55: Chapter 55 Spiritual Energy

The spring breeze swept across the vast Northlands of the Xia Kingdom; in the blink of an eye, it was already February.

Today's Yanguī City was several times more bustling than the New Year; the eyes of every Martial Artist in the city were focused on the monthly update of the hidden dragon list.

Since he killed a fourth-tier Vicious Beast with a single blade strike in the jungle last time, Song Shiye had spread word of Xie Chen's shocking combat power throughout the city.

In just a few short days, Xie Chen's name resounded through Yanguī City. Everyone knew that in this month's hidden dragon list, Xie Chen's ranking would inevitably rise significantly.

Because of this, on the day the hidden dragon list was updated, every member of the Yaojin Guild was waiting with bated breath.

The grand and spacious guild hall was crowded with people, with the Fire-tailed White Fox guild emblem hanging high on the main wall. Guild members who usually went out to hunt Vicious Beasts had all gathered here, everyone waiting for news of the hidden dragon list.

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, their eyes filled with fervor and anticipation. Everyone knew that as long as Xie Chen entered the top three, the Yaojin Guild could use his momentum to claim the position of the number one guild in Yanguī City.

Just as everyone was waiting expectantly and the discussions reached a crescendo, a hurried figure burst through the guild gates and rushed in frantically.

It was Song Shiye!

His usually cheerful face was now full of excitement, his hair was messy, and his breathing was ragged. As he strode into the hall, he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice piercing through the noisy room:

"He's reached the top! Stop guessing! In this month's hidden dragon list, Xie Chen is ranked first!"

The moment his voice fell, the incredibly noisy guild hall suddenly went silent.

Just three breaths later, a wave of thunderous cheers erupted, practically blowing the roof off the guild!

"First place! Oh my god!"

"Reaching the top of the hidden dragon list at nineteen, Xie Chen is too terrifying!"

Everyone instantly boiled over with excitement; the Martial Artists embraced and cheered, raising their arms and shouting, their faces filled with ecstasy and pride.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the Imperial City of the Xia Kingdom, the towering Imperial Capital sat at the center of a vast landscape, majestic and grand, with magnificent palaces stretching for miles.

Within the Imperial City, the East Palace stood tall and imposing, its vermilion walls high and thick, its glazed golden tiles dazzling in the sunlight, and its upturned eaves sketching the supreme majesty of the royal family.

But at this moment, inside the solemn and grand main hall of the East Palace, everything was in disarray.

Crown Prince Xiao Jingyuan, dressed in his heir apparent's brocade robes embroidered with golden Dragon patterns, had somewhat disheveled clothes. His handsome and noble face was clouded with gloom, his deep eyes were bloodshot and cold, and his chest heaved violently as a towering rage threatened to completely incinerate his reason.

He had held the first place on the hidden dragon list for three years, steady as a rock and unshakable!

For three years, he had been at the top, recognized across the Xia Kingdom as the number one young Martial Dao expert and the royal family's most brilliant Genius heir. He only needed to remain at the top for a few more months to reach Perfection and gracefully retire from the list.

But at this critical final moment, a Xie Chen had appeared out of nowhere!

A commoner with no sect, no background, and no Foundation!

An obscure Martial Artist from a small border city had actually managed to drag him—the favored son of heaven and heir to the throne—down from the top spot he had held for three years.

"A mere commoner dares to suppress me!"

Xiao Jingyuan growled in a low voice, his tone bone-chillingly cold. He suddenly raised his hand and slammed a palm down onto the red sandalwood desk in front of him!

"Boom!"

The hard and heavy century-old red sandalwood desk instantly shattered, wood splinters flying everywhere.

"I have held the first place on the hidden dragon list for three whole years! In a few months, I could have retired with honor and left my name in the annals of the Martial Dao! Yet at this very moment, a Xie Chen jumps out, ruining my entire plan and insulting the dignity of my royal family!"

His eyes were bloodshot, surging with hostility; his former gentle elegance had vanished, leaving only a towering rage.

"Guards!"

Xiao Jingyuan shouted sternly, his voice echoing through the entire hall of the East Palace.

Two dark guards in black instantly bowed and entered, kneeling on one knee with their presence concealed, solemn and silent.

"Pass on my orders: mobilize all secret lines in the Imperial City and all spies in the Jianghu to thoroughly investigate Xie Chen!" Xiao Jingyuan's gaze was sinister, every word like ice. "Investigate his origins, his master's Legacy. Investigate his entire cultivation path, the details of every battle, and the style of the Cultivation Technique he practices! Investigate everyone around him and all his past traces! Not a single detail is to be missed! Every shred of evidence related to him must be cleared up and presented to me!"

The storms of the Imperial City and the noise of Yanguī City could not disturb the quiet courtyard behind the Yaojin Guild.

There was not much earth core milk left, only enough to support him in practicing two more Cultivation Techniques at most, after which his cultivation speed would return to normal.

However, he had nothing else to replace it with for now.

Finally, one month later, the final fourth-tier Cultivation Technique, the Mystic Water Abyss Stake, reached Perfection!

And this time, the Perfection of the Cultivation Technique was completely different from any previous time he had reached Perfection in a Stance Training.

Countless tiny black Impurities slowly seeped out through his pores, sticky and fragmented. The moment the Impurities were expelled, Lin Qing felt his whole body become transparent and light, with every part of his limbs and bones feeling comfortable.

Immediately after, a sudden change occurred!

Between heaven and earth, countless ethereal air currents invisible to the naked eye suddenly became active, as if drawn by an invisible force, and poured into his body!

These air currents were gentle and pure, vast and soft, threading through the texture of his skin and seeping into his Meridians, flesh, and bones, moistening them coolly and silently.

Lin Qing slightly closed his eyes, quietly sensing this unprecedented cultivation phenomenon, his mind rapidly deducing and thinking.

He had already learned through Sun Shaoping that this world was not a simple world of brute force martial cultivation, but a high-level mysterious world.

Since it was a high-level mysterious world, the ethereal air currents currently pouring into his body from between heaven and earth should be Spiritual Qi!

He clearly sensed that the Spiritual Qi pouring into his body was continuously tempering his Physical Body on its own.

Most importantly, this tempering did not require consuming his own blood Qi and physical strength.

Since he began practicing the Martial Dao, all his progress in strength, tempering of the Physical Body, and polishing of the Stance Training had required consuming his own blood Qi energy. To maintain his cultivation needs, he had to consume large amounts of Vicious Beast meat day after day.

But now, everything had changed.

Lin Qing slowly opened his eyes, a hint of realization and pleasant surprise flashing through them.

He had figured out the underlying logic of this world's Martial Dao.

All Martial Artists below the fifth tier lacked the ability for their Stance Trainings and martial arts to actively absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The cultivation of low-tier Martial Artists was merely relying on the special physical movements of Stance Trainings combined with specific breathing and exhaling rhythms to passively utilize the drifting Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth.

This passive absorption efficiency was extremely low, far from enough to nourish the Physical Body. Therefore, low-tier Martial Artists could only rely on Vicious Beast meat to replenish their own blood Qi energy, and then use that energy to polish their Physical Body and advance in the Martial Dao.

But now, having reached Perfection in all fourth-tier Cultivation Techniques, he had broken this inherent shackle!

He no longer needed to frantically eat Vicious Beast meat to replenish his blood Qi; Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi entered his body automatically, nourishing his bones and sinews, cleansing his flesh, and purifying his blood Qi at all times, automatically polishing his Physical Body Foundation!

This meant that from now on, his cultivation had entered a whole new level!