C8 Horned Dragon Sword Scripture

Yuan Ling had been awake for some time outside. At that moment, an eerie power coupled with an unexpected surge of soul force rampaged through his body. He felt like a furnace ablaze, his skin a fiery red as though scalded by boiling water. Inside him, the two forces collided and crashed, desperately seeking an escape, yet found none.

These forces were formidable, far surpassing Yuan Ling's threshold of endurance. In a flash, he burst from the carriage and lay in the snow, attempting to soothe his searing body with its chill embrace.

So hot!

The relief was fleeting; the snow beneath him quickly melted, and once again, his body became furnace-like. Overwhelmed by an agonizing pain that seemed to rip his heart to shreds, he writhed desperately in the snow. Despite the excruciating pain, his consciousness remained sharp. He knew he had to address the turmoil within him swiftly, or the outcome would be dire.

Expel the forces from his body? Yuan Ling was no fool; such an action was out of the question. These tormenting forces also presented a precious opportunity. With proper guidance, he could harness their strength to burst through his body's meridians and Acupoints.

Abruptly, as Yuan Ling began the guiding process, a peculiar power emanated from his chest, drawing the two forces within him toward his lower abdomen. What was this?

The teachings of the Horned Dragon Sword Scripture, bestowed upon him by Bai Lun, flashed through his mind. Before Yuan Ling could even process this, his body involuntarily sprang into action. He leaped up from the ground, snatching a dry twig in the process, and commenced his practice.

Such a masterful sword technique! In his regular practice, he had found the technique bizarre, but now, he instantly grasped its profound intricacies. As he executed the moves, the Golden Dragon Heavy Heaven Spell began to operate autonomously. The once rampant forces inside Yuan Ling were now being tamed, mysteriously converging in his lower abdomen. The complex process of easing the meridians proceeded without his intervention.

As time passed, Yuan Ling's swordsmanship grew increasingly swift.

The sensation of pent-up frustration in his chest, yearning for release, intensified.

Boom!

It was as if a thunderous noise erupted from within him.

In an instant, all the power within his body seemed to converge and surge into his lower abdomen.

A wave of tranquility washed over him.

Exhilarating!

It was unbelievably exhilarating!

Yuan Ling felt an unprecedented level of comfort, and he noticed a significant increase in his physical strength.

With a slight exertion of force from his feet, he leaped two to three meters into the air.

The Horned Dragon Sword Scripture, which focuses on Acupoints, had clearly unblocked one, relieving all pressure.

Upon introspection, Yuan Ling discovered that the Acupoint he had opened was not one he had previously worked on, but a completely new one.

Typically, the sequence of unlocking Acupoints and meridians varies with each technique.

The Acupoint he had opened with the Horned Dragon Sword Scripture was located in his lower abdomen.

Known as the Gate of Desire, this Acupoint was said to grant control over one's emotions and desires, and could only be unlocked through intense longing.

The rampant power within him, a manifestation of desire, was likely triggered by the encounter with the woman earlier.

Yuan Ling glanced at the noticeable bulge at his crotch and couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

Regrettably, the Gate of Desire was not included in the Golden Dragon Heavy Heaven Spell's cultivation system.

Nevertheless, having an extra Acupoint was undoubtedly beneficial.

In the future, while other warriors would have only nine Acupoints, he would possess ten—a considerable advantage.

After further internal observation, Yuan Ling noted that the Acupoint he had previously opened remained unchanged, and the two additional forces within him had been depleted.

Yet, it was peculiar that such immense power, which should have been more than sufficient to break through the Nine-vein Nine-aperture, only managed to open a single Acupoint before vanishing.

Yuan Ling was struck by a sudden recollection of the mysterious force that surged through his chest at a crucial moment. "If I'm not mistaken, it must have been the Jade Certificate Golden Book that made the difference..." he mused, furrowing his brow as he pulled the artifact from his pocket. To him, the book had seemed of little value beyond listing the names of the royal lineage. Could there be an unknown secret lurking within its pages?

After scrutinizing the Jade Certificate Golden Book for some time, Yuan Ling reluctantly set it aside. With his current inability to wield his Divine Sense, delving into the book's mysteries was impossible. He resolved to revisit its secrets once his cultivation had sufficiently advanced. Tucking the book away, he brushed the accumulated snow from his clothing.

The once lively campfire had died, leaving the forest in an eerie hush. Yuan Ling dashed to the three carriages, inspecting each with haste. Everyone appeared unharmed, merely sleeping deeply, but Yuan Ling's past encounters with the Soul Seed made him wary; he doubted their assailants would spare anyone here.

He recalled his own brush with possession, the woman intent on turning him into her puppet. It was likely, he realized with a surge of anxiety, that the others faced a similar threat. Were they already under someone's sway? The mere possibility sent Yuan Ling's pulse racing. If they were under control, his own safety was in jeopardy.

The village chief, a formidable figure, was of particular concern. If someone had managed to control him, the situation would be dire. Yuan Ling examined the chief, who appeared to be merely sleeping, but the truth remained elusive. Logically, the chief, a practitioner of the Hidden Consciousness Stage, would require a manipulator of at least the Divine Ability Stage—far beyond the capabilities of their recent foes.

With his cultivation at its current meager level, Yuan Ling knew he must tread carefully, avoiding any undue attention that might betray him. With this in mind, he slipped back to his own carriage.

Yuan Ling gazed at Yuan Mu and Yuan Sang, still lost in slumber, and a wry smile crossed his face as he shook his head in amusement.

These two little guys were incredibly fortunate. Had he not caught that woman's attention, things might have turned out quite dangerous for him.

After over ten days of relentless snowfall, the skies finally cleared.

Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled light onto the carriage. Sounds from the forest signaled the martial artists of Yuan Village rising and bustling about; all seemed as it should be.

Yuan Mu, the hefty fellow, was up with the dawn.

Once he roused Yuan Ling and Yuan Sang in the carriage, he hopped down with a thud.

He darted into the other two carriages, and soon, the dozen or so children of Yuan Village were all awake.

The campsite buzzed with the clamor and roughhousing of children, alive with excitement.

Yuan Sang peeked through the curtain, eyeing the playful children with a hint of envy.

But he quickly set his jaw, dropped the curtain, and withdrew into the carriage to sit cross-legged and begin his cultivation practice.

Yuan Ling chuckled at the sight, all too familiar.

"The weather's lovely today. Why not step out and enjoy some fresh air?"

Yuan Sang bit his lip, psyching himself up.

"Today, I think we'll reach our destination. I need to double down on my training. If I can manage to open a meridian beforehand, the rewards from the baptism will be that much greater."

Yuan Ling let out a sigh.

"We've got less than a day left. Time is too short. We've been pushing ourselves hard in our daily training, maybe too hard. Taking a breather now and then could yield some surprising benefits."

"I'll be ten soon. We train diligently every day, far more intensely than the others. Yet, we're the only two in Yuan Village who haven't unlocked our meridians. It just doesn't seem fair!"

Yuan Sang's fists tightened, his face a mask of frustration.

He exhaled deeply before asking, "How's your training coming along?"

Yuan Ling replied with a smile, "My lineage is that of the Sword Blood Clan, which sets me apart. Whenever my meridians are on the verge of breaking through, the Sword Blood Shackles lock them up, thwarting my progress.

My father once said that as long as one unlocks their meridians before sixteen, it's not considered late. In our One-vein, this situation is pretty standard."

Yuan Sang paused, then said, "But my mother mentioned that sixteen is a milestone. If a cultivator can't reach at least Martial Artist Level Seven, they're considered a failure. Even if they continue their training, their potential for future accomplishments is severely limited. Wasn't your father just trying to comfort you?"

Yuan Ling paused and shook his head. "I hadn't really considered that. Perhaps he was indeed trying to comfort me. But this baptism is a chance. I've heard of people who, in the midst of their baptism, suddenly opened several meridians at once. Even if we're unlucky, we can't fail to open a single one, right?"

"Let's hope so..." Yuan Sang sighed and resumed his cross-legged position, immersing himself in cultivation once more.

Watching Yuan Sang, eyes closed and deep in his practice, Yuan Ling shook his head. In Yuan Village, they were the closest of friends, and Yuan Sang was just as dedicated in his cultivation, yet without any success. Yuan Ling had already experienced a stroke of luck, opening a meridian ahead of time. Now, he hoped his friend could do the same before the baptism.

The children in the camp were huddled together, eagerly discussing the baptism as if the previous night's events had never occurred. The boisterous laughter of the chubby kid filled the air, resonating throughout the camp.

Yuan Ling stepped down from the carriage, careful not to interrupt Yuan Sang's cultivation. He sat quietly to the side, watching the children frolic in the snow. It was then he noticed Yuan Tian was absent, likely still asleep.

The thought of Yuan Tian, with whom he had clashed, caused Yuan Ling's brow to crease. Despite his feelings, he didn't wish for him to be under someone else's control. With the numerous masked assailants from the night before, it was probable that more than one child had been manipulated.

Yuan Ling doubted they were as fortunate as he had been. Identifying who had been overtaken, however, proved to be quite the challenge. After observing for some time, he noted that the children seemed unchanged, their natural childlike innocence impossible for an adult to imitate. Yet, it was he who felt his own youthful innocence had inexplicably faded, tainted by the enigmatic memories.

"It seems it might not have been a case of possession but rather a different tactic..."

Ye Fann surmised that the woman had likely coveted his unique Sword Body constitution the previous night, hence why she had attempted to possess him directly. The others probably resorted to different means.

Yuan Ling shook his head involuntarily.

Regardless, it was clear that these individuals had been interfered with in some way. Caution would be paramount going forward.

Lost in thought, Yuan Ling's mind drifted back to the events of the previous night.

The Jade Certificate Golden Book came to mind, and he couldn't help but feel astonished.

As far as he could remember, there were no secrets associated with the Jade Certificate Golden Book.

Yet, the previous night, it had absorbed two formidable forces from within him, indicating that it certainly harbored secrets unknown to others.

Regrettably, despite having unlocked his Divine Aperture, Yuan Ling's level of cultivation was insufficient to utilize it.

Otherwise, he could have employed his Divine Sense to probe the Jade Certificate Golden Book for its mysteries.

Feeling the Jade Certificate Golden Book in his pocket, Yuan Ling's heart raced.

He was plagued by the frustrating sensation of sitting atop a mountain of treasure, powerless to mine it, with nothing to do but look on helplessly.