C44 Picture of Bone Seizing

This wasn't an injury.

Zhou Jibo requested a needle and pricked Wang Sibo's finger. A bead of dark, uncoagulated blood emerged, leading Zhou Jibo to deduce that there was no poison; rather, Wang Sibo's vitality was alarmingly low.

What could have caused Wang Sibo's vitality to dwindle to such an extent?

Zhou Jibo mulled over this, channeling his true essence into the Sunbeam Mental Cultivation Method. His true essence, gentle and non-aggressive, coupled with Wang Sibo's critical condition, which left him unable to resist foreign true essence, allowed Zhou Jibo's energy to seamlessly enter Wang Sibo's body.

With Zhou Jibo's guidance, the true essence didn't harm Wang Sibo but instead rejuvenated him.

Given the resilience of a Soul Separation Stage warrior's body, Zhou Jibo's manipulation of the true essence sparked a slight activation of Wang Sibo's meridians. The affected region began to slowly regenerate, and vitality started to flow once more.

Could it be this simple?

Zhou Jibo was astonished but remained on high alert. The technique that had reduced a Soul Separation Stage warrior to such a dire state couldn't possibly be this straightforward.

As expected, within moments, a black mist emerged from the center of Wang Sibo's chest, consuming the freshly revived vitality.

Wang Sibo was plunged back into the throes of death.

Was his chest the critical point?

Zhou Jibo tore open Wang Sibo's shirt, revealing an odd pattern on his chest. It depicted a bizarre creature with the upper body of a bird and the lower body of a fish, its mouth pointed downward, seemingly draining the vitality from Wang Sibo.

What sort of affliction was this? How should he go about treating Wang Sibo?

It was peculiar—Wang Sibo, a Soul Separation Stage Warrior, bore such an unusual mark. Was he truly unaware of how to remove it?

After a brief contemplation, Zhou Jibo invested 4,000 attribute points to elevate his medical expertise to the third layer, hoping it might hold the key to resolving Wang Sibo's mysterious ailment.

Zhou Jibo's medical expertise had advanced to the third layer, granting him an expanded repertoire of healing techniques. He was now capable of treating not only internal injuries but also more severe wounds. Furthermore, there was a subtle synergy between his medical and alchemy skills, enhancing the effectiveness of both.

Spirit herbs imbued with vitality served dual purposes: as ingredients for specific pills and as remedies for illnesses and injuries, thanks to their potent ability to boost vitality.

This nuanced interplay deepened Zhou Jibo's insight into both medical and alchemical arts.

Deducting 8,000 attribute points, Zhou Jibo elevated his medical skills to the fourth layer, gaining additional methods to heal warriors. He could now address a wider array of ailments, including severed meridians, damaged dantians, and patients in the throes of madness.

Zhou Jibo believed his medical prowess to be unrivaled, as he had never encountered or heard of any other physician capable of curing such terminal conditions afflicting warriors.

Despite his expertise, the peculiar case of Wang Sibo remained a mystery to him.

Subtracting another 16,000 attribute points, Zhou Jibo's medical skills ascended to the fifth layer.

The influx of new memories left him slightly groggy, but he had at last accessed the sought-after information.

At the fifth layer, he could address complex warrior afflictions such as damaged bone roots, excavated bone roots, and the inability to cultivate true essence. These treatment methods were likely beyond anyone's imagination, bordering on the inconceivable.

Zhou Jibo's understanding extended to the mysterious pattern on Wang Sibo's chest.

It was known as the Picture of Bone Seizing, a covert technique where a pattern is etched onto an opponent's chest. This pattern causes the opponent's true essence and vitality to converge on the bone root, keeping it in prime condition for the engraver to eventually harvest the bone root.

This was no mere consequence of encountering dangerous Strange Beasts or monsters in a mine; it was the deliberate act of a fearsome individual with exceptional skill.

One question lingered: Who could so effortlessly manipulate a Soul Separation Stage warrior and inscribe the Picture of Bone Seizing without their knowledge?

Zhou Jibo felt a twinge of unease. Despite possessing a trillion attribute points, the urgency to grow stronger had just intensified.

The enigmatic and perilous mine outside Icefair City was clearly beyond his current capacity to meddle with. If those individuals harbored any designs on Icefair, he surmised that obliterating the entire city would hardly pose a challenge for them.

Zhou Jibo realized that only by advancing to the Soul Separation Stage could he stand a chance against adversaries of this caliber.

"Zhou Jibo, do you have a solution?" Wang Xuelan inquired, her concern evident upon seeing his grave demeanor.

He offered her a reassuring smile. "Rest assured, I have just the means to handle this situation."

Wang Xuelan's eyes lit up with hope. "Can you really save my grandfather?"

He nodded affirmatively and instructed Wang Xuelan and the maidservants to wait outside.

Once they had departed, Zhou Jibo unsheathed the Blood Stripe Sword, taking aim at Wang Sibo.

Had Wang Xuelan been present, she would have undoubtedly let out a terrified scream, for it appeared as though he was about to slay her grandfather.

With a concentrated expression, Zhou Jibo wielded the Blood Stripe Sword with utmost precision, piercing the bone root at Wang Sibo's chest ever so gently.

The lifeless blood that seeped from the incision coated the Picture of Bone Seizing.

Seizing this ephemeral moment, Zhou Jibo deftly lifted the palm-sized patch of skin etched with the Picture of Bone Seizing from Wang Sibo's chest using the sword.

This was the sole method to neutralize the Picture of Bone Seizing. The blood from one's bone root had to cover the image to temporarily suspend its effects, allowing for its removal from the individual's body.

Otherwise, the Picture of Bone Seizing and Wang Sibo's life would remain inextricably linked.

Zhou Jibo surveyed the ghastly wound on Wang Sibo. Although it appeared severe, a swift recovery was assured with the restoration of vitality and a touch of Bleeding Control Powder—within days, the wound would heal.

As the bloodied skin was cast aside, leaving behind a pungent scent, only a dark green, palm-sized orb remained.

The anomaly seized Zhou Jibo's attention in an instant. Could it actually be some kind of item?

Had he made a mistake in his thinking?

Upon further reflection, he considered that if both Wang Sibo and Yan Yuanlu had managed to exit the mine unscathed, and Wang Sibo hadn't detected anything unusual, perhaps they had been so focused on the deaths of the Warrior and the miner that they overlooked the presence of a dangerous item lurking within the mine?

Zhou Jibo deemed this possibility quite plausible. He cautiously wrapped the dark green object in cloth and once again employed the Sunbeam Mental Cultivation Method to rouse Wang Sibo.

Life slowly returned to Wang Sibo's body.

Moments later, his eyes fluttered open, and he uttered in a faint voice, "Xuelan?"