Chapter 64: Gold Crocodile Douluo's Self-Created Technique, Connecting Meridians Successively
When the spirit power pressure reached Rank thirty-one, a change finally occurred within Tang Shan's body.
The first to react was not the spirit power that represented a Spirit Master's cultivation, but the innate yet inconspicuous Qi and blood of the human body.
His heart began to contract faster, sending Qi and blood to every part of his body. A warm sensation spread throughout him, and the pressure that had been gradually increasing was quietly neutralized by the circulation of his Qi and blood.
"Such powerful Qi and blood."
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Standing to the side, Porcupinefish Douluo couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Facing Xue Qinghe's questioning gaze, he immediately explained, "Qi and blood are related to our human blood, but they aren't the same as blood. If one's Qi and blood are powerful, their physical fitness will naturally be exceptional; if they are weak, one is easily susceptible to diseases."
Porcupinefish Douluo looked at Tang Shan with a peculiar gaze and continued, "But regardless of whether Qi and blood are strong or weak, they usually don't have much of an impact on a Spirit Master. After all, among Spirit Masters of the same Rank, the difference in physical fitness isn't obvious and can't be compensated for by this bit of Qi and blood. Moreover, generally speaking, it's very difficult to actively mobilize Qi and blood."
Xue Qinghe caught the main point of Porcupinefish Douluo's words. Looking at Tang Shan, who remained as steady as Mount Tai under Snake Lance Douluo's Rank thirty-three spirit power pressure, he asked, "Then what is the situation with his Qi and blood?"
"It's extremely active, abnormally so."
Porcupinefish Douluo's tone carried a hint of confusion. "In terms of the abundance of Qi and blood, the Second Consecrated Elder should be the greatest in the Douluo Continent. But even for the Second Consecrated Elder, his Qi and blood are not nearly as active as this kid's."
"The Second Consecrated Elder?"
Su Yuntao asked subconsciously. This startled Porcupinefish Douluo, but fortunately, Xue Qinghe reacted quickly and immediately explained, "We are talking about the hidden powerhouses of our Heaven Dou Empire. To emulate the Hall of Worship of Spirit Hall, we also refer to these foundations within the Empire this way. These are all Empire secrets, so you must never spread them."
After hearing the explanation, Su Yuntao understood instantly. With a solemn face, he said, "Rest assured, Your Highness, I will definitely not spread it."
Seeing that he had finally bluffed his way through, Porcupinefish Douluo quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Xue Qinghe also breathed a sigh of relief. However, to avoid raising Su Yuntao's suspicion, she continued the previous topic, "Is the Second Consecrated Elder's Qi and blood truly not as active as this kid's?"
Porcupinefish Douluo was very sharp and naturally understood Xue Qinghe's intention. He simply shared everything he had observed: "Indeed, it's not as active as this kid's. To use a metaphor, if the Second Consecrated Elder's Qi and blood is a vast lake, then this kid's Qi and blood is like a small pond;"
"But the Second Consecrated Elder's lake is basically without ripples, like a pool of stagnant water, whereas this kid's Qi and blood seems to hide a spring, full of fresh vitality."
"Is there anything special about this?"
Xue Qinghe still didn't quite understand and followed up, "Could it be because the Second Consecrated Elder is older that there is such a difference?"
"It has nothing to do with age; this difference should be considered a fundamental distinction."
Porcupinefish Douluo desperately searched his mind for knowledge, trying to find the difference.
"Qi and blood seem to be similar to spirit power."
Su Yuntao, who had been standing by and listening quietly, suddenly spoke up and gave the answer.
"Exactly, that's what it means—it's similar to spirit power!"
Porcupinefish Douluo clapped his hands suddenly, then looked at Su Yuntao with some embarrassment. After all, discussing Tang Shan privately like this felt like spying on someone's secrets.
Su Yuntao smiled and waved his hand. "It's normal to be curious. This is a special cultivation method researched by my... our master. It is especially beneficial for Shan Zi, who has a Body Martial Soul."
Su Yuntao, who hadn't fully adapted to the identity of "the Grandmaster is my teacher," naturally stuttered a bit when speaking. However, this didn't catch the attention of Xue Qinghe or Porcupinefish Douluo. After all, everyone knew his teacher was the Grandmaster, so it was normal for him to take a moment to change how he addressed him.
"Could you tell us more about this cultivation method in detail?"
Since Su Yuntao brought it up, Xue Qinghe no longer hesitated and asked directly.
"The core idea of this training method is to develop the human body's own potential, pursuing one hundred percent control over one's body."
Su Yuntao thought for a moment, immediately performed Martial Soul Possession, and then threw a punch, which was a move of Ming Jin.
His muscles and bones collided, producing a series of ringing sounds, and a crisp explosion erupted in the air. At that moment, the previously dormant Qi and blood in Su Yuntao's body also accelerated, gaining some of the vitality seen in Tang Shan's Qi and blood.
Porcupinefish Douluo's pupils constricted slightly as he watched Su Yuntao's state while performing Ming Jin. He then quietly sent a sound transmission to Xue Qinghe: "Young Lord, I seem to have seen this technique before."
"I wonder what the power of this cultivation method is like?"
Xue Qinghe first asked Su Yuntao out of curiosity, then quickly sent a sound transmission back to Porcupinefish Douluo: "Where have you seen this technique?"
"I've seen it on the Second Consecrated Elder. When the various Enshrined were guiding us Titled Douluo Elders in our cultivation, the Second Consecrated Elder demonstrated this way of exerting force. Back then, the Second Consecrated Elder's Qi and blood were indeed much more active than usual."
"The Second Consecrated Elder said that he comprehended this technique through countless battles in his youth. It possesses extraordinary power before the Spirit Ancestor Realm."
"Are you saying that this Grandmaster might have some connection with the Second Consecrated Elder?"
"This subordinate does not dare to make a judgment lightly."
Porcupinefish Douluo was clearly hesitant. Although the Ming Jin Su Yuntao just displayed was identical to the self-created technique the Second Consecrated Elder showed years ago, the Second Consecrated Elder didn't have such an exaggerated level of Qi and blood activity as Tang Shan.
On the other side, Su Yuntao was still discussing the matter of Qi and blood with Xue Qinghe and the others, while on Tang Shan's side, the spirit power pressure he was enduring had reached Rank thirty-five.
The Qi and blood in his body circulated frantically. Every time his heart contracted, it sent vigorous energy to his limbs and bones. That terrifying spirit power pressure was quietly endured under the circulation of his Qi and blood.
A flash of approval passed through Snake Lance Douluo's eyes. Tang Shan's first spirit ring's age was around one thousand five hundred years, which corresponded to a spirit power Rank of about thirty-two or thirty-three. Now that he could withstand the pressure of Rank thirty-five, it meant he had already broken through his original limit.
Furthermore, seeing that Tang Shan hadn't used his spirit power until now, it was clear that his upper limit of endurance was still quite high.
The spirit power pressure rose slowly once again. This time, the spirit power in Tang Shan's Dantian finally began to accelerate its circulation to alleviate the terrifying pressure on his body.
At this moment, Tang Shan felt as if he were carrying a thousand-jin burden. He could only stand firmly in place, unable to move even a step. Relying on his precise control over his pores, he forcibly sealed his body to prevent energy loss, but his skin had already turned as red as a cooked shrimp.
The circulation of spirit power slightly eased the increasing pressure, but the test did not end there.
A glint of brilliance appeared in Xue Qinghe's eyes as she thought to herself: My first spirit ring was one thousand nine hundred years. Because I obtained my second spirit ring immediately after absorbing the first, even taking into account the factor that my endurance significantly increased after my cultivation Breakthrough, I only absorbed a three-thousand-year spirit ring. I wonder if the age of the second spirit ring you can withstand can surpass mine?
The spirit power pressure was still slowly increasing: Rank thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine...
The spirit power in his body had reached its limit of circulation. Tang Shan's body began to tremble slightly, and his Qi and blood had long since boiled. If one were to get close to him, they would find that his entire being was like a warm furnace, constantly radiating heat.
Snake Lance Douluo's expression also became much more solemn, and he was ready at any moment to withdraw the spirit power pressure he was releasing.
For a Spirit Master of only Rank nineteen to be able to withstand the spirit power pressure that only a Rank thirty-nine Spirit Elder could endure—what kind of powerful physical fitness, what kind of tenacious willpower, and what kind of brilliant talent must this be?
"Can you continue to endure?"
Snake Lance Douluo's voice rang in Tang Shan's ear, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
At this moment, Tang Shan had already exhausted all his strength to withstand the pressure and had no energy left to speak.
This was the greatest pressure he had encountered since coming to the Douluo Continent, though this pressure didn't come from an enemy but from a test.
He nodded with difficulty toward Snake Lance Douluo, indicating that the pressure could continue to increase.
Snake Lance Douluo's face became increasingly solemn as the spirit power pressure suddenly rose to Rank forty.
Boom!
The pressure enveloping Tang Shan's entire body surged instantly. His body trembled rapidly, and the circulation speed of his Qi and blood skyrocketed, like a train racing out of control on its tracks, threatening to derail at any moment.
The spirit power in his body also surged frantically through his Meridians, causing a slight stinging sensation.
Two crisp "pa pa" sounds rang out within Tang Shan's body. The spirit power that had already reached its limit seemed to find a new outlet, surging toward a brand new meridian. After reaching the end of this meridian, it forcibly opened up yet another new meridian.
The first meridian connected from the nose to the soles of the feet, and the other connected from the soles of the feet to the chest and abdomen.
With the opening of the new Meridians, the circulation speed of the Qi and blood in his body slowly decreased, and the pressure enveloping his body also lightened significantly.
A Breakthrough?
Snake Lance Douluo was somewhat surprised. When he raised the spirit power pressure on Tang Shan to Rank forty just now, he clearly felt a slight fluctuation of Opportunity from Tang Shan. Afterward, the pressure was easily endured. However, Tang Shan's spirit power Rank hadn't increased, and his Qi and blood were no different from before. So, what exactly had he broken through in this seemingly Breakthrough state?
"Do you want to continue?"
Although Snake Lance Douluo's heart was full of doubts, he had no intention of probing further. After all, every Spirit Master has their own opportunities.
Hearing Snake Lance Douluo's transmission and feeling the significantly increased carrying capacity in his body, Tang Shan shook his head. "No need, Senior. The current test results are enough. I already know my upper limit. I will absorb a spirit ring of the age an average quasi-Spirit Ancestor can absorb; that will be sufficient. As for the extra carrying capacity, I'll just treat it as insurance. There's no need to insist on absorbing a spirit ring that truly reaches my physical limit."
Snake Lance Douluo inwardly praised him for being "steady." On the surface, he nodded slightly, then withdrew the spirit power pressure he had applied to Tang Shan and walked back to Xue Qinghe's side.
As soon as the pressure on him vanished, Tang Shan slumped to the ground. The pores that had been closed all this time suddenly opened completely, and sweat poured out like a flood.
PS: I thought about it and decided to add a little patch. Ming Jin isn't that difficult; it's possible for people of the Douluo World to figure it out since it is, after all, a real World, and it's impossible for them to not make any progress over so many years. However, for the subsequent An Jin and higher levels, the protagonist will be the pioneer. After all, we can't overestimate the creativity of the Douluo people, right? Finally, please subscribe, bookmark, and give monthly tickets. This newbie author thanks you all.