The True Face A droplet of clear water slowly fell from the peak of the stalactite at the top of the cave.
"Drip…
drop…"
The droplet hit the pool, sending ripples spreading across the water's surface, becoming ever so pronounced in the midst of this silence.
Unaware of how long he had been unconscious in the darkness, his consciousness began to trickle back into his body like water returning to its channel.
Xu Yuan's eyes fluttered slightly and, after a moment, he slowly opened them.
Perhaps due to the disorientation from the prolonged unconsciousness, he could not see the dim surroundings clearly.
In the stillness, a faint female voice gently came from beside him:
"You're awake."
"Hmm…"
Xu Yuan replied subconsciously in a low voice, his vision gradually focusing, allowing him to see the person speaking.
Ran Qingmo sat beside him, quietly cross-legged.
The two of them were very close, and through their clothes, he could faintly feel the warmth emanating from her jade-like legs.
It was somewhat curious, and he did not understand why Ran Qingmo had chosen to sit so close.
His sluggish thoughts slowly began to churn, and Xu Yuan gradually sat up from the ground.
Then,
he suddenly realized that the reason she was sitting so close was that he was still holding her slender wrist in his hand.
He was gripping it tightly, and even streaks of redness had appeared on her fair, delicate wrist.
As memories of previous events bubbled to the surface, Xu Yuan remembered that this was the obsession he held onto before falling unconscious.
With the 3 points of luck inherent to his original body, he dared not let go of Ran Qingmo even in his state of unconsciousness.
But now, already having entered the cave precisely, Xu Yuan also let go of her, rubbing his brow and softly explained:
"Sorry, it was unavoidable."
Ran Qingmo shook her head, her beautiful eyes gazing into Xu Yuan's:
"Thank you."
Her gratitude was sincere and earnest.
Yet, Xu Yuan was taken aback by her unexpected thanks.
He was somewhat puzzled as to why.
But after a moment of thought, he came to an understanding.
The woman before him, known as the Big Ice Lump, did not know that entering this cave abode required something as vague and intangible as luck.
Perhaps in her eyes, it was precisely because he had clung to her, even as he fainted, that she was able to safely enter the cave as well.
Thinking of this, Xu Yuan had no intention of clarifying the misunderstanding.
This kind of pleasant misunderstanding, let it continue then, heh-heh…
With a slight smile, Xu Yuan also looked towards her and said:
"Miss Ran…"
HIs gaze caught sight of her, and Xu Yuan's mind suddenly jolted.
"….."
She was not wearing a veil.
The black veil that had been covering her face had quietly drifted away during the fall from the cliff.
This was the first time Xu Yuan had seen her without the veil.
The beauty, which was exhaustively described in the first-person perspective and seemed so meager in the presence of her true countenance.
Xu Yuan collected his thoughts, chuckling softly as he gently shook his head.
No wonder those novels always depict their heroines as ethereally beautiful; now, he truly understood.
His gaze returning to calm, Xu Yuan looked into her beautiful eyes and said softly:
"Miss Ran, 'thank you' is the most worthless thing in this world."
As he spoke,
Xu Yuan pushed himself up from the ground with his knees, staring at her with a smile and said:
"We survived, so it looks like I won the bet.
You now owe me a favor."
Ran Qingmo looked up slightly, falling silent for a moment:
"Alright…"
After a pause, she softly asked:
"What do you want me to do?"
Hearing the other's words, Xu Yuan smiled slightly:
"Keep it, there's nothing I need you to do for me for now."
After saying that, Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and turned to scan the surrounding environment.
This seemed to be a cave; some white pearl-like objects embedded in the walls emitted a faint glow, resembling the legendary Luminous Pearls, and by their light Xu Yuan could make out most of the cave's details.
The cave wasn't very large, by the measures of his previous life, it would only be about twenty square meters or so.
A pool of water and a circular jade bed about ten meters in diameter comprised the entirety of this place.
Xu Yuan's brows furrowed slightly at the sight.
The size of the cave and the appearance of the jade bed and pool weren't beyond his expectations.
However,
what happened to the large golden treasure chest next to the bedhead?
All the wonders of this cave were stored in that chest!
"What's wrong?"
Ran Qingmo seemed to notice something odd about his breathing, and her crisp voice came through gently.
Xu Yuan composed himself, steadied his breathing, and responded casually:
"It's nothing.
I just realized there seem to be some problems with my memory."
"Oh…" Ran Qingmo said no more upon hearing this and continued to close her eyes and meditate.
Xu Yuan walked towards the jade bed at the far end of the cave.
Cooling down, he deduced that the disappearance of the treasure chest must be the world's way of automatically completing its scenario.
In a mysterious cave like this, the appearance of a shining golden treasure chest seemed utterly out of place.
Since it was verified that the cave drew people in based on their fortune, then the items Cangyuan Chronicles placed here couldn't possibly disappear.
As he approached the jade bed, Xu Yuan examined it closely.
The bed itself was pure white, like white jade, and emitted a faint luminescent glow.
There were no blankets or the like on the bed, just two rectangular-shaped pillows.
The only place that could possibly hide anything was under these pillows.
After a moment's hesitation, Xu Yuan slowly reached out and grabbed the pillow.
The pillow felt cold, almost like mystic ice.
Setting the pillow aside, as expected, Xu Yuan saw an extremely ancient black ring underneath.
Seeing this object, Xu Yuan immediately realized what the ring was.
A Sumeru Ring, also known as a storage ring.
Xu Yuan had not expected to find such a thing here and suddenly felt the world's autocompletion sometimes was quite beneficial.
Unlike some other cultivation worlds where everyone had a storage ring,
In this world, a Sumeru Ring was a top-tier treasure.
Even someone as powerful as Ran Qingmo could only honestly use a bag to carry her belongings, showing the ring's rarity.
The manual had explained this:
A simple concept,
the Sumeru Ring involved the segmentation of space.
If Sumeru Rings were commonplace, wouldn't that mean any Forging Master could be a space-time authority?
Regardless, under the world's autocompletion, having a Sumeru Ring in place of that "golden treasure chest" was indeed an unexpected pleasure.
Xu Yuan held the extremely ancient black Sumeru Ring in his palm and grinned.
But this smile quickly faded.
Although the treasure was valuable, he couldn't use it.
The Sumeru Ring required Origin Qi to be activated, and he was still just an ordinary man.
After taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan casually tossed the Sumeru Ring to Ran Qingmo, who was sitting nearby.
Ran Qingmo caught it and looked down at it.
Having seen something similar with her master, she recognized what the ring was at a glance.
But even with such a top-tier treasure in her hand, the expression in her eyes showed no change, only a touch of confusion as she looked towards Xu Yuan.
She didn't understand why Xu Yuan would throw the Sumeru Ring to her.
Meeting her gaze, Xu Yuan smiled slightly and said softly:
"Inside, there's medicine for your healing, and some things from my past life.
I can't get them out now, so I need your help."
////17////
I'll Swap with You In "Cangyuan Chronicles," if a player wished to acquire a Sumeru Ring, besides painstakingly collecting various rare materials and finding someone to craft it, Xu Yuan knew of another place where one could obtain a Sumeru Ring.
The method was quite simple.
In the early stages of the quest, players would pass through a map called Tianyuan Mountain.
Players only need to enter the deepest part of this map, where they would encounter a white-haired old man with three red question marks above his head in a bamboo forest.
He would offer players a quest, but to obtain the Sumeru Ring, players shouldn't speak to the old man.
Instead, upon meeting, they should immediately whip out their weapons and attack him.
Fortune favors the bold.
As long as they killed the old man, there was a one hundred percent chance of obtaining a Sumeru Ring, and it would come with an additional heaven-and-earth marvel of a ring.
"..."
Flashes of past memories crossed Xu Yuan's mind, and with a slight smile, he shook his head, turning his gaze to the black-clad woman opposite him.
Although her master owned a Sumeru Ring, it was obvious that Ran Qingmo had not had much contact with one either.
She stared at the ring and fiddled with it for a long time before she managed to extract a few items from it.
Three bottles of elixirs, two ancient-looking books, and a red brocade robe.
Besides these, there were about a dozen empty jade bottles and jade boxes.
After taking these items out, Ran Qingmo lifted her eyes to Xu Yuan and blinked:
"That's all."
"I know," Xu Yuan replied, nodding slightly and scanning the books and bottles laid out on the ground.
Compared to the game, this storage ring had a few more empty jade bottles and boxes, but the rest of the items were exactly the same.
One cultivation technique, one secret technique, one blood jade glass robe, and three bottles of elixirs with varying effects.
Nine Revival Pill, a sacred healing medicine.
Blood Spirit Fusion Pill, used for soul-comforting and body integration.
Calamity Falling Pill, an essential item for practicing the cultivation technique Blood Element Heart Calamity.
In the outside world, any one of these items was a first-class treasure.
Xu Yuan's gaze finally rested on the three bottles of elixirs.
Reality isn't a game; the names weren't labeled on items.
Xu Yuan now knew what the Third Grade elixirs were, but he couldn't distinguish them.
But no matter, he had a "grandpa" by his side to guide him.
Thinking this, Xu Yuan looked towards the woman beside him:
"Ms.
Ran, I'm missing some memories about these elixirs.
Would you mind helping me identify them?"
"….."
Ran Qingmo glanced at Xu Yuan with a slightly strange and dubious look.
She found Xu Yuan's selective amnesia odd, but couldn't pinpoint why.
After pondering for a moment without reaching any conclusion, Ran Qingmo nodded in agreement:
"Hmm…
this bottle contains Nine Revival Pills, this one has Blood Spirit Fusion Pills, and this one…
this one…"
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
As she reached the last bottle of elixir, Ran Qingmo's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
She stared unwaveringly at the small bottle for a while, but ultimately she couldn't give an explanation:
"This bottle…
I don't know."
"It's okay if you don't know," Xu Yuan said softly.
It was normal for Ran Qingmo not to know about the Calamity Falling Pill.
The Calamity Falling Pill was specifically tailored for those cultivating the Blood Element Heart Calamity Technique, which had lain dormant in this cave dwelling since its creation.
One could say that aside from Xu Yuan, who had once been a player, there was no second person in this world who knew of this technique's existence.
Approaching and picking up two of the bottles, Xu Yuan glanced at the remaining one, paused, and softly said to Ran Qingmo:
"Hmm…
You keep the Nine Revival Pill for healing."
"…."
Ran Qingmo immediately looked up, her serene eyes flickering.
She knew the value of the Nine Revival Pill.
Lightly pursing her red lips, Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan and suddenly asked:
"Could I have a jade box?"
"Jade box?"
Xu Yuan glanced at the jade bottles and boxes, and casually said with a smile, "Just take it."
"Oh."
Pubfuture Ads
Ran Qingmo nodded, picked up a jade box, and opened it right in front of Xu Yuan, reaching into her bosom and rummaging around.
"…."
Recomposing his words, Xu Yuan softly asked:
"What…
are you doing?"
Ran Qingmo didn't speak, silently pulling out the Snakeheart Lotus from her bosom and placing it in the jade box.
Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised to see this.
He remembered that before jumping off the cliff, he had kept the item in his own possession.
Most likely, during his unconsciousness, the Big Ice Lump had quietly taken back her spoils of battle.
Somewhat amused,
Ran Qingmo closed the box, straightened her collar, stood up, and handed the jade box to Xu Yuan, gently saying:
"I..
I'll trade this with you."
"….."
Looking into her earnest eyes, Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then smiled lightly without refusing: "Fine, I'll accept it.
Put it in the Sumeru Ring for me."
"Oh." Ran Qingmo nodded, and with a single thought, the jade box disappeared from her hand.
As their conversation ended, the two of them ran out of things to say.
Ran Qingmo didn't feel awkward.
After glancing at Xu Yuan, she took the Nine Revival Pill, which she had exchanged for herself, and went to sit in a corner of the cave dwelling to heal her wounds.
And Xu Yuan leisurely picked up the blood jade glass robe and two ancient books and sat on the jade bed inside the cave dwelling.
This was his cave dwelling.
He slept on the bed while Ran Qingmo slept on the ground.
It seemed quite fair.
///18///
Cultivation Technique This place should be considered a safe house.
In the "Cangyuan Chronicles"'s storyline featuring valiant protagonists, the main character faced a situation identical to the one Xu Yuan was now in, with pursuers hot on his heels.
Moreover, because the plot had progressed into its middle stage by that time, these pursuers could chase the mid-stage protagonist all over the world, which naturally meant they were formidable.
Although not necessarily capable of walking on air like Ran Qingmo, finding a person while skimming along the edge of a cliff was no issue.
However, even so, the pursuers had never found the main character hunkered down in this cave dwelling.
It seemed likely that there was something outside this cave or a formation that shielded it from detection.
Thinking this, Xu Yuan's gaze swept across the cave dwelling again.
He had not noticed upon first waking, but now Xu Yuan realized that this cave dwelling had no entrance or exit.
It was like a slot embedded inside the mountain.
Both he and Ran Qingmo had been drawn inside, likely by triggering some kind of pre-set transmission formation.
Drawing a simple conclusion from past memories and the current information that the dwelling was relatively safe, Xu Yuan finally relaxed completely.
After transmigrating for so many days, only now could he truly say he had found a temporary safe haven.
Thinking this, Xu Yuan let out a slight sigh.
If his transmigration method hadn't been so primitive, he might already have been picked up by his original body's father's men to play the role of a wealthy heir.
How did it come to this.
Xu Yuan shook his head, no longer dwelling on the thought.
He was never one to fear problems.
When problems arose, complaining was useless; one should simply find a solution.
A very simple philosophy.
Sitting at the head of the ice jade bed, Xu Yuan began to read the "Blood Essence Meteoring Art" Cultivation Technique in his hands, illuminated by the faint glow of the Luminous Pearl embedded in the stone wall.
This book contained the sole feasible method of resolving the rejection between his body and will-spirit at present.
Though he had obtained a Blood Spirit Fusion Pill, he couldn't take it directly.
All medicines have their poisons, and what greatly benefits a cultivator can be deadly poison to an ordinary person.
As an Elixir Medicine refined from various top-tier heavenly materials and earthly treasures, the vast Origin Qi contained within the Blood Spirit Fusion Pill was far beyond what Xu Yuan, a mere mortal, could digest.
Eating it directly would likely result in an explosive death.
Fortunately, there was the "Blood Essence Meteoring Art" in his hands.
This was key to stabilizing the instability between his body and will-spirit.
Born from death, cultivating both body and soul—the description in the manual.
However, when the secret text became reality, Xu Yuan knew that achieving the art would not be as simple as clicking a mouse to "learn with one click" as in games.
For a moment,
the silence within the cramped cave dwelling was interrupted only by the occasional rustling of page-turning.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
In the quietude, Ran Qingmo quietly adjusted her breathing to heal, and Xu Yuan silently read the cultivation technique.
Time trickled by, the length unknown.
Suddenly, Xu Yuan closed the book beside his bed, took a deep breath, and leaned back to meditate with his eyes closed.
This was his first true encounter with the cultivation techniques of this world.
There was novelty, excitement, but mostly confusion.
They were all Chinese characters; he could understand them when read separately, but why couldn't he make sense of them when strung together?
What were energy channels, the White Sea meridian, drawing Qi into the body, the heart-source and will-spirit…
Who am I?
Where am I?
What are all these things?
Why can other transmigrators simply practice when they get a cultivation technique, yet I can't even understand the words?
"..."
Silence.
Raising his hand to rub his brows forcefully, Xu Yuan's thoughts were somewhat cluttered.
People Suffering From Knee Pain Should Read This!
इस आसान प्राकृतिक उपाय ने मुझे दिलाई डायबिटीज से राहत
Clearly,
the "Blood Essence Meteoring Art," one of the only three blood-red rank cultivation techniques in the "Cangyuan Chronicles," was not a beginner's primer.
To put it bluntly:
You've learned Chinese characters, now go try making a nuclear bomb by hand.
Having read the book from start to finish, Xu Yuan's only gain was a rudimentary understanding of the process to begin practicing "Blood Essence Meteoring Art."
To take the Calamity Falling Pill and the Blood Spirit Fusion Pill together.
The Calamity Falling Pill's first stage of efficacy would directly blitz the energy channels between a person's limbs and bones.
Compared to cultivators, the energy channels of ordinary people are blocked and closed.
Much like earlier when Qingmo couldn't use Qi to heal Xu Yuan—an ordinary person—the impact of the Calamity Falling Pill's effects would physically split open the impacted meridians.
Once the meridians are completely split open, the body enters a state of near death.
And as the body teeters on the brink of death, the will-spirit begins to dissipate.
At this point, the second stage of the Calamity Falling Pill's effects would spread, accelerating this dissipation of the will-spirit by a multitude of times.
If this continues, death is inevitable.
However, the Blood Spirit Fusion Pill's efficacy is to solidify the will-spirit, re-condensing the dissipating will-spirit.
The interplay of two starkly opposing medical properties, complemented by the operation of the "Blood Essence Meteoring Art," would repeatedly shatter then re-consolidate the body's will-spirit.
In this cycle, eventually, the body and will-spirit would achieve perfect integration.
In this repetitious dance with death, the immense medicinal power of the Blood Spirit Fusion Pill would also serve to repair physical and will-spirit injuries.
Practicing the "Blood Essence Meteoring Art," which embraces death to enhance life, is quite literally a matter of survival against all odds.
If one were to momentarily lose focus during the process and fail to operate the technique timely, it would result in actual death.
However, the rewards for braving such dangers are incredibly rich.
Once initiated, not only would the body and soul become exceedingly solidified, but also all 127 channels within the body would be unobstructed!
///19///
Nineteenth Chapter: Blood Essence Meteoring Art Xu Yuan might not be very familiar with other cultivation knowledge, but he did know a thing or two about the meridian system.
Because the meridian system is a very important setting in "Cangyuan Chronicles."
A setting that would directly reflect on a player's experience bar.
The more meridians a character has cleared, the less experience they need to level up each time.
In the game, a character with all 127 meridians cleared requires about twenty times less experience to level up compared to a character with none cleared.
If we were to use data to calculate it, to level up from one to two, if a person with all meridians cleared needs five experience points, then a person with all meridians blocked would need a hundred.
Therefore, once a character has all 127 meridians naturally cleared within their body, they obtain a special title—Innate Constitution.
However, probably because the officials of "Cangyuan Chronicles" wanted to accommodate some players who enjoy self-torture,
even if they chose an Innate Trash Body at the start, players could still accumulate Origin Qi through cultivation, and then slowly clear those blocked meridians with their cultivation technique to improve their cultivation speed.
Only the progress would be extremely slow.
To clear from zero to all 127 meridians, a character must cultivate continuously until reaching the stage of "Origin Qi reaches Primordial," and only then would the experience needed for an Innate Trash Body to level up become equal to that of an Innate Constitution.
And this "Blood Essence Meteoring Art" in front of him could ignore all limitations such as the body's meridians and Origin Qi, and clear all 127 meridians right from the start of cultivation!
What's more important, clearing 127 meridians is merely one of the effects of this Blood Essence Meteoring Art.
The will-spirit becomes extremely condensed.
This description made Xu Yuan think of another constitution that was on par with the Innate Constitution.
Innate Soul Body…
At this thought, Xu Yuan suddenly felt his mouth dry and his tongue parched.
He remembered that in the setting,
if a character possessed both the Innate Constitution and the Innate Soul Body,
then, their special title would become Innate Taoist Body.
In the game back then, Xu Yuan didn't care much about natural talents and constitutions.
As an expert, he always challenged the masochistic difficulties.
He wanted a trashy start, an almost extreme resource efficiency, and the thrill of a boss fight with a sliver of health.
Of course, that was in the game.
If it were in reality, naturally, the lower the difficulty, the better.
And this cultivation technique in front of him could let him obtain the Innate Taoist Body later in life…
Heh.
Should he now say that this Blood Essence Meteoring Art deserves to be one of the top-tier Blood Red level cultivation techniques among the three in "Cangyuan Chronicles"?
Xu Yuan licked his lips, and his dark pupils lightly twinkled in the faint glow of the Luminous Pearl.
The Innate Taoist Body in "Cangyuan Chronicles" was not as fantastically powerful as in those primordial cultivation stories.
It did not align with the heavens, nor could it directly see and utilize the forces of the rules, and it didn't even allow for the most basic leapfrog cultivation.
In essence, this constitution was merely faster than ordinary people on the path of cultivation.
Yes, just a bit.
But that was entirely enough.
After a long silence,
Xu Yuan gradually calmed down from the power of this cultivation technique.
Surviving by a hair's breadth.
While the subsequent effects of cultivating the Blood Essence Meteoring Art were indeed tempting, one only needed to give the "Surviving" part preceding the entrance a little thought to realize it wouldn't be easy.
Every opportunity comes with risks, so what level of risk would he need to take for such a great opportunity?
The Blood Essence Meteoring Art made this very clear.
To master it, one would need to maintain consciousness with a strong will while on the brink of death and circulating the cultivation technique.
But when on the brink of death, can one really keep conscious all the time?
Xu Yuan recalled his own first experience in this world when he was in the cave, feeling his consciousness blur due to hypothermia, close to dying.
In that state, his thoughts were like sinking into a quagmire, the lingering chill made it impossible to think even a simple thought, let alone circulate a cultivation technique.
And moreover, according to the record of the Blood Essence Meteoring Art, this brink-of-death phase would repeat countless times.
That could barely be considered a one-in-ten chance of survival, right?
Xu Yuan's eyes slightly lowered, and the idea in his heart was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
He was indeed a person who enjoyed excitement and adventure, yet that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of death.
After suddenly being transported to this world, most of his time was spent without a choice.
Whether it was enduring his fear to strike up a conversation with Ran Qingmo or leaping into the bottomless abyss with Ran Qingmo in his arms from the brink of Xuantian Cliff, it was because he had no other choice.
If he didn't choose, it would be a certain death.
But now that he was safe, how could they expect him, a person accustomed to the peace of his own era, to practice such dangerous cultivation techniques that might lead to his death at any moment?
A feeling known as hesitation began to slowly spread through Xu Yuan's heart….
Wait a minute!
In his hesitation, Xu Yuan's breath suddenly hitched.
He realized that his current self still had no choice.
Without seeing a corpse, his original father would never give up the search.
Unless Xu Yuan could survive until the "main character" takes down his original father.
Otherwise, even if he were to leave this cave dwelling and even if Ran Qingmo could carry him off to the heavens for now, Xu Yuan did not believe he could disappear from the pursuit of those "superhumans" who could lock onto his qi with their will-spirit.
Moreover,
Xu Yuan had no idea which storyline the "main character" of this world was following.
In Cangyuan Chronicles, there were a total of twenty-five world lines.
If the other party was on one that didn't conflict with his original father's, then what he would face was a lifetime of pursuit.
And even if the main character embarked on a route hostile to his original father, whether the plot kills that occurred in the game would still occur, Xu Yuan had no certainty at all.
After all, the example of Ji Qingyue had just happened before his eyes.
A female lead who was so beautiful and so important in the story was killed by Ran Qingmo, the Big Ice Lump beside him, just like that.
The halo of the once main character,
Would it really exist?
"....."
Silence.
Xu Yuan's clenched fists slowly uncurled as he stood up and walked over to the woman crouched in the corner.
She was still in the same tattered black clothing.
After a moment of quiet,
"What is it?"
The clear sound of her voice echoed in the silence of the cave dwelling.
Xu Yuan lowered his gaze:
"I want to ask a favor of you."
Ran Qingmo slowly opened her eyes, looking at him:
"You..
want to use that favor?"
Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged:
"I want you to teach me some basic knowledge about cultivation.
I just realized I've forgotten a lot of things, like how to absorb Origin Qi into my body, and stuff about the heart, the origin, and the will-spirit."
"….."
In the dim environment, her serene and beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of confusion.
Ran Qingmo didn't understand how a person at the level of Primordial strength could forget the most basic knowledge of cultivation, wasn't such knowledge supposed to be ingrained as instinct within their will-spirit?
However, Ran Qingmo did not refuse, and said very seriously:
"For that, you don't need a favor, I can teach you."
Xu Yuan slowly sat down opposite Ran Qingmo, whispering:
"Can we start now?"
Ran Qingmo closed her eyes and pondered for a moment, seemingly assessing the state of her body.
When she opened her eyes again, she nodded slightly:
"Okay."
She paused for a moment,
then Ran Qingmo's tranquil gaze turned towards the elaborate robes on Xu Yuan's body:
"Take off your clothes."
////20///
Take off your clothes?" Xu Yuan asked subconsciously.
Ran Qingmo's expression remained without a ripple, and she said softly,
"My injury is severe, and my control over Origin Qi has decreased significantly.
If you keep your clothes on, it might hurt you."
Hearing the woman before him say this without any pretense, Xu Yuan directly took off his luxurious robe.
It was the first time he took off his clothes, and under the faint light of the Luminous Pearls on the stone walls, Xu Yuan realized his body was incredibly thin.
With a height of over one meter and eighty centimeters, his weight was probably not even one hundred and ten jin, so thin that his rib bones were visibly clear.
The years of indulgence in wine and women had completely hollowed out his body.
Xu Yuan shifted his gaze and looked at Ran Qingmo with a calm expression, asking,
"Should I take off my underpants, too?"
"…."
Ran Qingmo looked up at him, her cold gaze quietly fixated on him.
Okay, it seems not necessary.
Xu Yuan sat cross-legged opposite Ran Qingmo, just about to speak.
"Lie down." She commanded softly.
Xu Yuan silently adjusted his position and lay flat in front of the woman.
Ran Qingmo raised a slender jade finger, and a faint blue light appeared at her fingertip:
"My Origin Qi will enter your body."
Xu Yuan glanced sideways,
"Won't there be any problems?"
He remembered Ran Qingmo saying that if her Origin Qi entered his body, it would directly tear apart his narrow entrance.
"….."
Ran Qingmo was already getting used to this "Origin Qi novice" asking her these idiotic questions about cultivation.
After a pause, she shook her head to explain,
"The Origin Qi will only be on the surface, it won't enter your meridians."
Xu Yuan nodded, signaling her to continue.
In the dim cave, the woman's slender fingers moved slightly, and the blue light at her fingertips instantly scattered into hundreds of points like fireflies, gently falling on various areas on the surface of Xu Yuan's body.
Pubfuture Ads
The touch was somewhat cool.
And the next moment,
these light spots plunged into his body straight through his skin like mud oxen into the sea.
In an instant,
Xu Yuan's vision was filled with a view of his body as if it were an X-ray illustration.
The light spots connected into patches, and the clear meridians and acupuncture points were vividly presented before his eyes.
Soon, Xu Yuan felt his body gradually numbing as these light spots entered.
But this numbness also came with waves of tingling; her Origin Qi was chilly and comfortable.
"Ah~"
Ran Qingmo's gaze swept over.
Xu Yuan shut up.
Ran Qingmo withdrew her gaze, saying clearly,
"I will first teach you to recognize acupuncture points."
"Acupuncture points?"
"Acupuncture points are important junctions between the meridians," she explained.
"Oh, okay." Xu Yuan nodded.
"It might be a bit painful next."
With that, Ran Qingmo extended a slender finger and gently tapped a spot on Xu Yuan's neck.
Her fingertips were not warm; on the contrary, they were somewhat cool.
"This is the Gathering Origin point."
As soon as her words fell, a piercing pain surged through the pleasant tingling sensation with her fingertip's touch.
The pain on the right side of his neck made Xu Yuan's body tremble uncontrollably.
However, this pain was barely tolerable.
And Ran Qingmo's finger kept moving, tapping at a rate of once every five seconds on Xu Yuan's prone body.
With each tap, Ran Qingmo would name a corresponding acupuncture point, and a stab of pain would emerge from somewhere beneath the skin where her fingertip had touched…
Time quietly ticked away…..
Two quarters of an hour later,
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
hundreds of human acupuncture points had been touched.
Ran Qingmo slowly withdrew her hand, looked at Xu Yuan, and said clearly,
"Do you remember all that?"
Xu Yuan opened his eyes.
He met her gaze for a second, opened his mouth, and said,
"Ah?"
She couldn't possibly think he would remember it all in one go, could she?
"….." Ran Qingmo didn't speak again but silently stretched out her finger and continued to point lightly:
"This is the Origin Acupoint…."
"…."
"…."
He had no idea how much time had passed, and he didn't know how many times the lesson on identifying acupoints had been repeated.
It could have been a morning or it could have been an afternoon.
Once again, Ran Qingmo withdrew her hand and looked at the man lying flat in front of her:
"This time, have you remembered?"
Xu Yuan closed his eyes and carefully felt for a while the remnants of the Origin Qi that Ran Qingmo had left inside him, and he nodded slightly:
"I've got it more or less."
"More or less?"
"Seventy to eighty percent."
"….."
Ran Qingmo looked at him with a strange expression, her eyes filled with incomprehension.
So slow…
She didn't understand why the man before her was so slow.
"…."
Xu Yuan more or less understood the meaning behind Big Ice Lump's gaze and opened his mouth to explain.
In his previous life, as someone considered a prodigy in the eyes of others, he thought that the speed at which he memorized these acupoints was already quite fast.
But in the end, Xu Yuan swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
आसनसोल: महिला ने खोज निकाला मधुमेह से बचने का आसान घरेलु तरीका
People Suffering From Knee Pain Should Read This!
Compared to her, perhaps his past life's "prodigy" was really just an ordinary person.
He remembered that at this point in the plot, the black-clad woman before him was apparently only seventeen years old.
And at seventeen, she had already cultivated to the Great Grandmaster Realm, just one step shy of reaching the Primordial Origin Qi.
The gap between people really is bigger than between humans and dogs.
Ran Qingmo said nothing more, just silently raised her finger and said:
"Let's continue."
"Mmm."
Xu Yuan nodded, refocusing his attention.
Time ticked by again…..
Unable to see the sky in the cave dwelling, it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
Another session came to an end,
and Xu Yuan felt like his whole body was almost turning into the same ghastly blue of Ran Qingmo's Origin Qi.
At this point, Ran Qingmo also spoke up:
"If we continue like this, your body will be harmed."
"..."
Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes and, after a moment's hesitation, nodded in agreement with Ran Qingmo's suggestion.
Although Ran Qingmo's Qi was gentle, it was still an external force, and its prolonged entry into his body would inevitably be a burden.
At this moment, he was starting to feel a touch of nausea and dizziness.
Moreover, the prolonged concentration had caused an unprecedented fatigue in his body.
The willpower of a person is indeed very important, but when faced with the limits of physical ability, even the strongest will cannot make a difference.
After a day's lessons were over,
Ran Qingmo didn't rest but continued to sit cross-legged to recuperate and heal.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuan climbed onto the only jade bed in the cave dwelling, and as soon as his head touched the pillow, his consciousness sank into deep sleep.
In his dreams,
the scenes of her teaching him to identify acupoints continued….
…
…
Ran Qingmo seemed to need no rest.
When Xu Yuan was awake, she taught him the fundamentals of cultivation.
When Xu Yuan rested, she silently sat in a corner to meditate and heal.
There was no food inside the cave dwelling, but the pool of water seemed to be formed from some sort of treasure from heaven and earth, providing Xu Yuan with a day's worth of energy with just a sip.
Life here seemed timeless, the days passing by one after another.
And during these days, where he had no concept of day or night, Xu Yuan gradually mastered the abstruse and difficult knowledge of cultivation…..
///21////
The Five-Day Countdown Ran Qingmo could hardly be counted as a good teacher.
Her method of teaching Xu Yuan was just like her serene nature, neither warm nor fervent.
However, fortunately, her formidable strength still enabled her to provide Xu Yuan, who was just entering the path of cultivation, with simple yet profound guidance.
From recognizing the most basic acupoints and meridians to sensing the Origin Qi hidden in this world under the guidance of Ran Qingmo, everything fell into place naturally.
It was also during the process of sensing the Origin Qi that Xu Yuan understood the role of the Will-spirit.
The more condensed and powerful one's Will-spirit was, the more of the world's Origin Qi they would be able to sense between heaven and earth.
Because of the presence of that spiritual pond and the Soul-locking Formation, Ran Qingmo sensed that the Origin Qi within this cave dwelling had almost condensed into a liquid state, but in Xu Yuan's perception, he could barely sense the presence of faint "Qi clusters."
The gap between their Will-spirits was suffocatingly large.
Of course, part of this was also due to Ran Qingmo's strength far surpassing that of Xu Yuan.
The Will-spirit, too, could be continuously condensed and strengthened along with the advancement of one's cultivation level.
The meridians determine the speed at which a person can absorb and transform the Origin Qi of the heavens and the earth for their own use, while the Will-spirit determines the amount of Origin Qi one can sense.
Both are complementary in the process of cultivation.
If a person only has an Innate Constitution with all meridians unblocked, yet their Will-spirit is loose and hazy, no matter how fast their body can transform Origin Qi, they will only be able to absorb the few "Qi clusters" that they can sense.
The same is true for a person who only possesses a naturally powerful soul.
As Ran Qingmo gradually shared all of this world's knowledge of cultivation, Xu Yuan increasingly realized how terrifying the Blood Essence Meteoring Art that he held in his hands was.
A Cultivation Technique that could artificially create an Innate Taoist Body…
If it were to be released to the outside world,
it wouldn't be an overstatement to say that this Cultivation Technique could provoke a war.
…
…
Not knowing how many times it had been since he last awoke from the jade bed, the dim stone ceiling of the cave dwelling once again came into Xu Yuan's line of sight.
Getting up, he glanced sideways toward the stone wall at the head of the bed.
There,
a row of neatly inscribed "Zheng" characters caught his eye.
Since he couldn't see the sky and distinguish day from night, Xu Yuan could only roughly guess the time by counting the number of times he slept.
Until this awakening, the stone wall at the head of the bed had already been filled with exactly six "Zheng" characters.
He had been alone with the girl in black in this cave dwelling for about a month now.
Under these diligent days of learning, the basic knowledge related to cultivation in this world was nearly coming to an end.
Xu Yuan had now completely learned to use his Will-spirit to sense the Origin Qi between heaven and earth.
Moreover, two weeks ago, Ran Qingmo had taught him a Sword Sect inner gate Cultivation Technique called the Lotus Sword Art, which gave Xu Yuan a simple experience of the feeling of absorbing Qi into his body for cultivation.
By now, two weeks later, Xu Yuan was fully capable of cultivating on his own without Ran Qingmo's guidance.
Thinking this, Xu Yuan subconsciously glanced over at her seated cross-legged in a corner.
After staring at her for two seconds, Xu Yuan smiled lightly and shook his head, taking his eyes off her.
Even though he had grown accustomed to her appearance without the black veil, her flawless face still occasionally astounded him with its beauty.
It was just a pity that, despite sharing hardships in this cave dwelling for so long, the lady surnamed Ran's attitude toward him had not changed much.
Hah~
Fairy tale stories are indeed deceiving….
Discarding these chaotic thoughts, Xu Yuan calmed his mind and opened the Blood Essence Meteoring Art once again.
The confusing terminology in the Cultivation Technique that had once made his head spin now appeared clear and comprehensible.
And the content of the entire Cultivation Technique had already been thoroughly memorized over the course of nearly a month, yet Xu Yuan still looked at it every day, flipping through it repeatedly.
This was a matter of life and death for him.
Cultivation Techniques such as this, where even a single word difference could lead to fatal errors during the circulation of Origin Qi.
Don't ask, just experience it for yourself.
The route for practicing the Blood Essence Meteoring Art was many times more intricate than the Lotus Sword Art Ran Qingmo had given him, and to avoid being caught off guard when he would truly begin cultivation, Xu Yuan had started attempting to guide the faint Origin Qi within his body through the meridian routes outlined in the Blood Essence Meteoring Art a week ago.
Initially, this attempt went smoothly, with Xu Yuan's weak Origin Qi moving orderly along the routes specified by the Cultivation Technique.
Unfortunately, after completing one-third of it, a moment of inattention caused the guided Origin Qi to deviate half a step from the description in the Cultivation Technique, sending him directly into qi deviation.
The feeling of qi deviation was not pleasant.
Because of a single lapse in concentration, all the Origin Qi in his body ran amok uncontrollably, wildly rampaging through his fragile meridians.
If it were not for the fact that the Origin Qi he had accumulated was exceedingly weak, he could even imagine those rampaging Qi shattering his meridians to pieces.
Thankfully, Ran Qingmo, a great expert, was right beside him at the time; she immediately took action to stabilize his raging Origin Qi before his meridians sustained any damage.
Even though it was just a close call, Xu Yuan still realized the difficulty of cultivating the Blood Essence Meteoring Art.
You should know, he went through the Lotus Sword Art, a medium-difficulty Cultivation Technique, in one go without any inclination toward qi deviation, yet the Blood Essence Meteoring Art caused qi deviation just after one-third of the practice.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
However, this setback did not frustrate Xu Yuan but instead filled him with a tinge of excitement.
Because he discovered that even if he experienced qi deviation while cultivating, the lady surnamed Ran who was this Big Ice Lump could stabilize his condition before he suffered any injury.
In other words,
He could attempt it an infinite number of times, until he was completely familiar with the circulation route of this cultivation technique!
Having thought of it, Xu Yuan acted on it.
Ran Qingmo noticed Xu Yuan was practicing a very difficult cultivation technique, but perhaps due to her nature, she did not ask too many questions.
She just silently saved him from going into deviated cultivation over and over again….
…..
After going through the Blood Essence Meteoring Art once again, Xu Yuan silently placed it on the jade bed, slowly stood up, and walked toward her in the corner.
And at that moment,
Ran Qingmo's clear voice reached him from the corner first.
Very light, but distinctly audible.
"The formation outside is about to break."
"…."
Formation?
Hearing Ran Qingmo's sudden words, Xu Yuan's footsteps faltered slightly.
However, after a moment's thought, he realized what she meant by the formation.
It seemed consistent with his initial speculation when he first entered this cave dwelling; indeed, there was a formation capable of shielding against outside detection.
But, this formation was about to break.
This news made Xu Yuan's heart sink involuntarily.
He was not yet fully prepared to begin cultivating the Blood Essence Meteoring Art.
Thanks to Ran Qingmo's repeated rescues, he could now perfectly circulate Origin Qi following the pathways of the Blood Essence Meteoring Art while in a clear state of mind.
But doing so on the brink of death would undoubtedly be many times more difficult.
Gathering his spirit, Xu Yuan said in a calm low voice,
"Mm, about how long do we have?"
Ran Qingmo closed her eyes to sense for a moment, then said softly,
Pubfuture Ads
"About half a tenday."
Xu Yuan took a deep breath and asked softly,
"Can they, find this cave dwelling?"
This cave dwelling was clearly located inside the mountain, maybe…
"They can." Ran Qingmo's crisp voice directly shattered Xu Yuan's illusion.
"…."
This instant also made Xu Yuan's thoughts extremely complicated.
A five-day countdown to death had already quietly started.
He stood there in silence for a long time.
In the midst of this quiet,
she suddenly said softly,
"You, don't worry."
He slowly returned to his senses and looked over at her words.
Her pair of clear eyes were staring at him very seriously,
"I will take you and escape."
Looking at her serious eyes, Xu Yuan was silent for two seconds, then gave her a slight smile.
It was somewhat teasing, but more of it was helplessness.
If he nodded and accepted her suggestion,
Xu Yuan could already foresee,
how after five days, this stunning woman in black would be decapitated.
In this world, there are too many powerful beings.
If Ji Qingyue could be killed, Ran Qingmo could certainly be killed as well...
Ultimately,
Xu Yuan did not respond to Ran Qingmo's words, but quietly sat down beside her.
After a long silence,
he suddenly asked in a low voice,
"Miss Ran, can you bring me to the brink of death?"
A look of confusion appeared in Ran Qingmo's eyes:
"What?"
Xu Yuan repeated softly,
"I said, can you bring me to the brink of death?"
///22///
The Final Preparations Xu Yuan was always methodical and liked to plan ahead when doing something.
Therefore, knowing the high mortality rate associated with the cultivation of the Blood Essence Meteoring Art, Xu Yuan naturally placed even greater emphasis on the preparatory work before cultivation.
As he delved deeper into cultivation with Ran Qingmo, Xu Yuan gradually divided the preparation for cultivating the Blood Essence Meteoring Art into five steps in his mind.
The first step was to learn the basic knowledge of this world and have Ran Qingmo teach him a rudimentary cultivation technique to familiarize himself with its operation.
The second step was to start trying to channel Origin Qi along the pathway of the Blood Essence Meteoring Art while in a conscious state.
The third step was to adapt to a near-death state with the help of Ran Qingmo and to remain conscious during it.
The forth step, with the help of Ran Qingmo, was to start channeling the Blood Essence Meteoring Art's pathway while in a near-death state.
And the fifth step was to officially begin cultivation.
After a month, Xu Yuan had completed the preparatory work for the first two steps.
If he had another month, Xu Yuan was confident he could perfectly execute the plan he had set in his mind, but the remaining five days of the death countdown were not enough for him to carry out the last three steps methodically according to plan.
With no way out, Xu Yuan's decision would be made without any hesitation.
There was no longer time for him to adapt little by little.
He, must take the risk.
The cramped cave fell quiet for a moment.
Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan's calm and earnest eyes and slowly nodded:
"All right,"
She hesitated for a moment before her voice revealed uncertainty:
"But..
why?"
Xu Yuan looked up at the dim cave ceiling and after a long silence, said:
"To save both your life and mine."
A flicker of confusion passed through Ran Qingmo's eyes:
"But, my injury has healed."
Because her injury had healed, she was confident she could take him out.
That was her confidence.
Xu Yuan turned his eyes slightly and said softly:
"I know your injury has healed, but have you ever seen Xu Changge?"
Ran Qingmo's beautiful eyes flickered for a moment, then she shook her head:
"He has always been in the Imperial Capital, I've never met him.
Are you saying he's come here?"
Her master had mentioned that the eldest son of the Prime Minister's Mansion was even more talented than she was.
Like her, Xu Changge also broke through to the Grandmaster Realm at the age of sixteen.
Unfortunately, there has been no further progress since then, and Xu Changge has been stuck at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm for over fourteen years.
With fourteen years of accumulation, Xu Changge should be very strong, but she could still barely handle him, and at worst, she could escape.
By now, Xu Yuan's meridians could barely withstand her Qi.
Entering his meridians with her Qi could temporarily protect him from the 'air pressure' caused by rapid flight.
Thus, she could take Xu Yuan and flee from a group of attackers.
Moreover, thanks to the Nine Revival Pill and the month of cultivation here, her cultivation had improved significantly from a month ago.
"Yes, he has indeed come,"
Xu Yuan looked at her somewhat helplessly and said in a gentle voice:
"But do you know?"
"Know what?" Ran Qingmo asked.
"As early as ten years ago, Xu Changge had achieved Primordial Origin Qi."
With those words, the cave fell into sudden silence.
"..."
Ran Qingmo's serene eyes slightly lowered
Xu Yuan looked at her expression and with a slight smile that seemed like a sigh, said:
"Actually, Ms.
Ran, using Xu Changtian's life to threaten that person could work to some extent."
"He does care greatly about his family, otherwise, he wouldn't have sent Xu Changge here."
After a pause,
Xu Yuan looked into Ran Qingmo's eyes:
"Ms.
Ran, are you still confident you can escape?
Even using my body as a hostage to threaten and escape is an option."
"…." Ran Qingmo did not respond.
Xu Yuan slowly closed his eyes and also fell silent.
A sense of despair permeated the narrow cave.
The boss in "Cangyuan Chronicles" that required players to cheat to defeat was the Prime Minister's eldest son, Xu Changge!
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Under the towering rage of the Prime Minister, this eldest son pursued Ran Qingmo relentlessly, finally cornering her near the mysterious ruins of a village called "Burial Village" on the border of Dayan.
The battle was swift.
With the first punch, the three-foot black sword in her hand flew out of her grasp.
With the second punch, Ran Qingmo was thrown backward, landing on the ground like a delicate thread about to snap.
In two moves, the battle was over.
Having no chance to strike back whatsoever, Ran Qingmo didn't even have the chance to draw her sword before she was seriously injured at the hand of the young master.
The gap in strength was suffocatingly wide.
This deathly stillness, no one knew how long it lingered within the cave dwelling.
Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes:
"Mr.
Ran, let's begin."
His voice was soft but resolute.
Because only by practicing that cultivation technique could he survive.
"..."
Ran Qingmo's eyes flickered.
Her red lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
In the end, she nodded slightly and said softly;
"Thank you."
But Xu Yuan shook his head:
"I've said it before, don't say thank you, it's a useless word."
Ran Qingmo stared at him earnestly, silent for two seconds:
"Then…
I'll owe you another favor."
Xu Yuan responded with a wan smile and murmured:
"Mr.
Ran, owing too many favors that you can't repay often means you end up sacrificing yourself in the end.
You helped me with this matter, and I chose to take the risk for my own life, so your favor isn't needed."
Ran Qingmo's gaze shimmered for a moment, insisting as she spoke:
"No, I want to owe it."
Silence, an exchange of looks.
People Suffering From Knee Pain Should Read This!
अगर सोने से पहले 1 चम्मच पिएं, तो हफ्ते में 7 किलो वजन घटेगा।
Xu Yuan let out a breath:
"As you wish,
"We don't have much time, shall we begin now?"
Ran Qingmo nodded and slowly lifted a slender jade hand to grasp Xu Yuan's wrist.
The icy touch from her hand was immediately transmitted through his skin.
Xu Yuan glanced at her and asked calmly:
"What method do you plan to use?"
Ran Qingmo explained in a low voice:
"I will use my Origin Qi to create a layer of mystic ice over you and later help you transfer energy to heal your wounds."
Xu Yuan pondered momentarily.
Now that he already had Origin Qi within his body, the two of them could indeed use energy-transference techniques to heal.
His thoughts came to a halt, and Xu Yuan nodded slightly indicating they could begin.
Without a word, a sinister coldness instantly filled the cramped cave dwelling.
The pervasive fog even frosted over the surface of the spiritual spring inside the cave.
Xu Yuan felt an icy chill that could freeze one's spine spreading swiftly from his wrist.
From the wrist to the arm, then to the entire right side of his torso, until his whole body was submerged in eternal ice.
In this spread of icy air, Xu Yuan realized that his consciousness was slowing down at a visibly detectable rate, and the scent of death clung to his heart like maggots on bones.
Time ticked by minute by minute, and everything before his eyes slowly descended into darkness….
...
At some unknown point, Xu Yuan woke up again to the dim cave ceiling and remained speechless for a long while.
He thought the hypothermia-induced unconsciousness in that cave was the brink of death, but when true death loomed, Xu Yuan realized that the hypothermic unconsciousness was nothing in comparison.
Having held on for only a few minutes, his consciousness had fallen into darkness.
A slightly hoarse voice gently broke the silence of the cave dwelling:
"How long…
How long was I unconscious?"
"Two hours," came Ran Qingmo's light voice from beside him.
Xu Yuan placed his hand on his forehead and rubbed forcefully.
Two hours…
With about five days left, he had to reserve at least two days for the formal practice of the Blood Essence Meteoring Art.
Two hours at a time meant he had, at most, about twenty chances left to adapt.
Slowly sitting up, Xu Yuan looked at her without saying much:
"Continue."
"If possible, after the healing, wake me up immediately, I don't need to rest."
"..."
Ran Qingmo watched his frail yet determined eyes, gently pursed her lips, and silently took hold of his wrist once more....