Chapter 8, Seeking the Eight Meridians
Senior..." He gazed longingly at the old man in black.
In the darkness, Zhou Yuan felt a sharp pain emanating from within his body, as a black liquid eroded layer by layer.
I... my eight meridians have encountered ? ! ''
What do you think? A voice filled with age came from ahead, and there stood the old man in black, gazing at him with a faint smile.
Because he saw, at the tip of his finger, a faint black mark that quietly disappeared
Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the surging excitement within, and cupped his fists in a respectful manner, saying: "Junior Zhou Yuan, I have met the senior."
Zhou Yuan's breathing was heavy as he looked around. At this moment, he still stood before the thatched cottage, and everything that had happened before felt like an illusion.
The oppressive atmosphere rolled in like thunderclouds, and after a considerable time, a trace of helplessness suddenly appeared on the expressionless, aged face of the old man in black. Lying in his chair, he sighed, "It seems I have truly grown old, unable even to intimidate a mere child."
The black liquid encroaches inch by inch, and excruciating pain follows suit, as if the skin all over the body is being corroded
Call, call
Yao Yao?" Zhou Yuan was once again taken aback, also looking at the girl in the blue dress. Clearly, this should be her name. As expected, she was as delicate and charming as her name suggested
Is that... the cultivation of the Eight Meridians?
Zhou Yuan gazed at the eight beams of light, his heart suddenly jolted, and a wave of enlightenment surged within him. It turned out that they were the eight meridians of cultivation that had never been revealed within his body.
The old man in black did not respond, but gently patted Yaoyao's small hand
At this critical moment when death is truly imminent, they seem to sense the crisis, slowly beginning to writhe as if they were hidden dragons, emitting a certain low, rumbling sound.
Zhou Yuan wore an awkward expression, but at this moment, he had not yet opened a meridian, and in the eyes of others, he indeed appeared to be as powerless as a person unable to tie up a chicken.
Upon seeing his eager gaze, the old man in black suddenly revealed a strange smile at the corner of his mouth, and then he abruptly waved his sleeve.
He felt that if those black liquids continued to corrode, he would truly die here
At the moment the old man in black saw him, with a keen intuition, Zhou Yuan was still able to ascertain that deep within the old man's gaze, there was a fleeting glimmer of something unusual.
At this moment, he could clearly sense that within his body, eight meridians coiled and twisted like hidden dragons soaring out from the depths of an abyss
Zhou Yuan's tightly shut eyes suddenly opened at this moment, bright light once again flooding into his vision. He fell down onto the ground, as if he had just been pulled out of water, sweat dripping down his youthful face in a steady stream.
Then he turned his head, looked at Zhou Yuan, and smiled, "How is it?"
That is all. The old man in black also concealed his expression, looking at Zhou Yuan, and said: "I can resolve the issue of your eight meridians not manifesting, but there is one condition."
Eight rays of light are entrenched, resembling a hidden dragon lying in wait
Boom
The aura of death grows increasingly intense
Roar
Since that is the case..." The old man in black smiled, staring at Zhou Yuan, and said: "Then let us address the issue of your eight meridians not manifesting..."
I cannot die
Zhou Yuanyi was taken aback, fell silent for a moment, and then carefully chose his words, saying: "I, as a junior, do not know where this place is, nor do I know who you are, senior. However, since the secret cave left by my Zhou family's ancestors leads to this place, it stands to reason that you must have had some connection with my Zhou family's ancestors."
The old man in black gently patted the jade hand of the girl in green and said softly, "Yao Yao, Grandpa Hei has something to attend to and will be away for a while, so I cannot continue to stay by your side."
He glanced at Zhou Yuan, who seemed eager to speak yet hesitant, his eyes burning with intensity, as if he understood what was on his mind. He then smiled oddly and said, "I know what you are thinking. Indeed, I can help you resolve the issue of the eight meridians not manifesting. However, why should I help you?"
I still need to restore the lifespan of my mother! I still need to avenge my father for that lost arm! And also for the divine dragon fortune that was taken from me!
"Grandpa Hei." The young girl in the green attire lightly bit her red lips, and at that moment, her delicate and refined face revealed a hint of unwillingness and resistance.
The old man in black, with his weathered eyes, fixed his gaze upon Zhou Yuan. Although there was no terrifying aura surrounding him, a sense of oppression emanated from him, causing the entire ancient forest to seemingly fall silent at that moment
The voice of the youth, though somewhat immature, possesses an undeniable quality that commands attention
The girl named Yao Yao, with crystal-clear eyes, dimmed as she glanced at Zhou Yuan and softly said: "Grandpa Hei, he is too weak"
A great earthquake shook the ground, and a massive fissure suddenly tore open right beneath Zhou Yuan's feet, forming a dark abyss that swallowed the horrified Zhou Yuan whole
In the darkness, the roar of anger and resentment echoed in Zhou Yuan's heart, a roar that contained a profound obsession with survival and desire
Excruciating pain, accompanied by fear, eroded Zhou Yuan's spirit, as a thick aura of death permeated the air
"Grandpa Hei, will I be able to see you again in the future?" Yaoyao whispered. Being wise, she could sense that the actions of the old man in black carried a sense of entrustment, clearly indicating that he might be about to undertake something extremely dangerous, and there was even a possibility that he could lose his life.
In response to the words of the old man in black, Zhou Yuan smiled and shook his head, saying: "I do not know the answer to this, perhaps the senior knows a little?"
Is it really true? Yuan Xin's mind was shaken, and he finally confirmed that everything that had just happened was real, but the methods of this old man in black were simply too astonishing to comprehend
Zhou Yuan's youthful face was filled with seriousness. He respectfully bowed to the old man in black and slowly said: "Although I currently possess no power, I can promise you, senior, that if anyone wishes to harm Sister Yao Yao, they must first step over my dead body."
That black mark is identical to the previous black liquid
Zhou Yuan's expression changed dramatically, as he could clearly sense how real the previous aura of death was. He slowly raised his palm, but his pupils suddenly constricted.
Ah
Behind the old man in black, the young girl in green cast a glance at Zhou Yuan with her bright eyes and said in a clear and faint voice: "He is pretending; in fact, he is terrified to death"
The girl in blue approached the old man in black, casting a glance at the astonished Zhou Yuan. Meanwhile, Tun Tun jumped up, wanting to leap into her arms, but at that moment, the girl disdainfully lifted the dejected creature with her delicate fingers and casually tossed it into the water tank
I cannot die here
The old man in black, upon hearing this, did not express any opinion.
I have not completed any of these, how can I die here
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan felt a stir in his heart and closed his eyes to sense himself. It was at this moment that his heartbeat suddenly began to resonate like thunder. On his youthful and pale face, an expression of disbelief began to emerge.
Uh ... ...
Zhou Yuan's heart became completely cold, accompanied by the shattering of the three source patterns
What terrified Zhou Yuan the most was that the black liquid was invading through the pores of his entire body, actually destroying the internal structure of his body. Wherever the black liquid passed, flesh, blood, and meridians were all being corroded.
As death truly approached, and the roars within Zhou Yuan's body echoed incessantly, suddenly, it felt as if his spirit plummeted. In that moment, he faintly perceived that deep within his body, there were eight faint strands of light coiling and winding, appearing and disappearing.
In just a few breaths, the darkness completely recedes
Upon hearing this, the old man in black also revealed a satisfied smile on his aged face
At this moment, Zhou Yuan had completely regained his composure. He fixed his gaze on the old man in black and slowly said: "Given my current state, I cannot present anything to impress you, senior. However, I can see that you seem to be... waiting for me, am I right?"
A black liquid spread forth, ultimately covering Zhou Yuan's eyes, and an excruciating pain surged, as if his very eyes were being corroded, plunging the entire world into darkness
The old man in black nodded and said, "Indeed, they are from the Zhou family."
These eight meridians are indeed the eight channels that mark the beginning of cultivation
The old man in black couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this. He glanced at Zhou Yuan and said, "Although this little fellow is weak now, the future is still uncertain."
"Feel within yourself," said the old man in black with a smile
Since the elderly man in black before him could discern the issues with his body at a glance, he must not be an ordinary person. Perhaps, the problem of his eight meridians being unmanifested could indeed be resolved here.
However, Zhou Yuan remained indifferent to this ridiculous scene; he merely gazed in shock at the mysterious old man in black. After a long while, the shock faded away, replaced instead by a sense of hope.
The rocking chair finally paused slightly at this moment, and the old man in black squinted his eyes, staring at Zhou Yuan without revealing any signs of joy or anger, and said: "Little brat, you certainly have a big tone; what makes you think you are worthy of my wait?"
Zhou Yuan's spirit was instantly invigorated, and he gazed at the old man in black with fervent eyes
Zhou Yuan's body plummeted wildly, and he let out a scream from his mouth. At the same time, a viscous black liquid spread from the darkness, wrapping around his hands and feet
The creature, Tun Tun, thrown into the water tank, appeared extremely aggrieved, but knowing that the young girl had a cleanliness obsession, it could only obediently scrub itself clean. That scene looked particularly comical
The voice of the old man in black fell into Zhou Yuan's ears like a thunderclap, causing turmoil in his heart. This old man, with just a single glance, was able to discern everything that had transpired in Zhou Yuan's life.
Zhou Yuan's expression momentarily froze, and then he revealed an awkward smile, for at that moment, his back was indeed dampened by cold sweat. After all, no matter how composed he tried to be, facing this singular opportunity before him, it was impossible to remain entirely unperturbed.
Outside the thatched cottage, a slender youth wore a slight smile, his gaze fixed directly on the old man in black, his eyes displaying neither fear nor trepidation, resembling a newborn calf.
Buzz
Zhou Yuan struggled frantically, and without hesitation, he activated the three source patterns inscribed on his body. However, just as the three source patterns began to emit light, black liquid surged in, extinguishing the light. Ultimately, the three source patterns were also eroded and erased by the black liquid
Conditions? Zhou Yuan was momentarily taken aback, then nodded seriously: "Please, senior, go ahead."
Was that just a lie?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback
He believes that the secret saying passed down within the Zhou family is bound to be unfounded. Since he is able to come here, there must be a reason, and he also trusts his own feelings.
Zhou Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, filled with excitement, as he fixed his gaze on the old man in black, his voice trembling.
This is not an illusion; if he cannot stop the erosion of the black liquid, he will truly die
In that instant, a brilliant light suddenly erupted from the deepest part of Zhou Yuan's body. Wherever the light swept through, the black liquid began to melt and dissipate at a visibly rapid pace.
The old man in black let out a soft sigh, turning his head to gaze at the graceful young girl in green beside him, and slowly said: "I want you to take Yao Yao away from here and protect her"