True Qi surged forth from his fingertips like a landslide, erupting in an unstoppable torrent.
At first, Meng Qingshan felt True Qi roiling in his chest like rumbling thunder. One stream raced from Shaoshang to Qihai Acupoint, while another flowed from Shangyang to Mingmen.
At last, the two streams of True Qi merged into one, vast as wind and rain over the heavens and seas, yet gentle and smooth as a warm breeze.
With a rumble, True Qi broke through Meng Qingshan's Ren Meridian and Du Meridian.
In an instant, he felt the hot and cold energies within him swell, while the five vital energies rose to the crown of his head. It was as if he were immersed in an endless ocean of True Qi, its power immense and as unshakable as a mountain peak!
At the same time, Xiao Tianfang's body underwent a startling change after passing on his power. His once-vibrant body rapidly withered, and his head of black hair turned white in an instant.
As his Inner Breath gradually dissipated, Meng Qingshan finally collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The violent fall sent a sharp wave of pain through his body, but he let True Qi course through him.
After a brief struggle, Meng Qingshan fell into a deep sleep.
By the time Meng Qingshan awoke, two days had passed.
His long sleep had been like crossing an endless stretch of darkness. When he woke, he felt better than ever.
If hunger hadn't roused him from his dreams, he felt he could have slept for another half a day.
To be honest, ever since Meng Qingshan had hurried all the way from Jade Mountain City to Jiaxing, he hadn't had a single full night's sleep.
Now that he had received the power passed on by Xiao Tianfang, the Great Hero of Shenzhou, he felt the burden on his shoulders had eased, and he felt much more at ease.
Rubbing his growling stomach, he opened the oilcloth-wrapped bundle and planned to take out a piece of flatbread to stave off his hunger.
But the flatbread was unusually hard. After a few bites, he realized it was almost impossible to swallow without some water.
He shook the wine gourd in his hand, but it was already completely empty.
Then Meng Qingshan suddenly remembered the stone chamber he had entered earlier. There had been a clear pool of water inside.
He'd heard that a kind of carp called the Red Scale Tail lived in the pool. Its flesh was exceptionally delicious, and, even more wondrously, eating it could help improve one's cultivation.
At the thought, he put away the flatbread, secured the wine gourd at his waist, and turned back toward the stone chamber the way he had come.
At the deep pool in the stone chamber, Meng Qingshan found the water remarkably clear and cool, like a profound mirror. The pool plunged into darkness, with light and shadow flickering at its depths.
From the depths, fish appeared to swim through empty space. Some hovered motionless; others darted away in an instant.
Their upper bodies were as red as fire, while their lower halves were transparent, so that their bones could be seen clearly. It was a truly astonishing sight.
This must be the legendary Red Scale Tail. Meng Qingshan took off his clothes and leaped into the clear pool.
The moment he entered, the pool's bone-chilling cold enveloped him.
He immediately circulated Long Wind True Qi to protect himself. After managing to catch two fish in the icy water, the cold grew so intense that he could no longer bear it. He decided to climb out and fill his stomach first.
Once ashore, Meng Qingshan dried himself off and put his clothes back on to keep warm.
Then he scooped water into a stone basin and placed the two fish inside.
Watching the two Red Scale Tails swim leisurely in the basin, Meng Qingshan thought to himself, If I didn't know how delicious these fish were, their bizarre appearance would make me think twice before taking a bite!
This brought to mind the benefits of activating the Yintang Acupoint.
Meng Qingshan practiced the Long Wind Heart Method, whose True Qi circulated along the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, one of the Hand Taiyang meridians.
Practicing the Hand Taiyang meridians activated the corresponding Dantian Six Acupoints at the Shenque Acupoint, and granted the corresponding Basic Skill—"Regulate Breath."
The main effect of the "Regulate Breath" skill was to restore health, and its effectiveness increased significantly as the Hand Taiyang meridians were progressively unblocked.
Although this Basic Skill was a good choice for players in the early stages of the game, people were often inclined to compare what they had with what they didn't.
Even a seasoned player like Meng Qingshan couldn't help thinking that way.
In the game Wulin Qixia Zhuan, activating the Yintang Acupoint granted the Basic Skill "Spiritual Perception."
Once players mastered this skill, they could view the Attribute Panels of every living thing in the game, even character characters, and see them in full.
Meng Qingshan secretly resolved that, if he ever got the chance, he would find a way to obtain an internal cultivation method for the Foot Taiyang meridians and activate the Yintang Acupoint to unlock this Basic Skill.
He gathered some rotten wood beside the stone stove, found a few things to use as kindling, and lit a fire with a fire starter. Then he began roasting the fish.
Only then, as he roasted the fish, did Meng Qingshan check the message log from two days earlier:
[Notice: Xiao Tianfang, the 'Great Hero of Shenzhou,' has infused you with internal energy. The Ren Meridian among your 'Eight Extraordinary Meridians' has been unblocked. 'Dantian Origin—Mingmen Acupoint' has been activated. You have comprehended the Basic Skill—'Martial Arts Demonstration'.]
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