Chapter 59
[!] Your passive skill, Healing Art Primer (E), has been triggered!
Waves of soothing, verdant Qi coursed through Ji Wuye's Meridians, gradually easing the torment in his lungs and chest. Rising to his feet, his right hand pressed against his chest, Ji Wuye focused his intense crimson gaze on Elder Xia, whose expectant glare bore into him.
'This old man... I was careless,' Ji Wuye lamented internally. The sudden halt in the evaluation catching him off guard; he had not anticipated Elder Xia confronting him mid-assessment.
'I assumed he'd wait until the evaluation's conclusion,' gritting his teeth, Ji Wuye straightened his back, composing himself before respectfully addressing Elder Xia, hands cupped in a gesture of deference.
"Junior~"
Meanwhile, the concerned murmurings of Senior Sister Lian echoed from behind him, accompanied by the tense and disdainful glances from his fellow male disciples.
"Greetings, Elder," Ji Wuye offered, though a lingering doubt hung in the air following Elder Xia's earlier words. The collective gaze of all disciples, including that of Elder Tan, felt like a silent warning against any unnecessary delays or peculiar actions.
Now composed, Ji Wuye's discerning eyes swept over Elder Tan, revealing a hint of inner conflict, and the Patriarch, whose features remained veiled by the blinding sun's rays.
Drawing in a deep breath, he redirected his gaze to Elder Xia, who met him with narrowed eyes and an unmistakably hostile demeanor.
"Elder, with utmost respect, you are mistaken. My training has been grounded solely in orthodox arts; the Pulse Cleansing Gongfa stands as my exclusive internal technique."
'Always eager to thwart me, Elder Xia, merely because I hold a slight advantage,' a surge of frustration rippled through his thoughts.
Yet, realizing that indulging in such immature sentiments could jeopardize his broader plan, Ji Wuye swiftly regained his composure.
The obstructed Qi within Ji Wuye's body redirected itself to the Lower Dantians, the Middle Dantians already sealed. However, the Lower Dantians found themselves brimming, causing the surplus Qi to scatter into the surroundings.
'This should endure for a few hours,' Ji Wuye reflected silently, attuned to the subtle dissipation of Qi.
Fortuitously, the faint dispersal went unnoticed by the onlookers, or perhaps their awareness eluded them. Nonetheless, Elder Xia's hostile gaze and the hastening rhythm of his breath, coupled with furrowed eyebrows, did not escape Ji Wuye's discerning eyes.
"Don't lie, brat! Are you attempting to undermine our sect with your deceit?" Elder Xia bellowed.
In response, several Official Disciples encircled them from all angles, entrusted with enforcing the sect's laws, under Elder Xia's watchful eye as the overseer of Law Enforcement.
'Their perspectives are so myopic,' Ji Wuye mused internally, stealing a glance at Senior Brother Wu Gao, who bore a guilty yet eager demeanor. Yet, in Wu Gao's gaze, Ji Wuye detected a trace of uncertainty.
From his peripheral vision, Ji Wuye discerned a robust figure observing from the edge of the Central Courtyard, concealed amidst the foliage.
'This is troublesome. That man has already taken an interest in me. I can't afford to draw too much attention,' he acknowledged.
In this pivotal moment, the man held the key to the imminent event, and any substantial deviations could render Ji Wuye's future knowledge obsolete once the man recognized his true value.
Disclosing his extraordinary Qi endurance, akin to that of a 3rd realm martial artist, had already triggered a profound shift in the present timeline.
The unfolding narrative and the impending event were of paramount significance, leaving him no room for vacillation in his relentless quest for knowledge. Surrendering at this juncture might extinguish another golden opportunity that could materialize.
Time, relentless as ever, stood as a constant adversary.
Therefore, strategic action with forethought was imperative. Ji Wuye needed to navigate the delicate balance of utilizing his future knowledge to his advantage while meticulously preserving the critical smaller events that would inexorably shape the trajectory of the larger plot.
"I seek only personal growth through devoted training. There are witnesses among the disciples who have observed my diligence. If my capabilities raise doubts, I am open to allowing Elder to reevaluate me."
"I believe in you, Little Brother," Elder Tan intervened, diffusing the tension and signaling the Official Disciples to step back. "No need, I'll handle this."
In the interim, Elder Xia approached Ji Wuye in silence, while Ji Wuye maintained his composure.
Elder Xia gently rested his hand on Ji Wuye's lower abdomen, just below the navel. Simultaneously, a thread of Qi permeated Ji Wuye's body.
A developed Lower Dantian would typically respond with warmth or a gentle pulsation upon contact with Elder Xia's Qi.
In the ensuing moment, Elder Xia displayed surprise through a slightly unsteady gaze. "Lower Dantian... you've succeeded in opening your Lower Dantians," he murmured softly.
Oddly, amidst the complexity and astonishment in Elder Xia's gaze, Ji Wuye discerned a fleeting spark of joy. However, it swiftly morphed into suspicion.
"This brat has already unlocked his Lower Dantians," Elder Xia declared, leaving everyone present dumbfounded. Their astonishment wasn't derived from Ji Wuye's achievement of opening his Lower Dantians, but rather from the implications of Elder Xia's previous statements.
Ji Wuye had long remained confined to the 1st realm, making his progression to the 2nd realm an anticipated event. This fact was common knowledge among all those present.
However, the quandary emerged during the initial test. Initially, they assumed Ji Wuye had employed a skill to endure the Qi consumption, dismissing it as inconsequential.
Now, with Elder Xia's affirmation that Ji Wuye had already unlocked his Lower Dantians, and the lingering doubts regarding forbidden arts, the likelihood of him being in the 3rd realm surged significantly.
Advancing from the 2nd realm to the 3rd realm in under a week was a rarity, if not unheard of. This sparked apprehensions about the potential use of forbidden techniques by Ji Wuye.
Should Ji Wuye assert that he acquired an art enabling his breakthrough from the Tower, skepticism would inevitably follow due to the exorbitant prices associated with such martial techniques.
Every individual had traversed challenges within the Tower, their journeys unique yet uniformly rewarded with a similar amount of coin.
The notion that Ji Wuye, commencing as a 1st martial artist upon entering the Tower, could secure a martial art resulting in a permanent elevation of his realm appeared implausible.
Moreover, each trial within the Tower carried a formidable reputation for difficulty. Ji Wuye, undoubtedly, must have confronted formidable struggles and spent coins strategically to enhance his chances of survival.
Meanwhile...
Amidst the ponderings of the onlookers, Elder Xia had seamlessly progressed to the next phase. Placing his hands gently on Ji Wuye's back, just below the ribcage on each side, he closed his eyes.
Embarking on a silent journey of sensing and ascertaining the presence of a Middle Dantian, Elder Xia's actions held the audience in rapt anticipation, each disciple awaiting the imminent verdict.
Yet, when Elder Xia reopened his eyes, he maintained an unusual silence for a moment that stretched uncomfortably, his gaze unwaveringly fixed upon Ji Wuye.
"Sigh... he does not possess Middle Dantians," Elder Xia finally declared.
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