Chapter 83: The Midnight Hour Has Arrived!

Chapter 83: The Juvenile Hour Has Arrived!

At the hour of dinner, Xiao Wan’er was in high spirits, as one might expect in the presence of joyous tidings. The stones that had long lain heavy upon her heart now found their place upon the earth, and she found herself speaking more freely than usual.

Most of her words were meant for Xiao Hunhe, with only a few reaching Chen Yi’s ears. Yet she seemed to recall the events of that fateful night, her voice carrying fragments of memory, though her eyes dared not meet his.

Chen Yi smiled to himself, unperturbed. Though it had been but a misunderstanding, in the grand court of Wei—where propriety and law reigned supreme—such matters between men and women required careful navigation. There were boundaries one ought not to cross.

Still, Pei Menglu cared little for such conventions. She paid no heed to the rites of her own mountain clan, let alone the formalities of the central plains.

After dinner, Xiao Wan’er escorted Chen Yi and Xiao Hunhe from the pavilion. The rain had finally ceased, and she smiled, saying, “After more than a dozen days of relentless downpour, it seems the skies have finally cleared.”

Chen Yi glanced upward at the night sky, where the clouds had parted, revealing a bright moon and scattered stars. Yet the air remained cool, the lingering dampness still evident.

“The rain has stopped, after all,” he said.

He turned his head, his gaze settling upon Xiao Wan’er. By the medical knowledge he had acquired these past few days, he could still discern the pallor in her face—the chill that ran deeper than mere cold. Combining the teachings of *Shang Han Za Bian* with the esoteric arts of medicine, he concluded she suffered from the “deficiency of life-gate fire,” a condition where “cold and toxin seep into the marrow.”

Yet he made no attempt to pulse her or inquire further, unable to determine the full extent of her affliction.

Xiao Wan’er noticed his stare and instinctively averted her eyes. But soon, she regained her composure, her voice returning to its usual calm. “You two should return to your rooms and rest.”

Chen Yi chuckled softly. “The elder sister should rest as well. The night is still cool.”

With that, he led Xiao Hunhe away toward the Spring Lotus Garden.

Xiao Wan’er watched their retreating figures, her lips curling into a pout. She had grown accustomed to Chen Yi’s indifference these past days. Yet before outsiders—especially those of the Xiao family—she could not afford to reveal the peculiar nature of her thoughts.

What if someone were to discover the truth?

She dared not pursue the thought further. Instead, she tightened the sash of her robe, letting out a soft, lingering sigh.

“He must not behave so carelessly, not in public. Otherwise, what shall I and Yinger do?”

Unaware of her concerns, Chen Yi reached the Spring Lotus Garden and entrusted Xiao Hunhe to the care of Xiao Fei, who guided him to rest.

He retreated to his study, as was his custom, and practiced a few lines of cursive script and the style of Wei Qing. Not much—just two sheets of cypress paper, barely two hundred characters. He tidied his desk with care.

Ears pricked, he heard Xiao Fei and Xiao Hunhe’s breathing grow steady and calm. He rose, slipped off his boots onto the stone path, and slowly made his way into the bamboo grove, his sleeves and trousers pooling at his feet.

The ground was still damp from recent rains, the bamboo grove misty and soft. Walking barefoot was far better for cultivating martial techniques than wearing shoes on such slippery terrain.

He stood still for a moment, then gathered the internal energies stirred by the Xuanwu Suppression Technique, directing them into the Dantian and the Belt Ascension points. Only then did he assume the posture of the Big Pillar Technique.

His eyes half-closed, he began to circulate the vital energies through the meridians of his hands and feet. Now, having ascended from the Yin Stage to the Earth Stage, the method remained the same, yet the effects were markedly improved. His command over the energies was more refined, and the force generated by the Pillar Technique had grown substantially.

At this moment, he had reached the power of the Fourth Phase, amounting to eight thousand jin. Compared to other practitioners of the Big Pillar Technique, his strength was at least double theirs.

Yet to advance further—to attain the ultimate “Dao Body” and tap into the legendary “Dragon Energy” recorded in the ancient texts—he still had much progress to make. In the Ninth Rank, such a feat would be impossible.

Half an hour later, as his circulation through the four meridians completed, his body trembled. A breath of stale qi escaped his lips.

He steadied himself, stretched his limbs, then clenched his fist and struck. *Poom!*

The dull thud of his fist meeting air echoed as the force shattered a bamboo stalk three zhang away.

Chen Yi glanced at the broken bamboo, then at his fist, and a smile touched his lips.

“A fist that breaks three chi of wood marks true cultivation of the meridians.”

Overjoyed, he assumed the Big Pillar Technique once more, and in his mind arose a passage from the ancient texts:

“When the four meridians of hands and feet pierce all the bones, they can draw the vital forces of heaven and earth into the Dantian and Belt Ascension, birthing true essence and breaking through to the Eighth Rank…”

As he absorbed this knowledge, the Pillar Technique—once limited to strengthening flesh, bone, and meridians—now allowed him to feel a faint stirrings of spiritual energy along the meridians.

He instinctively drew these energies inward, guiding them into the Dantian and Belt Ascension. *Glug-glug.*

In an instant, the two energy seas roiled like boiling water. The internal qi, now mingling with the forces of heaven and earth, gave birth to a faint, crystalline yet ethereal energy.

No—this was “true essence.”

Even a single spark of it caused all the qi within the energy seas to coalesce and transform, accelerating the influx of celestial and terrestrial forces into his body.

As the true essence crystallized, Chen Yi slipped into a state of blurred consciousness, his body floating as though in a warm, boundless sea.

How long had passed?

His body stirred, and he awoke from the trance. Before him appeared a luminous screen:

*[Cultivation successful. Cultivation level: Below Eighth Rank.]*

A smile spread across his face.

“After more than a month of effort, I have finally ascended from mortal flesh to become a warrior of the Eighth Rank.”

He sat quietly, feeling his body. Beyond the mere emergence of true essence, his cultivation had deepened. His strength had grown.

“The power of the Five Symbols, ten thousand jin!”

Chen Yì tried to throw a punch, his internal force only reaching two-thirds, yet his true energy tugged at the fist.

In the next instant, he saw a fist wind take shape—solid as if carved—striking the purple bamboo forty zhang away.

Kachak.

With a sharp crack, a small cluster of four purple bamboo stalks snapped cleanly in half.

Chen Yì walked over to inspect the broken stalks, noting the smooth, even cuts. “Fist wind solidified, like sword qi or blade qi that can cleave mountains.”

Though his cultivation still fell short of mistress Xiao Jinghong’s mere fingertip, he had, at least, made progress.

And at this rate, catching up to Xiao Jinghong need not be impossible.

Thinking this, Chen Yì glanced at the light curtain, a brief smile touching his lips, and resumed practicing other techniques.

His footwork and fist techniques had reached the pinnacle of this stage; daily practice now merely involved colliding and suddenly comprehending.

The only aspect lagging behind was the newly learned Fallen Dragon Spear Method, recently refined to the point of proficiency, still a ways off from achieving complete mastery.

“Reaching the eighth-grade realm, with true energy flowing within—this is enough to wield one-tenth of the Fallen Dragon Spear’s power.”

One tier at a time, Chen Yì had grown content, far surpassing his former self, who had burned through internal energy just to practice.

When he breaks through to the ninth grade, releasing true energy outward, he’ll be able to unleash the spear’s full strength.

If only…

He could no longer dream.

After practicing for a solid liao, Chen Yì finally paused, calmed his internal energy and force, then washed his legs by the pool.

He then donned his boots and headed toward the wooden building.

Just then, the hour ofZi Shijie arrived—

【Daily Intel: City-grade Excellence—The hour ofZi Shijie has passed. Along the Red River, “Blade Madman” Liu Rong attacked Xiao Family’s medicinal convoy. Abundant opportunities await.】

Chen Yì glanced over, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Liu Rong…”

Status Bar:

Name: Chen Yì

Cultivation Level: Eight Grades—Lower

Book Dao: Great Completion

Calligraphy: Wei Qing (mastered), Running Script (mastered)

Martial Way—Body: Great Completion

Techniques: Great Spear Pole Stance [Earth Rank] (mastered), Xuanwu Calming Essence Method [Earth Rank] (mastered)

Martial Way—Fist: Small Completion

Fist Techniques: Collapsing Peak [Mystic Rank] (proficient), Hundred Flowers Palm [Earth Rank] (proficient)

Martial Way—Footwork: Small Completion

Footwork: Drifting Dragon Dancing Phoenix [Mystic Rank] (proficient), Meteor Butterfly Step [Earth Rank] (proficient)

Martial Way—Spear: Small Completion

Spear Techniques: Fallen Dragon [Earth Rank] (proficient)

Medical Way: Small Completion

Medical Skills: Four Diagnostics (proficient), Acupuncture (proficient)

Opportunity: 176

(Chapter End)