The Black Demon Ridge was unusually quiet at night.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, a pillar of frigid, ethereal blue light shot into the sky with an aura that seemed to disdain all creation before slowly dissipating.
Several miles away.
Two figures were walking slowly.
"The Black Demon Ridge is even more dangerous at night."
A petite young woman's delicate face was tinged with gravity.
Her gaze swept to the handsome young man beside her, and an inexplicable sense of calm washed over her. 'With Senior Gao Xuan here, what do I have to worry about?'
Just then, a rainbow of ethereal blue light shot into the distant sky, accompanied by intense fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
Hm?
The handsome young man, Gao Xuan, stared in that direction with a sharp gaze.
"What is that?"
The petite young woman gasped.
"It doesn't sound like a battle... Could it be the phenomenon of a treasure being born?"
A glint appeared in the handsome young man's, Gao Xuan's, eyes.
The Black Demon Ridge was rife with Fierce Beasts, fraught with danger, and home to even more powerful Demon Beasts.
But by the same token, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi here was dense, making it more likely for some Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to be nurtured!
"That location... seems to be near the Primordial Spirit Fruit," the petite young woman said.
Half a month ago, the two had discovered an unripe Primordial Spirit Fruit on a cliff face somewhere in the Black Demon Ridge.
To a Meridian Opening Realm Martial Artist, a Primordial Spirit Fruit was exceptionally precious. With a sufficient Cultivation Foundation, one could directly break through to the next layer.
"That's right. According to my calculations, the Primordial Spirit Fruit will ripen tonight. But the best time to pick it is after midnight."
"We still have a few hours until midnight. Let's go see what kind of Heavenly and Earthly Treasure caused that phenomenon. It might be an even greater prize!"
Gao Xuan analyzed calmly, a hint of fervent desire in his eyes.
The petite young woman nodded. Gao Xuan was a handsome and extraordinary genius from Hongguang Academy, and he was powerful. All she had to do was listen to him.
...
"The Divine Vein is completely open!"
Luo Tian was thrilled. The phantom of the ferocious, shadowy dragon and the dark blue Cold Mist behind him slowly receded into his body.
Meridian Opening had once been his greatest obstacle.
Since obtaining the Creation Celestial Book, this problem was solved in two days. 'How unpredictable life is.'
Opening a Martial Vein in the Body Tempering Realm only made one a quasi-Martial Artist.
Only by producing True Qi and opening a Qi Vein within the body could one be considered a true Martial Artist.
'I'll do it in one go and open my Qi Vein!'
Luo Tian began to cultivate.
The Martial Vein is the bridge that connects the human body to the heavens and the earth.
Opening the Martial Vein allows one to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The Nether Dragon Divine Vein within Luo Tian's body swam slowly, emitting a powerful suction that pulled in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from all directions.
Within a hundred-meter radius, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged and continuously gathered toward him.
'As expected of a Divine Vein. This cultivation speed is incredible!' Luo Tian was astonished.
As the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi entered his body, Luo Tian felt a sense of comfort spread through him.
Gradually, a powerful stream of True Qi began to form near his Divine Vein.
'This is the same True Qi Liu Yuanba has, and now I have it too!' Luo Tian thought.
He felt that his True Qi was much more condensed and powerful than Liu Yuanba's.
And this was just after he'd successfully achieved Meridian Opening, before he had even been promoted to a Martial Artist.
With True Qi, Luo Tian began to open his Qi Vein.
With the Martial Vein as the foundation, the human body has a total of nine major Qi Veins.
Now, Luo Tian began opening the first one.
TSSSS!
The Qi Vein inside his body was being forged open bit by bit at an astonishingly fast rate.
Luo Tian had been stuck at the Ninth Layer Body Tempering Realm for three long years. After his Divine Vein opened, his cultivation speed was not only fully restored but far surpassed its previous rate.
Furthermore, the Qi Vein Luo Tian was opening was shaped like a dragon-serpent and was ten times thicker than that of an ordinary Martial Artist!
BUZZ! WHOOSH!
Faint sounds emanated continuously from the Qi Vein in his body, like a raging tide flooding a dry riverbed, as it rapidly extended and opened up!
All in one go!
He managed to open a full third of the first Qi Vein before the process slowly came to a halt.
This progress was several times faster than that of an ordinary Martial Artist.
'Success!'
A low, thunderous rumble echoed from within Luo Tian's body—the sound of True Qi surging through his Qi Vein.
"Meridian Opening Realm First Layer! I've finally stepped through the gateway of a Martial Artist."
Overjoyed, Luo Tian let out a long cry.
He channeled the True Qi within his Qi Vein, condensing it in his palm. A layer of dark blue energy immediately formed, radiating a frigid, cold aura.
Luo Tian struck the stone wall beside him with his palm.
BOOM! CRACK!
The stone wall instantly cracked, sending rock fragments flying and leaving behind a deep indent.
WHOOSH!
An invisible, chilling gale of energy howled forth. The spreading cold caused a layer of frost to form on the nearby grass and trees.
Breaking through to the First Layer of Meridian Opening, Luo Tian's strength had taken a qualitative leap.
With his Divine Vein completely open, his physical constitution had greatly improved. Furthermore, with the aid of True Qi, his attacks were now even more powerful and sharp!
"Huh? What's that?"
Luo Tian spotted four or five plants glowing with a faint yellow light in a small hollow a dozen meters away.
"Spiritual Grass!"
Luo Tian recognized it at a glance.
These Spiritual Materials usually grew in places with dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. They contained pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and could be used for cultivation by those in the Meridian Opening Realm.
Luo Tian was certain that these precious materials weren't here when he first arrived.
'Could it be that when I was cultivating and breaking through, my Divine Vein gathered the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from all directions, causing these stalks of Spiritual Grass to mature?' Luo Tian's face lit up with pleasant surprise as he speculated.
He had just broken through to the Meridian Opening Realm. These few stalks of Spiritual Grass could be used to solidify his foundation, equivalent to half a month of cultivation.
Just as Luo Tian finished picking the Spiritual Grass...
BUZZ! WHOOSH!
Suddenly, the Celestial Book in his mind unfurled, unleashing a suction force.
The next moment.
The stalks of Spiritual Grass in his hand withered at a visible rate, turning into a few dried blades in just a few breaths.
"Ah! What the hell is this..."
Luo Tian stood frozen, clutching the dried grass, feeling utterly lost.
These few stalks of Spiritual Grass were quite useful for a Martial Artist who had just broken through to the Meridian Opening Realm.
What's more, Luo Tian was currently deep in debt and was desperately short on Cultivation Resources.
But in the end, the Celestial Book had actually eaten the Spiritual Grass.
Luo Tian's consciousness reached out to the Celestial Book.
At this moment, the first page of the Celestial Book was half-filled with a cyan-gray glow. Before, it had been less than one-fifth full.
'So, the Celestial Book can absorb Spiritual Materials to restore its power.'
Luo Tian's worry turned to joy.
He had a deep appreciation for the Celestial Book's miraculous power. Accumulating the power of "Half a Page" wasn't a loss after all.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Inside the Celestial Book, a cloud of black mist appeared.
"Boy, you're finally here!"
"So? My method helped you successfully achieve Meridian Opening, didn't it!" the Celestial Book God said with great pride.
"Now, you can let this god leave the Celestial Book—"
Before the Celestial Book God could finish his sentence, Luo Tian withdrew his consciousness from the book.
"Boy, don't go... You little brat, you're going back on your word! How dare you deceive this god? Doesn't your conscience hurt?..."
The Celestial Book God's voice came to an abrupt halt as everything plunged back into darkness.
'I still can't let this Celestial Book God out so easily.'
Luo Tian's expression grew thoughtful.
The origins of this Celestial Book God were unknown, and his power seemed far from simple. The consequences of releasing him were unpredictable.
Just then, a man and a woman approached through the depths of the Black Demon Ridge.
The young man was handsome with a cold demeanor; the young woman was petite with fair, delicate skin, clearly from a wealthy family.
'People from Hongguang Academy?'
Luo Tian recognized their origins from their attire.
Near Qingchang City was another city called Hongguang City, where Hongguang Academy was located.
"The Black Demon Ridge is dangerous at night. You two should head back quickly."
Luo Tian offered a word of caution and prepared to head home.
'The Spiritual Qi here is dense, and that hollow has clearly been disturbed. The treasure that just appeared must have been taken by this person!' The handsome young man, Gao Xuan, had made up his mind.
His eyes turned frigid in the moonlight as he shouted, "You thief! Hand over the Heavenly and Earthly Treasure!"
"Heavenly and Earthly Treasure?"
Luo Tian was slightly taken aback.
'Is he talking about the Spiritual Grass?'
Those stalks of Spiritual Grass only came into being because they basked in his breakthrough's aura.
By all rights, they belonged to Luo Tian.
Besides, the Spiritual Grass had already been eaten by the Celestial Book.
"Your cultivation is at the Second Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm. Are you sure you want to fight me over a few stalks of Spiritual Grass?"
Luo Tian's Spiritual Sense detected the fluctuations of two Qi Veins inside Gao Xuan.
'The stalks of Spiritual Grass just matured and aren't very old. They shouldn't be that tempting to someone at the Second Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm, right?' Luo Tian was puzzled.
"Spiritual Grass? Are you trying to fool a three-year-old?!"
Gao Xuan sneered with contempt.
The phenomenon just now was extraordinary. How could it possibly be just a few stalks of Spiritual Grass!
Gao Xuan speculated that it had to be a treasure useful to someone at the Ninth Layer of the Meridian Opening Realm, or perhaps even the Spirit Sea Realm. 'This kid's clumsy lie is utterly foolish!'
"Since you refuse to hand it over, don't blame me for being impolite!"
CLANG!
With a cold expression, Gao Xuan drew a Treasure Sword that glinted with a chilling light. It was clearly no ordinary weapon.