After a while, Xu Que finally let out a sigh of relief.The solution provided by the system wasn't a dead-end. The method of learning "Self-Destruction of Meridians" was actually to expel the excessive spiritual energy from his body.Since spiritual energy flows through the strange meridians in the body, each time a meridian is broken, the energy automatically repairs it.The process would not only repair the meridians but also make them stronger, serving as a kind of tempering for his body.However, the process was quite gruesome. To allow the spiritual energy to repair the meridians, he had to turn off the automatic healing function, meaning Xu Que would endure the torturous pain of self-inflicted meridian destruction countless times.
"Forget it, it's better to break them than be exploded to death."Xu Que made his decision in the end.Gritting his teeth, he spent ten Show-off Points to purchase the "Self-Destruction of Meridians" technique.Immediately, a flash of spiritual light passed through his mind, and he instantly mastered the painful art.He closed his eyes, gathered a strand of spiritual energy between his fingers, and forcefully pressed it to key acupoints on his body.The sound of shrill screams, resembling that of a slaughtered pig, echoed through the forest...This self-inflicted pain lasted for two full days and nights until Xu Que finally collapsed, completely exhausted, and fell unconscious.
...When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a dilapidated wooden hut, surrounded by simple wooden furniture. On the table, a rusty little iron kettle was steaming with hot water."I'm alive again..."Xu Que smiled happily.He licked his dry, cracked lips and tried to sit up to drink some water.
"Hiss!"Instantly, he inhaled sharply, as a wave of tearing pain swept across his entire body. He collapsed back onto the bed.At that moment, he noticed that he was wrapped up like a mummy, a pungent medicinal smell emanating from his body.Who the hell did this?Xu Que was immediately furious. A little injury could be solved with a bit of Show-off Points, but instead of healing him, they wrapped him like a mummy! How could he get up and show off now?
"Creak!"Just then, the door creaked open, and a small figure appeared at the entrance."Eh, you're awake?"A crisp, pleasant voice entered Xu Que's ears.
Xu Que looked up and froze.The girl before him was pure and adorable, with fair skin that seemed to glow. Her shiny black hair fell naturally, and her sparkling big eyes were incredibly clear.Upon seeing Xu Que awake, she smiled slightly, revealing two cute dimples like those of an angel."You're finally awake. Yesterday, I went up the mountain to gather wild herbs and found you lying on the ground, covered in blood. I asked Er Lang and the others to help carry you back. You must be from outside, right? You can't go up that mountain anymore. If you don't know the way, you might run into wild animals."The pure and beautiful village girl said with a smile, her cheeks showing two little dimples.
Xu Que was still in a daze.My God, how come this world is full of beautiful women? That little fairy from before was one thing, but now this random village girl is this gorgeous and pure? How am I supposed to resist?
"Don't be scared. This is Pan Mountain Village. The wild animals won't come here. Many immortals live on the mountain and chase them away."The village girl saw Xu Que's dazed expression and thought he was still scared. She waved her small hand and made a cute gesture of "beating away the beasts."
Xu Que immediately snapped out of it. He might be admiring her beauty, but the great cause of showing off could not be abandoned for even a second!He immediately puffed out his chest and said:"Scared? I, Xu Que, have never known fear. To be honest, I'm a hunter. That day, I encountered thousands... uh, dozens of wild animals on the mountain who tried to eat me, but I wasn't scared at all. I told those beasts, 'Everyone dies eventually, some heavier than a mountain, some lighter than a feather. I, Xu Que, will never surrender.' And then, I fought them fiercely for three days and nights. Look at this scar—it was from a vicious wolf that clawed me..."
"Huh? There are no wolves on our mountain!"
"No wolves? Then it must have come from another mountain! Ah, never mind the details. The important part is that, to avoid being eaten, I jumped down the mountain without hesitation. Luckily, Heaven showed mercy and sent a little fairy to save me. Thank you."
"Ah... I... I'm not a little fairy, I'm Xiao Rou."The village girl's pale face instantly flushed red, and she shyly lowered her head.
"It's okay, Xiao Rou, from now on, you're my little fairy." Xu Que said deeply.
"You... You're really..." Xiao Rou immediately blushed, embarrassed, and in a hurry, she covered her face and ran out.
In this village, even though it was a small settlement, the people's views were still traditional.Xu Que's words were nothing more than direct flirting, not compliments!
After Xiao Rou ran out and hid outside, she fanned her face with her little hands, trying to cool off the heat.Xu Que, on the other hand, lay back on the bed, smiling contentedly.That little show-off really worked. He actually earned two Show-off Points, so he just couldn't resist praising Xiao Rou with honeyed words.
He summoned the system, and his personal info screen automatically appeared:"Host: Xu QueRealm: Qi Refining Stage, 10th Layer (Slight Progress)Experience: 0/1000Show-off Value: 7Cultivation Method: 'Ancient Five Elements Art' (Beginner Level)Profession: NoneStatus: Prince Consort of the Fire Yuan Kingdom, Eastern Desolate Continent..."
"Eh?"Xu Que suddenly exclaimed in confusion.Before, when he looked at his information, he was also at the 10th Layer of the Qi Refining stage, but the system had rated him as just 'beginning to grasp the concept.' Now, it had changed to 'slight progress,' indicating an improvement. Could this be the result of repeatedly breaking and repairing his meridians?Hmm, so the pain wasn't for nothing after all.
Xu Que felt a little more at ease in his heart and said to the system:"Activate the healing function and help me recover from my injuries."
"Ding! The automatic healing function has been activated, 1 Show-off Point deducted."
Swish!Instantly, a cool, soothing sensation spread throughout his body.Xu Que felt completely relaxed, like lying in a warm water pool after a long day, every pore opening.After a few moments, the pain in his body disappeared one by one, and he felt stronger than before.
Xu Que grinned, satisfied, and immediately sprang up from the bed. With a quick motion, he clenched his fists, and his muscles bulged."Bang! Bang! Bang!"With several loud sounds, the bandages wrapped around him snapped and fell to the ground.
"Creak!"Just then, Xiao Rou, having calmed down outside, pushed the door open again.Her eyes landed on Xu Que, and they instantly widened. Her mouth opened slightly as she let out a sharp scream, then turned bright red and rushed out of the room.
Xu Que froze for a moment, his face full of confusion. Looking down, he realized his face had turned the color of a liver.Damn it, who took my clothes off?