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*****
Zhou Weiqing was actually an honest person.
Kind-hearted by nature.
After his initial surprise, Su Wen couldn't help but marvel at the situation. His memories of the original Heavenly Jewel Change were a bit hazy, but he remembered the protagonist as a "scumbag" and a bit of a rogue. Seeing him now at age ten, it seemed the boy still had a chance at redemption. Unlike Tang San, who was beyond "saving" in Su Wen's eyes, Zhou Weiqing still had the opportunity to change.
With this thought, Su Wen felt a sudden sense of mission. He stepped forward to observe the boy closely, mentally noting his unique constitution.
This body... aside from the inability to cultivate Heavenly Energy, it's excellent in every other way. Most importantly, it's incredibly durable!
The physical foundation was superb. In other words, if Zhou Weiqing had access to a body-tempering cultivation system, he would undoubtedly be a genius. Unfortunately, such systems were rare even across the wider universe, let alone on the Boundless Mainland.
"Alright, brat, that's enough training for today," Zhou Shuiniu said to his son. "Come here and let this senior take a look at you."
Zhou Weiqing had clearly been through this many times before. He stepped forward with a resigned sigh. Though he found these "masters" increasingly unreliable, he had never quite abandoned that sliver of hope. On the Boundless Mainland, cultivating Heavenly Energy was the only path to true respect and admiration.
He didn't want to be a nobody, especially while carrying the title of the only son of the Heavenly Bow Empire's Great Marshal and holding the rank of Baron. If he couldn't fix the fact that he was a "trash" who couldn't cultivate, he would never move past it. Even if he could ignore it, his father and godfather had to endure immense public pressure because of him.
Su Wen placed his right hand on Zhou Weiqing's shoulder, sending his spiritual sense deep into the boy's body. What he felt made him hiss through his teeth.
The meridians weren't just blocked—they were practically solid!
It was absurd. Without completely destroying and rebuilding them, Zhou Weiqing would never be able to cultivate Heavenly Energy in his life. Yet, it was precisely these conditions that were required to enter the Technique of Immortality.
Could the power of the Dark Devouring God Tiger's pearl provide the opportunity to reshape his foundation while he charged through the thirty-six "Death Acupoints"? Su Wen, despite his vast knowledge of cultivation theory, couldn't give a definitive answer. Even if it was theoretically possible, it was a gamble—a roll of the dice that required perfect conditions and an incredible amount of luck.
"Senior, how is his condition?" Zhou Shuiniu asked cautiously. Su Wen's demeanor was so unfathomable that a new spark of hope had ignited in the Marshal's heart.
Su Wen opened his eyes and looked at the father and son, sighing softly. "The meridian blockage is total. To cure it, we must destroy them to rebuild them—'breaking and then standing.'"
"Breaking and then standing?" Zhou Shuiniu repeated the words, his face pale. He knew exactly what that implied.
"I am confident I can preserve his life," Su Wen said slowly. "I can even guarantee that if we fail, it won't affect his daily life. His meridians can be reshaped, but they would remain too fragile for Heavenly Energy. He would simply be like an ordinary person."
This was the limit of Su Wen's current capability. Anything beyond that was purely theoretical and dependent on luck.
Zhou Shuiniu took a deep breath, his mind reeling. If this senior is telling the truth and can actually achieve that, it's already defying the heavens. By his estimation, such a feat would require a Heavenly Jewel Master at the level of a Heavenly King or even a Heavenly Emperor. Even then, an Emperor might struggle to guarantee such a result.
Of course, this all assumed Su Wen wasn't exaggerating. If Su Wen was just talking big and the boy died during the process, it would be a different story. At the very least, Zhou Shuiniu could tell that Su Wen was far stronger than himself, a Lower-Level Heavenly Zong.
"I have the Technique of Immortality," Su Wen said with a smile, looking at Zhou Weiqing. "It can provide the foundation for your rebirth. As for whether you choose to cultivate it, that's up to you."
Before arriving at Heavenly Bow City, Su Wen had conducted a spiritual sweep of the area. He had found the Technique of Immortality and noticed traces of it being buried by someone. This meant Zhou Weiqing already knew of its existence.
Sure enough, at the mention of the name, Zhou Weiqing's pupils shrank, and he stared at Su Wen in shock.
"Senior, this Technique of Immortality is...?" Zhou Shuiniu asked, needing details.
"You can see for yourselves."
Su Wen produced an ancient parchment scroll and handed it to Zhou Shuiniu. Zhou Weiqing's breath hitched.
That's the one! This man is a fraud! That technique is my treasure that I hid in the Star Forest—how did he find it? And he wants to use it to "cure" me?
The only reason Zhou Weiqing had hidden it was that he was terrified of it. The descriptions inside were simply too insane. Now that Su Wen was presenting it as a cure, the boy's heart hammered against his ribs.
Zhou Shuiniu opened the first page: General Principles of the Technique of Immortality.
"Those without great willpower shall not cultivate. Those without the resolve to die shall not cultivate. The Technique of Immortality is, in truth, a Technique of Certain Death. It turns the impossible into the possible by targeting the human body's thirty-six Great Death Acupoints. One seeks life within death; the slightest slip results in certain demise. Tread carefully! Only those who break through all thirty-six acupoints can truly channel the power of Heaven and Earth, becoming as eternal as the world itself!"
Hiss!
Just reading the summary made Zhou Shuiniu gasp. His hand shook so violently he nearly dropped the scroll.
A madman! Whoever created this was an absolute lunatic! Targeting the thirty-six Death Acupoints? Charging through even a single one was usually a death sentence.
Zhou Shuiniu looked up at Su Wen. Seeing the man's serious, unblinking expression, he couldn't help but feel a surge of suspicion.
Are you serious? I want to cure my son, not execute him!
Su Wen wasn't surprised by the look on the Marshal's face. It was the only logical reaction. Anyone with even a basic understanding of cultivation could see the glaring problem with the Technique of Immortality.
It was a technique for the insane. While the benefits and power described were likely real, the real question was whether anyone could actually survive the training.
The ideal was beautiful, but reality was cruel.
(End of Chapter)