Chapter 164

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At the moment the thunder roared, Zhang Xiaohua was blissfully enjoying the fruits of his labor, methodically channeling and refining his energy. His senses were still focused outside when a thunderclap struck. Although it was high in the sky, in reality, it crashed down on his awareness that had been drawing in Yuan Qi. Instantly, Zhang Xiaohua felt as if a hammer had struck his heart, a wave of depression washing over him. A sweet taste filled his throat, and Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but spit out a small mouthful of blood, disrupting his “Nine Shallow and One Deep” breathing technique.

At that moment, the vibrant Yuan Qi from the outside world, which had been entering Zhang Xiaohua’s body in an orderly manner, surged uncontrollably after the thunder. Suddenly, the pure Yuan Qi of heaven and earth increased tenfold, rushing towards Zhang Xiaohua. While this later influx of Yuan Qi was indeed pure, it differed from the earlier, lively Yuan Qi Zhang Xiaohua had drawn in. The initial Yuan Qi was like spirited children, playful and mischievous, whereas the sudden surge of Yuan Qi was not only purer but also far more volatile, resembling a drunken brute or a young man with pent-up energy—chaotically crashing into the orderly stream of Yuan Qi entering Zhang Xiaohua’s body.

The chaotic and abundant Yuan Qi immediately sent the previously tranquil flow around Zhang Xiaohua into a frenzy, transforming it from a gentle stream into a towering wave that drowned Zhang Xiaohua! Countless wild waves of Yuan Qi flooded into Zhang Xiaohua’s pores. Just moments ago, Zhang Xiaohua had mourned his inability to sense the Yuan Qi within him, but now he could truly feel the rush of Yuan Qi entering his body. As his internal circulation continued, these massive amounts of Yuan Qi surged into his meridians. However, this amount of Yuan Qi exceeded Zhang Xiaohua’s expectations. He was caught off guard and quickly lost over this energy. The raging Yuan Qi surged into Zhang Xiaohua’s meridians like a flood.

Zhang Xiaohua immediately felt a heart-wrenching pain surge from within him, shattering his previously calm state of mind in an instant. At this time, the blood he had spat out barely touched the ground.

Panic gripped Zhang Xiaohua. Could this be what it meant to go astray in cultivation?

Having never faced such a tempestuous situation, Zhang Xiaohua found himself at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Yet the intense pain inside him continued unabated, uncaring of Zhang Xiaohua’s ignorance. To make matters worse, another rumble of thunder echoed above him, and a greater torrent of chaotic Yuan Qi surged into Zhang Xiaohua’s body along the Yuan Qi pathways he had previously established.

Zhang Xiaohua felt as if he were drowning. The endless Yuan Qi pressed down on him like a tidal wave, making it impossible to breathe or lift his head. Thus, Zhang Xiaohua blissfully lost consciousness. In those fleeting moments before darkness overtook him, one thought plagued Zhang Xiaohua’s mind: How could my luck be so terrible? Just as I found my sense of Qi, I fell into deviation!

In truth, Zhang Xiaohua’s loss of consciousness was not due to qi deviation, but rather because it was midnight.

And so, our Zhang Xiaohua fell soundly into sleep.

As Zhang Xiaohua slipped into sleep, his previously interrupted breathing pattern resumed its “Nine shallow and One deep” rhythm. The twinkling lights in his dreams guided his body, gradually syncing with that shimmering frequency.

In an instant, the vast starlight of the night sky streamed toward Zhang Xiaohua. Though this starlight was thin, it was orderly, quickly flooding into Zhang Xiaohua’s pores and forming a thin shield of starlight around him, preventing the chaotic influx of external Yuan Qi from overwhelming him. Meanwhile, under the guiding influence of the twinkling lights, Zhang Xiaohua’s body began to resonate at a frequency difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. Meanwhile, the Yuan Qi that had been rampaging uncontrollably within him had already followed the existing meridians to run a complete cycle, wreaking havoc and causing extensive damage to those pathways.

At this moment, the infusion of external starlight perfectly enveloped the rampaging Yuan Qi. The frequency of the star energy matched that of Zhang Xiaohua’s body. Under this resonance, the thin layer of star energy began to circulate along the damaged meridians, creating a marvelous phenomenon.

This delicate star energy seemed to brim with vitality, merging with the torn meridians, continuously repairing them. The meridians, previously ruptured by the violent Yuan Qi, had expanded significantly. Now, under the restoration of the star energy, the meridians of Zhang Xiaohua’s body had grown more than twice their original size.

The Yuan Qi wrapped within starlight didn’t cease its rampage and still sought to break free from the shackles of the star energy. However, under the pulsating rhythm of the twinkling starlight, the Yuan Qi began to be assimilated. The inherent brutality within the Yuan Qi was gradually extracted and separated, transforming into a component of vitality. As it flowed through the meridians, it penetrated the constraints of the star energy, merging with the meridians, flesh, and bones, and even infused into Zhang Xiaohua’s head.

Meanwhile, the rain outside the straw hut intensified, accompanied by relentless thunder.

Zhang Xiaohua’s body didn’t lose its connection to the external Yuan Qi despite the damage to his meridians and the influx of star energy. In fact, under this special frequency, Zhang Xiaohua’s pores acted like bottomless black holes, drawing in endless torrents of chaotic Yuan Qi. Around him swirled boundless Yuan Qi from heaven and earth. If Zhang Xiaohua were awake, he would recognize that this was precisely the kind of Yuan Qi described in the <Carefree Heart Sutra>, albeit with subtle differences.

The difference lay in the fact that the current Yuan Qi was excessively lively.

Though Zhang Xiaohua had fallen asleep, his breathing, frequency, and the operation of his heart sutra continued to draw in Yuan Qi from outside his body. However, unlike before, the thin layer of starlight had formed a protective membrane around him. The violent Yuan Qi passing through this layer was instantly divided into two parts: one part was the pure Yuan Qi that Zhang Xiaohua usually absorbed, while the other consisted of a mysterious vitality extracted from the Yuan Qi by the star energy. This Yuan Qi, wrapped in starlight, surged into Zhang Xiaohua’s meridians, while the mysterious vitality adhered to the outside of the starlight, simultaneously flowing into the meridians and merging throughout his entire body.

The star energy that repaired the meridians initially had a nourishing quality, but once the vitality was infused into the meridians, it acted like a catalyst. Not only did the repair speed up, but the meridians also became infused with vitality, gaining resilience and elasticity, as if rejuvenated like a young person.

Moreover, this mysterious vitality flowed with the Yuan Qi, permeating into Zhang Xiaohua’s bones that had been tempered by the Big Dipper Divine Fist. Each of the one hundred eight bones absorbed a steady trickle of this vitality, transforming the once pristine white bones into a more radiant hue, gradually resembling jade.

However, a greater amount of this mysterious vitality, drawn by the twinkling lights, continuously rose, gathering in Zhang Xiaohua’s head, and entering a mysterious place within him.

Alongside the operation of the mysterious vitality, the Yuan Qi wrapped in starlight flowed through the gradually recovering meridians, slowly being refined. The starlight participated in this process as well, and soon a full cycle was completed. Both the Yuan Qi and star energy had become much more concentrated, flowing into the middle dantian. After that, even more chaotic Yuan Qi and star energy surged in, initiating a new round of refinement.

Time passed, though how long he remained in this state was unclear. The rain continued to fall incessantly, while the thunder had long ceased.

Zhang Xiaohua remained seated, diligently refining the Yuan Qi entering his body. Outside, the endless supply of Yuan Qi dwindled, part of it had been drawn into Zhang Xiaohua’s body, while more simply dissipated into the atmosphere.

As dawn approached, the heavy rain gradually subsided, and the external Yuan Qi returned to its previous state, leaving only wisps of Yuan Qi lingering above the medicinal fields.

In the distance, a pale light heralded the rising sun, and Zhang Xiaohua finally opened his eyes.

The medicinal fields after the rain felt exceptionally fresh, the herbs appearing revitalized by the downpour. They looked at Zhang Xiaohua with an undeniable vitality, exuding a sense of vigorous life.

At that moment, Zhang Xiaohua recalled the thrilling events of the previous night and quickly sprang to his feet, moving his limbs. Thankfully, he wasn’t paralyzed; his arms and legs obeyed his commands. Just as he intended to sit down and circulate the heart sutra to check on his meridians, he suddenly felt an uncomfortable stickiness all over his body. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a thin layer of black, muddy substance smeared across his body, mixed with streaks of blood. Bringing his arm to his nose, he was overwhelmed by a nauseating stench mingled with the scent of blood. Zhang Xiaohua had no idea what had happened after he lost consciousness the night before. Looking closely at the ground, he found that the blood he had spat out was already dry.

Furrowing his brow in thought, Zhang Xiaohua realized he had no memory of the night’s events. Quickly, he stepped out of the straw hut, using his foot to scrape some dirt over the dried blood to cover it up. There was no use pondering it now; he needed to prioritize his personal hygiene.

Fortunately, it raining heavily last night and the morning was still early, so there were no signs of people in the small courtyard. Once Zhang Xiaohua washed himself clean and returned to his little room, he finally heard the sounds of others waking up in the courtyard.

With the heavy rain having just stopped, the ground outside was muddy, so Zhang Xiaohua decided to forgo his morning exercises. He pulled out the thin pages of the Piaomiao Steps technique from his pocket, relieved to find them undamaged. Carefully, he placed them on his desk and then settled onto the bed to meditate.

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was about to cultivate, he still felt a lingering unease and lifted his head to look out the window. The sky was clear, a bright blue like washed linen, and the sun in the distance had already jumped out, slowly radiating its warmth.

Zhang Xiaohua felt a sense of relief.

The pain from his earlier turmoil was truly terrifying.

Thus, Zhang Xiaohua hesitated to extend his senses again, instead quietly reciting the mantra from the Carefree Heart Sutra, visualizing the formless inner energy within him. As he circulated his energy, he nearly lost his composure, realizing that what he sensed was merely an illusion; he could not truly perceive the inner energy within his meridians. However, with a bit of effort, he immediately felt a thread of Qi within his meridians, as fine as a hair!

This—this must be the inner energy that He Tianshu and the others spoke of.

Zhang Xiaohua was ecstatic, almost doubting whether he was dreaming. If he weren’t so focused on his practice, Zhang Xiaohua might have bitten his finger to confirm he wasn’t imagining it.

However, that cool thread of energy flowed through his meridians as smooth as mercury, bringing a refreshing sensation along with a hint of swelling and pain that reminded him this wasn’t a dream, but a tangible reality.

Faced with such a situation, Zhang Xiaohua found himself at a loss for words. The dangers of the previous night were still vivid in his mind, and now waking up with the ability to sense qi was undeniably real. So something had transpired during his unconsciousness, but what exactly was it?

No one could tell Zhang Xiaohua.

Nevertheless, since it was a good thing, not a bad one, he decided not to dig too deeply into it. He would just accept this unexpected victory quietly. After all, a good outcome was better than a bad one. If he had woken up to find himself unable to move at all, wouldn’t that have been a thousand times more tragic? At that point, Zhang Xiaohua would be the one to cry without tears, so why bother now?

Moreover, what if he had simply closed his eyes and never awakened again?

Abandoning his search for answers, Zhang Xiaohua began to circulate his inner energy, guiding it through his meridians for a full cycle. The sensation was indeed different from mere imagination. Zhang Xiaohua felt a curious thrill at having this new element within his body. It was rather enjoyable.

Embracing this playful mindset, Zhang Xiaohua circulated the inner energy from the Carefree Heart Sutra through his meridians for thirty-six cycles. As he concluded his practice and was about to rise, a thought struck him. He quietly channeled his perception outward, trying to sense the external world. However, to his dismay, the once overwhelming Yuan Qi from the night before had completely vanished, leaving behind only a blank void. No matter how he extended his perception, he couldn’t draw in even a trace of that Yuan Qi.

Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but frown.

Suddenly, it seemed that Zhang Xiaohua sensed something, and it receded like a tide. At that moment, a knocking sound echoed at Zhang Xiaohua’s door.

Zhang Xiaohua quickly jumped off the bed and walked toward the door, asking: “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

It was He Tianshu’s voice.

Zhang Xiaohua opened the door with a few hurried steps, smiling as he asked: “Captain He, why are you up so early today?”

He Tianshu entered the room and replied: “Early? I’ve been awake for a while. I figured you were dead asleep, so I didn’t come here early.”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback, glancing outside at the still early morning sky. It was still early.

Without further ado, He Tianshu extended his hand and said: “Give it to me.”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback again, puzzled. “What is it? Here you go.”

He Tianshu replied irritably: “The <Piaomiao Steps>! Hurry up and give it to me. After I gave it to you yesterday, I barely slept all night, worried that something might happen to it. With the heavy rain and thunder last night, I was quite anxious. I was afraid you might have stayed in that straw hut again. If that secret manual got wet, what would I do?”

Realizing the concern, Zhang Xiaohua quickly walked to his desk and returned the few pages to He Tianshu. He Tianshu eagerly accepted them, inspecting them carefully to ensure everything was intact before carefully tucking them into his own robe.

After receiving the item from his arms, He Tianshu seemed to exhale a sigh of relief and said: “It’s good that you didn’t sleep in the straw hut last night. Not only does the hut not shield you from the wind and rain, but if you caught a cold or fever, that would be a small matter. The key is that the thunder last night was particularly ominous, it struck right above us. You have no idea, Zhang Xiaohua, for those of us practicing internal martial arts, we especially avoid cultivating on gloomy, rainy days. The thunder is often sudden, disrupting the flow of internal energy. If you’re not careful, it can throw you off balance, and correcting it afterward is impossible. Moreover, practicing internal energy emphasizes having a calm state of mind. Just think about it, isn’t the thunder the nemesis of tranquility It can easily lead to a loss of focus, and last night’s thunder struck right above our heads, making my heart race.”

“But not going to the straw hut last night was fine. With the way you sleep, even if the thunder boomed above you, you probably wouldn’t have noticed.” He Tianshu glanced at Zhang Xiaohua, adding: “Besides, you hadn’t even begun to sense qi yet, so with no inner energy in your meridians, that thunder likely couldn’t affect you. By the way, have you looked at the footwork technique? Isn’t it quite rare? I think it’s better that I looked at it first, you’d just be wasting your time.”

Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Why was He Tianshu always firing off after-the-fact warnings? If he had told him all this yesterday, he wouldn’t have foolishly run to the straw hut to freeze. Even if he did get cold, he wouldn’t have been so naïve as to try to draw in any Yuan Qi. In hindsight, that behavior was like a birthday boy eating arsenic—simply asking for trouble. Without that warning, he might have closed his eyes for good last night.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua silent, He Tianshu thought he was feeling down from the difficulty of the Piaomiao Step, so he patted his shoulder and said: “It’s okay, Zhang Xiaohua. I believe you have some talent in this footwork. Even if you don’t fully understand the second level of the technique for now, it’s not a problem. Once I figure it out, I’ll teach you. Don’t worry, it won’t delay your participation in the martial arts competition. After all, I also need…”

At this point, He Tianshu fell silent. Zhang Xiaohua quickly interjected: “No, Captain He, I actually studied the footwork carefully, and I feel that…”

He Tianshu waved his hand to stop him from continuing and said: “I know, it feels quite profound and hard to understand. You must realize that this footwork is the secret technique of our Piaomiao Sect; if it weren’t difficult, how could it be called a secret? As the ancients said: ‘With enough effort, even an iron pestle can be ground down to a needle’. I believe that as long as we put in the work, we can definitely learn it. It’s just the basic techniques of the first three levels!”

Zhang Xiaohua could only nod in agreement. Seeing him acknowledge his mistake, He Tianshu decided not to linger any longer and said: “I won’t talk to you anymore. Time is precious, and with the martial arts competition approaching, I need to focus on understanding the footwork. In the meantime, if you have nothing else to do, go around the herb field and take care of the herbs. Once the competition is over, I’ll make sure Nie Xiao’er and the others thank you properly.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua brightened up and said: “Are they going to teach me martial arts?”

As soon as He Tianshu heard this, he made a long face, but then quickly thought, “Better a dead friend than a poor one”, and immediately changed to a smiling expression. He said: “Alright, I’ll agree to that for them. When they come back, how about each of them teaching you a set of fist techniques?”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and replied: “I can’t learn fist techniques, just teach me some common sword techniques or saber skills from the Jianghu.”

He Tianshu grinned slyly and said, “Alright, I’ll have them teach you personally.”

The way he emphasized “them” was particularly clear.

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