Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

At that time, it was late May. Li Xian lay across the soft grass, breathing the natural breeze and enjoying the sunshine. He listened to the waves crashing against the shore, the birds chirping, and the rustling of the wind... A wave of fatigue surged over him.

He had experienced life-and-death battles, escaping from the jaws of death... He stood firm alone in the deep lake, even when exhausted, he gritted his teeth and endured. Once he escaped from the deep lake, his heart was filled with passion and sharpness, overshadowing his exhaustion.

However, he was already spent, and as the fervor faded, only weariness remained. Li Xian’s heart injury had healed by thirty percent, but his heart meridian was as fragile as paper. Any disturbance risked fracturing his heart meridian, so he couldn’t relax. He needed the Heart Protection Divine Intent to care for his delicate heart meridian and help circulate his blood and energy.

Li Xian gritted his teeth and persevered, patting his thighs and arms, pressing and kneading his acupuncture points to stimulate his spirit, saying to himself: "I can’t sleep yet... Only after recovering more than forty percent can I take a short rest. And it can’t be too long!" He twisted his Ruyi Ring, feeling a coolness seep into his heart. The drowsiness slightly diminished but couldn’t last long.

Li Xian sat leaning against a tree. Just after climbing the mountain path, his heart meridian started aching again. Even though it had slightly recovered, it was still a fatal injury. The fact that he could still run and walk, lingering in this world, was already a miracle.

Approximately half an hour passed.

The sky cleared of clouds, the blazing sun hung overhead, and by noon, it was extremely hot. Li Xian looked at himself, seeing his clothes were torn, his skin exposed, not unlike a wild man. He had observed earlier that there were no boats at Absolute Palm Peak. The small boat that had brought him there had been swept away by the lake waves.

The Sinking River Sword was already broken... As a Second Realm Martial Artist, Li Xian couldn’t touch the water. His damaged heart meridian was even more fragile than a newborn, exerting Lightweight Skill would cause his energy to surge and reverse impact his heart meridian.

But he was trapped on the island.

Li Xian pondered, "The Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture benefits the five viscera, purifying them to strengthen the organs. However, my heart meridian is extremely fragile, unable to bear the weight of visceral dross. Once my heart meridian recovers fifty to sixty percent, maybe it can manage some visceral dross and speed up healing."

"In past conversations with Sister Liuli, I learned the Nangong Family has a volume called the ’Immortality Scripture,’ specialized in healing Martial Arts. Daoxuan Mountain has a volume called ’Xuanming Breath,’ capable of healing severe injuries. Large clans and sects have rich heritage, excelling in vision, martial arts, talent, methods, and connections. They have ways to resolve various situations. Compared to them, I, a village bumpkin and poor householder, have this mishmash of methods, appearing somewhat shabby."

Li Xian lightly rubbed his index finger, twisting the Ruyi Treasure Sword, which automatically enlarged. Grasping its hilt, he used it to support himself as he stood. He lightly flicked the sword’s body, hearing its clear and crisp ring.

He was delighted to unexpectedly acquire the treasure sword. The sword was mysteriously hard, finely patterned, with a hollow bell at the end of the hilt. When Li Xian twisted the ring, the bell resonated subtly, making a gentle "ding ding ding" sound, then changed size.

When the blade enlarged, it became heavier. When it shrank, it was lighter. Li Xian guessed the sword’s mystery originated from the "bell." Yet the sword was seamless, like a natural whole, showing no signs of craftsmanship.

Li Xian casually waved it, thinking this sword had lain underwater who knew how long. When first found, it was rusty, but the rust easily faded away. This showed its extraordinary material, highly resilient, surpassing the "Sinking River Sword" and "Cyan and Purple Sword." Unfortunately, it lacked the Playing with Water trait, unable to tread the river.

But its ability to contract and extend, summon back at will, was more rare.

Seeing the mountain’s lush vegetation, Li Xian supported himself with the Ruyi Treasure Sword, following a path to search for herbs. Li Xian, initially taught by his wife, learned to discern the medicinal properties of herbs. Wen Caishang once said, Heaven and Earth are vast, all things are medicine, no matter how knowledgeable you are, it’s hard to recognize everything. When encountering hard-to-identify herbs, you must smell their scent, observe their color, and understand their nature... like analyzing a Martial Arts technique.

But one needs abundant accumulation. Li Xian found this difficult. Wen Caishang’s medical skills were extremely profound; she could match countless medicinal properties effortlessly. Li Xian learned but a fraction, later further taught by the "Ghost Doctor." He could identify herbs using the Ghost Meridians’ Four Absolutes for assistance.

Though Su Fuyou taught for a short time, Li Xian’s medical skills were still shallow, unable to heal unseen like "ghostly and unpredictable." On one hand borrowing Wen Caishang’s teachings to identify herbs, on the other borrowing the Ghost Meridians for verification, he searched for heart-healing herbs.

Absolute Palm Peak, thick with vegetation, had long been devoid of humans. It was a fertile place for herbs to grow, but the paths were difficult, cluttered with covering branches, adding considerable difficulty. Li Xian couldn’t make big movements like leaping, running, punching, or knocking around, all of which would jar and injure his heart meridian.

Traveling the mountain path, he inevitably faced many obstacles. However, years of mountain travel let him always find easier paths, marking small trails forged by trampling wild beasts. Li Xian walked for half an hour, a bout of coughing prompting him to sit against a tree.

He collected three herbs: Blood Healing Grass, Root of Return, and Red Flower Ginseng. Though none could heal his heart injury, they could aid in body nourishment. Blood Healing Grass was mild, with blood-softening effects. Root of Return fortified Primordial Energy, and Red Flower Ginseng nourished the body.

Li Xian had read the "Medical Heart Sutra," containing medical insights and medication principles, but he dared not try anything reckless. To be prudent, he first followed Wen Caishang’s methods to care for his heart meridian.

Li Xian rested for two hours. Gathering branches and dry grass, he simply set up a soft bed and then fashioned a fire for warmth. He originally had a "Fire Stick," but it was dampened and unusable.

Holding a dry branch, he cautiously practiced the "Setting Sun Bloodsword." Once the tip of the branch faintly glowed with fire stars, he immediately stopped, using dry wool to cradle the embers, gently blowing. When black smoke appeared, the fire flared up, and he fed it small branches and twigs.

The fire warmed his body and heart.

It was nearing dusk. Li Xian sighed, "My ability to move is limited, today, I’ll have to leave it at that!" He gnawed on the Blood Healing Grass and Root of Return. Both herbs were bitter and astringent, but effective. They strengthened him through consumption, making him feel slightly better.