The only drawback was that it consumed too much internal energy; even with my current total capacity, I couldn't unleash the full power of the Tiger Tamer for more than a few swings. Not only that, but another issue was the excessive slowness of its use—I had to continuously channel my neili into the blade. This back-and-forth process might be manageable against weaker foes, but against a stronger enemy, {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} like a clone, I truly didn't know if I'd have the opportunity to land that single strike.

He put the Tiger Tamer back into the spatial pouch. This weapon, along with the Spear of Judgment, represented the close and long-range personal armaments he currently possessed. Unless something unexpected happened, he would likely use these two weapons until the day he died... or left this space forever.

Everyone was satisfied after witnessing the might of the Tiger Tamer. The hour was late, and Luo Gandao had already completed five laps around the track in the robot, having been electrocuted to the point of near numbness, his hair long since transformed into a wild, explosive hairstyle.

As the group began to disperse, Zheng Zha stopped Wang Xia.

Once they reached the plaza, Zheng Zha smiled at Wang Xia and said, "You really need to think this through. I don't know if I can even pass on this A-grade enhanced martial art to you, but there is one thing I am certain of.

Even if I could teach you, it would likely be extraordinarily difficult. Otherwise, our team would just pool all the side-quest rewards to exchange for a single Double-A-grade martial art, and everyone could practice it. I doubt the 'Main God' would leave such a massive loophole for us to exploit. {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} The only possibilities are that it’s either impossible to transfer, or if it is transferable, it will be exceedingly difficult, perhaps even life-threatening."

Wang Xia chuckled. "I certainly know this will be dangerous; of course, I know that. Haha, I've read so many Xuanhuan and Wuxia novels. If I didn't even grasp such a basic concept, I'd have wasted my time reading them. Just as Colonel Chu Xuan said, danger equals reward. So, I am willing to endure immense danger now in exchange for that reward, how about it?" Zheng Zha smiled at Wang Xia; he genuinely admired this simple and resolute soldier.

So, he immediately had Wang Xia sit cross-legged, though sitting any comfortably would have sufficed.

Once Wang Xia was settled, Zheng Zha placed his hand on the young man's back, {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} slowly guiding the neili into him along the meridians.

"Do you feel a warm current flowing inside your body? Take it easy, don't tense up. Observe the path this warm current follows carefully, and memorize that route... Don't worry; I'll leave a portion of neili inside you afterward. That way, you'll be able to feel the qi sensation." Zheng Zha murmured, focusing his own attention onto the circulating energy.

Only after the channeled neili had circulated Wang Xia's meridians once did Zheng Zha speak again. "Don't worry; I'll make this meridian path cycle a few more times. Just memorize it solidly..." Time slowly passed. As the neili was continually input and circulated, Wang Xia began to break out in a thin sweat. However, being at the critical juncture of cultivating the technique, he dared not move an inch. Only after Zheng Zha slowly withdrew his hand did Wang Xia finally let out a heavy breath. Yet, his willpower was quite firm; even with Zheng Zha's hand gone, he remained seated, continuously cycling the neili. Only after running the remaining energy through the meridians one final time did he open his eyes, looking puzzled. "Zheng Zha, I've memorized the meridian circulation route, and I can indeed feel the neili you left in my body. But why is this energy constantly diminishing? Every time it completes a cycle through the meridians, the internal energy decreases, yet if I don't cycle it, nothing happens."

{Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} Zheng Zha was momentarily stunned by this. He asked curiously, "Is that so? Are you circulating the meridians incorrectly? Try again." Wang Xia said nothing, closed his eyes, and cycled the energy once more. But when he opened his eyes again, the man could only offer a wry smile. "No, the neili is definitely decreasing, and the rate of decrease is increasing. Even without cycling the meridians, the energy disappears. I estimate that soon, all of it will be gone."

Zheng Zha instantly grew curious. He placed one hand back on Wang Xia’s shoulder blade and carefully sent his neili probing inside. This time, he did not guide the meridian route himself but instead let Wang Xia attempt the circulation. Zheng Zha's consciousness followed the neili deep within. When he confirmed the energy was indeed continuously vanishing, he sighed and withdrew his hand.

He finally understood the true value of the neili exchanged via the "Main God." Yes, neili could be taught, but just as one must learn martial arts, the transferred neili required constant, incremental practice and comprehension. It wasn't something one could instantly possess, like low-level, mid-level energy, or his current Primordial Oneness Qi, simply by closing one's eyes as the "Main God" provided.

From what he sensed, Wang Xia’s meridians were atrophied. {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} Opening up the meridians required constantly consuming neili to stimulate them back to functionality. This explained why people said youth was the best time to learn internal arts. The meaning behind exchanging neigong from the "Main God" was that the 'Main God' would stimulate the meridians until they were qualified, handing over both the circulation routes and the energy, leaving the recipient only to practice and use it.

Even with transmission, given Wang Xia’s current condition, it was impossible for him to naturally possess neili—at least not until he had trained diligently for ten years. Even Zheng Zha's help wouldn't suffice immediately; it would take at least several months, perhaps half a year, of ceaseless neili stimulation to coax his meridians into a state where he could generate and circulate new energy. And for a horror reincarnation team, the scarcest commodity was time.

Zheng Zha sighed. He knew that whatever neigong one exchanged from the "Main God," it would only stimulate the corresponding meridians. Thus, having Wang Xia exchange a beginner art and then try to learn the Primordial Oneness Qi would be useless, unless some other serendipitous opportunity arose.

(Wait, if he had unlocked the first stage of the Gene Lock, {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} or if his physical fitness were enhanced further, perhaps the meridians could be stimulated faster... The T-virus base liquid—that's the key!) Zheng Zha forcefully clapped Wang Xia on the shoulder. The man currently wore an expression of deep despondency. Zheng Zha smiled and said, "Don't worry. From today onward, I will infuse you with neili daily to stimulate your meridians. Besides, haven't you unlocked the Gene Lock yet? Once we acquire the T-virus base liquid and you do, perhaps a new path will open up..." Wang Xia also managed a laugh. The fellow stood up, laughed twice heartily, and said to Zheng Zha, "Don't you worry about me. How could a little hurdle like this knock me down? Don't worry, I won't be defeated that easily. If all else fails, I'll just save up reward points and side-quest rewards to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill. Heh, consuming that can transform my physique into that of a cultivator. I refuse to believe I still won't be able to learn martial arts if I can cultivate!" Zheng Zha laughed too. The two shared a few cigarettes while chatting, {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} and Wang Xia eventually wandered off toward his own room. Zheng Zha mentioned he had some residual matters to attend to here, and Wang Xia, without suspicion, waved goodbye and returned to his quarters.

(If nothing unexpected happens... you’ll come out tonight to check the exchangeable items in the 'Main God,' won't you?) Zheng Zha mused inwardly. When the others had left the zone earlier, he had deliberately moved the cartoon bear robot into Luo Gandao's room. Although the young man looked utterly dejected, Zheng Zha could tell he was inwardly quite pleased.

Luo Gandao, born in an orphanage, never knew or saw his parents. Unable to endure the abuse and poverty of the institution, he escaped with a childhood friend. Afterward came begging, pickpocketing, gambling, and eventually betting his life on illegal street racing. He had been lying constantly; his driving skills weren't learned in some arcade but honed in life-or-death high-speed black market races. At only seventeen, his experiences were richer and more painful than those of many adult men.

He was not the genuinely cheerful youth he appeared to be; his cheerfulness was merely a screen, {Benevolent Man_Easy_Benefit} a shield protecting his absolute need to survive, no matter the circumstance. His childhood friend had died in a crash during a bet on illegal transport, leaving him behind only with savings in the tens of thousands and a single message: You must live. From that moment on, he was determined to survive, even if it meant killing or eating filth... Until that final black market race where his motorcycle was sabotaged. To survive, he still plowed into the crowd, killing and injuring several people. The wide, watery eyes of a small girl pierced his heart. For the first time, he began to question... why was he living? This was everything Zheng Zha had witnessed when he resurrected him. Resurrecting someone allowed one to view their experiences and past, but Zheng Zha, for reasons of his own, had kept this knowledge hidden then, choosing instead to wait.

Given Luo Gandao's nature—living for the sake of living—Zheng Zha knew he wouldn't entrust his fate to others. Therefore, he would certainly come out to the plaza to check the "Main God's" exchange list after everyone else had rested. Zheng Zha sat quietly in the center of the plaza. Only when Luo Gandao opened his door and stepped out did Zheng Zha smile slightly, flicking a cigarette towards him from a distance. "Come here, have a smoke with me..." (To be continued) Jump to

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