Congenital Meridian Blockage

"Uncle Qingyun, what do we do next?" Ling Tian tugged at Qingyunzi's long robe, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh, next we'll test your Innate Attribute," Qingyunzi finally managed to snap back to attention.

After composing himself, Qingyunzi took Ling Tian's small hand and walked along the cliff face.

Along the way, the others kept murmuring, discussing Ling Tian's potential and vying to recruit him into their respective lineages.

Soon, they arrived at the base of a cliff. This section of the cliff was smooth as a mirror and gleamed like jade.

Carved into the blue stone beside the cliff was a script similar to that of the "Heavenly Road" – the "Wordless Jade Wall."

"Ling Tian, this is the 'Wordless Jade Wall.' Place your palm on it, and the light it emits will reveal your Innate Attribute. Go ahead," Qingyunzi explained patiently to Ling Tian.

"Okay," Ling Tian replied and walked towards the Jade Wall, placing his tender, smooth hand on it.

After a long while, the Jade Wall remained completely unresponsive.

"Huh? Why is there no reaction?" Wu Yun asked in surprise. Ling Tian had truly shocked her today.

"Could the Jade Wall be broken?" Xiong Xiong asked uncertainly.

"How could that be? Ever since I joined the Qingyun Sect, over a thousand years, the 'Wordless Jade Wall' has never made a mistake," Yuan Ming stated with absolute certainty.

Leng Jian said nothing and walked directly to the Jade Wall, placing his palm on it. Instantly, a strong golden light emanated from the Jade Wall, clearly indicating Leng Jian possessed a potent Innate Gold Attribute.

"No problem," Leng Jian said calmly, but he could no longer look at Ling Tian with indifference.

"What's going on? Could Ling Tian's talent be very low? No, even if it were low, there would still be a faint glow," Ye Feidie said, full of questions.

"Normally, such 'miracles' are rare, happening perhaps once a century. Today, it's incredibly strange to encounter two, and both involving the same person," Huang Se remarked. The others around nodded in agreement.

Qingyunzi remained silent, quickly moving to Ling Tian's side. He grabbed Ling Tian's wrist and began to check his pulse.

A moment later, Qingyunzi frowned slightly. It seemed there was nothing apparent. As if unwilling to believe it, a strand of green Spiritual Energy shot from his finger, probing into Ling Tian's body.

"Ah!" Qingyunzi exclaimed, yanking his hand away from Ling Tian's wrist with lightning speed. His expression was as if he had seen a ghost. Correction: even seeing a ghost wouldn't elicit such a reaction, as in the cultivation world, those with decent cultivation can easily see ghosts and spirits.

"What is it, Sect Master?" Gu Yuan asked anxiously.

"He... he can absorb my Spiritual Energy," Qingyunzi said, his face filled with horror. His usual immortal demeanor had vanished completely.

"What? He can absorb your Spiritual Energy? Ling Tian did that?" Huang Se's expression changed, and he asked hurriedly.

"It's probably not Ling Tian, not something Ling Tian can control. It seems his body actively absorbs Spiritual Energy that gets close to him," Qingyunzi mused after a moment of thought.

"What kind of physique is this?" Xiong Xiong asked, his face full of confusion.

"I don't know either. But I do know why the 'Wordless Jade Wall' didn't react. Ling Tian has Congenital Meridian Blockage, so naturally, the Jade Wall wouldn't respond," Qingyunzi stated with certainty, a hint of regret in his voice.

"Congenital Meridian Blockage? Then he can't cultivate?" Gu Yuan asked.

"Nonsense, have you ever seen someone with blocked meridians who could speak?" Huang Se retorted, a hint of schadenfreude on his face, as if the "fall" of a peerless genius was something he wished to see.

"Sister Wu Yun, I told you I wouldn't fight you for Ling Tian. How about Ling Tian joins your Qingsong Peak?" Gu Yuan said magnanimously, as if he hadn't been the one scrambling to claim Ling Tian moments ago.

"Uh, my Qingsong Peak is all female, it might be inconvenient," Wu Yun quickly declined.

For a moment, the others all found various "excuses," their faces changing faster than flipping a book.

Seeing everyone like this, Ling Tian felt a deep sense of loss. He looked at their evasive behavior with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Ling Tian couldn't cultivate. While taking in a "waste" might not be a problem in itself, this "waste" had a Peerless Expert behind him. If, after some time, Ling Tian's cultivation showed no improvement, even if it was due to his own condition, who knew if the senior expert would reason with them? A misplaced anger could be unbearable for them.

After all, the temperaments of senior experts were often quite eccentric.

"Alright, you were all scrambling before, but now you're all backing out. What kind of behavior is this?" Qingyunzi said, slightly annoyed, flicking his sleeve.

"Well, you can't blame us. If Senior Ling Yun gets angry, it's not something we can bear," Gu Yuan muttered softly. Though his voice was low, everyone could easily hear him.

Qingyunzi pondered for a moment, finding Gu Yuan's words reasonable. After a sigh of regret, he said, "Indeed, it's not something we can bear. It seems I should send Ling Tian back and explain this matter to our Benefactor. Alas."

With that, he took Ling Tian's small hand and left. A moment later, a flash of green light streaked across the sky, heading towards Qingyou Peak. It was likely Qingyunzi had already returned Ling Tian via sword.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, bid farewell to each other, and dispersed.

Qingyou Peak, Ling Yun's residence.

Humei was sitting in the courtyard, occasionally looking at flowers and touching grass. It was as if she was searching for traces of Ling Tian's past life among the plants. Her expression was one of absorption, shifting between sorrow and a smile, likely recalling Ling Tian's mischievous laughter there. Her longing was evident.

"Sigh, Mei'er, Tian'er has only been gone for less than half a day, do you have to be like this? Isn't it a bit too much?" Ling Yun said with a wry smile.

"Squeak." Humei let out a squeak, a mix of playful reproach and shyness.

"Heh heh, alright, alright, of course, you can miss Tian'er. How about we go to Qingyun Peak to see him right now?" Ling Tian said, clearly teasing.

Humei rolled her fox eyes and jumped onto Ling Yun's shoulder, tickling him.

"Okay, okay, I know I was wrong, alright? Just spare me, haha." Ling Yun couldn't stand it and burst into laughter, quickly begging for mercy, but Humei didn't stop.

"Alright, stop fooling around, someone's coming," Ling Yun said seriously, suddenly. Humei also seemed to sense something and ceased her "persecution" of Ling Yun.

At that moment, a streak of green light whistled through the air, arriving near Ling Yun. Two figures descended gracefully – it was none other than Qingyunzi and Ling Tian.

"Greetings, Benefactor," Qingyunzi said hurriedly, bowing.

"Hmm, no need for formalities. Why have you brought Tian'er back? Did Tian'er cause any trouble?" Ling Yun asked in surprise, looking at Ling Tian, who had immediately run to Humei.

Ling Tian's mischievousness was well-known. Causing trouble was perfectly normal for him, but it had only been less than an hour. What trouble could Ling Tian have possibly caused?

"Not causing trouble, but..." Green Cloud Master hesitated.

"You can speak freely," Ling Yun said, sounding a bit impatient.

"Well, I tested Ling Tian's talent today..." Green Cloud Master glanced at Ling Tian, who was playing with Humei, and struggled to find the right words.

"Oh? Could it be that Tian'er's talent isn't good? That seems unlikely," Ling Yun interrupted, clearly not believing Ling Tian to be of ordinary aptitude.

Green Cloud Master composed himself. It seemed Ling Tian had dealt him a significant blow at noon. "On the contrary, Ling Tian completed the 'Heavenly Road'."

After speaking, Green Cloud Master cautiously observed Ling Yun.

"Oh, so it wasn't that his aptitude is poor, that's a relief, a relief." Ling Yun seemed to sigh in relief. Although he didn't believe Ling Tian was dull-witted, one could never be too sure. He just hadn't heard Green Cloud Master's final words yet.

"What, what, he completed the 'Heavenly Road'?" Ling Yun suddenly recalled Green Cloud Master's words and jumped up, losing all semblance of a dignified elder.

"Yes, he completed the 'Heavenly Road'," Green Cloud Master repeated.

"Haha, I thought Tian'er's talent would be at least that of a top-tier genius, but I underestimated him. Good, good. Very few people have ever completed the 'Heavenly Road' throughout history. I myself only managed to step onto the Purple Steps back then," Ling Yun laughed heartily, muttering to himself. Ling Tian's exceptional talent made him happier than his own.

"Isn't good talent a good thing? Why did you bring Tian'er back?" Ling Yun's expression turned serious. As if remembering Green Cloud Master was still there, he quickly resumed his air of a profound elder.

Hearing Ling Yun's self-talk, Green Cloud Master couldn't help but roll his eyes. Only stepping onto the Purple Steps, and he spoke of it as if it were barely anything. These father and son were truly capable of demoralizing others; they were both monsters. Of course, this was just what Green Cloud Master thought; he didn't dare to say it aloud.

"It's just, it's just..." Green Cloud Master stammered.

"What is it?" Ling Yun frowned. Even Humei, who was beside them, temporarily stopped playing with Ling Tian and pricked up her alert ears, listening intently.

"It's just that Ling Tian's Innate Attribute is a bit strange," Green Cloud Master chose his words carefully. Ling Tian's Innate Attribute wasn't just strange; it was monstrous.

"Strange? What's going on?" Ling Yun asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"When Ling Tian was tested for his Innate Attribute, the 'Wordless Jade Wall' didn't react," Green Cloud Master said, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart, letting out a sigh of relief.

"No reaction?" Ling Yun was dumbfounded. No reaction from the Jade Wall meant Ling Tian had no Innate Attribute, which meant... Well, Ling Yun admitted he had never seen anything like it.

Seeing Ling Yun's reaction, Green Cloud Master felt a little more balanced. So even a dignified elder could be taken aback by this freak, Ling Tian. However, he still cleared his throat lightly.

"I checked, and it seems Ling Tian has Congenital Meridian Blockage?" Although he said "seems," his tone was quite certain. Green Cloud Master had a congenital wood attribute, and wood was the closest to life. His words carried considerable authority.

"Congenital Meridian Blockage? Haha, is Heaven trying to destroy my Lingxiao Pavilion?" Ling Yun seemed to have gone mad, his voice filled with hatred as he glared at the sky.

"However, strangely, there's something inside Ling Tian that can devour my energy. It's extremely powerful," Green Cloud Master continued, dropping another bombshell.

"Oh, how peculiar," Ling Yun's expression regained some clarity.

Without waiting for Green Cloud Master's reply, he quickly walked over to Ling Tian, took his small hand, and carefully probed. After a moment, Ling Yun's brow furrowed slightly. A wisp of Spiritual Energy flowed from his finger and into Ling Tian's body.

"Hmm, it is indeed a bit strange," Green Cloud Master released Ling Tian's hand and fell into thought.

After a long while, Ling Yun sent out another wisp of Spiritual Energy, which shot towards Ling Tian. Strangely, the Spiritual Energy rapidly drifted towards Ling Tian, was absorbed into his body, and vanished without a trace moments later.

Ling Yun's brow furrowed deeply. With his hands behind his back, he began pacing the courtyard, clearly lost in thought.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Ling Yun's eyes suddenly flashed with brilliance, and he approached Ling Tian again.

"What is it, Daddy?" Ling Tian was a bit bewildered by Ling Yun's actions.

"Nothing, nothing. Tian'er, don't move. Don't think about anything. It will be fine in a moment," Ling Yun's voice held a hint of joy and excitement.

"Oh." Although Ling Tian didn't know what Ling Yun was going to do, he obediently stayed still.

Seeing Ling Tian's obedient stillness, Ling Yun suddenly closed his eyes. Instantly, the air around them distorted, and a powerful energy enveloped Ling Tian.

Ling Tian felt a tightness in his chest, and his Dantian trembled. But because Ling Yun had warned him beforehand, he gritted his teeth and endured, not moving at all.

Cold sweat slowly seeped from Ling Tian's forehead, and moments later, it was flowing like a stream.

Ling Yun's face turned pale, and he swayed slightly before steadying himself. It was clear that his probing had consumed a great deal of mental energy. Fortunately, the probing was complete, or he might not have been able to hold on.

"Hoo..." Ling Yun let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with inexplicable joy, which was instantly concealed without a trace.

"Alas, this is fate. It's no fault of yours, Green Cloud. You may go back," Ling Yun said with a feigned sigh.

"Then, Benefactor, Green Cloud takes his leave." Green Cloud Master bowed and left swiftly. His speed was incredible. He was likely afraid that Ling Yun, in a bad mood, might take it out on him.

"Squeak." After Green Cloud Master left, Humei hurriedly jumped in front of Ling Yun, squeaking with an anxious and worried expression.

"Haha, Mei'er, no need to worry. Tian'er is fine," Ling Yun said with a smile, though it was clearly a forced one.

Having been with Ling Yun for so long, Humei knew he wouldn't lie, but she still looked confused.

"Tian'er doesn't have Congenital Meridian Blockage, but rather..." As he spoke, he leaned down and whispered something in Humei's ear. The unconcealable look of wild joy in his eyes.

Humei also looked shocked and overjoyed, letting out a few disbelieving cries.

"At first, I had my doubts, but I just asked the Artifact Spirits of those two treasures within the little fellow with my divine sense, and they reacted the same way," Ling Yun said, his face beaming.

Hearing Ling Yun's words, Humei jumped and danced with joy, squeaking incessantly.

"Shhh..." Ling Yun made a shushing gesture and pointed to the sky with his left index finger.

Humei immediately stopped squeaking, as if afraid of being overheard by heaven, but the joy in her expression grew stronger.

"The little fellow seems to be our hope, hehe," Ling Yun said with a smile.

"Daddy, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Ling Tian scratched his head, looking bewildered.

"Nothing, nothing. Go out and play, hehe," Ling Yun's eyes were full of smiles.

"Then will I still go to Qingyou Peak tomorrow?" Ling Tian asked nervously.

"No need. You'll stay at Qingyou Peak from now on. Your Mother and I will personally teach you to cultivate," Ling Yun said with a smile, stroking Ling Tian's head.

"Oh, great! I'm going to play, hee hee." The little fellow was extremely excited and happily dashed out the door. However, a flicker of sadness crossed his eyes before being quickly concealed.

Ling Yun and Humei saw it and smiled.