian Opening and Organ Nourishment was like the gap between heaven and earth!
At its core, it all came down to the two words “vital essence”!
Vital essence was mysterious and profound. It could strengthen one’s foundation, replenish one’s origin, nourish the fleshly body, and bring a qualitative leap in a martial artist’s strength.
Once vital essence was formed, a martial artist no longer needed to worry about the torment of qi and blood decline.
“Next, I need to complete the introductory volume of 《Purple Sun Treasure-Tempering Art》. Fortunately, I brought quite a few medicinal treasures from the Shangyang Residence, and I also obtained sixteen Qi-Replenishing Pills just now. For the time being, I’m not lacking in resources.”
Xu Yuan steadied his mind and took out a Qi-Replenishing Pill to swallow.
After the pill entered his stomach, it was not long before it transformed into a warm current that slowly spread through his limbs and bones, extending toward his kidneys like subterranean lava flowing through the meridians there.
He sank his consciousness into his body and felt every inch of muscle fiber trembling and strengthening under the nourishment of qi and blood. His internal organs seemed to be lightly hammered by an invisible iron hammer, producing a faint, nearly inaudible hum.
Every breath drove the tides of qi and blood, and each cycle advanced his progress slightly.
About an hour later, Xu Yuan’s clothes were already soaked through with sweat.
He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and was just about to wash up.
“Excuse me, is anyone inside?”
At that very moment, a firm, resonant voice called out from outside the door.
Xu Yuan walked to the entrance, opened the door, and asked, “And you are?”
Standing outside was a young couple. The man looked to be in his early twenties. He wore a yellow martial outfit and stood tall and straight. The woman wore an emerald-green gauze robe, with delicate features, softly arranged hair, and gentle eyes and brows.
The man laughed openly and cupped his hands. “I am Wang Yan, and this is my wife, Song Yutong. The two of us live next door. We just returned and heard some movement, so we knew a new neighbor had arrived. We came to pay a visit. May I ask where Junior Brother comes from?”
His tone was warm, with a hint of wanting to make connections.
Xu Yuan also returned the salute with cupped hands. “I am Xu Yuan. Greetings, Senior Brother Wang and Senior Sister Song. I entered the peak as an outer disciple only today. I hope the two of you will look after me in the future.”
When Wang Yan heard the words “entered the peak only today,” his brows imperceptibly drew together.
He then exchanged a few pleasantries with Xu Yuan, but there was a good deal of probing hidden in his words.
When he learned that Xu Yuan came from Yuquan Prefecture City and was only of menial worker origin, the warmth on his face visibly faded.
After a few more perfunctory words, the couple took their leave.
Xu Yuan shook his head, turned back into the room, and continued cultivating.
…
Elsewhere,
Liu Yang and the other two were wrapped in bandages from head to toe, all wearing haggard expressions.
“Senior Brother Liu, what do we do now? We’re injured, and we won’t be able to hand over this month’s share of Qi-Replenishing Pills. I’m afraid there’ll be trouble.”
The blue-robed youth looked furious, but his words pulled at the wounds on his face and made him bare his teeth in pain.
Liu Yang’s face was gloomy as he asked the man in black beside him, “Didn’t I tell you to go notify Senior Brother Lin?”
The man in black nodded. “I already did.”
“What did he say?” Liu Yang immediately asked.
“I already know.”
At that moment, a voice rang out as a handsome young man with a gloomy temperament strode over.
At the sight of him, Liu Yang and the others hurriedly rose and cupped their hands. “Greetings, Senior Brother Lin.”
“Senior Brother Hua is in long-term seclusion, so I came over to take a look at the situation.”
Lin Zhiyuan nodded, then asked, “What is the name of the disciple who attacked you?”
“It seemed to be… something like Cai Xukun?” the man in black said hesitantly.
“Cai Xukun my ass!”
Liu Yang kicked him hard, making him stumble, before saying, “This man is called Xu Yuan. He’s a disciple who just entered the peak.”
Lin Zhiyuan nodded in understanding, then said, “A new disciple dares to be this arrogant. He certainly has guts. Have you investigated his background clearly?”
Liu Yang nodded. “He came from Yuquan Prefecture City.”
Yuquan Prefecture City?
Lin Zhiyuan frowned. The name sounded vaguely familiar.
But after thinking for a while and failing to remember where he had heard it, he stopped caring.
The place sounded remote enough, so the man probably had no background worth mentioning.
“I’ll go speak with that Xu Yuan myself. Once I make the full situation clear to him, we’ll see whether he still dares to act so recklessly.”
Hearing that, joy appeared in Liu Yang’s eyes, but he still reminded him, “Senior Brother Lin should be careful. That brat’s strength is unusual and rather strange. You still haven’t entered the Organ Nourishment realm. Why not avoid his edge for now…”
“I’m supposed to avoid his edge?”
Lin Zhiyuan let out a scornful laugh. “I originally planned to use this seclusion attempt to see whether I could enter the Organ Nourishment realm. But because you trash couldn’t even keep a single new disciple under control, I had no choice but to step in myself.”
“This time, I’ll let him understand that on Ziqing Peak, brute force alone won’t get you anywhere.”
At those words, the expressions of all three men turned somewhat unnatural.
Liu Yang’s face turned ashen from the scolding, and he sneered inwardly again and again.
This Lin Zhiyuan was nothing more than a bootlicker. He only acted so high and mighty because he had some connection with Senior Brother Hua. Did he really think he was some great figure?
Liu Yang had a feeling that Xu Yuan was a hotheaded fellow. Lin Zhiyuan might not come out of this well.
Fortunately, no matter how it ended, Liu Yang would be happy to see it.
…
Inside the small courtyard,
Xu Yuan sat cross-legged, appearing relaxed, but in truth fully focused, with all his attention placed on controlling the qi and blood inside his body.
Though 《Purple Sun Treasure-Tempering Art》 was only an introductory volume, it already involved the mysteries of the Five Viscera realm and was completely different from the cultivation methods he had practiced before. Every step required extraordinarily fine control.
Fortunately, Xu Yuan’s aptitude had now reached as high as forty-five points. His comprehension was astonishing, so cultivating it felt as natural as a fish in water, and his progress was not slow.
“Now that three days have passed, I’ve already gained something.”
Xu Yuan casually took out another Qi-Replenishing Pill and swallowed it.
After the pill entered his stomach, a gentle yet abundant current of heat rose from his dantian a moment later and swiftly spread throughout his limbs and bones. The qi and blood in his body seemed to ignite and began surging like a boiling tide!
He did not dare slack off and immediately guided that force according to the mental formula.
Deep within his dantian, that strange, faint thread of aura also began to leap and grow happily under the stimulation of that external force.
An hour passed, and only then did the boiling, scorching sensation gradually subside.
Xu Yuan’s entire body was soaked with sweat, and his meridians ached with wave after wave of burning soreness.
But when he looked inward, he discovered that among the faint force within him, there was now an unusually thick white stream mixed in.
At last, Xu Yuan had condensed a single thread of vital essence.
As long as he cultivated ten threads of vital essence, he could use them to break through the barrier, allowing his kidneys and the Extraordinary Meridians and Eight Meridians to connect with one another in a ceaseless cycle.
【Skills: Purple Sun Treasure-Tempering Art (Beginner 10%), Golden Bell Shield (Major Mastery 23%), Layered Wave Palm (Minor Mastery 46%)】
【Aptitude: 45 (One in Ten Thousand)】
【Martial Seed (0): Berserk, Paralysis, Rebound Shock】
Xu Yuan stopped moving, wiped away his sweat, and glanced at the panel in his mind.
“Not bad. At this rate, I can cultivate one thread of vital essence in about three days. In just one month, I should be able to try entering the Organ Nourishment realm.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
If the Shangyang Residence had not lacked resources, he truly would have wanted to stay there longer.
But now that he is here, he might as well adapt.
Knock, knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.
Xu Yuan opened the door and found that it was Zhao Xu again. He could not help frowning as he said, “Why have you come again? Don’t tell me there’s another new event?”
“No, no.”
Zhao Xu waved his hands repeatedly, glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, “You’d better be careful. Liu Yang has some backing behind him. I’ve heard that someone will be coming to trouble you today.”
When he saw Xu Yuan remain silent, he added,
“But don’t worry. The sect does have its rules. Disciples in the Organ Nourishment realm are not allowed to attack disciples in the Meridian Opening Realm. Still, if they want to make you suffer, they can always find a way.”
Xu Yuan chuckled lightly and looked at him with amusement. “Why are you taking the initiative to warn me?”
Zhao Xu gave a bitter smile. “For disciples like us who have no background, if we want to live a little better, don’t we have to be more open-minded? If I know I can’t afford to provoke someone, then the best thing is to turn hostility into peace.”
Xu Yuan asked, “Aren’t you afraid Liu Yang will trouble you?”
At that, Zhao Xu’s face turned cold. He raised his head and puffed out his chest. “Who’s to say whether I came here to warn you off or to pass you information?”
Xu Yuan smiled. This man really was somewhat interesting.
As for someone coming to trouble him?
As long as it wasn’t someone in the Organ Nourishment realm, there was nothing to fear.
…