Chapter 172 - Arc 11: The Sect's Grand Competition | Chapter 172: Match 19
Translator: Lynn
The sight of Xu Ziqing grasping Yun Lie’s wrist surprised everyone. Later, witnessing Yun Lie’s well-being, they could only marvel at the deep camaraderie between the senior and junior brothers. Yun Lie, in particular, cherished the friends he had made in this relationship of seniors and junior brothers.
Contrary to this, Master Qiu He, who was more acquainted with Yun Lie’s temperament, was even more astonished. However, observing Xu Ziqing’s actions, he comprehended his intentions and felt reassured. The friendship between his two cherished disciples was robust and always heartening.
However, Xu Ziqing paid no mind to others’ opinions; he was taken aback as his true energy penetrated.
Yun Lie’s meridians were remarkably spacious, with the true energy inside roiling and surging like a vast, surging sea!
The potent true essence bore the essence of Golden metal—extremely dominant and exceptionally sharp. Despite its formidable strength, it was entirely contained within the meridians, revealing the extraordinary tenacity of the meridians!
If Xu Ziqing’s meridian could be compared to a narrow mountain path allowing only one person to pass at a time, then Yun Lie’s meridian was likely wider than a main road capable of accommodating a dozen horses galloping side by side.
Xu Ziqing’s true energy was gentle and lively, whereas Yun Lie’s true energy was even more forceful and sharp. During this moment, Xu Ziqing realized that when he had sent a small amount of true energy earlier, it might have been instantly extinguished upon encountering this true essence. Now that he had sent a larger amount, he felt this.
However, as Xu Ziqing’s true essence circulated within these meridians, progression was challenging.
With every advance of the true energy, there was a bone-chilling cold sensation, making Xu Ziqing recognize that the true essence in his senior brother’s body was akin to his own, evoking a similar sense of inviolability.
Luckily, Xu Ziqing’s true energy was exceedingly gentle and devoid of any hostility. Moreover, Yun Lie’s true energy was suppressed, allowing the wood attribute’s true energy to advance. If hostile true essence were to intrude upon Yun Lie, it might have been instantly transformed into a Gengjin Sword by the true essence in his inner world, obliterating everything in its path.
After perceiving the situation in his senior brother’s body, Xu Ziqing injected another 20% of his true energy, hastening the meridian’s pace.
Before long, the wood attribute true energy traversed every one of Yun Lie’s meridians, fusing them back into the dantian.
At this moment, Xu Ziqing noticed a radiant bead within the dantian. The Gengjin sword energy emitted a brilliant glow, resembling a crimson sun, illuminating the entire dantian exquisitely.
Numerous auras swirled around the bead, greedily absorbed by it and swirling to create a whirlwind, causing the airflow to surge with intense and formidable power.
The wood’s true energy, upon touching the overflowing Gengjin sword energy, dissolved instantly, akin to ice and snow meeting the morning sun. The residual energy was also drawn in by the golden core. It was as if facing a storm at sea—every current and strong wind were drawn into it, seemingly bottomless!
Xu Ziqing let out a surprised exclamation, thinking to himself: Shixiong, this dantian is no ordinary dantian. It’s more like a black hole, an abyss that seems endless.
At the same time, he felt elated. His senior brother’s dantian was profound, demonstrating an incredibly solid foundation and astonishing potential. It was no wonder his senior brother possessed such strength, capable of effortlessly vanquishing dozens of golden pills.
Observing Xu Ziqing’s changing expression, Master Qiu He grew slightly concerned and quickly inquired, “Ziqing, what’s the matter with Yun’er? Is something amiss?”
Startled, Xu Ziqing released Yun Lie’s wrist, looked at Master Qiu He with a gentle smile, and said, “Master, Shixiong is perfectly fine.” After a brief pause, he continued, “I noticed that Shixiongr’s meridians are brimming with true energy, and the golden core in his dantian is shining brilliantly and potent. Nothing has been depleted. Considering Shixiong’s immense potential, he isn’t concerned about these consumptions. Please rest assured, Master.”
Upon hearing this, Yue Jun and others nearby displayed curious expressions.
Yun Lie defeated dozens of Golden Core Daoists in one battle, yet his true essence consumption was minimal. Could he truly be that formidable? Nonetheless, Xu Ziqing never spoke falsely, and everyone was aware of that…
For a moment, these inner disciples, who were still wrestling with their cultivation, felt a tinge of awe.
Master Qiu He, upon hearing this, smiled with joy and said, “Yun’er is truly formidable. I take great comfort in this as his teacher.”
Initially, many “colleagues” had mocked his eldest disciple when they discovered he was trying to learn the ruthless killing swordsmanship. Even after Yun Lie realized the sword intent, they couldn’t refrain from their taunts. It was only after Yun Lie reached the Golden Core Transformation stage that they quieted down a bit. Now, with his apprentice showcasing his might on the stone platform, it was a joyful moment for his master.
Yun Lie nodded slightly at Master Qiu He but refrained from saying much.
Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but smile to himself as he observed his senior brother in this manner. He thought, the master has invested so much in the senior brother. Although the senior brother appears indifferent, he might not realize it. Now, putting in so much effort, who can claim he’s not defending the master’s honor? Truly, he possesses both a cold exterior and a warm heart, a devoted and filial disciple.
With these thoughts, a sense of seriousness settled in Xu Ziqing’s heart. Although his journey in the realm of cultivation wasn’t as long as his senior brother’s, exploring his senior brother’s meridian today made him acutely aware of the vast difference, leaving him somewhat disheartened.
Ever since he began cultivating, he had been inseparable from his senior brother. He wholeheartedly aimed to walk alongside him, dedicating rigorous practice for this goal. However, upon discovering such a significant gap, he realized he needed to accelerate tapping into his potential. Otherwise, with his senior brother already several realms ahead, failing to catch up might mean being left far behind once his senior brother ascends to the divine transformation stage.
After silently sighing, Xu Ziqing diligently activated the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique”.
Henceforth, he couldn’t afford to slack off for even a moment.
Yun Lie’s competition concluded, and the next group of Daoists stepped onto the stage to challenge each other.
While observing the battles below, Xu Ziqing also focused on his own cultivation.
Through several encounters with Golden Core Daoists, Xu Ziqing discerned the distinctions among them.
The Wuling Immortal Sect was undeniably vast, housing countless prodigies. Yun Lie was undoubtedly one of them, but not the sole one. Yun Lie achieved victory swiftly, yet there were many Golden Core Daoists like him—capable of contending with dozens of monks. However, they were slightly slower than Yun Lie and couldn’t end the battle within a few breaths.
Many Golden Core Daoists wore massive magic weapons above their heads, radiating a splendid and auspicious glow.
Equally, there were numerous awe-inspiring supernatural powers. With every movement, they drew all the true energy in the vicinity, resulting in a powerful force akin to a landslide and tsunami, shaking the entire stone platform!
In comparison, those Daoists who hadn’t amassed significant resources seemed feeble. Both their magic weapons and supernatural powers were easily defeated, akin to chickens and dogs, when struck.
This wasn’t surprising at all.
Although individuals above the age of 400 were ineligible to participate in the Grand Competition, it was logical to assume that those who did participate were exceptionally powerful and distinguished figures. However, this was not always the case.
Numerous Daoists dedicated great attention to their Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Transformation periods. Unfortunately, when they approached the threshold of Golden Core Stage, they became overly eager and broke through hastily, depleting their accumulation in the process, leaving them extremely fragile once the breakthrough was achieved. Impatience drove them to focus solely on advancing their realm, disregarding the need for calmness and caution. Naturally, individuals of this type, as Golden Core Daoists, were prone to repeated perils in the future. Due to inadequate strength, they found themselves unable to overcome these challenges, ultimately meeting a tragic fate.
Having learned many valuable lessons from past experiences, Xu Ziqing’s mindset became clearer, and his awareness heightened.
If he wished to catch up with his senior brother, no matter how impatient he felt, he understood the importance of not rushing the breakthrough. He believed his current accumulation was not substantial enough, and he feared that he needed more experiences, knowledge, and a deeper comprehension of the prototype of supernatural powers. This would require tempering his heart and attempting to break through to advance to the Yuan Dynasty.
With this mindset, the cyan aura surrounding Xu Ziqing began to purify.
In this world, many ascetics initially strived for longevity and the Dao. However, as their cultivation levels surged, they were enticed by external temptations—be it magic weapons, shortcuts, elixirs, power, or beauty. Many deviated from the righteous path, even if their cultivation base continued to advance. In the end, they would succumb to worldly enticements due to various reasons.
Immortal cultivators needed to constantly reflect on themselves to avoid straying from the path. Additionally, they had to cleanse their hearts regularly to prevent them from being tainted. There was no turning back once they lost their way.
Deep in thought, Xu Ziqing suddenly attained a state of clarity.
Within his sea of consciousness, numerous exercise chapters flashed swiftly, seemingly from the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique,” although it wasn’t entirely clear.
Amidst this mysterious state, thin lines emerged on his cheeks, tracing along the smooth texture, extending to his neck and beyond. His once jade-like skin gradually exhibited an intricate pattern, akin to numerous fine cuts, spreading further and further.
When Luo Yao witnessed this phenomenon, he was startled. “Ziqing, how did you end up like this?”
Yue Jun, being more perceptive, remarked, “Daoist Xu, your condition seems similar to when Qingyun injured Miss Du.”
Qiu Ze and Long Xuan, too, noticed it and directed their gaze towards Xu Ziqing’s eyebrows. They observed a deep-seated blue light, as if a tremendously potent force was contained within, yet it never broke free. Clearly, it was the Qingyun Needle. Could there be some sort of alteration with this Qingyun Needle?
Master Qiu He, being well-versed, assured them, “No need to worry, and keep your voices down.”
All eyes turned to him.
Master Qiu He, looking pleased, explained, “Ziqing is experiencing an epiphany. This state is exceedingly rare, so let’s not disturb him. It would be detrimental if he were awakened abruptly. An unexpected enlightenment!”
At this revelation, Yue Jun and the others suddenly comprehended the situation and couldn’t help but feel envious. While they hadn’t experienced it personally, they knew this state was a rarity. Anyone going through an epiphany would undoubtedly gain immense benefits before awakening. The longer the epiphany persisted, the greater the advantages, enhancing their path significantly.
Acknowledging this, they deliberately hushed their voices, allowing Xu Ziqing to be in tranquility.
Master Qiu He was highly content and turned his attention to his eldest disciple. “Yun’er, go and engage in battle. Your junior brother will be under my vigilant eye, ensuring no harm befalls him.”
Yun Lie acknowledged this with a slight nod.
In a swift motion, Yun Lie drew a long sword mark on the ground with his finger. This mark emanated an enigmatic and potent mental power.
It was his sword intent.
Yun Lie retracted his finger and declared, “No external entities can breach this boundary.”
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