Chapter 9

The voice of the old man in black fell into Zhou Yuan's ears like a thunderclap, causing his heart to churn and his mind to race. The old man before him had seen through everything with just a glance.

The girl in green came to stand behind the old man in black, her bright eyes glancing at the shocked Zhou Yuan. Tuantuan, who was beside her, jumped up, wanting to leap into her arms, but the girl disdainfully picked him up with her jade-like fingers and casually tossed him into a water vat.

Tuantuan, thrown into the water vat, looked extremely aggrieved, but knowing the girl's obsession with cleanliness, he could only obediently scrub himself, a scene that was quite comical.

However, Zhou Yuan was unmoved by this comical scene. He only stared in shock at the mysterious old man in black. After a while, the shock faded, replaced by a glimmer of hope.

Since the old man in black could see through his physical condition with just a glance, he was certainly no ordinary person. Perhaps, the problem of his eight meridians not manifesting could be resolved here.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement surging in his heart, and respectfully said, "Junior Zhou Yuan greets the senior."

The old man in black nodded and said, "Indeed, you are from the Zhou family."

He glanced at Zhou Yuan, who was about to speak but held back, his eyes burning with passion. It seemed the old man knew what he was thinking and said with a strange smile, "I know what you are thinking. Yes, I can help you solve the problem of your eight meridians not manifesting. However, why should I help you?"

Zhou Yuan was taken aback, fell silent for a moment, and then carefully said, "Junior does not know where this place is or who the senior is. But since the secret cave left by our ancestors leads here, it seems that the senior must have some connection with my ancestors."

The old man in black did not comment.

At this moment, Zhou Yuan had completely regained his composure. He stared at the old man in black and said slowly, "In my current state, I have nothing to offer that could impress the senior. However, I can see that the senior... is waiting for me, right?"

When the old man in black saw him, Zhou Yuan's sharp intuition told him that there was a flicker of unusual light in the old man's eyes.

The rocking chair finally paused, and the old man in black narrowed his eyes, staring at Zhou Yuan with an unreadable expression. "You are quite confident, young one. Do you think you have the qualifications for me to wait for you?"

Zhou Yuan smiled and shook his head. "I don't know the answer to that. Perhaps the senior knows a bit more?"

The old man in black's eyes, filled with the weight of years, stared at Zhou Yuan. Although no terrifying aura emanated from him, there was a sense of pressure that made the entire ancient forest seem to fall silent.

Outside the thatched cottage, the slender youth wore a slight smile, his eyes fixed on the old man in black, fearless and unyielding, like a newborn calf.

He believed that the secret words passed down in the Zhou family were not baseless. Since he could come here, there must be a reason. Moreover, he trusted his intuition.

The oppressive pressure, like rolling thunderclouds, lasted for a long time. Suddenly, a hint of helpless laughter appeared on the old man in black's weathered face. He lay back in his chair and sighed, "It seems I am really getting old, unable to even fool a young boy."

Behind the old man in black, the girl in green glanced at Zhou Yuan and said in a clear, light voice, "He's pretending. He's actually terrified."

"Uh..."

Zhou Yuan's expression froze, then he forced a smile, as his back was indeed drenched in cold sweat. No matter how calm he tried to be, he could not remain completely composed in the face of this one chance.

"Senior..." He looked at the old man in black with pleading eyes.

"Enough." The old man in black also put on a serious expression and looked at Zhou Yuan. "I can solve your problem with the eight meridians not manifesting, but there is a condition."

"Condition?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback, then nodded seriously. "Please speak, senior."

The old man in black sighed softly, turned his head to look at the girl in green standing beside him, and said slowly, "I want you to take Yaoyao away from here and protect her."

"Yaoyao?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback again and looked at the girl in green. Clearly, this was her name, and she was indeed as delicate and charming as her name suggested.

"Grandpa Black." The girl in green bit her lower lip, her delicate and refined face showing reluctance and resistance.

The old man in black gently patted the girl's hand and said warmly, "Yaoyao, Grandpa Black has something to do and will be away for a while, so I can't stay by your side anymore."

The girl's clear, crystal-like eyes dimmed. She glanced at Zhou Yuan and said softly, "Grandpa Black, he is too weak."

Zhou Yuan looked embarrassed, but in the eyes of others, he was indeed powerless, with none of his meridians open.

The old man in black couldn't help but laugh. He glanced at Zhou Yuan and said, "This young boy may be weak now, but it's hard to say what he will be in the future."

"Grandpa Black, will I see you again in the future?" Yaoyao asked softly, her intelligence making her sense that the old man's actions had a sense of entrusting his last wishes, indicating that he might be going to do something extremely dangerous, even risking his life.

The old man in black did not answer, only gently patted Yaoyao's small hand.

Then he turned his head and looked at Zhou Yuan, smiling. "What do you think?"

Zhou Yuan's young face was solemn. He bowed respectfully to the old man in black and said slowly, "Although I have no power now, I can promise the senior that if anyone tries to harm Sister Yaoyao, they will have to step over my dead body first."

The youth's voice, though slightly immature, carried a sense of unwavering determination that caught everyone's attention.

The old man in black's weathered face showed a hint of satisfaction.

"Since that's the case..." The old man in black smiled and stared at Zhou Yuan. "Let's solve the problem of your eight meridians not manifesting..."

Zhou Yuan's spirits lifted, and he looked at the old man in black with burning eyes.

Seeing his eager gaze, the old man in black's lips curled into a strange smile, and he suddenly waved his sleeve.

Boom!

The ground shook, and a huge crack tore open beneath Zhou Yuan's feet, forming a dark abyss that swallowed him whole.

Ah!

Zhou Yuan's body plummeted wildly, and he let out a scream. At the same time, thick black liquid spread from the darkness, wrapping around his hands and feet.

The black liquid crept inch by inch, bringing intense pain, as if his skin was being corroded.

What terrified Zhou Yuan the most was that the black liquid seeped through his pores, destroying his internal organs. Wherever the black liquid went, flesh and meridians were corroded.

The pain and fear eroded Zhou Yuan's mind, and a strong sense of death permeated.

He felt that if the black liquid continued to erode, he would die here.

Zhou Yuan struggled frantically, activating the three source patterns carved on his body without hesitation. However, just as the three patterns began to glow, the black liquid surged, extinguishing the light, and the three patterns were eroded and erased...

Zhou Yuan's heart turned cold as the three patterns were destroyed.

The black liquid spread, covering even his eyes, bringing intense pain as if his eyes were being corroded, and the world turned dark.

In the darkness, Zhou Yuan felt the intense pain from his body, as the black liquid continued to erode layer by layer.

The sense of death grew stronger.

This was not an illusion; if he couldn't stop the black liquid, he would die!

"I can't die here!"

"I need to restore my mother's lifespan! I need to avenge my father's arm! And the sacred dragon's fortune that was taken from me!"

"These things are not yet accomplished; how can I die here?!"

"I can't die!"

In the darkness, a roar of anger and unwillingness echoed in Zhou Yuan's heart, filled with a deep desire to survive.

Just as death approached and the roar echoed in his body, Zhou Yuan's mind seemed to plummet. At that moment, he vaguely saw, deep within his body, eight faint lines of light, barely visible.

The eight lines of light coiled, like dragons lying in wait.

"Those are... the eight meridians for cultivation?!"

Zhou Yuan's heart trembled as he looked at the eight lines of light, and a sense of enlightenment surged. These were the eight meridians that had never manifested in his body!

Roar!

At the moment of true death, they seemed to sense the danger and began to stir, like dragons, emitting a low, deep roar.

Buzz!

In that instant, a strong light burst from the depths of Zhou Yuan's body. Wherever the light swept, the black liquid began to melt and dissipate at a visible speed.

In just a few breaths, the darkness completely dissipated.

Zhou Yuan's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and bright light flooded his vision. He fell to the ground, his body drenched in sweat, which dripped down his young face.

"Phew, phew."

Zhou Yuan's breathing was heavy. He looked around and found himself still standing in front of the thatched cottage. Everything that had happened before seemed like an illusion.

"Was it all fake?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback.

"What do you think?" A weathered voice came from ahead, and the old man in black was smiling at him.

Zhou Yuan's expression changed, as he could clearly feel how real the sense of death had been. He slowly raised his hand, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

He saw a faint black mark on his fingertips, which then disappeared.

The black mark was identical to the black liquid he had encountered earlier.

"Was it real?!" Zhou Yuan's mind was shaken, and he finally confirmed that everything that had happened was real, though the old man in black's methods were truly beyond comprehension.

"Feel inside your body." The old man in black smiled.

Zhou Yuan's mind stirred, and he closed his eyes to sense his body. At that moment, his heart began to beat like thunder, and his young, pale face showed disbelief.

For at that moment, he could clearly feel that within his body, eight meridians, like dragons emerging from the depths, coiled and lay in wait.

These eight meridians were indeed the eight meridians for cultivation!

Zhou Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with excitement, and he stared at the old man in black, his voice trembling.

"Did... did my eight meridians appear?!"