C3 Origin Meridian Withered

"Get lost, you shameless jerk!" Shieh Longtai kicked Bai Tianyu, sending him crashing into a hard rock. "Why didn't you think about us being classmates when you framed Qiao Gao?"

Bai Tianyu, seeing stars, struggled to crawl back.

Qiao Gao stood with his hands behind his back, casting a cold glance at Bai Tianyu. He extended his hand. "You have two bottles of Body Refining Ointment, don't you? Hand them over!"

Bai Tianyu, barely conscious, was shocked and stared at Qiao Gao, blurting out, "How did you know I have two bottles of Body Refining Ointment?"

The Body Refining Ointment, though considered a subpar medicine pill, was still a precious commodity for warriors at the Vein Connecting Stage, especially those who had only opened fewer than three essence veins.

On the market, a single bottle of ordinary Body Refining Ointment could sell for as much as $100. Some lower-level warriors at the Vein Connecting Stage earned about $100 a year.

As you can imagine, this ointment was a luxury item for those warriors.

Despite its high price, the ointment greatly enhanced physical strength and even helped in opening essence veins. It's said that a single bottle could increase the probability of opening nine essence veins by 30%.

This number was already terrifying because most martial artists spend their entire lives unable to open all nine energy channels, living half their lives in mediocrity before becoming nothing more than dust.

Qiao Gao smirked coldly. As the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch, he had an uncanny sensitivity to herbs, able to identify any within a hundred yards with just a sniff. So, Bai Tianyu's possession of Body Refining Ointment was no secret to him.

Initially, Bai Tianyu was skeptical about Qiao Gao's ability to detoxify, but now he was a believer. The Body Refining Ointment was valuable, but his life was more important. Using the last of his strength, Bai Tianyu offered up two bottles of the ointment before collapsing onto the cold rock.

Qiao Gao took the bottles and then approached, stepping onto Bai Tianyu with all his might.

"Whoa, are you trying to crush me?" Bai Tianyu screamed in agony, rolling on the ground, bloodied and battered.

Qiao Gao caught up with Bai Tianyu, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks, each one landing with precision on vulnerable spots.

"Damn it, Qiao Gao, do you even know how to detoxify? Are you trying to kill me?" Bai Tianyu's cries echoed through the cold, empty mine.

With a steely expression, Qiao Gao continued his relentless assault, each blow heavier than the last.

“Don’t move, I’m helping you detox,” Qiao Gao said in a deep voice.

The students in the mine were dumbfounded. What kind of detox was this? It looked more like revenge. Seeing Qiao Gao’s ruthless demeanor, those who had considered stepping in felt a chill run down their spines. It was a good thing they hadn’t intervened, or else...

“Stop it! If you keep going, someone’s really going to get hurt,” Shieh Longtai said, bewildered by the situation. He quickly moved to restrain Qiao Gao.

After all, Bai Tianyu was a direct descendant of the Bai family. Even though he hadn’t entered Flowing Cloud Academy, he already had two bottles of Body Refining Ointment, proving his significant status within the family. Shieh Longtai, also a direct descendant and the ninth heir of the Bai family, had to wait until he was accepted into the academy to receive even one bottle.

If Bai Tianyu were killed, the enraged Bai family could easily use it as an excuse to destroy the Qiao family.

“One last hit,” Qiao Gao declared.

He managed to break free from Shieh Longtai, who had already unlocked two energy channels, and somehow found a wooden stick as thick as an arm. With a powerful swing, he struck Bai Tianyu’s temple.

“Crack.”

The stick shattered into several pieces, and Bai Tianyu fell heavily onto the rocks, unconscious.

"What are you doing, Qiao Gao?" Shieh Longtai shouted anxiously, pointing at the unconscious Bai Tianyu. "If you kill him, your whole family will be in trouble."

Qiao Gao just smiled calmly. "I'm detoxifying him."

"Is that how you detoxify someone?" Shieh Longtai's face turned red with frustration.

"Just watch," Qiao Gao replied, strolling over to the unconscious Bai Tianyu. He casually tapped a few points on Bai's body, and suddenly, Bai coughed up three mouthfuls of black blood.

Bai Tianyu, his face battered beyond recognition, looked around in confusion. "Am I still alive?"

Qiao Gao said coldly, "Go home and take a mid-level detox pill. It'll clear out the toxins, and after a few days of rest, you'll be fully recovered."

In reality, Qiao Gao's seemingly random punches and kicks were a technique to unblock Bai's energy channels and expel the toxins from his body. This method, known as the 'Thousand-hammer Vein Connecting Technique,' is a common detoxification technique in advanced regions, but unheard of in this remote and backward area.

"Bai Tianyu actually woke up."

"Could Qiao Gao really know how to detoxify?"

"That's nonsense. If random punches and kicks could detoxify, then I'd be a detox expert too."

Inside the mine, the trainees whispered quietly, but none dared to entertain any inappropriate thoughts about the two bottles of Body Refining Ointment.

"Here," Qiao Gao said, tossing a bottle to Shieh Longtai, who chuckled and accepted it without hesitation.

Finding a dry rock in the mine, Qiao Gao opened the ointment, sniffed it, and frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied. "This Pill Refining Master's skills are really subpar. The scent and quality are both below standard."

From a distance, Bai Tianyu watched Qiao Gao use the ointment, nearly fuming with anger. That Body Refining Ointment was a product of Cloud Soaring Hall! Their medicines were limited in supply, and even with money, they weren't easy to acquire. Bai Tianyu's father had to pull strings to get two bottles. Now, Qiao Gao, who got them effortlessly, was criticizing them as worthless. Did he really think he was better than the Pill Refining Masters at Cloud Soaring Hall?

Qiao Gao applied the ointment all over his body, sat cross-legged, and soon felt a warmth spreading through him. His pores opened up, and the ointment's effects kicked in, allowing a surge of energy to flood into his muscles.

Pop, pop, pop...

Soon, his pores began to expel a large amount of black impurities.

The essence gathered into a single point, flowing into the only open vein in Qiao Gao's body.

"Hmm?" Qiao Gao frowned, thinking, "Why is my vein so small?"

It seemed... almost shriveled and depleted.

"A mere human rank essence vein, and it's already shriveled? That's not normal!"

Qiao Gao's expression turned grim. The human body conceals nine essence veins, all equal in number. However, the veins are categorized into 'Human Rank,' 'Earth Rank,' and 'Heaven Rank' essence veins. Human Rank veins are the lowest and most common, while Heaven Rank veins are extremely rare. Even in all of Great Flame City, those who can open a Heaven Rank vein are fewer than you can count on one hand.

This shows just how rare and gifted one must be to possess a Heaven Rank vein!

Qiao Gao had only opened one vein, which was already considered mediocre, and now even that single vein seemed to be shrinking, almost to the point of withering away. Once an essence vein withers, Qiao Gao's path in cultivation would nearly come to an end.

The power from the Body Refining Ointment merged into Qiao Gao's sole vein, like rain after a long drought, bringing a bit of life back to it. However, before Qiao Gao could feel any excitement, his vein quickly dried up again...

It was as if all the moisture and nutrients were being drained away...

"There's definitely a big problem. Could it be an injury?"

Qiao Gao's face darkened immediately; an injury to the essence vein was no trivial matter.

After changing into dry clothes, he felt refreshed, thanks to the Body Refining Ointment, even though his expression remained serious. His strength and vitality had noticeably increased.

At this moment, Shieh Longtai shouted with excitement. A gust of wind swirled around him, his energy rivaling that of Bai Tianyu at his peak!

"Ha ha, thanks for the Body Refining Ointment, brother. I wouldn't have cleared my third essence vein so quickly without it," Shieh Longtai said, bouncing over and giving Qiao Gao a hearty pat on the shoulder.

Qiao Gao nodded, offering a few words of congratulations, though his mind was still preoccupied with his own withering essence vein. Its impending decline was a significant issue he couldn't ignore.

Just then, a clear, pleasant voice came from outside the mine.

"So, everyone's here."

Several figures entered in single file. Leading them was a man and a woman. The man was tall and imposing, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, carrying a green sword on his back. Though he kept his aura restrained, everyone could sense the fierce energy emanating from him.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, with jade-like skin and long hair that flowed down to her waist, her attire as pristine as snow, accentuating her alluring figure. However, her icy demeanor and cold gaze kept others at a distance.

The voice that just spoke must belong to the ice-cold beauty.

“So it’s Senior Ningxue and Senior Jutian.”

“We’re saved!”

The students in the mine cheered, the thrill of surviving a near-death experience evident in their voices.

“Everyone, get ready. The trial is ending early, and we’re heading back to the academy,” Ningxue announced, glancing around. Except for Jutian, who was seriously injured, the others were mostly unscathed—a small blessing amid the chaos.

The Scorpion Tail Tiger, a massive beast, was formidable enough to intimidate even warriors who had opened seven or more essence veins. It required strategic planning to defeat. Among the students present, the strongest had only opened three essence veins, making them easy prey for the beast’s deadly claws.

The students eagerly agreed, confident that with Ningxue and Jutian, both from the inner academy, they would safely return.

Just as everyone thought they could leave the perilous Devil Dragon Mining Area, Qiao Gao smirked, “Anyone who doesn’t want to die can leave with this senior.”

What?

In the mine, all eyes turned to Qiao Gao.

“Who is he?”

“He’s Qiao Gao, the one who survived a hit from the Scorpion Tail Tiger.”

“Yeah, and he gave Jutian a good lesson.”

Shieh Longtai awkwardly smiled at the group, squeezing closer to Qiao Gao. In a hushed tone, he said, “Qiao Gao, what are you up to? Ningxue isn’t just a senior from the inner academy; she’s also a substitute mentor in the outer academy. She’s not like Jutian, who doesn’t even count as an outer academy student. You really shouldn’t offend her.”

"The Scorpion Tail Tiger was not only slain by upperclassmen Ningxue and Jutian, but they also cleared out its entire lair."

"Sticking with Ningxue is the safest bet," the freshmen who followed her remarked mockingly.

Ningxue, with her cold demeanor, walked gracefully toward Qiao Gao. Besides the chilling aura that made Qiao feel like he was in an icehouse, her ethereal beauty became even more apparent as she approached. Even though Qiao had seen countless stunning women, Ningxue was truly exceptional.

"Do you think my abilities aren't enough to ensure everyone's safe return to the academy?" Ningxue asked, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her expression as calm and cold as a still pond.

"It's not about your abilities," Qiao replied calmly. "It's because... you're severely poisoned and on the verge of turning into a corpse!"