Unveiling the Veins, the Dancing Sister Stands at Attention

A figure flickered through the mountain paths.

Xue Jing couldn't help but shudder at the thought of his disciple's disciple currently undergoing meridian awakening under Shang Wu's guidance.

If he arrived any later, it wouldn't just be a case of poor teaching—it might well turn into an emergency rescue mission.

And that was no exaggeration.

Shang Wu had once entertained the idea of taking on a disciple. Given her youth and her achievement of the Inner Scenery Realm, everyone assumed that even if she was usually unreliable, teaching a disciple would be child's play for her. So they tacitly allowed it.

Who could have predicted that on the very first day, the poor soul would suffer a qi deviation?

Afterward, whether Shang Wu lost interest in discipleship or simply realized she wasn't cut out for teaching, she never brought it up again.

It was a shame. Li Mo, that kid, had exceptional talent—so exceptional, in fact, that no one quite knew how to approach his training. The other elders were at a loss, and Xue Jing's quota for personal disciples was already full.

Otherwise, with talent rivaling Ying Bing's—both having reached the pinnacle—how could he have ended up in such a dire situation?

At this point, Xue Jing had long abandoned any hope that Li Mo could match Ying Bing's feat of unlocking all meridians in a single day.

If the boy made it through unscathed, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

With a sigh, Xue Jing's steps quickened, his body blending into the wind as he moved at an almost imperceptible speed.

In mere moments, he arrived at Qunyu Peak, a medicine kit strapped to his back.

Yet before he could reach the summit, his expression shifted from worry to bewilderment.

"Something's off."

"Is someone drawing upon the primordial energy of heaven and earth to cultivate?"

Drawing upon the primordial energy—also known as the Harmony of Heaven and Man—was a state every martial artist dreamed of achieving.

Typically, cultivators relied on food, elixirs, and other supplements to replenish the energy needed to temper their qi and blood.

But neither food nor elixirs could be consumed indefinitely.

Yet, by sheer serendipity, a warrior might attain the Harmony of Heaven and Man—a state somewhat akin to the Outer Scenery Realm, where one's inner microcosm mirrors and cycles with the macrocosm of the world.

The speed at which energy could be absorbed in this state was hundreds of times faster!

Not only were there no side effects afterward, but there were also unexpected benefits.

"Shang Wu should be fast asleep at this hour. Why is she cultivating today? And in the Harmony of Heaven and Man, no less?"

Xue Jing quickened his pace.

At the summit, Li Mo sat in serene stillness before a wooden hut, his entire being seemingly fused with nature.

Every pore on his body appeared to have opened, exchanging breath with the world around him.

It was as though his body had become one with heaven and earth.

To the cosmos, he was like a small depression, drawing the purest primordial energy from all directions, as if the universe sought to fill this hollow.

Faintly perceptible was the lotus seed taking root within his dantian, voraciously absorbing energy as it prepared to sprout, grow, and eventually bloom.

Pfft—

A soft sound escaped.

Before Xue Jing could even process his shock—

Pfft—

Another followed.

"After awakening his meridians, he's already opened a primary meridian?"

Xue Jing's jaw dropped, his long whiskers fluttering in the wind as he stood frozen in disbelief.

Not only had Li Mo successfully awakened his meridians, but in a single day, he had also broken through a primary meridian with unstoppable momentum.

Not only had he mastered the "Lotus Blossom Heartfire Method" without guidance, but he had also entered the Harmony of Heaven and Man!

Xue Jing was questioning his own life, utterly speechless.

"Elder Xue, when did you get here?"

Li Mo's ears twitched as he opened his eyes.

"You—! Don’t speak and lose focus! The Harmony of Heaven and Man is a rare opportunity!"

Xue Jing was so agitated his beard bristled.

"Huh? Harmony of Heaven and Man?"

Li Mo blinked, confused.

"But I kinda need to use the bathroom."

Old Xue nearly fainted. Now was not the time for bodily functions!

At his level, the Inner Scenery Realm, experiencing the Harmony of Heaven and Man was like a preview of the Outer Scenery—an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime chance.

If this opportunity had been his, he might have gained the leverage to break through to the next realm.

Yet this brat was treating it like nothing special, squandering a treasure beyond measure!

"Oh, alright."

Li Mo didn’t understand why Old Xue seemed so distraught.

Earlier, he had moved to the shade of a tree because the sun was too strong.

And yet, his cultivation speed remained just as fast.

Could it be...

Other people didn’t cultivate like this?

Maybe it was a benefit of his Mystic Yin Immortal Body...

The thought made him pause.

"The 'Lotus Blossom Heartfire Method' states that opening twelve meridians and planting twelve lotus seeds marks completion—a full mastery of the Qi-Blood Realm."

"But... why do I feel like that’s not the limit?"

He could sense it.

Twelve primary meridians were far from his ceiling.

His body felt like a bottomless pit.

Opening the first and second meridians wasn’t even the beginning.

"Ah well, one step at a time."

"Foundations are important. I should aim for perfection."

Li Mo closed his eyes and resumed cultivation.

Meanwhile, Xue Jing kicked open the wooden door nearby, finding Shang Wu still dead to the world. His temple throbbed.

He pulled out a wakefulness incense from his medicine kit and waved it under her nose.

"Achoo!"

Shang Wu sneezed, her elegant face scrunching up.

Having her sleep interrupted twice, she clenched her fists—only to relax when she saw it was Xue Jing, the sect’s resident nice guy.

"Old Xue, this better be good."

"Your disciple is out there in the Harmony of Heaven and Man, and you’re still asleep? How can you sleep at a time like this?"

Xue Jing snapped.

"Are you drunk or am I drunk?"

Shang Wu tilted her head, thinking he was spinning fairy tales.

"See for yourself!"

Xue Jing didn’t bother arguing further and stepped outside.

Shang Wu rubbed her bleary eyes and peered out.

One look.

And Big Sis Wu stood at attention.

...

[Congratulations, Host. Demonstrating the Harmony of Heaven and Man has enlightened Xue Jing.]

[Congratulations, Host. Demonstrating the Harmony of Heaven and Man has enlightened Shang Wu.]

[Calculating rewards...]

[Investment Return: Three Gourds of Icefire Wine.]

[Investment Return: Twenty Years of Martial Insight.]

[Icefire Wine]: "Upon consumption, the drinker undergoes a trial of ice and fire, tempering the body. A sacred treasure for physical refinement."

Huh?

People can invest just by watching me cultivate?

These rewards might as well be free.

"Icefire Wine..."

Li Mo decided against trying it out just yet.

From what little he knew of his master, any alcohol in her vicinity would vanish instantly.

Besides, he hadn’t figured out how to refine his body yet.

The wine would come in handy.

After two hours of cultivation, he couldn’t sit still any longer.

The muscle soreness and fatigue described in the martial manuals were absent.

But his bladder was another story.

With that thought, Li Mo ceased drawing upon heaven and earth’s energy, brushed off his robes, and stood up.

The wondrous state dissipated instantly.

The first thing he saw was Xue Jing reluctantly snapping out of his trance, his face filled with emotion.

"I owe you a debt, young man."

At their age, bottlenecks were deeply entrenched, and breakthroughs were near impossible.

Witnessing the Harmony of Heaven and Man had given him invaluable insights.

"Elder Xue, you flatter me. My father often speaks highly of you at home."

Li Mo clasped his hands politely in response.

His father, Li Dalong, had once been a disciple of Xue Jing.

Back then, Xue Jing had not yet risen to the position of elder.

"Heh, it’s good that he still remembers this old man," Xue Jing stroked his long beard and sighed. "Dalong was truly a pity. Had he not met with misfortune, he would have been an inner sect steward by now."

Old Xue appeared to be around the same age as Li Mo’s father.

But Li Mo knew that even when his father first entered the sect, Xue Jing already bore this middle-aged appearance.

His true age was likely no less than ninety-six.

Seizing the moment, Li Mo spoke up:

"Each man’s fate is his own. My father said he owed his life entirely to Elder Xue’s intervention."

"If he hadn’t met my mother on his journey home after being injured, I wouldn’t even exist."

"When one door closes, another opens—such is the way of things."

Young Li had a knack for charming his elders.

"Dalong was a fortunate man," Xue Jing’s gaze at Li Mo grew even more approving.

This boy wasn’t nearly as unruly as Li Dalong’s letters had made him out to be.

Perhaps fathers simply judged their sons more harshly.

The atmosphere between the old and young was harmonious—until Li Mo suddenly caught a whiff of alcohol in the air. Then, his neck tightened, and he felt a brief suffocation.

Shang Wu had looped an arm around her beloved disciple’s neck, declaring her territorial rights with vigilance:

"Hey hey hey, this is my disciple! Don’t you go getting any ideas, you old geezer."

"I’d consider it if I could, but my quota’s long full," Xue Jing retorted irritably.

Watching Shang Wu’s boisterous antics, he felt a slight headache coming on.

This grand-disciple was promising material—would Shang Wu end up leading him astray?

Poor martial skills were one thing, but he’d hate to see a fine lad pick up bad habits.

"Xiao Mo, if you want to test your martial skills or spar with others, you might try the training hall at the mountain’s foot," Xue Jing suggested.

Shang Wu narrowed her almond eyes for a moment before nodding:

"For learning basic techniques, the training hall should suffice."

Li Mo: "..."

Sis, you’re just too lazy to teach, aren’t you?

Still, now that he had the foundational techniques, he did intend to pick up some combat skills.

A trip to the training hall would also let him scout for potential investment targets—not a bad plan at all.