Chapter 40 : Revised Yuan Shixi
40: Revised Yuan Shixi
As soon as this matter was mentioned, Zhang Biaoyang's parents fell silent at once. Aside from Zhang Henglong himself, no one dared to bring up his son's affairs in his presence.
Zhang Henglong sighed helplessly, a trace of pain flashing across his stern brows. He retracted his hand and fished out a simple, ancient bottle from his pocket, on which the character 'blood' was written in cinnabar.
"This is a Source Blood Pill," Zhang Henglong said.
At the sight of the bottle, Zhang Biaoyang's parents' eyes went wide.
"A Source Blood Pill?" Zhang Henghu's mouth fell open. "Is this the very same Source Blood Pill that even the richest man in Lingdu tried to buy with a hefty sum, but couldn't get?"
Zhang Henglong snorted and said, "Have Biaoyang take this. With his foundation, his internal and external injuries will heal in three days, and his Primordial Energy will also increase permanently by a significant amount."
Zhang Henghu, delighted, extended his chubby hand to take it, but Zhang Henglong snatched it back.
"Big Brother?"
"This is the finest of mid-tier Mortality-Grade pills! Even I don't have the means to get my hands on one. Old Wu got this one. Do you think you can just take it because you want?" Zhang Henglong glared.
"Big Brother, then..." Zhang Henghu and his wife, of course, wanted it. "How much does it cost?"
"Nonsense! Do you think this thing can be bought with money?" Zhang Henglong roared, panting with fury. The aura of a strong man seasoned from the battlefield that emanated from him forced Zhang Henghu and his wife to recoil instinctively.
"The meaning from above is one Source Blood Pill for one spot," Zhang Henglong said gravely.
"A spot?" Zhang Henghu was taken aback.
Zhang Henglong looked at his fat-headed, big-eared real estate mogul of a younger brother, his sharp eyes twitching. "This summer, you're coming with me to the Prison Abyss."
"What!?" Zhang Henghu's stout body convulsed, his pupils dilating involuntarily.
"B-Big Brother? You're telling me to go down... there?" Zhang Henghu seemed not to have the courage to say the name.
"One spot in the Prison Abyss for a single pill, that's the meaning from above. Zhang Henghu, you look like a coward, but you're a Source Martial Practitioner nonetheless. All these years, relying on me and your status as a Source Martial Practitioner, how much money have you made, both what you should have and what you shouldn't have? Do you think the privileges the nation grants to Source Martial Practitioners are for free? The situation is too tense now; we're short on people. Otherwise, why would those above be willing to trade a Source Blood Pill for a single spot?"
"Big Brother, this..."
"Husband... that, that place... you absolutely can't go there! Of those who go down, not even one in ten comes back!" Zhang Henghu's wife grew frantic, pulling at his arm, her voice trembling and on the verge of tears.
"You shut up!" Zhang Henglong barked.
Zhang Henglong's rough, large hand patted Zhang Henghu's shoulder earnestly. "Little Brother, I don't want this either... Is it not enough that our family has me risking my life out there? But over there, they're really out of people... When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? You understand this principle, don't you?"
A hint of familial affection also showed in Zhang Henglong's fierce eyes. "I won't force you, but I don't have the authority to dispense this pill either. Go, take this Source Blood Pill to heal Biaoyang and raise his Primordial Energy. If you don't, then I'll take it back. There are plenty of others who want to trade for it. I was forced to hold onto this one."
"Little Brother, there's no telling when I might not come back. With all the rotten things you've done, if I'm gone, do you think your enemies will let you off? If Biaoyang can get into a good Source Martial University, then they won't dare to touch him easily. Our Zhang family... we need an heir! Whether you go or not, you decide for yourself."
Zhang Henglong's powerful hand clenched the Source Blood Pill before Zhang Henghu's eyes.
"Big Brother... I understand." Though Zhang Henghu was a pampered and gluttonous man, accustomed to a life of luxury, the thought of losing everything he and his family had made him ruthless.
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On this day, a fine, persistent rain fell. Lingdu had nearly entered its plum rain season.
Yuyin's "Four Treasures of the Study" had arrived.
She had asked Yingluo to ask for leave on her behalf today and didn't go to school. With the college entrance exam only two weeks away, many students weren't attending school every day, which was quite normal.
There was no table where Yuyin lived, so she could only kneel by the bed, earnestly copying out the Yuan Shixi on the mattress, looking for all the world like a diligent scholar studying by a cold window.
"I wonder if copying it like this will do any good?"
The Yuan Shixi wasn't long, but at five or six thousand characters, copying it with a brush was no easy task. Yuyin spent the whole day at it. Although convenient imitation brushes with ink cartridges were available now, Yuyin insisted on using the traditional method of grinding her own ink to copy.
By evening, she had finally finished copying.
She picked up the Yuan Shixi she had copied. The cover and pages were made to look antique. Her handwriting was graceful yet powerful, and perhaps due to her high Primordial Energy, the characters themselves carried a sharp, profound intent, every stroke as keen as a blade's edge.
As Yuyin flipped through it, she felt it looked quite authentic.
"I just hope I wasn't just practicing calligraphy all day..."
Ding~
An ethereal and exhilarating wind chime rang out.
"An optimizable secret manual has been discovered. Would you like to spend 2 Soul Charm Points for a minor optimization, or 10 Soul Charm Points for a comprehensive optimization to a high-grade method-class secret manual?"
Last weekend, Yuyin had gained over 80 Soul Charm Points from the underground fights, plus the group led by Zhang Biaoyang who had practically handed them to her. Although she spent points every day buying chess pieces, she still had 126 Soul Charm Points left.
"Spend 10 Soul Charm Points for a comprehensive optimization," Yuyin said, her chest rising and falling with a hint of excitement.
And so, in the God-Devouring Chess space, the sky darkened. The tall female figure, now clad in the robes of a golden disciple, began to demonstrate the optimized Yuan Shixi step by step.
In just a moment, the optimization was complete. The name was fittingly chosen as well: Revised Yuan Shixi.
Yuyin consulted it immediately. In terms of comprehension alone, it was much more vivid and intuitive than the original Yuan Shixi, since the female figure demonstrated it directly, her movements incomparably precise and carrying an air of profound mystery.
For Yuyin, who was cultivating this method, all of this brought subtle, transformative benefits.
Compared to the original Yuan Shixi, there were quite a few changes.
"This breathing technique... I always felt something was off about it. Although I adapted to it thanks to my good physique, it always felt disconnected. But now, it's actually so simple and ingenious. What's more, it's clearly more suitable for women..."
"No, it feels as if it were tailor-made specifically for my physique and blood essence."
Indeed, women's physiques and blood essence vary greatly. Some are full-figured with abundant blood essence, while others are slender with insufficient blood essence. A single breathing technique couldn't possibly be a perfect fit for everyone.
And the improved breathing method was the perfect fit for Yuyin.
"This feels so good... Cultivating with this breathing method is pure enjoyment."
After practicing for a while, Yuyin's whole body grew warm, a fine film of sweat appearing on her skin. She felt incredibly refreshed.
The efficiency of absorbing Primordial Energy had increased by at least three times compared to before.
However, the Primordial Energy in this world was too sparse. Even with a threefold increase, the actual improvement was very limited.
Yuyin then turned to what concerned her most: the method for transforming source into spirit, the key to becoming a true Source Martial Practitioner.
"What? A Primordial Energy value of around 180 is the basic requirement to break through to a Source Martial Practitioner?"
Basic requirement? Does that mean... Yuyin continued to read.
The Revised Yuan Shixi explained this question thoroughly.
When breaking through to become a Source Martial Practitioner, a Primordial Energy value of around 180 was merely the lower limit.
The higher and purer one's Primordial Energy at the time of the breakthrough, the more solid the foundation after becoming a Source Martial Practitioner, the greater the future achievements, and the more powerful the might of one's Primordial Energy.
In other words, if possible, the higher the Primordial Energy before the breakthrough, the better!