Chapter 86 - Arc 7: Dragon Ascension Gate | Chapter 86: Zhuo Hanyan is Seriously Injured
Translator: Lynn
Sponsored chapter (4/10)
Xu Ziqing recognized that what Yan Boshang had unleashed from his fingertips was a drop of true essence.
The power contained within this drop of true essence far exceeded ordinary spiritual power. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was a hundred or even a thousand times more potent. True essence was the key to achieving Foundation Establishment. Cultivators who reached the Foundation Establishment stage had taken the first step in stepping onto the threshold of Foundation Establishment precisely because of this true essence.
The path of cultivating immortality began by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, cultivating a small seed of spiritual power within the dantian. Through the continuous absorption of spiritual energy, spiritual power would increase, leading to the opening of acupoints and meridians. This allowed spiritual power to flow freely, cleanse the body, and transform one’s physique.
From the first level of Qi Refining to the ninth level, there was a process of steadily opening up acupoints.
Upon breaking through to the tenth level of Qi Refining, all twelve orthodox meridians and eight extraordinary meridians would be opened. Spiritual power would flow unobstructed, and the physical constitution would undergo a preliminary transformation.
But what about the journey from the tenth level of Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment stage? At this point, it was no longer a matter of quantitative change but a qualitative one.
During the refinement process of the tenth level of Qi Refining, monks compressed their spiritual energy, transforming it into true essence bit by bit. They continued accumulating true essence until all the spiritual energy was completely converted. When the dantian reached its limit and could no longer accommodate anymore, the true essence was used to impact the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head.
The Baihui acupoint was where all the meridians converged and the only acupoint that remained closed after unblocking the twenty meridians. While it couldn’t be pierced by spiritual power, it could be impacted by true essence.
When the Baihui acupoint was struck by true essence, it could penetrate the celestial spirit and open the Zifu, paving the way for further cultivation of immortality. This process was known as Foundation Establishment.
Simultaneously, the tenth level of Qi Refining was a rather awkward stage. While monks at this level were undoubtedly powerful, their spiritual power was continuously and slowly transformed into true essence. True essence remained dormant and could not be used unless all the spiritual power had been completely converted.
However, the monks now realized that Yan Boshang had released his true essence.
What did this indicate?
It meant that all the spiritual power in Yan Boshang’s body had been converted into true essence, enabling him to utilize it.
In other words, Yan Boshang was now only one step away from penetrating the Baihui acupoint and successfully building the foundation.
Zhuo Hanyan’s face turned pale, her dantian’s breath became disordered, and the spiritual power throughout her body seemed blocked in her meridians. The slightest movement caused tingling pain to surge throughout her body. Soon, her raised flying sword fell to the ground with a resounding “ping” sound.
Clutching her chest, Zhuo Hanyan knew she had suffered a devastating defeat. “I’ve lost,” she said sorrowfully.
With a flick of Yan Boshang’s finger, the hovering flying sword retracted and vanished into his raised sleeve. He smiled gently and said, “Miss Zhuo, I accept your surrender.”
Zhuo Hanyan reluctantly nodded and quickly returned to her seat.
Beside her sat Ran Xingjian, a relatively high-ranking member of the alliance. Worry was evident in his eyes as he reached out and handed her a bottle. “Senior Sister Zhuo, please heal your wounds quickly.” Zhuo Hanyan was seriously injured and lost. If she didn’t recover promptly, even if she had a chance to challenge the winner later, victory might elude her. If she couldn’t remain in the competition, it would be a great loss for the Loose Cultivator Alliance.
Among the eight alliance members, only Su Xin and Zhuo Hanyan had the best chances of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
Zhuo Hanyan also understood the severity of her situation. She immediately consumed the elixir, closed her eyes, and focused on recovering. She no longer watched the matches in the arena.
On the other side, Su Xin couldn’t watch Zhuo Hanyan’s condition with a calm mind. He felt that time was dragging on endlessly. If Tang Wenfei hadn’t been sitting upright, he might have stood up and left.
Xu Ziqing knew Su Xin was growing impatient. Although he had some concerns, they weren’t as profound as Su Xin’s. He sighed softly but didn’t say much.
The remaining few rounds consisted of battles between those who were close to the tenth level of Qi Refining. While they weren’t as astonishing as the previous matches, they possessed their own subtleties and were still quite thrilling.
Xu Ziqing observed the matches attentively, discussing them with Yun Lie. However, Su Xin remained completely absent-minded and only snapped out of it when darkness descended.
Tang Wenfei declared, “Today’s battles conclude here. We will continue tomorrow.”
All the monks responded in unison, “We will abide by Senior Tang’s decision!”
Then Tang Wenfei gracefully swept his sleeves and vanished from the hall, leaving behind a mixed atmosphere of joy and disappointment among the participants.
Su Xin quickly stood up, tugged at Xu Ziqing’s sleeves, and hurriedly followed him out. By this time, Zhuo Hanyan had already left the palace, accompanied by Ran Xingjian and others. However, due to her injuries, she couldn’t walk fast, and Su Xin caught up with her after a short while.
“Senior Sister Zhuo, are you alright?” Su Xin asked anxiously.
Zhuo Hanyan’s complexion remained pale, and she forced a wry smile. “Being injured by true essence is not an easy thing,” she said. Pausing for a moment, she sighed, “I’ve lost all my chances. The elixir only provided temporary relief from the pain, but it didn’t have much effect on the injury. The five-day time limit is too short. I know it will be difficult for me to stay this time.”
Su Xin’s expression darkened, unsure of what to say.
Zhuo Hanyan shook her head. “There’s no need for you to look so down. There are still a few days left. Until the end, how can we be so easily discouraged? Let me try again!”
Upon hearing Zhuo Hanyan’s words, Xu Ziqing secretly praised her in his heart. She truly was a remarkable woman, able to remain calm amidst such highs and lows. She was indeed worthy of being the most outstanding individual among the younger generation of the Loose Cultivator Alliance. While Su Xin may have better aptitude, his character paled in comparison to hers.
Each member of the Loose Cultivator Alliance utilized their own techniques. Su Xin did his best to help Zhuo Hanyan board his flying sword, and the group swiftly ascended into the air, making their way to Zhuo Hanyan’s cave.
The furnishings in the cave were similar in size to Xu Ziqing’s living quarters. As soon as Zhuo Hanyan entered, she sat down cross-legged. The aura in the cave was strong, which was beneficial for her injuries.
The other seven individuals also took their seats, their worry evident.
After a moment of contemplation, Xu Ziqing suddenly spoke up. “Miss Zhuo, may I take a look at your injury?”
Everyone was taken aback, their gazes fixed on the member of the other alliance.
A spark of inspiration lit up in Su Xin’s mind, and he quickly said, “Senior Sister Zhuo, let him examine your injury! Brother Ziqing possesses a pure wood spiritual root, and the wood-based spiritual power in his body is the purest. It will be effective!”
Zhuo Hanyan and the others also considered the suggestion, their expressions softening.
Monks of the wood element were always associated with vitality, so they should have the ability to heal injuries. Of course, this did not mean they could cure all ailments, but rather stimulate the wounded’s vitality, enabling faster recovery. However, most wood element cultivators had impurities mixed within their spiritual roots, rendering their spiritual power impure. These impurities could potentially harm the injured individual, exacerbating their condition. As a result, wood element cultivators rarely engaged in healing others, fearing that their carelessness could cause harm. However, Xu Ziqing was different. With his single wood spiritual root, the spiritual power in his body was the purest, and the other monks were unaware that he had absorbed the essence of the Yi wood, which bestowed him with an unparalleled vitality. Hence, when Xu Ziqing volunteered to examine Zhuo Hanyan’s injury, he did so with confidence.
Zhuo Hanyan was not one to feign politeness. Upon hearing his words, she extended her hand and said, “I will suppress the spiritual power within my body. Just go ahead and check, and let me know if you experience any backlash.” After all, Xu Ziqing was not a trusted partner, and there was a possibility that her body could react defensively to the intrusion of external spiritual power. However, with caution, any potential backlash could be controlled.
Xu Ziqing understood this as well. Since he had brought up the matter himself, there would be no misunderstandings.
He gently held Zhuo Hanyan’s wrist and slowly mobilized a trace of Ethereal Wood’s spiritual power, guided it into her body through the meridian pathway, and conducted a careful examination.
Fortunately, the nature of wood was gentle. Although the various forces within Zhuo Hanyan’s body momentarily surged, her own determination quickly suppressed them. While some fluctuations remained, they eventually subsided.
By this time, the trace of Ethereal Wood’s spiritual power had circulated rapidly through Zhuo Hanyan’s meridians, and Xu Ziqing promptly ceased his examination. The entire process took only a breath.
Witnessing his swift movement, everyone immediately inquired, “Friend Xu Daoist, what’s the matter?”
Xu Ziqing responded, “It’s in line with Ms. Zhuo’s expectations.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I have observed that Ms. Zhuo’s internal organs have indeed suffered damage. However, Taoist Yan exercised caution in his attack, so the injuries are not severe. Nevertheless, being struck by true essence still requires a recovery period of about ten days to two weeks.” His assessment aligned closely with what Zhuo Hanyan had concluded from her self-examination.
Zhuo Hanyan nodded slowly, acknowledging his assessment. “That’s correct.” She understood that her life was no longer in danger. However, while ten days to two weeks might not seem long, it was a critical period. This realization left her and the other cultivators feeling anxious.
After contemplating for a moment, Xu Ziqing continued, “Miss Zhuo’s primary issue at this time is not the wounds themselves, but rather the presence of residual true essence in her body. Since Miss Zhuo has not yet refined her true essence, the spiritual power within her body is incompatible with the true essence imparted by Yan Boshang’s attack. Consequently, she must mobilize her entire spiritual power and attempt to channel it in three dimensions. However, the damage to Miss Zhuo’s hundred meridians will impede the flow of spiritual power, preventing its effective convergence.”
Silence enveloped the group for a brief moment.
Zhuo Hanyan also remained silent before posing the crucial question, “Friend Xu Daoist, are you confident that you can activate the vitality within my body and aid in my healing?” This was the pivotal point.
Xu Ziqing sighed softly, then offered a slight smile. “If our aim is solely to stimulate the vitality within the meridians, it should be feasible.”
Zhuo Hanyan swiftly made a decisive choice. “That will be enough.”
A collective sigh of relief echoed among all the cultivators of the Loose Cultivator Alliance.
It was a gamble, and even if it failed, there would be no harm done. However, if successful, Zhuo Hanyan would be able to establish her foundation within a year. This outcome would not only allow her to enter the broader world, but it would also provide support for Su Xin, a rare talent possessing a single spiritual root.
Despite Xu Ziqing’s abilities, his relationship with the Loose Cultivator Alliance was relatively new. Consequently, there was still a degree of distrust. They couldn’t completely rely on him. If only he and Su Xin ventured into the broader world… it would be unrealistic to expect them to wholeheartedly trust each other in matters of life and death. Should any mishap occur that delays Su Xin, it would prove a significant loss for the Loose Cultivator Alliance.
“Therefore, Miss Zhuo, please identify the most severely damaged meridians first…” Xu Ziqing noticed the expressions on everyone’s faces and spoke gently, “…and then inform me.”
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