The old physician withdrew his hand, calmly met Xiao Zhan's concerned gaze, and shook his head gently. "Clan Leader, the third young master's body is in good health. His meridians are reasonably clear, with no obvious signs of blockage or damage. It's just that... his Dantian remains completely empty. I can't sense even a trace of Dou Qi within it. His condition is no different from the last examination."
The atmosphere in the room fell silent in an instant. The gentle smile on Xiao Zhan's face faltered slightly, and a flicker of disappointment he could hardly conceal crossed the depths of his eyes. But he quickly composed himself, unwilling to let his son see his worry. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was once more firm and full of encouragement.
"Yan'er, did you hear what the physician said? Your body is healthy, and that's the best news we could ask for! As for your Dou Qi... it hasn't been long since you discovered it was disappearing. There's no need to be too anxious. Dou Qi is the foundation of cultivation. How could it vanish completely for no reason? I believe this must only be temporary. Perhaps some cause we haven't yet identified has created a blockage. Once we find the root of the problem, your Dou Qi will surely return!"
Xiao Yan lowered his head, his long eyelashes casting shadows beneath his eyes. His father's words carried powerful conviction and heartfelt hopes, but the true state of his body was as cold as reality itself. "...Mm. Hopefully... it'll be as you say, Father."
Seeing his son like this and hearing what sounded like a habitual response, Xiao Zhan sighed inwardly. He said little more, offering only a few further words of encouragement before leaving with the physician. Too much comfort could sometimes become pressure instead. All they could do now was wait and search for a better solution.
After seeing his father and the physician off, Xiao Yan sat alone in his room, gazing at the bright sunshine outside the window with somewhat vacant eyes. Meanwhile, in another courtyard of the Xiao Clan estate, Xiao Yi sat cross-legged on his bed, his brows tightly knitted.
Xiao Yi wanted to circulate the Dou Qi in his body to recover some stamina and check his body's current condition along the way. Yet when he focused his mind inward and tried to stir the Qi Vortex in his Dantian, he discovered to his astonishment that it was utterly empty. Never mind a Sixth-Stage Dou Qi vortex-there wasn't even the shadow of a wisp of Dou Qi!
"...What the hell?!" Xiao Yi's eyes snapped open, disbelief written all over his face. "Where's my fifth stage Dou Qi?! How did it disappear? Xiao Yan must be up to something!"
Xiao Yi tried again, with the same result. His Dantian was like a dried-up pond, utterly lifeless. An ominous premonition rose in his heart. Was this a side effect of transmigrating? Or did this world have rules I don't know about? Or... do the Xiao Clan's waters run deeper than I imagined? No, I can't just sit here and wait to die.
"Looks like... I need to make some preparations, fast." Xiao Yi's gaze sharpened. He quickly jumped off the bed and rummaged through the battered chest at its foot for the money he had received when he first entered the Xiao Clan-all the "pocket money" he currently possessed. Pocketing it, he strode to the corner of the courtyard, lifted the Bicycle that looked so out of place in this world, and nimbly swung himself onto it. With a creak and a squeak, he rode toward the Xiao Clan's main gate.
The old Bicycle creaked and squeaked in protest over the blue flagstones, drawing sidelong glances from passing Xiao Clan members. Xiao Yi paid them no mind, his legs driving the pedals as the breeze lifted the loose strands of hair over his forehead. He had commissioned Blacksmith Wang to build this Bicycle using the gold he had carried with him when he transmigrated. Though it looked out of place in a world where Dou Qi reigned supreme, it certainly made getting around convenient.
As he rode, watching the pavilions, towers, and training grounds flash past on either side, Xiao Yi's thoughts drifted back to distant Earth. He remembered his master, who always wore a gray Daoist robe washed pale and loved telling corny jokes. His master often said he had an exceptional bone structure and was a promising seedling for Daoist cultivation, but unfortunately, his mind was too restless and he lacked composure. Back then, he had followed his master in drawing talismans, reciting incantations, and learning all sorts of strange Daoist arts. Though he had never mastered things like "Five Ghost Transport" or "Sowing Beans to Make Soldiers," he had picked up some basic methods for banishing evil, praying for blessings, and examining fortune.
As Xiao Yi recalled the talisman patterns and incantations etched into his mind, he weighed his options. Losing Dou Qi is like a computer losing its dedicated graphics card. It still works, but its processing power drops dramatically. Daoist arts are different, though. Maybe they'll work? But casting spells requires materials, and this world's materials are bound to differ from Earth's. I'll need substitutes with similar properties.
The Bicycle passed through the Xiao Clan's main gate and soon joined Wutan City's bustling streets. Shops lined both sides, and hawkers' cries, pedestrians' chatter and laughter, and the rumble of carriage wheels intertwined, filling the air with the bustle of everyday life. Xiao Yi slowed down, his sharp gaze sweeping the stalls on either side in search of what he needed. Perhaps some kind of magical beast blood containing potent yang energy could serve as a substitute? Could a rooster's comb be replaced with some fire-aspected medicinal herb or a spirit bird's feathered crest? And the cinnabar and yellow paper for drawing talismans... I'll have to find suitable substitutes for all of them.
Xiao Yi stopped his Bicycle before a stall selling assorted magical beast materials. Pointing at a dark clump of coagulated blood that gave off a faint bloody odor, he asked, "Boss, how much for this Black Rock Lizard blood?"
Seeing his youth and ordinary clothes, the stallholder had initially intended to quote an inflated price. But when he looked up and got a clear view of Xiao Yi's face-especially that expression that begged for a beating-and recalled the illustrious reputation of the "Dung Ladle War God," he shuddered and plastered an ingratiating smile across his face. "Oh, it's the idi... Young Master Xiao Yi! This blood caught your eye? Of course, of course! Black Rock Lizard blood is potent and brimming with yang energy. Excellent stuff, guaranteed! I'll give you a discount!"
Xiao Yi raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "A discount? Don't tell me you're doubling the price and then taking twenty percent off. It's just this lousy stuff-sell it or don't! Careful, or I'll bring my 'Secret Weapon' tomorrow and have a nice little chat with you!" He deliberately emphasized the words "Secret Weapon," making a pointed gesture as he spoke.
The stallholder went pale with fright, as though he could already smell some indescribable odor, and waved his hands frantically. "I'll sell it, I'll sell it! Young Master Yi, here you go, here you go!" He deftly wrapped up the clump of blood and practically shoved it into Xiao Yi's hands, as if afraid he might change his mind.
Xiao Yi nodded in satisfaction and paid. Using the same method, he then "swept up" a cinnabar substitute-a certain red mineral powder-and some special grass paper supposedly capable of holding energy, all at rock-bottom prices. Every stallholder recognized this "harbinger of disaster." None dared invite his wrath; they only hoped he would leave as quickly as possible.
With his shopping finished, Xiao Yi felt a little hungry. By the roadside, he spotted a small stall selling flatbread...
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