Zhang Yan sat cross-legged on the rock, True Fire blazing within his Qi Sea, its brilliance akin to the noonday sun. He slowly moved the fire, guiding it toward an acupoint to burn through.
In just a moment, he felt the acupoint pulse as though breaking free from some constraint, like a sluice gate opening wide. A strand of yang energy, golden like silk threads, was cautiously drawn out by him and merged with the True Fire.
The True Fire, nourished by Essence Qi, now burned dazzlingly bright, illuminating the entire Qi Sea. Even with the added Star Fire-like speck, it seemed unchanged in appearance.
Zhang Yan gave it no further thought, focusing intently on the spell, turning the flames methodically but steadily. Not long after, his body trembled softly, and in that instant, another acupoint was burned through.
His face showed neither joy nor sorrow, remaining completely still. He drew down the yang energy patiently, feeding it into the True Fire for a cycle, then commanded the fire onward to yet another acupoint.
As the fiery brilliance tore through one acupoint after another with the ease of crushing dry twigs, warmth began to flow like a gentle spring through his chest and abdomen. The meridians traversing his entire body, from his heart to the tiniest pores, relaxed completely. Immersed in this state, he lost track of the passage of days and nights.
One day, he suddenly felt the True Fire slow down, as if encountering an impassable obstruction. The seamless momentum was gone, and with a tremor, he emerged from his meditation. This content belongs to NoveI[F]ire.net
Letting out a long breath of turbid Qi, he quietly examined his progress and was pleasantly surprised—a total of sixteen out of the thirty-six acupoints were already burned through!
Estimating the time elapsed, it had been only thirteen days. The speed of his progress far exceeded his initial expectations.
For ordinary cultivators to burn through such a number of acupoints within mere years would be an impossible feat. Clearly, this path was viable.
He directed his inner gaze toward the True Fire. It had significantly transformed, its color now purer after absorbing so much yang energy. Refined like melted fat and resembling a fine jade flame, it lay without blemish in the Qi Sea. It was a solitary beacon, emitting soft, harmonious radiance.
Two days remained until his duel with the green-clothed youth. He decided not to rush his cultivation further, instead smiling faintly and focusing on drawing back the fire’s breath. He concentrated solely on adjusting his Qi Mechanism and quietly nurturing his spirit.
On the following day, he suddenly heard a voice calling from outside the Cave Mansion: "Li Daoist, are you present here?"
Zhang Yan opened his eyes and called in return, "Who is outside?"
The voice responded respectfully, "It is I, Hou Mao. We crossed paths before in front of this Cave Mansion."
Zhang Yan gave it a brief thought, recalling the man. With a wave of his hand, he moved the boulder blocking the entrance and said, "Come in, Daoist, so that we may meet."
A shadow flickered outside the entrance as Hou Sanlang stepped in. Upon seeing Zhang Yan, he cupped his fists in greeting and said, "San Lang greets Li Daoist."
Zhang Yan glanced at him and recognized him as the attendant who had accompanied the green-clothed youth that day. He spoke, "With one day remaining until my next duel with the green-clothed Daoist, has Daoist Hou come to deliver a message from him?"
Hou Sanlang shook his head and replied, "Not at all. I came here without the knowledge of that Old Demon."
The mention of "Old Demon" caused Zhang Yan’s eyes to narrow slightly as he caught an unusual hint of intrigue. He cast an implicit glance at Hou Sanlang before gesturing to the side. "Daoist, please sit and speak."
Without hesitation, Hou Sanlang cupped his fists once more, took a seat on the stone stool, and smiled. "Hou has come today for a matter I believe will benefit us both."
Zhang Yan offered a faint smile.
Hou Sanlang, seeing Zhang Yan’s indifferent expression, was unperturbed. His confidence remained firm, convinced that his bait would undoubtedly capture Zhang Yan’s interest. He chuckled and said, "I observe that Daoist struggles against the Old Demon, falling slightly behind. Should Daoist wish to defeat him tomorrow, it would be infinitely challenging..." His voice dropped to a secretive tone as he continued, "But I can lend Daoist a helping hand to eliminate this demon entirely."
Upon hearing these words, Zhang Yan understood Hou Sanlang’s intentions. However, his current goal was merely to leverage the green-clothed youth’s strength to cultivate his True Fire and burn through all thirty-six acupoints. Thus, at least for now, he harbored no intention of killing the youth.
He did not mind, however, listening to Hou Sanlang’s proposition. Smiling slightly, he said, "I wonder what Daoist plans to do to assist me?"
Hou Sanlang mistook Zhang Yan’s reserved demeanor for disbelief. Hastily, he said, "Daoist, do you recall the spirit shuttle that Old Demon used against you in combat?"
Zhang Yan raised a brow and asked, "Are you referring to the Flying Fish-shaped Dharma Treasure?"
"Precisely!" Hou Sanlang’s voice involuntarily rose, though he quickly sighed. "That treasure, named the ’Five Spirit White Carp Shuttle,’ is a Mystical Artifact. I must admit, it originally belonged to me. Unfortunately, I was secretly plotted against by the Old Demon, leaving me no choice but to act under his command, resulting in the loss of the treasure to him."