Xu Ziqing recognized it as well. What Yan Boshang had flicked from his fingertip was indeed a drop of true essence.
The power contained within that single drop of true essence far surpassed ordinary spiritual power. To say it was a hundred or even a thousand times stronger would not be an exaggeration.
One could put it this way: only after possessing true essence did a cultivator have any possibility of reaching Foundation Establishment. And the reason cultivators after Foundation Establishment were said to have truly stepped across the first threshold of cultivation was precisely because of true essence.
At the beginning of the immortal path, one first drew the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body and established a tiny source of spiritual power within the dantian. Only afterward could one continuously absorb spiritual energy and increase one’s spiritual power, using it to open acupoints and then meridians, allowing spiritual power to circulate freely, cleansing the sinews and marrow and transforming the body’s constitution.
From Qi Refinement layer 1 through layer 9, the process was essentially one of continuously opening acupoints.
Once a cultivator finally broke through Qi Refinement layer 9 and reached layer 10, however, the twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians had all been opened. Spiritual power could circulate throughout the body without obstruction, and the body’s constitution had undergone its first successful transformation.
So what did the stretch of the immortal path between Qi Refinement layer 10 and Foundation Establishment involve?
At this point, the change was no longer quantitative. It became qualitative.
During Qi Refinement layer 10, the cultivator continuously compressed spiritual power until it transformed into a drop of true essence. True essence was then accumulated little by little until every trace of spiritual power had been converted and the dantian was completely full, unable to contain any more. Only then could true essence be used to strike the Baihui acupoint at the crown of the head.
The Baihui acupoint was where the meridians converged. After all twenty meridians were opened, it was the only acupoint that still remained sealed. This was because spiritual power could not pierce it. Only true essence could force it open.
Once true essence broke through that acupoint, the crown of the head would connect with the heavens and the Purple Palace would open.
Only then would the cultivator gain a path toward the next stage of immortal cultivation.
That was Foundation Establishment.
At the same time, Qi Refinement layer 10 was a rather awkward realm.
Cultivators at this level were indeed extremely powerful, but throughout the entire stage their spiritual power was slowly transforming into true essence. True essence, however, remained locked in place. Until all spiritual power had finished transforming, it simply could not be used.
And yet now, everyone had just seen Yan Boshang release true essence.
What did that mean?
It meant all the spiritual power within Yan Boshang had already transformed into true essence. That was why he could use it.
In other words, Yan Boshang now lacked only the opening of the Baihui acupoint before he could successfully establish his foundation.
Zhuo Hanyan’s face was deathly pale. The qi in her dantian was in complete disorder, and the spiritual power throughout her body seemed blocked within her meridians. The slightest attempt to circulate it sent stabbing pain through her entire body.
Very quickly, the flying sword she had summoned fell to the floor with a clear clang.
Clutching her chest, Zhuo Hanyan knew she had suffered a crushing defeat.
“I lost,” she said bleakly.
Yan Boshang moved a finger. The flying sword still circling in midair immediately returned and vanished into his raised sleeve. Then he smiled mildly. “Miss Zhuo, thank you for the match.”
Zhuo Hanyan forced herself to nod and quickly returned to her seat.
Ran Xingjian, who possessed relatively high cultivation among those from the same alliance, happened to be sitting beside her. Worry showed in his eyes as he handed her a small bottle. “Senior Sister Zhuo, hurry and treat your injuries.”
Zhuo Hanyan had been badly injured and had already lost one match. If she could not recover quickly, then even if she later received a chance to challenge one of the victors, she might not be able to win. If she failed to remain on Tenglong Peak, it would be a tremendous loss to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
Among the eight members sent by the Alliance, only Su Xin and Zhuo Hanyan had the greatest chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
Zhuo Hanyan understood the stakes as well. She immediately swallowed a pill, closed her eyes, and began regulating her breathing.
She no longer watched the battles in the center of the hall.
On the other side, seeing Zhuo Hanyan so badly injured, Su Xin could no longer watch peacefully either. Every moment now seemed unbearably long. If Tang Wenfei were not still seated above them, he probably would have stood up and left.
Xu Ziqing knew Su Xin had an impatient temperament. He was worried too, though naturally not as deeply as Su Xin. He merely sighed softly and said nothing.
The remaining matches were fought by those favored talents whose cultivation was close to Qi Refinement layer 10. Although they were not as shocking as the first three matches, each had its own subtleties and was very exciting.
Xu Ziqing watched carefully and discussed some points with Yun Lie. Su Xin, however, was completely distracted. Only when the sky began to darken did the day’s contests finally end.
Tang Wenfei said, “Today’s matches end here. We will continue tomorrow.”
All the cultivators answered in unison, “We obey Senior Tang!”
Tang Wenfei lightly swept his sleeve and disappeared from the hall, leaving the gathered talents in all manner of states, some delighted, others dissatisfied.
Su Xin hurried to his feet, caught hold of Xu Ziqing’s sleeve, and pulled him quickly outside. By then, Zhuo Hanyan had already left the hall accompanied by Ran Xingjian and the others. Because of her injuries, however, she could not move quickly, and Su Xin caught up with them before long.
“Senior Sister Zhuo, are you all right?” Su Xin asked anxiously.
Zhuo Hanyan’s complexion was still terrible. She smiled bitterly. “An injury from true essence isn’t something so easy to recover from.” She paused and sighed. “All my meridians have been damaged.”
The pill she had taken had merely eased the pain somewhat and had done little for the actual injury. The five-day time limit was too short. Zhuo Hanyan knew she would most likely be unable to remain this time.
Su Xin’s expression dimmed. He did not know what to say.
Zhuo Hanyan shook her head. “There’s no need for that expression. There are still several days left. Until the very end, how can we give up so easily? I’ll try everything I can first.”
Hearing her speak this way, Xu Ziqing praised her silently.
She truly was an extraordinary woman. Even after such a tremendous rise and fall, she could remain this calm. She fully deserved to be called the most outstanding member of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s younger generation. Su Xin’s aptitude might indeed surpass hers, but in temperament he still fell several points short.
The people of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance each used their own methods to travel. Su Xin insisted that Zhuo Hanyan ride his flying sword. The group swiftly rose into the air and soon flew together to Zhuo Hanyan’s cave abode.
The cave abode’s furnishings and dimensions were exactly the same as Xu Ziqing’s. The moment Zhuo Hanyan entered, she sat down cross-legged. The abundant spiritual energy here was also somewhat beneficial to her injuries.
The other seven sat down as well, all deeply worried about her.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Ziqing suddenly said, “Miss Zhuo, may I examine your injuries?”
Everyone paused and turned to look at this member of the Outer Alliance.
A flash of inspiration crossed Su Xin’s mind. He said quickly, “Senior Sister Zhuo, let him take a look! Brother Ziqing possesses a single Wood spiritual root. The wood-attributed spiritual power in his body is as pure as it can possibly be. It might be of some use to you!”
Zhuo Hanyan and the others remembered this too, and their expressions eased slightly.
Wood-attributed cultivators were naturally rich in vitality, so in theory they could also aid in healing. This did not mean they could cure every illness. Rather, they could stimulate the injured person’s own vitality and allow the body to recover more quickly.
However, because most Wood cultivators possessed impure spiritual roots and absorbed many impurities while cultivating, the spiritual power in their bodies was not pure. If those impurities happened to be harmful to the injured person, the treatment could sometimes worsen the injury instead.
For this reason, Wood cultivators rarely healed others, fearing that a single mistake would harm the patient.
Xu Ziqing, however, was different.
With a single Wood spiritual root, his spiritual power was exceptionally pure. None of the others knew that he had once absorbed the Essence of Yi Wood. In terms of vitality, there was probably no one who could compare with him.
Thus, when Xu Ziqing took the initiative to ask whether he could examine Zhuo Hanyan’s injuries, it was because he had some confidence.
Zhuo Hanyan was not the sort to put on airs. Hearing this, she extended her hand and said, “I’ll suppress the spiritual power in my body. Examine as you please. If you encounter a backlash, tell me at once.”
They were not deeply trusted companions, after all, and she could not guarantee her body would not automatically react to the invasion of foreign spiritual power. But as long as they were cautious, it should be possible to suppress such a reaction.
Xu Ziqing understood this as well. Since he had been the one to propose the examination, he naturally would not misunderstand her caution.
He immediately took hold of Zhuo Hanyan’s wrist and slowly summoned a thread of Yi-Wood spiritual power. Sending it into the meridian at that point, he carefully investigated her condition.
Fortunately, Wood energy was gentle. Although the various forces inside Zhuo Hanyan’s body immediately surged in response, she quickly used her own will to suppress their agitation. Some fluctuation remained, but overall they settled.
By then, that thread of Yi-Wood spiritual power had already circulated rapidly through Zhuo Hanyan’s hundred meridians. Xu Ziqing immediately withdrew his hand. The entire process had taken no more than a single breath.
Seeing how quickly he finished, everyone asked at once, “Fellow Daoist Xu, how is she?”
Xu Ziqing said, “It is no different from what Miss Zhuo expected.” After a brief pause, he continued, “I can see that the meridians throughout Miss Zhuo’s body are indeed damaged. However, Fellow Daoist Yan showed considerable restraint. These injuries are not life-threatening. It is simply that they were shaken by true essence, so she will need ten days to half a month of careful recovery before returning completely to normal.”
His conclusion matched what Zhuo Hanyan had discovered through self-examination.
Zhuo Hanyan slowly nodded. “Exactly.”
She knew her life was in no danger. The trouble was that ten days to half a month might not sound long, yet these few days were precisely the most important period. That was why she and the others from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance were so anxious.
Xu Ziqing thought for a moment and continued, “Miss Zhuo’s greatest problem at present is not actually the damaged meridians. It is the true essence still lodged inside her body. Miss Zhuo has not yet refined true essence of her own, so her spiritual power cannot coexist with the true essence Yan Boshang struck into her. She must circulate all the spiritual power in her body and force that true essence back out. But because her meridians are damaged, her spiritual power cannot circulate smoothly or gather together, so naturally she cannot expel it.”
The group fell silent.
Zhuo Hanyan was quiet for a moment before asking, “Fellow Daoist Xu, are you confident you can stimulate the vitality in my body and help me heal?”
This was the most crucial point.
Xu Ziqing sighed, then smiled faintly. “If it is only a matter of stimulating the vitality of your meridians, I should be able to.”
Zhuo Hanyan made her decision immediately. “That is enough.”
The cultivators of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance all breathed a sigh of relief.
At worst, they were simply making an attempt. If it failed, there would be little additional harm. But if it succeeded, Zhuo Hanyan would certainly be able to establish her foundation within a year. Not only would one of them then be able to accompany her into the great world, but she would also be able to help Su Xin, that rare talent with a single spiritual root.
Xu Ziqing was a good person, but his ties with the Rogue Cultivator Alliance were still relatively new. They did not completely trust him. If only he and Su Xin went to the great world together, they could not simply assume he would truly entrust life and death to Su Xin. If anything happened and Su Xin’s future was delayed, it would be an enormous loss to the Alliance.
“In that case, Miss Zhuo, first find the places where your meridians are most severely injured…” Seeing everyone’s expressions, Xu Ziqing spoke gently. “…Then tell me where they are.”