Chapter 9: Qi Vessels

Chen Hai simply took out the "Supplement to the Daoist Military Essentials" from the package and compared it one by one, and surprisingly, he quickly identified all twelve main meridians, including the Three Yangs of the Foot, the Three Yins of the Foot, the Three Yangs of the Hand, and the Three Yins of the Hand, without any discrepancies

Chen Hai has never practiced any profound skills or ultimate techniques, and the fragmented memories left by Yao Xing do not involve any profound skills or ultimate techniques. How could it be possible for him to inadvertently perform an action that causes the vital energy in his entire body to surge like a boiling spring?

Upon closer examination of the fiery medicinal power of the purple fruit, countless strands of blue micro-light spread along the trachea throughout the body. Chen Hai noticed that these blue micro-lights varied in thickness and complexity; although dense like a spider's web, they faintly formed twelve main branches with discernible pathways among the limbs and internal organs, permeating the entire body

At this moment, Chen Hai felt as if his hands and feet no longer belonged to him, wishing he could lie sprawled on the side of the road, never to rise again

Although the spiritual medicine provided to him by Chen Lie is undoubtedly a rare treasure that ordinary people would not dare to dream of, Chen Hai has been lying unconscious in bed for seven or eight days, and while he no longer feels the pain of broken bones, his body has not yet fully recovered.

Having learned this lesson, Chen Hai no longer swallowed a whole purple fruit directly. Instead, he took a large bite of the fruit's flesh and held it in his mouth, slowly chewing and swallowing as he descended the mountain. Chen Hai thought that this might help reduce the loss of the fruit's potency

The Tieliu Ridge, which Chen Hai is heading to, is one of the many Daoist temples of the Taiwei Sect located at the southwestern corner of the Taiwei Mountain Range, adjacent to the important military town of Mengcheng in Hexi. It serves as a crucial point for the counties of Hexi to enter the Taiwei Mountain Range and connects to the border counties of Jinzhou to the west

For most of the day, Chen Hai had no idea how many steps he had climbed; his feet were already injured from the exertion. He never expected that even the puppet's body could directly reflect the injuries sustained by his true self.

Although Chen Lie's will cannot be defied, at this moment, it is Chen Qing who is in charge. Even if Chen Hai is not afraid of Su Ziling's hidden malice, he does not dare to go to Chen Qing to seek favor. He secretly feels that this female tiger has a fiery temper, and the fact that she has not killed him with a single blow and thrown him off the cliff is already showing great respect for her father, Chen Lie.

This is the origin of the Twelve Main Meridians - although there are descriptions of the Twelve Main Meridians in the "Supplement to the Daoist Military Canon", none are as intuitive and profound as witnessing it with one's own eyes at this moment

The numerous Daoist academies of the Taiwei Sect correspond to the outer sect system of ordinary sects. However, since these academies primarily train grassroots military officers or elite soldiers for the Wuwei Army, the lower-level disciples selected for cultivation in the academies do not have distinctions such as servant disciples or outer sect disciples; they are all collectively referred to as Daoist soldier disciples

Chen Hai also noticed that within the puppet's clone, the six main energy meridians in the lower legs and feet were somewhat reddened

The disciples of the mystical cultivation refine their spirit and thoughts through the secret visualization methods passed down by their sect, thereby guiding their vital energy to flow through the meridians in their practice. In contrast, martial arts cultivation requires one to cultivate the profound martial arts techniques that resonate with the true essence of martial arts to a certain level before being able to stimulate the circulation of vital energy within the meridians of the body

The effect is indeed quite good

Since the snake bracelet was embedded in the flesh of Chen Hai's wrist, it seemed to have become a special organ within his body, allowing his thoughts to easily penetrate the Blood Cloud Wilderness at any time

Chen Hai整理了姚兴的残碎记忆，虽然对修行有一些常识，但眼前的场景与他所整理出的常识却有些不符

After more than ten days of travel, Chen Hai appeared to be utterly exhausted, his body on the verge of collapse, and the flesh on his feet was nearly trampled to the point of being raw. However, by a stroke of fortune, just as they were about to exit Taiwei Mountain, upon crossing a ridge, the vital energy hidden within his limbs and bones suddenly surged forth like a boiling spring, and immediately began to flow into the Shaoyang meridian of his feet.

Chen Hai was expelled from Qingxi Peak this time, and there will be few opportunities for him to enjoy privileges in the future. At this moment, he was even less courteous, biting down on a fist-sized purple fruit, his mouth filled with juice, and a scorching heat immediately spread through his throat and into his body.

It seems as if his bloodied and nearly trampled feet belong to someone else.

Chen Hai was slightly taken aback and asked, "Are we going to Tieliu Ridge on foot now?"

Therefore, in addition to the Qishang Peak inner gate located deep within the Taiwei Mountain range, the Taiwei Sect has also established several Daoist academies for training Daoist soldiers in various counties of Hexi

The essence circulates between the meridians; refining the essence and strengthening the meridians is one aspect, while simultaneously tempering the muscles, bones, skin, and flesh near the meridians is even more significant

Although Tieliu Ridge is also part of the Taiwei Mountain range, it is actually a remnant outside of Taiwei Mountain, with connecting paths on both sides, yet they are still separated by a distance of over one thousand miles

Although there is no explicit prohibition, how many of the attendants, maidservants, and household servants of the various caves of Qingxi Peak would dare to act recklessly in the mountains like Chen Hai does

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi initially thought that Yao Xing would throw a tantrum and curse after supporting him for a short while. At this moment, seeing him still able to remain courteous and restrained, they were secretly astonished, yet they did not show it. They resolutely refused the purple fruit, politely declining, saying: "We dare not slightly violate the mountain's prohibition..."

In order to turn the situation around, he needed to remain in the Taiwei Sect for cultivation. Not only should he avoid being looked down upon by Chen Qing, but he must also not allow people like Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi to underestimate him. More importantly, if he wanted to survive and for his soul to adapt to the new body, he had to endure rigorous physical training

Chen Hai has not yet walked out of Qingxi Peak, and there is still some distance to the foot of the mountain, while the heel of his foot is swollen and painful as if pricked by needles

The left ear has mentioned that the movement of true essence or vital energy within the meridians will be reflected precisely, like a mirror, onto the puppet avatar. It is evident that these fine, web-like strands of微光 are, in fact, a direct manifestation of the medicinal power contained in the purple fruit, transformed into vital energy within the body

Tieliu Ridge is a branch of the Taiwei Mountain Range extending southwest. Beyond Taiwei Mountain, although there are still numerous ridges in the southwest direction, the terrain is much more accessible. There are also established thoroughfares between the mountains, allowing for the passage of vehicles and horses. Chen Hai and his companions can hire vehicles and horses to report to the Dao Academy.

... ...

Although the purple spirit fruit is an overlooked low-level spiritual fruit at Qingxi Peak, for Chen Hai at this moment, it is undoubtedly a powerful tonic. His body suddenly began to heat up, feeling as if an invisible, immense force was about to burst forth from within him.

After that, Su Ziling also hid away and did not make any further appearances

However, he did not expect that the meridians of the human body would be so densely packed

From beginning to end, Chen Qing did not make an appearance, but before Chen Hai left, Su Ziling came over again, carrying out Chen Qing's orders to retrieve the talisman that allowed him to enter and exit Qingxi Peak and the Splendid Cloud Cliff cave.

This level of hardship is certainly nothing compared to the arduous training of martial artists who refine their physical bodies

With the potent medicinal properties of the purple fruit, the energy pathways along the feet descend, resulting in a significant reduction of the redness and swelling displayed by the puppet's feet. In fact, the swelling in both legs has also improved somewhat, indicating that the purple fruit not only replenishes the consumed vital energy but also possesses certain healing effects.

In the past ten days, Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi, two fierce soldiers from the army, both at the late stage of the Transcendence Realm, felt somewhat overwhelmed. At this moment, seeing Chen Hai's severely injured foot, they were even more shocked. They never expected that Young Master Xing didn't even furrow his brow, leaving them extremely puzzled. How has this wayward son changed his character?

Chen Hai let out a cold snort and turned his gaze towards the courtyard where Chen Qing was in seclusion for cultivation. Even though he did not dare to provoke this female tiger at that moment, he could not suppress the resentment in his heart

Chen Hai quickly gathered his belongings, tied them into a bundle, and when he stepped out of the bedroom, he saw Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi waiting empty-handed in the courtyard, seemingly planning to descend the mountain like this

The Wuwei Army is responsible for the military defense of the northwestern region of the Great Yan Empire, and as a counterpart to the Wuwei Army, the Taiwei Sect has one of its core functions to cultivate and supply qualified generals and grassroots military officers for the Wuwei Army

If it is said that he unintentionally performed a certain action that coincidentally aligned with the true essence of martial arts, that would be quite absurd

However, the half-damaged body left to Yao Xing is still unable to fully absorb the complete medicinal power of a purple fruit; through the mirror-like reflection of the puppet clone, he can see that the medicinal power of this purple fruit is spreading too quickly within his body, with only a small portion being absorbed, while the majority is rapidly lost through sweat, wasted in vain

This is the principle that the void cannot be supplemented

Over the years, although Chen Hai has become more worldly and shrewd, there remains an underlying pride within him. He senses that Chen Qing intends to teach him a lesson, yet he does not believe that she would truly dare to watch him perish on Taiwei Mountain.

The young lady mentioned the spirit cranes at Splashing Cloud Cliff, which are equivalent to Daoist soldiers' disciples; however, Young Master Xing is not yet a disciple of the Daoist soldiers. If he were to ride the spirit cranes and these few flat-feathered beasts were to throw a tantrum halfway, it would be quite a risk for Young Master Xing..." Qian Wenyu, being somewhat diplomatic, explained this to Chen Hai with a forced smile.

Deep within the Taiwei Mountain Range, the heights of the mountains and the depths of the ravines are beyond imagination. Even though there is a rudimentary mountain path established between Qingxi Peak and Tieliu Ridge, it took Chen Hai more than half a month to reach Tieliu Ridge.

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi felt a sense of unease in their hearts. At the beginning of their journey, they did not expect Young Master Xing to endure until the end. According to Miss Zhao's plan, it was also to let him suffer enough hardships. However, after they sent him to Tieliu Ridge, they would no longer concern themselves with his fate. They even thought that if Young Master Xing lost his temper and refused to enter the Tieliu Ridge Dao Academy, leaving Taiwei Sect without a word from then on, it would be even more convenient.

Chen Qing is not merely trying to drive him away from the Splendid Cloud Cliff for the sake of peace, but is clearly indicating an intention to teach him a lesson

However, one should not lose the morale even in defeat. Since Jie Hai has come this far, he must continue to maintain his facade.

Disciples of the Taiwei Sect, such as Chen Lie, hold important military positions in the Wuwei Army; moreover, the elite Daoist soldiers of the Wuwei Army are almost entirely composed of the most junior disciples of the Taiwei Sect.

At this moment, the puppet clone maintained a sitting posture amidst the endless desolation and the eerie fragments of bones, appearing quite strange. However, a faint layer of bluish light emanated from within its body. Under Chen Hai's mental perception, countless bluish threads could be seen spreading along the trachea to the limbs and bones of the puppet clone.

Chen Hai was also secretly alarmed. As he sorted through Yao Xing's memories, he discovered that Yao Xing had indeed put effort into studying the "Supplement to the Daoist Military Essentials" at the Taiwei Sect, yet he had not fully grasped the specific locations of the twelve primary meridians within the hundred bones. In contrast, he was able to intuitively identify them through his puppet avatar. It was no wonder that this old fellow, Left Ear, felt that giving him this puppet avatar was already a tremendous favor to the Dragon Emperor Cang Yu.

Having contemplated these matters, Chen Hai did not seek to reason with Chen Qing. He packed his belongings and began to descend the stone steps, taking one step at a time towards the foot of Qingxi Peak.

Although the journey of more than ten days was exceptionally arduous, Chen Hai managed to endure it.

Chen Hai sat on a stone by the roadside, took off his boots, revealing his bloodied and festering feet, with the blood having soaked through the felt grass that was placed inside the boots

Chen Hai, however, was unaware of what Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi were thinking. His feet were battered and bruised, yet he felt an excitement that was difficult to contain within.

His true self instinctively reached back to touch his heel, and at the same time, his puppet clone mirrored the action. The area where he touched became increasingly swollen and red.

Now Chen Qing does not allow him to ride the spirit bird to Tieliu Ridge, but instead, under the "escort" of Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi, he must walk thousands of miles to Tieliu Ridge. What else could this be if not to show him a lesson?

... ...

Chen Hai glanced at Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi, and said with a light and carefree tone: "We are now at Tieliu Ridge, Uncle Zhao and Uncle Qian can rest assured and return to Qingxi Peak to report to Chen Qing."

This also means that Chen Hai will no longer receive summons in the future, and he can no longer enter Chen Lie's Splendid Cloud Cliff cave at will, let alone wander around Qingxi Peak.

They also observed the head of the family was extremely disappointed in this nephew, yet felt an unavoidable obligation to care for him

Fortunately, the medicinal properties of the purple fruit are not particularly strong. Aside from a bit of initial discomfort, Chen Hai did not reach the level of bleeding from all seven orifices.

He waited until he reached Tieliu Ridge Dao Academy, where he would exchange for a new disciple token for Dao soldiers, but the numerous privileges brought about by Chen Lie would no longer exist

Although this scene was fleeting, the shock and confusion it brought to Chen Hai were beyond words

Chen Hai saw several clusters of purple bamboo-like shrubs in the rocky ditch by the roadside, bearing seven or eight purple fruits resembling baby fists. Realizing that these were low-grade spiritual fruits known as purple fruits, he endured the pain in his legs and feet, gritted his teeth, and walked down the stone steps to pick the seven or eight purple fruits. He handed one each to Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyiyi, saying: "It will take at least ten days to half a month to reach Tieliu Ridge. Uncle Zhao, Uncle Qian, have a couple of purple fruits to quench your thirst..."

Deep within the Taiwei Mountain Range, those hills that are much shorter than Qingxi Peak are capped with pristine ice and snow. However, Qingxi Peak, as one of the Seven Peaks, remains warm and spring-like throughout the year, with lush greenery covering the mountains and an abundance of spiritual trees. While low-level spiritual fruits, such as Ziyu Guo, may not be found everywhere, they are not difficult to locate.

He cannot collapse at the last moment