Normally, Meridians behaved like vessels. They had a net of subsequent and slightly interlocked nodes. Some of these nodes could be bypassed thanks to anastomosis between the ones before and after. Like veins and arteries, though, many vessels were crucial and couldn’t be done without. If one were to injure a main Meridian, they wouldn’t be able to ferret Qi nor Mana through it and, consequently, to whichever part of the body it led to. Meridians could heal, but they were delicate and took a lot of time on top of skilled manipulation.

Why manipulation, you would ask.

Well, Meridians were sort of a “formation” or “diagram” inside the body. Their placement was not random at all. The body would grow Meridiams in the most appropriate place to favor the usage of Qi and Mana. Misplaced Meridians were a pathological condition, and they would severely impair the ability to use Martial Techniques and Spells, also making Cultivation way harder than usual.

Some Sages could regrow people’s limbs with enough time, skills and materials. However, the most challenging part would be the Meridian placement. On a level, the body knew where the Meridians should go, but it wouldn’t be able to place them again on its own during the healing process. Therefore the healer would have to guide their regrowth carefully.

Most special Hidden Constitutions had something to do with Meridians. Few other parts of the body could influence Qi or Mana in the same way. Sure, some Constitutions, as the name suggests, changed the flesh or bones of the individuals, but those were strong only in the first realms.

The strongest Constitutions were those able to influence your whole cultivation. And such was the case for Juliet!

The Sacred Queen Phoenix Constitution was one of the most famous among the Hidden Constitutions. They were called Hidden because of their rarity. However, some more common ones, like those enhancing flesh and bones, were not unheard of, and Jacob had known quite a few individuals sporting those.

However, more secrets constitutions became the foundation to become the leader of a Clan. They were passed down through genes and could become the cornerstone of an empire. Humans had capitulated in the end, but not after having fought valiantly and established fearsome associations in the form of Clans or “Sects.” Sect was a bit of a stretch for what they did, but it was good enough to describe them in general.

As a rule, Sects were usually born out of governmental bodies or cities, whereas Clans were far rarer and would start sprouting out only in twenty years or so. Indeed, few people hypothesized that those Hidden Constitutions could be passed down, and fewer still had the guts to try that out.

Also, the Hidden meant that most of the time, people did not even notice they were special before dying miserably. Thus, most would never know about the Hidden Constitution or would perhaps die of unknown causes.

This was Juliet’s case.

She would die in a few minutes or maybe be disfigured for the rest of her life.

The Sacred Queen Phoenix Constitution was not only vicious but brutal to develop and not die to. It radically changed every single Meridian in the body. Moreover, the Phoenix in the name hinted at the insane regenerative ability the users would acquire.

The Meridians in her body would multiply exponentially, and she would not own one single Main Meridian anymore. So in a sense, all her Meridians would become Main Meridians and form anastomosis with countless other Meridians.

However, one would have to handle the growth of all the Meridians simultaneously. It was not impossible, nor truly that hard for someone trained. No one, however, was capable of that here and now.

No one but Jacob. And he had not nearly enough Qi to try and guide such a fierce Hidden Constitution. The regenerative effects were just the tip of the iceberg; in time, Juliet had a shot at becoming one of the strongest people in the world.

“Jacob?” she had glassy eyes and a feeble voice.

Jacob saw black veins appear on her face, a sign that the Meridian re-creation process was not going as it was supposed to.

“Juliet, listen, I’m going to try something to save your life. But, first, you have not to scream. Do you understand? If you make any noise, people will come running over and make it impossible for me to cure you. Juliet, look at me. Do you understand?”

Juliet stared weakly at him with her astonishingly beautiful green eyes and nodded.

“Ok, I need you to listen to me. I’m going to try something extremely risky for both of us. I cannot use my Qi to help you. I’m too weak. I need to tap into your own Qi. I need you to think really hard about being relaxed around me, about me as a friend, and then about us sharing a bond. Please, nod if you understand.”

At that point, Jacob did not know if she just was red or if she had just violently blushed. He had tried to be as clinical about it as it could be, but he had underplayed it. Sharing Qi was an act so intimate that not even married couples did it. Some preferred to die than to share that part of them. Nevertheless, such a practice left a mark on the soul of the people who did it and was used among partners to seal a life-long bond.

It would not influence their feelings for each other: otherwise, Jacob would have never even thought about doing something like that. However, it was going to make them much more intimate on an abstract level. It was like sharing childhood with someone thousand times over. They would gain an unparallel and instinctual understanding of each other.

Jacob almost looked sad while gazing at the girl. What he was going to do to her was unfair. However, he knew no solution that would not cripple himself for life or kill him while trying, rather than using her own Qi. Even using one of the most powerful Forbidden Techniques, he reckoned he would have only a 30% chance of succeeding. The process was going to outlast the duration of most Forbidden Techniques.

“This is not going to hurt, but please don’t let your mind wander. Stay focused on the bond, or the process could go wrong”, he told her.

Juliet nodded and just looked at him in his eyes. In another moment, she would have bombarded him with questions. Instead, however, she could feel her own life slipping through her fingers; if Jacob said she could save her, she would consent to almost anything. In moments like this one, the instinct to live was stronger than anything in the world.

Jacob raised his hand and put together one of the most mysterious forces mankind would ever discover: Soul Force

Soul Technique, Ancestral Bond

His five fingers lit each with a translucent flame, and he put that over her heart.