Inner Sight, Azure Dragon Resonance!

Qing Mufeng felt those three strands of soul power circulating within his body; faintly, he could indeed sense a weak breath of life germinating within his meridians.

"The third path: return from the Dantian to the Baihui, following the Du Meridian."

The three strands of soul power converged at the Dantian, then traveled upward along the Du Meridian of the spine, passing through the Weilü, Mingmen, Jiaji, and Yuzhen, finally returning to the Baihui acupoint at the crown of his head.

One cycle.

Another cycle.

Qing Zhengyue led his grandson through nine full cycles before withdrawing his soul power.

"How much did you remember?" the old man asked.

Qing Mufeng did not answer immediately, instead closing his eyes to review the process in his mind.

"Ninety percent," he said.

Qing Zhengyue raised an eyebrow.

Ninety percent—to remember ninety percent after just one attempt.

When he learned this meditation method back in the day, his grandfather had guided him for half an hour, and he had only remembered seventy percent.

"Run it three more times," the old man said.

This time, Qing Zhengyue did not use his soul power to lead the way, but merely provided verbal guidance from the side.

"From Baihui to Shanzhong."

"From Shanzhong to the Dantian, three branches in parallel."

"From the Dantian back to Baihui, follow the Du Meridian."

After three repetitions, Qing Mufeng opened his eyes.

"I have it memorized," he said.

Qing Zhengyue looked into his grandson's calm eyes, remained silent for two breaths, and then nodded.

"Starting today, practice the Green Snake Meditation Method once every morning and evening. At least one hour each time."

The old man's voice brooked no argument: "Once you reach level thirty, I will teach you the next stage of the path."

Qing Mufeng nodded.

"There is one more thing." Qing Zhengyue picked up the manual for the Green Snake Meditation Method and handed it to his grandson.

"This booklet is a Qing Family Secret. As a descendant of the Qing family, you naturally have the right to see it. But remember."

The old man's gaze was sharp as a blade.

"It must never be shared."

Qing Mufeng took the booklet with both hands and nodded solemnly.

"Rest assured, Grandfather."

Qing Zhengyue looked at his grandson's earnest eyes and suddenly smiled.

He reached out and ruffled his grandson's hair with a firm, measured touch.

"Go on, find your grandmother. She should have your medicinal bath ready by now."

Qing Mufeng stood up, clutched the booklet, bowed to his grandfather, and turned to walk out of the study.

Qing Zhengyue watched his grandson's small back disappear through the doorway; the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a complex expression.

"A snake's meditation method, a dragon's child..."

The old man muttered to himself.

"I hope that from the path of the snake, you can walk the way of the dragon."

Outside the window, bamboo leaves rustled.

The wooden tub for the medicinal bath was placed in the center of Qing Mufeng's room.

The tub had been custom-made by Liu Yunlan; it was half a foot deeper than a standard tub, crafted from high-quality Ironwood, with jade stones embedded in the inner walls to nourish the meridians.

At this moment, the tub was filled with a deep emerald medicinal decoction, steam curling upward as a rich, herbal fragrance permeated the entire room.

Liu Yunlan reached out to test the water temperature and nodded in satisfaction.

"Get in, and soak for at least an hour."

The old woman said, "I added twice as many medicinal herbs as usual this time; the hidden injuries in your meridians need proper care."

Qing Mufeng took off his outer robe, wearing only his shorts, and stepped onto the wooden stool to climb into the tub.

The medicinal liquid rose above his chest, and the warm medicinal power seeped through his skin, slowly spreading along his meridians.

He leaned back against the wall of the tub and let out a long, comfortable breath.

Liu Yunlan placed a pot of warm water and a dry towel by the side of the tub, checked carefully to ensure the windows were tightly shut, and then turned to leave.

"Grandma will be in the next room; call if you need anything," the old woman said before closing the door.

Qing Mufeng acknowledged with a sound and closed his eyes.

He did not rush to cultivate.

During a medicinal bath, the body's pores are open and the meridians are relaxed; it is the most suitable time for nourishment, but also the easiest time to lose focus.

Qing Mufeng first relaxed his body, letting the medicinal power wander within him.

Only when his breathing had completely steadied did he begin to circulate the Green Snake Meditation Method.

Soul power started from the Baihui point, traveled down the Ren meridian to the Tanzhong point, branched into three paths to the Dantian, and then returned to the Baihui point via the Du meridian.

One cycle.

Two cycles.

Three cycles.

The heat of the medicinal bath resonated with the circulation of soul power, and that faint aura of life gradually grew stronger within his meridians.

But Qing Mufeng was not satisfied with this.

He recalled what his grandfather had said.

Furthermore, the Azure Dragon Pupil could perceive all things.

What if he used it for internal vision?

With a shift of his intent, his second innate divine ability was quietly activated.

Beneath his closed eyelids, a faint golden light emerged from the depths of his pupils.

His field of vision changed.

He was not seeing with his eyes, but perceiving with soul power.

He saw his own meridians.

Bands of azure light intertwined within his body, with soul power flowing slowly through them.

He saw his bones.

Each bone was coated in a faint azure halo.

He saw his internal organs.

The beating of his heart, the contraction of his lungs, the flow of his blood—everything was laid bare before his eyes.

This was internal vision.

The internal vision of the Azure Dragon Pupil.

Qing Mufeng sank his focus further, following the flow of soul power to explore the deepest reaches of his body.

The Dantian.

The most mysterious place in a soul master's body, the dwelling place of the martial soul.

He saw the Dantian.

It was not a blurry mass of light, but a truly existing space.

Gray and boundless, like a chaos yet to be carved out.

In the center of this chaos, a snake was suspended.

A green snake.

No, it was not a snake.

Qing Mufeng's Azure Dragon Pupil stared at the phantom, becoming clearer the more he looked.

It was an Azure Dragon.

It was merely sealed within the shell of a snake.

The Azure Dragon floated silently in the center of the Dantian, its eyes tightly shut as if in deep slumber.

Two soul rings.

One deep yellow, one purple.

They revolved slowly around it, emitting faint ripples of soul power.

Qing Mufeng stared at his own martial soul and suddenly felt a strange sensation.

It was not the feeling of looking.

It was the feeling of being looked at.

The Azure Dragon's eyes opened.

Golden vertical pupils locked gazes with Qing Mufeng's Azure Dragon Pupil.

The next instant, the world spun.

Qing Mufeng felt himself being pulled in by an irresistible force.

It was not his body, but his consciousness.

His consciousness was extracted from his physical form, passing through that layer of gray chaos, and plummeting into an entirely different world.

This was a small, azure world.

The sky was azure; there were no clouds and no sun, yet a soft radiance spilled down from every direction.

Beneath his feet lay an endless expanse of grassland, the blades of grass as soft as silk, making no sound as he stepped upon them.

In the distance, there was a dragon.

It was not serpentine, nor was it a phantom image.

It was a true Azure Dragon.

It coiled in the center of this realm, its body as massive as a mountain range, each of its azure scales like a giant piece of jade, radiating a gentle, warm glow.

Its head was held high, its dragon horns branched like coral, and its whiskers drifted lightly in the air.

Those golden, slit-pupiled eyes were watching Qing Mufeng.

It was not a condescending gaze from above, but a level stare.

It was as if it were looking at an equal.

Qing Mufeng stood where he was, looking up at this colossal creature, feeling no fear in his heart, only a strange sense of kinship.