A shattering sensation of sudden breakthrough came from deep within Fang Lin's body.
The sounds and sensations of the outside world faded away. He felt as though his soul had left his body and was floating in the darkness, looking down.
In the pitch-black space, a faint, lustrous white glow slowly appeared.
Is this... an internal view of my meridians?
Fang Lin was astonished. In the scene "before his eyes," countless fine, winding rivers of jade lit up across the ground within the outline of a black human figure. The rivers crisscrossed one another, flowing without end.
The brightest were twelve broad, sturdy main channels that connected to the limbs and bones and linked inward to the internal organs. Their branching meridians were as fine as silk.
These should be the twelve primary meridians...
Fang Lin had dreamed of martial heroics in his youth and had deliberately flipped through a few pages of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon.
Stories often spoke of the eight extraordinary meridians, but before those came the twelve primary meridians, the main thoroughfares at the core of the human meridian network. There were twelve in all, distributed symmetrically throughout the body.
Aside from those born with defects, normal people's twelve primary meridians were all unobstructed.
Fang Lin had previously guessed that a Soul Master's meditative cultivation involved forming a route through the twelve primary meridians along which Soul Power could be transported and circulated.
The circulation routes of the eight extraordinary meridians, however, were entirely different from those of the twelve primary meridians, following separate, unusual paths. Not everyone was born with them open.
Before Fang Lin's eyes, two similarly unobstructed, brightly lit main channels ran down the center of the chest and abdomen, one in front and one behind. They were translucent, with red, blue, and cyan currents flowing through them.
Fang Lin had felt a sudden breakthrough when he consumed the Five-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber. Together with this time, those sensations should have corresponded to the opening of these two meridians.
The original book had only a few descriptions of the eight extraordinary meridians. In one, Tang San opened two of them under the pressure of Soul Power from the Heaven Dou Board of Education and Tai Tan respectively, and his Soul Power increased as well.
In another, Tang San helped Tang Hao open his eight extraordinary meridians in the Clear Sky Sect, restoring his Soul Power and raising it from rank ninety-five to rank ninety-seven.
Mountain moon, empty valley.
Hot and cold mist from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well spilled out of the medicinal garden and filled the valley. Even the moonlight could not shine through it.
Fang Lin emerged from the medicinal garden and gazed toward the valley entrance. Through the mist, he saw a pea-sized dewdrop on the tip of a leaf of an enormous Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flower, trembling on the verge of falling.
The distance from the medicinal garden to the valley entrance was nearly a thousand meters. To Fang Lin, it felt like he had switched on an eight-power scope.
A flying insect buzzed past his eyes, and even the black fibrous patterns on its wings were clearly visible to him.
"If I'd had this skill in my last life, I wouldn't have needed a microscope for experiments."
Fang Lin sighed in amazement and dispersed the Soul Power around his eyes. His vision returned to normal.
I wonder if I can withstand the spiritual impact of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring now...
The medicinal powers of immortal-grade herbs conflicted with one another, meaning Fang Lin could no longer raise his Soul Power by popping herbs. His only way to speed things up was to absorb Limit Soul Rings.
If he could absorb a Fourth Soul Ring over ten thousand years old, he could save at least a year or two of cultivation.
Even if I can, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring would be far too conspicuous. That's another problem. If forces with Titled Douluo, like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, found out that a Soul Ancestor had a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, Dugu Bo might not be able to cover for me, even if I attributed it to him as before...
Fang Lin sighed all the way to the valley entrance, where he casually plucked the enormous Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flower and stuffed it into his mouth.
Eating a little more now would speed up the digestion of the medicinal power of the two ice and fire herbs, allowing Fang Lin to consume the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum sooner.
Should I try Dugu Bo's Jade Qilin Serpent Emperor Poison?
The poisonous flowers before him covered an area less than three zhang across. Most were short, newly grown plants, and the one Fang Lin had just picked had been the best-grown among them. Waiting for the others to mature so he could use them to speed up the digestion of the two ice and fire herbs' medicinal power would likewise take several years.
Besides, Dugu Bo could hardly let Fang Lin keep fleecing him forever.
The Jade Qilin Serpent Emperor Poison was much fiercer than poisonous herbs, however, and Fang Lin had not dared to try it lightly before.
Walking back from the valley entrance, he came to several wooden cabins by the medicinal garden's exit, where Dugu Bo usually secluded himself to cultivate in peace.
More than four hours had passed since Fang Lin absorbed the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, yet neither of the two people in the cabins had awakened. Moonlight crept in through a window and fell upon Dugu Yan.
Wisps of pale white mist rose continuously from Dugu Yan, wrapping around her like a thin veil. The refracted moonlight made it look clear and lustrous.
A moment later, Dugu Yan's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she became the first to show signs of waking.
The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid's medicinal properties were rich and gentle, making it relatively easier to absorb. Besides, immortal-grade herbs were designed to be more easily absorbed by young people in the first place.
As the white mist around her slowly receded and seeped into her body, Dugu Yan opened her eyes. Her gaze was clear and gentle, and a faint pink glow showed through her skin.
She stood and raised her arms to stretch, feeling utterly refreshed. An involuntary hum escaped her lips.
After sensing the state of her body, Dugu Yan's face lit up with joy.
"My Soul Power actually rose by six ranks!"
Half a year ago, after absorbing a Soul Bone and obtaining a Soul Ring, Dugu Yan had been at rank thirty-one. She had since cultivated well into rank thirty-two, and now the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid had raised her by six ranks. She was at rank thirty-eight, only two ranks away from Soul Ancestor.
In terms of raising Soul Power, both the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma had a more pronounced effect than the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. After all, the latter mainly served to increase spiritual power.
"The effects of the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid will last all the way to rank seventy. Your cultivation speed will increase from here on, too. In less than a year, you'll be able to break through to Soul Ancestor."
Fang Lin's voice rang out, and only then did Dugu Yan notice that someone was standing in the doorway.
The surge in Soul Power seemed to have restored Dugu Yan's former pride. She puffed out her chest and said to Fang Lin, "From now on, big sister will have your back in the Soul Fighting Arena."
A rise in Soul Power Level did more than increase mana. It also enhanced physical condition and the power of Soul Skills. Right now, Dugu Yan felt frighteningly strong.
"Sister Yan is mighty!" After gazing intently for a while, Fang Lin let his eyes travel downward.
Once Dugu Yan had finished her proud display, she noticed something amiss and frowned slightly.
"Why are you staring at my legs? Is there dirt on them?"
Most heavenly treasures could expel impurities and cleanse the meridians and marrow. Thinking there might be sweat and grime on her, Dugu Yan instinctively lifted her skirt, but the skin beneath her clothes was still smooth and clean.
Unlike the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid did not directly remake the body, but transformed it slowly. Thus, there was nothing unusual on Dugu Yan's skin.
"It's nothing. Let's go check on your grandfather." Fang Lin silently dispersed the Soul Power around his eyes.
Fiery golden eyes that can see through everything-sure enough, it's all a lie...
Fang Lin sighed inwardly and walked out of the cabin with Dugu Yan.
To avoid interfering with each other, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan had not refined their herbs in the same space.
But when the two arrived, Dugu Bo was not there.
"Your grandfather may have gone to take a bath."
In the original book, Yu Xiaogang had reeked after consuming the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma. Dugu Bo had always cared about his appearance and was unwilling to present himself like that before his granddaughter and Fang Lin.
Sure enough, after the two had waited a short while, Dugu Bo came from outside the valley, clean and refreshed, his face glowing.