Lifesaving Straw

After the examination, Chen Yulian was relieved to find that Lu Changfeng had only fainted due to emotional shock aggravating his chest injury and was not in serious danger.

She pulled Lu Wu-bing aside and hesitated, "Don't make things difficult for your father. He's a kind man his whole life. His medical skills are excellent, but he can be quite stubborn, especially when it comes to ancestral teachings. He holds them very dear and strictly adheres to them."

This was troublesome.

"Mother, if there really is such an heirloom, it must be something the Eastern Sea Sect is plotting to obtain. In a critical moment, we must adapt..."

Lu Wu-bing was also anxious. The longer they waited, the more complicated things would become. The key to breaking this deadlock was whether or not they actually possessed that item.

There was a saying from his previous life that was quite fitting: If others suspect you have something, you'd better actually have it.

The Eastern Sea Sword Sect was advancing aggressively. Whatever they were after, they would tear the place apart, leaving no stone unturned, until they achieved their goal. They wouldn't rest until they found it.

"Follow me."

Chen Yulian's eyebrows slightly furrowed, revealing a hint of decisiveness.

"Your father dug a cellar in the bedroom, and he didn't hide it from me. I don't know if what you're looking for is in there, but if it is, it should be here."

As she spoke, she moved a wardrobe aside and used a utility knife to carefully pry a loose brick from the corner of the wall. She reached inside and manipulated a mechanism, and a "creak" sound echoed from within the room.

A three-foot square opening appeared in the corner of the room, revealing stone steps descending into darkness.

"Light a lamp and go in. I'll stand guard outside."

Chen Yulian sighed and turned to leave.

Lu Wu-bing lit an oil lamp, sword in hand. His cat, Mao Mao, darted in at his feet to scout ahead, soon letting out a happy "meow."

Inside, he found the cellar sparsely furnished. Piles of quicklime blocks were stacked in a corner, and a wooden shelf stood in the center of the room, holding several large chests.

He opened a few of the chests.

Lu Wu-bing discovered that the contents were equally simple.

One chest contained gold ingots, and another contained silver.

In a small chest, there were several secret manuals, including an acupuncture chart, the cultivation method for the Six Yang Divine Needles, and the secret to needle manipulation.

Of course, there was also a copy of the Primal Spirit Swordplay, which looked particularly glaring at the moment.

Lu Wu-bing flipped through it and found it to be identical to the family swordplay he had learned, containing only the moves and sword-wielding techniques, nothing else.

Besides these chests, there was a rectangular object wrapped tightly in yellow silk, about the size of a book.

"Is this it?"

Lu Wu-bing's heart began to pound.

Although the yellow ribbon was covered in dust and its color had faded, the blood-red characters on it were still clearly visible.

He unwrapped the ribbon and glanced inside. Lu Wu-bing recognized it and could read it aloud.

"Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, practicing the profound Prajnaparamita..."

What was inside? Was it suppressed by a Buddhist scripture?

He broke the seal and opened the box, revealing a yellowed, handwritten booklet with the words "Yuanling Swordplay Manual" written in large characters.

"It really exists!"

Lu Wu-bing could no longer contain his excitement. He quickly opened the pages and saw the first page, written in bright red ink: "Benevolent and righteous individuals, do not practice this technique. It devours spirits and swallows souls, leading to the convergence of ten thousand swords..."

Lu Wu-bing's heart grew cold.

Continuing to read, he saw written below the first page: "Opening the Six Divine Meridians, achieving mastery of body and mind, swordplay reaching the divine."

Turning further, it detailed the specific cultivation methods.

"First Meridian: Devouring Heaven. The intent travels through Chengjiang, Fengfu, Huagai, Shendao, Zhiyang, Tianshu, Yuanguan, Quantai..."

"Second Meridian: Scenting Fragrance. The intent travels through Wushan, Huiwo, Bieyue..."

"Third Meridian: Utmost Bliss... Fourth Meridian: Bathing in Fire... Fifth Meridian: No Gap... Sixth Meridian: Bewildering Heart..."

Each meridian not only had an acupuncture chart but also indicated a unique breathing frequency.

Lu Wu-bing scanned through it, his eyes widening.

Although his original body hadn't learned much, the meridians and acupoint distribution were the most deeply ingrained in his memory. They were essential not only for treating illnesses and saving lives but also for the cultivation of his family's Six Yang Meridians and the Six Yang Divine Needles, which could not afford any deviation.

He possessed this knowledge.

He knew that in addition to the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, the human body actually contained many hidden meridians that were difficult to access with ordinary cultivation techniques.

Legend had it that if one could open a hidden meridian, not only would their techniques' power increase dramatically, but they would also gain various miraculous abilities.

This booklet taught how to open the Six Divine Meridians, which were six corresponding hidden meridians, along with a unique breathing method to accompany them.

The names of the six meridians subtly alluded to the six desires, giving the technique a profound meaning. This was a true divine cultivation method.

"The Lu family's Primal Spirit Swordplay is missing its fundamental cultivation method. It's a miracle it could achieve any power at all," Lu Wu-bing mused.

He sighed inwardly and, after much thought, decided to examine the technique's true nature. Perhaps he could practice it himself.

At least it didn't require castration, so he could still change his mind if needed.

"I'll start with the First Meridian: Devouring Heaven technique."

He acted as he thought. Following the breathing method of the first meridian, he adjusted his breathing frequency, locking his mind onto the starting acupoint, Chengjiang. Soon, a wisp of energy emerged from the Chengjiang acupoint, defying the impossible and forging a non-existent meridian route, heading straight for the Fengfu acupoint...

Lu Wu-bing felt his entire body tremble, an indescribable ferocity surging in his heart.

He seemed to smell a fishy sweetness between his nose and mouth, and his heart thrummed with eagerness.

"Stop, stop, make it stop..."

Lu Wu-bing inwardly cursed his bad luck. This cultivation technique was truly sinister; it could actually change his personality?

With an willpower akin to quitting flour, he forcefully halted the breathing technique, retracted his hand reaching for the small cat beside him, and slammed his own chest heavily, coughing uncontrollably, his eyes bloodshot.

"Meow..."

The cat, which had been looking up at its owner, suddenly cried out in alarm. It arched its back and with a whoosh, leaped onto the stone steps. Its paws sprang, and in a blink, it was out of the cellar.

"Hoo, hoo..."

Lu Wu-bing swayed, his teeth grinding. Flustered, he fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the small meat jerky he fed the cat, and swallowed it like a starving ghost, without even chewing.

In that moment, he had actually found the little cat to be delicious, wanting to skin it, pull out its bones, and devour it raw, even unable to control his own hands.

Moreover, that bloodthirsty impulse could subtly alter his perception, making him believe the ultimate truth in the world was the survival of the fittest. What was wrong with killing some people as blood food?

As long as he was strong, controlled his own destiny, and reached immortality, why should he care about the thoughts of ants?

No one in the world was unkillable!

As this wicked thought arose, it spread like wildfire, impossible to suppress.

"Fortunately, it was just a test, and I didn't fall too deep. I could still pull back."

Lu Wu-bing thought this with great relief, but soon discovered he was too optimistic.

It wasn't that the aftereffects were still lingering.

It was that he saw the benefits.

He moved inadvertently and felt a surge of power in his arm, a feeling of needing to release it. His mind moved, his body moved, he drew his sword and thrust forward.

Woo...

The sharp blade tore through the wind.

A sharp sword cry echoed in the secret chamber.

The meat jerky he had just eaten instantly transformed into a torrent, converting into essence. As he thrust his sword out now, it was actually two points faster than when he had clashed with the "Life-Severing Sword" before.

Lu Wu-bing refused to believe it and thrust two more times.

He discovered something even more terrifying.

Although the essence transformed from the meat jerky had been completely depleted, his swordsmanship, under a trace of peculiar fluctuation, had permanently become one point faster.

"This peculiar fluctuation, like fire and waves, can boost sword speed and invigorate the spirit, like taking a potent stimulant. Devouring spirit and consuming soul, what a 'Devouring Spirit, Consuming Soul' technique."

Just by trying it once, without truly practicing, there were such "benefits." For those in the martial world, what kind of temptation was this?

Without firm conviction and noble character, how could one resist this mental addiction?

The most sinister part was that his mind was affected, he couldn't even distinguish friend from foe. The cat was so cute, yet I wanted to eat it.

Pah!

No wonder his paternal grandfather, Lu Chengyun, left a family instruction not to let any descendant touch it, not even to look at it.

It was because he understood better than anyone.

Once this thing was practiced, there was no turning back.

"Benevolent and righteous people, do not practice this technique..." Lu Wu-bing's gaze returned to the first sentence, and a terrifying thought suddenly flashed in his mind.

His grandfather, Lu Chengyun, had undoubtedly practiced this technique, and had reached a profound level.

Then, how did he achieve it?

Behind the Hall of Returning Spring's saving lives and healing the injured, what kind of truth was hidden?

Lu Wu-bing frowned, pondering deeply. After thinking it over, he carefully reread the Buddhist scriptures on the box. He found they were identical to the scriptures in his memory, and reciting them elicited no reaction.

He guessed the scriptures were merely his grandfather's wish, hoping he would reach enlightenment through wisdom, but they were useless.

Where was the useful method?

"Before I find a way to resolve the drawbacks of this technique, I absolutely cannot practice this sword manual. If I lose my mind and kill all my own people, that would be laughable."

"It's a wasted effort."

Lu Wu-bing looked disappointed. The item was indeed good, but he could see it and not have it.

Compared to the severe drawback of "losing oneself," the sword technique in the story, which only required castration, seemed mild.

"I cannot risk practicing it at great peril for now; I can't even try. I must first find a way to stabilize my spirit..."

The immediate priority, however, was to use this "wasted effort" to resolve the Lu family's predicament.