Chapter 16

As the purple qi from the east continuously flowed into the Niwan Palace from the eastern sky, the ancient tripod inside the Niwan Palace shone brighter and brighter. The bottom of the tripod connected with the purple qi from the east, as if it had connected to the source, gradually overflowing. Then, a stream of yellow qi began to flow from the tripod's mouth, following the meridians and blood vessels of the body from top to bottom, quickly spreading throughout the entire body.

If the Niwan Palace were compared to the sea and the body to the land, then the streams of yellow qi flowing out of the Niwan Palace would be like rivers, with nine of these "rivers" being the widest. These nine rivers led to the arms, legs, and the five organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Numerous "branch rivers" branched out from these nine "main rivers," densely covering the "land."

In the arms, legs, and the five organs through which the nine "main rivers" flowed, there were actually ancient tripods in each of the two arms. These tripods were also yellow, tall, and sturdy, exuding a sense of ancient沧桑 and a terrifying power that made one's heart race. The ancient tripods absorbed the yellow qi and emitted it toward the arms, continuously nourishing the blood and bones of the arms. However, there were no ancient tripods in the legs or the five organs.

Time flew by during the cultivation, and before he knew it, the hour of Mao had passed.

Xia Yunjie slowly opened his eyes, a mixed expression of joy and worry on his face.

He was happy because after an hour of cultivation, Xia Yunjie felt that he was one step closer to the late stage of the Earth Witch Two Tripods realm, making rapid progress. However, he was also worried about this. The faster his realm improved, the more he feared that he would not be able to control the surge in his power, which was also a concern for his master. After all, the greater a person's power, the more they can benefit the world, but if they turn to evil, they can also bring disaster to the world. The reason why China's history is not short of tyrants is that their mental states could not control the terrifying power in their hands.

Xia Yunjie came from an ordinary family and had no grand aspirations to benefit the world; he just wanted to live a comfortable life. However, he had been taught by his master and his parents, who were also simple and kind people. He did not want to be controlled by his own power and become someone who acted arbitrarily with power. Therefore, the rapid improvement in his realm, which seemed like a good thing, also added to the无形 pressure in Xia Yunjie's heart.

However, he carried the bloodline of the ancient witch king Xia Yu, and when his bloodline awakened, he also mysteriously inherited the "Yu Wang Jue" that Xia Yu practiced. Thus, although Xia Yunjie was a disciple of Witch Ze, he practiced the "Yu Wang Jue." Witch Ze mainly guided him and helped him solve doubts. Because of this, Xia Yunjie's cultivation speed was extremely fast, and by the time he was fourteen, his cultivation level had already surpassed his master, who was already 118 years old. Now, Xia Yunjie had reached the middle stage of the Earth Witch Two Tripods realm, and he was only one or two steps away from the Earth Witch Three Tripods realm. If measured by the cultivation realm of cultivators, the Earth Witch Three Tripods realm was equivalent to the Golden Core stage. If he truly stepped onto the "Golden Core Path," he would be an extremely terrifying existence in the current era of declining Daoist arts.

However, it is said that the witch clan was formed from the flesh and blood of the great emperor Pangu and the primordial qi of heaven and earth. The witch clan's cultivation emphasized the cultivation of the physical body and strength, unlike cultivators who focused on cultivating qi and the primordial spirit while neglecting the physical body. Therefore, the witch clan did not form a golden core or a primordial infant like cultivators but transformed the heavenly qi through the dantian into witch power, which nourished and refined the tendons, bones, and flesh, ultimately forming witch tripods in the limbs and organs, each containing terrifying power. Each time a witch tripod was formed, the physical body and witch power became stronger. Xia Yunjie had already formed two witch tripods in his arms, reaching the middle stage of the Earth Witch Two Tripods realm. Once he formed witch tripods in all his limbs and organs, he would reach the Earth Witch Nine Tripods realm, and further cultivation would allow him to ascend to the heavens like an immortal. Of course, whether it was the witch clan or cultivators, their ultimate goal was to achieve an indestructible physical body and an eternal soul.

The dantian is divided into upper, middle, and lower sections, with the upper dantian, also known as the Niwan Palace, being the most difficult to cultivate and having the most profound techniques. Xia Yunjie, inheriting the legacy of the witch king Xia Yu, practiced the "Yu Wang Jue," which absorbed and transformed heavenly qi into witch power through the Niwan Palace, one of the most powerful ancient techniques of the witch clan.

When Xia Yunjie finished his cultivation and stood up, the vortex on his forehead gradually disappeared, and the inverted ancient tripod mark also gradually faded. However, inside the Niwan Palace, there was still an invisible vortex slowly rotating, half dark and half bright, like a yin-yang taiji diagram, absorbing and storing the heavenly qi in the Niwan Palace.

Xia Yunjie habitually touched his forehead, his eyes revealing a determined and resolute gaze.

I must control the power, not let the power control me!

With this firm resolve in his heart, Xia Yunjie got up from his bedroom, put on a turtle shell, washed up, and cooked a bowl of noodles for breakfast before leaving the room.

Although it was only eight in the morning, the sun was already scorching the earth, making it another hot day.

Xia Yunjie stood at the entrance of the residential area, holding the turtle shell. A red light that others could not see shot out from the turtle shell, pointing east.

Seeing this, Xia Yunjie followed the direction indicated by the red light, walking eastward. After about forty minutes, the red light stopped at a bicycle shop called "Chengxin Bicycle Shop." Not far from Chengxin Bicycle Shop was the only key undergraduate university in Jiangzhou City, Jiangzhou University.

Chengxin Bicycle Shop had a large storefront, with many bicycles, both new and old, displayed inside and outside the shop. Since it was close to Jiangzhou University, most of the customers were college students, and it was not uncommon to see young people who looked like college students entering and leaving the shop. Some were buying new bicycles, while others were buying used ones. Because college students generally had limited funds, more people seemed to be buying used bicycles than new ones.

There were two salespeople, a man and a woman, busy in the shop, but Xia Yunjie did not see Qiang, the bald man, in the shop.

However, Xia Yunjie walked into the shop without hesitation. Seeing a customer, and recognizing him as a college student by his age, the female salesperson immediately greeted him with a sweet smile, saying, "Hello, are you here to buy a bicycle? We have both new and used bicycles, and our prices are very reasonable."

The female salesperson had a ponytail, and while she was not particularly beautiful, she looked very clean and youthful. She also had a full chest, which was quite intimidating when she stood close, making her very attractive to college boys. Just before Xia Yunjie reached the shop, he saw a male student being persuaded by the female salesperson to buy a bicycle, but when he paid, his eyes couldn't help but sneak a glance at her chest. The female salesperson was clearly aware of the effect her chest had on boys, so when she spoke to Xia Yunjie, she not only had a sweet smile on her face but also stood very close to him.

Based on past experience, boys in such a situation often became distracted and, despite initially planning to compare prices at different shops, would end up buying a bicycle from Chengxin Bicycle Shop because of her.

Unfortunately, Xia Yunjie was not there to buy a bicycle but to find one. Moreover, having had more physical contact with Cheng Ping in the bar recently, he had developed some immunity to girls, making him more resistant than the innocent college boys. Therefore, he did not respond to her but instead looked toward the back wall of the shop.

There was a door there, and behind it was a passage leading to the boss's office.

Seeing that Xia Yunjie ignored her chest, the female salesperson was slightly不服气 but was about to speak again when Xia Yunjie pointed to the back door and said, "I'm looking for Qiang, the bald man."

The female salesperson clearly knew who Qiang, the bald man, was and was surprised by Xia Yunjie's directness. Xia Yunjie was young, handsome, and well-dressed, not looking like someone who mixed in the streets. More importantly, he had called Qiang by his name without using the respectful "Brother Qiang." Qiang, the bald man, was not a major figure in Jiangzhou, but he did have a group of about twenty to thirty people under him. For a young man who looked no more than twenty, to call him by his name was somewhat exaggerated and showed a lack of respect.

However, the female salesperson quickly found a reasonable explanation: this young man must have just come from his hometown and was a new recruit planning to join Qiang, so he did not know the rules and did not have the aura of someone who mixed in the streets.

"Are you talking about Brother Qiang?" she asked kindly, reminding him.

"Yes," Xia Yunjie nodded.

"By the way, what's your name?" The female salesperson asked, feeling a bit sorry for such a promising young man.

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