Chapter 174

The sun rose and the moon set, the stars shifted.

Time passed day by day.

In the herb garden, that thin, withered figure remained sitting cross-legged on the open ground, motionless, like an old pine tree rooted for a thousand years.

It was none other than Jiang Ye.

His body was shrouded in a layer of sharp, golden-white energy.

This golden-white energy was no longer as thin and scattered as it was at the beginning, but had condensed into something substantial, flowing slowly around his body like a thin suit of armor, making his figure appear somewhat sharp.

Inside his dantian, that golden-white pill was rotating at a speed far exceeding the usual.

Every time it completed a rotation, the sharp energy around it condensed a bit more, and the luster on the surface of the pill became brighter.

He did not know how much time had passed.

The rotation of the golden-white pill finally reached a certain threshold and suddenly stalled.

The golden-white energy around Jiang Ye suddenly began to surge violently, like stirred lake water.

Hum!

A light chime, like a sharp sword leaving its scabbard, echoed in the silent herb garden.

Jiang Ye suddenly opened his eyes.

In those aged eyes, a golden-white light flashed and disappeared, then returned to silence.

In his eyes, there was a touch of sharpness that had not been there before, like a sharpened blade, revealing a cold light.

"Tai Bai True Essence Qi Cultivation Method," minor success.

In his dantian, that golden-white pill hung among the four colors, no longer the dimmest of the five pills.

Its luster was restrained, yet it faintly revealed a sharp intent that could sever all things.

The tenth main meridian was also cleared by the momentum of the Metal Element True Qi breakthrough.

Jiang Ye's lips slowly curled into an arc, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

He could clearly perceive that after the Metal Element True Qi reached minor success, the Five Elements True Qi in his body, which had previously been slightly imbalanced, had now completely stabilized.

The flow between the five pills no longer had any stagnation; they generated each other and helped each other, becoming one harmonious whole.

He raised his hand, and with a thought, he fused the five types of True Qi together and gathered them at his fingertips.

Boom!

A multicolored, chaotic-like light suddenly emerged from his fingertips.

Jiang Ye watched this multicolored light quietly.

This time, the multicolored light did not dissipate instantly as it had before.

Instead, it bloomed quietly at his fingertips.

Seeing this scene, a look of joy flashed in Jiang Ye's eyes.

It was done.

The Five Elements foundation was solid, with no fear of dissipation.

He did not immerse himself too much in this joy; he closed his five fingers, dispersed the light at his fingertips, and then fixed his gaze on the jade box in front of his knees.

He reached out and opened the lid of the box, and a spiritual energy so pure it was almost viscous rushed toward him. Just by inhaling a mouthful, he felt the meridians throughout his body relax slightly.

Inside the box lay a spiritual fruit the size of a longan, its skin crystal clear, with luster faintly flowing beneath the surface, as if carved from jade.

"Come, help me break through to perfection!"

Jiang Ye did not hesitate at all and swallowed the Heavenly Spirit Fruit from the jade box in one gulp.

The Heavenly Spirit Fruit melted as soon as it hit his throat; before he could even swallow, it had turned into a vast and majestic torrent of energy, rushing straight down his throat.

The next instant.

Boom—!!!

An energy intertwined with cold and heat exploded in his body.

These two diametrically opposed energies did not cancel each other out, but intertwined and coexisted in a strange way, like fire hidden in ice and ice wrapped in fire, roaring through his meridians.

Every collision made his meridians swell as if they were about to burst.

For an ordinary Embracing the Pill Realm martial artist, just enduring this impact would require their full effort.

But Jiang Ye did not even frown.

He had cultivated the "Diamond Body Refining Technique" to the great success stage and had also comprehended the bear-form intent, "Old Bear Embracing Simplicity." His internal organs, meridians, and bones were all far tougher than those of martial artists at the same level.

This energy impact, which would have been excruciating for others, was to him nothing more than a violent wave; although surging, it could not break this iron-cast dam.

His mind sank into his dantian, and he began to guide this majestic spiritual power to circulate rapidly along the ten cleared main meridians.

Each time it circulated, the violent energy was refined a bit more, turning into pure True Qi and merging into the dantian.

The five pills were like five greedy, giant mouths, crazily devouring this external spiritual energy, and the luster on the surface of the pills became more solid at a speed visible to the naked eye.

When the spiritual power accumulated to a certain threshold, Jiang Ye did not hesitate to guide this torrent and rush toward the eleventh main meridian.

Bang.

A low, muffled sound exploded from within his body, as if rock layers deep underground had been forcibly cracked.

The eleventh main meridian, cleared.

Without a moment's rest, Jiang Ye guided the remaining spiritual power to launch an all-out attack on the last main meridian.

The barrier of the twelfth main meridian was more stubborn than any before it; it was like an iron door rusted shut, stuck firmly at the end of the meridians.

The torrent of spiritual power from the Heavenly Spirit Fruit struck again and again, each time leaving fine cracks on the iron door, but it was unable to break it open completely.

Jiang Ye's face was as calm as water, neither anxious nor impatient; he simply compressed the torrent of spiritual power, refining it continuously, grinding it from a heavy hammer into a sharp awl.

Then, he suddenly opened his eyes, and the five-colored light in his pupils surged.

He pushed the five pills in his dantian to their limit simultaneously, and the five-colored True Qi surged out, carrying all the remaining spiritual power of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, gathering into a five-colored torrent to launch the final strike against that rusted iron door.

Crack.

A crisp sound.

The rusted iron door shattered under this blow, and the torrent of True Qi drove straight in, breaking through the barrier of the last main meridian, then surged along the newly opened meridians, flowing unimpeded all the way.

The twelve main meridians were now all cleared, and the True Qi in his body flowed without any stagnation, forming a complete and perfect grand cycle.

At that moment, Jiang Ye felt all the meridians in his body resonating in unison.

Boom—!!!

An aura suddenly erupted from his body, causing all the herbs in the entire Tiankui Herb Garden to bow down.

Within a radius of several hundred meters, all the chirping of insects and birds stopped abruptly at this moment.

Embracing the Pill Realm, perfection.

Jiang Ye slowly stood up, feeling the surging power in his body, and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hahahahaha!!!"

"Is this the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy?!"

He stretched out a hand, his five fingers slightly spread, as if touching something invisible.

After clearing the twelve main meridians and reaching the perfection of the Embracing the Pill Realm, he could finally perceive the existence of Heaven and Earth Vital Energy.

It was everywhere, permeating the gaps between leaves and grass, floating in the morning mist and night dew, only previously separated by an invisible barrier, within reach but untouchable.

Now that the barrier had dissipated with the clearing of the twelve main meridians, he could clearly "touch" this vital energy wandering between heaven and earth.

This also meant that he could take the most critical step.

Drawing Heaven and Earth Vital Energy into the body to temper Divine Qi.

Jiang Ye slowly took a deep breath, suppressing the surging excitement in his chest.

His temperament was resilient, and he was not carried away by the joy of reaching the perfection of the Embracing the Pill Realm.

The spiritual power of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit still had lingering effects.

His state was currently at its peak, his True Qi was full and abundant, which was the best time to guide Heaven and Earth Vital Energy into his body to temper Divine Qi.

He stood still immediately, his feet shoulder-width apart, his spine straight as a pine, his hands hanging at his sides, his five fingers slightly spread.

With a thought, he followed the method recorded in the Qi Cultivation Method, using his dantian as a furnace and his meridians as a guide to intake the surrounding Heaven and Earth Vital Energy.

The next instant.

Boom—!!!

The Heaven and Earth Vital Energy in the Tiankui Herb Garden suddenly rioted, swarming in from all directions, scrambling to rush toward Jiang Ye.

The air twisted slightly due to the violent flow of this vital energy.

Every pore on his body opened at this moment, and the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy pierced in through every pore simultaneously like countless fine, scalding steel needles.

The Heaven and Earth Vital Energy surged down along the meridians like a mountain flood joining a river, rushing into the dantian with unstoppable force.

The moment the first wisp of Heaven and Earth Vital Energy mixed with the red-gold True Qi in his dantian.

"Ugh..."

Jiang Ye's whole body shook violently, his pupils shrinking.

He felt as if his dantian had been gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, triggering a sharp pain that almost crushed his dantian.

He groaned, the veins on his forehead bulging, his teeth clenched tightly.

He immediately realized that tempering Divine Qi was a very massive project.

If he was too hasty, it would only be counterproductive.

If he drew too much vital energy, at best his meridians would be damaged, and at worst his dantian would shatter.

"Let's temper the Great Sun Heavenly Flame True Qi into Divine Qi first..."

He made a decision in his heart.

Among the Five Elements True Qi, the Great Sun Heavenly Flame True Qi was the most tyrannical and thick, and it was also the one he was most familiar with.

Using it as a breakthrough point was the safest.

After the Fire Element Divine Qi took shape, he would then temper the other four elements in turn, proceeding step by step; that was the right path.

He gathered his mind and cast out all distracting thoughts from his mind.

The four pills in his dantian that had not yet been touched were suppressed by his intent and slowly retreated to the edges, leaving only the red-gold pill hanging in the center, rotating slowly, emitting a scorching and tyrannical aura.

He began to carefully guide the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy flowing into his body, pulling them wisp by wisp to the center of his dantian to slowly merge with the red-gold pill.

The first wisp of vital energy was finally completely swallowed by the red-gold True Qi.

A layer of extremely faint metallic luster appeared on the surface of the pill.

It was precisely Divine Radiance.

Then the second wisp, the third wisp, the tenth wisp...

Jiang Ye seemed to have forgotten the passage of time.

His intent was completely immersed in that red-gold pill; every wisp of Heaven and Earth Vital Energy that was swallowed and refined, he could clearly perceive that the pill was undergoing a transformation.

Jiding Peak, Affairs Hall.

Gongsun Hong stood to the side with his hands hanging down, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Inside the hall, the Peak Masters of the four peaks of the Tianqing Sect were gathered, with only Luo Song of Tianyangfeng missing.

Today was the day for each peak to collect their monthly elixir allowance, and it was also the most difficult day of the month for him, the manager of the Affairs Hall.

The four Peak Masters were all high-ranking and powerful; the slightest negligence would be an offense, yet he couldn't afford to offend any of them.

"Peak Masters, the elixirs required by each peak have all been arranged properly."

He suppressed the anxiety in his heart, bit the bullet, stepped forward, and said with a solemn expression:

"Liu Fengzhu Luo of Tianyangfeng has not yet arrived. Should we wait for him to come before distributing them together?"

"Let's wait for Old Luo to come and collect them together." Liu Qingyu smiled faintly, her tone gentle.

She was dressed only in a plain green gauze dress today, wearing no makeup, yet she was still as beautiful as a green lotus after the rain; standing in the hall, she was a sight to behold.

Zhao Jing, standing to the side, snorted coldly, an impatient look appearing on his cold, hard face without any concealment:

"This Luo Lao Gui Luo's airs are getting bigger and bigger; he's always the slowest to arrive! The four of us are sitting here waiting for him alone. Who does he think he is? The Sect Master?"

Lu Xiao stood by the hall pillar with his hands behind his back, not speaking; his naturally browless, long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of displeasure flashed in the depths of his eyes as well.

Between the three, an old man in a light green robe with a kind face smiled and tried to smooth things over:

"Waiting for a moment is no harm. We old fellows are usually busy with our own things; it's rare for us to get together. Let's just consider it catching up and chatting; it's quite rare."

This person was Sun Lin, the Liu Fengzhu of Qingmu Peak, with a youthful face and white hair, always carrying a three-part smile when speaking; he was recognized as the "old good man" among the Peak Masters.

However, a moment later, the sound of footsteps coming from outside the hall made everyone look up at the same time.

The person who arrived was not Luo Song, but a middle-aged man in the elder robes of Tianyangfeng, looking hurried.

It was Elder Wang of Tianyangfeng.

Elder Wang stepped into the hall door, and seeing the four Peak Masters looking over in unison, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He subconsciously shrank his neck, feeling that the four gazes were like four giant mountains, pressing down on him so he couldn't breathe.

Logically speaking, it should have been Jiang Ye, the acting Liu Fengzhu, who came to collect the monthly elixir allowance for Tianyangfeng.

However, when he went to the herb garden to notify Jiang Ye, he was told that Jiang Ye was in seclusion.

He thought it over and decided that Tianyangfeng couldn't have no one show up, so he had to bite the bullet and make this trip for Jiang Ye.

He suppressed his nervousness, walked into the hall, and bowed deeply to the four Peak Masters:

"Wang Liang pays his respects to the Peak Masters."

He straightened up, trying his best to make his voice sound steady:

"Liu Fengzhu Luo is currently in seclusion and is unable to come down the mountain, so he specifically instructed me to come and collect the elixirs on his behalf. I apologize for keeping the Peak Masters waiting."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions were different.

Zhao Jing immediately sneered: "What kind of joke is Luo Lao Gui Luo playing! Sending an Embracing the Pill Realm elder to collect elixirs? Do you have the qualifications!"

Elder Wang's expression suddenly stalled.

He knew that this Liu Fengzhu of Hou Tu Peak had been holding a grudge ever since he suffered a great loss at the hands of his own Liu Fengzhu last time.

Today, he was just using this as an excuse to make trouble.

But he was only an Embracing the Pill Realm elder; facing a Liu Fengzhu, how could he have the confidence to refute?

He could only force a smile, his voice sounding a bit dry: "Liu Fengzhu Zhao, please calm your anger. This junior is only following orders and has no intention of being disrespectful..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Jing seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

He turned his head sharply to stare at Elder Wang, his tone suddenly becoming sharp: "Did Luo Lao Gui Luo's old injury flare up again, and is he down for the count!"

A trace of panic flashed in Elder Wang's eyes before he could speak.

Zhao Jing laughed heartily: "Since Luo Lao Gui Luo is down for the count and can't come, let's divide Tianyangfeng's elixir quota among ourselves!"

The Tianqing Sect encourages competition.

The elixir quotas for each peak are different.

Which peak gets more depends entirely on strength.

Luo Song has a fiery temper and strong strength, so every time, Tianyangfeng gets the largest share of elixirs.

Zhao Jing had finally found an opportunity today.

It was just the right time to settle old and new scores together.

Elder Wang was so panicked that his voice changed pitch, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "You cannot, Liu Fengzhu Zhao! Absolutely not..."

If Tianyangfeng's elixirs were divided, he would become a sinner of Tianyangfeng.

How could he go back and face those disciples and elders?

Seeing Elder Wang's panicked expression, Zhao Jing became even more certain of his guess.

That Luo Lao Gui Luo must have had his old injury flare up and couldn't come.

He snorted coldly and turned to look at Gongsun Hong, who was standing to the side with his hands hanging down: "Elder Gongsun, go. Divide some of Tianyangfeng's elixir quota among our peaks. Anyway, Luo Lao Gui Luo can't use it, and it's a waste to pile it up in the warehouse."

"This..."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Hong felt his scalp go numb.

He couldn't afford to offend Zhao Jing, but Tianyangfeng wasn't to be trifled with either...

Wasn't this a case of gods fighting and mortals suffering?

Liu Qingyu frowned slightly and said: "Liu Fengzhu Zhao, is that necessary?"

Sun Lin also shook his head, a rare look of seriousness appearing on his kind face:

"Everyone, let's be harmonious. There's no need to make things so stiff. Let's just follow the normal distribution."

Just then, Lu Xiao, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

He paced out from beside the hall pillar, his naturally browless, long, narrow eyes glowing with a faint, cold light in the candlelight; his voice was flat, but somewhat cold:

"I actually think Liu Fengzhu Zhao makes sense. Doesn't the Sect Master always advocate that we should compete appropriately to keep the sect full of vitality!"