Chapter 98: Opening the Governing Vessel

Page (1/3)

Through this process, Li Sibai now felt his meridians continuously expanding, and the circulation speed of his true qi and battle qi was steadily accelerating. Just as he was about to reach the stone steps, a muffled “bang!” erupted from within his body, as if an explosion had occurred inside him, unleashing a torrent of power. Although enduring pain beyond ordinary tolerance, Li Sibai wore a faint smile—he knew he had just opened the Ren Meridian of the eight extraordinary meridians!

The last time he opened the Du Meridian was with Cai Yao’s help. Back then, the energy accumulated over years inside him was suppressed by battle qi, and under Cai Yao’s guidance, he broke through that restriction. He had even advanced two minor levels at that time, which enabled him to open the Du Meridian by luck.

But today, under unprecedented pressure inside this bamboo cave, his meridians swelled under the repeated assaults of true qi and battle qi, and the Ren Meridian was opened by sheer coincidence—a blessing born of fate.

With the Ren Meridian cleared, the circulation of true qi and battle qi within his body became smooth once more, flowing much faster than before. Li Sibai felt an unparalleled ease and comfort inside; moving forward no longer felt as arduous.

After walking a dozen steps, he finally arrived before the stone steps.

The stone stairs numbered fifty in all, and beside them stood a stone platform. Li Sibai approached the platform and saw some inscriptions carved upon it.

“Passing by here, I discovered the geological structure was exceptional, perfectly suited for the newly acquired mother-child bamboo. Thus, I planted this bamboo, and using it as the center, laid down a bewildering formation. A manual was left behind, awaiting the day the bamboo matures for a destined person to come.”

Li Sibai’s eyes brightened—indeed, a treasure left by predecessors. He continued reading.

“To arrive here is already to have passed the trial. These stone steps formed naturally by the terrain are especially suited for body refining…”

Below was a detailed account of the person’s experiences and methods of body refinement here, along with an internal cultivation manual named the Primordial Unity Technique.

It was recorded that he took thirty-six days to complete the journey along these stone steps.

Page (2/3)

Every ten steps corresponded to a tier of body refinement, five tiers in total across fifty steps. Each tier represented a different level of trial, and completing all would transform one’s body into unyielding steel and iron.

It was said that one would face various resistances and challenges, excellent for physical conditioning.

At the end, the Primordial Unity Technique manual was appended. Li Sibai skimmed through it and was surprised to see it mentioned the circulation and harmonization of two kinds of qi within the body—red and white.

“Could it be that this predecessor shares the same constitution as me?” Li Sibai wondered.

Silently, he practiced according to the Primordial Unity Technique. The previously distinct true qi and battle qi inside him began to merge, gradually blending together in his dantian into a pinkish gas. According to the technique, this was the primordial qi.

Li Sibai quickly grasped the first tier of the manual thoroughly, sensing his internal power continuously rising. Though his level remained unchanged, the fusion of true qi and battle qi into primordial qi made it far purer, thicker, and more potent in use.

He also discovered that only a small amount of primordial qi was needed to achieve effects that previously required much more true qi or battle qi.

Overjoyed, Li Sibai realized this internal technique perfectly suited him, as if custom-made.

He continued reading the second tier of the manual. After fusing primordial qi in the first tier, the second tier focused on training to externalize the primordial qi and use the connections between its flows to sense changes in the external environment.

Li Sibai practiced for a while and mastered the method. The subsequent levels involved expanding the range of primordial qi diffusion and exploring its practical applications in combat.

Unfortunately, the Primordial Unity Technique appeared incomplete. Though more content existed beyond this point, it seemed deliberately destroyed—perhaps the author regretted writing it, or someone else defaced the text. Though disappointed, Li Sibai had no choice but to accept it. Facing the stone platform, he knelt and bowed thrice.

Though he never met the author or knew their name, having studied their technique made them his teacher in a sense, and thus offering respect was only right.

Rising, Li Sibai gazed at the stone steps and decided to test his strength immediately.

Page (3/3)

According to the stone platform’s inscription, the first tier was merely a continuation of the path he had just walked, primarily focused on coordinating true qi and battle qi.

Standing before the steps, drawing on his prior experience, Li Sibai did not rush. He slowly lifted his right leg and stepped onto the first step.

The moment his foot crossed onto the stair, he felt a tremendous resistance pressing against his leg, forcefully pushing back.

With true qi and battle qi flowing in tandem, Li Sibai’s foot gradually settled on the step, and he strained to raise his body onto it.

His judgment had been entirely correct. As he fully stood on the step, an immense surge of qi rushed toward him, pressing against his body like fingers pressing into a balloon—the balloon’s surface concaving but ready to spring back. A faint mist formed around him as his true qi and battle qi worked together to absorb this pressure.

If the qi pressure below was like standing in a stream, then here it was like standing beneath a waterfall.

Enduring the pressure, Li Sibai stepped forward again. Just as he anticipated, upon reaching the second step, the resistance intensified—approximately five percent stronger than before.

Taking a deep breath, Li Sibai quickened his pace, stepping up three more steps to reach the fifth.

By now, his true qi and battle qi inside surged wildly, and his body felt on the brink of collapse, ready to explode at any moment.

“This truly is a place suited for body refining!” Li Sibai thought, not daring to slacken. Activating the Primordial Unity Technique, the explosive sensation within him was instantly and effectively alleviated.

The technique not only fused true qi and battle qi into primordial qi but also provided a simpler path for primordial qi to circulate through the meridians. It could rapidly convert the surrounding pure qi into primordial qi, perfectly countering the onslaught of true qi and battle qi around him.

Relying on this overwhelming primordial qi power, Li Sibai strode upward swiftly—step by step, five in total.

Although the explosive feeling returned and sweat beaded on his forehead, he had successfully reached the first tier.