44 One More Step

Jun Mo Xie walked steadily back to his room. Little Ke nearly burst into tears when she saw Jun Mo Xie’s current state. With trembling hands, she carefully took off his clothes and washed him with clean water.

During the entire time, Jun Mo Xie remained standing. Knowing how fatigued his body was, he knew that if he were to sit down, he would instantly fall unconscious! However, if he were to get through this hurdle and restored his strength while he was conscious, then he would have successfully exceeded one of the limitations of his current body!

After Little Ke finished cleaning his body, he had her move away while he continued standing, meditating with focus. Through his spiritual awareness, he observed the energy channels of the Art of Unlocking Heaven’s Fortune awaken sluggishly.

To his surprise, he could see that the seven colored exquisite pagoda within his sea of consciousness was rotating way faster than before. Morever, it also emitted much thicker white Worldly Spiritual Qi.

The Worldly Spiritual Qi slowly entered through Jun Mo Xie’s meridians, flowing along the pathways. Every time the Worldly Spiritual Qi reached an area, it would give provide a cold and comfortable feeling. This feeling was akin to a person who was dying of thirst in the desert finally finding a cold drink.

This feeling was simply indescribable.

The misty spiritual qi continued entering Jun Mo Xie’s meridians at an increased rate. Jun Mo Xie’s body, which was fatigued to his limits, began to slowly recover and his entire body gradually became itchy. Especially the injured areas where the itch would be unbearable.

Jun Mo Xie exerted strict self-control over the desire to scratch the itchy areas, directing his full concentration to enter a state of meditation. Slowly… he became disconnected from the outside world.

Over time, all the injured areas of Jun Mo Xie’s body began to discharge a clear layer of fluid, which gradually solidified, forming into scars…

After a while, little by little, the scars on Jun Mo Xie’s body began to wrinkle up before hardening. Then, it turned into powdery crumbs as it fell apart...

A thin layer of dead skin cells started to accumulate around Jun Mo Xie’s feet. As for the skin on his body, it started to return to its former white smoothness. The only difference was the increase in flexibility…

While his tensed muscles that had undergone one day’s worth of exercise started to give off a crystal clear watery glow while shaking lightly. After the shaking ended, the muscles slowly loosened as it restored to its former state as if before the training was done. Next, a wave of unbearable tingling itch started before finally relaxing down…

Jun Mo Xie who had entered a state of meditation did not realize what was happening at all. After overcoming his fatigue, the feeling that followed was a serene feeling of relaxation. His soul felt if it had stepped into an unearthly realm.

It was like a person traveling through the calm ocean, enjoying the gentle waves of the seas as it slowly washed over him and the calming and gentle feeling that accompanied it.

Within his sea of consciousness, the mist that was exuded by the colorful exquisite pagoda became denser and richer. Like waves, the Pure Worldly Spiritual Qi flowed through Jun Mo Xie’s body, coursing through every meridian, muscle fibre, and tendon…

Even though the growth of the flow of qi was not great, it was still growing non-stop. He could clearly see it slowly growing bigger after having received nourishment from the waves of the spiritual qi. In addition, his thoughts seemed to have become other-worldly, without a single trace of his previous fatigue.

At this moment, his spiritual essence seemed to have merged harmoniously with the little pagoda within his sea of consciousness. Even though Jun Mo Xie was a someone with nerves of steel, this sublime feeling of comfort caused him to feel intoxicated.

Abruptly, the colorful Hongjun Pagoda stopped spinning, no longer radiating as brilliantly as it just had. This event startled Jun Mo Xie awake from his other-wordly state. Even his soul was instantly brought back to the mortal realm.

As for the misty white spiritual qi flowing within his meridians, it retreated back like a receding tide. Jun Mo Xie could feel that his whole body was filled to the brim with strength. Slowly, he opened his eyes, which revealed a sharp gaze filled with a divine glow!

Jun Mo Xie gently flexed his body, causing the joints throughout his body release popping sounds.

Instantly, his body returned to its ideal and smooth state while his state of mind was also surprisingly in an excellent mental state. As the moonlight gently shone down, Jun Mo Xie moved towards the windows. The moon hung in the sky like a plate, the surrounding clear blue skies spread out for thousands of miles.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived.

In his original world, the Mid-Autumn Festival would be held on the 15th of August. But here, there was only the Autumn Festival which was held on the 20th of August.

No matter which world he was in, the moonlight remained as gentle as water, spreading its splendor everywhere.

Jun Mo Xie sighed lightly, surprised that his heart was no longer filled with the emotions of loneliness. It would seem like his heart had slowly become accustomed to the current world. The moon remained the same moon; the sky remained the same sky! Since the skies were the same skies, then he may as well just take it as a change in working environment…

Jun Mo Xie carefully scanned through his body and discovered that the injuries he had gotten in the day had all been healed. Even those injuries, which were severe, were all completely gone.

In addition, even the scars had miraculously disappeared within the span of one night, his skin smooth yet flexible. Jun Mo Xie could not help but stare at the result

I never expected that the restorative powers of the Art of Unlocking Heaven’s Fortune would be so impressive!

Originally, Jun Mo Xie expected that after undergoing his training, he would have ended up with his tanned skin from his previous life. Unexpectedly, even though the quality of his body had obviously gone up at a rapid pace, his skin had only become smoother…

Such a disappointment! Thankfully, the transformation of his skin was towards the nature of flexibility. If his skin had instead grown softer, then he would be ashamed to go out!

Jun Mo Xie continued to channel the Art into his body and was suddenly overjoyed! After his insane training and the constant exercise of the Arts in the evening, the effect obtained was extremely significant!

The silky flow of qi within his body had grown at least double in size! If the original size of the flow of qi were comparable to a strand of hair, then the current size would be comparable to a strand of coarse mane on a pig…

Jun Mo Xie suddenly broke out in cold sweat. To say such a thing about himself, perhaps he was being overly harsh on himself…

In addition, the speed of the qi flow had also increased. He had understood one thing.

His cultivation of the first level of Art of Unlocking Heaven’s Fortune had taken a huge step forward!

To his surprise, he found out that he could now use his inner eye! This was usually only possible for martial artists that had attained the Pre-Celestial stage. This Art of Unlocking Heaven’s Fortune was indeed a miraculous skill. It had allowed him to access his inner eye even though he was far from reaching the Pre-Celestial stage.

It seemed that there as some unexpected benefits from doing his intense training and following it up with the circulation of the Art Of unlocking Heaven’s Fortune.

Checking his meridians, Jun Mo Xie finally understood the mysterious aspect of the Xuan Qi within this world.

The so-called Xuan Qi cultivation was not too far from internal strength cultivation, in fact, it could be considered a branch of it!

The duration of Xuan Qi may not be as long as internal strength. But in exchange, it had a way higher explosive strength behind it.

It was also due to the odd explosive strength that it was unable to be covertly used. And similarly, the fortitude of Xuan Qi was even less impressive. The higher a person’s cultivation in Xuan Qi, it will give off an even more obvious sign that it was in use.

This was the reason why each rank of Xuan Qi cultivation will have different glowing of colors!

The method of cultivating Xuan Qi was almost the same as the practice of internal strength, both required the channeling of energy through the meridians. For example, there is one meridian line for the cultivation of Ninth Xuan and below cultivators. Regardless if it follows the Eight Extraordinary Vessels or the Twelve Standard Meridians, there is the single path to follow, which leads towards a channel, interconnecting through the inner cycle.

When one has broken through to the Silver Xuan, the opening of a channel can occur. That way, it would be possible to increase the flow of energy. Even with the increase of energy, the cycle will still have to follow the same pathways but with a greater amount of it available.

This was due to this unique body that everyone in this world had. It was no wonder that every breakthrough in Xuan Qi cultivation would be accompanied by extreme pain, comparable to the molting of a snake. It was a process whereby the cultivator would have to forcibly open up a meridian pathway. How could that not hurt?

The later stages would still follow the same steps needed. Once all Twelve Standard Meridians and half of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels were opened, would then, the cultivator be considered to have stepped upon the Spirit Xuan rank. There were other criteria needed for one to be considered a true Spirit Xuan expert.

Amongst the opened Eight Extraordinary Vessels, two vessels have to be interlinked. Only after having accomplished this would one be considered to have reached genuine Spirit Xuan rank!

If a cultivator was able to open up four of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels but was unable interlink two of them, then that person could only be considered a fake Spirit Xuan ranked expert!

There was one aspect, which was surprising for Jun Mo Xie.

To attain the Spirit Xuan rank, one must open up all the Twelve Standard Meridians that will serve as the main flow of energy throughout the body. The dantian served as the storage for Xuan Qi.

As for opening four out of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, the most difficult part of it was the interlinking of two assigned vessels, after which one would successfully become the highest existence in this world.

However, with the knowledge of martial arts, one could see that four vessels still remained closed within their bodies, but yet they would be considered reaching their highest achievement in this world.

Then, above the Spirit Xuan realm, could there be an even higher existence?