At the Doorstep

"Who did this?"

As Shizhu stood up, he quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

He had come out of the refugee camp.

Alone.

All his life, the best person to him had been Old Man Xiang.

He had eaten at their home more than once or twice, treating Xiang's wife like his own mother.

He had even taught Xiang Wen everything he knew about martial arts.

How could it be that after only a few days apart, they were now separated by death?

Old Man Xiang lowered his eyelids, looked at the two corpses laid out in the inner hall, and after a moment of silence, finally spoke, "The Wild Dog Gang. I've already wiped them out."

"Who ordered it?" Shizhu was furious, slamming his hand on the table and standing up.

His face was flushed with surging Internal Qi.

But Old Man Xiang didn't tell him, instead saying, "Offer some incense."

After drinking, Shizhu was thoroughly steeped in the smell of alcohol.

During the meal, he didn't press further about who had given the order, nor did he offer words of comfort. He simply told Old Man Xiang that if he sought revenge, he must include him.

No need for many words, just call and he would come.

The two drank until they were slightly tipsy.

Shizhu offered incense and bowed again, then left the courtyard gate.

The night was dark and vast, with the bright moon in the clouds hidden from view.

This also made the vast land much dimmer.

Old Man Xiang drank again under the moonlight, his wife and son lying quietly on the bed boards.

The Venerable Soul Banner was before the table.

He raised his wine cup, using the vast world outside the window and the hazy moonlight to toast his wife, son, and himself.

His eyes were bright, like burning dry wood, radiating light.

"Magic Treasures, ah, sometimes I really don't understand whether people are more terrifying, or ghosts."

"I heard that Demonic Cultivator, whose entire family was wiped out, slaughtered his way into the Prefectural Manor and killed the Prefect on the spot."

"A true man, living so freely!"

"Even the Immortal Masters in the Hall of Offerings couldn't stop him."

"Was that a Demonic Cultivator?"

"Honestly."

"I envy him."

"Can I do that?"

He didn't know if he was talking to the Venerable Soul Banner or to himself.

Tu Shan Jun let out a scoff.

Everyone yearned for the satisfaction of revenge, but few could achieve it.

Even he, Tu Shan Jun, couldn't.

What was the use of just envying? The cultivation method had been given, and the Yin Soul Pills had been taken.

The path was right under his feet; all he had to do was walk it.

If he shrank back even from these few steps.

Only lamenting the unfairness of fate and the hardships of life, he would forever remain immersed in his own depressed will.

This life would be nothing more than this.

Tu Shan Jun stood inside the Venerable Soul Banner, watching Old Man Xiang.

He didn't speak.

Just watched.

Would Old Man Xiang get drunk and collapse here, no longer moving forward, or would he strive hard?

The choice was only in the hands of the person involved.

Tu Shan Jun could not make decisions for others.

Old Man Xiang was drunk, swaying unsteadily, seemingly about to fall at any moment.

Just as he was about to collapse from drunkenness.

His Internal Qi circulated, evaporating all the alcohol.

Old Man Xiang sobered up.

He couldn't get drunk yet, much less get drunk and collapse here.

He could be down, but he couldn't wallow in it.

He rekindled the heated bed, sealed the courtyard gate, and swallowed the black beads.

The night passed without a word.

Until dawn.

More than a month's time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Liang Capital hadn't changed much, but news of the defeat in the north had arrived.

Continuous retreats.

It seemed like it had been a long time since any victory reports came back.

This month was difficult for the officials in the imperial court.

It was equally like living through years for Old Man Xiang.

The accumulation of Internal Qi was already sufficient.

The Viscera Refining Realm had reached its peak, with the internal energy circulating endlessly through his five viscera and six organs.

To prevent the body from decomposing, Old Man Xiang used simple bed boards to nail together a coffin, placed the body inside, and buried it in the cellar of the backyard.

He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.

After the burial, he knelt before the grave and wept.

He cried bitterly.

A lump was in his throat.

Since then, he spoke even less.

Every day, he either worked as a jailer on duty or returned home to swallow the black beads.

Hard work paid off.

Finally, his Internal Qi was complete, reaching the verge of a breakthrough.

There was still experience to follow for becoming a First-Rate Expert.

But Houtian Reverting to Xiantian was a first.

Those who could cultivate to become Xiantian Martial Artists through their own efforts were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns in the entire secular martial world.

Achieving Xiantian already meant stepping onto the Immortal Path, and they would no longer remain in the secular world.

Who wouldn't want to pursue Achieving Immortality?

Xiantian could transition to Qi Condensation, but it wasn't ordinary Qi Condensation.

Tu Shan Jun didn't have any good guidance methods. Others' experience was to achieve Qi Sense through Spiritual Root, and after Sensing Qi, use Magic Power to cleanse the body and meridians, then cultivate to Qi Condensation First Layer.

Now, Houtian Reverting to Xiantian relied entirely on the abundance of Internal Qi and painstaking effort, transforming into Magic Power after the Internal Qi reached its storage limit in the Dantian.

Old Man Xiang felt he was about to break through.

The Internal Qi in his Dantian was extremely full, and his body refinement had also reached the peak of a mortal.

He only needed one final push to step into the Xiantian Realm.

Internal Qi surged through his meridians, and his five viscera were full of life.

The Tiger Roar Technique circulated, opening up his Eight Extraordinary Meridians, guiding the Dantian Internal Qi.

Tu Shan Jun in the Venerable Soul Banner stared intently at Old Man Xiang, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed.

Success or failure hinged on this moment.

But Tu Shan Jun knew that Old Man Xiang's success rate was actually less than thirty percent.

The severed arm caused a meridian defect, preventing the Internal Qi from circulating effectively.

This was commonly known as the Great Heavenly Circuit.

Without being able to perform the Great Heavenly Circuit, he couldn't open the still blocked vital points in his body.

While others could maintain endless circulation through the Great Heavenly Circuit, Old Man Xiang, due to his severed arm, had a part of his circuit broken.

If the Internal Qi became blocked in the meridians, it could easily stretch the already somewhat tough meridians.

Leading to cracks and fissures.

If the meridians couldn't withstand it, it would reduce the quality of the Internal Qi, making it impossible to open the Great Heavenly Circuit vital points in the body.

Although none of this was severe, at this critical juncture, it was deadly.

Once the meridians collapsed and the Internal Qi went out of control, it would severely injure the body, causing internal injuries.

More severe internal bleeding would directly claim the martial artist's life.

Even being a First-Rate Expert in the Viscera Refining Realm, attempting a breakthrough with such injuries would be certain death.

If he were to completely force out the Internal Qi, it would make the Great Heavenly Circuit incomplete, and with insufficient momentum, he wouldn't be able to open the vital points.

and he would ultimately fail.

So, he couldn't rush.

Especially at a moment like this, he absolutely couldn't be anxious.

Tu Shan Jun was afraid that Old Man Xiang didn't understand this principle and would rush his breakthrough, perhaps even taking potent medicine again.

"Can't rush."

Tu Shan Jun took a deep breath, muttering softly to himself.

Tu Shan Jun watched Old Man Xiang, who was circulating his Internal Qi, with tension.

Of course, he hoped Old Man Xiang could successfully break through.

Only if Old Man Xiang succeeded in breaking through would he have a chance to control the Venerable Soul Banner.

The techniques and mental cultivation method of the Tiger Roar Technique were completely unable to support the circulation of Internal Qi anymore. The massive Internal Qi surged wildly out of his Dantian.

The previously widened meridians simply couldn't withstand the torrent of Internal Qi.

The meridians gave out first, before the Great Heavenly Circuit was completed. A trickle of fresh blood flowed from the corner of Old Man Xiang's mouth.

Seeing Old Man Xiang's complexion and the blood at the corner of his mouth, Tu Shan Jun knew there was a problem.

This is bad. The Internal Qi is too deep and vast, and it's actually hindering Old Man Xiang's breakthrough.

If this continues, his meridians will burst.

Tu Shan Jun frowned anxiously, thinking of a solution.

Do I really have to use potent medicine again and push through in one go?

It was already putting a strain on his meridians. Either he had to dissipate the Internal Qi, or complete the circulation directly.

To complete the circulation, the congested Internal Qi had to flow unimpeded.

Should I give him another Yin Soul Pill?

Tu Shan Jun pondered the feasibility of this method.

The blood at the corner of Old Man Xiang's mouth had turned into a steady stream, and his body was as red as a glowing iron.

White smoke evaporated from the surface of his skin.

Ah, how could I forget this?

Tu Shan Jun suddenly realized, feeling incredibly foolish.

He had thought about it many times, but it couldn't compare to the flash of spiritual light he had at this moment.