Chapter 345 - 264: Opportunity

Despite his ruined body, constantly eroded by Qi, his life was like a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. But as Yuan Tianhao stood in the hall, he still possessed an indomitable presence, an aura that could dominate the world.

After all, he had opened the Life and Death Mystic Gate, connected with the heavens and the earth, and drawn Qi into his body. He was just one step away from the Divine General realm. The power of his cultivation was far beyond what any Ghost God Realm master could hope to match. However, using this power was a double-edged sword; as he mobilized the Qi, it savagely tore his body apart.

FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH!!

The Blood Candle burned down at a visible rate as azure starlight enveloped Zhao Xuanqi’s body. This was a miraculous power, identical in nature to the mysterious force within the Nine Dragon Cave, yet its influence was even stronger.

Qi!

A unique power born from the fusion of Spirit, Will, and the Martial Dao with the Power of Heaven and Earth.

In an instant, enveloped by the azure starlight, Zhao Xuanqi’s body felt as if it were frozen in amber. Even with his current strength, it was incredibly difficult to move under the shroud of Qi.

"Tell me what opportunity you need!"

Yuan Tianhao said to Zhao Xuanqi in a heavy voice.

Zhao Xuanqi gave him a profound look, then abruptly tore off his shirt, revealing an incredibly muscular upper body.

POP! POP! POP!

A series of bulges appeared on his torso. The Seventy-Two Earth Demon Acupoints, the Five Dragon Extreme Acupoints, and the Eight Dragon Spine Acupoints all activated simultaneously, their traces manifesting on the surface of his skin.

"The Shangqu Acupoint."

Zhao Xuanqi said, his voice low.

Hearing this, Yuan Tianhao’s eyes narrowed slightly. He understood instantly. He flicked his finger through the air, aiming for Zhao Xuanqi’s abdomen.

WHOOSH!!

The azure starlight around him condensed, forming what looked like an awl at his fingertip. As he released his Force, it shot toward the Shangqu Acupoint on Zhao Xuanqi’s abdomen.

The starlight awl instantly pierced the acupoint, vanishing into Zhao Xuanqi’s body.

VMM!!

The influence of the Qi erupted within Zhao Xuanqi’s acupoint. Under the control of such a powerful expert, the stimulation was several times stronger than the intangible force in the Nine Dragon Cave. It made his Shangqu Acupoint feel as if it had come alive, constantly trembling and throbbing.

This Qi’s influence did not dissipate instantly. Instead, it seemed to coalesce within Zhao Xuanqi’s acupoint, exerting a sustained effect. If he didn’t use his own magnetic field and aura to forcibly purge it, the effect would last for several days.

This was the true strength of a Divine General. An expert on the level of a Holy Beast Divine General could even use special methods to make the influence within the Thirty-Six Celestial Caves persist for thousands of years!

CRACK!!

But just as Yuan Tianhao struck, a dull thud echoed from his body. Large chunks of flesh suddenly burst from his arms, back, and chest. More bizarrely, as the flesh flew into the surrounding air, it instantly dissolved into light and vanished.

Rainbow Transformation.

Masters commune with heaven and earth, merging with the Power of Heaven and Earth. However, if this power falls out of harmony, it will backlash, causing the body to transform into rainbow light, destroyed at a fundamental level.

When the Ancient Divine Generals of old communed with heaven and earth, they would, at the moment of their passing, choose to use the Power of Heaven and Earth to destroy their bodies, making them disappear into a rainbow, as if ascending to immortality.

Yuan Tianhao’s condition, however, was caused by a backlash from his inability to completely control the Qi.

Wielding this level of power was a significant burden for him.

GLUG GLUG GLUG!!

A large amount of Golden Willow Jade Liquid from the IV bag surged madly into his body. Another section of the Blood Candle vanished in an instant. Yuan Tianhao took a deep breath and said to Zhao Xuanqi, "Continue."

"The Zhangmen Acupoint."

"The Qimen Acupoint."

"..."

"The Chest Acupoint."

Within a quarter of an hour, Yuan Tianhao struck fourteen times, using Qi to activate the Fourteen Dragon Body Acupoints on Zhao Xuanqi’s torso.

Only a being who had mastered a portion of a Divine General’s power could accomplish such a feat. And only someone like Zhao Xuanqi, who had previously opened the Fourteen Dragon Body Acupoints, could withstand such stimulation. Anyone else would have long since had their bodies explode from their acupoints running rampant.

But amidst this intense stimulation, Zhao Xuanqi found the catalyst to reactivate the Fourteen Dragon Body Acupoints.

And the Fourteen Dragon Body Acupoints represented the very peak of his power in his past life!!

"It’s enough."

Feeling the power surging within him, Zhao Xuanqi gave Yuan Tianhao another profound look. By now, Yuan Tianhao’s body had burst open in many places. In some spots, even his bones and internal organs were visible, giving him an utterly gruesome appearance.

Yet, he hadn’t died. Fueled by a massive infusion of Golden Willow Jade Liquid, his body was even rapidly repairing itself. But Zhao Xuanqi knew his time was short.

The seven Blood Candles beside him had less than a tenth of their length remaining. Zhao Xuanqi estimated that even if Yuan Tianhao used no more power, the candles would burn out within two or three days.

"I need a quiet space, a massive amount of nourishment, and... time."

Zhao Xuanqi said to Yuan Tianhao.

The Fourteen Dragon Body Acupoints, in terms of both number and the difficulty of opening them, far surpassed the Eight Dragon Spine Acupoints and the Five Dragon Spine Acupoints. They could not be mastered in a short time, unlike when he first opened the Five Dragon Extreme Acupoints.

"Tai’Er will take you to my seclusion chamber. The Beidou Army’s stores will be completely open to you. But the one thing we lack most right now is time. You must hurry."

Yuan Tianhao said, looking him in the eyes.

"I understand."

Zhao Xuanqi met his gaze, then turned abruptly. He offered no words of thanks, knowing that for a man like Yuan Tianhao, such things were no longer important.

After watching Zhao Xuanqi and Meng Dongtai leave the hall, Yuan Tianhao slowly sat back down. He tilted his head back, stared at the ceiling, and fell silent, lost in thought.

After a long while, he looked at the Seven-Star Candle beside him, which was about to burn out, and let out a soft chuckle. "It’s for the best. I’ve left a sliver of my Destiny for the end."

"Father!"

Just then, Meng Dongtai, having returned from leading Zhao Xuanqi to the chamber, walked into the hall. He looked at the nearly extinguished Blood Candle. For all that he was a master of Harmony and one of the Sixteen Generals, tears now streamed down his face, and he was choked with sobs.

Yuan Tianhao had adopted him as a child, meticulously raising and training him. Without Yuan Tianhao, he would not be the man he was today. The bond he shared with Yuan Tianhao was deeper than that of a biological father and son.

Yuan Tianhao had no interest in women and no children of his own, only several adopted sons, of whom Meng Dongtai was the most accomplished.

He sought to walk the Path of the Overlord, but he knew full well that such a path would inevitably attract envy and hatred. He could not guarantee his own kin wouldn’t cause chaos or inherit his legacy only to bring disaster upon the world. Thus, he chose to have no children. For a man of his stature, continuing a bloodline and ensuring a family’s prosperity were no longer his ambitions.

He lived his life as an overlord but hoped no successor would follow in his footsteps.

"Tai’Er, there is no need to cry. You must simply keep moving forward. Life and death are a natural part of the human condition."

"Help me summon the leaders. Have them gather at the Yuan Mansion tomorrow morning. We have important matters to discuss."

Yuan Tianhao said with a smile.