Chapter 87 - Arc 7: Dragon Ascension Gate | Chapter 87: Clamor
Translator: Lynn
Sponsored chapter (5/10)
Due to a sense of politeness earlier, Xu Ziqing had only conducted a brief examination before withdrawing. He had merely observed the general condition of the injuries, while Zhuo Hanyan had to delve deeper within herself to assess the specifics.
Without delay, Zhuo Hanyan circulated her spiritual power and swiftly identified the five acupoints that had suffered the most severe damage: Xinshu1Xinshu is the place where the Qi of the heart infuses into the back., Zhishi2Zhishi is at the level of Shenshu (BL23), like a chamber where the Qi of Kidney gathers., Jianjing3Jianjing is on the shoulder depression, which is as deep as a well., Taiyuan4This point is located on the transverse crease of the wrist, in the depression on the radial side of the radial artery., and Jiuwei5Jiuwei CV15 lies below the xiphoid process of the sternum which looks like a turtledove’s tail..
Having pointed them out, Xu Ziqing assumed a cross-legged position opposite Zhuo Hanyan. Since he was a man and these acupoints were relatively intimate, he refrained from making direct skin contact with her and instead pressed lightly on top of the Xinshu acupoint.
Silently mobilizing his spiritual power, Xu Ziqing generated a thick blue light in his palm—a pure and vibrant energy brimming with vitality.
The sight astonished all the monks present.
Previously, they had recognized that a person with a single spiritual root possessed exceptional abilities. However, what they witnessed now exceeded their expectations, provoking a tinge of envy within each of them. Fortunately, everyone managed to suppress their excitement and remain undisturbed by sudden desires, remembering Zhuo Hanyan’s injuries.
Among them, Su Xin, possessing a single spiritual root herself, was free from such internal turmoil. He gazed eagerly at Zhuo Hanyan, then shifted his gaze to Xu Ziqing, his heartfelt desire focused on his senior sister’s recovery.
On the other hand, Xu Ziqing had fewer complicated thoughts. Once he entered the broader world, he intended to join the Wuling Immortal Sect, where his friend Yun Lie’s sect was located. Since he had established a bond with Su Xin and received protection from the Loose Cultivator Alliance, it was only natural for him to seize this opportunity to reciprocate their kindness. Naturally, he would do his utmost.
The monks could all perceive that the young man in blue possessed not only exceptionally pure spiritual power but also remarkable control over it. His movements were swift, and the blue light in his palm seamlessly penetrated one acupoint after another. His body flickered as he shifted from Zhuo Hanyan’s front to her side and then to the other side. Each acupoint received an infusion of the blue light and the accompanying injection of spiritual power.
Within a short span of time, Xu Ziqing had circled Zhuo Hanyan multiple times. Inhaling one cluster of blue light, she exhaled while the next cluster entered without hesitation. Eventually, all the onlookers could discern was Xu Ziqing’s ethereal blue silhouette, while the light clusters formed by the Yimu spiritual power moved so rapidly that they were difficult to observe clearly.
After an hour of continuous activity, Xu Ziqing’s movements gradually slowed.
During this moment, Su Xin noticed that his forehead was covered in beads of sweat.
“Brother Ziqing, why don’t you take a break?” Su Xin couldn’t help but speak, feeling a tinge of guilt. In fact, this Taoist brother had saved her several times during encounters with the Blood Demon. She had also invited him to join the Loose Cultivator Alliance, but initially, her intentions had not been entirely pure. Those minor favors were trivial compared to what he had done for her. Although she now regarded Xu Ziqing as an exceptional friend and elder brother, she felt a bit uneasy for failing to notice his unusual behavior earlier.
Xu Ziqing took a deep breath, smiled, and replied, “I’ll just take a moment to adjust my breathing.” By now, he had expended a significant amount of spiritual power, leaving him with less than 10% remaining. It was impossible for him to forcefully replenish Zhuo Hanyan’s depleted spiritual power. Without saying much, he set a restriction, closed his eyes, and focused on his inner stillness.
The power of the third-order spiritual meridian was truly extraordinary. After approximately half an hour, Xu Ziqing’s dantian was already replenished, and his spiritual power had returned to its original state. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find all the cultivators from the Loose Cultivator Alliance gazing at him. Had something happened during his meditation?
However, upon seeing the relief in Zhuo Hanyan’s expression, he knew everything was fine. “Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist,” he said. “The vitality within my body now exceeds its usual level several times over. Most of the critical acupoints have improved, and the remaining damaged meridians are gradually healing, all thanks to your contribution. I believe I will make a full recovery by tomorrow, and expelling the residual true essence left by Yan Boshang should not pose great difficulty.”
Xu Ziqing felt quite content upon hearing this. “That’s excellent news. Since my spiritual power has been restored, I will once again infuse Miss Zhuo with spiritual power. Let’s work together to facilitate her swift recovery.”
Seeing this opportune moment, Xu Ziqing made the proposal, and the monks naturally had no objections. He had already provided considerable assistance to the Loose Cultivator Alliance, and the faint barrier between him and the other six individuals, apart from Su Xin, had been significantly diminished.
Witnessing this, Su Xin naturally felt overjoyed.
Without hesitation, Xu Ziqing repeated the process, sending another round of Yimu spiritual power to Zhuo Hanyan. This endeavor consumed most of his spiritual power, leaving him with a sense of fulfillment. Finally, he engaged in a discussion with the other members of the Loose Cultivator Alliance before returning to his own cave. With the imposition of the restriction, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Exhausted and mentally drained, Xu Ziqing had no intention of entering a deep meditative state. Before attaining the primordial spirit, he felt immensely fatigued. In order to prevent future risks, he allowed his mind to drift and fell into a deep sleep.
As Xu Ziqing slumbered, a figure suddenly materialized in the room.
A man dressed in white appeared in the cave and sat in front of him.
A golden light shimmered atop the barrier, casting a cold glow under the moonlight.
A childlike scene unfolded.
Darkness enveloped the surroundings in complete silence.
The steep mountain wall stood as smooth as a mirror, adorned with numerous caves emanating faint bursts of light due to the various restrictions placed upon them.
Suddenly, a black figure darted out from one of the caves. Without utilizing any magical tools or relying on brute strength, it clung to the wall like a gecko, swiftly ascending without making a sound. Even when passing through other caves, no one was disturbed.
In no time, the black shadow reached the highest point of the mountain wall. Only a few caves were present here. Holding their breath, the figure raised its hand and pointed toward one of the cave’s barriers. However, the finger simply passed through, disappearing without a trace.
Startled, the black shadow immediately concealed itself. Yet, the cave remained silent, and the figure relaxed. Once again, it emitted an invisible aura, stronger than before. This time, the aura managed to penetrate the restriction.
The spiritual light broke through the barrier, and suddenly, a golden light flashed, followed by a powerful surge of sword energy piercing through!
“Not good!” the black figure murmured, flicking its sleeves to block the golden light. Despite not injuring the black shadow, the sword still managed to puncture a small hole in their sleeve. The situation worsened, and the figure no longer hesitated, hastily turning to leave. However, in the next instant, the icy sword energy struck again, carrying an overwhelming intent to kill. Under immense pressure, the black shadow was unable to resist. Shaken for a mere moment, the sword energy pierced through the center of their eyebrows, shattering their purple mansion…
In the cave, the white-clad man glanced outside, retracted his finger, and closed his eyes without uttering a word.
The barrier was reinstated, and the young man in green clothing lying on the ground within the cave wore a smile on his lips, displaying a calm expression as he continued to slumber soundly.
The following day, a white brightness filled the sky.
Xu Ziqing’s consciousness remained hazy, but upon hearing the commotion, he suddenly sensed something amiss. He had unmistakably arrived in the realm of cultivation, surrounded by individuals dedicated to cultivating immortality. So why was there such noise resembling the mundane world? After struggling for a moment, someone called his name from beyond the barrier. Xu Ziqing was startled and immediately sat up.
It turned out to be Su Xin calling him from outside. Due to last night’s incident involving Zhuo Hanyan, everyone was advised not to disturb them, as they were fatigued. Furthermore, since Zhuo Hanyan had yet to recover, Su Xin likely had no intention of watching the battle again.
Su Xin appeared extremely anxious and wore a peculiar expression. Xu Ziqing also felt a sense of unease, so he ceased pondering and stood up to remove the barrier. He inquired, “Brother Ah Xin, why are you so frantic?”
Taking a deep breath, Su Xin remained unsettled: “Brother Ziqing, it’s better to see for yourself. Asking won’t help; just follow me.”
Xu Ziqing paused, allowing Su Xin to lead him outside.
Upon leaving the cave, Xu Ziqing realized Su Xin was not alone. Beneath the mountain wall, a group of monks had gathered in a state of confusion. Sensing that something was wrong, leaves sprouted beneath Xu Ziqing’s feet as he and Su Xin descended, landing amidst the crowd of monks.
At that moment, Xu Ziqing clearly saw what everyone was surrounding, causing his pupils to abruptly contract.
It was a corpse!
The corpse appeared to be an elderly man with a white beard and hair, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. However, that wasn’t what astonished Xu Ziqing. His gaze fixated on the small hole pierced between the old man’s eyebrows!
The hole was perfectly round, with minimal blood flowing from it. The wound was smooth, clearly inflicted by sword energy.
Xu Ziqing recognized the lingering aura on the small hole—it was the sword qi of his closest friend, Yun Lie!
Only Yun Lie possessed such exquisite sword energy. No one else, not even Xu Zifeng’s sword qi, could be so sharp and precise, emanating a chilling intent of boundless killing!
Xu Ziqing couldn’t display any abnormality. They weren’t the only ones who hadn’t established a foundation yet; there were a few advanced cultivators present to protect the individuals who had chosen to enter this place due to their spiritual roots. Among them, Tang Wenfei, the Jindan stage cultivator, worried Xu Ziqing the most. If they were to discover Yun Lie’s involvement… Xu Ziqing refused to contemplate the potential consequences.
“I recognize this person; he’s an elder from the Wuliang Sect!”
“Yes, I vaguely recall his surname being Fang…”
“But wasn’t Elder Fang a formidable expert in the Golden Core Formation stage? How could he die so easily?”
“Unbelievable! There doesn’t seem to have been a battle here. It appears to have been a direct confrontation…”
“The power behind this man’s sword energy is astonishing. He even pierced through the Zifu together. It’s so formidable! Elder Fang couldn’t resist!”
“If Elder Fang couldn’t resist, then it’s likely we won’t be able to either. If we don’t find this person and seek Senior Tang’s guidance, our lives will be in danger!”
“Ah, I wonder why Elder Fang was out of the cave late at night. Why did he come out? If he had stayed inside, would someone still have broken in? And even if he did come out, Elder Fang is a Yuan stage expert. How could it have been so silent?”
“Are you suggesting that Elder Fang had ulterior motives and…”
“Hush! Silence! The disciples from Wuliang Sect are watching!”
“Yes, silence. Silence…”
The monks engaged in endless discussions, while the disciples from Wuliang Sect guarded Elder Fang’s body, preventing anyone from approaching. They glared at the people around them with resentful and angry eyes.
Listening to the speculations, Xu Ziqing grew even more perplexed.
…Why did Bother Yun kill this person?
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1Xinshu is the place where the Qi of the heart infuses into the back.2Zhishi is at the level of Shenshu (BL23), like a chamber where the Qi of Kidney gathers.3Jianjing is on the shoulder depression, which is as deep as a well.4This point is located on the transverse crease of the wrist, in the depression on the radial side of the radial artery.5Jiuwei CV15 lies below the xiphoid process of the sternum which looks like a turtledove’s tail.