Deep into the night, with all quiet, only the faint chirring of cicadas remained in the back courtyard of Changchun Medical Hall.
Xia Dong sat cross-legged on the bed in the main room. He took a deep breath and held the wooden box containing the Spirit Stones before him.
Ever since the Evergreen Medical Classic had reached perfection, the realization that the Crane Stance, Dragon-Capturing Technique, and Evergreen Medical Classic all shared the same origin and could be fused together had grown ever stronger in his heart.
Of these three techniques, one focused on qi and blood as well as movement, another specialized in the muscles and bones and their control, and the third offered insight into the body's meridians and vital points. If he could perfectly meld all three into one, Xia Dong was certain he would obtain an entirely new martial art secret manual, one that could seize the workings of creation itself.
Without hesitation, he took all the remaining Spirit Stones from the wooden box and neatly arranged them beside his pillow. Then he slowly closed his eyes, guiding his mind into that mysterious space of consciousness.
In his sleep, the pure spiritual energy contained within the Spirit Stones was forcibly drawn out, thread by thread, and surged madly into the mottled Bronze Ancient Bell.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Ancient Bell let out a succession of deep, muffled booms. The scarlet characters on its body twisted and roiled violently.
Xia Dong's consciousness seemed to be dragged into a colossal furnace.
As he worked through the possibilities, the White Crane's lightness, the Dragon-Capturing Technique's overbearing force, and the Medical Classic's subtle precision began to collide and intertwine.
The routes along which qi and blood flowed were shattered again and again, then reassembled.
However, fusing techniques at this core level was far more difficult than any of his previous attempts.
As time passed, Xia Dong felt the power of deduction in his sea of consciousness gradually running dry. The phantoms of the three techniques had already intertwined, but a layer of extraordinarily tough, invisible obstruction still separated them, keeping them from truly blending as seamlessly as milk and water.
After who knew how long,
Xia Dong abruptly opened his eyes. Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and deep fatigue and regret flashed in his gaze.
He turned his head. The dozen or so Spirit Stones beside his pillow had all crumbled into dull, gray-white powder.
He had failed.
Even after exhausting all the Spirit Stones he had on hand, the Bronze Ancient Bell had still failed to fuse the three techniques.
"It seems I'll need more Spirit Stones to succeed."
Xia Dong wiped the sweat from his forehead and silently calculated.
However, although the fusion had failed, the Evergreen Medical Classic had broken through its bottleneck as naturally as water flowing into a channel, advancing from the realm of perfection to the realm of Limit Break.
In his sea of consciousness, the characters on the Ancient Bell slowly settled into place.
[Evergreen Medical Classic (Limit Break): Rejuvenating Divine Needle]
A vast store of needle techniques and methods for circulating qi and blood was instantly imprinted deep in Xia Dong's mind.
Xia Dong closed his eyes and carefully absorbed the knowledge.
The Rejuvenating Divine Needle was not a hidden weapon for killing enemies. Instead, it used powerful spiritual perception and the precisely controlled force of the Dragon-Capturing Hand to drive specially made silver needles into the body's major acupoints, forcibly locking in the injured person's vital essence and qi and blood as they ebbed away.
Even if a martial artist had suffered a grievous injury, with their meridians severed and their life hanging by a thread, as long as they still had a breath left, Xia Dong could use the Rejuvenating Divine Needle to keep them alive, wrenching them back from the gates of death.
Though he was glad to have gained something, the regret of failing to fuse the techniques still lingered in his heart.
"Ultimately, I still don't have enough Spirit Stones. Just how many more will I need to fuse the three arts? I can't even begin to estimate."
Xia Dong sighed, deeply aware of how scarce resources were.
At present, his only steady monthly source of Spirit Stones was the two Qin Wan sent him from Qixia Immortal Sect. But they were certainly nowhere near enough for him.
Spirit Stones were tightly controlled by the court. Cultivators regarded them as the foundation of their standing and kept a firm grip on them, never letting them go easily.
Even for mortals without Spirit Roots and wealthy gentry in the secular world, Spirit Stones were immensely valuable. Simply keeping one close could bring some benefit to the body.
So even someone like Elder Lord He would have trouble getting Spirit Stones, let alone giving any to Xia Dong.
Xia Dong quickly reviewed the situation in his mind.
There were only two paths before him if he wanted to get enough Spirit Stones to cultivate:
First, as Lord He had suggested, find a way to join the Great You Dynasty's Eagle-Wolf Guard. They had even richer resources than Qixia Immortal Sect.
Second, try to find an opportunity to acquire Spirit Stones in the Marketplace.
"But neither path is suitable right now."
Whether it was the unfathomable Eagle-Wolf Guard or the chaotic cultivator Marketplace, both were too dangerous for him at present.
His foundation was still too shallow. He had vigorous qi and blood, but lacked the strength to stand against high-ranking martial artists or cultivators.
Xia Dong glanced at the pile of powder left by the Spirit Stones beside the bed. His gaze gradually sharpened.
Since the path of using Spirit Stones for physical deduction was temporarily blocked, he would have to seek a breakthrough along another path.
His spirit!
The Bronze Ancient Bell had just absorbed quite a few Spirit Stones for its deductions, and Xia Dong could feel that it still retained a fair amount of residual spiritual energy.
He could go find ghosts and try using the remaining power to refine more Yin Evil Pills, allowing him to continue cultivating the spirit-refining secret arts of the Profound Yin Scripture.
He had already begun to taste the benefits of a powerful spirit. Whether it was feeling pulses and setting bones or controlling his qi and blood, he relied on his spirit's assistance.
If he could use Yin Evil Pills to keep advancing his spiritual cultivation until, as recorded in the jade slip, he transformed his mortal body and gave birth to the divine sense possessed by cultivators,
then he would be able to do far more, while concealing himself even more effectively.
Moreover, he could now control his qi and blood with the Dragon-Capturing Technique and Evergreen Medical Classic, and he also had the Crane Shadow Step at his disposal. He wouldn't easily give himself away while out and about.
So Xia Dong began deliberately asking around about ghosts and strange occurrences near Pingyang County. Combined with all the information on ghosts and monsters he had read while compiling the county gazetteer, he soon settled on a target.
Yellow Mud Village.
In recent years, there had been rumors of hauntings in Yellow Mud Village, but no serious deaths had been reported.
Though the Bronze Ancient Bell could refine ghosts with ease, Xia Dong didn't dare recklessly explore places rumored to be especially dangerous.
By Xia Dong's assessment, Yellow Mud Village should be an easy target.
He temporarily closed the medical hall and left his maid, Xiao Hong, there to look after the place.
In recent days, Xia Dong had also taught Xiao Hong to practice the Five Animals Health Fist. With his guidance, she had made quick progress.
If all went smoothly, Xia Dong planned to expand the medical hall and take on a few apprentices. Having people of his own to give orders to would make his future cultivation more convenient.
To be safe, however, Xia Dong also left a letter. If he hadn't returned by the agreed time, Xiao Hong was to send it to Qin Wan.
If he truly ran into danger, there would at least be a glimmer of hope.
If he was unlucky enough to meet his end, his belongings would be left to Miss Wan'er.
After making all the necessary preparations, Xia Dong officially set off on his journey to seek out the hidden.
He chose a date close to the Dragon Boat Festival, when yang energy was at its peak and yin forces were suppressed. It was a time that would suppress demons and ghosts alike—he had the season itself on his side.
The advantage was ours!
He set out!
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