Chapter 132: The Hundred Apertures of the Qi Pulse Realm

Lin Fan shook his head at the sight and, instead of entering the secluded valley residence, turned toward the Mission Hall. As the top-ranked first-year student, he had yet to claim his academy credits for the month, and doing so required a visit to the Mission Hall. He reasoned that the students blocking his path to the valley would not leave anytime soon, so he planned to collect his credits and return to the Mind-Clearing Tower to cultivate, aiming to break through to the Meridian-Opening Realm within the remaining twelve days.

The journey was uneventful. Upon reaching the Mission Hall and collecting his points, Lin Fan learned that the academy did not actually call them "credits"—that was merely a term for freshmen—but rather "Merit Points." However, Lin Fan cared little for the terminology; as long as they enabled his rapid advancement, that was all that mattered.

"Hey kid, your name is Lin Fan, right? I challenge you!"

As soon as Lin Fan stepped out of the Mission Hall, he was blocked by a palm. A red-haired youth stood before him, acting incredibly arrogant and looking down at Lin Fan.

A smirk curled on Lin Fan’s lips. "Accepted."

Bang!

The red-haired youth collapsed to the ground, his chest caved in and blood frothing at his lips. He hadn't even had time to react before Lin Fan kicked him down. His eyes filled with intense terror; how could this Lin Fan be so formidable?

"A five-aperture Qi-Pulse Realm cultivator dares to challenge me?"

Lin Fan looked down at the boy, lifting his eyelids slightly. "Do me a favor and pass a message to everyone who wants to challenge me: if your cultivation is still at the Qi-Pulse Realm, don't bother coming. I’m afraid I’ll crush your confidence. Send the Meridian-Opening Realm cultivators instead—the higher their cultivation, the better. It’s much easier to fight that way."

With that, Lin Fan ignored the youth and walked away. He despised trouble; having been blocked by a crowd of low-level students earlier, he had accepted two challenges just to get it over with. However, since someone else was still pushing for a fight, he had initially intended to just knock them out, but then realized he could use the opportunity to send a message. He believed that if he defeated mid-stage or late-stage Meridian-Opening Realm cultivators, others would stop bothering him, as it would prove his strength, and most would lack the confidence to challenge him without being certain of victory.

"Negative emotion points from Dong Ming: +666!"

What do you mean by "dares to challenge you" as a five-aperture Qi-Pulse cultivator? You only just broke through to the Qi-Pulse Realm yourself! I have five times your combat power; what’s wrong with challenging you? And you’re looking down on my cultivation level?!

Lying on the ground and spitting blood, Dong Ming felt a surge of resentment and grievance. Yet, he did not dare to stand up, for Lin Fan’s kick had been too heavy—heavy enough to suggest the combat power of someone who had opened at least ten apertures.

"Stop! I want to challenge you!"

"Don't go! I want to challenge you!"

Along the way, Lin Fan encountered countless students who challenged him, but he couldn't be bothered and rejected them all. The Merit Token had a challenge function; applications were submitted through the token, and whether he accepted or not was handled through the device rather than verbally.

Soon, Lin Fan arrived once more at the fourth floor of the Mind-Clearing Tower. He sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Devouring Origin Sutra.

In a secret chamber on the fourth floor, there was also a young girl in red. Her aura was immense; although her cultivation was only at the level of seventy or eighty Qi-Pulse apertures, the density of her origin energy surpassed even those at the peak of the Qi-Pulse Realm who had achieved perfect tempering. More frighteningly, her energy was not the usual colorless, gold, or white; it was black, like thick, billowing smoke.

The stone walls of the tower were extraordinary, capable of withstanding a full-force blow from a Meridian-Opening Realm expert without a scratch. Yet, when touched by this pitch-black mist, they hissed and corroded into pits. Fortunately, the girl was clearly trying to control her energy, drawing it into her body. It was only when an aperture occasionally opened, causing a flicker of energy to escape, that such damage occurred. Otherwise, the stone chamber would have collapsed entirely.

Cultivation time passed quickly. More than ten days flew by, and Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes with a bitter smile. He had hoped to enter the Meridian-Opening Realm during these twelve days, but reality was not as ideal as he had imagined.

Because the energy refined by the Devouring Origin Sutra was so pure, and because each aperture became significantly harder to improve upon reaching the hundred-aperture mark of the late Qi-Pulse Realm, the final eight major points—each more vital than the last—proved exceptionally difficult to pierce.

These eight major points were the Baihui, Dazhui, Neiguan, Hegu, Shenque, Changshou, Sanyin, and Yongquan.

The Baihui point, known as the "Three Yang Five Meetings," was the commander of all major points, possessing immense primordial yang—the very foundation of a human. The Dazhui point was the primary point of the Governing Vessel, which governed blood and marrow; once opened, it unleashed blood-energy like a vast ocean, enabling the activation of bloodline power. The Neiguan point strengthened tendons and bones, leading to a flawless physique and doubled strength. The Hegu point, the main point of the Large Intestine Meridian, governed respiration; opening it increased cultivation speed tenfold, allowing one to absorb the surrounding energy for ten miles in a single breath. The Shenque point, the main point of the Conception Vessel, governed consciousness—the soul itself. Opening it allowed the soul power to grow naturally, even without specific soul-cultivation techniques, and helped achieve a state of "oneness of heart and spirit." The Changshou point directly extended one's lifespan by two hundred years and increased potential. The Sanyin point, the main point of the Spleen Meridian, contained cold, yin energy that acted as a counterbalance to the Baihui, maintaining the harmony of yin and yang. Finally, the Yongquan point governed the kidneys and life force; opening it allowed for rapid regeneration from injuries.

Lin Fan was already a hundred-aperture master of the Qi-Pulse Realm, but these remaining eight points were like massive chasms blocking his path. Yet, he knew that once opened, his combat power would reach levels unimaginable to ordinary people. His body would be stronger, his cultivation faster, his blood-energy more vigorous, his soul more profound, his life force boundless, and his yin and yang perfectly balanced.