Back at Hengxu Peak.
Sure enough, Luo Qingyuan was standing outside the entrance to the cave dwelling.
“Elder.” Nangong Yu obediently greeted her before leading her inside.
“Don’t worry. I’ll only teach you for two hours.” Luo Qingyuan’s voice was gentle and affectionate. “You’re still young and growing. You need to sleep.”
Nangong Yu nodded vigorously.
Yes, yes, yes. If possible, she wanted to go to sleep right now.
“Cultivation can’t replace sleep!” Luo Qingyuan warned her seriously, worried that she might not take it to heart. “You need to sleep at least until you’re twenty, until your bones and body have fully developed. Only then can you gradually reduce the amount of sleep you get. Remember that?”
Nangong Yu obediently nodded. “I remember.”
The more Luo Qingyuan looked at her, the more she liked her. She pinched the little girl’s cheek before turning serious.
“All right. Class is starting.”
And so, the special tutoring began.
“Do you know how the Circulating Heaven Spirit-Nurturing Art differs from other cultivation methods?” Luo Qingyuan asked.
Of course Nangong Yu didn’t know. “Please enlighten me, Elder.”
Luo Qingyuan’s eyes grew proud as she explained, “The meridians in the human body aren’t a single road. Many cultivators like to cultivate them section by section, eventually completing one circuit of circulation.”
“But the Circulating Heaven Spirit-Nurturing Art begins by cultivating the entire circuit of circulation. Either the whole path remains blocked, or it becomes clear from beginning to end.”
Nangong Yu nodded.
She understood.
It was like studying in the past. Some teachers taught step by step, starting with the basics and gradually instilling the knowledge from the textbook into their students.
Other teachers would first explain the overall concept, then break it down section by section.
Luo Qingyuan did neither. She didn’t teach in sections. She didn’t even explain the overall concept. She simply gave you a diagram of the human meridians and left you to figure it out yourself.
How had no one beaten her to death yet?
“You’ve already learned the first section of the Circulating Heaven Spirit-Nurturing Art—the circulation of spiritual power.” Luo Qingyuan’s tone was gentle, and her gaze affectionate. “Next, your master will teach you the second section: cultivating the acupoints.”
All one hundred and eight of Nangong Yu’s acupoints had already been opened. Otherwise, she would never have been able to complete the circulation of spiritual power.
But opening them was merely the foundation. Luo Qingyuan still had something impressive in store.
“If all one hundred and eight acupoints are cultivated into secret realms, they will become stars within your body. They can store spiritual power, serve as storage spaces, form arrays…”
Her eyes shone with excitement as she coaxed her little disciple. “Aren’t you interested?”
Nangong Yu nodded repeatedly. “I’m interested.”
Who wouldn’t be interested in that? Back when she had seen Ruo Zhu swallow a medical pod into her body, she had been so envious.
The demons could open up spaces within their bodies. Nangong Yu had always said that humans ought to be able to do the same. If they lacked an innate talent, they could create one through acquired means. That was what humans were good at.
With so many sages and mighty cultivators throughout history, surely no one had failed to accomplish this. And now, here was the method.
Her [Universal Key] wouldn’t have to hang around her neck anymore!
She could store it inside her body!
“Master, teach me!” Nangong Yu said excitedly.
Luo Qingyuan gave her a mysterious smile. Instead of beginning immediately, she said, “Don’t rush, disciple. Come—let me show you my stars.”
A flash of light surrounded her. Then a phantom image separated from her body and floated in midair. It was a diagram of the human meridians, entirely constructed from spiritual power.
A network of blood vessels and meridians spread across it, with one hundred and eight points of light scattered throughout like twinkling stars, mesmerizing and dazzling.
“The acupoints of the human body can be cultivated without limit.”
As Luo Qingyuan spoke, the points of light surfaced one after another, growing infinitely larger. Spiritual power swirled within them, while the silhouettes of magical treasures and spiritual objects flickered in and out of view.
“They can also be used to form arrays against one’s enemies.”
The one hundred and eight stars lit up in turn, forming a unique array that radiated an intimidating aura.
“It is a little difficult to cultivate, though.” Luo Qingyuan demonstrated her acupoints in all sorts of ways, her tone coaxing and encouraging. “But your master believes that my Little Yu won’t shrink back just because something is difficult. Isn’t that right?”
Nangong Yu stared at the elder NPC’s starry array, her expression solemn.
“Yes, Master.”
Teaching-related instances and NPCs were generally divided into two types.
The first type absolutely could not be listened to. Listening would result in contamination—perhaps a head would split open to reveal pages of books instead of flesh and blood, or perhaps a stomach would be sliced open to reveal piles of failed examination papers instead of organs.
The second type was a bonus side quest. NPCs who offered rewards usually had wishes, hidden troubles, regrets, or the like. If one handled things properly, one could obtain benefits from them.
Clearly, Luo Qingyuan belonged to the second type.
The serious expression on the young girl opposite her caused the smile at the corners of Luo Qingyuan’s lips to freeze. She stared at Nangong Yu for a moment, slightly distracted.
Was this child taking things a little too seriously?
Over the years, Luo Qingyuan had met many new disciples. Some were clever, some diligent, and some simply pleasing to the eye. There were also those who gave up because opening their acupoints was a slow process. It took a great deal of time and effort, yet provided no immediate benefit to their cultivation.
Acupoints could be cultivated at any time.
They could be cultivated during Qi Refining.
They could be cultivated during Foundation Establishment.
They could even be cultivated after reaching the Nascent Soul stage. In fact, it would be even easier then.
So why did Luo Qingyuan coax new disciples into cultivating them?
“Little Fish, cultivate seriously. Your master will not deceive you.” Her expression was solemn. “Once you obtain the benefits, you’ll understand.”
Worried that even this most promising disciple might give up halfway, Luo Qingyuan couldn’t help explaining further.
“There’s half a bowl of water here. How many gulps would it take you to finish it?”
She brushed her palm across the table. In an instant, a small bowl appeared, filled with half a bowl of gently sloshing water.
Nangong Yu glanced at it. “Three gulps!”
Although she could finish it in one giant gulp, drinking too quickly might make her choke to death. As a player, caution was essential.
“All right.” Luo Qingyuan smiled faintly. She brushed her palm over the rim of the bowl. “What about now?”
The small bowl from before had become a large basin, half-filled with water that rippled gently.
“Uh…” Nangong Yu hesitated. “Master, I can’t finish that.”
Luo Qingyuan burst out laughing. She continued sweeping her palm through the air.
“What if it became a vat of water, a pond, a lake, or even an endless ocean?”
Nangong Yu’s eyes widened. “Master! Who could ever finish all that?!”
Luo Qingyuan laughed heartily. She lowered her hand and began stroking the girl’s exaggeratedly astonished little face.
“My good disciple. Suppose an acupoint belonging to a Qi Refining cultivator is a bowl, while that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is a basin. Then you only need to cultivate it into a bowl. The spiritual power of heaven and earth will help expand it into a basin.”
“Likewise, when a Foundation Establishment cultivator breaks through to the Golden Core stage, the spiritual power of heaven and earth will wash through their meridians, fill their dantian, and temper their divine soul. While doing so, it will conveniently expand the basin into a vat.”
Nangong Yu understood.
“I want to cultivate!” Her eyes shone brightly. “I want to start right now!”
Luo Qingyuan had said so much, but it all came down to one central point: it was difficult, but the benefits were immense.
Nangong Yu had heard the part about the benefits loud and clear. The earlier she began cultivating, the less effort it would take, because the spiritual power of heaven and earth would help her.
And a “bowl” was merely the foundation. What if she managed to cultivate it into a “basin” while still at the Qi Refining stage?
“All right.” Luo Qingyuan was somewhat excited as well. Although her Little Yu had agreed very quickly, Luo Qingyuan was willing to trust her once more. “Your master will teach you.”
Spiritual power intertwined in the air, quickly forming a diagram of the human meridians.
One hundred and eight acupoints glittered brightly.
“These acupoints are respectively…”
As Luo Qingyuan continued explaining, time passed bit by bit. Two hours had long since gone by.
Although sleep was important, Little Yu was still young. Missing one night of sleep wouldn’t do her any harm.
“Don’t rush. Take it slowly.”
“You can start by cultivating these few of the simplest, most basic acupoints.”
“Little Yu? Little Fish?”
As she continued speaking, Luo Qingyuan realized that her disciple, Little Fish, had closed her eyes at some point.
At first, she found it amusing. She assumed Little Fish was simply exhausted and had fallen asleep. The child was rather stubborn, she thought—she was tired, yet refused to say so.
But before long, Luo Qingyuan sensed that something was wrong. “Little Fish?”
The child did not seem to be asleep. Spiritual energy was fluctuating around her body, as though she were cultivating.
“Could it be…?”
Luo Qingyuan stared in astonishment and sent out a wisp of her primordial spirit to examine her carefully.
The moment she saw what was happening, she was shocked. “Little Fish! Stop!”
How could this child be cultivating all her acupoints at the same time? It was completely impossible.
“You don’t have enough spiritual energy!” she said anxiously. “Stop at once!”
When a cultivator tried to bite off more than they could chew, the consequences were difficult to predict.
Take Little Fish, for example. If she became too deeply immersed in cultivation, she might lose herself and never wake up again. Eventually, she would starve to death.
Fortunately, Luo Qingyuan was right beside her. Thinking this, Luo Qingyuan prepared to wake her.
But the moment she sent out a wisp of spiritual energy, intending for it to flow into Little Fish’s spirit palace, it dissipated halfway there.
Luo Qingyuan froze. She sent out another wisp of spiritual energy, but before she could even release it, it dispersed at her fingertips.
Outside the cave abode.
Not far from here stood Xu Wanzhong’s cave abode.
He had been extremely busy lately. Ever since his master took in a junior sister, he seemed to have become busy with one thing after another.
He had taken her to register and settle into Hengxu Peak.
He had taken her to demand payment from Chen Zhi, and helped Chen Zhi settle his accounts while he was at it.
He had helped her fight Xuanqing.
Then helped her fight Xuanqing again.
Fought Elder Fuyun.
…
In the past, he might not have fought anyone once in ten years. How many fights had he gotten into this month alone?
Now that he had finally found a moment of peace, he thought, This time, I should be able to enjoy some quiet for a while, right?
The instant that thought crossed his mind, he instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
Where had all the spiritual energy gone? Why was the spiritual energy inside his cave abode dwindling?
Hengxu Peak was a mountain rich in spiritual energy. Spiritual flowers and herbs grew across its slopes, and Elder Ling Heng had even buried spirit-gathering arrays throughout the area. Cultivation had always proceeded smoothly there.
Yet tonight, something felt strangely sluggish, as though the spiritual energy had dried up entirely.
“What happened to Hengxu Peak?” His heart sank.
He thought of how Elder Fuyun’s mountain had inexplicably been stripped of an entire layer, and how Elder Xuanqing’s mountain had been raided in the middle of the night…
Could it be Hengxu Peak’s turn tonight?
Anger surged in his chest. He immediately rose and flew out of his cave abode.
“Which insolent scoundrel—”
The words had barely reached his lips before he forcibly cut himself off. He stared down in astonishment at the enormous vortex of spiritual energy below the cave abode.
As he watched, the vortex grew larger and larger, rapidly reaching a startling scale.
“This is…” He looked at it with uncertainty. “My junior sister?!”
That couldn’t be right.
Hadn’t his junior sister just entered a state of enlightenment not long ago?
He frowned unconsciously and flew toward the vortex of spiritual energy.
The moment he arrived outside the cave abode, Xu Wanzhong noticed that there was a second aura inside.
“Who is it?” He waved his hand, opening the cave abode’s restrictions, and walked in.
Nangong Yu’s cave abode had been arranged by him from start to finish, and he had personally set up the restrictions as well. Naturally, he could open them.
“Senior Brother Xu.” Seeing him, Luo Qingyuan rose to her feet and gave him a slight nod.
Xu Wanzhong looked at her, then at his junior sister, who was meditating nearby. Frowning, he asked, “Why are you here? What happened to Little Fish?”
Luo Qingyuan was both delighted and worried. “I was giving her a lesson…”
“In the middle of the night? What kind of lesson?” Xu Wanzhong interrupted her, clearly displeased that she had come to Hengxu Peak in the dead of night.
Luo Qingyuan pressed her lips together, then continued, “I was teaching Little Fish the Circulation Spirit-Nurturing Art. I was showing her how to cultivate her acupoints…”
“What cultivation level does she have? Why are you teaching her to cultivate acupoints?” Xu Wanzhong barked.
His cultivation philosophy differed from Luo Qingyuan’s.
Acupoints could be cultivated at any time, and failing to cultivate them would not affect anything. As a cultivator, one’s true priority was to seek one’s own path and diligently cultivate.
Luo Qingyuan was somewhat displeased, but after glancing at her disciple, Little Fish, she continued, “Little Fish seems to have understood something. She began cultivating all her acupoints at once—”
At this point, she paused involuntarily and glanced at Xu Wanzhong.
This time, Xu Wanzhong did not interrupt her. When she stopped, he merely frowned and asked, “And then?”
Luo Qingyuan’s voice grew quieter. “She doesn’t have enough spiritual energy… She’s only at the Qi Refining stage. How could she possibly have enough spiritual energy to open every acupoint? It would be impressive if she could open even one… I tried to wake her, but I couldn’t…”
Her tone became complicated as she looked around. “Senior Brother Xu, do you feel any changes in yourself?”
Xu Wanzhong had not noticed anything at first. But after her reminder, he sensed his surroundings, and a trace of astonishment appeared on his face.
“What’s going on?”
“You sensed it too, didn’t you?” Luo Qingyuan said with a complicated expression. “The closer we get to Little Fish, the less control we have over the spiritual energy in our bodies.”
Xu Wanzhong nodded. “Is she absorbing our spiritual energy?”
“It’s not that she’s absorbing it. The spiritual energy in our bodies is trying to fly toward her of its own accord,” Luo Qingyuan corrected him.
That made it sound so sinister. The child wasn’t doing it on purpose.
As the two of them spoke, the strange disturbance on Hengxu Peak had already alarmed the cultivators on the nearby peaks.
More and more cultivators flew into the air and looked toward Hengxu Peak.
“What happened?”
“Is someone breaking through?”
“Who is it? Perfected Mingxiao?”
“Possibly. Perfected Mingxiao has been in seclusion for over a hundred years. It should be time for him to come out.”
“Every time he emerges from seclusion, his cultivation has risen by a significant amount. I wonder if he’ll reach the Deity Transformation realm this time.”
“That may be asking too much. He’s much younger than Jiang Yingxue, but his talent is inferior as well. All he has going for him is diligence.”
“Huh? There’s no tribulation lightning?”
“This scale doesn’t seem like a breakthrough by a Nascent Soul cultivator.”
While everyone debated who was breaking through, Nangong Yu had no idea that she was nearly draining Hengxu Peak of its spiritual energy.
She also had no idea that Luo Qingyuan and Xu Wanzhong, who were closest to her, had each been siphoned of several mouthfuls of spiritual energy.
After listening to Luo Qingyuan’s lesson, she simply followed the instructions step by step. Just as she had done last time, she visualized one hundred and eight acupoints.
Naturally, she did not have enough spiritual energy. She had already realized that when Luo Qingyuan warned her.
But players would never let something as trivial as “being broke” stop them.
What did you do when you had no money?
You found a way to make money!
In infinite-flow games, resources were always scarce. Gathering supplies was part of every player’s daily routine.
Nangong Yu quickly thought of the Great Rejuvenation Art, the wood-element cultivation method she had found in the library some time ago—the one that could borrow spiritual energy.
How perfect was that?
Sure enough, no dungeon was truly unwinnable. Following the formula, she began cultivating.
The Great Rejuvenation Art was a technique that borrowed spiritual energy from the world around it, using that energy to mend injuries within the body.
If she extended the idea a little, borrowing spiritual energy to expand her acupoints should work too, right?
Who said that blocked acupoints couldn’t count as injuries?
After all, weren’t acupoints supposed to be open in the first place?
If they weren’t meant to be open, why would cultivators cultivate them?
By the same logic, acupoints ought to be broader than the sky and deeper than the sea. Otherwise, why would cultivators cultivate them?
Nangong Yu circulated the Great Rejuvenation Art, borrowing spiritual energy from all things beneath heaven and earth as she began refining her acupoints.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was drawn toward her.
Nangong Yu borrowed, and the spiritual energy came pouring in. She borrowed again, and it came again. The seemingly endless flow of spiritual energy surged toward her, and she distributed it among the one hundred and eight apertures, cultivating them according to the formula Luo Qingyuan had given her.
The apertures were hidden repositories within the body. They could not be seen or touched; even if one cut open the body, one might not necessarily find them.
But after visualizing them, Nangong Yu could sense her apertures. They were spaces as tiny as specks of dust, each one resembling primordial chaos before enlightenment.
She drew in spiritual energy, washing, honing, scouring, tempering, stimulating, expanding…
Again and again.
It was an incredibly tedious task, yet once she started, she found it strangely addictive.
She “watched” as those specks of chaotic dust were polished until they began to glow faintly, then shone brightly, sparkling like diamonds.
They expanded from the size of millet grains to grains of rice, mung beans, peanuts, longans, walnuts, oranges…
Gradually, they grew as large as apples. White light misted around them, blending into a radiant glow. All one hundred and eight apertures were beautiful, like rare treasures of the world.
No, they still weren’t big enough. They should at least be the size of bowls. Remembering Luo Qingyuan’s example, Nangong Yu continued expanding them.
Borrow.
She continued borrowing spiritual energy.
Fortunately, the Great Rejuvenation Art worked wonderfully. Whenever she borrowed, it supplied her with spiritual energy, which she continuously drew in and used.
Outside.
“Master, how long will it take for her to wake up?” Xu Wanzhong looked at his meditating junior sister, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Ten days had passed.
The spiritual energy on Hengxu Peak had long since proved insufficient. The energy from several nearby peaks had been drawn over as well, and their owners had not been pleased. They had sealed off their mountains.
Then the spiritual energy from even farther away began flowing toward Hengxu Peak. Once those people discovered what was happening, they were unhappy too and sealed their mountain peaks with formations.
Xu Wanzhong had no choice but to call for his master. After shouting several times with no response, he could only seek out his martial uncle, Sect Leader Cangjing.
Sect Leader Cangjing arrived and pulled out a large handful of spirit stones from his storage ring. He laid down a Spirit-Gathering Array outside the cave dwelling, finally resolving the problem for the time being.
Meanwhile, his useless master had finally emerged from seclusion. He looked as though he had broken through.
Xu Wanzhong had no mood to congratulate him. Every time he was needed, the man was nowhere to be found. Did someone like that really deserve a breakthrough?
Elder Ling Heng pondered. “Your master doesn’t know either.”
As for Luo Qingyuan, she had long since hunched her shoulders and shrunk off to the side, not daring to say a word.
This was all her fault.
If she hadn’t taught Little Fish the Heavenly Cycle Spirit-Nurturing Formula in the middle of the night and coaxed her into cultivating her apertures, none of this would have happened!
Fortunately, neither Xu Wanzhong nor Elder Ling Heng had blamed her, but she still did not dare breathe too loudly. With her eyes lowered, she made herself as inconspicuous as a decorative item in the cave dwelling.
“She should be waking up soon,” Sect Leader Cangjing said as he set down another Spirit-Gathering Array.
Spirit-Gathering Arrays were constructed from spirit stones and were generally used to gather the spiritual energy in the surrounding area. However, since the surrounding spiritual energy had been sealed off by the various peak masters, the sect leader had modified the array so that all its spiritual energy would be supplied by spirit stones.
This was already the third Spirit-Gathering Array. As for the number of spirit stones it had consumed…
There was no need to mention it.
The bill would be charged to Hengxu Peak anyway. Later, they could send the Affairs Peak over to collect it.
“She’s had another epiphany?” Elder Ling Heng transmitted to the sect leader.
“She may simply be cultivating,” the sect leader replied.
As if!
Who had ever heard of a Qi Refinement disciple making this kind of commotion while cultivating?
But having two epiphanies within a month… That frequency was enough to make one’s teeth ache.
What gave her the right? Her three spiritual roots? All of whose talent ratings were in the single digits?!
If she had experienced an epiphany right after joining the sect, with that kind of talent and immortal fortune, Sect Leader Cangjing and Elder Ling Heng would have long since suspected that she was the Violet Star the Ziyang Sect had been waiting for.
But her spiritual roots were simply too poor!
Unless she caused the sect’s elders to break through every few days, it was impossible for someone with her talent to be the Violet Star.
After the third Spirit-Gathering Array was set up, the absorption speed slowed. Once it had absorbed only a third of the spirit stones, it stopped moving altogether.
“Master!” A clear, delighted voice came from within the cave dwelling. “I’ve cultivated it successfully!”
“Huh?” No one was there. Nangong Yu curiously stood up. “Elder Luo?”
Luo Qingyuan, who had long been itching to rush inside, had just secretly raised her head when she saw Elder Ling Heng looking over. His gaze was not exactly as sharp as a blade, but it was definitely not warm and gentle either.
She gave an awkward smile. “Martial Uncle.”
Elder Ling Heng calmly withdrew his gaze and headed into the cave dwelling. “You’re awake?”
“Master?” Nangong Yu looked at the pretty-boy NPC who had come in. “You’re out of seclusion!”
She examined him twice. “Did you break through?”
His cultivation was too high for her to see his level at all.
Elder Ling Heng let out a cold laugh. “I have you to thank.”
“Congratulations!” Nangong Yu immediately played along. “I knew it. Master, you’re an unparalleled genius!”
There was not the slightest smile on Elder Ling Heng’s face. “I can’t compare with you!”
Did she know how many spirit stones she had burned through over the past few days?
Every single one of those Spirit-Gathering Arrays had been made from spirit stones!
“Oh.” Nangong Yu blinked. “Master, there’s no need to belittle yourself. As the saying goes, each generation produces its own talented people, and the waves behind drive on those before. If every generation is worse than the one before it, what hope does the cultivation world have?”
She was telling her master NPC not to be jealous of her.
But when Elder Ling Heng heard the words “what hope does the cultivation world have,” his heart jolted!
Sect Leader Cangjing felt the same. The two exchanged a glance, their thoughts racing, while their expressions remained impassive.
“Hmph. Sixth level of Qi Refinement.” Elder Ling Heng was in a foul mood. “Your talent is truly too poor!”
Nangong Yu had just finished cultivating her apertures and was feeling delighted when a bucket of cold water was suddenly dumped over her. She froze completely.
“I’ve only been here for how long? I’m number one among my peers, all right? And you’re saying my talent is poor? Are you messing with me?”
The corner of Elder Ling Heng’s mouth twitched. He flicked his sleeve, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned away.
“Other people have experienced two epiphanies and at least reached Foundation Establishment! What about you?”
He was furious at her for failing to live up to expectations.
“With all that commotion, you only gained two cultivation levels!”
She had broken through from the fourth level of Qi Refinement to the sixth.
It was utterly absurd!
Had all those spirit stones he had spent been eaten by a dog?!
