Zhang Yan turned his inner gaze inward, observing the floating ripples of Xuan Guang in his Qi Sea, where a tiny speck of True Fire, small as a grain of rice, burned brightly.
This speck of True Fire was formed from Xuan Guang Jing Qi, and it was the result of his cultivation efforts since breaking through to the Xuan Guang Third Realm.
At this moment, the acupoint vibrating within his body seemed to have been pierced open, emitting a thread of light. From the acupoint, a strand of warm yang energy gradually began to emanate. The True Fire trembled slightly and absorbed the strand of yang energy like pulling silk from a cocoon.
Zhang Yan activated the Mysterious Skill, and within a few breaths’ time, the yang energy was fully absorbed, causing the True Fire to grow slightly stronger.
If he could refine this True Fire to greater depths with meticulous effort, it could eventually be used to combine the Nine Elixirs and refine the Golden Core.
However, the current strength of this fire was still insufficient. Thus, it needed to be placed into the 36 large acupoints across his body to rotate slowly. Once the acupoints were thoroughly burned through, he would draw out a strand of yang energy to nourish the fire, continuously strengthening it until it roared with the brilliance of a blazing flame, signifying his entry into the Great Success Realm of Xuan Guang.
The more acupoints a cultivator burned through, the stronger the momentum of the True Fire, and the greater their future achievements in refining the Golden Core.
Generally speaking, for ordinary cultivators, burning through most of the acupoints was considered an impressive accomplishment. This was because as cultivation progressed, the acupoints became increasingly difficult to open. Initially, it took no more than a month to burn through one acupoint, but later on, it would require years or even decades.
Xuan Guang Practitioners had at most a lifespan of 300 years, and not everyone succeeded in forming the Golden Core. How then could one have enough time to burn through all the acupoints?
Those cultivators who could truly gather all the yang energy from the 36 acupoints without exception were undoubtedly prodigies, figures who only appeared once in a thousand years.
Just now, when the acupoint within Zhang Yan’s body throbbed, it was a sign that the first acupoint had been burned through by the True Fire. Seeing his cultivation unknowingly improve brought joy to his heart, and he continued channeling the fire, placing it into the next acupoint to refine it gradually.
He slowly opened his eyes and took up the Ganoderma Ancestor shell that had been lying among the riverbed’s mud and sand.
Though this item would deteriorate if it left the soil, Zhang Yan had prepared a countermeasure before coming to Qingcun Mountain.
He flicked his wrist, sending out a stream of Earth Essence Qi. This Qi, obtained from Qingyu Sect during the refinement of the Xuanhuang Dragon Capturing Hand, nourished the Ganoderma Ancestor shell. The shell trembled slightly, and its previously dull surface seemed to regain some of its sheen.
Zhang Yan smiled faintly, retrieved a human bag, and swept the Ganoderma shell into it with his sleeve, storing it away.
Having finished this task, he intended to follow his previous method of cutting open his flesh to expel the abnormal Qi that had invaded his body. However, as he raised his hand, a thoughtful expression emerged on his face.
The green energy of that green-clothed youth was exceedingly strange; even a small amount had caused significant trouble. If he had to resort to cutting flesh and letting blood every time he encountered it, and if he were to truly engage with that youth for several hours, who could say how much abnormal Qi would invade his body? Could such a method resolve all of it?
At this thought, his heart suddenly moved as he contemplated, "The True Fire cultivated within this Xuan Guang not only serves to refine the Golden Core but also possesses purifying abilities. Its power when unleashed is immense; could it not be used to vanquish this abnormal Qi as well?"
Indeed, his reasoning was sound. However, the Yang Fire was vital for refining the Golden Core and was formed from Innate Essence Yang. Every individual was born with only a finite amount of it, and once lost, it could never be replenished. Therefore, every cultivator guarded it tightly, ensuring its preservation and avoiding any harm. It was never released unless absolutely necessary.
While Zhang Yan felt that this Yang Fire’s efficacy was too valuable to leave unused, he decided to test its capabilities.
Others, faced with such a predicament, would never dare try this approach. But Zhang Yan was different—he possessed the Broken Jade, allowing him to attempt this without fear. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
Having made up his mind, he closed his eyes, reached into his sleeve, and merged his Heart and Spirit with the Broken Jade to begin his calculations.
Within a few breaths, he reopened his eyes, which were now filled with boundless joy.
He shouted, and the surrounding water was forcibly pushed apart, separating from him completely. Then, he urged the Yang Fire toward the location of the abnormal Qi, where it struck like boiling water against snow. In the blink of an eye, the abnormal Qi was burned away, leaving behind only the purest spiritual breath.
In that moment, his eyes flashed with light as the Yang Fire enveloped the spiritual breath within the acupoint and instantly merged with it. Remarkably, not only was there no decrease in the flame’s energy, but its intensity seemed to grow even stronger.