As the sounds of Ning Ruxue and Huayi's footsteps faded, Ye Wen finally let out a long breath. He clutched his chest and sighed, "This Star Sucking Great Skill really lives up to its reputation as an evil martial art. I only tried to circulate its energy based on the first line of the incantation, and I've already suffered so much!"

Thinking of this, he even felt a secret sense of relief that this skill hadn't been among the first few secret manuals he obtained. If it had been, in his eagerness to raise his power level back then, he might not have been able to resist the ** of this technique and might have focused solely on practicing it.

If that had happened, given the peculiar effects of the various types of inner energy in this world, he probably would have suffered unbearable torment after absorbing just a little, and might have been burned to ashes upon first encountering Chi Yang Shenjun due to that formidable fire energy.

The thought sent an involuntary shiver through his body.

"No wonder this world abounds with divine skills and wondrous methods, yet methods that can absorb others' power are rare. That Profound Yin True Art only absorbs a spark of yuanyang from a man's body to boost one's own power, and the only reason it could absorb Huayi’s power was because she practiced the same origin Xuan Yin Qi!"

He then recalled the Tianshan Sect's Ice Soul Cold Skill; with its terrifying coldness, anyone who touched it would die.

Sect Leader Ren’s immense power at the time was unmatched, yet after absorbing Sect Leader Zuo’s Cold Ice True Qi, he was nearly frozen solid, requiring the combined power of several individuals to neutralize it.

Li Xuan’s cold energy was far more potent than Zuo Lengchan's; Ye Wen suspected there would be no need for neutralization—he would simply turn into an ice sculpture.

After indulging in these thoughts for a while, Ye Wen casually reached under his pillow and pulled out a thin booklet. He had originally intended to carefully copy this manual, store it away, and then look for a suitable disciple to pass it down to.

Setting the booklet before him, the large, distinct characters—Taiji Divine Skill—greatly stirred Ye Wen’s heart: "I thought this skill would no longer be useful, but now I need it to help me!"

This manual had been summoned a few days prior. Ye Wen was initially excited, but upon closer inspection, it seemed no one in the Shushan Sect could master it. Although the Shushan Sect’s foundation was built on Taoist internal arts, those with deep cultivation like himself, Ning Ruxue, and Xu Xian already possessed suitable methods and had reached considerable levels; switching now seemed rather inappropriate.

As for the many disciples, they were just beginning to practice advanced skills, so abandoning those for this new one was also unsuitable. Moreover, the Taiji Divine Skill did not primarily focus on increasing internal power; its essence lay in the transformations of Yin and Yang, and the complementary relationship between Qian and Kun. Put simply, to truly practice this skill, one needed a profound internal cultivation base; only then could its true power be unleashed.

Although the injuries in Ye Wen's body were severe, the miraculous nature of his Innate Purple Qi meant they shouldn't pose an insurmountable problem; with dedicated practice, he could fully recover within three months.

The issue was that the Shushan Sect needed to prepare for an expedition against the Demonic Cult. If he could not restore his power quickly, it would be a huge blow to the sect's morale. His most critical injury was concentrated on the Ren Meridian; once the Ren Meridian was damaged, the circulation of true qi was affected, making the injuries to the meridians in his arms naturally difficult to heal. Therefore, he had to treat the Ren Meridian injury first before he could address the sword-qi wounds on the meridians of his arms.

The injury to the Ren Meridian was caused precisely by that soft, yielding vital energy. To treat it, one could either use harmonious vital energy to absorb the remaining residue for his own use and slowly regulate the meridians, or use opposing vital energy to cleanse and dissolve it.

No matter which path, his Innate Purple Qi wasn't entirely suitable. However, if he had the aid of this Taiji Divine Skill, things would be vastly different.

Both divine skills were centered on balance and neutrality, yet they held many differences. Innate Purple Qi operated on the principle of 'self as the center'—neutral and balanced—meeting any change with only this single type of vital energy. Taiji Divine Skill, however, could differentiate into Yin and Yang, shifting freely between hard and soft, strong and yielding. What Ye Wen needed was this principle of fluid transformation.

With this transformation technique, he could allow his Innate Purple Qi to alternate between Yin and Yang for targeted healing. Combined with the inherent powerful healing capacity of the Innate Purple Qi, he could restore himself to his original condition in less than half a month.

Of course, this didn't mean Taiji Divine Skill was superior to Innate Purple Qi; it was simply the right medicine for the ailment. In terms of sheer power, Taiji Divine Skill had its strengths, and Innate Purple Qi had its unique attributes. In combat, it would ultimately depend on the user's cultivation level and improvisation; in terms of pure technique, it was difficult to rate one above the other—both were top-tier Taoist arts.

Ye Wen flipped through the manual for a while, then sighed, "Originally, the healing capacity of the Longevity Formula was also extraordinary, but I only got one diagram, and it's the one that specializes purely in soft, yielding vital energy. If I practiced that, all my accumulated Innate Purple Qi would be wasted! I wonder if the other diagrams contain something suitable for me!"

That particular diagram was not practiced by Ye Wen, nor anyone else in the Shushan Sect, so he hadn't even bothered to copy it, keeping it safely stored. If it weren't for his desire to study its underlying theory for potential reference, he probably would have stored the Taiji Divine Skill manual away as well.

Continuing to examine the Taiji Divine Skill, Ye Wen located the section emphasizing the Yin-Yang transformation of true qi. He was uncertain if his Innate Purple Qi could utilize these incantations, but since his internal energy was depleted by more than 90%, even if practicing led to errors, it wouldn't be too severe. If all else failed, he could just disperse his cultivation.

"I have a ton of divine manuals anyway, I’m not afraid of dispersing my power!"

He placed the booklet down and practiced according to the instructions. Faintly, he seemed to see the meridians laid out before his eyes, while a small cluster of purple qi churned restlessly in his Dantian, rotating ceaselessly. At times it erupted with fierce intent, and at others, it became as yielding as water. Ye Wen was overjoyed at this sight, realizing he had inadvertently grasped the so-called inner vision, and that the Yin-Yang principles in the Taiji Divine Skill did not conflict with his Innate Purple Qi. He then watched as the Yin and Yang energies continuously rotated back and forth within the Ren and Du Meridians, borrowing the circulation of true qi to treat the damaged Ren Meridian first with the Yin-Yang energies.

The residual soft vital energy within the Ren Meridian was enveloped by Ye Wen's Yin-Yang energies—either being absorbed by the Yin energy or dissolved by the Yang energy. After reaching the Du Meridian, the Yin-Yang energies shifted back and forth; that portion of Xuan Yin Qi was swallowed and transformed into Ye Wen's true qi. After strengthening the Yin-Yang energy slightly, it returned to the Dantian to regenerate as Innate Purple Qi. After a period of gentle nurturing, it re-emerged from the Dantian and headed back towards the Ren Meridian.

With the constant circulation of true qi, not only did the injury in the Ren Meridian gradually heal, but the true qi spontaneously spread out to nurture the other damaged meridians.

Yin gives birth to all things; Yin nourishes all things. At this moment, Ye Wen felt a wave of profound comfort wash over him. Although the Yin-Yang energies surged within his body, occasionally presenting sensations of cold-Yin or hot-Yang, they did not cause him discomfort.

Ye Wen had no idea how long he meditated in this state. He only knew that his entire body felt as if it were soaking in warm water, becoming more and more comfortable. The sharp pain gradually turned into a tingling itch; some spots were so itchy that Ye Wen almost leaped up to scratch furiously. However, he remembered he was circulating his art to heal and must not move rashly, so he forcefully suppressed the urge and continued to channel his power.

Gradually, the itching sensation lessened until it vanished completely. At this point, he was surprised to discover that his internal injuries had healed by more than half, and his meridians were even tougher than before—a blessing in disguise, as his entire meridian system had been reforged.

"Oh dear, Junior Brother Xu is always praised to the skies; turns out I'm not so bad either!"

He chuckled, lightly mocking himself, and reopened his eyes. He saw that his left eye emitted a gentle divine light, while his right eye shone with piercing brilliance. This was because the Yin-Yang energies within his body had not yet been fully integrated. Although the Yin and Yang energies mingled indistinguishably within him, they were constantly shifting, causing his eyes to display different lights.

If he could master the transformation incantations to the utmost degree, his Innate Purple Qi would remain Innate Purple Qi, but when he struck out with a palm, the force of that palm strike could be pure Yin or pure Yang at will! Furthermore, with a mere thought, Yang energy could become Yin, and Yin energy could transform into Yang, shifting as freely as his will dictated.

Opening his eyes, Ye Wen saw Huayi staring at him with an expression of deep worry. Seeing him open his eyes, her face broke into sheer joy, and she burst into tears, throwing herself onto him: "Master, you're finally awake!"

Ye Wen was completely taken aback by Huayi's sudden rush, but seeing her sobbing uncontrollably, he couldn't push her away. He could only gently pat her back to soothe her, "Silly girl, what are you crying for? Nothing happened to your Master!"

Huayi hiccupped, barely able to speak clearly: "Mas...ter... you... you haven't... opened your eyes... for five days...!"

Ye Wen was shocked. Only then did he realize why Huayi was so agitated: he had been cultivating for five full days? "Five days already? I thought it was only a few hours!"

Just then, Ning Ruxue rushed in from outside. She had heard Huayi’s sudden cry and worried something untoward had happened to Ye Wen. Rushing in, she saw Ye Wen awake, but Huayi was clinging to him, the two of them in an embrace. Ning Ruxue let out a soft 'Hmph,' but still asked with concern, "Senior Brother, you're finally awake. Are you alright?"

After Ye Wen told them not to worry that day, Huayi and Ning Ruxue had left his room. However, they couldn't entirely set their minds at ease. Later that evening, Huayi used the excuse of calling Ye Wen for dinner to slip in and check on him. Upon entering, she found Ye Wen sitting cross-legged on the bed, circulating his energy without pause. The vital energy on his face shifted constantly, and a faint sphere of energy, shaped like a Taiji symbol, materialized around his hands.

After watching for a while without seeing any change, Huayi assumed Ye Wen was merely concentrating on healing and didn't disturb him. She simply informed the Shushan leaders that the Sect Leader was in seclusion for healing, and then came to check on him daily.

The first day was fine, but after three days, Ye Wen still hadn't woken up. The vital energy around him fluctuated wildly; when strong, even standing outside the room, one could feel fierce winds buffeting the face, the rigidity and power of the energy astonishing even Xu Xian: "Good heavens? The fierceness of this energy is no less than my Supreme Skill!"

But when it was weak, it was almost imperceptible; Huayi, standing beside Ye Wen, could barely sense the Sect Leader still possessed any life force. Fortunately, Chen Yizhong came over, took a look, and said, "The Sect Leader seems to be using an extremely advanced Taoist art to regulate his injuries. We must not disturb him carelessly. Otherwise, minor consequences include dispersing cultivation, and severe ones result in qi deviation and death!"

Dongfang Sheng was also present at the time. Seeing this old man enter, examine Ye Wen briefly without even taking a pulse, and immediately draw a conclusion, he couldn't help but feel skeptical. He opened his mouth and asked, "How can you tell it's a Taoist divine skill just by looking?"

Chen Yizhong casually pointed to the faintly visible Taiji diagram between Ye Wen's palms and said solemnly, "This is clearly the Taoist Taiji diagram. Although I am not deeply versed in Taoism or Taoist techniques, I can recognize this symbol..."

His statement left everyone speechless, finding it both exasperating and unanswerable. They could only retreat from the room to avoid disturbing Ye Wen.

As for Dongfang Sheng, he remained unconvinced. As soon as he left the room, he grabbed Chen Yizhong and questioned, "Since you can see others' conditions at a glance, old man, can you also see my current situation?"

Chen Yizhong bristled; how dare this person question his technique of 'gazing at vital energy'? He was on the verge of losing his temper, and if not for the fact that this person was a guest of the Shushan Sect, he might have flared up on the spot.

Turning around with an expression of impatience, he rolled his eyelids and scrutinized Dongfang Sheng up and down. To his surprise, upon looking, he gasped in astonishment.

"Strange! Strange..." he muttered, circling Dongfang Sheng several times, inspecting him from head to toe without pause.

Dongfang Sheng felt extremely uneasy under his gaze, especially those eyes of the old man, which seemed capable of seeing through clothes and perceiving everything. He immediately felt intensely embarrassed, nearly drawing his weapon to silence the old man. It was only the thought that he was in the Shushan Sect—the sect of Ye Wen, who hadn't treated him like a monster—that stopped him from attacking.

"This young lady... hmm, no... this young brother... seems incorrect too!" Chen Yizhong began to speak, and Ning Ruxue and Huayi exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise in their eyes. Only a few people on Shushan knew about Dongfang Sheng's situation; even the careless Huang Rongrong simply thought he was a pretty elder sister visiting, unaware of his true nature.

To think that Chen Yizhong, after just a few glances, had discerned Dongfang Sheng's condition. Ning Ruxue and Huayi couldn't help but admire him internally.

Chen Yizhong, unaware of their thoughts, continued, "I have walked the jianghu for decades, and this is the first time I've encountered someone in your condition. There is a pure Yang energy permeating your entire body, which no female can possess, yet you have a feminine demeanor. Your bone structure—hips, waist, shoulders, and back—and your features are all female, and I can't even see a distinct Adam's apple. You are certainly not a man! If I haven't guessed wrong, you must have practiced a bizarre skill that forcibly transformed you from a man into a woman..."

Saying this, Chen Yizhong tilted his head, feeling that his words sounded absurd. "However, this is merely my guess, otherwise, it's truly hard to explain your situation! But a technique that can turn a man into a woman..." He then turned and asked Xu Xian, "In the current martial world, is there truly such a wondrous, strange technique?"

Xu Xian opened his mouth, unsure whether he should answer. Fortunately, Chen Yizhong continued his monologue: "But if this is true, this young brother must have suffered terribly! The transformation of tendons and bones, the reshaping of form—that is an excruciating process. Setting aside turning into a woman, even for ordinary people, having bones shatter and regrow is agonizing, let alone reshaping one's entire physical structure to something entirely different from before?"

When the skeleton changes, the muscles and skin must also change. Hearing Chen Yizhong elaborate, Dongfang Sheng was reminded of all the hardships he had endured, and his face became bitter again. He then recalled that all these hardships were due to his father and brother, but seeing how they treated him now, his bitterness was overlaid with deep resentment.

Chen Yizhong saw this clearly, attributing it to some hidden sorrow, and stopped speaking. "Though I don't know what skill you practice, young brother, such self-mutilating martial arts... it's better not to practice them at all!"

Dongfang Sheng could only offer a bitter smile and say softly, "Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Skill. Once initiated, it cannot be stopped! Either one succeeds, or one dies... Even if this skill is crippled, the power can recover on its own!"

It turned out the Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Skill had another major feature: immunity to cultivation destruction. If a practitioner of this skill had their entire cultivation base destroyed by others, they wouldn't even need to intentionally re-cultivate; the power would slowly return on its own. If the meridians were severely damaged beyond natural recovery, the practitioner could enter a self-induced suspended animation for forty-nine days to heal, and upon waking, not only would all injuries be mended, but the power would also be fully restored.

However, entering this suspended animation for healing was certainly not a pleasant affair. It meant enduring another bout of torment on top of the normal seven transformations. While the Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Skill possessed formidable healing capabilities, it was also extremely tyrannical. During the suspended animation, the person felt as if their body were engulfed in raging flames, causing unbearable agony. Yet, their spiritual clarity remained sharp, preventing them from passing out, forcing them to endure every second while praying for the forty-nine days to pass quickly.

Therefore, practitioners of the Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth Skill preferred to die outright rather than suffer severe injury. Moreover, the idea of deliberately crippling one's own cultivation held no appeal—the power would return anyway. Intentionally damaging one's own meridians to waste the skill was simply inviting self-inflicted torture.

"What a domineering skill..." The Shushan disciples could only draw this conclusion. Afterward, no one mentioned Dongfang Sheng's cultivation method again, instead quietly guarding Ye Wen, hoping for his swift awakening.

When the fifth day arrived, Ye Wen finally woke up. The people who had worried for days could finally relax. Ning Ruxue was pulled close to Ye Wen’s side and embraced along with Huayi; Ye Wen pretended not to notice Ning Ruxue’s constant eye-rolls.

At this point, Huayi stopped crying and suddenly realized another person was pressed against her side. Turning her head, she found Ning Ruxue was being held in Ye Wen’s embrace just like her. The three of them were huddled together. Not only Ning Ruxue felt awkward, but Huayi also felt embarrassed and tried to pull away in a panic. However, when she exerted herself, her energy seemed to vanish into thin air like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

Ye Wen smirked mischievously: "Stop struggling. Your Master has gained a new insight into martial arts due to this misfortune!" As he spoke, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

The two women, looking up to ask what new insight he had gained, were startled. Ning Ruxue asked with concern, "Senior Brother, what’s wrong? Is something not right? Should we call Elder Chen?"

Unexpectedly, after his expression shifted for a moment, Ye Wen’s face became very strange, his mouth twisted in what might have been a smile: "This... Senior Brother, I think I just broke through the last major barrier..."

The two women were initially slow to react to this statement, pausing before asking, "Then doesn't that mean Senior Brother has already reached Innate Perfection?"

Ye Wen nodded, but his expression remained peculiar. He added, "Also, you two... are leaning against my brother..."

........... PS: Perfection achieved.........