Chapter 1103: Emerging from Seclusion
Indeed, after the days of torment akin to being skinned and cramped, teetering on the brink of life and death, followed by that life-exchanging mysterious dream, the Nether Palm Injury on Liu Zixuan had completely vanished.
This surprised Liu Zixuan, who possessed the Medical Dao Treasure Manual.
He merely gambled his life, hoping to suppress the Nether Palm Injury and restore his peak strength, which he thought would be the best outcome, especially since Old Qing had once said the Nether Palm Injury was incurable in this world.
Furthermore, Liu Zixuan was left with at most three months of life.
But now, after several days of arduous closed-door practice, he experienced the taste of an existence worse than death and witnessed the moment of life and death, only to find the Nether Palm Injury fully healed.
For him, this might be the biggest surprise following the war with Willow Association.
Setting aside those questions, Liu Zixuan quickly sat down, letting his Qi sink into the Dantian to perceive his internal condition.
The Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles were still around his Dantian, yet both the Ghost Gate Needles and the Dantian had undergone significant changes following the recovery from the Nether Palm Injury.
Firstly, the Dantian transformed into a golden, splendid form, with a golden dragon faintly coiled inside. He could distinctly feel that the power within the Dantian far exceeded his previous peak strength several times over.
Secondly, the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles, like the Dantian, emitted a brilliant golden glow and seemed to have a very peculiar connection with the Dantian, as if forming a defense method to protect the Dantian or being able to be effortlessly manipulated by the Dantian.
Liu Zixuan raised an eyebrow slightly, and as his thoughts moved, the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles quickly began to operate, gradually transforming from thirteen silver needle forms into shadows of needles, suddenly leaving the position of the Dantian and appearing in front of Liu Zixuan.
"Indeed, the Ghost Gate Needles have already become one with me; I just need to control them with thoughts to make them emerge from the body when needed."
After murmuring, Liu Zixuan looked at the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles in front of him. Since the thirteen silver needles turned golden, besides establishing a connection with the Dantian, they also became linked with Liu Zixuan, like the Nameless Sword, becoming a claimed item.
In the future, Liu Zixuan would not worry about the Ghost Gate Needles being stolen.
After retrieving the Ghost Gate Needles, Liu Zixuan closed his eyes again and looked into the Sea of Consciousness.
As expected, the bead formed by the power of the Dragon Veins that stayed in his Sea of Consciousness had vanished. It could be inferred that, since the healing of the Nether Palm Injury earlier had merged with the Dantian, the golden dragon inside the Dantian must be the final form of the power of the Dragon Veins.
The Ghost Gate Needles recognizing a master, the Inner Alchemy merging with the power of the Dragon Veins, and the changes to meridians and bones induced by these two medical and peculiar forces, have transformed Liu Zixuan’s body drastically.
In simple terms, Liu Zixuan at this moment is beyond ten times stronger than during his previous peak, Innate Emperor Realm Second Heaven.
In other words, within the Innate Realm, there will be no match!
Liu Zixuan slowly opened his eyes: "With the Nether Palm Injury cured and the Third Layer Realm revealed, I don’t know how long this retreat has lasted. Better go out and take a look. If everything is fine outside, I will choose an opportunity to elevate the Third Layer Realm to its strongest. With such strength, the battle of Yudu might just be possible!"
Looking at his tattered clothes and the mess on the ground, Liu Zixuan chuckled bitterly.
Not knowing how long had passed, but it felt like he lived an entire lifetime.
From being born from the womb, through infancy, childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, to old age, these were transformations across different ages, yet what Liu Zixuan experienced during this retreat far exceeded that.
Beyond age, there was the tempering of spirit and body.
Experiencing when meridians and joints were snapped was truly a fate worse than death, and the dream experience, first witnessing life and death personally, then conversing with another Liu Zixuan—all this baptized Liu Zixuan’s spirit and body.
Today’s Liu Zixuan is far beyond what he was before.
At this point, he himself does not know how strong he truly is.
After all, possessing the Third Layer Realm within the Martial Realm is a rarity. Without comparison, it is invincible!
After tidying up briefly, Liu Zixuan glanced at the still sleeping Little Blue, his lips slightly curled.
Somehow, now that the Nether Palm Injury was healed and his strength greatly increased, looking at Little Blue felt different.
Originally, seeing Little Blue, he thought it was merely a transforming leopard.
But now, he could sense that Little Blue exuded an aura of majesty that made one retreat, like when he first saw the Qilin of the Profound Sword Sect.
Simultaneously, Liu Zixuan knew that Little Blue was just about to completely merge with its Inner Alchemy, at which point it would truly become a Qilin Auspicious Beast!
Undoubtedly, once Little Blue transforms into a Qilin Auspicious Beast, it will be a major trump card for Liu Zixuan and Lingxiu Village!
Profound Sword Sect stood for hundreds of years because of the Qilin; Lingxiu Village and Liu Zixuan can continue to rise with Little Blue!
Earlier, moving a boulder required effort; now, with a flick of his fingers, a burst of inner strength shot forth, turning the boulder directly into dust—this is the power of the Innate Realm.
Exiting the back mountain, it was dusk, the sunset hanging on the western horizon, casting the earth in a golden veil.
Liu Zixuan took a deep breath of fresh air, lit a cigarette, and headed towards the manor.
...
Inside the manor.
"It’s been almost over fifty days now, why hasn’t Zixuan emerged yet?" Bai Jingjing frowned and asked.
Liu Ruyan, resting her chin on her hand, glanced outside with her bright eyes: "It should be soon. The food and water he brought in were only enough for a little over a month."
"Could something have happened?" Although martial artists who reach a certain realm won’t die from not eating or drinking for a while, this is quite extended!
"Big Brother Xuan is blessed with fortune, there shouldn’t be any issue." Zhao Yi, holding a baby in his arms, gave the child an affectionate glance before speaking.
"He mentioned earlier that this retreat would last longer, possibly finding some way for a breakthrough in strength." The beautiful master furrowed her brows slightly: "Moreover, today, the Nameless Sword also flew up from the cliff and hovered for a moment; it must have sensed Zixuan’s aura."
"Wow! From the sound of it, you all really missed me, don’t you?"
At this moment, Liu Zixuan pushed the door open, and although these words sounded incredibly suave, his clothes were somewhat hard to look at. Coupled with not bathing and shaving for several days, he looked rather shabby.
Truth be told, at the moment he entered, if it weren’t for his familiar voice, everyone might have struggled to recognize him.
Liu Zixuan, with a cigarette in his mouth, walked up to the crowd, immediately noticing the baby in Zhao Yi’s arms: "Oh my! How long was I inside? Your child has even been born!"