Chapter 194 - 186: God-Burning Blood

Chapter 194: Chapter 186: God-Burning Blood

Liu Zhengyi looked at Mo Ciqiu, then turned to Meng Yu Jin, as if seeking confirmation.

Meng Yu Jin said nothing, merely giving a slight nod.

Liu Zhengyi finally turned to look at Chen Yue, a serious, re-evaluating look in his eyes.

There was no point in joking about something like this. He could easily verify the truth with a simple inspection.

At that moment, Chen Yue’s complexion was rosy and his breathing was steady. There wasn’t a single trace of the weakness or disorder that came from over-consuming elixirs.

This proved that when it came to consuming pills, Chen Yue had already gone further than he ever had.

Liu Zhengyi recalled his own time in the Marrow Refining Realm. His fellow disciples had all said he was too aggressive with his pills, joking that he ate elixirs like they were meals and that sooner or later, Erysipelas would clog his meridians and kill him.

But compared to Chen Yue, what did his four Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills a day back then even count for?

’Four was my limit, yet this guy is taking almost twice that.’

This contrast filled Liu Zhengyi with the excitement of finally finding a kindred spirit, mingled with the wistful thought, ’So I was too conservative back in the day.’

"Kid,"

Liu Zhengyi spoke, his voice unusually serious. "Come here. Give me your arm."

Chen Yue took a step forward and extended his right arm.

Liu Zhengyi reached out and clasped Chen Yue’s wrist, sending a wisp of Primordial Power into his meridians.

The Primordial Power flowed like a clear stream, circulating swiftly through Chen Yue’s body before retreating.

Liu Zhengyi released his hand. The surprise in his eyes deepened, and this time, it was mixed with a spark of genuine interest.

"How do you do it? I once tried taking five Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills in a day. I thought my constitution was good enough that I should be able to handle it."

"But in the end, I found I couldn’t fully assimilate the Medicinal Power. My meridians got clogged, and it just wasn’t worth the trouble, so I had to go back to four." Liu Zhengyi looked at Chen Yue with earnest curiosity.

Just as Chen Yue was about to answer, Mo Ciqiu laughed softly from the side.

"Senior Brother, back in the Marrow Refining Realm, I could already absorb Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, and even I could only handle two Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills a day. You weren’t satisfied with four? You’re a bit greedy, you know."

Chen Yue had been about to answer Liu Zhengyi’s question, but when he heard Mo Ciqiu, he turned to look at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

’She could absorb Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi in the Marrow Refining Realm?’

This was very similar to his own situation. Chen Yue could now use the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell Cultivation Technique to draw upon Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi and temper his body.

But there was a fundamental difference between them. Chen Yue relied on the aid of his Cultivation Technique. In reality, his own Heart Spirit still couldn’t perceive the existence of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

For him, it was still something he could only access through his Cultivation Technique.

What Mo Ciqiu meant, however, was that she didn’t need to rely on any Cultivation Technique—her Heart Spirit could perceive it on its own.

Such an ability was incredibly rare. Even masters at the peak of the Refining Organ Realm couldn’t do it, and many people went their entire lives without ever knowing what Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi even was.

A smile appeared on Liu Zhengyi’s face when he heard Mo Ciqiu.

"Junior Sister, you broke through to the Innate Realm without any trouble. Others can only dream of being that lucky. It wasn’t like that for me. Even though I took plenty of elixirs, my breakthrough to the Innate Realm was a struggle. It took me over half a year of fumbling around before I finally crossed that threshold."

"Junior Sister, you can’t imagine the agony."

Hearing Liu Zhengyi’s words, Mo Ciqiu couldn’t help but break into a pleased smile. She lifted her teacup for a sip, the corners of her eyes crinkling, her good mood obvious.

Meng Yu Jin sat between the two, watching them bicker back and forth. She shook her head with a sigh of resignation.

Compared to these two individuals with their special Talents, her own cultivation path had been much more difficult.

Back in her Marrow Refining Realm days, she could only take one Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill a day. Any more, and the Medicinal Power would build up and stagnate.

Upon reaching the Refining Organ Realm, she was stuck at its peak for a full five years, watching others break through to the Innate Realm one by one while she could only tread water, honing her foundation again and again.

Liu Zhengyi turned back to Chen Yue, about to press him on the previous question. But before he could speak, his eyes shifted as if he had just thought of something.

His brow arched slightly. "Have you been cultivating the Heart-Burning Record?"

The hand Meng Yu Jin was using to hold her teacup froze, and her head snapped up to look at Chen Yue.

Of course she knew of the Heart-Burning Record. It was a Secret Technique that boosted cultivation speed at the cost of burning one’s Heart Spirit. If one lost control, the light consequence was a damaged Heart Spirit; the severe one was the collapse of one’s Sea of Consciousness, causing them to go berserk.

If Chen Yue was taking seven Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills a day while also cultivating the Heart-Burning Record, it meant his body was enduring a massive elixir load while his Heart Spirit was being constantly incinerated.

The slightest misstep would result in the complete collapse of his physical body.

Chen Yue gave Liu Zhengyi a surprised look, then nodded without concealment. "Yes, Elder Liu. I have indeed been cultivating the Heart-Burning Record."

A knowing smile spread across Liu Zhengyi’s face, as if to say, ’I knew it.’

"I knew it. No matter how good your Physique and foundation are, it’s impossible to assimilate seven Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills a day in the Marrow Refining Realm. The Heart-Burning Record must be accelerating your Cultivation Technique’s circulation, allowing you to barely manage it."

Meng Yu Jin frowned at Chen Yue, her voice filled with unconcealed worry.

"The Heart-Burning Record burns away your Heart Spirit. It’s incredibly dangerous. You might not see the issue with short-term use, but prolonged use will cause irreversible damage to your Heart Spirit. Chen Yue, this isn’t wise."

She didn’t want to see Chen Yue burn his foundation and Heart Spirit to cinders just for the sake of speed.

A smile appeared on Chen Yue’s face. "Master, you’ve already inspected my condition. My Heart Spirit is fine. Besides,"

He raised his right hand slightly, and an invisible force surged from his Sea of Consciousness, materializing in his palm.

"I have already condensed Sword Intent, which proves the Heart-Burning Record is still under my control."

As Chen Yue spoke, a sharp and crisp aura spread throughout the courtyard.

Meng Yu Jin and the other two were all Innate Realm experts. Their perception of the Power of Heart and Spirit far surpassed that of ordinary Martial Artists.

Liu Zhengyi’s eyebrow twitched, and a flash of unconcealed admiration appeared in his eyes.

He had seen plenty of people who had condensed Sword Intent in the Refining Organ Realm, but he could count on one hand the number of people who had managed it in the Marrow Refining Realm.

Meng Yu Jin’s expression softened. This was indeed Sword Intent, and of a remarkably high quality.

If his Heart Spirit were damaged and his Sea of Consciousness unstable, he wouldn’t just be unable to condense Sword Intent; he would have trouble maintaining normal perception.

The fact that Chen Yue could condense Sword Intent of this caliber proved that his Heart Spirit was, at the very least, currently healthy. The toll taken by the Heart-Burning Record was still within the limits of what he could bear.

When Chen Yue said the Heart-Burning Record was under his control, he wasn’t bluffing.

Mo Ciqiu looked at Chen Yue in surprise, a complex mix of emotions swirling in her clear eyes.

She had thought she already understood Chen Yue well enough—consuming seven Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pills a day, possessing the Talents of Copper Skin Iron Bones and Immune to Hundred Poisons, and having an incomparably solid foundation. She had thought that was the full extent of it.

But now she was discovering that Chen Yue was still full of surprises.

She thought back to her offer on the mountain path to take him as a disciple. At the time, it had been a half-joking comment, a casual remark made upon seeing a promising new talent.

But now, Mo Ciqiu was genuinely tempted.

His Talent and foundation were simply too strong. His strength wasn’t just in the speed of his Cultivation growth, but in a comprehensive excellence at every level that surpassed the understanding of an ordinary Martial Artist.

If someone like him could be jointly taught by her and Meng Yu Jin, the potential for his future growth was staggering.

Mo Ciqiu turned to Liu Zhengyi. "Senior Brother Liu, do you have a way to make Chen Yue cultivate even faster, but without any negative side effects?"

She paused, then added, "Oh, and he has the Talents of Copper Skin Iron Bones and Immune to Hundred Poisons, so you can be bold."

She wasn’t sure if Liu Zhengyi even had any other methods to offer, since Chen Yue’s current cultivation regimen was already so extreme.

A Forbidden Technique like the Heart-Burning Record was a last-ditch, life-risking measure for others. For Chen Yue, it had become a routine Secret Technique. How could anyone stomach that?

Liu Zhengyi didn’t look too surprised to hear about Chen Yue’s two Talents.

’Without those two Talents, Chen Yue wouldn’t have his current Physique or be able to consume pills like he does.’

He took a sip of his tea, set the cup down, and leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on his knees.

"After all these years of using elixirs to push my Cultivation, I’ve picked up a few tricks. I’ve actually tried the Heart-Burning Record myself."

"But it feels like that Forbidden Technique isn’t suited for long-term cultivation. For anyone below the Innate Realm, the balance is just too difficult to control."

Liu Zhengyi paused, his gaze sweeping across the other three before he continued.

"So, after I reached the Innate Realm, I modified the Heart-Burning Record based on my own understanding of Heart Spirit and Qi Blood."

At Liu Zhengyi’s words, Meng Yu Jin set down her teacup and Mo Ciqiu’s casual expression vanished.

Liu Zhengyi chuckled softly. "I call it the Burning Pill Technique. It has only one purpose: to better refine the power of elixirs."

"It retains the core concept of the Heart-Burning Record—using the Power of Heart and Spirit to drive the circulation of Inner Strength—but the drain on the Heart Spirit is greatly reduced. Most of the burden is shifted to your Qi Blood instead."

"Since you can already use the Heart-Burning Record as a regular Secret Technique, learning and using the Burning Pill Technique should be no problem for you. And with your Physique and foundation, you’ll be able to handle the strain."

Chen Yue cupped his hands, his voice filled with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for teaching me this technique, Elder Liu!"

Mo Ciqiu looked at Liu Zhengyi with a smile. "Senior Brother Liu, I knew it! I always said your Cultivation speed didn’t slow down a bit after you reached the Innate Realm. So this is why! You created your own Secret Technique specifically for refining elixirs!"

Liu Zhengyi chuckled, his smile self-deprecating.

"It’s mostly because I know my Talent can’t compare to yours, Junior Sister Mo. Since I chose this path, I have no choice but to take it as far as it can go. The Burning Pill Technique was born of desperation. If I don’t consume more elixirs, I’ll never keep up with you."

Mo Ciqiu pursed her lips and said no more. In reality, Liu Zhengyi’s cultivation speed was the fastest among them all.

’How can someone consume elixirs to such an extent?’

’And now there’s another, even bigger freak—more of a freak than Liu Zhengyi ever was.’