Chapter 10: Icy Divine Art
Chapter 10: Icy Divine Art
Within Mu Yuan’s body, the Tide True Qi churned like roaring tidal waves, striking at the blocked liver meridian channels. Two days had already passed; not much of Mo Xue’s residual zhenqi remained, and the meridians themselves were quite loose. Now, gripped by extreme urgency, Mu Yuan pushed Tide Flow to its limits. In just a few breaths, his entire body’s zhenqi flowed freely once more! The Longevity True Qi and the Tide True Qi in his dantian instantly surged and spun fiercely, colliding head-on!
This collision didn’t cause Mu Yuan any feeling of blockage. Instead, it felt thrilling, like a dragon returning to the ocean or a phoenix soaring to the heavens! Cyan and purplish-black radiance erupted from him in an instant. Needle-sharp, severe glimmers, minuscule and countless, coiled around his entire body, flashing before vanishing!
With his zhenqi flowing again, Mu Yuan sprang up, letting out a long cry. Instantly, he felt his Longevity True Qi was much denser and more profound than before.
Previously, at the perfect completion of the First Layer of Qi Refining, the Longevity True Qi could coalesce into a mass within the dantian, with meridians open, radiating a cyan glow, embodying the spirit of the Azure Dragon. But now, the Longevity True Qi rolled and spread out from the dantian, reaching all major acupoints throughout his body. The dantian became like the blazing sun at the heart of a galaxy, while the acupoints were like stars rotating around it!
The Second Layer of Qi Refining was perfectly complete! His acupoints were open, connecting his entire body. With his dantian as the center, all other acupoints resonated, his spirit dispersed throughout his being. Anywhere attacked, a response surged instantly. After condensing qi within the acupoints, his physical body became far tougher than before: spells wouldn’t cling, dust wouldn’t soil, internal impurities vanished, leaving him luminous, clean, and utterly pristine!
Sensing the reaction of his internal zhenqi, Mu Yuan felt his dantian was like the heart of the world. With every slight movement, he seemed to control everything. Inside each major acupoint, a wild, powerful vortex of energy pulsed and surged, like a primal womb nurturing life. Every acupoint felt like a vibrant life about to burst free from its cocoon!
“Indeed, the fundamental thoughts of humans—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, worry, pain, bitterness—these fluctuating emotions resonate best with zhenqi! Solely seeking solitude and detachment from the world might purify one’s mind, but it comes at a cost; little progress is made in cultivation!”
In the Longevity Palace, secluded from worldly clamor and mundane life, one might avoid distraction, unaffected by sights and sounds. But humans are human: Seven Emotions and Six Desires are innate. Forcibly suppressing them, upholding heavenly principles while rejecting human desires, runs counter to nature. Thus, every major sect and school sends disciples down the mountain yearly to gain worldly experience.
Experience the sorrows and joys of human life; feel its highs and lows—this ignites one’s potential best. Mu Yuan, shocked and desperate, felt his zhenqi surge. Combined with his recent meditation circulating the Tide True Qi, Wood and Water elements resonated. He unexpectedly broke through the Qi Refining Second Layer, entering the Qi Refining Third Layer, consolidating his Taoist Dharma Body.
These thoughts flashed through Mu Yuan’s mind swiftly. For the first time, he acknowledged the wisdom in the seemingly capricious decision by that master he’d fallen into apprenticeship with. He’d grumbled about the dullness of life since descending the mountain, missing the routine of training, sparring, hunting beasts, and catching birds on the peak. But now, fueled by urgency and anger, his zhenqi had broken through! Infinite joy filled him. He flipped his palms, swifty placing himself in front of Mo Xue and blocking two incoming palm strikes!
Mu Yuan knew the handsome young noble before him wasn’t kind, even though it was just Mo Xue’s word. But after two days together, Mu Yuan was inclined to believe her.
The two men Mu Yuan blocked were indeed the riders who’d asked for directions days earlier. Palm met palm; instantly, Mu Yuan sensed these two fighters: one wildly fierce and domineering; the other stern yet balanced. Both possessed vast, mountainous power!
Mu Yuan grinned. His left palm channeled Longevity True Qi, meeting the refined scholar’s balanced force with its own gentle resilience. His right palm unleashed Tide True Qi, blocking the imposing man’s aggressive blows with unpredictable variations. Offsetting fierceness with strangeness, they complemented each other perfectly. Not only holding steady, Mu Yuan gained the upper hand, fighting with increasingly potent ferocity!
These two were the handsome nobleman’s guards. Already outmatched by Mo Xue, they were being chased down relentlessly. Now, with Mu Yuan also breaking through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, holding his own against Mo Xue, they were in deeper trouble. Though top-tier mortals, Mu Yuan had transcended the mundane realm at the Third Layer. His Dharma Body was forged, meridians connected, acupoints brimming with primordial qi flowing freely through his being. Plus, he’d learned several Divine Abilities and magical arts from the Ragged Taoist, unlike before when he only had Greenwood Divine Radiance. His movements grew smoother, his zhenqi flowed powerfully—he couldn’t help but let out another powerful shout, his voice rolling out like a wave.
They had fought their way out of the inn onto the cobblestone street below. Palm forces surged wildly. Mu Yuan’s right-hand Tide True Qi began shifting, channeling the Icecold Path skill. Water from the air instantly froze around it, sending chills radiating. His left hand wielded Qi Vortex Slash with Longevity True Qi, growing more precise by the moment. He drove the two opponents together, his zhenqi surging magnificently, exuding fierce satisfaction!
Mo Xue, however, was even more formidable. Unlike Mu Yuan, she showed no restraint. Her Celestial Heart Zhenqi flowed like sinuous ribbons, striking at the two elderly men attacking her, sending them stumbling in disgrace!
Mu Yuan pressed his two opponents, holding them rather than pushing harder. Forming a circling zhenqi barrier with his palms, he internally reasoned, This young noble seems well-connected. These four warriors all radiate battlefield ferocity, seasoned fighters. Killing them outright might cause trouble. Best to let Sister Mo Xue teach his master a lesson.
The confident young noble panicked completely when Mu Yuan joined the fray, seeing his side plunge into danger. “Guards!” he yelled desperately. “Where are you? Seize these assassins!”
Mo Xue snorted coldly, delicate brows furrowing. A flick of her wrist sent a ball of light smacking squarely onto the nobleman’s face, instantly swelling a large bruise!
The commotion from six powerful combatants had already alerted nearby troops. This shout spurred them into action. A large group, armed with halberds and swords, quickly encircled the fighters. Mu Yuan felt neither anxiety nor anger at the sight. To someone like him, mortal law and authority held no sway whatsoever! Cultivators acted by following their hearts, guided only by their own values and sense of Dao. Laws had always served the powerful throughout history. Having transcended such things, there was absolutely no reason to bow to them!
Better to act by one’s own principles than be bound by rules made by others!
“Perfect timing!” Mu Yuan thought. “Time to test ‘River Flows a Thousand Mile; Ice Envelopes the World.'” His right hand clenched. A sphere of Tide True Qi pulsed with purple-black light, spreading palpable cold like solid frost. Moisture in the air froze instantly; countless droplets of watery elemental force suffused the area, forming ice in a blink. The swords and iron chains held by over a dozen charging troops solidified into one chunky block of ice! With a subtle vibration from Mu Yuan, it shattered entirely into powdered ice crystals, scattering across the ground.
This ultimate level of the “Ice Envelopes a Thousand Mile” Divine Ability could freeze a thousand-mile radius, covering land with ice, congealing spirits solid. Mu Yuan couldn’t wield such mighty Magical Power yet, but controlling a span of ten meters was simple. Shattering the soldiers’ weapons, he then froze the soldiers themselves. Though reduced in power, the ice trapped the entire group firmly within thick, frigid layers!
Mu Yuan followed his heart, it was true. But before eight, he’d just been a simple village boy. Ten years later lived in the Longevity Palace instilled core virtues. He wasn’t a saintly protector, but held a sense of the Heavenly Dao’s life-preserving virtue, avoiding needless death. Besides, these soldiers were only marginally stronger than ordinary folk – like robust ants compared to his Qi Refining Third Layer Dharma Body, inherently connected to primordial forces.
Children might toy with ants for fun. But once grown, who bothers deliberately battling ants?
Having frozen the soldiers, most of the terrifying cold surged next towards the two elite warriors he’d been holding off. Top-tier mortals, thick-zhenqi protected against elemental extremes. Yet they stood no chance against this ultimate cultivation art! Their outward-projecting zhenqi instantly froze mid-air into bizarrely colorful ice pillars! Frost crept along their limbs, invading their meridians. Ice crystals formed rapidly on their arms. Terrified shivers wracked their bodies!
Battling with them, Mu Yuan swiftly grasped intricacies of the many Divine Abilities within Tidal Flow. Once unleashed, their formidable power proved truly superior. Seeing frost coating their arms filled him with delight. His left hand channeled Longevity True Qi, pushing transformations further. Countless emerald vines materialized from the verdant energy, whipping upward to bind the two men tightly—water nurturing wood!
Wood and Water amplifying each other, the fighters became like frozen dumplings rolling helplessly on the ground. Too stiff for struggle, only violent shivers and plumes of icy vapor rose from them.
“Excellent! Absolutely excellent!” Mu Yuan chuckled inwardly. A sweeping glance showed Mo Xue had similarly pushed her two opponents into helpless corners. Clearly holding back, she moved like dancing snowflakes. Threads of her zhenqi wove intricate traps, ensnaring them completely!
Finishing with the four elite guards, Mo Xue’s face icy, she surged towards the young noble like a flurry of snow. “Scoundrel!” Her voice was glacial. “Prepare to die!” She thrust two fingers forward like a sharpened sword, potent zhenqi surging straight at the center of his brow!
Suddenly, a flash of cyan light streaked forth, intercepting Mo Xue’s Sword Qi. Mu Yuan flashed, positioning himself beside her, his expression serious. “Honored sister,” he stated firmly, “this crime doesn’t merit death. Show mercy; a lesson is sufficient.”
Mo Xue huffed coldly. “Do you know how many evils this wretch has committed? Without my abilities, what would have happened to me that night? If unpunished, who knows how many virtuous girls he’ll harm next!”
Mu Yuan nodded. “I grasp that entirely. But slaughtering mortals recklessly invites trouble. Better to refrain if possible.”
Seeing his four powerful guards vanquished, the nobleman floundered in terror. Hearing Mo Xue’s deadly intent froze his heart. Now, grabbing Mu Yuan’s defense of him like a lifeline, he cried out frantically, “Young master, save me! I vow to reform! I’ll turn over a new leaf, never stoop to such villainy again!”
Mu Yuan fixed him with a cold stare. Suddenly, a faint, cold smile touched his lips. “Good.” A simple flick of his finger. Icecold Path energy pulsed from his Tide True Qi, instantly invading the young man’s body. It swirled violently within his dantian before swiftly flooding through his entire meridian system. The noble shuddered violently. A brief numbing sensation shot through him—like an electric shock—then vanished.
Mo Xue, however, finally smiled. “Enough,” she declared. “Let’s go.”
Mu Yuan also smiled faintly. With Mo Xue in tow, they mounted the Dragon Rhinoceros and soared away in a cloud of dust!
Watching them disappear into the distance, the young noble spat contemptuously. Malice twisted his features briefly, quickly replaced by the dizzying joy of survival. He considered himself incredibly lucky, oblivious that Mu Yuan’s Icecold Path had frozen his meridians and shattered his dantian. He would never trouble a maiden again.