Chapter Forty-Four Humiliation

  Gan Ping followed the method recorded in the Soul Jade given by Wu Yunzi, slowly and carefully trying it out. Although the speed of the true yuan's operation had increased several times, it was still better to be slower and more careful when impacting the meridians. He spread the power of the Taiyi Pure Yang True Classic throughout his internal organs, firmly protecting his internal organs. This Taiyi Pure Yang True Classic was passed down from the ancient teachings of the Jiuzhou space, and had a remarkable effect on the body's protection and repair. After making preparations for protection, Gan Ping stabilized his mind slightly, then transformed the true yuan power in his body into a ball of flame that wrapped around the meridians in his heart and liver, refining and tempering them.

  Even if it was a body that had been refined through the fusion of the three fires, it could not withstand the scorching pain of the flames. At this time, Gān Píng's face was already covered in beads of sweat, and his eyebrows were filled with an expression of suffering. Under the introspection of his divine soul, Gān Píng wrapped the power of his divine soul around the illusory flames and slowly guided them towards the Tàichōng Héng Jiàn (a pair of meridians) in his body. Along the way, the originally narrow meridians were forcibly expanded by the power of the flames, and the speckled toxins on the surface of the meridians were burned away by the scorching heat of the flames, turning into wisps of black air that eventually disappeared without a trace.

  Gan Ping was amazed to discover that on his meridians, at intervals of not far apart, there were small grain-like green crystal bodies attached to them. When the flame passed through, the emerald crystals turned into a white mist that seeped into the sidewalls of the meridians. Every time a mist entered, the meridian, which was originally scorched by the flame, felt a wave of coolness, and even the pain decreased significantly. Although he didn't know what this was, he thought it must be very beneficial to his body. Gan Ping felt that the meridians that had been penetrated by the mist were more resilient and wider. This was the Wood Spirit Tempering Body Milk that Xuan Mingzi had injected into Gan Ping's body that day. This innate spiritual object was indeed extraordinary, and with Gan Ping's cultivation at the time, he couldn't fully absorb it, so the Wood Spirit Tempering Body Milk had been stored in his body. Now, after this refining process, its effects were finally revealed.

  After being tempered by the Wood Spirit's Body Milk and the Taiyi Pure Yang Heart Sutra, the meridians that were on the verge of breaking under the intense flames of the Overbearing Dao had returned to their original state. Gan Ping also felt a sense of incredulity. According to the Soul Stone given by Wuyan Zi, when one breaks through the Taichong Channel and refines the Liver Fire Meridian, the meridians will suffer varying degrees of damage due to the scorching of the illusory flames. Therefore, all disciples who cultivate this level of gongfu need to undergo several months of water-milling work, slowly opening up the meridian inch by inch. Never had anyone like Gan Ping succeeded in passing through it all at once with a single burst of effort.

  Only Gan Ping, who had cultivated the Binghuo Rongyuan Decision, could withstand the enormous pressure of the flame pulse. If it were someone else, such a reckless practice would surely cause their meridians to burst and they would either die or be severely injured. Furthermore, with the nourishment and refinement of the Muling Quan body milk, the originally damaged meridians due to excessive expansion had all been restored to their original state, and their tenacity and breadth were even greater than before.

  Slowly opening his eyes, a flash of fiery color flashed across Gan Ping's eyes, which was the small divine ability - Rolling Golden Light Eyes that came with the unblocking of the Liver Meridian. Slowly exhaling a breath, a murky gas with a hint of black and red color was sprayed out from his mouth, and the last bit of impurities and toxins in his liver were refined into smoke and expelled from his body. Gan Ping only felt that his mind was clear and his eyes were bright, this cultivation path indeed had many benefits, just the changes in his body alone made him feel like he was savoring a delicious dish, unable to extricate himself.

  I feel the dense fire attribute spiritual power around my body, and I couldn't help but secretly praise the effect of this spirit gathering array. The degree of fire attribute spiritual power in the room is now sufficient to be compared to the seventh floor of the Fire Temple. After secretly calculating for a moment, Gan Ping was shocked to discover that his cultivation had already lasted for a day and a night. It seems that it's true that time passes differently in the mountains, and just opening up one meridian requires so much time. If one were to cultivate a great divine technique and close themselves off for several years, it would also be very normal.

  He put the excited and jumping flame on his shoulder, took out the Ling Stone to collect the cloth array, and opened the door to walk out of the room. He hadn't left the room for a day and night, nor had anyone come to disturb him. Cultivators wouldn't casually place themselves in front of others unless it was something important, so as not to interfere with their cultivation. Gan Ping was very satisfied with this rule in the Cultivation World.

  He glanced at the sky and found that it was already noon. Gan Ping had not yet reached the state of abstaining from food, so he casually went to the dining hall, took a portion of rice and wolfed it down into his stomach. The physical strengthening of this day and night also required a lot of energy, and the amount of food consumed by a cultivator in the early stages of cultivation was astonishing. It was during the consolidation of the foundation and the transformation of the body that the demand for food could not be lacking. Fortunately, Miao Chengzong was not strict with new disciples on this point, and the daily food supply was extremely sufficient. If it were a general small sect, the amount of food needed by new disciples in this transformation stage would be enough to cause headaches.

  The commotion in the Earth Fire Temple still lingered, and when Gan Ping walked by, he saw Ming Fan and others frantically rushing about, but Gan Ping didn't go inside. He didn't understand anything, and if he intervened recklessly, it would only add to the chaos. Although Ming Fan and others were running around with sweat dripping down their faces, they still had smiles on their faces, indicating that they had gained a lot. The disciples serving in the Earth Fire Temple and the Heaven's Work Temple were still considered inferior, but the extra income they received each month made many people envious. These scattered cultivators who came to borrow from the Earth Fire would often give some small gifts to the disciples in charge, perhaps for a better spot or to inquire about which place had better quality earth fire. They just needed to show some courtesy, and the sect knew about these things too. As long as they didn't overdo it, they would turn a blind eye.

  It's still early, and the sky is dull and flavorless. I've been thinking about it for a long time, so I decided to take a stroll. I arrived at Miaocheng Temple on the second day and went straight to the Xiaoling Peak Fire Temple to report in. For over a month, I didn't leave the temple day or night, not even taking the time to carefully tour the scenery within the temple grounds. Passing by the front hall and the crowds of people waiting in line, I casually headed down the mountain. There are still two days before the fifth floor of the Fire Temple's wall barrier can be opened, so I'm not in a hurry to return.

  As they walked down the winding path, Huo'er jumped and played on Gan Ping's shoulder. The naturally lively creature had been feeling cooped up for days. Gan Ping couldn't help but secretly admire the spiritual energy that filled this mountain gate, unlike the mundane world outside. The wild animals with spiritual energy hiding in the mountains and forests all seemed to have a hint of spirituality about them. They didn't fear Gan Ping, instead curiously sizing him up with their eyes. Huo'er would jump onto the head of a sika deer one moment, then go pull on the ears of a white rabbit the next. The animals didn't seem to mind, letting Huo'er cause trouble as it pleased.

  Gan Ping couldn't help but smile as he watched the little fire-red figure jumping and playing in the grass. Suddenly, a similar fire-red figure seemed to appear before his eyes. "Ling'er, if you were here, you would definitely be delighted. Unfortunately... Alas, I'm just a small miscellaneous disciple now, unable to access the warehouse of scriptures, and can't find a way to revive you. But don't worry, the year-end assessment is only a few months away, and when that time comes, I will become an official disciple. At that time, I will have the right to browse through the scriptures once a month. If I still can't find a solution, I will enter the inner sect and think of a way to restore your incomplete soul, letting you open your eyes again." Thinking of this, Gan Ping's eyes also became moist, and his fists clenched tightly. "I definitely will, Ling'er. I, Gan Ping, swear that I will let you reopen your eyes, let you see this beautiful scenery once more."

  It seemed to have sensed the low spirits of Gan Ping, and Huo Er also stopped playing with the animals, jumping back onto Gan Ping's shoulders. The two monkey paws stroked Gan Ping's face, and looking at Huo Er's mischievous monkey face, Gan Ping couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. This sigh was only understood by those who knew him well, and it carried a sense of bitterness and helplessness that only they could feel.

  Just as Gan Ping was indulging in his past sorrow, a loud shout came from behind: "That servant, is this place where you can loiter with your humble status? Get out of the way quickly, otherwise be careful of your skin." The voice was arrogant and unreasonable, probably because they were used to being tyrannical. Gan Ping turned back in shock, and found that several people had appeared not far away, all dressed in white clothes like snow, and their attire was that of outer door disciples. Standing in the middle was a woman in red, with eyebrows and eyes like a painting, her figure slender and elegant, exuding countless charms.

  When he saw her in a red dress, the figure of Gan Ping's heart superimposed on the reality in front of him, and his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a look of confusion. "Ling'er???" Gan Ping muttered to himself. "Pfft, what Ling'er? This is Fang Yanting, the daughter of Wudan Zhenren. You must be crazy, the Ling'er you mentioned must be a village girl, how can she compare to Fang Xianzi?" When Gan Ping heard this, he looked at the person who spoke with a deep gaze. The person standing next to the woman in red was quite handsome, but unfortunately, his image was ruined by a fierce and sinister look between his eyebrows. At first glance, he seemed like a treacherous and cunning person.

  The red-clothed woman, Fang Yunting, heard this and her eyebrows slightly moved, but she didn't say anything. Her eyes just flashed with a hint of disgust. The man finished speaking and thought he was very witty, couldn't help but burst out laughing loudly. The crowd of disciples behind him also followed suit, snickering and smiling. It seemed that although this person was an outer sect disciple, his status was not ordinary either. Otherwise, why would so many people fawn over him? Gan Ping raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't say a word. This kind of arrogant person didn't need to be bothered with, let him go on being arrogant, one day he will reap what he sows. Moreover, as just a servant disciple, she didn't have the right to say anything.

  That white-clothed disciple didn't see the flash of cold light in Gan Ping's eyes as he turned around, although it was unreasonable to himself, but it wasn't a big deal. It was quite common for outer door disciples to bully servant disciples, but this person actually humiliated Ling'er, which touched Gan Ping's bottom line. He turned his head and walked quickly in the opposite direction, with a lot of anger in his heart. If he became an outer door disciple at the end of the year, he would definitely find this person to fight.

  Before Gan Ping could walk far, that annoying voice rose again, "Little boy, just leave like this? You collided with Fang Xianzi and want to leave just like that?" Hearing these words, Gan Ping sighed in his heart, it seems that this matter cannot be resolved peacefully today. His mind turned quickly, the Blazing Fire Fusion Technique spread throughout his body, and the dragon-patterned Blazing Fire was already moving inside him, accumulating energy for release. Even the long-dormant Heavenly Demon Blood God Knife's blade edge was eager to try, churning restlessly under Gan Ping's mental control.