179: Chapter 179 Little Spirit Fox

After eating and drinking their fill, the atmosphere in the villa slowly settled into the relaxation typical of after-dinner time.

Chu Xiuxiu curled up in the corner of the sofa, holding a cup of hot fruit juice, her little feet swinging back and forth.

Lu Cheng chatted briefly with the others, and after everyone had left, he got up and walked toward the underground training room.

"You're going to cultivate again?"

Qian Shuying glanced at him.

Lu Cheng nodded.

"I just got back and my state is pretty good, so I might as well push forward with the Nine Meridians."

Qian Shuying frowned slightly.

"You've been improving too quickly lately."

"Didn't Dean Mei just warn you?"

Lu Cheng waved his hand.

"I know, don't worry~"

Qian Shuying stared at him for two seconds.

"Don't do anything reckless."

"Mm."

Lu Cheng replied and turned to go downstairs.

The door to the training room closed behind him.

The noise from outside was shut out.

The entire underground space instantly fell silent.

Lu Cheng walked to the center of the training room and sat down cross-legged.

His current stats, if applied to a normal freshman, would be enough to leave even the instructors speechless.

But the problem was, he had only opened one of his Nine Meridians.

By this stage, ordinary martial artists would have already opened several points in their Source Power circulation.

But Lu Cheng was different.

His Qi and blood were too thick. When he closed his eyes and looked within, he could even feel his Qi and blood flowing through his body like a heavy river of magma.

Thick, scorching.

Compressed to the extreme!

Ordinary martial artists' Qi and blood flowed like rivers, but his felt as if they were about to solidify.

Every circulation carried a low rumble.

"If I don't open a few more meridians..."

Lu Cheng opened his eyes and rubbed the space between his brows.

"I won't end up blowing myself up one day, will I?"

After saying this, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and mobilized his Source Power.

The already opened meridian within him lit up slightly, like the first star ignited in the darkness.

Immediately after, his Qi, blood, and Source Power surged toward the second node simultaneously.

Boom...!

A muffled thunderclap seemed to echo within his body.

Lu Cheng's brows furrowed sharply.

The location of the second meridian was not in his arms or legs, but along his spine, leading straight into the depths of his mind.

As soon as the Source Power rushed over, he felt as if his perception had been forcibly torn open.

The sounds in the training room suddenly became clear.

The vibration inside the Source Qi circulation device.

The subtle flow of the wall's Source array.

The faint lingering scent of food in the air.

Even the sound of Chu Xiuxiu yawning softly upstairs faintly entered his range of perception.

"Hm?"

Lu Cheng opened his eyes.

In that instant, the whole world seemed to slow down a little.

If someone were standing in front of him throwing a punch right now, he could even capture the subtle exertion of their shoulder, the direction of their Source Qi flow, and the trajectory of the incoming attack in advance.

Moon Meridian.

Open.

[Second Meridian: Moon Meridian]

[Ability: Perception, Mental Power, Combat Prediction Enhancement]

[Effect: Can capture enemy's killing intent, Source Qi flow, and attack trajectory]

Lu Cheng slowly exhaled.

This thing doesn't feel as useful as Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck, but it's still a certain enhancement...

In the training room, a pale silver light flashed across his eyes.

The first and second meridians operated simultaneously, like two stars constructing a cycle within his body.

And the third meridian was already faintly responding.

Fire Meridian.

Lu Cheng closed his eyes again.

This time, the direction of the Source Power surge was not the center of his brows, but deep in his chest.

To be precise, it was near his heart.

The moment his Qi and blood surged in, a wave of scorching heat suddenly erupted from Lu Cheng's body.

Boom!

The buffer Source array on the training room floor lit up.

The air around him was baked until it slightly distorted.

If the Moon Meridian was cold, sharp, and quiet, then the Fire Meridian was the exact opposite: violent.

The process of opening the meridian was like igniting a furnace in his chest.

The stronger the fighting spirit, the hotter the furnace fire.

The more the Source Power was compressed, the more intense the flames.

A bit of sweat seeped from Lu Cheng's forehead, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He could feel that his Source Power was no longer just flowing, but had gained a "burning" quality.

This burning wasn't literal fire.

It was more like an explosive state formed by the combination of fighting will and Source Power.

If in a desperate situation, this meridian would make him fight more fiercely the longer he fought.

The more injured, the more ruthless.

The closer to the limit, the more power he could squeeze out from the depths of his body.

Fire Meridian.

Open.

[Third Meridian: Fire Meridian]

[Ability: Explosive power enhancement; the stronger the fighting spirit, the more intense the Source Power]

[Effect: Suitable for fighting more bravely as the battle continues, and erupting when on the verge of a desperate situation]

Lu Cheng opened his eyes.

A flash of crimson-gold light passed through his eyes.

He stood up and casually threw a punch at the training room's test target.

No Holy Dragon Armament activated.

No Flame Demon Transformation.

Just the most ordinary punch.

Bang!

The test target shook violently.

The numbers on it jumped wildly.

Lu Cheng glanced at it and raised his eyebrows slightly.

The explosive effect brought by the Fire Meridian was even stronger than he had imagined.

It was just...

He quickly discovered a problem.

The Source Power and Qi and blood in his body were consuming significantly more after the third meridian opened...

The Nine-Yao Holy Meridians were different from ordinary nine meridians; while they granted powerful abilities, the consumption was also immense!

Every time a meridian of the Nine-Yao Meridians was opened, the circulatory pressure that needed to be borne increased significantly.

Given his current Qi, blood, and Source Power, opening the first three meridians was already his limit.

Lu Cheng sat back on the ground cross-legged, placed his hands on his knees, and slowly calmed the surging Qi and blood in his body.

"Hoo..."

He let out a long breath of stale air.

The heat wave in the training room dissipated bit by bit.

The silver glow of the Moon Meridian and the crimson light of the Fire Meridian slowly subsided within his body.

"That's enough for tonight."

For the next two days, Lu Cheng didn't run around.

During the day, he went to the training room to stabilize the Nine-Yao Meridians, in the afternoon he occasionally sparred with a few people from the Shengwu Society, and at night he continued to compress his Source Power circulation.

By the evening of the second day.

Lu Cheng entered the training room again.

This time, he opened the fourth meridian.

Water Meridian.

This meridian corresponded to the Dragon Spine Meridian of ordinary martial artists, and it felt like warm water gushing from the depths of his bone marrow.

Source Power flowed slowly along his spine, seeping bit by bit into his limbs and bones.

Lu Cheng could feel the subtle hidden injuries in his body being slowly smoothed over.

The fatigue left over from the battle with the Qian Family was also diluted during the process of opening the Water Meridian.

More importantly, after the Water Meridian was opened, his injury resistance was significantly improved.

Wounds healed faster, and the rate of Qi and blood loss decreased.

His Source Power circulation was also more stable, and when combined with the Dragon Scale Holy Armor and Lone Hero...

Lu Cheng felt that even if he had a severed arm, as long as he placed the arm on the wound, it could be repaired immediately in just two seconds.

[Fourth Meridian: Water Meridian]

[Ability: Recovery, Injury Resistance Enhancement]

[Effect: Wounds heal faster, rate of Qi and blood loss decreases]

Lu Cheng opened his eyes.

In the training room, a pale blue light flashed across his back.

"Finally, the fourth meridian."

He stood up and clenched his fist.

Now four meridians were opened simultaneously.

The scale of Source Power needed for the fifth meridian was even more exaggerated than the fourth; if he forced it now, he would only damage his body.

"Take it slow."

Lu Cheng checked the time.

11:59 PM.

He was just about to tidy up and return to his room when a system prompt suddenly lit up in his mind.

[New week of Hextech is about to refresh]

Lu Cheng paused.

It's here.

The system sound rang out.

[New Hextech has been refreshed]

[Worth the Wait (Gold): Obtain one pet card, Little Spirit Fox. From then on, obtain one additional Little Spirit Fox pet card daily; every three cards can be used for a star upgrade.]

Lu Cheng was stunned for a moment.

Pet card?

The next second, a card glowing with golden light appeared in his hand.

On the card face was a small, snow-white fox.

It had a faint golden star mark on its forehead, a shimmering silver-blue light at the tip of its tail, and a faint, illusory tail shadow behind it.

Lu Cheng looked down at the card.

The system panel unfolded accordingly.

[Pet Name]: Little Spirit Fox

[Race]: Nine-Yao Spirit Fox · Juvenile

[Growth Stage]: Juvenile

[Strength Rating]: Tier 2 Intermediate

[Equivalent Human Realm]: Approximately equal to early to mid-stage Source Gathering Realm

[Attribute]: Ice

[Size]: About half a meter long, snow-white all over, with a faint golden star mark on its forehead, and a shimmering silver-blue light at the tip of its tail. When emotionally agitated, a second illusory tail shadow will faintly appear behind it.

[Bloodline Potential]: Extremely high

[Bloodline Description]: Legend has it that every time a Nine-Yao Spirit Fox grows a tail, it awakens a type of "Yao Power." When all nine tails are opened, it can invoke the three sources of Sun, Moon, and Star. The current Little Spirit Fox has only awakened the first Yao mark, belonging to the initial bloodline awakening state.

[Basic Abilities]:

[Fox Fire Star Dust]: The Little Spirit Fox can release silver-blue fox fire, dealing ice-attribute damage to enemies.

[Spirit Tail Protects Master]: When the master encounters a fatal attack, the starlight on the Little Spirit Fox's tail will automatically erupt, forming a thin barrier of starlight.

[Spirit Fox Illusory Sound]: The Little Spirit Fox emits a slight cry, causing enemies to hallucinate; the effect is weaker on high-realm martial artists, but it can still cause a brief distraction.

After reading the panel, Lu Cheng's eyes brightened slightly.

Good stuff.

Although its current strength is only Tier 2 Intermediate, equivalent to early to mid-stage Source Gathering Realm, its bloodline potential is terrifyingly high.

If raised, this thing might become a major weapon in the future.

Plus, he can get a free pet card every day, and three cards allow for a star upgrade, so it gets stronger the more it's raised.

Lu Cheng's mind stirred.

"Summon."

The golden card in his hand turned into a point of light and dissipated.

The next second, a circle of silver-blue array patterns lit up in the center of the training room.

A half-meter-long little fox landed gently from the light.

It was snow-white all over, its fur as fluffy as a clump of freshly fallen snow, the faint golden star mark on its forehead glowing slightly, and a faint silver-blue light trailing from the tip of its tail when it moved.

As soon as the little guy landed, it looked up at Lu Cheng.

Man and fox stared at each other for two seconds.

"Ying!"

The Little Spirit Fox suddenly pounced over.

Lu Cheng subconsciously reached out to catch it.

Soft, very soft.

Like holding a cloud with a cool touch.

The Little Spirit Fox rubbed against him in his arms, the star mark on its forehead glowing gently against his wrist.

That sense of closeness didn't feel at all like a newly summoned pet.

It felt more like it had chosen him from the moment it was born.

Lu Cheng looked down at the little thing in his arms, his lips curling up slightly.

"Quite clingy."

The Little Spirit Fox squinted its eyes and "Ying"-ed again.

Lu Cheng stroked its head.

The texture was very good.

No wonder some people like keeping pets.

But soon, he discovered a serious problem.

This thing...

Can't be put back.

Lu Cheng tried it.

No reaction.

Tried again.

The Little Spirit Fox looked up at him, its tail swishing back and forth.

"Ying?"

Lu Cheng: "..."

Oh no.

The pet card was summoned.

But there was no recall function.

He looked at the Little Spirit Fox in his arms and was silent for a few seconds.

"You can't sleep in the training room, can you?"

The Little Spirit Fox immediately hooked its claws into his clothes.

The meaning was very obvious.

Not sleeping in the training room.

Sleeping with you.

Lu Cheng sighed.

"Fine."

"Sleep with me tonight."

The Little Spirit Fox's tail shot up instantly.

Lu Cheng carried it back to his room.

The little guy wasn't shy at all; after entering the room, it circled the bed twice, then very naturally burrowed into Lu Cheng's quilt.

As soon as Lu Cheng lay down, it curled up into his arms.

Its tail resting on Lu Cheng's arm, the star mark on its forehead glowing faintly, the whole fox slept more confidently than its owner.

Lu Cheng looked at the Little Spirit Fox in his arms.

"You're certainly not shy."

"Ying..."

The Little Spirit Fox closed its eyes and let out a muffled cry.

Lu Cheng couldn't be bothered to care anymore.

Having just opened the four meridians and tossed about for half the day, he was indeed sleepy.

The room soon fell silent.