Chapter 6 – Controlling the Fire Essence Qi

Translator: Mr Voltaire

Editor: Phoobiee

On the path of cultivation, the first step was tempering one’s fleshly body, stimulating one’s potential and connecting their meridians to their dantian. Only then could they use cultivation methods to absorb and use Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. Using such methods, even a youth would be able to cut through mountains and pierce through rocks.

Cultivation realms were split into 9 main realms.

They were, in order: Body Tempering realm, Innate realm, True Essence realm, Essence Core realm, Essence Soul realm, Palace realm, Soul Ruins realm, Divine realm and Heaven realm.

Xiao Yun was currently at the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering.

Starting from the Sixth Layer of Body Tempering, the Body Tempering realm was split into Bone Refining, Tendon Refining, Skin Refining and Membrane Refining. Xiao Yun was at the Tendon Refining stage.

After reaching the Sixth Layer of Body Tempering, cultivators’ bones would become as tough and durable as iron. After reaching the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering, one’s tendons would be almost impossible to tear or cut… after reaching the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering, a cultivator’s body would have almost perfect defence, and even ordinary swords and sabres would be unable to block a strike from such cultivators.

Of course, that was only to normal people. A strike from another cultivator of the same realm would not be so easily blocked.

For example, when Xiao Yun had attacked Xiao Li, whose cultivation was lower than his, he had easily broken a bone.

“I wonder if this Martial Spirit can support me in battles.” After finishing his cultivating, Xiao Yun went outside to the courtyard to practise his martial skills. However, after going through them, he felt that these martial skills were too ordinary, and wouldn’t allow him to stand out among others.

As such, he decided to examine his Martial Spirit.

As his mind and Martial Spirit came into contact, Xiao Yun immediately sensed a few different auras.

One was the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi he gathered while normally training. The other was the bone-piercing and cold Chilling Qi that he extracted from Xiao Ling’Er, which had fused with his Martial Spirit. Both of them were quite weak.

However, when Xiao Yun continued examining the Martial Spirit, his heart leapt.

“This Fire Essence Qi is so dense,” Xiao Yun couldn’t help but exclaim. The Fire Essence Qi was simply too boundless, and felt like a sea of flames. Xiao Yun didn’t dare to proceed any further, for fear of his mind being incinerated.

However, it turned out that fear was unnecessary. After carefully examining the Fire Essence Qi, Xiao Yun found that with a slight thought, the Fire Essence Qi started to flow, as if it possessed some sort of connection to him. It seemed just like the Essence Qi within his dantian.

“This is probably because of the Martial Spirit,” Xiao Yun thought to himself. This Martial Spirit was part of him, so it wasn’t strange that he was able to form a connection with this Essence Qi, which his Martial Spirit had absorbed. However, it seemed that it had not fully awakened yet - when that time came, he would be able to use his Martial Spirit completely freely.

 “I wonder if I can use this Fire Essence Qi,” Xiao Yun muttered to himself as he began to investigate.

Under the control from his mind, a fiery light started to spread from the jade-green branch and started to circulate. This was especially so for the new crimson-red leaf, on which Fire Essence Qi started to densely gather like fog. More than half of the Fire Essence Qi that the Martial Spirit had gathered from the chasm of fire had been gathered here, resulting in the birth of a new leaf. The Fire Essence Qi was now being controlled by Xiao Yun to flow into the rest of his body.

However, not too long after the Fire Essence Qi started to flow into the rest of his body, Xiao Yun started to frown.

“This Fire Essence Qi is much too domineering; if I recklessly let it enter my meridians, it’ll be harmful to my body.” Xiao Yun quickly forced the Fire Essence Qi back into his Martial Spirit. Without the Martial Spirit as a medium, the Fire Essence Qi would simply incinerate his body.

However, Xiao Yun did not give up. He started pondering as to how he could use the mighty Fire Essence Qi to his advantage. If he could do so, he would have an extra ability, and might even become invincible within the same realm; it might even be possible for him to fight with those in higher realms.

After much thought, Xiao Yun finally succeeded.

Whoosh!

Xiao Yun shot out his palm, and a jade-green branch emerged from the centre of his palm, from which a fiery light billowed.

Bang!

The air trembled as a wave of heat shot out, incinerating a heap of gra.s.s and wood into ashes.

“Such scorching Fire Essence Qi; I’m sure a normal person wouldn’t be able to withstand it.” Xiao Yun gave a slight nod of satisfaction as he looked at his handiwork. After all, he was not yet in the Innate realm, and couldn’t easily control his Essence Qi to attack enemies.

However, the heat blast from the Fire Essence Qi was nothing to be looked down on, and was only slightly weaker than the Essence Qi that Innate realm experts could release.

“Looks like there are many uses for my Martial Spirit; it’s not just limited to healing!” Xiao Yun grinned as he looked up into the sky, his eyes filled with hope.

After an entire day of thinking about how to fuse with his Martial Spirit and use it properly, Xiao Yun could finally rest.

The next day, Xiao Yun changed into a pair of clean clothes and left the courtyard after giving some instructions. “Ling’Er, I’m going out.”

The Violet Cloud County was right next to the Violet Cloud Mountain, which was how it got its name. The Yan family’s current patriarch, Yan Rong was the Violet Cloud County’s Duke.

Xiao Yun had long since become a frequent guest of the Duke’s manor, and essentially walked in unhindered.

“Good morning, young master Yun!”

As soon as Xiao Yun entered the Duke’s manor, many people immediately greeted him. “Has young master Yun come to help the big miss extract her poison again?”

Xiao Yun nodded and said, “That’s right. Is Miss Shi Fei in her room?”

“Yes, miss is currently waiting for you there,” some servants replied.

“I’ll be going now.” Xiao Yun walked along the familiar path towards the big Miss of the Yan family’s room.

“What a pity. He was once a genius, but has fallen to the state that he can only heal others.” After seeing Xiao Yun’s figure disappear, the people of the Yan family shook their head in pity. If he could cultivate, he would have already stepped into the Innate realm, or perhaps even the True Essence realm.

When Xiao Yun reached Yan Shi Fei’s courtyard, there was a serious-looking middle-aged man and a beautiful woman standing there. They had worried expressions on their faces, and they sighed in relief when they saw Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun stopped walking and greeted them. “h.e.l.lo, Uncle Yan and Aunty Yan!”

The man was the Violet Cloud County’s Duke, Yan Rong.

“Lil Yun, you’ve come.” Yan Rong nodded as he smiled. “Long time no see; Uncle’s missed you during this time.”

Yan Rong’s wife also smiled, but the anxiety was more evident on her face. It seemed that she wanted Xiao Yun to go see her daughter immediately.

“How’s big sister Shi Fei?” Xiao Yun asked as he saw her mother’s expression.

“The poison in Fei’Er’s body started acting up the day before yesterday, and has become very serious today,” Yan Rong said as he deeply frowned.

“Shi Yan went to find you the day before yesterday, but you’ve come today,” Yan Rong’s wife said, with some hints of complaint.

“I’ll go help big sister Shi Fei extract her poison then.” Xiao Yun didn’t take Yan Rong’s wife’s att.i.tude to heart. He directly ran into the innermost room, which he was quite familiar with.

Yan Rong’s wife let out a sigh of relief when she saw this.

“Why are you sighing, dear?” Yan Rong asked.

“I think that Xiao family’s boy might have ideas towards our daughter!” she replied hesitantly.

Every time this youth came, he seemed quite pa.s.sionate, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

This was especially so because both of her daughters quite liked him.

“It’s no problem for the young ones to become close. Moreover, our Fei’Er’s only still alive because of Xiao Yun,” Yan Rong replied.

His wife replied with an expression of worry, “It’s fine for them to become close, but what if they develop feelings? If Xiao Yun still had his talent from back then, there would be nothing to say. However, his cultivation hasn’t progressed at all - how could he be good enough for our daughter?”

Yan Rong deeply frowned as he also sighed, “Ai, it’d be wonderful if Xiao Yun still had his talent from back then.”

“Think of some way to get an antidote. Otherwise, if he continues being so close with Fei’Er and Yan’Er, I won’t be able to rest at ease,” Yan Rong’s wife said.

“I’ll try,” Yan Rong agreed, but bitterly smiled inwardly. How could it be so easy to obtain an antidote? His daughter’s poison wasn’t something that could be cured with normal antidotes. Otherwise, she would have been cured long ago.

While Yan Rong’s wife was still nagging, Yun Xiao had already walked into Yan Shi Fei’s room.

 A pleasant fragrance greeted him, and all of the furniture was carved from the precious Violent Cloud Wood, which had the effect of nourishing one’s health.

Within the room, a young woman sat by the side of a Violet Cloud Wood bed, looking at the person lying on the bed with worry.

This young woman was Yan Shi Yan, who had gone to find Xiao Yun the day before yesterday.

Hearing the footsteps, the young woman turned around and said in delight, “Big brother Xiao Yun, you’ve come.”

“How’s big sister Shi Fei?” Xiao Yun asked.

“Big sis’ poison is worse than it was in the past. If you came a day later, I’m afraid big sis wouldn’t have made it,” Yan Shi Yan said as she covered her mouth and looked at Xiao Yun accusingly. What could be more important than this matter?

“Xiao Yun, you’ve come.” On the bed, Yan Shi Fei’s long eyelashes trembled as she struggled to open her eyes to look at him.

“It looks like the poison within big sister Shi Fei’s body is growing deeper and deeper, and is about to enter her bones.” After taking a look at the young woman on the bed, Xiao Yun couldn’t help but frown. “If we can’t treat the root of the problem, it’ll result in great troubles in future!”

“Could it be that little brother Xiao Yun thought big sister is too troublesome?” Yan Shi Fei gave a gentle, teasing smile as she spoke in a weak voice.

“Of course not, I wish I could come see big sister every day,” Xiao Yun smiled.

“Stop being all sweet; hurry up and help big sis extract the poison,” Yan Shi Yan said, seeming quite jealous as she pouted.

“Alright, you go out first then,” Xiao Yun said as he shooed her out.

“Why do I have to go out every time?” Yan Shi Yan unhappily asked.

“Yan’Er, go out for now,” Yan Shi Fei said in a low voice.

“Cheh!” Yan Shi Yan pouted as she blinked, feeling that something was strange.

Wasn’t it just extracting poison? Why did she have to leave every time?

Yan Shi Yan slowly walked out of the room, feeling resigned. However, she knew that she couldn’t delay the poison being extracted.

After Yan Shi Yan left, Xiao Yun looked at Yan Shi Fei as he spread out his hands. “Alright, let’s start.”

“Mmm.” A shy look appeared on Yan Shi Fei’s face as she said in a soft voice, “Go away for a moment.”

Xiao Yun had long since been used to this, and retreated to the other side of the folding screen.

 Yan Shi Fei breathed in, and sat up with great difficulty. She possessed almost no strength within her body.