Novel Full Chapter 77 - 76: Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill
Chapter 77: Chapter 76: Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill
After successfully creating the Vein-Expanding Talisman, Li Yuan didn’t rush to continue practicing.
Two other talisman creation manuals lay open on the table. Among Tier One Low Grade Talismans, the Vein-Expanding Talisman was relatively simpler than the other two.
Li Yuan first turned his attention to the Golden Armor Talisman.
He dipped his talisman brush in Spiritual Ink, and his first stroke was steady enough. But when he reached the middle section, where several golden patterns had to be layered, he pressed his Spiritual Power into the paper. The edge of the talisman paper immediately stiffened, and in the next instant, a wisp of white smoke hissed out.
Ruined.
Li Yuan picked up the talisman paper, glanced at it, and casually placed it on the corner of his desk. Then, he switched to the Replenishing Talisman.
The first half of the Replenishing Talisman went even more smoothly. However, when he reached the Talisman Core, he failed to rein in his Spiritual Power when he should have. The inward-spiraling energy instantly dissipated, and the Spirit Pattern on the paper dimmed.
Ruined again.
After about ten consecutive attempts, he had failed to create either of the two Talismans.
A small stack of ruined talismans quickly piled up on the corner of his desk, and the faint smell of something burning now filled the room.
Li Yuan shook out his wrist and decided not to continue.
Tier One Low Grade Talismans were much harder than basic ones to begin with. He had only managed to master the Fireball Talisman after a long period of practice, and that was only because he already knew the Fireball Technique. It was normal to fail at drawing the Golden Armor Talisman and Replenishing Talisman, since he lacked that kind of foundation.
Li Yuan put away his talisman-crafting materials, then stood up and gathered the Demon Beast pelts as well.
With more people on the guard team and many of the Demon Beasts already cleared out, the materials he received these days weren’t plentiful, but it wasn’t a pittance, either. He had deliberately set some aside, planning to sell them to Talisman Master Lu.
Li Yuan had been to Talisman Master Lu’s residence several times before.
When he knocked and entered, Talisman Master Lu was sitting behind his desk, cutting talisman paper.
Seeing Li Yuan come in, Talisman Master Lu put down his knife, his gaze falling on the cloth bundle in Li Yuan’s hands.
"The Demon Beast hides you wanted." Li Yuan placed the bundle on the desk and spread it open for him to see.
Inside were two complete Tier One Low Grade beast hides and a few pieces of processed belly hide. The quality wasn’t top-notch, but it wasn’t bad either; at least there was no large-scale damage.
Talisman Master Lu picked them up, looked them over, and then stretched the surface of the hide with his hands.
"I’ll take these two Low Grade hides. The belly hides are usable too, but for a lower price."
"How much?"
Talisman Master Lu named a price.
After hearing it, Li Yuan nodded immediately.
"Deal."
This price was much better than what the guard team offered. The team always sold their Demon Beast materials in large batches, which inevitably drove the price down.
Talisman Master Lu took out some Spirit Stones from a drawer and handed them over. There was no haggling and no nonsense; he was always brisk when doing business.
Li Yuan accepted the Spirit Stones but didn’t leave. Instead, he asked a question.
"Talisman Master Lu, do you have any Cultivation Techniques for expanding meridians, or any leads on where to find one?"
Talisman Master Lu pondered for a couple of breaths before shaking his head.
"I don’t have anything like that here. There used to be a connection at the Loose Cultivator market, but I can’t get in touch with them now."
Li Yuan nodded, then turned and left.
After leaving Talisman Master Lu’s place, Li Yuan didn’t return to his residence but went straight to the Scripture Pavilion.
He pushed the door open. The Cultivator guarding the first floor was someone new.
The guard glanced up, saw the waist token on Li Yuan, and went back to organizing his ledgers.
"Looking for a Cultivation Technique?"
"Yes."
"Second floor. Find it yourself."
Li Yuan nodded and went upstairs.
The shelves on the second floor were much the same as before. On the left were common Magic and Cultivation Techniques. The rows on the right were far less frequented, holding various obscure auxiliary Skills, mortal techniques, and miscellaneous studies.
This time, Li Yuan didn’t head for the common Cultivation Techniques, instead walking directly to the innermost row.
The condition for making the Vein-Expanding Talisman permanent was clear—he had to open all the meridians in his body.
Qi Refining Stage Cultivators could already look inward and roughly identify the locations of their main and branch meridians.
But just because he could see them didn’t mean he could circulate Spiritual Power through them and force them open.
The major meridians were thick and sturdy; a mistake there might be salvageable. The minor meridians, however, were as fine as hairs. If he really tried to open them one by one on his own, the slightest deviation of his Spiritual Power would injure the meridian first.
Finding a pre-existing Skill was far better than experimenting recklessly on his own body.
Li Yuan scanned the shelves row by row.
There were techniques for specializing in the lung meridians, for nurturing the liver meridians, and for specifically harmonizing Spiritual Power within the internal organs. Most were geared toward health preservation or only focused on a few major meridians.
Until, in the farthest corner, he found a thin booklet. The wooden plaque bore just four words: Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill.
He touched it. No entry appeared.
Li Yuan pulled out the introductory booklet next to it and opened it to the first few pages.
This Skill was a perfect fit for him. It allowed one to break down Spiritual Power into extremely fine threads and use them to gradually grind open the tiny meridians that were almost never used.
The practice was extremely slow, the process incredibly meticulous, and it demanded extraordinary patience.
Below the wooden plaque was an additional line of small text: "Mostly practiced by those at the Qi Refining Ninth Level with no hope of Foundation Establishment. Can slightly increase one’s Spiritual Power limit."
This was a Skill specifically prepared for Cultivators at the Qi Refining Ninth Level who had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Before reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Level, cultivating this Skill offered a poor return on investment.
But for Li Yuan, it was exactly what he needed.
Eighteen Contribution Points in total.
Li Yuan closed the booklet and turned to go downstairs.
The guarding Cultivator glanced up at him.
"The Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill?"
"Yes."
The Cultivator opened a register, made a note in it, and added, "Not many people trade for this Cultivation Technique. Don’t be fooled by its apparent uselessness—it’s actually quite profound. If more people wanted it, it wouldn’t be this cheap."
"I’d advise you not to spend too much effort on it."
Li Yuan nodded to show he understood, paid the Contribution Points, and left the Scripture Pavilion with the booklet.
After returning to his residence, Li Yuan unwrapped the booklet.
The booklet wasn’t thick, but its contents were very detailed. The first half was dedicated to explaining how to split a wisp of Spiritual Power into numerous, finer Spirit Silks. The latter half detailed the meridian-guiding routes.
Following the Skill’s instructions, Li Yuan sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his power.
It didn’t go smoothly at first.
The Spiritual Power in his Dantian normally flowed smoothly and thickly. Forcibly splitting it into fine threads was like trying to unravel a thick rope into fine linen; the slightest lapse in concentration, and the Spiritual Power would simply disperse.
Li Yuan tried several times, gradually slowing down his pace.
After a while, the first Spirit Silk finally, barely took form. It slowly branched off from the edge of a major meridian and bored into a minor one he had almost never used.
As soon as it made contact, the minor meridian swelled slightly.
It didn’t hurt, but there was a strange, tight sensation.
Li Yuan didn’t try to force his way through. Following the Skill’s method, he sent the wisp of Spiritual Power inward, little by little.
The Spirit Silk only managed to enter a short distance before it got stuck.
But that was enough.
It proved he was on the right path.
Li Yuan slowly withdrew his power. When he opened his eyes, a fine sheen of sweat had appeared on his temples.
This Skill was indeed difficult to practice, and it was certainly slow.
But as long as it could grind open his minor meridians, he would be able to meet the condition for making the Vein-Expanding Talisman permanent.
Li Yuan let out a breath. This Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill could open all the minor meridians in his body. When combined with the Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill, continued cultivation would allow him to meet the permanency condition for the Vein-Expanding Talisman.
He placed the Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill booklet on his bedside table, sat back down at his desk, and spread out a sheet of talisman paper.
He resumed drawing the Golden Armor Talisman.
The first sheet was another failure.
He barely made it to the second half on the next one, but as he drew the final stroke, the Talisman Core trembled and went dark.
It was the same with the Replenishing Talisman.
Two more ruined sheets of paper joined the pile on the corner of his desk.
But Li Yuan didn’t stop. He dipped his talisman brush in ink and brought it down again.
The room was very quiet.
On one hand, there were the Spirit Patterns gradually spreading across the talisman paper. On the other, the minor meridian inside him, just touched open by the Spirit Silk, still held a faint, lingering warmth.