Breaking Through the Seventeen Meridians: The Murong Family's Token of Gratitude

Murong Manor.

Meditation Chamber.

This was typically the cultivation ground used by successive generations of the Murong family's heads.

Murong Xiao had received permission before stepping inside the chamber.

"Grandfather, why have you summoned me?"

As soon as he entered, he saw his grandfather, Murong Hai, seated on a meditation cushion, a wooden box placed beside him.

"To assess your progress, of course. I want to see if joining the Qingyuan Sect has made you lax."

Murong Hai raised his eyes as he spoke.

Even now, the Murong family remained under his absolute authority.

Yet, the day would come when he grew old.

His son—Murong Xiao's father—had long been missing without a trace.

The other branches of the family had long set their sights on the position of family head.

Fortunately, Murong Xiao had always displayed extraordinary talent, keeping those ambitious relatives at bay, daring only to scheme in their hearts rather than act.

"Grandfather, rest assured. I’ve always kept your words in mind," Murong Xiao said earnestly.

"How many meridians have you opened in the Qi-Blood Realm?" Murong Hai asked.

"Seven. I’m just a step away from the eighth," Murong Xiao replied honestly.

"Good. You’re far ahead of where I was at your age."

"But I wonder how your combat prowess fares."

Murong Hai nodded and stood up.

In an instant, he suppressed his aura to the level of the seventh meridian in the Qi-Blood Realm.

"Come, let’s spar, grandson."

"Grandfather?"

"Don’t worry, I won’t use any martial techniques beyond the Qi-Blood Realm."

The chamber soon echoed with the sounds of fists and feet clashing, energy surging between them.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick—

"No more, no more! Grandfather, you’re too strong!"

Murong Xiao collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat, his face twisted in frustration.

"You’re already far stronger than the average Qi-Blood Realm cultivator."

Murong Hai looked at his grandson with pride. "If you reach the eighth meridian and bring your Golden Bell Shield to the initial mastery stage, ordinary Qi-Blood Realm fighters without divine weapons won’t even be able to scratch you."

"Am I really that strong?"

Despite his exhaustion, Murong Xiao managed a smile at his grandfather’s praise.

"Of course. Placing in the top five at the Nine Peaks Tournament shouldn’t be difficult for you."

"Hard to say, Grandfather. My generation has many prodigies."

Murong Xiao shook his head.

Brother Li, Ying Bing, Lin Jiang, Xiao Qin—these were the geniuses he knew of.

And among the other peaks’ true disciples, there were other outstanding talents not to be underestimated.

"You… you always underestimate yourself."

Murong Hai sighed.

"True, your generation has produced many dragons and phoenixes among men, but that doesn’t mean you fall short."

"Last month, I met the most renowned genius of the Fanyu Forest’s younger generation—and he was inferior to you by a fair margin."

His grandson’s temperament was too meek.

With talent like his, he was undoubtedly among the best in the Purple Sun Prefecture, capable of elevating the Murong family to greater heights in the future.

Yet for some reason, he always saw himself as lesser.

"Take this."

Murong Hai handed the wooden box on the table to his grandson.

Inside were two green pills, each bearing four medicinal striations.

"Two Four-Striation Meridian-Breaking Pills. They should be enough for you to open another meridian in the coming days."

"Grandfather… won’t the other uncles and cousins have objections?"

Murong Xiao asked cautiously.

These were undoubtedly purchased with family funds—and not a small sum at that.

Discontent arose not from scarcity but from inequality. Since childhood, he had received preferential resource allocation, and the other branches had long harbored grievances.

"You are the Murong family’s genius, the future pillar of our household."

"Should we spend our wealth on them instead, letting them squander it?"

"Take one now."

Murong Hai snorted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Only after watching his grandson swallow one pill did he sit back down.

Crack—

Not long after, a faint sound came from Murong Xiao’s body.

He had already been on the verge of a breakthrough. Now, with his mind at peace, he advanced almost effortlessly.

"Hahaha, excellent!"

"Truly, the pride of our Murong family!"

Murong Hai’s brows relaxed in delight.

He had expected his grandson to need both pills, yet one had sufficed.

Then he saw Murong Xiao carefully return the remaining pill to the box.

"Grandfather, I’d like to give this one to Brother Li. He once gifted me pills as well."

"What kind of pills?"

Murong Hai chuckled, not objecting, merely asking out of curiosity.

That single question left the old man speechless.

"A bottle of Six-Striation Serenity Pills."

"......Wait a moment."

Murong Hai’s lips twitched as he studied his grandson’s expression—utterly sincere.

Well, Xiao’er never lied.

Six-Striation pills… an entire bottle…

Murong Xiao watched in confusion as his grandfather, eyes twitching, walked into a side room of the chamber. The sound of rummaging followed.

What was Grandfather doing?

Soon, Murong Hai returned, holding another box.

"I’ve picked a few of my treasures. Let’s go."

"Oh."

The grandfather and grandson left the chamber, heading toward the courtyard where Li Mo resided.

Along the way, Murong Hai’s mood was complicated.

He had intended to bestow a favor, only to realize he might instead be repaying one—and possibly falling short.

A top-tier martial art and a bottle of Six-Striation pills had practically reshaped Xiao’er’s destiny.

Just as he was lost in thought—

A strange ripple tugged at his senses.

"Hmm?"

"This is…"

Murong Hai’s expression abruptly shifted.

The closer they got to the courtyard, the stronger that inexplicable sensation grew.

"Grandfather?"

Murong Xiao, bewildered, hurried after him.

Soon, they arrived at the gate.

The courtyard, once quiet, was now filled with animals—all gathered peacefully within.

Spring had long passed, yet the peach blossoms in the garden had sprouted anew.

Murong Hai’s beard fluttered in the wind, his eyes wide with shock.

In his youth, during his travels, he had once witnessed an External Scenery expert breaking through.

The scene then had been eerily similar to this.

"Could Young Friend Li Mo be a hidden master concealing his true realm?"

The thought crossed his mind.

However—

Boom—

A roar like that of a tiger and dragon, resonant as a great bell, shook their very souls.

From within the room surged an overwhelming Qi-Blood aura—undeniably the sign of a Qi-Blood Realm breakthrough.

Li Mo was, without question, in the Qi-Blood Realm.

It was just that his breakthrough… was a tad unusual.

"Brother Li is breaking through?"

Murong Xiao scratched his head.

Witnessing such a spectacle, he almost doubted his own breakthrough had been real.

Then—

Boom—

Crack—

Another breakthrough sound followed.

This time, it seemed something had shattered.

"A few breaths apart… two consecutive breakthroughs…"

Murong Hai, a master of the Observation Divine Realm, felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him.

Just moments ago, he had believed his grandson to be a genius.

Now, he realized how narrow his perspective had been.

"Grandfather, are you alright?"

"Brother Li’s always like this. You’re just not used to it."

Murong Xiao said matter-of-factly.

Murong Hai: "......"

Now he understood why his grandson lacked confidence.

Spending time with someone like Li Mo would make it hard for anyone to feel like a genius.

As grandfather and grandson stood in silent dismay—

The door creaked open.

Li Mo stepped out, dressed in fresh robes, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry, I think I broke the bathtub."

It wasn’t that the golden-threaded wooden tub was poorly made.

He just hadn’t expected the Earth Vein Spirit Milk to be so potent—the commotion from breaking through the seventeenth meridian was far greater than he’d imagined.

That’s right.

Young Li had now unlocked his seventeenth meridian.