Chapter 6

Unlike a few days ago, when he could only vaguely sense the flow of energy no matter how carefully he examined himself, Zongshou now, upon introspection, could clearly perceive the continuous streams of energy and the intricate, vast, and profound chakras that interlocked with each other, in perfect harmony with the principles of heaven and earth.

As the intense pain gradually subsided, a warm sensation also arose in his chest and abdomen.

This was the gathering place of all spiritual energy, true essence, and internal breath, the very source of all 'Qi'! It was also the starting point of the nine chakras of the body, the only acupoint that could directly connect with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth before the body chakras were opened!

Not long ago, although Zongshou could also probe this area with special techniques, he was far from being able to accurately sense it.

The spiritual energy he had painstakingly guided in could not be stored internally. Even if he forcibly injected it, it would slowly dissipate.

At this moment, in Zongshou's spiritual perception, a white energy mass appeared below his abdomen.

If he delved deeper, he could see a white misty sea before him. Streams of fluid-like energy flowed within, initially appearing snow-white, but upon closer inspection, he could see that it contained some gray-blue specks.

This was the residual essence he had refined from the essence of the Five-Part Blood-Strengthening Decoction using the method of swallowing essence. With just a little transformation, it could be converted into internal energy.

Compared to the vast amount he had possessed in his previous life when he dominated the Cloud Realm, the current amount was negligible, like the difference between a pond and the sea. However, it still made Zongshou feel a sudden sense of liberation, as if all his oppression had vanished.

"Opening the Sea of Qi marks the beginning of the chakra meridians—"

In his previous life, Zongshou had created countless game characters to study the mysteries of the meridians and acupoints. Using the advantages of the fully virtual environment, he experimented with his novel ideas and tested the so-called 'self-created' martial arts that he had pieced together from his wild imagination.

And he had opened the Sea of Qi countless times in the game.

However, this was the first time in reality, and the feeling was completely different. It was not a game character but truly his own power.

This was the beginning of all meridians. After opening it, he could truly step into the threshold of a martial artist and qualify to practice various martial arts.

"However, although the method of swallowing and transforming essence is miraculous, the essence absorbed, no matter how refined, still contains some impurities. As I expected—"

Thinking of the various colored particles within the white energy mass, Zongshou's joy diminished, and he became more serious.

These impurities were not yet noticeable. But if left unchecked, once his cultivation reached the point of breaking through the body chakras and accumulated to a certain amount, they could be fatal.

Of course, there was no immediate worry. After absorbing the strengths of dozens of top martial arts and improving the Swallowing and Transforming Essence Sutra, he had achieved some results. Using his self-created guiding technique, he could thoroughly purify it within a month.

However, he would still need to be cautious in the future.

He probed his body's chakras again with introspection and found that the dozens of acupoints connected to the Sea of Qi were indeed paired, intertwined like braids, repelling each other yet interconnected.

Zongshou smiled helplessly, no longer paying attention to the situation inside his body, and began to sense the outside world.

Before opening the Sea of Qi, he could hardly detect the spiritual energy permeating the world.

Only now could he use his meager Qi to probe the situation within an inch of his body.

However, the next moment, Zongshou's expression suddenly froze, and his brows furrowed again.

"How can the spiritual energy here be so sparse?"

The concentration of spiritual energy within an inch of his body was naturally much stronger than in his future world.

But compared to the abundant and vast spiritual energy in the virtual world of the Divine Emperor game, it was incomparable.

"Which era is this? Is it really thirteen thousand years ago?"

Looking around with a blank expression, Zongshou felt unprecedented regret at this moment.

In the Divine Emperor world, top spiritual masters and martial cultivators all had the ability to possess others' bodies. He had always been wary of this and never dared to directly ask Yin Yang and Chuxue. He could only indirectly probe the situation these days.

However, now he was desperately eager to understand his own condition, the situation in the Cloud Realm, and the era he was in.

According to legend, at the end of the Mythic Era, when mythic figures roamed, the spiritual veins of the world were all severed, and the traditions of spiritual masters and martial cultivators were nearly extinct. This was the least likely era.

So the remaining possibility was the Cloud Wasteland Era, when spiritual energy gradually recovered. This era lasted for over ten thousand years before the spiritual energy explosion of the Divine Emperor Era.

Lost in thought, his mind in turmoil, Zongshou sat in the tub, lost in a daze. It wasn't until the water in the tub turned completely cold that he stood up with a sullen face.

Just as he finished dressing, Chuxue poked her head out of the carriage door with a delighted expression and said, "Young Master, we've arrived at the Ancient Spirit Market—"

"The Ancient Spirit Market?"

Zongshou raised an eyebrow, his heart surging with emotion, and he walked to the carriage window in two quick steps.

Looking ahead, he saw a vast market covering several miles appear in his field of vision.

This was not the Ancient Spirit City he remembered, with its magnificent walls not yet constructed. There were only some wooden fences and earth walls to prevent wild beasts.

However, at the sight of this, Zongshou first felt a sense of relief, followed by uncontrollable excitement.

※※※※

When the carriage stopped at the outskirts of the market, Yin Yang left without a word, heading in an unknown direction.

Zongshou, accompanied by Chuxue, began to tour the market.

At this time, the Ancient Spirit Market was far from the massive scale it would later become, but it was already extremely prosperous. The streets were lined with shops that bought animal skins, crystals, and herbs. The people walking around all carried weapons and exuded a fierce aura.

Its location near the Dragon Marsh and the presence of many clean water sources made this place a gathering point for a vast number of martial artists and spiritual masters. Thousands of people entered and left this place every day.

Although this place was filled with powerful individuals, including many ruthless killers, there was no need to worry about personal safety.

This was the territory of the largest sect in the easternmost part of the Cloud Realm, and private duels and killings were strictly forbidden within the market. How many people in this world would dare to cause trouble here?

This was why Yin Yang could let him tour the mixed and dangerous Ancient Spirit Market with peace of mind.

Observing the passersby and the various merchants along the streets, Zongshou became increasingly convinced of the era he was in, which also put his mind at ease.

It should be between ten to fifty years before the spiritual energy explosion. Any earlier, and the Ancient Spirit Market would not have existed on the Dragon Marsh. Any later, and the Ancient Spirit City would have already taken shape. Countless martial cultivators and spiritual masters, sensing the signs of increasing spiritual energy, would have gathered here, delving deep into the Dragon Marsh to hone their skills and techniques.

He had a peaceful temperament and approached the Divine Emperor game almost to the point of neglecting sleep and meals, mostly out of interest. The runes and the peak of martial cultivation that no one had reached in the game fascinated him. In reality, he was reluctant to compete with the powerful figures of the Divine Emperor Era and would avoid the mythic figures of the Mythic Era if possible.

However, compared to the Mythic Era's end, when spiritual energy was also low, and the post-Divine Emperor Era, Zongshou preferred the bloody Divine Emperor Era. Although it was dangerous, he could continue to study everything he longed to know and explore the peak of martial arts.

Moreover, in his previous life, he had countless regrets that he needed to resolve in this era of impending spiritual energy explosion.

"Hey? The Treasure Weapon Shop, this Ancient Spirit Market actually has a branch of the Treasure Weapon Shop?"

Chuxue suddenly spoke, interrupting Zongshou's deep thoughts. Following her gaze, he saw a medium-sized but extremely neat weapon shop appear before him.