Gao Wu: If this BOSS isn't nerfed, is it even playable?

Chapter 156 Refining the Essence, Primordial Qi!
Lin Ye opened his eyes.

The military academy was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Lin Ye's heart was not greatly stirred by breaking through to the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm.

For him, this was simply a natural progression, a prerequisite for reaching even greater heights.

Lin Ye felt a gaze with a hint of inquiry cast upon him.

He turned his head and met Dongfang Zhen's interested eyes.

"Brother Lin, congratulations." Dongfang Zhen's voice was not loud, but it was full of certainty. "All eight extraordinary meridians are now open, and you've reached the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm?"

Lin Ye was slightly taken aback.

He hadn't expected Dongfang Zhen's perception to be so sharp; even the slightest changes in the fluctuations of his own qi and blood couldn't escape his notice.

Although the two spoke softly, their voices reached the ears of the old man on the podium clearly.

Lin Hanshan's ears twitched slightly, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared on his usually expressionless face.

He stepped down from the podium and went straight to Lin Ye.

The attention of all the students in the entire martial arts academy was instantly drawn to it.

"Your cultivation has reached the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm?" Lin Hanshan's voice remained cold and hard, but Lin Ye knew that he was faking it.

Lin Ye nodded.

"very good."

"The method for breaking through the Ninggang realm is recorded in the Miscellaneous Treatise in the Taixu Liangyi Zhenjie".

"Now that you have achieved perfection, I will answer your questions in advance."

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked.

Many trainees looked on with envy.

"Unlike most mainstream concepts, from the perspective of the True Explanation of Yin and Yang, the so-called condensation of Qi is not simply the compression of Qi and blood. Its essence is to return to the origin and trace back to the innate."

"At the Opening Meridian Realm and earlier, the Qi and blood flowing in a martial artist's body are all acquired Qi."

"What is acquired? Eating grains, drinking water from heaven and earth, and breathing the wind from mountains and rivers are all acquired. No matter how pure this energy is, it ultimately comes from acquired factors."

"These are the foundations upon which people survive in the world, but they are also the further constraints they face."

Lin Hanshan's voice echoed in the quiet military hall, each word seemingly carrying a strange magic.

"The first step to entering the Condensation Realm can be summed up in just four words: 'removing the dross and retaining the essence.'"

"It will drastically reduce and discard the acquired qi and blood in your body, removing all the acquired impurities."

"Just to find that wisp of primordial energy that existed in the very source of your life, before you breathed your first breath of mortal air, before you ate your first bite of worldly food!"

This theory overturned the understanding of the vast majority of people present.

Dongfang Zhen, who had been eavesdropping, could no longer contain himself and said, "Teacher Lin, please forgive my impertinence, but based on what I have learned before, the principle of the Condensing Qi Realm is to eliminate a large amount of useless Qi and blood, highly compress the remaining Qi and blood, and finally trigger a qualitative change."

"This is the first time I've heard of your theory of innate and acquired factors; it's truly fascinating."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Daoxuan, who was sitting on the other side, also came over.

"A wonderful perspective."

"This theory coincides with the Taoist concept of 'returning to one's original nature,' which I am familiar with. People generally believe that cultivating immortality and seeking the Tao is just a fantasy, but perhaps it is just that one's realm has not yet been reached."

In the martial arts world where Lin Ye exists, there are currently no true cultivators.

However, there are people like Zhang Daoxuan who come from the Taoist school.

These families and clans all firmly believed that the older they were, the stronger they became.

The Taoist scriptures and ancient martial arts left by our ancestors must have profound meaning.

Lin Hanshan glanced at the two guys who interrupted, snorted coldly, but didn't actually get angry.

"All laws share the same origin, and all paths lead to the same destination."

He turned back and continued to explain to Lin Ye: "What Dongfang Zhen said is an explanation made from the perspective of modern martial arts science, and there is nothing wrong with it."

"Eliminating, compressing, and then transforming into something qualitatively is essentially the same thing as what I call 'removing the dross and retaining the essence,' returning to the origin."

"You just need to remember that what you need to do now is to prune the tree that has gone too far; you have to give up something to gain something."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye understood.

If one were to compare the vital energy and blood of one's entire body to a towering tree, then what he needs to do now is to personally cut off more than 90% of the branches and leaves, leaving only the core and the most fundamental trunk.

No wonder that in the later stages of the Qi and Blood Opening Realm, my control over Qi and Blood kept improving, and I could even manipulate it in units of 0.1 Qi and Blood Index.

If you can't even have a precise control over the energy in your own body, how can you talk about pruning and discarding it!
No wonder, no matter how many source crystals he used to temper his blood and qi, it only made the pseudo-罡煞 (a type of internal energy) more condensed, without any other qualitative change.

The limit of acquired qi and blood is the pseudo-gangsha form!
"When your acquired qi and blood are completely 'cultivated', leaving only the purest innate qi in your body, a qi sea vortex will naturally be born in your dantian."

Lin Hanshan's voice rang out again.

“The vortex is the foundation of the Condensing Qi Realm. Only the Dantian Qi Sea can store the Primordial Qi.”

"During the preparation stage, the meridians have not yet been transformed by the primordial Qi and cannot be preserved."

"If the total amount of primordial Qi you refine is insufficient and cannot form a vortex, it is equivalent to the Qi Sea not being opened and unable to retain Qi. This breakthrough will be considered a failure."

"Failure only means that your foundation in the Meridian Opening Realm is unstable, and your blood and qi reserves and quality are insufficient. You need to start over and rebuild your foundation more solidly."

As Lin Hanshan finished speaking, he gave Lin Ye a deep look.

"Therefore, to break through, there are almost demanding requirements on the total amount and purity of the Qi and blood accumulated by a martial artist when they are in the Meridian Opening Realm."

"If you only focus on speed in the Opening Meridian Realm and don't lay a solid foundation, you're destined to never be able to break through to the Condensation Realm."

He said this to Lin Ye.

In his eyes, Lin Ye's cultivation progress was simply too fast!

"After class, come with me. I'll take you to have your Qi and blood tested with instruments to see if you can reach the standard of forming a Qi Sea vortex if you finally refine your innate Qi."

……

Shortly after, the bell rang to signal the end of get out of class.

During the short break before the meditation class began, Lin Hanshan waved his hand, signaling Lin Ye to follow.

As soon as Lin Ye got up, he noticed that Dongfang Zhen and Zhang Daoxuan had followed him with smiles on their faces.

"What are you two doing following me here!" Lin Hanshan frowned and scolded.

"Curiosity, purely curiosity."

Dongfang Zhen chuckled.

"I want to see if Brother Lin's blood and energy can successfully break through."

After a week of spending time together, practicing and sparring, the barriers between them had disappeared, and the three of them got along well and became friends.

Lin Ye was also somewhat helpless, and could only say to Lin Hanshan, "Let them watch, it won't cause any trouble."

Lin Hanshan didn't say anything more, which was considered tacit approval.

He led the three men to a separate side room behind the military academy.

In the center of the room, there was a strangely shaped instrument.

It resembles a semi-enclosed metal cocoon, its interior filled with complex circuitry and pale blue energy conduits.

"Go in."

"What you need to do is burn and use all the energy and blood in your body until you can't squeeze out any more power. Only in this way can you calculate the total amount of energy and blood in your body most accurately."

Lin Ye took a deep breath and went inside as instructed.

The hatch of the metal cocoon slowly closed.

hum-

A heavy pressure suddenly pressed in from all directions, and Lin Ye immediately mobilized his qi and blood, pouring it into his hands and feet to resist.

The pressure continued to increase, and his vital energy was being consumed like a flood.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The three people outside the cabin could clearly see the constantly changing numbers on the instrument screens.

Five minutes later, the rate of increase in the value began to slow down.

Two minutes later, the readings stopped completely.

The hatch opened, and Lin Ye stepped out, his face somewhat pale.

This was the first time he had truly and completely drained his life force.

He was completely drained of energy, as if his body had been utterly hollowed out.

Everyone's eyes were glued to the screen.

Lin Hanshan stared wide-eyed at the numbers on the screen, his voice filled with disbelief.

"This...how is this possible..."

On the screen, a line of glaring data was clearly displayed.

[Total Qi and Blood Assessment: 421.6 (Standard Units)]

[Qi and Blood Purity Assessment: S!]

"Four hundred and twenty-one..."

Lin Hanshan muttered to himself, as if he had seen some incredible monster.

"I have never seen any martial artist in the Meridian Opening Realm with such a total amount of Qi and blood in their body!"

He suddenly turned his head to look at Lin Ye, his gaze seemingly trying to see right through him.

"Your total blood and qi volume is more than four times the average of a typical martial artist at the Great Perfection of the Meridian Opening Realm!"

"With such a massive size, you still have an S-grade purity rating!"

"Your Qi and blood condition is very strange. Although it is still essentially acquired Qi, its nature is already infinitely close to the innate Qi... How did you manage to do that?"

Dongfang Zhen, standing to the side, suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder Lin Ye could unleash power comparable to that of the Condensation Realm while only at the Opening Meridian Realm!
It turns out that the total amount of Qi and blood in his body is more than four times that of others, and the quality is also extremely high!
Lin Hanshan shook his head, the shock on his face slowly fading, replaced by anticipation.

"I can't imagine how many times more refined and powerful the innate Qi you would be if you really broke through to the Condensation Realm."

He patted Lin Ye on the shoulder, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"Go ahead and break through with confidence. Whether it's the total amount or the purity, it's a sure thing that you'll form a Qi vortex."

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and added another sentence.

"The Marrow Cleansing Hall is located on the mountainside east of the training camp. Soak there often during this time." "The water in that pool will be of great benefit to your first stage of breakthrough."

……

After the visualization class.

Dongfang Zhen then grabbed Lin Ye's arm.

"Brother Lin, let's go to the Marrow Cleansing Hall!"

He was incredibly strong. Before Lin Ye could react, he was dragged along quickly towards the mountainside on the east side of the training camp.

The two soon arrived at an antique-style hall with the three large characters "Xi Sui Tang" (Hall of Marrow Cleansing) written on the plaque in a flamboyant style.

At the entrance, two composed instructors reached out and stopped them.

"Two students, it will take 30 credits to enter."

The two paid for the academic credits.

Upon entering the gate, Lin Ye saw two curtains on the left and right, with the words "Male Guests" and "Female Guests" written on them respectively, and rows of lockers next to them.

The two each received a card and then entered the men's section.

This setup looks no different from going to a public bathhouse.

A few minutes later, Lin Ye walked down a long corridor.

The corridor is divided into areas by screens, where steam rises and you can vaguely see many people soaking in pools of different sizes.

Among them were trainees, as well as several instructors whom Lin Ye recognized.

Most of them looked relaxed, clearly there to unwind.

These pools were also filled with a faint medicinal fragrance, containing special agents that could enhance the activity of martial artists' cells.

Lin Ye didn't linger. Dongfang Zhen had previously told him that if he didn't want to waste the 30 credits, he had to go to the innermost pool.

After passing through several doors, Lin Ye finally arrived at the last private bathroom.

The fog was even thicker here, making it almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

In the center of the bathhouse was a huge bathtub that could hold more than a dozen people. The water was steaming, but strangely, there was no one in it.

Lin Ye approached and realized that the pool of water was extremely strange.

It was clearly divided into three layers.

The top layer is a thin layer of purple foam, constantly churning with tiny bubbles.

The middle layer is a translucent golden yellow, with a viscous texture, and gleams with a strange light in the mist.

The bottom layer is a milky white liquid that has settled, and it is so still that there is not a ripple at all.

Dongfang Zhen was probably still in the shower area outside. Lin Ye didn't wait long and stepped into the pool.

The moment my toes touched the pool water, a bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head!

Even though the pool water was still steaming, it felt like stepping into millennia-old ice.

Lin Ye continued downwards.

When his body was fully submerged in the water, up to his chest, the chill had not yet subsided when another completely opposite feeling suddenly burst forth.

An indescribable heat ignited from within my body, as if my internal organs had been thrown into a furnace, and my blood and qi were on the verge of boiling in an instant!
The alternation between hot and cold surged wildly within his body, assaulting every nerve in his body.

Before he could even adjust to this bizarre sensation of extreme heat and cold, an even stronger stimulus arrived.

Waves of excruciating pain, like being pierced by countless fine needles, emanated from every part of his skin that came into contact with the top layer of purple foam.

The stinging sensation didn't stay on the surface; instead, with each breath, it seeped wildly into his body, spreading along his meridians, making him feel a tingling numbness even in his bone marrow.

He finally understood why there was no one left here.

This isn't a place to relax, it's a place to be tortured!

Lin Ye grimaced, experiencing both extremes of ice and fire while simultaneously feeling as if a thousand needles were piercing his heart.

Just as he was wondering if Dongfang Zhen was deliberately messing with him, another figure walked in.

Dongfang Zhen, who was equally candid, saw Lin Ye's expression and revealed a knowing smile.

He stepped steadily into the pool, moving very gently so as not to disrupt the water's stratification.

Lin Ye's attention was instantly drawn to the scars on Dongfang Zhen's strong body.

Those scars crisscrossed and were hideous and terrifying.

Some of the marks were clearly left by some kind of sharp claws, but most of them were dark scorch marks, as if they had been repeatedly burned by terrifying electric current.

Dongfang Zhen seemed to notice Lin Ye's gaze, and he casually pointed to the longest and deepest claw mark on his chest.

"This was left behind by a sneak attack from the leader of the Blood Wolf Clan."

He pointed to the scorch marks on his body and grinned.

"As for the others, they were all struck by lightning when I was a child."

"My family keeps urging me to get cosmetic surgery to remove these scars, otherwise I won't be able to find a wife. But I'm too lazy to go. Scars are a man's badge of honor, haha!"

Lin Ye understood.

It's clear from their previous encounters that Dongfang Zhen, like himself, possesses extremely rich practical experience in combat against the Tianyuan alien race.

Even... they might be more knowledgeable than I am!

After all, he has never truly encountered a leader-level powerhouse of the Tianyuan alien race!
Dongfang Zhen didn't talk much about his past experiences, but instead began to explain the strangeness of the pool to Lin Ye.

"Brother Lin, this pool is called the Three Talents Medicine Pool."

"The bottom layer you see is the Cold Jade Marrow Milk. Its function is to cool down the blood and qi in your body that are about to boil and calm it down."

"The golden layer in the middle is called Crimson Refined Gold Elixir, which is a wine brewed from a strange fruit from the Heavenly Abyss World."

"If you feel hot all over and your blood is surging, that's its effect."

"As for the top layer, it's the special medicine I mentioned to you before, made with the venomous blood of the Viper Clan."

"Although the venomous blood of the Viper Clan is irritating, long-term immersion can greatly stimulate cell activity, increase qi and blood, and strengthen meridians, which is extremely beneficial to martial artists."

Dongfang Zhen paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

"Of course, this effect is just a side effect."

"For a martial artist like Brother Lin who is preparing to break through to the Condensation Realm, it is the most divine medicine among divine medicines."

"Because it can dissolve qi and blood!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

He immediately looked inward and indeed felt that the purple toxins that had seeped into his body were slowly eroding his vital energy!

Dongfang Zhen continued his explanation.

"One medicine makes the blood and qi boil, while another medicine forcibly suppresses it. This dramatic rise and fall makes it easier for you to distinguish those impure and useless parts of the blood and qi."

"Then, use the venomous blood of the viper to completely dissolve the useless blood and qi that you have actively separated. This will greatly accelerate your progress in refining critical blood and qi."

"Oh, the critical qi and blood I was talking about is what Teacher Lin mentioned before... the primordial qi!"

Dongfang Zhen deliberately used a word that Lin Ye could understand.

Lin Ye understood instantly.

This Three Talents Medicine Pool is an excellent tool to help martial artists complete the first step of the Condensing Qi Realm: Refining the Impurities and Retaining the Essence!
If you don't rely on external help and try to distinguish and peel away the acquired qi and blood bit by bit on your own, the efficiency will definitely be greatly reduced.

Having figured this out, Lin Ye no longer hesitated. He suppressed his discomfort and pain, and completely immersed his mind in his body.

Following the method taught by Lin Hanshan, under the influence of the Crimson Refining Golden Elixir, at the moment when the blood and qi in the body were stimulated to the point of boiling, a wisp of blood and qi that he judged to be useless was precisely separated out.

The venomous blood of the viper lingering in the meridians was instantly dissolved by the impact of the venomous blood, which was useless in the flow of qi and blood.

Finally, under the suppression of the Cold Jade Marrow Milk, the restless Qi and blood calmed down and entered the next cycle.

The overall progress is extremely fast!

Lin Ye's spiritual power was far beyond that of ordinary people, and his blood and qi, which had been tempered by a large amount of source crystals, were also extremely pure.

The parts that were deemed useless by the "True Explanation of the Two Elements of the Great Void" are actually not many.

One is born, the second is cooked.

Lin Ye gradually mastered the rhythm. As his internal energy and blood fluctuated between hot and cold, rising and falling, he separated out more and more useless energy and blood at once.

Just then, a series of system notifications began to ring in his mind.

[Ding! External toxin detected. Your strength has decreased by 0.21 points!]

[Ding! External toxin detected. Your agility has decreased by 0.17 points!]

[Ding! External toxin detected. Your stamina has decreased by 0.22 points!]

The notification tone kept coming.

Lin Ye could clearly see that the three-dimensional attributes on his panel were slowly decreasing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

This clearly shows that the total amount of Qi and blood in his body is indeed declining.

"Brother Lin, the period from breaking through the Meridian Opening stage to Condensing Qi should be the most difficult period you have ever experienced since becoming a martial artist."

"This process will cause your hard-earned vital energy to continuously deplete, and your strength will continue to decline."

"But don't worry, I've been there. When you completely eliminate all the acquired impurities from your body and finally break through to the Condensation Realm..."

"Your strength will be many times greater than it is now!"

Dongfang Zhen's voice rang out from the side, reassuring him.

Lin Ye nodded.

I'm mentally prepared.

This process is not only a physical torment.

This is also an unprecedented test of a martial artist's mental state.

From the moment they become martial artists, everyone strives to become stronger.

From being able to dent sheet metal with a single punch, to shattering boulders with a single punch, and now Lin Ye can almost run at subsonic speeds.

But now, people are being asked to abandon the fruits of their arduous practice.

Damaging one's own cultivation and watching one's strength steadily decline is indeed a terrible feeling.

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(End of this chapter)