C3 Her Origin Meridian Withered

"Scram, you shameless cur!" Shieh Longtai bellowed as he booted Bai Tianyu, who was in a sorry state, sending him crashing into the unforgiving rock. "Didn't think about our camaraderie when you were busy setting up Qiao Gao, did you?"

Stars swirled in Bai Tianyu's vision as he struggled to his feet once more.

Qiao Gao, hands clasped behind his back, cast a dismissive glance at Bai Tianyu and extended his hand. "Hand over the two bottles of Body Refining Ointment you're carrying," he demanded.

Bai Tianyu, barely clinging to consciousness, jolted in shock. He gaped at Qiao Gao, incredulous. "How did you know I had two bottles of Body Refining Ointment?"

The Body Refining Ointment, though considered a lower-grade Medicine Pill compared to the elite Grade One, was nonetheless a coveted treasure for those at the Vein Connecting Stage—particularly for novice martial artists who had unlocked no more than three primary meridians.

In the market, a single bottle of this ordinary Body Refining Ointment fetched a steep price of a hundred crystals—a sum that equaled the annual earnings of some lesser Vein Connecting Stage warriors.

It was clear, then, that for those at the Vein Connecting Stage, the Body Refining Ointment was nothing short of a luxurious extravagance.

Despite its costliness, the ointment played a crucial role in fortifying the body and aiding in the unlocking of primary meridians. Rumor had it that one bottle could boost the chances of opening nine primary meridians by a formidable thirty percent.

Such a figure was staggering, considering the majority of martial artists would never achieve the feat of unlocking all nine primary meridians in their lifetime, living out their days in mediocrity, only to eventually return to dust.

Qiao Gao's laugh was icy. As the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch, his sensitivity to medicinal herbs was unparalleled; a mere whiff was all it took for him to discern the presence of any herbs within a hundred-meter radius. Thus, the fact that Bai Tianyu possessed Body Refining Ointment was something he could never conceal from Qiao Gao.

Initially, Bai Tianyu was skeptical about Qiao Gao's ability to neutralize the poison, but now he was a full believer. Despite the high value of the Body Refining Ointment, his life was at stake.

Exhausting his last ounce of strength, Bai Tianyu presented two bottles of the ointment before collapsing on the icy rock.

Qiao Gao accepted the ointment and approached Bai Tianyu, stomping down on him with all his might.

"Wow, are you trying to crush me to death?" Bai Tianyu wailed in agony, writhing and rolling on the ground, his head bleeding profusely.

Qiao Gao pursued Bai Tianyu, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks, each blow landing with precision on vital points.

"Damn it, Qiao Gao, can you actually cure the poison, or are you trying to kill me?" Bai Tianyu's cries reverberated through the chilly, cavernous mine.

Qiao Gao, expressionless, continued his assault, each round of beatings more severe than the last.

"Stop squirming; I'm detoxifying you," Qiao Gao stated firmly.

The onlooking students in the mine were left in shock. This was Qiao Gao's method of detoxification? It seemed more like vengeance.

Witnessing Qiao Gao's mercilessness, the students who had contemplated intervening were now gripped by a cold fear, grateful for their earlier restraint.

"Enough, stop! Any more and you might actually take his life," Shieh Longtai interjected, bewildered by the unfolding scene, and hurried to restrain Qiao Gao.

Bai Tianyu was, after all, a direct heir of the Bai family. The mere fact he possessed two bottles of Body Refining Ointment before even setting foot in Flowing Cloud Academy spoke volumes of his high standing within the family.

Shieh Longtai, another direct heir and the Ninth Successor of the Bai family, wouldn't receive a single bottle of the ointment until he was admitted to the academy.

If Qiao Gao were to seriously harm Bai Tianyu, the enraged Bai family would seize the opportunity to obliterate the Qiao family in the blink of an eye.

"The final blow."

Qiao Gao managed to break free from Shieh Longtai, who had already unlocked two of his meridians, and somehow found a wooden stick as thick as an arm. With a gust of wind, he brought it crashing down on Bai Tianyu's temple.

"Crack!"

The stick shattered into several pieces, and Bai Tianyu tumbled onto the rocks, knocked out cold.

"Qiao Gao, what have you done!"

Shieh Longtai, pointing at the motionless Bai Tianyu, yelled in panic, "If Bai Tianyu dies, the Qiao family will pay dearly."

Qiao Gao simply smiled and responded, "Antidote."

"Who administers an antidote like that?"

Shieh Longtai was livid, his face flushed and neck bulging with anger.

"Just watch." Qiao Gao strolled over to the unconscious Bai Tianyu and nonchalantly pressed a few acupoints. Bai Tianyu suddenly vomited three mouthfuls of black blood.

Looking bewildered and battered, Bai Tianyu gazed at the crowd, still groggy, "Am I alive?"

Qiao Gao replied indifferently, "Return and take an Intermediate Detoxification Pill. Once the toxins are fully purged, you'll be back on your feet in a few days."

In truth, Qiao Gao's seemingly random beating was a calculated effort to clear Bai Tianyu's meridians and expel the poison from his body. This technique, known as the Thousand-hammer Vein Connecting Technique, was a common detoxification method in the Nine Heavens. But in the backwater North Star Country, it was, of course, unheard of.

"Bai Tianyu actually came to!"

"Can Qiao Gao really detoxify?"

"Ridiculous. If random beating could detoxify, then I'd be a master of it!"

The students in the mine murmured among themselves, yet none dared covet the two bottles of Body Refining Ointment.

"Take this."

Qiao Gao tossed a bottle of the ointment to Shieh Longtai, who caught it with a sly grin, not bothering with formalities as he gladly accepted the gift.

In the mine, Qiao Gao settled on a dry rock and opened the Body Refining Ointment. He took a whiff and scrunched his nose in dissatisfaction. "The skills of this Pill Refining Master are subpar. The scent and the quality both fail to meet the mark."

Bai Tianyu watched from a distance, his gaze fixed on Qiao Gao with a mix of anxiety and envy. The Body Refining Ointment that Qiao Gao was nonchalantly criticizing was a prestigious product from Cloud Soaring Hall! Cloud Soaring Hall's Medicine Pills were in short supply, and even with Origin Crystals, one couldn't be sure to secure even a single bottle. Bai Tianyu's father had pulled strings just to obtain two. And here was Qiao Gao, having effortlessly acquired the ointment, deeming it worthless. Did he really consider himself superior to the Pill Refining Masters of Cloud Soaring Hall?

After applying the Body Refining Ointment all over, Qiao Gao sat down cross-legged and soon felt a warmth spreading through his body. His pores opened wide, allowing the ointment's effects to kick in as essence energy surged into his flesh.

Snap, crackle, pop...

In no time, his pores expelled a copious amount of black impurities. The essence energy then coalesced into a sphere and poured into Qiao Gao's sole Essence Vein.

"Hmm?" He furrowed his brow, a troubling thought crossing his mind. "Why is my Essence Vein so diminutive?"

It seemed to have shrunk, almost withered away.

"A Human Rank Essence Vein, and it's shrinking? That's highly unusual!"

Qiao Gao's face darkened. Every human had nine Essence Veins, but they were categorized into Human, Earth, and Heaven Ranks. The Human Rank was the lowest and most common, while the Heaven Rank was exceedingly rare. In all of Great Flame City, you could count on one hand the individuals who had unlocked a Heaven Rank Essence Vein—a testament to its scarcity.

Qiao Gao had only managed to unlock one Essence Vein, and his talent was already considered lackluster. Now, to see his sole Essence Vein withering was a dire sign. If it were to completely atrophy, it would signify the end of Qiao Gao's journey in cultivation.

The vital energy from the Body Refining Ointment had fully integrated into Qiao Gao's sole Essence Vein, revitalizing it as if a parched land had been blessed with a refreshing rain. Yet, before Qiao Gao could revel in this renewal, his Essence Vein rapidly withered again, as if every last drop of moisture and nutrients had been drained away.

"There's definitely a serious issue. Could it be an injury?" Qiao Gao's expression turned grim. An injury to the Essence Vein was no trivial matter.

Donning a fresh set of clothes, his expression remained somber, but the effects of the ointment left him feeling rejuvenated. His strength and overall vitality had significantly increased.

At that moment, Shieh Longtai let out a triumphant yell. A whirlwind erupted, entwined with Origin Energy, rivaling the peak power of Bai Tianyu!

"Haha, brother, I owe you big time for that Body Refining Ointment. Without it, I wouldn't have broken through to my third meridian so quickly," the rotund Shieh Longtai said, running over and giving Qiao Gao a hearty pat on the shoulder.

Qiao Gao nodded and offered a few words of congratulations, though his thoughts lingered on his own deteriorating Essence Vein. The prospect of it withering away was a grave concern that demanded his full attention.

Just then, a voice rang out.

"Looks like everyone's gathered here."

A crisp, pleasant voice echoed from outside the mine as several figures filed in. Leading the group were a man and a woman. The man stood tall and proud, with sharp, commanding features and a green treasure sword slung across his back. His presence was subdued, yet his potent Origin Energy was palpable to all.

The woman was a vision of beauty, with skin as smooth as jade and long hair cascading down her back, fluttering in the breeze. Her snow-white garments accentuated her captivating silhouette. Despite her allure, she exuded a frosty aura, her gaze cold and distant, as if she was untouchable.

It was this ice beauty who had spoken.

"It's none other than Senior Sister Hwang Ningxue and Senior Brother Bai Jutian."

"We're saved," the students in the mine exclaimed, their relief and joy at being rescued palpable.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves. We're ending the assessment trial ahead of schedule and heading back to the academy immediately," Hwang Ningxue announced, sweeping her gaze over the group. Fortunately, aside from Bai Tianyu, who had sustained serious injuries, the rest were relatively unscathed—a silver lining in an unfortunate situation.

Facing a formidable demonic beast like the Scorpion Tail Tiger, even a martial artist who had unlocked seven or more essence veins wouldn't dare engage it directly; it required strategic formation to combat. The strongest among these students had only managed to unlock three essence veins, making them low-level martial artists at best. A mere swipe of the Scorpion Tail Tiger's claw could be fatal!

The students erupted in cheers, relieved. With Hwang Ningxue and Bai Jutian, two esteemed inner-court students, to escort them, they felt assured of a safe return to the academy.

However, just as everyone was ready to leave the perilous Devil Dragon Mining Area behind, Qiao Gao let out a mocking laugh. "Those who don't wish to die are welcome to depart with our esteemed Senior Sister," he said.

A murmur of confusion rippled through the mining cave as all eyes turned to Qiao Gao.

"Who is that?"

"That's Qiao Gao. He survived a hit from the Scorpion Tail Tiger."

"And he gave Bai Tianyu a good thrashing, too!"

Shieh Longtai flashed an awkward smile at the crowd before edging closer to Qiao Gao, speaking in a hushed tone, "Qiao Gao, what are you playing at? Hwang Ningxue isn't just any senior sister from the inner court; she's also the acting mentor for the outer court. She's not like Bai Tianyu, who barely counts as an outer court student. You can't afford to cross her."

"Senior Sister Hwang Ningxue and Senior Bai Jutian didn't just slay that Scorpion Tail Tiger—they cleared out its entire lair!"

"Sticking with Senior Sister Hwang Ningxue is our safest bet," the newcomers who had arrived with her scoffed.

With an air of icy composure, Hwang Ningxue glided closer to Qiao Gao. The chill of her ice-cold Origin Energy was surprising, but it was her ethereal beauty that captivated him even more. Despite having encountered numerous stunning women in the Nine Heavens, Hwang Ningxue stood out as a rare gem among mortals.

"Classmate, are you implying that I lack the strength to ensure our classmates' safe return to the academy?" Hwang Ningxue's brows furrowed subtly, her icy expression as still as an ancient well, utterly unrippled.

"It's not about strength," Qiao Gao replied calmly. "The issue is... you've been poisoned by the corpse toxin, and you're on the verge of becoming a rotting corpse yourself!"