Everyone was astonished to see Xu Ziqing take hold of Yun Lie’s wrist in this manner. But when Yun Lie showed no unusual reaction, they merely concluded that the two fellow disciples shared a deep bond, and that Yun Lie was especially indulgent toward this junior brother with whom he was so close.
Perfected Qiu He, who knew Yun Lie’s temperament better, was still more surprised. Yet he understood Xu Ziqing’s intentions when he saw what he was doing, and felt reassured.
Whatever the case, it was a wonderful thing for his two beloved disciples to be so close.
Xu Ziqing paid no attention to anyone else’s thoughts. The moment his true essence entered Yun Lie’s body, he was startled.
Yun Lie’s meridians were extraordinarily broad. True essence surged through them in great torrents, vast and magnificent as a boundless sea!
The mighty true essence possessed the Geng-Metal attribute. Fierce and incomparably sharp, it charged through the meridians with unstoppable force. Yet such powerful energy was completely accommodated by those meridians without the slightest damage, proof that their toughness was exceptional!
If Xu Ziqing’s meridians were narrow mountain paths through which only one person could squeeze sideways, Yun Lie’s were broader even than an official highway where more than a dozen fine horses could gallop abreast.
Xu Ziqing’s true essence was gentle and lively, while Yun Lie’s was overwhelmingly strong and cutting. Now Xu Ziqing understood that the tiny amount he had sent in earlier must have been annihilated the moment it touched Yun Lie’s true essence. Only because he had sent in more this time could he even perceive what was happening.
Even so, his own true essence found advancing through these meridians an arduous task.
Every stretch it traversed brought a penetrating cold. Xu Ziqing realized that his senior brother’s true essence resembled the man himself, possessing an equally inviolable quality.
Fortunately, Xu Ziqing’s true essence was exceptionally peaceful and carried no hostility. With Yun Lie also suppressing his own power, the wood-attribute current could continue onward. Had some rash fellow dared probe Yun Lie with fire- or thunder-attribute true essence, his inner world’s true essence might immediately have formed Geng-Metal swords and destroyed it all!
After sensing the conditions within his senior brother’s body, Xu Ziqing sent in another twenty percent of his true essence, quickening the current’s circulation.
Soon the wood-attribute true essence had traversed all of Yun Lie’s meridians and flowed into his dantian.
There Xu Ziqing saw a brilliant pearl, radiating Geng-Metal sword qi in every direction. It resembled a blazing red sun that illuminated the whole dantian!
Countless streams of spiritual energy revolved around that pearl, only to be absorbed with terrifying speed. Winds of energy spun around it, surging with enormous force.
The moment Xu Ziqing’s wood-attribute true essence touched the overflowing Geng-Metal sword qi, it dissolved as quickly as snow beneath the morning sun. The remaining aura was swallowed by the Golden Core itself, as though it had reached the eye of a vast ocean storm into which every current and gale was drawn. Its depths seemed unfathomable!
Xu Ziqing exclaimed softly in astonishment. How can Senior Brother’s dantian even be called a dantian? It’s more like a black hole. There seems to be no end to it.
Yet he also felt delighted. Such a profound dantian demonstrated how solid his senior brother’s foundation was, and how extraordinary his potential. No wonder he had been strong enough to sweep aside dozens of Golden Core cultivators!
Noticing the changes in Xu Ziqing’s expression, Perfected Qiu He grew concerned. He quickly asked, “Ziqing, how is Yun’er? Is something wrong?”
Xu Ziqing started and immediately released Yun Lie’s wrist. He looked at his master and smiled gently. “Master, Senior Brother is fine.” After a pause, he continued, “His meridians are filled with true essence, his Golden Core shines brilliantly within his dantian, and his power is vast. There isn’t the slightest sign of excessive expenditure. Senior Brother’s potential is so immense that such consumption barely affects him. Master needn’t worry.”
Yue Jun and the others nearby exchanged rather peculiar looks.
Perfected Yun had defeated dozens of Golden Core cultivators in one encounter, yet had hardly depleted his true essence. Was he truly that powerful? But Xu Ziqing was never one to tell lies, and everyone knew it…
For a moment, the ordinary inner disciples still struggling with their cultivation could only sigh in amazement.
Perfected Qiu He’s eyes shone with pleasure. “To see Yun’er so capable is a great comfort to his master.”
When his many “neighbors” first learned that his eldest disciple had chosen to cultivate the Ruthless Slaughter Sword Dao, they came to mock him. Even after Yun Lie comprehended sword intent, they would not stop talking. Only when Yun Lie formed his Golden Core did they finally fall somewhat quiet. Now his disciple had displayed overwhelming strength on the stone stage and thoroughly refuted those jeering faces for him. How satisfying!
Yun Lie inclined his head slightly toward Perfected Qiu He without saying much.
Seeing his senior brother’s manner, Xu Ziqing laughed inwardly.
His master had done so much for Yun Lie. Although his senior brother appeared cold and indifferent, he could hardly be unaware of it. Who could say that part of today’s display was not intended to win some honor for their master? Yun Lie might be cold on the outside, but he was warmhearted and truly filial.
The thought brought a more solemn feeling into Xu Ziqing’s heart.
He had cultivated for far fewer years than Yun Lie, but after exploring his senior brother’s inner world today, the gulf between them seemed greater than ever. It left him rather dispirited.
From the beginning of his cultivation, he and his senior brother had been inseparable. He had always wanted to walk shoulder to shoulder with him and had trained diligently for precisely that reason. Yet today he was reminded of their immense disparity. He needed to find a way to draw out his potential faster. Otherwise, his senior brother already stood several realms above him, and if he did not catch up, then once Yun Lie formed his Nascent Soul and advanced to Spirit Transformation, he would truly leave Xu Ziqing far behind!
He sighed silently and resumed circulating the Great Art of Myriad Woods Heart-Planting.
From now on, he must not let his efforts lapse for even a moment.
After Yun Lie’s match ended, another group of perfected ones stepped onto the stage to fight.
Xu Ziqing cultivated while observing the battles below.
Only after watching several Golden Core battles did he fully understand how vast the difference between Golden Core Perfected Ones could be.
The Wuling Immortal Sect was enormous and contained countless geniuses. Yun Lie was certainly one, but hardly the only one. Many other Golden Core cultivators could likewise withstand the attacks of dozens of opponents. They merely won more slowly than Yun Lie, unable to end their matches within a few breaths.
Huge magical artifacts floated above many perfected ones’ heads, surrounded by layers of brilliant treasure light and streams of auspicious qi.
Their divine abilities were even more formidable. With every movement, they stirred and brought into collision the true essence between heaven and earth, releasing power akin to collapsing mountains and raging seas that shook the entire stone stage!
Compared with the cultivators who had accumulated truly deep foundations, many other perfected ones were as fragile as paper. Whether their weapons or divine abilities collided with those of the stronger cultivators, they crumbled at once like clay chickens and pottery dogs.
This was hardly surprising.
In theory, anyone older than four hundred was ineligible for the tournament, so those competing should all have been remarkably gifted. But reality was different.
Many perfected ones had cultivated diligently during Foundation Establishment and Essence Transformation. Unfortunately, when they finally sensed the barrier to Golden Core, they became overjoyed and broke through impatiently. Upon succeeding, they had exhausted their accumulation and become remarkably fragile. In their haste to advance in realm, they had neglected the need for a calm, prudent state of mind. Such Golden Core cultivators were likely to face danger after danger on the immortal path, unable to overcome them for lack of strength, until they ultimately perished.
With so many cautionary examples before him, Xu Ziqing’s thoughts grew clearer still.
If he meant to catch up with his senior brother, he must not break through carelessly, no matter how anxious he felt. He knew his accumulation was not yet sufficient. He would need more experiences, wider knowledge, additional embryonic divine abilities, and repeated examinations of his Dao heart before considering a breakthrough to Essence Transformation.
As these thoughts settled, the faint green radiance around Xu Ziqing became purer.
Countless cultivators initially struggled toward longevity and the Great Dao with all their might. Yet once their strength increased, they became distracted by external things: magical artifacts, shortcuts, miraculous pills, power, beautiful companions, and much else. Their cultivation might continue rising even as they drifted farther from the proper path, until some calamity finally cast them down.
A cultivator of immortality had to question and examine himself constantly so that his Dao would not stray. He had to cleanse his Dao heart frequently and keep it free of dust. Otherwise, once an inner demon silently enticed him, each error would lead to another, until he could never turn back!
After reflecting so earnestly, Xu Ziqing suddenly entered a state of perfect mental clarity.
Inside his sea of consciousness, countless passages of cultivation arts flashed by at tremendous speed. They seemed to originate in the Great Art of Myriad Woods Heart-Planting, and yet somehow not entirely from it.
As this mysterious process unfolded, fine markings appeared on his cheeks, spreading along his smooth skin to his neck and farther downward. His formerly jade-white skin gradually resembled the exposed cross-section of a severed tree, with delicate rings spreading outward.
Seeing the strange change, Luo Yao cried out in surprise, “What’s happening to Brother Ziqing?”
Yue Jun was more perceptive. “Fellow Daoist Xu looks rather like Miss Du did after the Qingyun Needle struck her.”
Qiu Ze and Long Xuan also noticed. They immediately looked toward Xu Ziqing’s brow, where a deep green glow seemed buried beneath the skin. A tremendously powerful force appeared to be striking from within without breaking through. It was plainly the Qingyun Needle. Could the needle itself be undergoing another change?
Perfected Qiu He was widely experienced. “Don’t panic,” he warned. “And keep your voices down.”
Everyone looked toward him.
He appeared delighted. “Ziqing has entered enlightenment. Such a state is extraordinarily rare, so you mustn’t disturb him. Awakening him prematurely could be disastrous.”
Enlightenment!
Only then did Yue Jun and the others understand, and they could not help feeling envious. Though they had never experienced it, they knew how precious it was. Anyone who entered such a state would gain enormous benefits before awakening; the longer the enlightenment lasted, the more it would benefit their future path.
They immediately lowered their voices and made a deliberate effort to give Xu Ziqing peace and quiet.
Satisfied, Perfected Qiu He turned to his eldest disciple. “Yun’er, go and compete without concern. Your master will watch your junior brother and ensure he comes to no harm.”
Yun Lie gave a faint nod.
He then drew a line with one bent finger, leaving a long sword scar across the ground. An extraordinarily profound and powerful intent filled that scar.
It was his sword intent.
Yun Lie lowered his hand. “Nothing from outside shall enter within this line.”