novelraw Chapter 24 – Resolve the deadly crisis
Chapter 24 – Resolve the deadly crisis
In the dark space, mist swirled everywhere, and a black-and-white pearl floated, with complex and mysterious patterns, marks, and runes occasionally appearing around it.
"The Life and Death Pearl? Hasn't this pearl already fused with my soul?"
Luo Xiu was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized, "Could it be that where my consciousness is now is the Soul Space?"
At that moment, the runes, marks, and patterns on the Life and Death Pearl began to spin rapidly, like a black hole vortex, unleashing a massive devouring force that engulfed Luo Xiu's consciousness.
Luo Xiu felt as if he were in a vast starry sky, with a galaxy ahead, turbulent and surging, and countless points of light like stars drifting in the galaxy, rising and falling.
Slowly reaching out, Luo Xiu touched one of the brilliant points of light like a star.
Boom!
He saw a strange world, desolate and barren, where countless lives began to evolve, and after endless ages, they moved toward death, from life to death, from death to life, like reincarnation, endless and infinite.
Fire, the source of life, and also the source of destruction, rebirth through fire is life, burning the heavens and boiling the earth is death!
After an unknown period, when Luo Xiu's consciousness regained clarity, he suddenly opened his eyes.
He felt as if he had comprehended the true essence of the Law of the Path of Life and Death!
What happened in the Life and Death Pearl seemed to have lasted for countless years, yet in reality, it was still at that very moment.
A stream of scorching heat was continuously absorbed into his body, and Luo Xiu slowly raised his head, locking eyes with Lu Mengyao.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a flame surged from Luo Xiu's body, burning his clothes entirely, but this flame did not harm his body at all.
Moreover, the flame spread from his body to Lu Mengyao's, instantly burning her dress as well.
"Ah!..." Lu Mengyao let out a scream, seemingly frightened, and kicked Luo Xiu in the chest.
"Damn!"
Luo Xiu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, instantly flying backward, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Then, Luo Xiu was stunned.
The fair, jade-like skin, the undulating curves, such a sight made Luo Xiu's breathing quicken, his mouth dry.
"Don't look!" Lu Mengyao's face turned crimson, both embarrassed and angry, her pure and chaste body completely seen by her student, leaving her at a loss.
Facing each other bare, not only were their clothes burned away, but the flames also spread, turning the bed into ashes.
"Turn around!" Lu Mengyao bit her lip, her voice slightly cold.
Luo Xiu dared not say much, quickly turning around to avoid angering Teacher Lu.
This was Lu Mengyao's room, naturally with spare clothes, and Luo Xiu could hear her changing, involuntarily recalling the scene he had just witnessed, his heart pounding.
After changing clothes, Lu Mengyao saw Luo Xiu's bare back, her lips twitching slightly.
"Don't you have spare clothes in your storage bracer?"
All his clothes were burned, but the storage device on Luo Xiu's left wrist was undamaged, prompting her question.
"Well... I really don't." Luo Xiu replied, somewhat helpless and embarrassed, as the storage bracer was acquired from slaying Chen Hu, and it contained no spare clothes.
"Here, put this on."
Luo Xiu heard a rustling sound, and a bedsheet fell over him.
Moments later, wrapped in the sheet, Luo Xiu turned around to see Lu Mengyao in a red dress, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her face exquisite and beautiful, slightly flushed, breathtakingly so.
Lu Mengyao also looked at Luo Xiu, puzzled and shocked. While changing, she clearly felt her heart meridian was much more comfortable. Could it be that Luo Xiu really cured her Severed Fire Yang Meridian?
"Just now... sorry." Lu Mengyao suddenly spoke, breaking the silence between them.
Luo Xiu naturally knew she was referring to kicking him. Lu Mengyao was a Qi Sea Realm Martial Artist, and fortunately, that kick didn't contain True Qi, or Luo Xiu might not have been able to get up.
"It's fine." Luo Xiu shook his head.
At that moment, he focused on Lu Mengyao's left chest, where the Vital Meridians were clearly visible.
Noticing Luo Xiu's gaze, Lu Mengyao's body trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but ask, "What was with the flame just now? My body..."
She was eager to know if her Severed Fire Yang Meridian could really be cured, rekindling a hope she had long abandoned.
However, Luo Xiu suddenly shook his head, "I absorbed some of the flame power from your heart meridian, Teacher Lu, but perhaps due to my low cultivation, I only absorbed a part and didn't completely resolve your condition."
Hearing this, Lu Mengyao's expression turned gloomy, but then Luo Xiu added, "However, if I absorb it a few more times, I might be able to completely resolve your condition, Teacher Lu."
"Really?" Lu Mengyao was instantly excited again.
Luo Xiu nodded, "Today, I'm afraid it's not possible. My cultivation is too low, and absorbing some of the flame already pushed me to the limit, which is why it leaked out."
Hearing Luo Xiu's explanation, Lu Mengyao couldn't help but recall the scene where the flame burned their clothes, leaving them bare.
However, compared to that, Lu Mengyao was more shocked and amazed by how Luo Xiu did it. How could he absorb the flame power from the Severed Fire Yang Meridian?
She was of noble status and well-informed, reaching the Qi Sea Realm at fifteen. If not for the Severed Fire Yang Meridian, she would have long stepped into the Innate Realm.
Yet, the Severed Fire Yang Meridian, which even the Spirit Refining Martial Sect couldn't resolve, was being addressed by Luo Xiu, a Body Refining Martial Apprentice. If she hadn't experienced it herself, she wouldn't have believed it.
"Teacher Lu, I can't stay like this forever..." Luo Xiu said awkwardly.
Looking at the boy sitting on the ground, wrapped in a sheet and embarrassed, Lu Mengyao couldn't help but chuckle.
But thinking of the embarrassing scene earlier, the title of "teacher" felt somewhat jarring to her.
"You wait here, I'll go buy you new clothes."
With that, Lu Mengyao got up, opened the door, and left, leaving Luo Xiu alone in the room, puzzled as to why Teacher Lu suddenly laughed.
"This Teacher Lu is beautiful, has a great figure, and looks even better when she smiles," Luo Xiu thought to himself.
Wrapped in the sheet, sitting cross-legged on the ground, Luo Xiu suppressed his thoughts and regained his composure.
He closed his eyes, sensing the state of his body, and was stunned by what he found.
His Inner Qi was unprecedentedly thick and pure, his Vital Blood condensed to the extreme, directly surpassing the eighth layer of Blood Refining, stepping into the ninth layer of Marrow Refining!
"I've reached the ninth layer of the Body Refining Realm?"
Luo Xiu was astonished, clearly due to absorbing the flame power.
Opening his palm, Inner Qi gathered, and a crimson flame appeared in his palm, the scorching heat causing the surrounding air to ripple.
"Fire Attribute Inner Qi?" Luo Xiu was delighted again.
As far as he knew, the Inner Qi cultivated by Body Refining Martial Apprentices and the True Qi cultivated by Qi Sea Martial Artists had no attributes.
Only upon reaching the Innate Martial Master stage would one awaken Elemental Power, such as water, fire, wood, earth, wind, and thunder.
Yet, he was still in the Body Refining Martial Apprentice stage and had already manifested Elemental Power.
He recalled his insights and experiences in the Life and Death Pearl, and the crimson flame in his palm suddenly transformed, sometimes into a white flame brimming with life, sometimes into a black flame filled with death.
Flame of Life, Flame of Death...
These were the two extremes of the fire attribute.
Meanwhile, Luo Xiu sensed a surge of heat in his lower abdomen, at the Dantian, as the Inner Qi was too thick, and the excess Inner Qi naturally gathered at the Dantian, including the flame power absorbed from Lu Mengyao that hadn't been refined yet.
"My body is nearing saturation, but as long as I refine all the flame power accumulated in the Dantian, I can continue absorbing, and my cultivation will surely advance rapidly!"
Luo Xiu's eyes lit up, eagerly anticipating, realizing that Teacher Lu's condition was more beneficial to him than consuming pills for cultivation!
Before long, Lu Mengyao returned with new clothes, a set of black tight-fitting combat attire that was very comfortable to wear. With the Shadow Sword strapped to his back, despite his still youthful face, he exuded a sharp and heroic aura.
"Teacher Lu, I'll come back in seven days to help you with your condition." After dressing, Luo Xiu intended to take his leave.
Lu Mengyao furrowed her brows, her eyelashes fluttering as she gazed at Luo Xiu, "My name is Lu Mengyao, I'm twenty-one, not much older than you."
Luo Xiu was slightly taken aback, looking at Lu Mengyao in surprise, wondering why she was telling him her name and age.
Blinking, Luo Xiu cautiously asked, "So should I call you... Sister Lu? Mengyao Sister?"
"Whatever you like, just don't call me teacher anymore." For some special reason, Lu Mengyao found the title of "teacher" grating when Luo Xiu used it.
...
Dressed in black tight-fitting combat attire, with a straw hat concealing his face, Luo Xiu returned to the Yaqi Mountain Stronghold.
With the Shadow Sword and Thunderstorm Sword Art, Luo Xiu's purpose in coming to Yaqi Mountain this time was to enhance his strength.
The transformation in mindset and state of mind made Luo Xiu acutely aware that to become a martial dao powerhouse, one must not slack in cultivation, as martial dao cultivation is like rowing against the current.
Most of the beasts in Yaqi Mountain were first-level demonic beasts, with few second-level ones, mostly of ordinary and medium grades. Given Luo Xiu's strength, barring unforeseen circumstances, there wouldn't be much danger.
For other Body Refining Martial Apprentices, encountering a second-level demonic beast in Yaqi Mountain would be a nightmare, but Luo Xiu was unafraid. The battle where he killed Chen Hu confirmed that he could contend with ordinary Qi Sea Martial Artists.
Of course, this training was mainly to hone his sword technique. If the Thunderstorm Sword Art could be cultivated to the Major Achievement stage, its power could definitely sweep through most third-grade martial arts!
Cultivation knows no day or night, and unknowingly, Luo Xiu had been honing his sword technique in Yaqi Mountain for a month.
"Buzz!"
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
The air trembled, ripples spreading, and a black sword, like a stream of light, swift as thunder, pierced the head of a Fire Cloud Leopard, killing it with one strike.
"Clang!" The Shadow Sword returned to its sheath, and a smile appeared on Luo Xiu's lips. The days of rigorous sword training had paid off, and he had reached the Major Achievement stage of unleashing the sword like thunder.
Not only that, but his Dragon-Tiger Fist and Inch Step had also surpassed Major Achievement through life-and-death trials, reaching the Perfection stage!
However, even the Perfection stage Dragon-Tiger Fist was not as powerful as the Major Achievement Thunderstorm Sword Art, as sword-type weapons inherently had extremely strong attack power.
Now, he could kill a first-level demonic beast with one strike. Even when encountering an ordinary second-level demonic beast, without using the ability to damage the Vital Meridians, he could slay it after a struggle. But if it were a more formidable second-level demonic beast, he wouldn't be its match and would have to rely on his superior Inch Step Movement Technique to escape.
The Qi Sea Realm also had nine levels. Luo Xiu estimated that his current strength was roughly equivalent to between the first and third levels of the Qi Sea Realm.
Besides progress in swordsmanship, every seven days, Luo Xiu would return to Qingyun City to absorb the flame power from Lu Mengyao's heart meridian. His Inner Qi cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Body Refining Realm, and he was not far from breaking through to the Qi Sea Realm.