I Have Unlimited Dantians

Although Xiaohu hadn’t woken up yet, its body had inexplicably grown a size larger. Its fur, like an inflating balloon, continued to make a creaking sound as it slowly expanded outward.

Vortexes of Spiritual Qi swirled and gathered around it, and its massive body was like a sponge, ceaselessly absorbing the Spiritual Qi from the air!

’Is it breaking through to the Qi Sect Realm?’

Seeing Xiaohu’s current state, Nie Yun knew exactly what was happening, but he could hardly wrap his head around it.

’Humans understand how to be receptive and incorporate diverse knowledge, so becoming a First Generation Grandmaster isn’t that difficult for them. But Demon Beasts have low intelligence and don’t practice any Cultivation Techniques. How could one possibly break through to the Qi Sect Realm?’

’Although there are Qi Sect Realm and even Ultimate Venerable Level Demon Beasts in this world, they all possess superior innate talent and reach those heights upon adulthood. Xiaohu is just an ordinary Tiger-Headed Beast. Even with its mutation, I thought the Peak of the Armor Realm would be its absolute limit. I never imagined it could actually break through!’

RUMBLE!

Nie Yun stood watching for about half an hour when, suddenly, a series of popping sounds erupted from within Xiaohu’s body. It was as if countless rivers were merging into the sea, creating a powerful torrent of Qi as its aura surged explosively!

’It really is the Qi Sect Realm... and it seems... it hasn’t stopped yet!’

Sensing Xiaohu’s current aura, Nie Yun knew the beast had successfully broken through to the Qi Sect Realm. To his surprise, however, even after reaching this realm, it showed no signs of waking up. The Spiritual Qi in the air continued to pour down, and the phenomenon was actually intensifying.

’Could it reach the Peak of the Qi Sect Realm? What in the world is going on? Even if its parents’ Essence Blood was a perfect match for its body, it shouldn’t be advancing this quickly!’

Nie Yun felt like he was going to go crazy.

’Logically, even if the male and female Tiger-Headed Beasts were both mutants, and their precious Essence Blood was perfectly compatible with Xiaohu, helping it reach the Qi Sect Realm should have been the absolute limit. Yet it’s still advancing... what is happening?’

’Could it be related to that special aura from the Fish Guts Short Sword?’

For some reason, that thought suddenly struck Nie Yun.

’Xiaohu’s family mutated after drinking the spring water that had been diluted by the Emperor Flame Spirit. The dagger was in the pool at that time, too. Could it be that the special aura within the dagger—the one that allows my Nameless Technique to circulate—also happened to leak out by coincidence, causing their mutation?’

’That’s very possible!’ Thinking of this, Nie Yun couldn’t help but nod.

’In my previous life, I was known as an old antique, incredibly knowledgeable, yet this Nameless Technique and that special aura are two things I still can’t comprehend!’

’Forget it. There’s no use overthinking it. Xiaohu won’t be waking up anytime soon, anyway. I’ll go back to the bottom of the pool and see if I can find anything. If that aura really did dissolve into the water, maybe I can get my Nameless Technique to circulate again!’

Spurred by the thought of the aura’s miraculous properties, Nie Yun could no longer contain himself. He leaped up, exited the cave, and headed back toward the pool.

The cave was not far from the pool, only a few hundred meters away. Outside, the Silver Moon hung high amidst a sky full of stars; it was already late at night.

’It wasn’t completely dark when I passed out, and now it’s the middle of the night. Have I been unconscious for less than one night?’

He did a quick mental calculation and shook his head. It hadn’t been less than one night—an entire day and night had passed!

’I was out for a long time!’

Arriving at the edge of the pool, he saw by the moonlight that the water was crystal clear. Nie Yun stripped off his clothes and dove in, slipping into the water like a fish.

SPLASH!

The water was slightly chilly, but for an expert of the Armor Realm like Nie Yun, such a cold was nothing. He swam straight down, quickly reaching the spot where he had seen the corpses before.

’Let me feel for that aura in the water...’

Muttering to himself, he extended his palms and tried to circulate his Nameless Technique to absorb the special energy from the water. The attempt, however, left him disappointed.

’Looks like my guess was wrong. Not only is there no trace of that special aura in the water, but even the scent of the Emperor Flame Spirit is gone...’

’Hm? Wait, the scent of the Emperor Flame Spirit?’

Nie Yun froze for a moment, his eyes suddenly widening.

’That’s not right. This pool has no outlet; it should be a stagnant spring. So why did the water turn from pale yellow to clear so soon after I absorbed the Emperor Flame Spirit?’

’By all rights, even after the Emperor Flame Spirit was gone, the water should have remained pale yellow.’

’It’s like tossing a lump of salt into water—even if you take the lump out, the water is still salty. Without a current, it won’t become fresh again!’

Realizing he must have overlooked something, Nie Yun pushed off with his arms and immediately began to carefully search the bottom of the pool.

’Hm? There’s a current here...’

After a careful search, sure enough, Nie Yun found a gentle current flowing in a small corner of the pool floor.

’What is this?’

In the direction the current flowed, a black metal handle protruded from the silt. Without looking closely, it was impossible to tell what it was.

He formed his True Qi into Armor, solidifying it around his body. Once his defenses were properly in place, he slowly reached out and gripped the handle.

RUMBLE!

The ground beneath him rumbled, and the silt-covered floor gave way to reveal an opening just large enough for one person to enter.

’This...’

Surprised to see an opening appear beneath the silt, Nie Yun hesitated for only a moment before slipping inside.

’Whether it brings fortune or disaster, there’s no sense in hiding from it. Now that I’m here, my mind won’t be at ease until I see what’s inside.’

WHOOSH!

The moment he passed through the opening, Nie Yun felt a sense of lightness wash over him, and he could breathe normally again.

’There’s no water in here? This is too strange.’

There wasn’t a single drop of water inside. It was as if an invisible membrane was blocking the entrance, preventing any water from rushing in.

’But... if no water is flowing in, then how was that current at the bottom of the pool formed?’

Even with the experience of two lifetimes, which gave him knowledge far beyond his peers, Nie Yun still found the situation unbelievable.

However, while he was surprised, he wasn’t completely shocked. After all, the Great Dao had countless paths, and the Secret Techniques developed by the Human and Demon Races were innumerable. Forget him; even Baii Xiaozi, who was famed for his erudition in his previous life, couldn’t possibly have known every Secret Technique in the world.

Inside was a massive Stone Gate that had been lowered to block the path. It was situated in a small, enclosed room.

Walking up to the Stone Gate, Nie Yun gave it a gentle push but found that it didn’t budge an inch. He gradually increased the pressure.

’I can’t push it open? What is this thing?’

He gradually increased the force in his hands to its maximum, but was astonished to find that the Stone Gate still didn’t move an inch, showing no sign of opening whatsoever.

Unable to push it open, Nie Yun was about to use his Martial Arts to try and blast it apart when his eyes suddenly landed on the space above the Stone Gate. He saw a line of writing he hadn’t noticed before. His eyes went wide as he read it, and he couldn’t help but cry out.

"No way... It’s actually... it’s actually..."