Fortunately, as the vortex of vital energy disappeared, the rampant growth of plants had ceased. Even if they were still growing, it was nothing compared to before. It was unlikely the city would again be overtaken by plants and trees in a single night. The entire scene had been like something out of a dream.
But with the city now enveloped in vines and trees, new deadly threats emerged.
Even potted plants inside homes had mutated into highly lethal forms. Who knew how many of these deadly variants were lurking outside? The danger they posed was far greater than before.
A person could now be killed just walking down the street, attacked by some strange plant appearing from nowhere—silently and without warning.
The outside world had become almost uninhabitable for ordinary people.
Many must have died during this second mutation phase, completely unprepared. The death toll must be staggering.
No one knew how many survivors were left.
Standing on the balcony, one could still smell the scent of blood wafting from the building.
"What do we do now? Are we still going out to hunt monsters?" Zhao Ziyan asked, staring at the transformed cityscape, her voice barely a whisper.
"Not yet. Right now, the city is full of mutated plants and hidden dangers we can't even predict. Even if we go out, we wouldn't get far. It's better to wait and see what other changes the world will undergo," Yi Tianxing replied with a shake of his head. The situation had already gone far beyond his expectations.
It was like being dropped into a primordial jungle, where death could come at any moment—and you might not even know how it happened. The environment outside had become too dangerous. Lethally so.
Even Yi Tianxing didn't dare say he could survive out there.
A single blade of grass or flower could now be fatal.
The world was still transforming. The metamorphosis wasn't over. That strange feeling of change still lingered in the air. The only option now was to wait—for a final, sweeping transformation that might clarify the new laws of this world.
Meanwhile, this period was also ideal for cultivation.
Especially since they weren't lacking in Willpower Beads. Every moment spent training now was a chance to grow stronger—vital for surviving the increasing threats outside. Today's monsters were manageable, but tomorrow's could be far deadlier.
"If that's the case, then we should train. Didn't we get some books on Basic Saber Techniques and Basic Sword Techniques? We can rotate between meditative cultivation and practicing those. When our minds are too fatigued to continue visualizing, we can train our combat skills instead," Tang Zitong suggested, eyes lighting up.
Cultivation couldn't go on endlessly.
Mental visualization consumed one's spirit and willpower. Without sufficient rest or mental strength, one couldn't continue. Unless one's soul grew stronger, visualization had its limits.
Yi Tianxing, though a bit better off, had the same constraints.
However, thanks to his natural Yin-Yang Eyes, and his ability to absorb souls while slaying ghosts, his soul had grown stronger over time—making him especially gifted in this area.
"We have Basic Saber Techniques, Basic Sword Techniques, Basic Spear Techniques, and Stacking Wave Saber Technique to choose from. You can each pick whichever suits you," Yi Tianxing said with a smile as he summoned several jade manuals from his storage orb with a mere thought.
"You can summon things like that? Did you get some kind of storage treasure?" Zhao Ziyan asked, not even pretending to be shy about it.
They were close, and Yi Tianxing clearly wasn't trying to hide anything.
"Yes, I had a bit of luck. I obtained a storage space treasure. It's not that large and can't store living beings, but it's perfect for preserving rare items and pulling them out instantly when needed."
Yi Tianxing didn't bother hiding the truth. It wasn't something he could keep secret for long anyway.
Tang Zitong and Chen Xuerou both looked amazed. They'd suspected something after noticing some missing supplies earlier, but hearing it confirmed was still shocking.
Storage treasures—those were the stuff of legends. But now, legends were real.
Without hesitation, they picked up combat manuals and began training. Zhao Ziyan chose the Basic Sword Technique, Tang Zitong the Basic Saber Technique, and Chen Xuerou also went with the sword. Yi Tianxing picked up the Basic Spear Technique.
He was most comfortable with the battle spear.
However, before starting his martial training, he returned to his room, took another Willpower Bead, and focused his mind inward—into his Divine Sea.
Inside, thousands of True Dragon Qi strands were swimming through the sea of energy.
Each one radiated a powerful aura.
They now took up a significant portion of the Divine Sea, no longer leaving it empty.
"Good. With this amount of True Qi, I can begin opening the Twelve Main Meridians. Once the meridians are open, I'll be able to circulate True Qi throughout my body, infuse it into weapons, and fully unleash the power of martial techniques."
"To start, I must open the meridians in my arms, allowing me to channel energy into weapons."
Yi Tianxing made up his mind.
In the Divine Sea Realm, there was no need to wait until one had fully filled their Qi reserve. As long as one had formed a strand of True Qi, one could attempt to open the meridians.
The first layer of the Divine Sea Realm was about accumulating Qi. The second layer was about circulation—using that Qi to open the meridians. More Qi meant more power to break through blockages and reach the next stage.
And once a meridian was open, it could also draw in more external energy, accelerating cultivation even further.
"It begins with the Yangming Large Intestine Meridian of the Hand!"
This meridian flowed from the Divine Sea, passing through twenty acupoints like Shangyang, Erjian, Sanjian, Hegu, Yangxi, Pianli, Wenliu, and more.
These weren't life gates, but nodes where blood and energy converged—and were often clogged with impurities or inert innate Qi.
The goal of meridian cleansing was to break these blockages, refining the impurities and absorbing the innate Qi.
It was a painful and difficult process, heavily dependent on one's aptitude.
Those with poor aptitude had more impurities, making the breakthrough harder and less rewarding. Those born with strong talent had more innate Qi and fewer obstructions—making the meridian easy to open, and granting them immense boosts in the process.
This was the inborn difference in cultivation.
That's why most sects only recruited those with exceptional talent—rejecting the rest outright.