Chapter 99 - 98: Instructing the Sons
Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Instructing the Sons
Three days later, all preparations were complete.
Chen Shouheng sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. He held his breath and focused his mind, clearing away all stray thoughts. Soon, he entered a state of meditative tranquility, oblivious to himself and his surroundings.
The breakthrough began!
He circulated the Dragon Suppressing and Tiger Subduing True Skill with all his might. The vast Inner Qi in his body surged like a bursting dam, following the Breaking Through Technique to launch a fierce and sustained assault on his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
At first, it went quite smoothly. His Inner Qi roared and surged, blasting open the blocked meridians.
But as the assault continued, Chen Shouheng gradually found his strength failing. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, a clear sign of the immense toll it was taking.
His Inner Qi even began to retreat of its own accord.
"Push!"
Shouheng clenched his jaw, took a sharp breath, and prepared to force his way through.
A critical moment!
Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Li enveloped the remaining Mysterious Black Tortoise Tribulation Secret Medicine and the Nine-Turns Essence Rejuvenation Marrow Heart Pill in his Inner Qi and sent them into his son’s mouth.
Chen Shouheng’s spirits were immediately bolstered. He channeled this new power with all his focus, launching a final assault.
CRACK...
It was like an eggshell cracking, or spring ice shattering.
The Spirit Realm!
He’d done it!
The aura around Chen Shouheng changed abruptly, becoming deep, restrained, and tranquil.
He didn’t dare to be complacent for even a moment. He immediately gathered his Heart Spirit and focused completely on stabilizing his newly attained Realm, guiding the nascent Spiritual Power through a slow Circulation to familiarize himself with this brand-new strength.
[Congratulations to the Host. Your eldest son, Chen Shouheng, has broken through to the Spirit Realm. Reward issued: Recipe for the Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup, 5 years of life essence.]
In his mind, the long-absent, cold, mechanical voice sounded right on schedule.
At the same time, a gentle life force flowed into Chen Li’s body, and he felt his lifespan extend once again.
’A recipe?’
Chen Li was delighted and hurriedly checked the system’s description of the recipe.
It used eight primary ingredients—including Tiger Bone, Bear Paw, mountain viper gall, Antler, rhinoceros snout, and ivory—supplemented by dozens of other rare medicinal materials. It was decocted through a special process that alternated between high and low heat.
It could greatly nourish one’s qi and blood, temper the muscles and bones, stabilize the Inner Mansion, and bolster Inner Qi, making it highly beneficial for those with Spirit Realm Cultivation.
Chen Li quietly exited the meditation room, leaving Chen Shouheng to solidify his new Realm.
His attention was captured by the recipe for the Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup. After informing his family, he immediately rushed to the county seat to purchase the medicinal materials.
He went to several apothecaries to gather all the ingredients. Even with Chen Li’s currently ample funds, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain.
The Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup had cost him nearly five hundred taels of silver.
The corners of Chen Li’s mouth twitched. He felt a very real, physical ache from the expense.
’This is just burning money!’
However, while the investment was huge, the medicinal effects were also unexpectedly good.
Upon returning home, Chen Li followed the recipe’s instructions, controlling the heat and adding the ingredients in order to carefully decoct the soup.
An hour later, the medicinal soup was ready.
Chen Li waited for the liquid to cool slightly, poured it into a bowl, took a deep breath, and slowly drank it.
As the liquid entered his stomach, it was warm at first, but then it transformed into a vast yet gentle current of heat that swiftly surged through his limbs and torso, seeping into the deepest parts of his organs, meridians, and bones.
The potency of its effects and the comprehensiveness of its nourishment exceeded his imagination.
Chen Li immediately sat down cross-legged, circulated the Five Grains Qi Storage Technique, and began to guide the powerful medicinal energy.
He could clearly feel that, nourished and stimulated by this supreme medicinal energy, the life force within his organs was being greatly aroused.
The mysterious, embryonic form of his Inner Mansion Little World actually began to condense at an accelerated rate, gradually becoming clearer and more stable.
The connections between his organs grew tighter and more profound, as if they were truly about to evolve into an inner universe that could resonate with the outside world.
’This effect... It’s worth it!’
Chen Li opened his eyes, a glint flashing within them. His face was filled with utter delight.
He could clearly sense that he was on the verge of breaking through to the Third Level of the Spirit Realm: the Inner Mansion Pass.
...
「Ten days later.」
Chen Li was squatting in the backyard, brewing medicine.
He used his pure Inner Qi to control the charcoal fire beneath the pot, maintaining it at a near-constant low heat that was neither too fierce nor too weak.
Inside the pot, the dark brown liquid simmered gently, continuously releasing fine bubbles.
A strange yet rich fragrance filled the courtyard.
The Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup.
This soup required many rare medicinal materials, and a single batch cost as much as five hundred taels of silver.
Of course, the price wasn’t the main issue. The most critical problem was that many of the ingredients were nigh impossible to find, even if one had the money.
Over the past few days, Chen Li had rented a horse-drawn carriage from a porter service and traveled to four different counties, but had only managed to purchase enough materials for fifteen batches of the medicine.
Chen Li had roughly calculated that the embryonic form of his Inner Mansion was now gradually solidifying, and the fusion of his qi, blood, and Inner Qi was becoming more harmonious.
If he continued consuming it at this rate, he would only need ten more batches at most before success came naturally, allowing him to break through to the Third Level of the Spirit Realm, the Inner Mansion Pass, in one fell swoop.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the medicine room.
"Father!"
As the voice rang out, the two brothers, Shouheng and Shouye, walked in one after the other.
Both of their faces showed an irrepressible excitement and urgency. This was especially true for the more impetuous Shouheng, whose eyes were shining with astonishing brightness.
Chen Li didn’t turn around. He remained focused on brewing the medicine and simply responded coolly, "Yes? What has you in such a panic?"
"Father, something major has happened on Mirror Mountain!"
Chen Shouheng blurted out, his voice filled with incredulous excitement, "I heard that someone was digging on the west side of Mirror Mountain and caused the collapse of an ancient tomb from an unknown era! Inside... inside, they actually found a complete Secret Manual for an Inner Qi Heart Method!
The news is spreading like wildfire! Now all the martial arts schools and Jianghu sects in Jingshan County, and even in several neighboring counties, are in an uproar! They’ve already fought several huge battles over that Secret Manual, and a lot of people have died."
Shouheng looked at his father eagerly. "Father, several of my senior brothers are forming a team to go. It’s too good an opportunity to miss! We... we want to go with them and check it out."
Although Shouye didn’t ask directly, the desire in his eyes was just as clear.
"An Inner Qi Heart Method?"
The movement of Chen Li’s hand controlling the fire didn’t falter in the slightest. He didn’t even turn his head as he calmly asked in return, "Shouheng, what about your Dragon Suppressing and Tiger Subduing True Skill?"
Shouheng was taken aback and replied subconsciously, "It’s a top-tier Inner Qi Heart Method, of course."
"Shouye, have you even reached the Entry-level for your Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique?" Chen Li grunted softly.
Shouye opened his mouth and mumbled, "No."
"How about Shouyue’s Five Grains Qi Storage Technique? Do either of you want to learn it?" Chen Li asked again.
"Father, I’ll just stick with cultivating the Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique," Shouye replied.
Shouheng also said hurriedly, "The Dragon Suppressing and Tiger Subduing True Skill is more suitable for me."
Only then did Chen Li slowly turn around, his gaze as sharp as lightning as it swept over his two sons. "Since you don’t lack for Inner Qi Heart Methods, why would you covet something of unknown origin that has already caused countless people to fight and die for it, a thing fraught with peril? Is it curiosity? Or greed?"
Shouheng and Shouye both opened their mouths but said nothing.
Chen Li’s voice suddenly grew grave. "Shouheng, Shouye, you two brothers must remember this: on the path of the Martial Dao, greed is often the path to one’s own demise. The foundation of our Chen Family is stability. It is not contending in pointless struggles.
The things that people fight over in the Jianghu, our Chen Family has them too—and what we have is better and more suitable for us. You must guard your own hearts and not be swayed by external temptations."