Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chapter 120: 120 Opportunities

”Terrible!”

In a dazed state, Yun Xiao could sense that the increase in his physical strength was terrifyingly significant, nearly comparable to some third-rank middle-level Vein Demons, but his complexion was not looking good at all.

It seemed that Yun Xiao had realized the limit of his body, and during the process of absorbing the Stone Heart Marrow, he was undoubtedly in a special state. Even if he wanted to move his body out of the wooden barrel, he couldn’t.

The power of the Stone Heart Marrow was like shackles imprisoning Yun Xiao, forcing him to fully absorb the Stone Heart Marrow liquid in the barrel before he could move his body. This was the so-called double-edged sword.

Therefore, at this moment, Yun Xiao could only think with the Power of Soul, his body completely immobile, passively undergoing the body refinement by the Stone Heart Marrow power.

However, Yun Xiao was clear in his heart that if he continued to absorb without restraint, the only outcome waiting for him was to burst apart and die. This overload beyond what his body could bear was something his frail body simply couldn’t withstand.

As time passed, the sky gradually darkened, and Yun Xiao’s mood grew heavier and heavier; what was originally thought to be a stroke of fortune turned into tragedy in the blink of an eye.

”Alas, am I, Yun Xiao, really going to die in such an embarrassing way?”

Feeling the Stone Heart Marrow Energy in the barrel continuously pouring into him, Yun Xiao bitterly smiled to himself, completely powerless, thinking that his life was indeed full of trials and hardships.

Whoosh!

However, just as Yun Xiao was wallowing in self-pity, he suddenly heard a swooshing sound. Since his body couldn’t move, he had no idea what had caused the sound.

”Could it really be that fortune never comes singly, and misfortune does not come alone?”

Yun Xiao’s spirit sank again. Honestly, on the Hidden Dragon Continent, he didn’t have many friends, but rather more enemies. Moreover, a genius girl who once had a good impression of him had turned into an enemy because he accidentally saw her body. Yun Xiao really couldn’t think of anyone arriving here that would be beneficial for him.

Moreover, Yun Xiao also thought that if it was Guan Tong who came here, he wouldn’t even need the power of Stone Heart Marrow to burst; that guy might just smash his head.

Since he couldn’t move his body, Yun Xiao simply stopped struggling, but after anxiously worrying for a moment, he suddenly made a surprising discovery, which made him both shocked and joyful.

Yun Xiao couldn’t move, so he couldn’t see the situation on the other side. At this moment, atop the huge wooden barrel, there was a special creature with a flaming red body.

It looked like a palm-sized rat, but such a fiery red rat, even if Yun Xiao could see it, he probably wouldn’t recognize it as any Vein Demon right away.

This fiery red rat stepped onto the rim of the barrel and seemed to sniff around before suddenly diving headfirst into the Stone Heart Marrow Water Liquid.

Although Yun Xiao couldn’t see, he could sense that something had joined him in the barrel below, and this thing seemed to emit strong Fire Attribute Energy.

Yun Xiao was both shocked and delighted when he noticed this change just now. Just as he was about to burst from the impact of Stone Heart Marrow Energy, the emergence of this change was like having another cultivator or Vein Demon sharing the Stone Heart Marrow Energy, turning a threatening situation into safety.

However, Yun Xiao really had no idea what the thing that entered the barrel was, nor did he know how much of the Stone Heart Marrow Energy it could share with him.

If that was just a first or second-rank Vein Demon, it could burst instantly under the shock of Stone Heart Marrow Energy, and Yun Xiao would inevitably return to the initial agonizing state of bursting.

Fortunately, Yun Xiao’s luck was quite good. After the fiery red rat entered the liquid in the barrel, its small, mung bean-sized eyes were full of excitement, as if it had found some greatly nourishing substance.

Huff... huff...

In just a few breaths, Yun Xiao felt that a large portion of the residual Stone Heart Marrow Energy was devoured by something, which brought him an unexpected joy; the turn of events had occurred so swiftly.

The fiery red rat that had absorbed most of the Stone Heart Marrow Energy seemed like a hungry man who had just eaten his fill, also entering a special state, leaving both rat and man in the barrel, an extremely bizarre scene.

However, at this moment, Yun Xiao no longer cared what the thing in the barrel was; he only knew that such a change had occurred, and his body had finally returned to a sustainable state.

”Eh, it seems there’s still a little left!”

However, in his joy, Yun Xiao discovered another problem; the unknown entity had devoured the Stone Heart Marrow but some still remained, which was the last straw that could crush the camel.

”It seems, I have no choice but to go all in!”

Yun Xiao clenched his teeth, a thought crossing his mind, for he knew that although the situation had stabilized somewhat, a slight misstep could cause all the meridians in his body to break due to this overwhelming force, leading him to become a cripple again.

Swish!

Seeing Yun Xiao stretch out his right palm, he swiped over his Waist Storage under the water, and immediately, a Demon Core stained with traces of blood appeared in his hand – it was the Giant Crab Vein Demon’s Demon Core.

Without a moment’s hesitation, sensing the continuous influx of Stone Heart Marrow Energy into his body, Yun Xiao directly popped the Giant Crab Demon Core into his mouth. A surge of formidable power erupted, almost making him lose control.

The energy of a Third Rank Low Level Demon Core was not to be taken lightly. Yun Xiao was already at a level where he couldn’t refine energy, so why would he still swallow such a potent Demon Core, further pushing his body to its limits?

”Ancient Dragon Taming Technique, activate!”

A deep roar erupted from Yun Xiao’s mouth as that mysterious Cultivation Technique, whose grade even the Long Xiao Battle God from his previous life didn’t know, started operating. The energy from the Giant Crab Demon Core was rapidly refined into his own energy.

Driven into a corner, Yun Xiao dared to take such a risky action of consuming the Giant Crab Demon Core because he remembered some special effects of the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique, hoping to use the power of this Demon Core to take his Meridian Qi Cultivation to a higher level.

In the past, Yun Xiao had swallowed the Purple Energy Flower Lotus, which even Cultivators at the Peak of the Meridian Introduction Realm dared not consume directly. It was precisely because of the rapid speed of energy refinement by the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique that he turned danger into safety and successfully broke through to the Peak of Meridian Introduction Realm.

Yun Xiao had many questions and confusions about this Cultivation Technique, but he knew that when it came to the speed of refining heterogenous energy, perhaps no one in the Nine Dragons Continent could match it — a result confirmed by his own experiments and endorsed by the infinite experience of Long Xiao Battle God from his past life.

Stone Heart Marrow merely enhanced the Physical Strength of Cultivators and didn’t contribute to breakthroughs in Meridian Qi, yet Physical Strength and Meridian Qi Cultivation were closely linked. A Cultivator in the Meridian Gathering Realm could withstand much more impact than one in the Meridian Introduction Realm.

This last trace of Stone Heart Marrow Energy was undoubtedly the last straw that crushed Yun Xiao, forcing him to take a risk and forcefully consume the Giant Crab Demon Core, using its power to advance his Meridian Qi Cultivation to the Middle Stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm.

If it were any ordinary Cultivator or common Cultivation Method, Yun Xiao’s actions would undoubtedly have hastened his death. The power of a Third Rank Low Level Demon Pill combined with that of Stone Heart Marrow would have caused him to bleed from all seven orifices and die in an instant.

Yet, the Ancient Dragon Taming Technique proved miraculous. When activated, invisible special auras wove through the meridians in Yun Xiao’s body, promptly enveloping the formidable Demon Core he had swallowed.

The Devouring Power burst forth, and the energy within the Giant Crab Demon Core was refined and absorbed at an extremely rapid pace. In mere thirty minutes, Yun Xiao’s body exploded with an extremely strong energy fluctuation.

This fluctuation burst forth into the sky above the hot springs, and soon after, the energy in the air, as if drawn by something, swarmed towards Yun Xiao.

Boom!

In almost the blink of an eye, Yun Xiao’s Meridian Qi Cultivation advanced from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm, taking a solid step forward.

Of course, what meant the most to Yun Xiao was that this breakthrough provided him with a completely new turning point from an otherwise certain demise.

Yun Xiao’s guess was correct; it really was the last bit of power from the Stone Heart Marrow. After his breakthrough to the Middle Stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm, this power no longer posed any threat to him.

It can be said that if Yun Xiao hadn’t preemptively killed that Giant Crab Vein Demon and fortuitously extracted a Demon Core from its body, he might truly have ended up too happy for his own good.

In a sense, had the Giant Crab Vein Demon not swallowed the Fire Stone Heart, Yun Xiao would not have fought it intensely, and neither would he have had this opportunity to use the Demon Core to enhance his Meridian Qi Cultivation.

All these twists and turns contributed to this moment where Yun Xiao saw a significant enhancement in both his Meridian Qi Cultivation and Physical Strength. He believed that even if he encountered Guan Tong at the Peak of Meridian Gathering Realm again, he would not immediately turn and flee upon seeing him.

Splash!

After completing his breakthrough, Yun Xiao finally absorbed the last trace of Stone Heart Marrow’s power and immediately stood up from the wooden tub. However, the next moment, he discovered something peculiar.

”Eh? What is this...”

Through the now-clear water of the hot springs, due to the complete absorption of the Stone Heart Marrow Energy, Yun Xiao could clearly see at the bottom of the wooden tub a palm-sized fiery red mouse.

To Yun Xiao’s surprise, the sight of this fiery red mouse triggered a vague memory deep in his mind, giving him a feeling that this palm-sized mouse seemed somewhat familiar.