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*****
Looking at his son's determined gaze, Zhou Shuiniu felt a tug at his heartstrings.
"Brat, stop messing around. Reshaping meridians is already a pipe dream. Even with this pearl and that technique, every single step is a dance with death!" Zhou Shuiniu didn't cave in immediately.
Zhou Weiqing's expression didn't flicker as he stared back at his father. "Dad, if I can't cultivate Heavenly Energy, am I supposed to just eat and wait for death my whole life?"
Zhou Shuiniu fell silent.
To an ordinary person, it might not matter—it just meant losing the chance to rise above one's social class. But Zhou Weiqing, because of his father's status, was effectively trapped on a pedestal. Under the weight of all those titles and expectations, the burden on the boy was immense. Over the two years since his failed awakening, Zhou Shuiniu had watched his son struggle under the crushing pressure of that burden.
Yes, knowing the boy lacked the talent for Heavenly Energy, Zhou Shuiniu had put him through rigorous training to give him the skills to survive. But that was only the father's logic. Zhou Weiqing, still a child, had endured it all with gritted teeth, clearly hoping that such tempering might somehow change his reality.
Yet, after two years, it was obvious that the boy was reaching his mental breaking point.
In fact, Zhou Shuiniu had been secretly considering a desperate move. He had debated finding a certain "rogue" to change Zhou Weiqing's personality, to make him more slick and cynical so that he wouldn't be weighed down by secular honors—so that he could at least live a carefree life. If he couldn't be a Heavenly Jewel Master and inherit everything his father built, then being a hedonistic "second-generation" noble was better than nothing.
"Marshal Zhou, I believe there's no need for so much worry," Su Wen cut in, seeing the timing was right. Since Zhou Weiqing had stated his resolve, Su Wen naturally had to provide the push.
"My research into meridians allows me to guarantee that I can preserve the boy's life throughout the process. Even if he fails to withstand the power of the pearl, I can extract it and heal his meridians to a state where they won't interfere with his daily life."
The pearl had been in Su Wen's spiritual sea for a long time; he had already thoroughly refined his understanding of it. Not through a formal contract or fusion, but through the deep perception and analysis of the Evil Power within.
Zhou Shuiniu's expression shifted rapidly.
"Mother!" Zhou Weiqing called out suddenly. Zhou Shuiniu turned and realized his wife had entered the yard.
Ling Zihan had rushed over the moment she heard that the Marshal had brought a stranger to the back. Though she hadn't heard the entire conversation, she had witnessed the latter half.
"Marshal, I heard what you were saying," Ling Zihan said, her face etched with worry. She looked at her husband, her eyes welling with tears. She wanted to support her son's dream, but the thought of the consequences was more than she could bear.
In a secluded, tranquil valley some distance away.
A woman of peerless elegance suddenly snapped her head up. Beside her, a pretty young girl looked at her mother's reaction with surprise.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Tang Xian took a deep breath, her chest heaving. What a powerful energy fluctuation. This aura... it far exceeds a Heavenly Zong!
"It's nothing," she said, patting her daughter's head. "Bing'er, Mommy has to go out for a moment. Stay home and focus on your cultivation. Don't wander off, okay?"
"Okay," Shangguan Bing'er nodded obediently.
Tang Xian left the valley, flying at high speed toward Heavenly Bow City.
So many elemental attributes... such immense power. Is it him? Has he found me here? No, wait—the elemental fluctuations are wrong. This energy feels... wicked. Who is it? With that beastly nature, could a Heavenly King-level beast have appeared?
Tang Xian's heart felt heavy. She had gone into seclusion in the Heavenly Bow Empire to avoid a certain man, but that didn't mean she was cold-hearted. If a beast was rampaging in the city, she would do what she could to help. Of course, she wouldn't throw her life away—she still had a daughter to protect—but she would intervene if it was within her power.
Back at the Marshal's Mansion.
"Who goes there!"
Zhou Shuiniu's eyes widened as he stared at the sky. A powerful surge of Heavenly Energy was approaching.
What a strong fluctuation! A High-Level Heavenly Zong? There's someone like that in the Heavenly Bow Empire?
Su Wen also turned his head. His spiritual sense had already identified the newcomer. Shangguan Bing'er's mother? The wife of the Second Palace Master of the Boundless Palace? While he didn't know every detail of this world, Su Wen was familiar with the major players and their relationships. A female powerhouse appearing in the Heavenly Bow Empire was almost certainly her.
Moments later, Tang Xian landed in the backyard. She hesitated briefly, her eyes locking onto the pearl in Su Wen's hand for a long time.
She let out a silent sigh of relief. It's just an inner dan. But can a beast's dan really have such a wicked aura? What kind of beast did this come from?
She scrutinized Su Wen and was shocked to find that she couldn't see through him at all. She then looked at the others, noticing that Zhou Shuiniu and Ling Zihan were staring at her in bewilderment.
"Are you... Sister Tang Xian?" Ling Zihan asked tentatively.
"Hmm? You are?"
"Sister Tang Xian, look closely! I'm Ling Zihan—the girl you and Big Brother Shangguan saved by the Longtan River all those years ago! You even stayed at my house for a month. I was just a girl then, and Shuiniu was still a student at the Jewel Master Academy," Ling Zihan said quickly.
Tang Xian was pleasantly surprised. "Little Zihan? Over ten years have passed; I didn't recognize you at all."
Ling Zihan had grown from a girl into a mother, so the change was significant. Tang Xian, however, appeared almost exactly the same, which was how Ling Zihan had recognized her.
"Sister Tang Xian, you haven't changed a bit. You're still so beautiful."
"And what is happening here...?" Tang Xian gestured toward the group, looking at Zhou Shuiniu.
Zhou Shuiniu frowned, conflicted for a moment, but then remembered the nine pairs of jewels he'd seen on her wrists when she landed. He decided to explain the entire situation.
"Congenital meridian blockage? Changing foundations? The Dark Devouring God Pearl? And a 'Technique of Immortality'?" Tang Xian's brow furrowed as she looked at Su Wen. Her gaze was probing, eventually turning into uncertainty.
She couldn't sense Su Wen's cultivation level at all. More importantly, he gave her a sense of extreme danger—the kind that felt lethal.
A Heavenly King! At least a King... maybe even a Heavenly Emperor!
Tang Xian took a deep breath and cupped her hands. "Senior, are you truly certain you can guarantee the safety of young Weiqing's meridians?"
Su Wen was also "sizing up" Tang Xian. Internally, he was nodding. Perfect. Here comes the perfect opportunity.
He narrowed his eyes and spoke with a cool tone. "I have no need to prove myself to anyone. However, out of respect for the Boundless Palace, I don't mind showing you a glimpse of what I can do."
(End of Chapter)