Wei Soup Replenishes Origin with Heavenly Machine Aid

Pale dawn light seeped through the gap in the broken courtyard gate, spilling a sliver of fish-belly white.

The muffled thuds and gasps in the yard had stopped at some unknown point.

Ye Qingxuan leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to sit on the ground. He tried to straighten his back, but a sour, numbing sting shot from his tailbone all the way to the back of his neck, forcing him to hunch over involuntarily. Every breath pulled at the muscles of his chest and back, burning hot.

He looked down. His arms and chest were a horrifying crimson, as if scalded by boiling water. The skin was taut, covered in fine blood spots; in some places, it had even worn through, and beads of blood mixed with sweat, sticky and messy.

This body was ultimately too weak.

A night of bitter cultivation had earned a bit of merit, but it had also pushed this body to its limit. If he kept training, he feared he'd collapse before his martial arts were complete.

He leaned against the cool wall, closed his eyes, and planned to catch his breath first.

"Creak—"

The inner room's door opened.

Ye Caiwei came out quickly with a bowl of water in her hands. She saw Ye Qingxuan in the yard, paused mid-step, and the coarse ceramic bowl in her hands wobbled, spilling a little water.

Her small mouth opened, but no sound came out. She just hurried to Ye Qingxuan's side and crouched down. When she saw the glaring red marks on his body, her big eyes instantly filled with moisture, threatening to spill.

She reached out a hand, wanting to touch her brother's arm, but her fingertips stopped mid-air, afraid to land, scared of hurting him.

"Brother..."

This call came with a sob, like a frightened kitten.

Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes and forced a smile at her. The smile pulled at his facial muscles, making him wince in pain.

"It's nothing. Just training."

He reached for the bowl of water, but moving his arm brought another sharp pang.

Ye Caiwei quickly brought the bowl to his lips, her other small hand supporting the bottom, steady and sure.

The cool water slid down his throat, quenching the fiery heat in his organs. After downing the bowl, Ye Qingxuan let out a long breath of stale air.

"Nannan, later go to Butcher Wang's at the street corner and buy half a catty of beef—get the sinewy kind. Then go to Zhang's Grocery and get ten eggs." Ye Qingxuan leaned against the wall, his voice weak but clear. "The money's in the rice jar by the stove, wrapped in oil paper."

"Brother, we..." Ye Caiwei bit her lip. Beef was so expensive; those few copper coins were meant for emergencies.

"Buy it." Ye Qingxuan's tone left no room for argument. "Your brother's training martial arts burns blood and energy. I need to replenish it. If I don't eat well, how can I have the strength to earn money? How can I have the strength to protect Nannan?"

He added, "From now on, we'll have meat with every meal."

Ye Caiwei looked at her brother's determined expression, then at the injuries on his body. The moisture in her eyes finally condensed into teardrops that rolled down her cheeks. She said nothing more, just nodded firmly, turned, and ran inside to get the money.

Watching his little sister's thin back, Ye Qingxuan's gaze softened. He knew this child understood everything.

Fatigue surged over him like a tide. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and with a tilt of his head, he fell asleep against the wall.

This sleep was deep, dreamless.

He didn't know how long it lasted, but he was awakened by the aroma of food.

Opening his eyes, the sky was already dusky yellow. The afterglow of the setting sun coated the small yard in warm colors. The broken door panel had somehow been dragged to the corner by his sister, neatly propped against the wall.

He moved his body, preparing to stand.

The anticipated sharp pain didn't come.

Instead, there was a deep, sour ache buried in his muscles—like the feeling after walking dozens of miles on mountain roads and finally resting. Not painful, but his whole body felt off.

He raised his arm and looked at it in the sunset.

The terrifying crimson from the morning had mostly faded, leaving only a faint pink. The broken skin had formed a thin layer of blood scabs.

He tried clenching his fist, then opening it. His arm moved freely, with no stiffness except for that sour ache.

This...

His heart skipped a beat.

An injury from a night of torture-like training could never recover so much from just one sleep. Unless... it was the Martial Path Heavenly Machine Codex.

He focused his mind inward. The scroll in his mind's eye still floated silently.

[Name: Ye Qingxuan] [Realm: None] [Martial Art: Indestructible Vajra Body (Scale: Zero Cun, Merit: 1/5)]

The text hadn't changed at all.

But the change in his body was real.

Ye Qingxuan's eyes flickered. He recalled the line in the settings about "accompanying Method of Concealing Radiance and Nourishing Obscurity." He'd originally thought it was just for hiding his cultivation realm from outsiders. Now, thinking back, it probably wasn't that simple.

This Heavenly Machine Codex didn't just quantify bitter training into merit; it could also silently repair the body's damage afterward, ensuring his foundation wasn't harmed. This way, he could drastically shorten the intervals between training sessions—compressing what would take others days to recover from into a single day!

"Every inch of merit is not in vain; once gained, forever possessed..." Ye Qingxuan muttered, the curve of his mouth growing wider. This wasn't just a golden finger—this was a straight path to the heavens!

"Brother, you're awake!"

Ye Caiwei came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of stir-fried greens. Seeing him awake, a big smile spread across her face. Behind her, the firelight from the stove flickered, and something seemed to be stewing in the pot, bubbling away, the aroma of meat filling the air.

"I'm awake. What's for dinner?" Ye Qingxuan stood up and stretched his limbs.

"Beef stewed with radish, and egg custard!" Ye Caiwei said, presenting her offerings like a treasure.

The siblings sat down at the small table. The beef was tender and soft, the radishes had soaked up all the broth, and there was a bowl of golden, silky egg custard.

Ye Qingxuan picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. The rich flavor of the meat and the sensation of vitality slid down his throat into his stomach, turning into a wave of warmth that nourished every limb and bone.

The depletion from a night of hard training seemed to be made up for in that moment.

"Brother, don't you have duty today?" Ye Caiwei asked curiously, taking small bites of her meal.

"I have the day off today." Ye Qingxuan put a large piece of beef into his sister's bowl. "Eat up, so you can grow tall."

He remembered something else and said to Ye Caiwei, "Nannan, from now on, when I'm training, if you see any injuries on me, don't panic. That's a necessary step. For a martial artist, the skin, flesh, tendons, and bones must all be tempered a thousand times before they can become steel."

He was giving his sister a heads-up in advance, so she wouldn't worry about him day after day.

Ye Caiwei nodded, half-understanding, and kept putting the beef from her bowl into her brother's. "Brother works hard training, brother should eat more."

The meal was thoroughly satisfying.

Half a catty of beef, ten eggs, and two large bowls of coarse rice all went into Ye Qingxuan's stomach. He felt warm all over, full of strength, and even the last bit of soreness seemed to have faded considerably.

This was the Martial Way—closely tied to oil, salt, firewood, rice, and the daily grind of making a living. Without this ample supply of vitality, no matter how good the technique or how strong the will, it would be nothing but water without a source, a tree without roots.

Night deepened once again.

Ye Caiwei had long since gone to sleep.

Ye Qingxuan cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks, then went to the water vat and scooped out a ladle of cold water, pouring it over his head.

This time, without any hesitation, he skillfully wrapped his arms with a cloth strip, picked up the cloth bag filled with plant ash, and stood in the center of the courtyard.

Begin!

Rubbing, slapping.

The same steps, the same pain.

The skin rubbed against the coarse cloth, making a rustling sound. His palm slapped against his flesh, producing a dull thudding noise.

Sweat soon soaked his clothes again.

Pain!

That familiar, burning pain once again swept through his entire body.

But this time, Ye Qingxuan's state of mind was completely different.

He knew that every bit of this pain would not be wasted. It would turn into the purest nourishment, strengthening this frail body, and would become every drop of merit on that scroll, paving a path for him to defy fate and change his destiny.

To reap rewards for one's efforts—this feeling was truly addictive!

The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his movements became faster and heavier.

He forgot about time, forgot about fatigue, and only one thought remained in his mind—faster, heavier!

"Slap!"

Another heavy strike.

Just as this palm landed, the ancient, vast voice sounded in his mind for the third time.

[Unceasing bitter training, not a single effort wasted... Merit +1]

The moment the voice fell, a warm current, thicker and warmer than the last time, surged violently from the depths of his body!

This warm current was like a rushing stream, instantly washing through his limbs and bones. Wherever it passed, the heart-wrenching pain was swept away, replaced by an indescribable comfort.

He could even clearly "see" that beneath his reddened skin, blood and energy surged, and muscle fibers twitched and reorganized slightly, becoming tougher and firmer.

The scroll in his mind flashed once.

[Martial Art: Indestructible Vajra Body (Progress: Zero Cun, Merit: 2/5)]

Done!

Ye Qingxuan stopped his movements and let out a long breath. A white arrow of air shot far into the night.

He looked down at his hands, then touched his chest. His skin was still warm, but the burning pain was gone.

He clenched his fist, and an unprecedented sense of power surged from the depths of his bones.

This was only two points of merit!

If he reached the full five points of merit and the first cun of Indestructible Vajra Body was fully opened, what would that be like?

A blazing fire ignited in Ye Qingxuan's eyes.

Nine days!

There were still nine days!

He looked toward the entrance of the alley, as if he could see Duan Tianbao's fake smile.

Just wait.

Next time, I won't be putting on an act for you anymore.