Chapter 1: Meridian Repair

At this moment, Mu Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at the layer of purple light without blinking. As the purple aura vanished, he immediately closed his eyes.

The methods of cultivation are not difficult to obtain, but achieving success in cultivation is not something everyone can accomplish. Firstly, after reaching adulthood, a person's meridians are essentially fixed, thus cultivation must begin from a young age and require perseverance. The level of hardship involved is something that ordinary adults find difficult to endure, let alone children. Secondly, the cultivation of meridians is also greatly related to individual talent. Those with poor talent face significant challenges in cultivation, often achieving little despite expending great effort.

Mu Yi carefully examined as instructed, and even pushed aside some of the black mud. Indeed, he discovered that among the wild Scutellaria leaves, there seemed to be several faint yellow threads; and at its root, although only about an inch in size, it vaguely resembled a figure with a head, body, arms, and legs, akin to a human form

Mu Yi felt quite moved; this old man Liu, being solitary and without descendants, had always treated him very well

This child has been practicing for six or seven years, day after day, without interruption. Such perseverance is truly rare! Hehe, if I, an old man, had even half of his determination, I would probably have become a great pharmacist by now. Old Liu chuckled at himself, his thoughts immersed in the past, and before long, he gradually fell into a dream.

For instance, the five senses and five meridians—eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, and ears—after cultivation, the perception of the five senses greatly enhances. Those who have perfected the eye meridian possess astonishing vision, able to see objects in the dark and even discern things from a hundred miles away during the day. Successful cultivation of the nose meridian results in acute sense of smell; when the mouth meridian is unobstructed, the voice can carry clearly for ten miles; a refined tongue meridian allows one to distinguish a hundred flavors; and a smooth ear meridian enables one to hear sounds from great distances.

The practice of the two meridians of the hands and feet enhances one's agility and significantly increases strength. It is pursued by many practitioners; whether common laborers or high-ranking officials, all engage in some form of training. Those who achieve even a modest level of success, along with the accompanying texts and illustrations, will benefit for a lifetime

Although he spoke this way, he was well aware that over the years, regardless of rain, snow, or strong winds, the children of the Mu family would appear on Guzhifeng every day before dawn.

Mu Yi patted his chest and said: "I am not afraid; I am a pulse cultivator. What does this bit of chill matter!"

The universe possesses mysterious energy, which contains powerful forces that can be drawn into the body, serving as the foundation for cultivation

What is this? Mu Yi curiously opened the wooden box and saw a vibrant green medicinal herb placed neatly inside. The root of the herb was wrapped in a large clump of damp black soil, appearing very fresh

The practice of the Twelve Meridians is widely circulated in the Thousand Islands, and with a little effort, one can easily find methods for cultivation.

The island of the cold crow before dawn is the darkest and most tranquil moment of the day

Mu Yi practiced breathing and meditated for a while, and the sky in the east gradually brightened.

"Take it away." Old Liu said with a smile, handing the wooden box to Mu Yi

After a thousand refinements of the purple aura, the eye veins have finally achieved a small degree of success

Those with exceptional eyesight can discern that at the moment the first ray of sunlight appears, there is a faint shimmering layer of purple light. This purple light is what is referred to as "purple qi," which is the essence of the sun

The snow has also come to a halt, and the distant scenery gradually reflects in Mu Yi's eyes

At this moment, Mu Yi was sitting cross-legged on the massive rock at the peak, facing east. Surrounded by dimness, he listened to the faint sound of the waves and began his daily essential practice.

However, Mu Yi could not afford to appreciate this beautiful scenery. At dawn, when the purple aura rises from the east, it is the best time of the day to cultivate the eye pulse.

Old Liu nodded, without saying anything more

"Uncle Liu, I am going to practice at the peak." After Mu Yi put his things in order, he prepared to take his leave.

The mysterious energy of heaven and earth gradually rises before dawn, known as pure mystery. At this time, cultivating at the highest point yields twice the result with half the effort

Mu Yi appeared somewhat disappointed and said: "Thank you, Uncle Liu. I already have quite a few of this herb, so you may keep this one, or I can sell it for you to the doctor who comes to the village to collect herbs."

As the figure approached the lighthouse, Old Liu could see that it was a boy of only about eleven or twelve years old, with fairly delicate features and a slightly dark complexion. He was none other than Mu Yi, the only son of the fisherman with the surname Mu from the fishing village at the foot of the mountain

After expelling as much of the turbid energy from his body as possible, he began to take deep breaths, inhaling the profound energy of the heavens and earth at the peak before dawn

Mu Yi followed the mantra for meridian cultivation, first calming himself for a moment to achieve tranquility of mind, and then exerting himself to expel the stagnant air from his chest and lungs

"Wild Scutellaria." Mu Yi recognized the origin of this medicinal herb

Old Liu listened for a moment and murmured, "Hmm, it is snowing, the first snowfall of this winter is about to arrive"

The twelve primary meridians, which refer to the five sensory organs and five meridians, as well as the two meridians of the hands and feet, are collectively known as such. After achieving a minor level of cultivation, the effects become evident

"Hurry up, the snow will stop soon, and perhaps there will be a sunrise today, with auspicious clouds coming from the east. That would be the best time to cultivate the eye pulse." Old Liu revealed a kind smile as he watched Mu Yi leap away from the lighthouse, heading towards a massive rock at the peak.

The ethereal energy, mingled with a chilling coldness, entered Mu Yi's chest and lungs, cleansing his meridians before being expelled as turbid air. Because Mu Yi's lung meridians had already reached a minor level of cultivation, each breath he inhaled contained more than twice the amount of the ambient energy compared to an ordinary person

On the iconic, finger-like solitary peak that rises straight into the clouds on the eastern shore of the island, there stands a lighthouse that burns oil lamps year-round, casting a dim yellow light to guide the vessels on the nearby sea.

Old Liu, who is responsible for tending the lighthouse, adds oil to the lamp punctually every three hours to ensure that the light does not go out

Wild Scutellaria is considered a relatively common herb on the solitary peak, and Mu Yi has also gathered some while practicing his skills.

The weather is truly terrible; the Mu family's children probably won't come today, Liu Laotou muttered to himself

This is the Wild Huangqin King, a very rare herb. Every thirty years, fine golden threads grow on the leaves of the Wild Huangqin. This particular Wild Huangqin has three or four golden lines on its leaves, indicating it is at least a hundred years old! Old Liu explained: 'The medicinal properties of the Wild Huangqin King are much higher than those of ordinary Wild Huangqin. In addition to nourishing the spleen and supplementing the kidneys, it can also detoxify and reduce internal heat. You can use it to brew medicine and take it, which will be beneficial for cultivating the spleen and kidney meridians.'

Mu Yi knew that this old man Liu was more familiar with the medicinal herbs in the mountains than many doctors. He had only learned a few superficial things from him, yet he had already gained a great deal.

When he opened his eyes again, a layer of purple light flickered in his pupils. Although it was fleeting, Mu Yi was overjoyed.

There are also a very small number of exceptionally gifted individuals who, in the cultivation of certain meridians, possess extraordinary talent, often able to reach a high level of mastery in a particular meridian, sufficient to sustain a living from it

The five organs and five meridians—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—when cultivated, strengthen the body and prevent diseases. Those who achieve great mastery can even extend their lifespan, living beyond one hundred years. However, the cultivation of these five meridians is considerably more challenging

After adding oil to the lamp, Old Liu felt no more drowsiness. In the early winter dawn, it was quite cold on the mountain, so he nestled beside the oil lamp, puffing on his dry tobacco with a crackling sound. With the aid of the lamp's light, he occasionally glanced at the rugged mountain path leading to the small village at the foot of the Lonely Finger Peak.

Uncle Liu, this is the lamp oil that the village chief asked me to bring you. These are some dried fish that my father prepared for you. This is the rice and flour you asked me to buy yesterday. Mu Yi unloaded the items from his shoulder one by one, and without needing any instructions from Old Liu, he skillfully placed each item in its proper place.

These items are quite heavy; just the oil can alone weighs around 20 to 30 pounds. For a boy of eleven or twelve years old, this is clearly not an easy burden, especially considering that he must carry them up the steep and solitary peak of Gozhi.

The distance from the lighthouse to the peak is merely over a hundred zhang, yet it is extremely steep, with jagged rocks and no discernible path. However, Mu Yi skillfully uses both hands and feet, displaying remarkable agility. His slender figure climbs over the rocks like a shadowy specter, and with each leap, he ascends several feet.

As the profound energy of heaven and earth circulates, a trace of coolness akin to a cold spring's breath flows through Mu Yi's meridians, slowly and imperceptibly nourishing his channels.

A gust of cold wind, carrying a few tiny snowflakes, swept into the lighthouse, prompting Old Liu to wrap his coat a little tighter around himself

"Wait a moment!" Old Liu called out to Mu Yi, turning back to the inner room, where he took out a rather exquisite yet somewhat antiquated wooden box, approximately a foot long, from the cabinet

The first ray of sunlight shines forth, illuminating the distant sea surface, as the rising sun ascends in the east. From the peak of the solitary spire, the scenery is particularly magnificent

This wild Scutellaria baicalensis is extremely rare, and its value is naturally considerable, yet Old Liu did not even blink an eye before directly gifting it.

Suddenly, at the distant horizon where the sky meets the sea, it seemed as if a crack had opened, and a beam of golden light emerged from thin air

The meridian cultivators refine their meridians, which enhances their sensory perception and strengthens their bodies. Although this child from the Mu family is still young, he has been cultivating his meridians for six to seven years and should be able to withstand the chill of early winter before dawn

Old Liu shook his head and said proudly, "This is not an ordinary wild Scutellaria, take a closer look at those leaves, and then examine the roots."

Thank you, Uncle Liu! Mu Yi gratefully bowed to Old Liu and joyfully accepted the herbs

Before long, rustling sounds began to emerge around, resembling rain, yet not quite like it

"Oh, what is this?" Mu Yi asked in surprise. He had collected quite a bit of wild Scutellaria baicalensis, but this was the first time he had encountered such a herb.

When it comes to "Meridian Healers," a look of immense pride immediately appeared on his small face

Thank you for your hard work! Old Liu put down his pipe and nodded repeatedly with joy

Old Liu stared intently at Mu Yi, waiting until the indistinct shadow finally reached the relatively flat giant rock at the peak, before he relaxed his expression, returned to the lighthouse, and resumed smoking his dry tobacco.

"Oh, it turns out this is dried fish made from sturgeon, what a good thing," Old Liu exclaimed, looking at Mu Yi with a hint of affection. "The first snow of this winter is about to arrive, and you're still dressed so lightly; be careful not to catch a cold"

As soon as the words fell, a shadow flickered faintly on the rugged, dark mountain path, drawing closer to this place. This figure was extremely agile, using both hands and feet, almost leaping up the mountain.

Mu Yi was only wearing a thin cloth shirt, yet he was carrying three or four oil jars and leather bags on his shoulders, all of which were bulging.