The Aid of Medicine

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when Lu Yuan was already standing outside the fence of the herb garden.

Qingzhu squatted beside a clump of herbs, examining a yellowed leaf. Hearing footsteps, she didn't even look up.

"That kid held firm?"

"Hmm," Lu Yuan replied, "But the old and new Soul Power are clashing fiercely at the chest and abdomen nodes. Forcing it will cause trouble."

The old man put down the leaves, dusted off his hands, and stood up. He looked Lu Yuan up and down, his eyes understanding.

"Do you need medicine to calm down someone who's been hurt?"

"Yes." Lu Yuan nodded. "It would be best to soften the impact and buy time. We can't wait three days."

Qingzhu didn't reply, but turned and walked slowly towards the bamboo house. Lu Yuan followed behind, mentally considering the names of several medicinal herbs.

The bamboo house was filled with the aroma of herbs. Wooden shelves against the wall were filled with bottles and jars, some of which had crystallized Soul Power on their surfaces.

Qingzhu walked to the innermost cabinet, opened the drawer, and took out a palm-sized jade box. The box was smooth and warm, with simple cloud patterns carved on it.

"Clear Heart Jade Marrow Lotus." He opened the box, revealing three dried petals inside, pale golden in color and as thin as cicada wings. "It grows beside a spring in the extremely cold earth veins, blooming only once every hundred years. After being picked, it needs to be dried in the shade using special methods to preserve its effectiveness in calming the rampaging Soul Power."

He picked up a piece and examined it against the light from the window.

"I only have these three pieces left."

Lu Yuan stared at the petals. He could feel the cool and peaceful aura emanating from them; just smelling them made his Soul Power flow more smoothly. It was indeed a good thing.

"Senior..."

"Take it." Qingzhu handed over the jade box, her tone calm. "Since I agreed to your seclusion here, this little bit of assistance is something I can afford."

Lu Yuan took the box, his fingertips touching the cool jade. He didn't say thank you, but nodded solemnly.

Some favors are more valuable when kept in the heart than when spoken aloud.

"However," Qingzhu changed the subject, "Relying solely on the effects of medicine is ultimately an external thing. Your child is impatient, and his Soul Power is too sharp. Even with medicine, if his mind is slightly unstable when merging the tributaries, he's still prone to making mistakes."

He walked to the corner of the room, scooped a ladle of water from the water vat, and slowly poured it onto a pot of lush green vines on the windowsill. The vines and leaves trembled gently.

"I'll teach you a method," Qingzhu said. "Go back and teach it to that kid. It's not some profound technique, just a breathing rhythm."

He put down the water ladle, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

The breathing was soft, yet unusually long. As it inhaled, the leaves of the vines on the windowsill unfurled slightly; as it exhaled, the leaves slowly closed. With each breath, it seemed to be in sync with the life rhythm of the plants.

"Feel the 'life force' of the surrounding plants and trees." Qingzhu opened her eyes. "Let your breathing follow their rhythm. Don't consciously control your Soul Power; just let your mind sink in. With practice, you can quickly stabilize your Soul Power and emotions during breaks in cultivation."

He explained the key points of breathing in detail: how to perceive it, how to synchronize it, and how to use that natural rhythm to soothe restlessness.

Lu Yuan listened attentively. This method seemed simple, but it contained profound meaning—briefly synchronizing a person's life rhythm with the rhythm of nature, using the peaceful energy of heaven and earth to channel the conflict of Soul Power. It was not suppression, but channeling.

"I understand." He wrote down all the details.

Qingzhu waved his hand.

"You should know how to use the petals. Grind them into powder, wrap them in your Soul Power, and take them for the fastest effect. As for the dosage..." He paused, "One petal is enough to handle a moderate counterattack. The effects last for a maximum of half an hour. The timing is crucial."

Lu Yuan nodded, his mind starting to calculate: Lin Xiao's chest and abdomen nodes need to merge three main branches, and each merger could trigger a counter-current. Three petals, just enough for three opportunities. Can't waste them.

He clutched the jade box and turned to leave.

"Wait." Qingzhu called out to him, taking out another small paper packet from the drawer. "These are ' Calming Heart Grass ' seeds. Take them back and scatter them at the entrance of the cave. Once they grow, their scent will aid the breathing technique, making it easier for Lin to calm down."

Lu Yuan took it; the paper package was very light.

"Let's go back quickly." Qingzhu squatted back down beside the clump of herbs, her back to him. "Time waits for no one."

Inside the cave, Lin Xiao had already woken up. He sat against the wall, his complexion better than the night before, though there were still some dark red bloodstains on his chest.

He raised his eyes when he saw Lu Yuan enter.

"There's hope?"

"Hmm." Lu Yuan placed the jade box and paper package on the stone platform, speaking succinctly, "Three pieces of the Clear Heart Jade Marrow Lotus. There's also a breathing technique to help stabilize your mind."

He opened the jade box, revealing pale golden petals. Lin Xiao leaned closer to examine them, his nose twitching slightly.

"Good stuff," he licked his canine teeth, "But there's not enough."

"Enough for three uses." Lu Yuan picked up a petal and walked to the stone mortar. "Grind one petal at a time into powder, then envelop it in Soul Power and administer. The medicinal effect lasts for half an hour; we must complete the merging of the tributaries during this time."

He spoke as he worked, placing the petals into a stone mortar and gently grinding them with a pestle. His movements were steady and his strength even. Pale golden powder gradually emerged, filling the air with a refreshing lotus fragrance.

Lin Xiao watched without saying a word.

Once the powder was ground, Lu Yuan used clean leaves to collect it, divided it into three portions, and wrapped them up. Then he turned around and explained in detail the "Natural Breathing Technique" that Qingzhu had taught him.

"Feel the rhythm of life in the plants, and let your breath follow it?" Lin Xiao frowned slightly after hearing this. "This method... is a bit mystical."

"Give it a try."

Lin Xiao closed his eyes and did as he was told. At first, his breathing was a little erratic, but soon he found the faint rhythm of the few wild grasses outside the window. With each breath, the restlessness in his chest caused by injury and anxiety gradually subsided.

He opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his amber pupils.

"It works."

"Then practice until you're proficient." Lu Yuan pushed the packaged medicine powder in front of him. "Today and tomorrow, you only need to do two things: heal your injuries and practice this breathing technique. The day after tomorrow morning, we'll begin our first combined practice."

He spread out the drawings and marked three red circles at the chest and abdomen joints with a charcoal pencil.

"The first tributary will begin here. The impact is expected to be moderate, lasting about fifteen minutes. Immediately after taking the medicine, begin circulating your Soul Power. I will monitor your Soul Power fluctuations throughout, and stop immediately if anything abnormal occurs."

Lin Xiao stared at the blueprints and nodded.

"Clear."

The cave remained quiet for the next two days.

Lin Xiao spent most of his time practicing breathing techniques with his eyes closed. At first, he could only maintain the technique for a few dozen breaths, but later he was able to continue for about half an hour. After each practice session, the anxiety in his eyes would fade a little.

Lu Yuan wasn't idle either. He repeatedly deduced every detail of the merging process, calculating the Soul Power flow, fluctuation peaks, and medicinal effect time windows. He scribbled on paper with charcoal, leaving behind densely packed formulas.

The Calming Heart Grass seeds that Qingzhu brought were scattered by Lu Yuan in the cracks of the rocks at the cave entrance. After watering them, tender green shoots sprouted overnight. The grass leaves swayed gently in the wind, emitting a faint, calming fragrance.

On the morning of the third day, just as dawn was breaking.

Lin Xiao opened his eyes and took a deep breath. His chest injury was mostly healed, and his Soul Power was abundant. He looked at Lu Yuan.

"That's fine."

Lu Yuan nodded and handed over a packet of medicinal powder. Lin Xiao took it, put it in his mouth, and used his Soul Power to envelop it as he swallowed it. The cool medicinal power dissolved and quickly spread throughout his limbs and bones, like a soft net, gently catching the Soul Power flowing through his meridians.

"Start."

Lin Xiao closed his eyes, his Soul Power sinking into his chest and abdomen. The old and new paths converged once more, and the conflict erupted instantly. But this time, the sharpness of the clash was softened by seventy percent of the medicinal power. Although the remaining impact still made him groan, it was no longer enough to cause injury.

He steadied his breathing and, following the route planned by Lu Yuan, guided his Soul Power to slowly merge.

Lu Yuan stood to the side, his palm pressed against Lin Xiao's back. The Blue Silver Grass Soul Power probed in, like the most precise probe, providing real-time feedback on every change in the Soul Power within Lin Xiao's body.

Time passed little by little.

Outside the cave, the Calming Heart Grass swayed gently in the morning breeze.

With the combined protection of medication and breathing techniques, the merging process, though fraught with twists and turns, ultimately ended without major incident. Three days later, the most troublesome point in the chest and abdomen was successfully overcome.

On the thirty-fifth day of his seclusion, Lin Xiao had completed the reconstruction of more than 60% of his Soul Power circulation. The new path network was beginning to take shape, and the flow of Soul Power no longer had the obscure stagnation of the past, but instead had become smooth as flowing water.

After years of hard work and accumulation, his Soul Power Level naturally broke through to level thirty-four.

Feeling the significantly stronger Soul Power within him, Lin Xiao clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking slightly. He looked at Lu Yuan, a rare, subtle smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Just a few more places to go."

Lu Yuan nodded. On the blueprint, only the heart, the space between the eyebrows, and the area near the dantian—the most crucial and dangerous areas—remained untouched. These areas were directly connected to the Martial Soul Origin; the slightest mistake could have unimaginable consequences.

He was considering his next move when suddenly he stopped.

A subtle yet unusual fluctuation of Soul Power swept through the stone chamber.

It wasn't the fierce and violent aura of Seventh Master Lin, nor the gentle and composed Soul Power of Qingzhu. This fluctuation was more concealed, more sinister, carrying a clear sense of probing, and vanished in an instant.

Almost simultaneously, the aged voice of Qingzhu rang directly in Lu Yuan's ears, speaking at a slightly faster pace than usual:

"Watch out. There are rats; they've slipped into the outer perimeter of the valley's protective array."

He paused, then added:

"Not a member of the Lin Clan."