Jiang Yueling pondered for a moment and asked with a puzzled expression, "Since he's a local hunter, he should know the infamous reputation of Tianjue Valley. With only the strength of the Hualing Realm, how dare he approach the entrance of Tianjue Valley? Moreover, you were unconscious, how could he know your identity and go through the trouble of sending you back to the Chu Family?"
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Chu Qingyun nodded slightly, "Indeed! There's something strange about this matter, and I will investigate it as soon as possible."
Jiang Yueling realized she had misspoken, a trace of guilt flashed in her eyes, and she quickly advised, "Brother Qingyun, the most important thing for you now is to recover from your injuries! You mustn't take any more risks near Tianjue Valley. It's best to stay in Lingjiang City for recuperation. As for the hunter saving you, it might just be a coincidence. It shows that fortune favors you, turning misfortune into blessing!"
Chu Qingyun didn't say more, choosing to keep the matter in his heart, deciding to investigate it later. Jiang Yueling shifted the topic, asking with concern, "Brother Qingyun, how is your recovery going?"
"During the days I was unconscious, the experts of the Chu Family helped heal me, consuming quite a few spirit elixirs. My meridians were broken in thirty-two places, most have reconnected and are slowly recovering. However, my dantian has completely disappeared, making it impossible to store spiritual energy. I'm destined to remain at the ninth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, unable to reach the Hualing Realm."
The Qi Condensation Realm is the entry-level realm of martial cultivation. Anyone who can harmonize with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth can meditate to gather it into their body, refining and strengthening their physique. When a martial artist's body becomes strong enough, they can convert the spiritual energy into spiritual power, storing it in their dantian and circulating it through their meridians. This is the second realm of martial arts, the Hualing Realm.
In today's world, martial arts are extremely prosperous. Even in the small Lingjiang City, martial artists of the Hualing Realm are everywhere. Only by reaching the third realm—the Spirit Sea Realm—can one be considered a true expert in martial cultivation. Above the Spirit Sea Realm, there are the Sky Soaring Realm, where one can fly, the Divine Ability Realm, with vast powers, and the Dao Palace Realm, which can shake a nation. Rumor has it that above the Dao Palace Realm, there are even more mysterious realms like Myriad Phenomena and Supreme. But Chu Qingyun knows that those martial realms are too distant, and for the past few hundred years, such powerful beings have not appeared in the Kingdom Qian. Currently, in the Kingdom Qian, the Dao Palace Realm is considered the pinnacle, with only a few individuals reaching it.
"Brother Qingyun, don't lose heart!" Seeing Chu Qingyun's heavy tone, Jiang Yueling, suppressing her shyness, held his hands and encouraged him with firm eyes. "I believe in your resilience; you won't be defeated by this setback. I've heard that if a Dao Palace Realm expert intervenes, supplemented by a Soul Grade elixir, your injuries might be healed. Once I join the Qiushui Sect, I will strive to excel and gain the sect's favor. The head of the Qiushui Sect is a Dao Palace expert, and I will surely ask her to heal your injuries!"
After speaking, Jiang Yueling took out a jade bottle from her sleeve and placed it in Chu Qingyun's hand. "Brother Qingyun, here are two Bone Refining Elixirs. They can not only enhance your aptitude but also help you quickly repair your meridians and recover from your injuries. You must accept them, no refusals. I want to see you take them!"
In this world, spiritual artifacts and elixirs are graded. From low to high, they are Yuan Grade, Mystic Level, Treasure Grade, and Soul Grade, with each grade having upper, middle, and lower tiers. The Bone Refining Elixir is a Treasure Grade elixir, each one worth a fortune and often unavailable even if you have the money. Not to mention Lingjiang City, even in Qianjiang County, they are quite rare. The Jiang Family would never spend millions of silver to buy two elixirs for healing and enhancing aptitude. After all, two Bone Refining Elixirs are equivalent to thirty percent of the Jiang Family's wealth!
Chu Qingyun held the jade bottle without opening it, frowning as he asked, "Ling'er, where did these two elixirs come from?"
Jiang Yueling knew she couldn't hide it from him and feared he wouldn't accept them, so she quickly explained, "They were a gift from Elder Murong Yue. Brother Qingyun, don't worry. Though these elixirs are precious, they aren't of much use to me and are better suited to help you heal. Elder Murong is a Divine Ability Realm expert, with high status and power, and has given me many treasures. Once I join the Qiushui Sect and become her last disciple, I won't lack spirit elixirs and cultivation resources... Now, quickly take the elixir to heal!"
Chu Qingyun initially wanted to refuse, but Jiang Yueling's firm attitude and constant urging left him no choice. Not wanting to disappoint her, he took one Bone Refining Elixir and immediately began meditating to absorb its power. The upper-tier Treasure Grade elixir's effects were indeed formidable. The elixir dissolved in Chu Qingyun's stomach, turning into countless streams of warmth that filled his body and meridians. His meridians and bone marrow were rapidly strengthening, and his meridian injuries were healing at an incredible speed. Chu Qingyun estimated that one Bone Refining Elixir would be enough to heal his injuries.
However, the surging medicinal power seemed to be drawn, gathering at his dantian. In just a moment, the entire medicinal power of the Bone Refining Elixir was devoured by the black mist at his dantian!
"Damn it! What on earth is that black mist?" Chu Qingyun was secretly alarmed and somewhat angry. In the past few days, not only had he taken spirit elixirs to heal, but he also practiced and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Yet, without exception, all the energy and medicinal power he absorbed were seized by that mysterious black mist! Because of this, despite the Chu Family experts using numerous spirit elixirs, they couldn't heal his injuries. The Chu Family experts hadn't discovered the existence of the mysterious black mist and didn't know the cause, so they gave up on treating him.
Chu Qingyun was certain that the black mist was definitely unusual! After devouring the vast medicinal power, the black mist began to change, slowly rotating. Chu Qingyun patiently waited for half an hour, and the black mist finally stopped changing, turning into a pitch-black vortex the size of an egg. The vortex was mysterious and deep, seemingly capable of devouring everything. Even Chu Qingyun's consciousness, when observing it for too long, seemed to be at risk of being swallowed. Additionally, the vortex constantly emitted an invisible suction, silently absorbing and devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth through his body.
Suddenly, Chu Qingyun had a bold idea. "Although I don't know what the vortex is, in the past half month, it has devoured elixirs worth millions and an entire Bone Refining Elixir. Such a massive amount of spiritual power, where has it gone? Could it all be stored in the vortex? If I can control the vortex and use that spiritual power, wouldn't I have hope of regaining my strength?"
Thus, Chu Qingyun attempted to control the pitch-black vortex. But the vortex seemed like an 'external object,' unresponsive no matter how hard he tried. Chu Qingyun frowned in thought for a moment, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. "That's right, those strange incantations must be related to this vortex!"
Chu Qingyun immediately focused his mind, recalling those mysterious incantations. The mysterious and profound ancient characters, numbering around five thousand, formed hundreds of sentences of varying lengths, flowing slowly in his mind. Those contents were engraved in his memory, unforgettable and indelible. Chu Qingyun, diligent in his studies since childhood, had learned thousands of characters by the age of four and had read nearly ten thousand ancient books by the age of ten. Whether it was martial cultivation, alchemy, artifact refining, or formation texts, he could remember them all. However, the incantations in his mind were too ancient and obscure, not from the past thousand years. He even suspected they were five-thousand-year-old cuneiform, older than seal script.
Chu Qingyun quickly ended his practice and said to Jiang Yueling, "Ling'er, Uncle Jiang has always loved collecting ancient books and researching ancient seal script and cuneiform. I remember you mentioned that Uncle Jiang has studied many cuneiform texts and annotated them?"
Jiang Yueling, who had been by Chu Qingyun's side, waiting for his recovery, was puzzled by his sudden question. "Brother Qingyun, why did you suddenly think of this?"
Chu Qingyun didn't explain, only smiling as he said, "Could I see Uncle Jiang's annotations? I have great use for them."
"Alright, wait a moment, I'll get them right away." Jiang Yueling agreed without hesitation and quickly went to her father's study, retrieving a scroll from a hidden compartment in the wall. Moments later, she returned to the room with the scroll, placing it before Chu Qingyun. "Brother Qingyun, this is my father's work of over twenty years, always treasured. I hope it can help you."
"Thank you." Chu Qingyun gave Jiang Yueling a grateful smile and began to peruse the scroll. The scroll contained over a thousand ancient cuneiform characters, each with detailed annotations. Chu Qingyun compared the scroll, identifying the five thousand ancient characters in his mind, word by word. After recognizing a few hundred characters, he confirmed that the five thousand ancient characters, as he had guessed, were a mysterious cultivation technique!
Once he recognized over a thousand cuneiform characters, he could understand half of the technique, filling him with excitement and shock! Because this mysterious ancient technique was called the Heaven Devouring Art.
"In the primordial universe, it was like chaos, indescribable. Once a spirit emerged, heaven and earth were divided, yin and yang discerned, the five elements obtained, and all things transformed. Spirit is the root of heaven and earth, transmissible but not receivable, obtainable but not visible, existing before the Taiji yet not high, among all things yet not low. Born before heaven and earth and eternal, devour and utilize for longevity..."
Chu Qingyun identified each word and silently recited the Heaven Devouring Art in his mind, his spirit shaken, his blood rushing, and his heart pounding like thunder. This technique was so grand, seemingly elucidating the primordial chaos and the ultimate principles, teaching the origin of all things and the art of spirit devouring. Although he hadn't yet grasped its true meaning, still half-understood, he was certain that this technique was an unparalleled treasure, a hundred times more profound than any text he had read, as if opening the door to a new world for him.
Thus, he forced himself to calm down, pondering and comprehending from the first sentence, the first word. Seeing him enter a state of complete immersion, seemingly lost in some mysterious realm, Jiang Yueling didn't disturb him and quietly left the room.
As Jiang Yueling closed the door, she turned to see Xu Fengyi standing in the courtyard, looking at her with an expression of exasperation. "Ling'er! The gifts Elder Murong sent were only those two Bone Refining Elixirs. They were meant to enhance your aptitude and help you break through to the Spirit Sea Realm, so you could smoothly join the Qiushui Sect... and you gave them all to him?!"
Xu Fengyi's face turned pale with anger, gritting her teeth as she questioned. "You just gave away elixirs worth four million taels! If you inherit the family business in the future, won't you give the entire Jiang Family to him?"
Jiang Yueling replied nonchalantly, "Mother, I've already awakened the Water Moon Dao Body. Even without those two elixirs, I can easily break through to the Spirit Sea Realm. Those were gifts from Elder Murong to me, not the Jiang Family's property, so I have the right to dispose of them."
She added, "Brother Qingyun will be my husband, and when I inherit the family business, the Jiang Family will be ours. Why distinguish between us?"
"Jiang Yueling! How could I have given birth to such an unfilial daughter who sides with outsiders? You'll drive your father and me to our graves!" Xu Fengyi felt her blood pressure rise, her vision darkening, nearly fainting from anger. Before she could recover, Jiang Yueling supported her, escorting her out of the side courtyard to avoid disturbing Chu Qingyun.