Helping Golden Crocodile Break Through, a Cultivation Art That Shattered Class Barriers (5,000 words)
The following morning, Zhao Ming left Heaven Dou City again and headed to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes deep in Sunset Forest.
This is his third visit to this place this month.
Since Pill Tower, Dugu Bo has specially designated an area in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes to cultivate various medicinal herbs.
Although this Poison Douluo is famous throughout the world for his poisons, medicine and poison are inseparable. In addition, Dugu Bo had previously gone through a lot of trouble to prepare medicinal herbs for the antidote. With his personal management and the unique environment of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, even the most ordinary medicinal herbs grown here have much stronger medicinal effects than those grown outside.
Zhao Ming walked straight to the area where common medicinal herbs were planted, where dozens of kinds of medicinal herbs were planted in different categories.
Although they are all common medicinal herbs, under the nourishment of the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, each plant grows exceptionally robustly, with thick, brightly colored leaves and a rich medicinal aroma.
After collecting the auxiliary herbs, Zhao Ming flipped his right hand, and the Alchemy Furnace reappeared in front of him.
Zhao Ming formed hand seals, Yin-Yang Pill Flame rose up again, enveloping the Alchemy Furnace.
Half an hour later, Zhao Ming successfully refined a pill the size of a longan, which was milky white in color.
A refreshing fragrance wafted from the furnace, carrying a rich life force. Just one whiff of it made one feel as if they had become several years younger.
Zhao Ming opened the furnace lid, took out the pill, and examined it carefully in his palm.
The pill was perfectly spherical, with a smooth, mirror-like surface. On its milky-white body, faint golden patterns could be seen, layered like tree rings.
"It's done." A satisfied smile appeared on Zhao Ming's lips.
The effect of this pill is simple and pure: it can replenish life force and extend lifespan. Anyone below the god level can extend their lifespan by five years by taking it.
For a peerless powerhouse like Golden Crocodile Douluo, who is only one step away from becoming Level-99 Limit Douluo, consuming the elixir replenishes his life force and greatly increases his chances of breaking through.
But that wasn't enough. Zhao Ming put the longevity pill into a white jade bottle, and then took out another jade bottle from his Storage Soul Tool.
The jade bottle contained the Dragon Transformation Pill that he had previously refined Earth Dragon Golden Melon Dragon Transformation Pill.
Although the Golden Crocodile Douluo's Golden Crocodile King Martial Soul contains the word "crocodile" in its name, it actually possesses a trace of extremely rare Dragon Clan bloodline.
This Dragon Transformation Pill might help him further stimulate that trace of the Dragon Clan bloodline while fusing with the Golden Earth Dragon's Torso Soul Bone, thus increasing his chances of successfully reaching level ninety-nine.
Zhao Ming planned to give both pills to Golden Crocodile Douluo.
After returning to Heaven Dou City, Zhao Ming went straight to the Offering Hall built by the Pill Tower for the Permanent Councilor.
Zhao Ming arrived at the depths of the Offering Hall without any hindrance and found the Golden Crocodile Douluo resting with his eyes closed in a quiet room.
"Senior Golden Crocodile," Zhao Ming bowed respectfully.
Golden Crocodile Douluo opened his eyes and saw Zhao Ming. A hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but just quietly looked at Zhao Ming, waiting for him to speak.
Zhao Ming took out two jade bottles from his Storage Soul Tool and presented them with both hands.
"Senior, this is a longevity pill. After taking it, it can replenish a massive amount of life force, extending the lifespan of anyone below the god level by five years."
After Zhao Ming finished speaking by pointing to the first jade bottle, he pointed to the second jade bottle and said, "This one is the Dragon Transformation Pill. It was refined by me Earth Dragon Golden Melon. It can activate the bloodline of the Dragon Clan race and promote the Martial Soul Evolution."
If the senior were to fuse with another Soul Bone, it would be a three-pronged approach, greatly increasing the chances of breaking through level 99.
Golden Crocodile Douluo took the two jade bottles, opened the stoppers, and smelled the aroma of the two pills.
The Longevity Pill Qing Ya and lingering fragrance, carrying a rich life force; the Dragon Transformation Pill, on the other hand, has a domineering and intense fragrance, carrying a heavy, earthy feel.
"Good! Good! Good!" Golden Crocodile Douluo exclaimed "Good!" three times, his wrinkles smoothing out and his eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement. "With these two pills, my chances of successfully breaking through are at least 70%."
After carefully putting away the two pills, he stood up and said, "I will immediately return to the Worship Hall seclusion. I will not emerge from seclusion until I break through to level ninety-nine this time."
Zhao Ming was slightly taken aback. "Isn't Senior in seclusion in Heaven Dou City?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head. "Heaven Dou City is too crowded and chaotic, not the best place to break through to the Limit Douluo level. With my elder brother in the Worship Hall, I can focus on my cultivation without distractions and concentrate all my efforts on breaking through the bottleneck."
He paused, then said, "I've already made arrangements. After I leave, Azure Luan will take over as the person in charge of Heaven Dou City. With him here, it will be enough to deter any troublemakers."
Zhao Ming nodded. Azure Luan Douluo, the Third Offering of the Worship Hall, a level 97 Super Douluo, Martial Soul Azure Luan, is the third strongest in the Worship Hall.
With such a powerful figure stationed in Heaven Dou City, it is indeed sufficient to handle most emergencies.
Without another word, Golden Crocodile Douluo flashed out of the window and disappeared into the horizon.
As Zhao Ming watched Golden Crocodile Douluo depart, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. This veteran Super Douluo had been stuck at Level 98 for decades.
If a breakthrough can be made successfully this time, Wuhun Palace's strength will skyrocket again, which will have a profound impact on the structure of the entire continent.
However, these are not things that Zhao Ming needs to worry about right now.
He snapped out of his thoughts, turned and left the Worship Hall, returning to the Crown Prince's Palace.
Three days after Golden Crocodile Douluo left Heaven Dou City, Azure Luan Douluo arrived.
Unlike the domineering style of Golden Crocodile Douluo, Azure Luan Douluo is slender and wears a long blue robe with a Azure Luan phoenix embroidered on the hem, its wings spread as if about to take flight. His long hair is casually tied up with a jade hairpin, and he exudes an otherworldly and ethereal temperament.
If people didn't know his identity, most would probably think he was just an ordinary old man, rather than a level 97 Super Douluo.
As luck would have it, when Azure Luan Douluo arrived at the branch hall of the Heaven Dou City's Worship Hall, Zhao Ming happened to be in the Worship Hall as well.
He has just completed the deduction of the meridian cultivation method.
After Zhao Ming obtained the circulation routes of the Extraordinary Meridians and Eight Vessels from the Little Scumbag, he deduced dozens of versions, each time feeling that it was perfect enough. However, upon careful examination, he would always discover new problems.
It wasn't until this morning that he finally completed the final version of the deduction and named this meridian cultivation method "Nine Profound Art".
The core principle of the Nine Profound Art is based on the Extraordinary Meridians and Eight Vessels. Through the breathing method of Nine-Breath Qi Absorption, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is directly incorporated into the meridians, refined within the meridians, and ultimately transformed into one's own Soul Power.
This technique completely bypasses the limitations of Martial Soul. Theoretically, even ordinary people without Innate Soul Power can obtain Soul Power by cultivating the "Nine Profound Art".
Of course, this is just a theoretical deduction; its actual effectiveness still needs to be tested by someone.
Zhao Ming initially wanted Ling Yuan Douluo, who had always been by his side, to try cultivating first.
After taking the Phoenix Flame Pill, Ling Yuan Douluo's Martial Soul Evolution into Blazing Fire Phoenix. His Soul Power increased rapidly, and he is now Level 94 Titled Douluo, enough to serve as a test subject for cultivation techniques.
However, now that the Azure Luan Douluo has arrived, it's natural to let someone with even greater strength try.
Super Douluo like Azure Luan Douluo, who is at level 97, possesses a vast and boundless Soul Power, and his control over Soul Power has reached an unparalleled level.
Even if there's a problem with his cultivation technique, he can forcefully reverse the turbulent flow in his meridians with his powerful Soul Power, preventing any serious backlash.
When Zhao Ming found Azure Luan Douluo, this veteran Super Douluo was drinking tea in the back garden of the Pill Tower.
He sat on a stone bench under an ancient pine tree, holding a celadon teacup in his hand, his posture relaxed and his expression content, looking every bit like someone on vacation.
"Senior Azure Luan." Zhao Ming stepped forward and bowed.
Azure Luan Douluo put down his teacup, looked Zhao Ming up and down, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. "You must be Zhao Ming?"
"Exactly."
"My second brother praised you to the skies in his letter, and seeing you in person today, you truly are extraordinary."
"You flatter me, senior," Zhao Ming said modestly, then got straight to the point, "Senior, I have recently deduced a method for cultivating meridians, which I call the ' Nine Profound Art '."
Theoretically, this cultivation method can bypass the limitations of the Martial Soul and directly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through the meridians, but my cultivation is still shallow and I dare not try it rashly. I would like to ask the senior to help me verify it."
"Oh?" A hint of interest flashed in Azure Luan Douluo's eyes. "Bypassing the limitations of Martial Soul? That's a novel thing. Let me take a look."
Zhao Ming took out a scroll from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Azure Luan Douluo.
Azure Luan Douluo took the scroll and unfolded it to examine it closely.
The surface was covered with dense text, along with several diagrams illustrating the flow of meridians.
Each diagram is drawn with extreme detail, clearly showing the pathways of the meridians, the markings of acupoints, and the routes of Soul Power circulation.
Azure Luan Douluo was a level 97 Super Douluo, with a wealth of experience in cultivation throughout his life. He could see the ingenuity of this "Nine Profound Art" almost at a glance.
It completely abandons the traditional cultivation system centered on Martial Soul spirit meditation, and instead uses the human body's meridians as its foundation, directly channeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body and refining it within the meridians.
This line of thinking has never been proposed before in the thousands of years of cultivation history of the Douluo Continent.
"Interesting. The approach to this cultivation method is indeed unique. In all my years, this is the first time I've seen someone construct a cultivation system from the perspective of meridians."
Zhao Ming smiled but didn't say anything.
"Very well, I'll find a quiet place and try out your ' Nine Profound Art ' now."
Zhao Ming led the Azure Luan Douluo to a secluded meditation room in the Pill Tower's Offering Hall.
This secret room was specially prepared for powerhouses at the Titled Douluo level. The four walls are made of special soundproof stone, making it absolutely quiet.
Then, Azure Luan Douluo closed his eyes and, following the description in the "Nine Profound Art," began to guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his body.
Zhao Ming stood aside, holding his breath and carefully observing every subtle change in the Azure Luan Douluo.
At first, everything went smoothly.
Guided by the Azure Luan Douluo, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth circulated slowly along the nine main meridians. Although the speed was not fast, it was stable and orderly.
The Azure Luan Douluo's expression was calm, and his breathing was even, as if he was not in any discomfort.
However, when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth circulated for the third time, a sudden change occurred.
The originally gentle spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly became violent after entering the depths of the meridians.
They are like wild horses, rampaging through the meridians, completely out of control.
A fine layer of azure light appeared on the surface of Azure Luan Douluo's body; it was the reaction of his own Soul Power as it fought against the violent spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Zhao Ming's heart leaped into his throat, but Azure Luan Douluo remained as steady as Mount Tai. His vast, ocean-like Soul Power suddenly erupted, like an invisible hand that suppressed the raging spiritual energy of heaven and earth and forcibly brought it back onto the right track.
The Soul Power cultivation of a level 97 Super Douluo was fully revealed at this moment.
The violent spiritual energy that was powerful enough to tear apart the meridians of an ordinary Titled Douluo was like a naughty child in front of Azure Luan Douluo. Although it was noisy, it couldn't cause any big waves in the end.
Azure Luan Douluo continued to circulate his cultivation technique, refining the suppressed spiritual energy of heaven and earth little by little, eventually transforming it into his own Soul Power.
The entire process lasted about half an hour. When the last cycle was completed, Azure Luan Douluo slowly opened his eyes.
"Senior, how is it?" Zhao Ming asked hurriedly.
Azure Luan Douluo did not answer immediately, but closed his eyes to sense the situation in his body before speaking, "Your cultivation method is correct in general. Absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with the meridians as the core can indeed bypass the limitations of the Martial Soul."
However, the problem is also obvious. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is too violent after entering the body. I am a level 97 Super Douluo, so I can naturally suppress it with my Soul Power. But for an ordinary Titled Douluo, it would probably not last more than three cycles before their meridians are damaged. Below the Titled Douluo, they cannot even be touched; one touch and their body will explode.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming frowned.
"Does the senior have a solution?" Zhao Ming asked.
Azure Luan Douluo pondered for a moment and said, "I am not good at deducing cultivation techniques, but based on my cultivation experience, the problem with your technique lies in the word 'contraction'."
The reason why the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is so violent is because you guided it too quickly and in too large a quantity, and your meridians couldn't adapt in time.
"If we could slow down the guiding speed, reduce the amount of spiritual energy absorbed each time, and add a few buffer points in the meridians, perhaps this problem could be solved."
"Thank you for your guidance, senior!" Zhao Ming bowed deeply, then turned and left.
"Where are you going?" Azure Luan Douluo asked.
"Go back and revise the cultivation technique!" Zhao Ming said without turning his head.
For the next three days, Zhao Ming barely slept a wink.
He locked himself in the study of the Crown Prince's Palace's residence to modify the cultivation method, mainly by slowing down the guidance speed and reducing the amount absorbed in a single session.
On the morning of the fourth day, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the study through the window, Zhao Ming finally put down his pen.
The silk scroll in front of him contained a brand new set of "Nine Profound Art".
Compared to the original version, this version is almost a complete transformation.
The breathing techniques of "Nine-Breath Qi Absorption" have been further modified, reducing the absorption rate of spiritual energy from heaven and earth to one-third of the original rate, and also reducing the amount of spiritual energy absorbed in a single session to one-third of the original rate.
To ensure absolute safety, Zhao Ming added seven buffer points to the meridian circulation route. The timing of the opening and closing of each point was precisely calculated to ensure that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth remained within a safe and controllable range when circulating in the meridians.
This version of the "Nine Profound Art" emphasizes moderation and balance.
It no longer pursues the ultimate cultivation speed, but prioritizes safety and stability. The circulation of spiritual energy in the meridians is like a gentle river, flowing forward slowly and steadily.
Zhao Ming copied this final version again and then found Azure Luan Douluo once more.
"Please help me verify this again, senior," Zhao Ming said.
Azure Luan Douluo nodded and entered the secluded cultivation chamber again to begin cultivating according to the new version of the "Nine Profound Art".
This time, the situation is completely different.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth still converged from all directions, but after entering the body of the Azure Luan Douluo, it was no longer violent, but rather flowed gently along the nine main meridians like a docile stream.
The seven buffer points act like seven small reservoirs, temporarily storing excess spiritual energy and then releasing it evenly into the meridians, ensuring that the flow of spiritual energy remains at a stable level.
One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...
The Azure Luan Douluo's expression remained calm and still, his breathing was even and deep, and there was no unusual light appearing on his body. Everything proceeded extremely smoothly.
After circulating the cultivation technique for 10 cycles, Azure Luan Douluo slowly opened his eyes.
"It's done." Azure Luan Douluo's voice carried an undisguised astonishment. "This version of the Nine Profound Art is balanced, stable, and safe, and it also has strong adaptability."
My martial Martial Soul is the Azure Luan Phoenix, with a wind-based attribute, but I experience no resistance to this cultivation technique. If I'm not mistaken, this technique should be compatible with the vast majority of Martial Soul types."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming smiled.
The Nine Profound Art are considered complete. The only drawback is that it cannot cultivate Innate Soul Power before awakening Martial Soul, unlike the Little Scumbag's Mysterious Heaven Skill.
However, although it cannot enhance Innate Soul Power, it can subtly nurture the Martial Soul during the cultivation process, gradually improving the quality of the Martial Soul.
This kind of improvement is slow, but it is long-lasting and stable. Even ordinary people without Innate Soul Power can cultivate Soul Power within their bodies if they persist in cultivating the Nine Profound Art for more than ten years.
Having zero Innate Soul Power means that one can never become Soul Master; this is an ironclad rule recognized by everyone on the Douluo Continent.
The appearance of the Nine Profound Art directly broke this ironclad rule!
Although this process is lengthy, requiring at least ten years, what is ten years to those who aspire to become Soul Master but are shut out due to a lack of Innate Soul Power?
It is no exaggeration to say that this technique is a great innovation that breaks down the insurmountable barriers between ordinary people and Soul Master, giving countless ordinary people the hope of becoming Soul Master and changing their own destiny.