Chapter Fifteen: Supreme Celestial Technique!

When Liu Zhi arrived at the dining room, he found that Liu Heng, Liu Ming, and Liu Yuqing were already there. As soon as Liu Zhi entered, Liu Yuqing, as usual, smiled and waved in greeting.

"Second Brother!"

"Mm." Liu Zhi nodded and found a seat.

Liu Heng, who was already eating, asked, "Did you take the elixirs I had someone send you last night?"

Liu Zhi nodded.

Whether his body had changed or not was something Liu Heng’s sharp eyes would never miss. "The effects were quite good," Liu Zhi replied.

Liu Heng asked again, "How much did you take?"

"All of it."

He had no reason to hide anything from Liu Heng, and even if he wanted to, it would have been impossible. So since Liu Heng had asked, Liu Zhi answered truthfully.

"Pfft!" Liu Heng, who was drinking tea, couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful at that answer. He looked up with shock at Liu Zhi’s innocent face. "What did you just say? You... you took all of it?!"

Liu Zhi nodded. "Yes."

Liu Heng pressed on: "And nothing happened to you?"

Liu Zhi shook his head. "No."

At this, Liu Heng and Liu Ming exchanged glances, seeing deep shock in each other's eyes. How could they not know Liu Zhi’s physical condition?

He had always been extremely frail, not even up to the standard strength of a normal person. Anyone could see that Liu Zhi was a sickly youth: pale, listless, and unsteady on his feet.

For such a feeble body to recover, it would have to be done gradually, step by step. If one recklessly consumed a large quantity of potent elixirs, not only would it be ineffective, but it could even backfire and cause great harm!

Yet now, Liu Zhi claimed he’d taken all the elixirs sent by Liu Heng in one night and suffered no ill effects. How could they not be astonished?

Liu Heng, still skeptical, asked, "Are you absolutely sure you took all those elixirs and nothing happened to you? You must be honest with us!"

He truly found it hard to believe. Logically, if someone as weak as Liu Zhi consumed that much medicine to supplement his vital energy and blood, at the very least it would lead to an overabundance of energy, upsetting the balance of yin and yang within, and inevitably causing harm.

In the worst case, he’d be bedridden!

Liu Zhi said helplessly, "I really am fine!"

Seeing that Liu Zhi didn’t look at all like he was lying, Liu Heng and Liu Ming stared at him in renewed amazement. Meanwhile, Liu Yuqing, who had been eating quietly by the side, glanced at the two of them, wondering what on earth had gotten into them this time.

All of a sudden, Liu Ming came over to Liu Zhi. "Liu Zhi, get up and punch me. Remember, use your full strength. Don’t hold back!"

"Alright."

Liu Zhi didn’t refuse. He stood up, drew his right hand back to his side, and slowly clenched his fist, gathering his energy. Once his strength was ready, he struck out at Liu Ming with a powerful punch—a faint wind could be heard from his fist!

Suddenly, Liu Ming raised his hand and, with a smack, caught Liu Zhi’s fist in his palm. A forceful rebound sent Liu Zhi staggering back seven or eight steps before he managed to regain his footing.

In contrast, Liu Ming had only taken a single step back.

Rubbing his aching wrist, Liu Zhi looked at Liu Ming with exasperation. "So was this just to show off your strength?"

He hadn’t expected that even though his physical stats now far exceeded those of an ordinary person—and he’d taken the initiative to strike—he would still come off worse against Liu Ming.

At that moment, Liu Ming’s face was solemn.

Liu Heng looked over. "Well?"

Liu Ming nodded, gritting his teeth. "This guy really did absorb the medicine’s power; his strength has increased several times over!"

His gaze towards Liu Zhi was filled with envy.

Truth be told, he was somewhat jealous of Liu Zhi’s constitution. Even he could never have achieved such results from so many elixirs in a single night.

Liu Heng’s expression was complicated.

At first, he’d worried that Liu Zhi taking so much medicine at once would waste most of its effects. But now it appeared the boy had absorbed a great deal!

With this realization, his feelings were mixed. He had originally planned for Liu Zhi to marry that girl from the Mu family, then send them both away from the Nuoxi Empire.

That way, after his own death, Liu Zhi would have a peaceful home and could live out his days in safety. That would have been enough for Liu Heng’s peace of mind. But now it seemed he might have...

Overlooked a genius?

...

In the rear courtyard.

Liu Zhi put on a white training robe, while Liu Heng stood on the lakeshore with his hands behind his back. After a moment, he spoke:

"Where there are people, there will be strife. Once you set foot into the world of warriors, it’s like stepping into an endless abyss!"

His expression grew grave. "By then, it won’t be a matter of simply leaving when you wish. Liu Zhi, are you certain you want to walk the path of cultivation?"

Liu Zhi smiled lightly. "Why would I be unable to leave? I think that as long as one is strong enough to overturn the world of warriors, they can walk away whenever they wish. And yes, I’ve made up my mind!"

For the sake of his own life, he had no choice but to cultivate!

After all, the murderer who killed the original owner of this body was still lurking in the shadows, like a viper waiting for the perfect moment to strike again.

Liu Heng could protect him for a time, but not forever.

He’d already died once, but that didn’t mean he was willing to die a second, senseless death. Perhaps he had no ambition to stand atop the world and make all its heroes bow to him, but he still cherished his life.

Liu Heng turned, his piercing eyes fixed on Liu Zhi, as if searching for something in his face.

Liu Zhi let him stare as much as he pleased.

After a moment of silence, Liu Heng sighed. "You’re an adult now, just like a fledgling eagle who will eventually fly out to see the world. Much as I’d like to, I don’t have the ability to protect you forever."

He asked, "The book I gave you last night—have you memorized it all?"

Liu Zhi nodded. "I have."

Liu Heng pointed to a spot on Liu Zhi’s body. "What is this acupoint called? How many meridians pass through here? Which meridian cannot be traversed?"

Liu Zhi answered, "The Heavenly Cauldron acupoint. Thirteen meridians in total, among which the Minor Meridian cannot be passed through by spiritual energy; it must be gently opened up with spiritual energy over time..."

"And this spot?" Liu Heng asked again.

"The Crouching Rabbit acupoint..."

And so, no matter what Liu Heng asked, Liu Zhi answered every question in detail.

Liu Heng continued, hands clasped behind his back: "Most martial artists begin their cultivation by tempering their bodies, focusing only on the strength of their skin and internal organs. As for the meridians, training them is extremely difficult and dangerous—one misstep can be fatal. That’s why many neglect this aspect. This initial stage of martial discipline is called the Body-Tempering Realm."

He snorted. "Yet they are ignorant. They don’t realize that the meridians are the true foundation of all cultivation, the root of everything, and a vital factor in combat power!"

He spoke with pride. "Our Liu family possesses an ancestral technique dedicated to tempering the meridians—a method renowned throughout the world as a top-tier cultivation art..."

As he spoke, he extended his right hand.

Liu Zhi saw with his own eyes a visible white spiritual energy swirling around Liu Heng’s hand. This energy emitted an intense sharpness, as if it could slice through gold and stone.

Its edge was so keen it made Liu Zhi’s cheeks ache.

Then Liu Heng said,

"This is the technique passed down through generations of our Liu family...

The Supreme Saint’s Heavenly Gang Art!"

...

...

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