Chapter 166: Chapter 161: Meridian Cleansing and Taking a Pill
Zhao Lin gave a rough account of his duel with Xiang Bao, and Water Mirror nodded as he listened.
With witnesses to the event, it was unlikely that Zhao Lin was lying. Furthermore, during today’s count, Xiang Bao had indeed produced a paltry seven herbs, which corroborated Zhao Lin’s story.
Water Mirror mulled it over for a moment before asking, "How many herbs did you get from Xiang Bao?"
Zhao Lin replied, "I didn’t count them precisely, but I’d say about thirty or forty."
"That many?"
"Exactly. If you don’t believe me, Elder, you can confirm it with Xiang Bao."
Zhao Lin wasn’t worried about Xiang Bao denying it. Half of those herbs came from Xiang Shaofeng, and Xiang Bao would surely cover for his older brother.
"There’s no need to verify."
Water Mirror chuckled and asked casually, "So, part of your harvest was confiscated, and the rest you gathered yourself?"
The elders were well aware that some disciples brought exotic beasts with keen senses of smell to help them gather herbs.
It was just that these were disciples from prominent families, and every institute had them, so the elders simply turned a blind eye without issuing an explicit ban.
Zhao Lin hadn’t brought an exotic beast into the mountains, yet he had gathered more than anyone, which was bound to raise suspicion.
Zhao Lin gave a subtle smile. "My father is a mountain herb farmer. I’ve been going up the mountains with him to gather herbs since I was a child, so I’ve learned a few tricks and have some experience."
"No wonder."
Hearing this, Water Mirror nodded slightly.
Most disciples of the Wuxiang Institute came from wealthy families. Before the autumn harvest, they probably didn’t even know where herbs grew. In that light, Zhao Lin’s performance was understandable.
Believing he now understood the whole story, Water Mirror’s face broke into a smile. "Zhao Lin, you’ve made a great contribution this time!"
"The sect’s main purpose for having disciples gather herbs is to temper their minds; the herbs themselves are secondary. But some of the plants you found, especially the Yin Erosion Lotus, are things that even disciples from the Medicine Pavilion might not be able to find."
"I will request an additional reward from the sect for you. Just keep this to yourself and don’t let it get out."
A weight was lifted from Zhao Lin’s mind, but his expression remained serious. He said in a low voice, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder."
...
Two days passed in a flash, and Zhao Lin’s fame within the Xingyun Sect began to grow.
News of him taking first place in the autumn harvest by an overwhelming margin—and finding a Top Grade herb to boot—spread like wildfire through the outer court and the Wuxiang Institute. Even the inner court disciples had heard of it.
During this period, whenever Zhao Lin went to the Celestial Water Pavilion to read, people would often point and whisper.
"See him? That’s Zhao Lin, the one who took first place in the Wuxiang Institute’s autumn harvest this year!"
"I heard he only joined two and a half months ago."
"That’s right. His haul from this harvest would have easily won him first place even in the inner court..."
Hearing these comments, Zhao Lin secretly shook his head. ’Looks like I went a little overboard to get that Five-Six Pill.’
That evening, a steward from the Medicine Pavilion arrived at Zhao Lin’s residence, accompanied by Water Mirror.
The Medicine Pavilion steward was a middle-aged man, slightly bald on top, who reeked of herbs. Zhao Lin took a sniff and immediately identified the scents of at least fifty different medicinal ingredients.
To go far on the martial path, three things were indispensable: talent, cultivation techniques, and medicinal resources.
The Xingyun Sect had a Medicine Pavilion dedicated to researching formulas and creating pills. All the medicinal resources disciples needed for their training came from there.
"Zhao Lin, this is Steward Zhang from the Medicine Pavilion. You can address him as Junior Martial Uncle Zhang," Water Mirror introduced with a smile.
Zhao Lin bowed. "Greetings, Junior Martial Uncle Zhang."
Steward Zhang placed a medicine gourd and a white porcelain cup in Zhao Lin’s hands.
"The gourd contains Marrow-Cleansing Soup, enough for seven doses. Each time, pour one cup into a bathtub and soak for an hour. If you use it on consecutive days, it’s best to skip a day in between."
’Seven doses?’
Zhao Lin shot a grateful glance at Water Mirror.
"Also, this bottle contains a Five-Six Pill. Keep it safe."
Steward Zhang then produced a medicine bottle from his robes.
Zhao Lin accepted it, offered his thanks, and asked, "Excuse me, Junior Martial Uncle Zhang, when is the right time to take this Five-Six Pill? Do I have to wait until I’ve perfected the Third Layer of the Qi Realm, right before I try to break through to the Blood Realm?"
"Not at all!"
Steward Zhang shook his head emphatically. "The Five-Six Pill isn’t a breakthrough-type pill. It’s used to strengthen the internal organs. You can take it in either the Qi Realm or the Blood Realm."
He clapped his hands. "The sect’s business is done, so I should be heading back."
"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle Zhang. Elder, take care..."
After seeing the two of them off, Zhao Lin eagerly called for a servant to prepare a tub of hot water.
He measured out a cup of the Marrow-Cleansing Soup and poured it into the tub.
Strangely enough, after pouring in just one small cup of the Marrow-Cleansing Soup, the water in the entire tub turned as black as ink and began to bubble faintly.
’It’s not corrosive, is it?’
Zhao Lin sniffed it carefully, detecting the scents of Dipu Leaf, Sea Dragon Pill, red horn ginseng, and dozens of other medicinal ingredients.
’Too bad I don’t know the exact proportions, or I could concoct it myself.’
With that thought, Zhao Lin dipped a finger into the concoction. Feeling no stinging or discomfort, he relaxed, stripped off his clothes, and submerged his entire body.
The medicinal power of the Marrow-Cleansing Soup wasn’t violent. It slowly seeped into his body, like a gentle breeze strumming a lute, softly plucking at the strings of his meridians.
Before long, his Ren and Du Meridians quivered slightly.
Zhao Lin was overjoyed. ’My cultivation is already at the Second Layer of the Qi Realm, and my vital energy can flow freely through my yin and yang meridians, but I’ve never been able to access the Ren and Du Meridians.’
The six yang meridians, six yin meridians, and the Ren and Du Meridians together formed the Fourteen Meridians—a required path of cultivation for any martial artist.
The Ren and Du Meridians belonged to the "extraordinary meridians." They weren’t directly connected to the organs, their positions were obscure, and they were difficult to open.
Now, after this soak in the Marrow-Cleansing Soup, the two extraordinary meridians gradually began to reveal themselves.
’The Marrow-Cleansing Soup is truly incredible! After seven soaks, I should be able to start opening my major acupoints!’
Steam rose from the tub as Zhao Lin slowly closed his eyes, beginning to contemplate the next step of his cultivation.
’Breaking through to the Blood Realm is the top priority, but I can’t let my combat prowess fall behind. It would be best to learn a Cold Yin Type Cultivation Technique.’
’That way, I can conceal the origin of my cold yin energy. Otherwise, it’s too risky to use it in front of people.’
’Xiang Shaofeng mentioned something about the Celestial Frost Fist, didn’t he? I’ll ask an elder about it in a few days.’
As his thoughts drifted, Zhao Lin suddenly felt a twinge of uncertainty.
’The Spirit Beast Scroll has granted me all sorts of abilities—strength, speed, enhanced hearing—and my own power is growing stronger by the day.’
’Even before I started training, I could kill a bandit at the Second Layer of the Power Realm. Once I reached the Power Realm myself, I could defeat Qi Realm martial artists, skipping a whole realm.’
’Now that I’m in the Qi Realm, not only am I invincible among my peers, I can even hold my own against a Blood Realm master.’
’If this keeps up, when I reach the Blood Realm, or even the Primordial Realm... will I have any opponents left?’
’Being number one in the world is a good thing, of course, but... then what?’
’Am I just going to take the Spirit Beast Scroll and all these skills to my grave in a hundred years?’
’No. Even if there’s no path to immortality in this world, I’ll carve one out myself!’
Zhao Lin thought the idea was a bit arrogant and laughed at himself. He stood, stepped out of the tub, and wiped his body dry with a cloth.
He picked up the bottle containing the Five-Six Pill and poured it out.
The Five-Six Pill was perfectly round, its size and color resembling a bayberry. Zhao Lin swallowed it in a single gulp.
’Of course, a pill this precious is safest inside my own stomach.’
