Chapter 11: Chapter Ten: Breaking Through

Liu Xiaolou steadied his mind, rested half a day, and began preparing to unblock the Neiting acupoint. The Xiangu point is where true qi accumulates, the reservoir for nurturing true qi; thus, his preparation was simply to gather true qi within the Xiangu reservoir.

Knowing well that haste makes waste, Liu Xiaolou did not recklessly force the Neiting point. Instead, he extracted all the spiritual energy stored in the three spirit stones he held, converting it into true qi within his body and storing it in the Xiangu reservoir.

After the three spirit stones were drained dry, they turned to powdered ash. At this moment, the Xiangu reservoir resembled a dammed lake—water level rising, pressure building.

Until the moment the dam could no longer hold.

Liu Xiaolou finally opened the floodgates, letting the powerful true qi surge toward Neiting, crashing and swirling against the barrier, then bursting through to rush toward Lidi.

The Neiting point governs qi regulation and pain relief, and resolves mental disorders. After passing this point, Liu Xiaolou felt a jolt in his mind—his awareness sharpened, his perception of his surroundings improved by a third.

The final acupoint of every meridian is the hardest to unblock, not merely because of the point itself, but because it concerns one’s state—this state is elusive, sometimes like a desert wasteland, sometimes like a sudden storm, sometimes like a gentle breeze, or a flash of insight, which cultivators call enlightenment. Having faced death at Jinping Manor, Liu Xiaolou had grasped this insight; the greatest obstacle was now behind him. What remained was merely continuous true qi erosion.

After countless days, when the Lidi point shattered under spiritual energy, all forty-five acupoints of the Foot Yangming Meridian were fully unblocked. He felt calm, serene, and perfectly Tongchang —subtly as if floating, ready to take flight. Of course, this sensation of flight was pure illusion—he was far from such a state. But according to the Xuanyuan Scripture, cultivation Zhici meant he would no longer suffer from digestive ailments.

After ten years of cultivation, today Liu Xiaolou finally unblocked four meridians and entered Qi Refining Third Layer.

Qi Refining Third Layer requires returning to unblock the second of the Three Yin Hand Meridians—the Hand Jueyin Meridian.

The Hand Jueyin Meridian has only nine acupoints per side, but each is a major point: Tianchi, Tianquan, Quze, Ximen, Jianshi, Neiguan, Daling, Laogong, Zhongchong. All nine acupoints contain reservoirs, making it one of the few meridians among the Twelve Meridians capable of nurturing true qi. Unblocking this meridian demands more spiritual energy than any previous one.

Liu Xiaolou gathered the true qi accumulated in the reservoirs of the already-unblocked Hand Taiyin, Hand Yangming, Foot Taiyin, and Foot Yangming meridians, attempting to surge toward Tianchi, the first point of the Hand Jueyin Meridian—but found it harder than ever. True qi could move freely within the four meridians, but that was already remarkable; each meridian had its own domain, and could not be conscripted for another’s task.

Unfortunately, the spirit stones were exhausted. He had to find another way.

If only he had been born into a great sect, free from the worry of spirit stones, Liu Xiaolou sighed bitterly.

He took out the spirit herb, studied it for a while, and found no clue. He prepared to leave the cave—to seek someone outside and find out what this herb was, whether it could be consumed directly, or exchanged for spirit stones.

Time inside the cave was indeterminate, but Liu Xiaolou estimated: since his rice cakes were long gone and the fat fish brought by Da Bai had been eaten by the dozens, at least two months must have passed. Surely the Dongyang Sect cultivators wouldn’t keep searching the Wulong Mountains this long?

He retraced his steps, cautiously peering out from the tree hollow—and instantly felt his scalp prickle. He reached up and pinched it: a giant centipede, just fallen onto his forehead.

This centipede was over a finger’s length, writhing constantly. Though not a spirit creature, its massive mouthparts were razor-sharp, rivaling blades—this was the Earth Dragon, unique to Wulong Mountain.

Liu Xiaolou had suffered from these centipedes before; even his Qi Refining Second Layer skin couldn’t withstand one bite—it left an instant bloody gash. Now, gripping the Earth Dragon, he let it bite his handback—only a white mark remained. He was deeply satisfied.

This was a clear effect of the Xuanyuan Technique: internal and external cultivation, body and spirit in harmony.

Unblocking the meridians also forged his body.

He flicked the Earth Dragon away, crawled out of the tree hollow, and moved silently down the mountain.

The hour neared noon, the heat intensifying—he guessed summer had fully arrived, though he didn’t know which of the three dog days. With a new meridian now drawing coolness inward, the oppressive heat had noticeably lessened.

As he ran along the mountain path, it felt easier than ever—each leap carried him an inch farther than before. If that Han from the Dongyang Sect came chasing him now, Liu Xiaolou was confident he wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of his back.

Descending before returning to the mountain was the custom of Wulong Mountain hermits. At the village entrance, Liu Xiaolou chatted with Auntie Somewhere and Cousin Big Somewhere, then hurried to Uncle Tian’s for details—he learned his cultivation retreat had lasted over two months!

As for the cultivators who entered the mountain, they were indeed from the Dongyang Sect, but they had mistaken their target, focusing instead on sworn brother Wei Hongqing. Wei Hongqing had never attended the Hero Gathering and had vanished long ago—naturally, they found nothing. After searching half the Wulong Mountains for over a month, they left empty-handed.

Liu Xiaolou’s heart settled. He returned calmly to Qianzhu Ridge.

Two months absent, the fence still stood firm—each wooden post deeply rooted, foundation solid—but weeds had overrun it, the tallest reaching the top, just like the courtyard. The thatched roof, weathered by heavy rain, looked dilapidated and desolate.

Liu Xiaolou went to the bamboo grove, cut several long bamboos, cut them into sections, and climbed onto the roof to repair the thatch.

Da Bai the goose had somehow returned, tilting its head to watch its master repair the eaves.

Liu Xiaolou scolded: “Don’t just stand there—pull the weeds!”

Da Bai lowered its head and pecked at the grass with its flat beak, moving swiftly—soon a patch of ground was cleared.

This creature—if you say it’s not a spirit beast, it understands human speech and does human tasks; if you say it is a spirit beast, it absorbs neither sun essence nor moon essence, takes in no spiritual energy, and even if it steals good food, it merely excretes it unchanged—no sign of any spirit beast transformation.

Just treat it as a companion. This Sanxuan Sect had only him and it, clinging to each other.

Repairing the house was no new task—he and Da Bai were both seasoned. By dusk, everything was done. They ate a pot of river crabs Da Bai had brought back, then slept in the thatched hut.

The next day, Liu Xiaolou went to Guimeng Cliff, pushed aside the vines covering the cave wall, stepped inside, lingered for a long while, then finally emerged in gloom—Wei Hongqing was truly gone forever.

His master had passed, and now his closest friend was gone too. Liu Xiaolou felt deeply desolate—the vast Wulong Mountains seemed empty, truly lonely.

Still, cultivation must continue. Liu Xiaolou clenched his fist and walked away.

Below Guimeng Cliff surged the Wuchao River. He dragged a bamboo raft from the riverside reeds—it was caked in mud but tightly bound, undamaged.

This raft was woven by Wei Hongqing. In the past, Wei Hongqing often built one and floated downstream; Liu Xiaolou had joined him many times, enjoying the convenience. Now that Wei Hongqing was gone, it was his duty as sworn brother to inherit the raft.