On the mountainside, by a pavilion, Meng Shan Ming sat while Shu Qing pushed his wheelchair from behind. They both watched the cave Niu You Dao had entered, where his two guards lowered the curtain.
Meng Shan Ming asked, "Judging by his appearance, he seems quite young?"
Shu Qing thought for a moment and replied, "He joined the Supreme Purity Sect when he was young. He spent five years there under house arrest. You could say he's young, roughly my age."
Meng Shan Ming nodded, sighing, and said, "Extraordinary, truly extraordinary! Sir Dong Guo Hao Ran was indeed a good judge of character. It's no wonder he chose him as his disciple at the brink of death. The Supreme Purity Sect truly missed a great opportunity!"
Shu Qing, looking towards the cave, asked, "Uncle Meng, secluded cultivation is quite common. Why do you sigh?"
Meng Shan Ming said, "Though I am not a cultivator, I have long understood much about them. Entering secluded cultivation is normal, but not always in the same way. Ordinary cultivation can be interrupted at any moment, and your breakthrough can be postponed. However, there is an abnormal form of seclusion: when one is breaking through to a higher level. At such a time, the cultivator becomes extremely vulnerable. They cannot defend themselves. Even a three-year-old child could kill them. One must not disturb them at this moment. Otherwise, at best, their cultivation will suffer for life. If they are unlucky, they might go mad. In severe cases, they will simply perish. Look at how cautiously he approaches his cultivation. He even asked to be surrounded on all sides. What does the princess think? What kind of cultivation is he in seclusion for?"
Shu Qing grew a little worried. "It seems like the latter!"
Meng Shan Ming nodded. "I think so too! As you said, he single-handedly defeated three fellow disciples at Southern Mountain Monastery. So now, he must be breaking through to the Zhu Ji realm! That's 100% certain! If a young man like him is already entering the Zhu Ji realm, then in the current world of cultivators, he is a rare talent. He has an unlimited future! If he successfully emerges from seclusion, you must remind the prince to maintain a very good relationship with this man. We must not repeat the mistakes of the Supreme Purity Sect!"
Shu Qing nodded. "Uncle Meng, I'll remember that." — Though to herself, she added, "I've always done so!"
"He won't be coming out for a while. Let's go!" Meng Shan Ming said.
Shu Qing turned the wheelchair and began descending the mountain. People came up to them and helped carry the wheelchair down...
Inside the cave, as the lamp extinguished, Niu You Dao likewise calmed his heart in the darkness.
However, within the darkness, rays of light suddenly began to spread. He gradually delved into his own thoughts.
Cultivators are also known as *soul-gazers*. This is because they can easily perceive what is happening within themselves. They clearly see and feel their entire internal structure, form, and state. How their internal organs function – all of it they visualize in detail in their minds, and they can influence themselves with their consciousness.
Gathering his thoughts, all the transformations within his body appeared in his mind.
Golden and silver light slowly circled around the pair of Ren Mai and Du Mai meridians. Their Qi was powerful, capable of circulating vigorously at any moment.
Among cultivators, this was a special case. For ordinary cultivators, the source of true Qi lies in the Dantian Sea of Qi. Niu You Dao, however, had two, divided between the Ren Mai and Du Mai meridians. This was beneficial because they could react to external factors.
He had 31 Doctrine-Transmitting Amulets remaining, which were spread like a web across his 36 acupuncture points.
Originally, he had 36 of them. He had used the first on the black raven at the temple, the second to warm himself when he nearly froze to death, the third to defend against Tang Su Su, and the fourth and fifth for developing the Qian and Kun Method. In the end, he had 31 left.
When Niu You Dao left the Supreme Purity Sect, he no longer refined them, fearing that they would infuse his meridians with too much power, which simply would not be able to withstand the pressure.
The name Zhu Ji refers to the establishment of the foundation of cultivation, and this foundation lies in the meridians.
This time, he entered seclusion precisely to break through to the Zhu Ji realm. Upon breaking through this level, he would be able to strengthen his meridians so they could withstand a more powerful surge of Qi.
Niu You Dao's Jing, Qi, and Shen had reached their optimal state. His two meridians, Ren Mai and Du Mai, emitted golden and silver light, which eventually merged and headed towards one of his acupuncture points. There, a Doctrine-Transmitting Amulet was precisely lodged. Hot and cold Qi began to refine it.
Usually, when cultivators break through to the Zhu Ji realm, they require large quantities of Lingyuan Pills. This pill is the most important resource in the cultivation world. When spirit herbs are gathered, they are then refined to produce this pill. And within this Lingyuan Pill, abundant spiritual Qi is contained. Every sect and school provides this pill to its inner disciples when they break through to the Zhu Ji realm. Niu You Dao, however, had no such privilege. He didn't even know what a Lingyuan Pill tasted like.
Fortunately, Dong Guo Hao Ran had left 36 Doctrine-Transmitting Amulets within his body, and by a stroke of luck, the Qian and Kun Method could refine their true Qi.
From this perspective, thanks to Dong Guo Hao Ran, Niu You Dao now possessed an immense reserve of spiritual Qi.
His amulets contained far more spiritual Qi, as if they were condensed spiritual Qi stones. That's why a single amulet had easily repelled Tang Su Su's attack!
Two golden and silver rays rotated around one amulet, rapidly refining it.
The two light beams refined and absorbed more and more true Qi. They were like famished entities, absorbing Qi at an increasing rate, causing them to glow ever brighter.
However, Niu You Dao, as the vessel for these glowing spheres, felt increasing pressure. The true Qi continued to accumulate, and as it circulated through his meridians, they gradually swelled.
In this ongoing situation, he could feel his meridians experiencing even greater pressure.
Gradually, an expression of pain appeared on Niu You Dao's face, and sweat profusely streamed down his body.
His meridians expanded and cracked. Yet, he could not stop. He had to continue guiding the Qi and controlling the pressure. He could not allow his meridians to explode under the pressure. And he had to guide the Qi everywhere, so they would crack and enlarge. One could imagine the pain he was enduring. He truly had brought trouble upon himself.
And when the Qi had circulated through all his meridians, doubling their size, it was noticeable that all his meridians were now filled with cracks.
Niu You Dao even felt that this was it. If he were to circulate Qi through them again with stronger pressure, his meridians would no longer withstand it and would rupture. Therefore, he stopped absorbing true Qi and refining it.
With trembling hands, he drew a circle in the air before his chest.
Inside his body, the glowing rays began to scatter in all directions, reaching all his limbs. Throughout this time, the silver and golden rays shattered and sprayed tiny beams into his meridians, and these tiny beams constantly seeped into the meridian cracks. And truly, as the saying goes: joy follows sorrow. Afterward, his entire body was filled with relief, joy, and a cool sensation. It was as if his very soul longed to fly.
In such bliss, when one is weary, sleep calls strongly. Niu You Dao knew he had to maintain a clear mind and not fall asleep, otherwise, in such a state, he would negate all his efforts. His meridians would no longer be able to be strengthened. For if left like this, they would heal like a festering wound. And when he wanted to stretch and expand them again, they would no longer be as pliable and would simply rupture. Then all his efforts would go to waste.
He released the light spheres, while his two silver and golden spheres circulated within his body, becoming paler and paler with each rotation.
He didn't know how long this had lasted. Niu You Dao knew that at this moment, he couldn't keep track of time yet. He knew he had to keep holding on.
And when the two spheres were no longer so bright and returned to their previous golden and silver hues, he understood that he shouldn't develop them further. Niu You Dao ceased their development.
Slowly opening his eyes, he saw only darkness before him. Nothing was visible.
He wanted to move, but he felt he couldn't even twitch a finger. When he tried to move, he felt an unimaginable pain. His body simply wouldn't obey him.
He faintly whispered, "Monkey... Monkey... Monkey... Monkey..."
It was unknown how many times he repeated this, when Yuan Fang's voice suddenly sounded from outside:
"Lord Yuan, it seems Lord Dao called for you."
Perhaps Yuan Fang possessed such sharp hearing, or perhaps light appeared from the entrance as someone opened the curtain. After hearing Niu You Dao's voice, two figures quickly approached. They lit the area with a torch.
When Yuan Gang and Yuan Fang saw Niu You Dao, they first smelled blood and were startled. Sticky blood covered Niu You Dao's entire body. His face was pale, and his eyes reflected helplessness.
"Lord Dao, what's wrong?" Yuan Gang asked, supporting him in confusion.
"Nothing, nothing. Don't touch me. Don't shake me now..." Niu You Dao weakly shook his head. He knew where the blood had come from. It had seeped from every pore.
Upon hearing him, Yuan Gang immediately let go and, with a tense expression, asked, "Lord Dao, what should I do now?"
Niu You Dao asked in a weak voice, "How long have I been cultivating?"
Yuan Fang immediately replied, "Nine days! Lord Dao, you have been cultivating for nine days."
"Nine days?" Niu You Dao chuckled wryly. Nine days without water. No wonder he felt so thirsty.
"Water... drink... water..."
Yuan Gang nodded and turned his head, only to find Yuan Fang scratching his head and staring at Niu You Dao. He immediately kicked him in anger, sending him sprawling.
Yuan Gang shouted after him, "What are you staring at? Water! Didn't you hear? Fetch water, quickly!"
***