Chapter 13: 冲脉

In the flower garden, a hundred flowers vied for fragrance, a stone pavilion stood tall, and a small stream flowed, creating a quiet and cool atmosphere.

Zhou Yuan sat cross-legged in the stone pavilion, eyes slightly closed, a cultivation method circulating in his mind. It was the "Dragon Absorption Art," an energy-guiding technique, that Cang Yuan had taught him that day.

During the Meridian Opening stage, one could not cultivate advanced techniques. Only by practicing energy-guiding arts could one draw the vital energy of heaven and earth into the body, using it to wash and clear the blocked eight meridians, gradually opening them up.

Therefore, for those in the Meridian Opening stage, the importance of energy-guiding arts was indisputable.

A profound energy-guiding art would allow a meridian opener to achieve much greater efficiency.

Originally, their royal family also possessed energy-guiding arts, but after careful consideration, Zhou Yuan still chose the "Dragon Absorption Art" taught by Cang Yuan. After all, Cang Yuan was unfathomable; for him to impart it, it surely wouldn't be an ordinary method.

"This Dragon Absorption Art, as its name suggests, imitates a dragon's absorption, where, with each breath, winds and clouds dissipate."

"To imitate a dragon's absorption with a human body requires extremely profound skill training, achieving resonance of flesh and blood and emitting a dragon's roar. Only then can one absorb the vital energy of heaven and earth."

Zhou Yuan carefully pondered this "Dragon Absorption Art" and finally found the most important cultivation method hidden within it.

"The Ninety-Eight Forms of Dragon Forging Play."

Because imitating a dragon's absorption required training the body's flesh and blood, these Ninety-Eight Forms of Dragon Forging Play, hidden within the Dragon Absorption Art, were the most crucial component.

Peculiar movements, one after another, flashed into Zhou Yuan's mind. These ninety-eight forms were strange and grotesque, faintly resembling a playful dragon.

Zhou Yuan committed all these movements to memory, then walked out of the stone pavilion, raised his hands, and slowly began performing the first movement.

The first practice was undoubtedly extremely clumsy. By the time Zhou Yuan slowly completed all ninety-eight movements, he was covered in sweat, and his body felt like a furnace.

However, what made Zhou Yuan frown slightly was that after completing the ninety-eight movements, although his body was hot, he hadn't absorbed any vital energy from the heavens and earth.

"It feels like something is missing," Zhou Yuan murmured to himself, then wiped away his sweat and continued practicing the Ninety-Eight Forms of Dragon Forging Play.

A short while later, Zhou Yuan stopped, drenched in sweat. He had completed the Dragon Forging Play three full times but still hadn't absorbed any vital energy from the heavens and earth, which made him feel as if he was cultivating a fake technique.

"Without Master's guidance, figuring it out on my own is really troublesome," Zhou Yuan shook his head helplessly. It seemed he would have to practice a few more times to grasp its subtleties.

Just as Zhou Yuan was about to continue practicing, his peripheral vision caught sight of a graceful figure standing in the flower garden. His eyes immediately lit up, and he approached with a smile.

"Sister Yao Yao, what a coincidence you're here," he said. "I'd like to ask for some guidance."

This graceful figure was, naturally, Yao Yao. Hearing Zhou Yuan's voice, she tilted her head and glanced at him, holding Tun Tun. A faint smile then appeared on her ethereal, jade-like, delicate face as she extended five slender fingers. "Ensure I get five bottles of Emerald Brew every day, and I'll teach you."

Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment, then immediately frowned and said, "Five bottles are too many. This wine is too strong and harmful to the body, so I can only give you one bottle a day."

Yao Yao was about to speak again.

"No more than that, otherwise, I'll figure it out myself." But Zhou Yuan's face stiffened. If Cang Yuan knew that Yao Yao had been constantly drinking heavily after only a few days with him, he would probably be furious enough to directly expel him from the sect.

Seeing Zhou Yuan's persistence, Yao Yao could only wrinkle her delicate nose, let out a light humph, then tossed Tun Tun from her embrace. "Watch closely."

"Watch what?" Zhou Yuan asked, puzzled, because Yao Yao didn't seem to be demonstrating the Dragon Forging Play.

"Watch it!" Yao Yao said impatiently, pointing her jade-like finger at Tun Tun on the ground.

Zhou Yuan's mouth twitched, but before he could speak, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. On the ground, the chubby Tun Tun suddenly stood on two legs and began performing a series of mysterious movements, which were precisely the Ninety-Eight Forms of Dragon Forging Play.

"This... Tun Tun can actually practice the Dragon Forging Play?!" Zhou Yuan was dumbfounded.

Under Zhou Yuan's astonished gaze, Tun Tun completed all ninety-eight movements in one go. After the last form concluded, Tun Tun's body suddenly shook, its mouth opened wide, and a faint dragon's roar echoed.

*Whoosh!*

Between heaven and earth, vital energy surged forth with a whoosh, seemingly forming a white line, and completely poured into Tun Tun's mouth.

After swallowing the immense vital energy of heaven and earth in one gulp, Tun Tun patted its belly contentedly, then turned to look at the dumbfounded Zhou Yuan and, in a very human-like manner, rolled its eyes in disdain.

Zhou Yuan gradually recovered his senses, staring strangely at the little creature before him. What kind of source beast was this Tun Tun? It could actually cultivate human techniques?

"Did you see clearly?" Yao Yao's ethereal voice drifted over.

Zhou Yuan suppressed the shock in his heart and pondered slightly. After a long moment, he slowly said, "It's the breathing! To cultivate the Dragon Forging Play, one needs to maintain the rhythm of their breathing, allowing the flesh and blood to resonate with the breath."

"The Dragon Absorption Art imitates a true dragon's inhalation and exhalation, and a dragon's breath is long and continuous. Tun Tun's movements begin with an exhale and end with an inhale. The combination of these two finally triggers the dragon's absorption."

Hearing this, Yao Yao's bright eyes flickered slightly. She looked at Zhou Yuan with a hint of surprise and, quite uncommonly, praised him aloud, saying, "Your comprehension is good."

Just by watching Tun Tun perform the Dragon Forging Play once, he had keenly discerned the crucial point. With such comprehension, it was no wonder he was favored by Old Black.

Zhou Yuan closed his eyes slightly, recalling Tun Tun's breathing rhythm from earlier. After a long moment, he slowly spread his legs, raised his palms, and once again began the first movement of the Dragon Forging Play.

In the flower garden, the youth's body swayed, his chest rising and falling. His breathing began to lengthen. From afar, he looked like a young dragon stretching its body.

The ninety-eight movements were tightly linked, and Zhou Yuan's eyes seemed to grow brighter at this moment. He could feel the flesh, blood, and bones within his body subtly begin to vibrate.

A stream of energy seemed to climb along his flesh and blood, finally rushing directly to his throat.

When the last movement suddenly paused, Zhou Yuan's face flushed red, and his tightly closed mouth abruptly opened.

A faint, almost imperceptible dragon's roar emanated from his body, passing through his throat.

At the same time, Zhou Yuan's chest contracted like a giant dragon drawing water. Instantly, the vital energy of heaven and earth in the flower garden was drawn by some force, directly transforming into a visible white line that surged towards him with a whoosh and entered his body in one gulp.

As this mouthful of vital energy poured in, Zhou Yuan's skin immediately grew hot. The vital energy from the Nine Beast Soup and Profound Crystal Rice he had consumed earlier also surged up at this moment, merging with the pure vital energy that had just entered his body. Like a tidal wave, it crashed towards the blocked first meridian.

As the vital energy rushed into the blocked first meridian, it immediately caused a strong stinging pain, making Zhou Yuan let out a muffled groan.

However, he gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain of opening the meridian, driving the surges of vital energy to continuously impact the blocked first meridian.

The vital energy repeatedly hammered and washed against the first meridian. This continued for a significant period, only stopping when the vital energy was exhausted.

Zhou Yuan's face was covered in sweat, but his eyes were filled with surprise and joy. He exclaimed, "What an amazing Dragon Absorption Art!"

Although he had not practiced other energy-guiding arts, he knew that the more profound an energy-guiding art, the more abundant the vital energy absorbed into the body would be. To his knowledge, their royal family's energy-guiding art, named "Essence Solidification Art," only allowed vital energy absorbed from one cultivation session to sustain meridian opening for about half the time it takes for a finger-length of incense to burn before the vital energy was depleted.

However, the vital energy absorbed in one gulp by his Dragon Absorption Art earlier supported him for a full half-incense stick of time, which was nearly ten times that of the Essence Solidification Art.

Although this was partly due to the assistance of the Nine Beast Soup and Profound Crystal Rice, it was still enough to show how powerful the Dragon Absorption Art was.

"This is merely the introductory stage of the Dragon Absorption Art," Yao Yao said softly from the side. "If you cultivate it to a profound level, you won't need the assistance of the Dragon Forging Play. By then, you will be able to turn it into an instinct. Even if you don't actively activate the Dragon Absorption Art, your every breath will transform into a dragon's absorption, constantly drawing vital energy from heaven and earth for you, anywhere, anytime."

Zhou Yuan couldn't help but be moved. Turning normal breathing into a dragon's absorption, constantly drawing the vital energy of heaven and earth? How astonishingly powerful would that efficiency be?

"The first meridian opening just now has already cleared a small portion of the first meridian," Zhou Yuan said, clenching his fists, his heart surging with excitement. "At this rate, I can probably completely open the first meridian in less than a month."

This efficiency was clearly thanks to the Dragon Absorption Art. Of course, the Nine Beast Soup and Profound Crystal Rice also played a small part.

"Continue cultivating!"

Zhou Yuan rested briefly and was about to resume practicing the Dragon Forging Play, but was stopped by Yao Yao. The latter glanced at him and said indifferently, "You're truly reckless. Meridian opening can cause damage to the meridians, so most people can only perform one meridian opening per day. They have to wait until the meridians recover the next day before they can continue; otherwise, it will injure the meridians."

Zhou Yuan was startled. It wasn't that he didn't know this, but... he sensed the first meridian within his body, hesitated, then said, "But I feel like my meridians can still handle it."

This time, it was Yao Yao's turn to be stunned. Her pair of moist eyes stared at Zhou Yuan with some doubt, saying, "Are you serious?"

Zhou Yuan nodded seriously.

Seeing this, Yao Yao pondered slightly and said, "Is it because you were once a natural meridian opener, and although your meridians were blocked again, their strength is still much greater than that of normal beginners?"

"Then try again."

Yao Yao's jade-like hands were clasped behind her back, her graceful body clad in blue robes. Her posture accentuated the enticing curves of her chest, but Zhou Yuan dared not look too long, as Yao Yao's bright eyes were fixed on him.

"I'd like to see how many times you can open a meridian."