Otherworldly Remnant (2)

Qi Gathering is included in both Soul Realm and Body Realm as the first stage because it's a starting point for any martial artist.

In the Qi Gathering stage, martial artists must cleanse impurities in their body, such as impurities in skin, marrow, and viscera, so that Qi would flow smoothly. The cleaner they are, the greater a martial artist's potential.

However, the real cultivation journey starts in the Core Foundation stage, where a martial artist must choose Secret Laws Art. Different sects would cultivate a different Secret Laws Art.

Secret Laws Art is a special art that directly affects one's cultivation. For example, a martial artist who cultivates an unranked Secret Laws Art will lose against someone with the lowest rank, Common Secret Laws Art.

This difference undoubtedly forced martial arts each generation to compete in joining a better sect. Otherwise, with a useless art, a martial artist would never have a breakthrough to a higher stage, let alone comprehend the profundity of Dao.

Because any Secret Laws Art's rank would correspond to the cultivator that created it.

An art created by a prominent figure and an art created by a person who barely understood Dao. Anyone knows which one is better.

The weakest sect had an Inferior rank of Secret Laws Art. Going higher, the ranks were Unranked, Common, Houtian, Xiantian, Earth, and so on.

"How come!?" However, Luo Xiulan faced the reality that her Earth-ranked Secret Laws Art was rendered useless.

Misty Lavender Secret Laws Art was the Physical Armament Secret Laws Art left by the Lavender Empress, the Misty Flowery Palace's first Empress. This art's specialty was its sneaky attack, capable of killing people in pleasure only by sniffing the lavender's scent.

Organs, blood vessels, and everything. The art could dissolve those easily. Thus, it is considered a venomous poison.

Supposedly, the Misty Lavender Secret Laws Art could deal with the violent energy, dispersing the energy like a rock eroded by a highly dense mist. Instead, Luo Xiulan's energy was being dispersed by this violent energy!

"Child! Use your Three Roots!" Elder White Line shouted as blood on his chin dripped to the floor. Even though he was injured, this was nothing to him. His concentration was still on keeping the shield intact.

When one's soul grew excessively powerful, some bizarre ability would be gained.

Generally speaking, Core Foundations were capable of forming a sea of consciousness!

Generally speaking, Zifu Masters were capable of generating Three Roots!

Every person is born with their innate Three Treasures in disarray. The Three Treasurers refer to Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

"Three roots!" Luo Xiulan instantly realized the missing part. She already activated two of the Three Roots, Physical Armament and Grotto-soul.

From the Zifu Master stage, a cultivator could manifest Three Roots representing the Tree Treasurers. Fate Wheel represented Vital Essence, Physical Armament represented Qi or Life Force, Grotto-soul represented Spirit.

"Misty Garden Fate Wheel!" A mysterious wheel slightly peeked in front of Luo Xuan's forehead with a faint fire burning in the middle, uninterrupted. It was like a candle, but not even a storm could extinguish this fire.

The genius truly lived up to its name. Generally speaking, someone reached Zifu Master stage at the age of four hundred to six hundred. Luo Xiulan was around two hundred years old!

Elder White Line smiled proudly upon realizing this fact. But again, he secretly worried about something.

Showing one's Fate Wheel was a dangerous act. After all, one's true soul would be exposed defenselessly. And just slight damage on Fate Wheel would cause a severe injury.

'She must have a treasure to protect her true soul. Every genius will have it unless the sect master is corrupted and stingy.' Thought Elder White Line.

Meanwhile, Luo Xiulan was also worried. But when she took a glance at Elder White Line, she was embarrassed.

Elder White Line had summoned his Fate Wheel recklessly. How could she not be as devoted as him to save someone's life?

Even so, he still could not suppress the violent energy from the defenseless Young Master, who did not even use any Three Roots. With this consideration, Luo Xiulan activated the last part of Three Roots.

Luo Xiulan's complexion was slightly better as she received the superfluous Vital Essence supply from Fate Wheel. She took a step forward and stabbed her sword to the ground.

"Elder, I can—"

"Don't injure the young man! He's most likely got affected by a remnant!" Elder White Line firmly cut off any Luo Xiulan's initiatives. His eyes pierced through the shield, observing Mao Nianzu's body.

"How about Treasurers? A shield?" asked Luo Xiulan.

"That won't do. We don't know what kind of characteristics this remnant has." With continuous pain, Elder White Line groaned. "Old! I'm too old for this"!

***

Mao Nianzu was half-conscious. He knew something was happening nearby him. However, his focus was on himself.

The two blurry figures, he knew one of them was Luo Xiulan. And he could not call the two hiding servants, instinct telling him not to do so.

The uncontrollable energy had been there like forever. It kept ripping his tendons and shredding his skins. He wanted to scream, or anything, just so the pain would be less, but he could not.

At this rate, Mao Nianzu realized that being a cultivator meant living with dangers. Just by his title was not enough. Only one's power would guarantee one's safety.

'There's a lot of unanswered questions. Why would trouble keep adding another one!? Solve it! I want to solve it!'

As unknown causes gradually pressed down the violent energy, it randomly shaped like water in a flexible vessel, and exploded.

Bang!

Brilliance lights immediately blinded Mao Nianzu's eyes. When his vision returned, the ceiling had turned into a dusty smoke and sky. There was no wall anymore; not even any sight of humans entered his sight.

Soon, a strange force entered like a dam of energy popped, entering his internal organs, cleansing them all gently. At this point, Mao Nianzu could feel his spiritual qi thickens and his body lighter.

"What happens?" Mao Nianzu was confused. Just a moment ago, it was like he would die from excruciating pain. A torture.

Now, his mind was no longer messy. He also clearly knew what was going on.

"This.. I have a breakthrough!?"

A similar sensation when Mao Nianzu had a minor breakthrough the other day. It was a delightful moment, and he did not forget any second of it.

His limbs felt stronger. His blood streamed smoother. And he could sense spiritual qi in a greater volume circulated within his body.

"Did I reclaim someone's cultivation?" This thought just popped into Mao Nianzu's mind. He grinned with satisfaction as he clenched his fist.

"No!" Mao Nianzu quickly released his clench and carefully touched his palm. This part was one of the most painful parts, repeatedly shredding and grinding by something he did not know.

However, when he looked at it, there was no bare flesh or any bloody mark. Only the usual rough hand with old scars from the mortal work.

"Young master!" Luo Xiulan entered Mao Nianzu's vision with torn clothes and a dusty face. He checked carefully, worried if the young master had serious injuries.

An iron-material four purple flower petals flew over Luo Xiulan's shoulders, emitting a loud but unobtrusive sound like an insect in the night.

"This is the worst. Quickly call the Cloud Creek Sect Master, or everyone will be in danger," said Elder White Line.

This short old man looks a mess. He was in the worst condition with his left hand hanging non-functionally, while the other hand was bleeding profusely.

But his face was full of restlessness and recollections. As if he had seen the same thing before, he was not surprised. Instead, he immediately smeared an awful-smell medicine on Mao Nianzu's body while using his spiritual qi.

Luo Xiulan nodded and left them.

After a while, Elder White Line checked Mao Nianzu's pulse and ended up with the same conclusion. "Late Qi Gathering stage?"

Frowning, he took out the same rock gripped by the fried rice youth and placed it onto Mao Nianzu's chest.

"Ugh! What is this foul smell!?" At this moment, Elder White Line noticed black liquid stained the bed. It smelled awful like shit, for real. Like, seriously.

Poking the liquid with a short wooden stick, Elder White Line carefully observed how the liquid reacted.

"Hm," Elder White Line rubbed his bloody chin.

Placing the basin full of water, Elder White Line cleansed his bloody hand inside. He then changed the water.

"If my guess is right," he murmured.

He dipped the black stick and stirred it gently. He took out the stick for a moment then dipped it back in.

After feeling enough, Elder White Line utilized his White Reckless Shield Secret Laws. It devoured the stick for a moment and blurted it abruptly afterward.

Elder White Line seriously looked at Mao Nianzu. "Here's the second victim with a cultivation's deterioration characteristic."