Slowly, Xiao Shuxiang began to regain consciousness in the late afternoon. The rain that had been pouring down on the Black Dragon Sect had stopped, revealing a rainbow at the corner of the valley where the sect resided. However, the place was still deserted, with no disciples daring to visit.
Xiao Shuxiang got up and realized that his body felt no pain anymore. Even the broken bones he had suffered had healed, making his standing posture more stable. He felt that everything within him was different, even when he was in his best condition before. Realizing something was amiss, Xiao Shuxiang immediately checked his body.
Apart from his tattered clothes, he also found that the necklace, the only memento of his father, was gone.
“What really happened…?”
Xiao Shuxiang tried to recall the events when he was beaten up by the Lin brothers, then the sudden downpour accompanied by echoing thunder. Lastly, he felt a warm aura before a bolt of lightning struck him directly. Remembering this, a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a happy expression.
Then, Xiao Shuxiang checked his dantian and meridians, which he thought had been destroyed by the Lin brothers’ attack. However, after a while of carefully examining them, he could feel that everything was fine and had even undergone a change that made him want to jump for joy.
“I’ve broken through to the late stage of Qi Refinement..”
Xiao Shuxiang couldn’t hide his surprise. Not only had his meridians and dantian expanded and become stronger, but his cultivation realm had also increased in a short period. Although he was still in the first stage, he had indirectly broken through two levels from the early stage to the late stage.
Within his sea of energy, he could see three red circles of light, much thicker and larger than the one he had before. Whereas before he only had one circle of energy circulating in the middle of his dantian, now he had three, indicating that he had reached the late stage of Qi Refinement.
“Is it always necessary to go through suffering to gain something more valuable?” muttered Xiao Shuxiang with a complicated expression.
“Aarrggh!”
Suddenly, Xiao Shuxiang clutched his head, which felt like it was about to explode. He sensed something strange creeping into his head and centering in his brain. An unimaginable pain immediately surged through him, making him collapse to the ground, writhing in agony. At the same time, Xiao Shuxiang gritted his teeth to stay conscious and not faint again. After a while, Xiao Shuxiang finally found his peace again, taking a deep breath, releasing stale air.
“Dragon Aura Breathing Technique.”
As the sun began to set completely, Xiao Shuxiang’s breath hitched as he weakly uttered those four words.
Previously, he had received enlightenment from the black light that had gathered in his head. The excruciating pain had apparently displayed images of a majestic black dragon in Xiao Shuxiang's mind, like well-arranged pictures now etched in his memory.
The Dragon Aura Breathing Technique was a cultivation technique that could absorb the energy of heaven and earth fiercely, as if to balance the absorption power of his dantian and meridians. Now, this cultivation technique had come to perfect him.
“Truly a blessing from heaven,” muttered Xiao Shuxiang with shining eyes.
For a moment, Xiao Shuxiang compared the cultivation technique he had used before, which was commonly found in the Black Dragon Sect. However, upon closer inspection, Xiao Shuxiang could tell that the previous technique was nothing but useless trash to him.
“Does all of this have something to do with the necklace my father gave me?” Xiao Shuxiang asked himself.
Since he was a child, he had never known much about his father's secrets. Besides having a reserved personality, his father also never taught Xiao Shuxiang anything related to martial arts.
Xiao Shuxiang stared at the darkening sky, clenching his fists with determination. In his heart, he realized that this was just the beginning, the path for him to become the cultivator he had always dreamed of. Xiao Shuxiang was certainly delighted with what he had gained today; losing five spiritual stones was nothing compared to his accomplishments today.
During his five years as an outer disciple of the Black Dragon Sect, Xiao Shuxiang was often ridiculed and considered useless because of his stagnant cultivation progress. Even the Second Elder, his adoptive father, was often the target of mockery from the other Elders, which made him a little depressed every time he returned from a meeting with the sect's leaders in the Main Hall.
This time, Xiao Shuxiang was full of confidence. With his new meridians and dantian, he would be able to catch up and bring honor to the Second Elder, whose real name was Li Haoran.
“I will avenge the actions of those who have looked down on me, especially you two..” uttered Xiao Shuxiang while picturing the faces of the Lin brothers.
Xiao Shuxiang seemed to want to let go of his emotions, after all, he had endured a difficult past few years. Some Elders even suggested that he be returned to the outside or expelled from the sect because he was deemed worthless. This issue was also the reason why Li Haoran, as Xiao Shuxiang's adoptive father, went on a mission to the capital of the Southern Cloud Region, Shandian City.
In the capital, there was chaos caused by a group of masked criminals. While suppressing this group, Li Haoran also planned to visit the Alchemy Pavilion to obtain the Eclipse Pill to help Xiao Shuxiang clear the blockage in his meridians.
Thinking of this, Xiao Shuxiang seemed to shed a tear. Although the Second Elder was a strict enforcer of the sect's rules, he also had love and affection for Xiao Shuxiang, his adoptive son. Xiao Shuxiang certainly wanted to repay all the kindness of his adoptive father, so he vowed to break his own limits and become the strongest cultivator.
“Before becoming strong, I think I should take a bath first,” said Xiao Shuxiang, noticing the strange smell that enveloped his body.
Amidst the moonlight that began to turn a beautiful color, Xiao Shuxiang darted among the streams of hot springs not far from him. Now, with his increased strength, he could see clearly at night and could even sense the aura of life from dozens of meters away. After cleansing his entire body, he put back on his tattered clothes. He washed and dried them quickly using the Qi energy flowing within him.
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