The first light of dawn broke, and Nie Kong awoke on his second morning in Jiyang City to the sound of the Zǐluó Huànlíng Xiāng’s persistent, chirping cries. The tiny entity within the Yaochi acupoint, nestled in that blob of dark green blood, trembled noticeably, its sound clearly conveying three distinct words: I’m hungry.

Nie Kong yawned lazily, isolating the pathogen from the blood within. He felt utterly relaxed; last night’s sleep had been profoundly comfortable. If only Xiangxiang hadn't come to disturb him, it would have been even more exquisite.

“A-ya-ya…”

The little creature urged him on anxiously.

Ever since successfully absorbing the blood to establish ownership, the Zǐluó Huànlíng Xiāng, now fused with the Apothecary player’s essence, was no longer cold game data. Instead, it behaved like a small infant, possessing flesh, blood, and spirit.

Nie Kong had no choice but to sit cross-legged, light a candle, and commence the Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique. As the speed of his needle manipulation increased, the room filled with a rising hum.

The medicinal power flowing through the meridians was the finest sustenance for the Zǐluó Huànlíng Xiāng.

When the first melted reserves of medicinal power converged upon the “Yaochi Acupoint,” the Zǐluó Huànlíng Xiāng finally quieted, absorbing massive amounts through the tiny fissure.

The speed was utterly staggering.

In less than fifteen minutes, half of the remaining eighty percent of last night’s medicinal power was gone, entirely absorbed by the little one.

“What an enormous appetite.”

His hand movements slowed, and Nie Kong drew a sharp, cool breath. If it was this ravenous right after sprouting, imagine how much it would consume once it branched out and bloomed.

As this thought crossed his mind, Nie Kong noticed the fissure on the surface of the little entity beginning to close. He paused, startled, and quickly sent out his spiritual sense, realizing the Zǐluó Huànlíng Xiāng had entered another state of deep slumber. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep—truly a glutton! Nie Kong couldn't help but shake his head.

The little creature no longer needed the medicinal energy, but Nie Kong did not cease his actions; he proceeded to the second cycle of the “Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique.” This time, his target was the spiritual energy condensed within his meridians, and the first channel he chose was the Ren Meridian, one of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.

The Ren Meridian not only connected the foundation of spiritual cultivation, the “Three Spirit God Apertures,” but also linked the three hidden acupoints of Yaochi, Miquan, and Tiangong, naturally making it the top priority for clearing the channels.

Nie Kong silently mobilized the “Five Stars Shifting Art,” and the three apertures in his Dantian began to vibrate. Under Nie Kong’s control, spiritual energy converged in his right thumb and forefinger, which he continuously manipulated, injecting it into the celestial array. For this second cycle, Nie Kong exerted all of his personal strength.

Instantly, it was as if a massive boulder had been dropped into a placid lake. The golden needles vibrated violently, and amid the rising and falling hum, the meridians inside Nie Kong rippled like waves. His entire body felt as if it were placed over a smelting furnace, his skin flushed crimson, and waves of heat radiated through his pores.

Suddenly, a warm current erupted from the ** acupoint—the spiritual energy, now solidified, began to dissolve. Like a chain reaction of falling dominoes, the dissolution of spiritual energy, once initiated at the ** point, became unstoppable. Wisps of emerald-green aura dispersed; all of it was Wood-elemental spiritual energy.

Feeling the spiritual energy flowing like water into the “Three Spirit God Apertures,” Nie Kong finally understood the sheer purity and immense power accumulated by the original owner of this body through ten years of arduous cultivation. His effort had not been in vain, though the one enjoying the fruits of that ascetic practice was now Nie Kong himself.

The melting continued; the spiritual energy surged upward.

In the blink of an eye, the “Three Spirit God Apertures” felt so swollen they were on the verge of explosion. Faintly, Nie Kong sensed an invisible barrier within the acupoints.

“About to break through?” Nie Kong felt a slight joy. He poured more spiritual energy into the celestial needles, and the speed of his hands abruptly increased. The spiritual energy in the Ren Meridian dissolved rapidly, flowing like silk threads into the acupoints. Then, following the violent tremors of the apertures, it crashed against that invisible barrier like surging waves.

“Boom!”

An explosion resonated within his body, and Nie Kong’s frame shuddered. Immediately, he felt as if he were floating, a sensation of seamless, effortless comfort washing over his entire being.

Spirit Gathering Second Grade!

This process of advancement had been remarkably smooth; the obstruction was almost negligible. The leap in realm, the increase in power, brought with it a boost in confidence and that exquisite pleasure—especially the instant of the breakthrough—it was addictive, like a narcotic, inducing a sense of ethereal euphoria.

Now, Nie Kong somewhat understood why those addicts in his previous life found it so hard to quit. After a silent moment of realization, Nie Kong suppressed his elation and continued to dissolve the spiritual energy.

Passing through the Shenque, over the Juque, the spiritual energy soon reached the Zigong acupoint.

Nie Kong encountered that barrier once more. Armed with the experience from the last time, he hesitated for a moment this time. A massive amount of pure spiritual energy accumulated in the Three Spirit God Apertures. He did not rashly attack the barrier, but rather forcefully suppressed the restless spiritual energy, binding it within the apertures.

By the time the Ren Meridian was cleared to the Xuanji acupoint, Nie Kong’s suppression was on the verge of collapse. With a flicker of intent, the spiritual energy surged out like a primordial beast escaping its cage, clawing and biting as it lunged toward the barrier. The previous restraint lent even greater explosive power to the current impact.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Like towering waves crashing onto a shore, surge followed surge, causing three whirlpools to churn within the acupoints.

The intense force from impacting the barrier tore at Nie Kong’s body. His slender frame emitted cracking sounds, every bone seeming ready to dislocate, the pain almost unbearable. Yet, at this critical juncture, Nie Kong dared not relax the right hand manipulating the celestial needles in the slightest.

“Boom!”

Several minutes later, Nie Kong finally experienced that long-awaited sensation: the acupoints burst open, the spiritual energy surging and circulating, smooth as water.

Spirit Gathering Third Grade!

Just as this occurred, the spiritual energy dissolved down to the Chengjiang acupoint, and the entire Ren Meridian became completely clear.

Nie Kong slowed the speed of his needle manipulation, silently circulating the Five Stars Shifting Art, guiding the spiritual energy to regulate his body. After a long pause, he carefully withdrew the golden needles one by one.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Nie Kong let out a deep breath. In less than half an hour, utilizing the spiritual energy from a single Ren Meridian, he had broken through consecutively to Spirit Gathering Third Grade. It was certainly cause for celebration, but the state of the breakthrough moments ago had made Nie Kong acutely aware of his greatest weakness: his frail and weak body.

When breaking through to Spirit Gathering Third Grade, this body had nearly collapsed, let alone with more meridians involved.

Nie Kong mused, “The most pressing matter is to properly condition this body. It’s a pity time is short. If Wu Tong and the others failed the day before yesterday, given Nie Fengxing’s character, he certainly won't let this rest. I need to find a way to obtain a bottle of ‘Spring Return Dew’ as quickly as possible to remove Nie Fengxing’s excuse.”

One bottle of Spring Return Dew would cost at least ten thousand gold coins, and there was no guarantee he could even buy it in Jiyang City. Nie Kong felt a headache coming on, which significantly dampened the joy of reaching Spirit Gathering Third Grade.

“Knock, knock!” A knocking sound echoed.

“Come in!” Nie Kong called out casually.

The door was gently pushed open, revealing Hua Mei’s face. Seeing Nie Kong shirtless, Hua Mei reacted like a startled fawn, letting out a small cry of alarm, shrinking her delicate body back, and slamming the door shut. Nie Kong froze, then realized his state, hurriedly grabbing clothes to cover himself.

After a long while, a faint voice drifted from outside the door: “Uncle, come out to wash up and eat.”

When he emerged, Hua Mei was setting out bowls and chopsticks in the main hall, her cheeks still flushed. Upon seeing Nie Kong, her gaze darted away shyly.

Nie Kong found it slightly amusing. If this were a girl from his previous life, seeing a man’s exposed upper body would be nothing; she might even openly expose his entire body and then give a disdainful sneer, muttering, “Hmph, just three legs, I’ve seen plenty,” but this very reaction highlighted Hua Mei’s purity.