Author note: Here's the next chapter. Not much progress in the story, but a ton of explanation to hopefully clear up any confusion left over from last chapter in regards to the process. Next chapter should be the return of my favorite character(no not Xu Rong) and the start of a transition into a... w______ arc? Though it wont be revealed for another few chapters. No beetle king as this took a lot of effort explaining everything and I'm exhausted. Next chapter will be his return.

~~~

Ki stored in the dantain can travel through meridian channels. These channels mostly run alongside blood vessels but there are some deviations in their paths. The two remain separate as ki traveling through the blood vessels would cause conflict with the cultivators blood.

It is said though that for every rule there are exceptions.

The Blood for instance practiced a cultivation techniques which involved merging the meridian channels with blood vessels. They did this by expanding the size of their blood vessels so that the meridian channels existed inside the vessels allowing both blood and ki to travel together.

Another cultivation method caused all the blood in the body to dry up and the cultivator would depend only on ki to survive. Ki would travel in both the meridian channels and blood vessels allowing them to constantly reinforce their body with ki.

Another cultivation method relied on destroying the dantian and using blood cells themselves as storage for the ki. These cultivators, upon reaching a high enough level, would have undying bodies and could survive from a single drop of blood.

These techniques however were like the sound of footsteps in an empty valley; incredibly rare and all of them required years of preparing the body for the change that would occur.

Xiaobo, ignoring common sense, forcefully caused the ki to enter Sun Jiao’s blood vessels. That alone would have caused fear to grip the heart of most cultivators, but Xiaobo wasn’t satisfied with just that. Instead he provoked the ki into behaving erratically in the vessels; like a rampaging dragon in a narrow cave causing damage everywhere it went.

Every breath that Sun Jiao took would fill his lungs with spiritual energy that would then be greedily absorbed by the desperate blood cells. These cells, under the coaxing of Xiaobo, would frantically rush through Sun Jiao’s body repairing the damage as quickly as it was made.

Tearing down the body and rebuilding it caused it the body to improve at a massive rate. Even then it took several days for Sun Jiao to pass through the Second-body stage and reach the Second-ki stage.

This was only possible with Xiaobo controlling the ki and blood as the method was too painful for Sun Jiao to accomplish this on his own. Even a cultivator with superior fortitude would be reluctant to undergo such a method of strengthening.

At first Sun Jiao resisted and had faith that he could make it through, but after the first hour he began to demand Xiaobo stop for a moment to rest. After the first day he began to beg and bargain; even suggesting they go and take back the fruit and use that, but Xiaobo realized he was having a sickening amount of fun and that the process, once started, had to be completed.

The start of the second day would be what he would later consider the lowest point in his life. He had given up all hope and only wished that it would end. He could then at least join Xu Rong in the afterlife or at the very least hope to meet her in his next life. Towards the end of the day even Xiaobo began to worry about Sun Jiao’s mental health, but still he continued before finally giving him a brief rest.

During this moment of unconscious rest Sun Jiao had a dream. In the dream a goddess with Xu Rong’s face appeared wearing only light. She spoke endless words of hope and encouragement, but Sun Jiao was unable to clearly hear them and could only feel the warmth she was trying to convey.

Xiaobo began again and Sun Jiao awoke with a clarity he had lost on the first day. The process was no less painful, but now he persisted through without fainting. Without this interruption the process that should have lasted another day was finished in less than the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense.

Sun Jiao immediately collapsed.

A few hours past before Sun Jiao awoke and found that he was surprisingly refreshed. His body had undergone a complete change that far surpassed its previous strength.

Sun Jiao turned to examine the bag he had brought with him and pulled out the two flowers leaving the rest of it’s contents undisturbed. He needed to have Sun Qing destroy the soul that was still trapped in the head and prepare a grave for Xu Rong, but Xiaobo insisted on huring his cultivation as he needed to deal with the third prince and princess before they could make another move. He could have given the bag to a doll and had them do it, but he wanted to see to it himself.

Before Sun Jiao could examine the lilies Xiaobo reassured him.

The two had discussed what to do while on the way to the city, but Xiaobo hadn’t given any concrete details only that they’d use the lilies to give his ki an attribute.

Xiaobo used his will to take a bit of ki from Sun Jiao’s dantain and began moving it through the meridian channels. The path he traveled was simple and straightforward compared to the strengthening path or healing path that Sun Jiao had learned before, but was much longer and took the time it takes to finish a cup of tea before it was finished.

The path had been simple and with Sun Jiao’s memory he should have been able to remember it exactly, but it seemed as though there was something that prevented him from recalling it.

Xiaobo started over and a few moments later completed the path again. Sun Jiao was still unable to remember it. Teasing Sun Jiao once more Xiaobo started the path over.

Xiaobo wasn’t surprised Sun Jiao couldn’t remember the path. The path he formed contained a universal truth that required a unique insight into the way the world worked before it could be understood. Even he hadn’t been able to learn it without practice.

Slowly time past and the two continued studying before Sun Jiao was able to grasp the concept.

Previously when moving ki through the meridian channels he would simply shove the ki ahead of his Will and force it down the channels like a snow truck driving down a tunnel while pushing snow in front of it. To wrap it with his Will and travel without touching the edges would be an impossible task.

With a sigh, Sun Jiao began practicing and quickly got the hang of it. It reminded him of the hoop and wire games where you had to move the hoop along the wire without the hoop touching or it would buzz at you; Xiaobo even made a buzzing noise when he failed.

Time past practicing and now quite a few days had past since he started and Sun Qing would be finishing her secluded meditation. By now Sun Jiao was able to complete the process only one out of every twenty tries.

Xiaobo was getting impatient and decided it was time to move ahead.

Sun Jiao began to sweat.

With a gulp and a wipe of his forehead Sun Jiao prepared himself mentally.

Xiaobo maintained his calm as Sun Jiao drank the Midnight Devil Lily juice, but inside he was just as nervous as Sun Jiao. He hadn’t actually thought of another way and this was the only chance. If this failed it would push back all his plans, but without risk there was no reward.

Xiaobo had always done better under pressure and Sun Jiao was constantly surprising him. A one in twenty shot coupled with the pressure of having to face an even more painful training method? Wasn’t that as good as a sure thing? Xiaobo certainly hoped so as delaying his plans wasn’t the worst of it.

As Sun Jiao drank the juice he felt the ki in his body begin to fade away like water into mist. With each second his ki drained until both his ki and the last bit of juice were both completely gone.

A cultivator without ki, no matter what his previous strength, was considered a mortal.

Xiaobo just hoped it wouldn’t be permanent.