The guest room was quiet. Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan stood with their hands clasped, their expressions respectful yet tinged with unease, their eyes fixed on Yun Ce, full of anticipation. Qin De and Feng Yuzi stood nearby as well, not daring to make a sound for fear that Yun Ce might refuse. They knew this was Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan's only chance to break through, and a crucial opportunity for the Qin Family to strengthen its foundations.
Seeing their earnest expressions, Yun Ce slowly nodded. His tone was gentle but firm. "There's no need for such formalities. I agree to help you. But before I can help you break through, I'll need to find out exactly what's holding you back."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Ce focused his mind and communicated with the system in secret. "System, scan Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan's physical conditions and provide the optimal breakthrough plans."
A moment later, a cold mechanical voice rang out in Yun Ce's mind. "Ding! Scanning target individuals... Scan complete!"
"Target one: Zhao Yunxing. Condition: At the peak of Houtian External Martial Arts. Born with narrow meridians, his qi and blood flow is obstructed, preventing him from drawing qi into his body normally. As a result, he cannot cultivate internal arts and can only advance through pure external martial arts, attempting to overcome all techniques with sheer force. Optimal breakthrough plan: Use the [Super Marrow Cleansing Pill] to reshape his meridians and widen the channels for qi and blood. He will then be able to cultivate internal arts normally without affecting his external martial arts foundation. He may even cultivate both internal and external arts, greatly increasing his potential."
"Target two: Lian Yan. Condition: At Xiantian Great Perfection. His Xiantian True Qi meets the required level of refinement, but his understanding of the natural order of the Dao is shallow. He cannot resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and thus cannot sense the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation or condense a Golden Core to break through. Optimal breakthrough plan: Bestow a cultivation method suited to his Xiantian constitution to guide him in understanding the Great Dao of heaven and earth. This will allow him to quickly accumulate the conditions for a breakthrough, sense the tribulation in the near future, and advance to the Golden Core stage."
Yun Ce understood. The system's plans broadly matched what he had discovered earlier, but they were more precise and saved him the trouble of working everything out himself. He looked up at Zhao Yunxing, his tone serious. "General Zhao, your inability to reach Xiantian isn't due to a lack of aptitude. You were born with narrow meridians and cannot draw qi into your body, so you've had to focus on external martial arts. All you need is a Marrow Cleansing Pill. It can rebuild your meridians and widen the channels for qi and blood. Afterward, you'll be able to continue cultivating external martial arts while also cultivating internal arts, combining the two."
"Born with narrow meridians? I'll be able to cultivate internal arts if I take the Marrow Cleansing Pill?" Zhao Yunxing stared at him in shock, then his expression turned to elation. "Immortal, is that true? I... I really can cultivate internal arts and break through to Xiantian?" He had been stuck at the peak of Houtian External Martial Arts for years. Countless attempts to draw qi into his body had ended in failure, and he had long since lost hope. Now, Yun Ce's words had rekindled it.
Yun Ce smiled faintly without saying more. He raised a hand, and a flash of spiritual light appeared. A lustrous white pill, radiating dense spiritual energy, rested in his palm—the [Super Marrow Cleansing Pill] he had obtained from the system. The pill felt warm in his hand, and spiritual energy washed over them. Merely standing near it made Zhao Yunxing feel the qi and blood in his body stir faintly.
"This is the Marrow Cleansing Pill. Take it, then circulate your external martial arts and qi and blood to guide its power as it reshapes your meridians. Remember, don't rush. Proceed gradually." Yun Ce handed the pill to Zhao Yunxing and reminded him gently.
"Thank you, senior! Thank you, senior!" Zhao Yunxing accepted the pill with both hands, trembling with excitement. He bowed deeply to Yun Ce, eager to take it at once and rebuild his meridians.
Then Yun Ce turned to Lian Yan, his tone measured. "Lian Yan, your Xiantian True Qi has already been refined to its utmost. The main reason you can't break through to the Golden Core stage isn't a lack of strength, but your shallow understanding of the natural order of the Dao. You can't resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so naturally you can't sense the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation."
Lian Yan nodded repeatedly, a trace of shame on his face. "Senior is absolutely right. All these years, I've devoted myself to bitter cultivation and focused only on accumulating True Qi. I never took the time to quietly contemplate the Great Dao of heaven and earth. That's why I've been stuck at Xiantian Great Perfection for so many years, unable to break through."
"Don't worry," Yun Ce said, waving a hand calmly. "Understanding requires the right method to guide you. I have a cultivation technique suited to your constitution called the Nature Return-to-Origin Art. Its core principle is to 'follow the natural order of the Dao and understand nature.' It can guide you in quickly grasping how the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flows, help you accumulate the conditions for a breakthrough, and draw forth the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation."
The Nature Return-to-Origin Art was a cultivation technique Yun Ce had chosen specifically for Lian Yan, drawing on the insights into the Great Dao contained in the Hongmeng Stellar Art, as well as the secret manuals Lei Wei had left behind. It suited Lian Yan's constitution and could quickly deepen his understanding of the natural order of the Dao. It was an exceptionally powerful cultivation technique for gaining insight.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Ce moved his divine sense, and a stream of pale golden light entered Lian Yan's mind. It contained the complete Nature Return-to-Origin Art. Lian Yan closed his eyes and immersed himself in the technique. The more he read, the more astonished he became. It was far more profound than any cultivation method he had practiced before. Every formula and every method of circulation contained truths about the natural order of heaven and earth. His understanding suddenly cleared, and the bottleneck that had held back his insights for years showed signs of loosening.
A moment later, Lian Yan slowly opened his eyes, his face alight with joy and awe. He bowed to Yun Ce, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you, senior, for bestowing this technique! It's so profound. I'll devote myself to cultivating it and won't let you down!" He could clearly feel his Xiantian True Qi resonating with the spiritual energy around him under the technique's guidance. The conditions for a breakthrough were quickly gathering.
Watching Lian Yan, Zhao Yunxing could no longer contain his excitement. He immediately sat cross-legged and placed the Super Marrow Cleansing Pill in his mouth. It dissolved instantly, and a gentle yet powerful force surged through his body, flowing slowly along his meridians. Following Yun Ce's instructions, Zhao Yunxing circulated his qi and blood through his external martial arts and guided the pill's power as it gradually washed through and widened his narrow meridians.
At first, he felt a faint stinging pain in his meridians. Zhao Yunxing gritted his teeth and endured it, keeping the flow of qi and blood steady. As the pill's power seeped deeper, the pain gradually faded, replaced by a sense of ease unlike anything he had felt before. His narrow meridians widened and reshaped little by little, allowing qi and blood and spiritual energy to flow smoothly through his body. The barrier that had prevented him from drawing qi into his body had now been broken.
"It worked! I can draw qi into my body!" Zhao Yunxing was overjoyed. He could clearly feel the spiritual energy between heaven and earth flowing through his rebuilt meridians and slowly entering his body, blending with the qi and blood of his external martial arts. His strength was steadily increasing, and the bottleneck at the peak of Houtian External Martial Arts had finally loosened. He was only one step away from the Xiantian realm.
Lian Yan seized the opportunity as well. Sitting cross-legged, he began contemplating nature according to the methods of the Nature Return-to-Origin Art. He closed his eyes, connecting his mind to the spiritual energy around him and feeling the movement of the wind and the flow of qi. The truths of the Dao that had once seemed obscure now became clear and easy to understand. His Xiantian True Qi was rapidly refining, and its resonance with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth grew stronger by the moment.
Before long, Lian Yan slowly opened his eyes, a glint in them and delight on his face. "Senior! I can feel the conditions for a breakthrough steadily building. With this Nature Return-to-Origin Art, I'm confident I can reach the Golden Core stage within a year!"
Qin De and Feng Yuzi had watched the whole scene unfold, and both were visibly thrilled. Qin De hurried forward and looked at Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan, his voice full of excitement. "Wonderful! Wonderful! This is fantastic! Yunxing, Uncle Lian, you finally have a chance to break through!"
He knew that Zhao Yunxing was the Qin Family's foremost general, while Lian Yan was one of its most senior members and the man who had first guided Qin De in martial arts. If the two of them could break through—Zhao Yunxing becoming a Xiantian expert and Lian Yan becoming a Golden Core cultivator—the Qin Family's strength would rise dramatically, and the Qin Dynasty's foundations would grow stronger still!
Feng Yuzi stroked his beard, admiration filling his eyes. "Brother Yun's abilities are extraordinary. A single pill and a single cultivation technique solved bottlenecks that had held them back for years. His strength and insight are truly admirable!"
Yun Ce smiled faintly, his tone gentle. "They already had solid foundations. They were simply missing an opportunity. I only gave things a little push."
As he spoke, Yun Ce turned to Qin De, his tone growing serious. "Brother Qin De, the Qin Family is Xiaoyu's foundation and the support he'll rely on when he ventures into the cultivation world in the future. I have three cultivation techniques: the Heaven-Burning Art, the Water Control Scripture, and the Mountain-Suppressing Mental Method. They're all top-tier manuals from the cultivation world, and each can be cultivated all the way to the Great Completion Stage. I'll give them to you today as the Qin Family's ancestral treasures."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Ce raised his hand, and three streams of pale golden light entered Qin De's mind, containing the complete versions of the three top-tier cultivation techniques. Qin De closed his eyes and immersed himself in them. The more he saw, the more astonished he became, and he could hardly hide his delight. Each of the three techniques was profound beyond measure, far surpassing every cultivation manual the Qin Family possessed. The Qin Family's Ancestral Dragon Art wasn't fit to carry these techniques' shoes. These manuals would not only let him break through to a higher realm, but also help every cultivator in the Qin Family advance further along the path of cultivation, completely changing the family's fortunes!
A moment later, Qin De slowly opened his eyes, excitement and awe filling them. He bowed deeply to Yun Ce, his voice brimming with sincerity. "Thank you, Brother Yun! Thank you for this generous gift! These three cultivation techniques can become treasures passed down through my Qin Family for generations. I'll safeguard them carefully and ensure that the Qin Family's descendants pass them down from one generation to the next. I won't let you down!"
He knew that Yun Ce had done this not only for Qin Yu, but also for the Qin Family. The family would never forget this kindness. With these three top-tier cultivation techniques, and Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan on the verge of breaking through, the Qin Family's future would be bright!
Yun Ce raised a hand, gesturing for Qin De to stand. His tone was gentle. "There's no need for formalities. Xiaoyu is my disciple, so protecting the Qin Family is my duty as well. Now that Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan have found their opportunities to break through, let them cultivate in peace. We can discuss our plans to head to the Undersea Beast World."
"Yes! I understand!" Qin De nodded firmly, his face full of delight and resolve. He knew that with Yun Ce, a Void-Piercing cultivator, watching over them, three top-tier cultivation techniques to strengthen them, and Zhao Yunxing and Lian Yan on the verge of breaking through, the Qin Family's rise was just around the corner!
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