Chapter 96: Unlocking the Acupoints, Divine Essence of the Neck

The old man’s name was Weng Ping, and in his earlier years, he was quite renowned on this Lingjiu Peak. Later, during a fierce conflict, he suffered a grave injury to his foundation, causing his cultivation to stagnate, though his irascible temper remained unchanged. Now, with someone barging into his abode to seize his cave dwelling, how could he possibly endure such an affront?

Without hesitation, his spear lashed out like a swimming dragon, surging with bloodthirsty energy that billowed like wolf smoke. Gu Changqing barely glimpsed a flash before the spear was at his very eyes, moving with astonishing speed.

“So that’s where your audacity comes from—you’re relying on a magical artifact!” Weng Ping sneered, thrusting his spear three times in quick succession at the spiritual light of the Tortoise and Serpent Eight Trigrams Lantern, instantly draining a portion of the lantern’s stored spiritual energy.

From Gu Changqing’s sleeve, the Yin-Yang Flying Sword—both parent and child blades—shot toward Weng Ping, followed by a blood river that surged forth, sweeping directly at him. Weng Ping’s expression shifted. Though the eerie aura of the swords was formidable, he considered them manageable. But within that blood river, human faces drifted and twisted in agony, their tormented visages struggling to break free—it was clear this was no ordinary technique. Daring not to allow the river to engulf him, Weng Ping weaved and darted, his spear tip unleashing a blade of force that cleaved the blood river in two.

At that moment, Gu Changqing’s body abruptly swelled with power. He delivered a punch so ferocious it seemed capable of shattering mountains, utterly unstoppable. Weng Ping’s gaze was snared by the demonic eye on the knuckle-duster, his spirit faltering for a heartbeat. He barely wrenched himself free as the fist arrived.

Weng Ping raised his spear desperately to block.

With a thunderous crash, the spear bent sharply, hurling Weng Ping dozens of meters away, dissipating most of the punch’s force. Yet before he could recover, the Yin-Yang Flying Sword, shrouded in chilling winds, slashed at him from both sides, while the blood river coiled in pursuit.

The fierce battle quickly drew the attention of nearby cultivators. Emerging from their cave dwellings, a few watched from afar, seeing two masses of black light whirling above and below, with a crimson river relentlessly assaulting a lone figure. That solitary fighter wielded his spear to ward off the dark blades, but it was clear he was at a disadvantage, struggling to hold his ground.

“Isn’t that... Weng Ping?” Those who stepped out appeared astonished.

Weng Ping was no weakling. Though previously injured, leaving his cultivation stunted, he still possessed the strength of the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. His Hundred Kills Spear Technique, honed through countless battles, was formidable even among others at his level. His cave’s location alone testified to his might.

“Weng Ping’s actually being beaten back? Who’s that other man?”

They saw, not far from Weng Ping, a tall youth whose presence was fierce as a tiger; his blows shook the earth, utterly irresistible.

“He looks unfamiliar. Is he here seeking revenge from another peak, or...?”

“Those are clearly demonic methods. I’ve never heard of him before—he must be new to Lotus Ridge.”

“To go after Weng Ping as soon as he arrives… perhaps there’s an old grudge between them!”

They whispered among themselves, watching as Weng Ping blocked three of Gu Changqing’s punches in succession, his hands beginning to go numb.

Gu Changqing’s Eight Desolations Fist Intent was too savage, and combined with the demonic eye on his knuckle-duster, even a straightforward fight would be hard to withstand—let alone with the blood river and flying swords besieging him.

Seeing another punch incoming, with the blood river and swords closing in, Weng Ping had no way to evade and could only raise his spear once more.

But instead of a fist, a barrage of blood sea wasp needles shot out from Gu Changqing’s hand and the surrounding blood river, piercing Weng Ping’s limbs and neck before he could react.

Gu Changqing’s fist then crashed down on Weng Ping’s head, distorting his features and driving shattered bone into his skull. Darkness claimed Weng Ping’s vision.

“Stubborn old man, you can really take a beating! Damn, wasted a few dozen spirit stones on you!” Gu Changqing sneered, his massive fists pounding down relentlessly.

With Weng Ping barely clinging to life, Gu Changqing finally stopped, unfastened the empty pouch from his waist, and poured out all its contents—over thirty spirit crystals and six or seven hundred spirit stones, more than a thousand in total.

He breathed a sigh of relief—at least he’d recouped his losses.

“For your generosity, I’ll let you live today!” Gu Changqing gladly pocketed the spoils. Noting the fine inner armor on his foe, he reached to strip it off—after all, if not for this armor, Weng Ping would have died already. But after much effort, he couldn’t remove it. Frustrated, he tossed Weng Ping onto the road and flung the half-empty pouch back at him.

Still, Gu Changqing was in a good mood. He left some healing medicine for Weng Ping, then ignored the distant onlookers and swaggered back to his new cave dwelling.

Inside, he immediately felt the spiritual energy was indeed abundant—more than twice as dense as outside, and five times that of Youxian City. It was half the concentration found in a premium Jade Tower room, but there, a day’s rent cost ten spirit stones.

He took a quick survey of the cave: over four hundred square meters, five meters high, divided into four rooms. The central chamber was the largest—more than three hundred square meters—with a metal humanoid target at its heart. This target clearly wasn’t made of ordinary metal, for it glimmered faintly dark and was riddled with spear marks.

Apart from this, only three array flags stood in formation, though currently inactive. Two formations were embedded in the ceiling—one likely gathered spiritual energy, while the other cast a gentle, sun-like glow.

Of the other three rooms, two were storerooms and one a bedroom, furnished with a bed and a portrait of a woman on the wall.

At first glance, Gu Changqing thought the woman depicted was stunning—ethereal and graceful, her slender waist and long legs especially captivating. He resolved to ask about her the next time he beat the old man, before ending him.

Pulling out the three array flags, Gu Changqing said to Li Youling, “Clean this place up, throw out what needs throwing out.”

He then swallowed a Qi-Nurturing Pill to restore some energy, refilled the Tortoise and Serpent Eight Trigrams Lantern with spirit stones, and took the flags outside.

The old man was gone, as were the distant onlookers from before.

Gu Changqing made straight for the Treasure Pavilion atop Lotus Platform Mountain, tossing the set of array flags to the attendant. Though only a basic Three Talents Array, the flags were of decent quality and fetched him over three hundred spirit stones.

With a thousand spirit stones, he bought a Five Elements Array, learned how to use it, and returned to his cave to set it up. Instantly, a misty veil enshrouded the cave’s exterior, concealing it from view.

From within, everything outside was perfectly visible.

The Five Elements Array could absorb ambient spiritual energy to replenish itself. Even a ninth-level Qi Refiner would need an hour to forcibly dismantle it. In peaceful times, the array consumed little energy.

Beyond deterring squatters, it muffled sound and perception—outsiders could neither hear nor sense what lay within.

With this, Gu Changqing had established his footing here.

Leaving Li Youling to tidy up, Gu Changqing retreated to his room, closed his eyes, and focused on condensing his spirit core, continuing to search for the vital acupuncture point within his body.

This was his most pressing task.

...

Once more, he found himself in that boundless chaos, dotted with starlight as if adrift in the cosmos.

Gu Changqing searched for an unknown length of time before sensing a faint pull in the distance. Delighted, he saw that it was another astral point, but within it lay a door.

“This is it!” At once, he channeled his spiritual power and rammed into the door.

Time and again he struck; the door quivered, and at last, a crack appeared. With persistent effort, the crack widened until the door was fully open, and the majority of his spiritual energy was sucked inside, expanding the space within.

Once the space stabilized, Gu Changqing withdrew his focus and immediately sensed the location of this acupuncture point.

The spine!

The Divine Marrow of the Nape, named Ling Mo Gai, with the styled name Dao Zhou.

Immersing his mind within, he entered a void space—this was where his divine consciousness would be nurtured.

My apologies for yesterday’s rushed update. Chapter 95 had many errors, but they should all be corrected now.

(End of this chapter)