Chapter Eight: One Hundred and Eight Meridians, The Ancient Great Sun Sutra

“Solar and Lunar bloodline? Chaotic Essence Gu? What is a Chaotic Essence Gu?” Chen Mu asked curiously.

Rou’er’s expression was complicated as she replied, “The Chaotic Essence Gu is an insect that devours vital energy and throws your inner energy into disarray. Do you often feel burning hot and freezing cold in turns? You possess both Solar and Lunar bloodlines, which should have naturally fused. But the Chaotic Essence Gu feeds on the vital energy you cultivate, causing your bloodline powers to become chaotic and mutually repellent, beyond your control. The two powers constantly struggle, each trying to suppress the other. Normally, you would have died long ago. It seems your father used some method to keep you alive.”

Chen Mu was stunned. “So that’s the cause of my alternating hot and cold symptoms… Is there any way to cure it?”

“With my current abilities, no. Unless…” Rou’er sighed. “Well, learning about that level would do you no good right now. In short, even someone as powerful as your father couldn’t cure it.”

After a moment’s thought, she continued, “The Gu in you is still a larva. When it matures, you’ll be doomed. However, if you can reach that level of cultivation within twenty years, you’ll easily dispel the Chaotic Essence Gu.”

Chen Mu fell silent. It seemed the road to curing this Gu would be arduous. Yet he noticed Rou’er hadn’t discovered the black bead in his sea of consciousness, which made it seem even more mysterious to him.

“Oh, right, your father left you a cultivation method. It’s your family’s ancestral technique. Practicing it can ease the chaotic Solar and Lunar energies within you.” With that, the little dragon-fox Rou’er handed Chen Mu a jade slip.

Chen Mu took the jade slip, unsure what to do. Rou’er, impatient, said, “Don’t tell me you don’t know how to use a jade slip? Just press it to your forehead and use your spirit to sense it.”

Once he understood, Chen Mu quickly pressed the slip to his brow. With a surge of spiritual power, his consciousness entered the jade slip.

His sea of consciousness thundered, and information surged into his mind.

A vague man appeared—tall and imposing, likely a middle-aged man, though his features were unclear.

Is that my real father? Chen Mu harbored some resentment toward his birth father; whatever the reason, he had been abandoned. One day, he would become strong enough to ask him face to face why he was forsaken.

The middle-aged man’s voice resounded with the cadence of the Dao. The technique was called the “Ancient Sun Scripture.” At first, it seemed unremarkable, but the deeper Chen Mu delved, the more profound and mysterious it revealed itself to be.

“The Ancient Sun Scripture” was the core practice of the Ancient Sun Clan—supremely yang and intense. Mastery would allow one to burn the sky and boil the seas with vital energy.

Ancient Sun Clan? What is this ancient clan? Am I one of them? Chen Mu was puzzled.

He listened on: “The Meridian Realm opens one hundred and eight meridians, divided into the thirty-six Heavenly Gang and seventy-two Earth Fiend meridians…”

One hundred and eight meridians? Wasn’t it supposed to be thirty-six? Where did the other seventy-two come from? Are there more than thirty-six meridians?

“The thirty-six Heavenly Gang meridians are the main channels, and the seventy-two Earth Fiend are the auxiliary ones. Each Earth Fiend meridian is harder to open than the last…”

“The more meridians you open, the greater and faster the absorption and output of vital energy…”

Chen Mu was left speechless by the information pouring into his mind. He was certain the “Ancient Sun Scripture” was a top-tier technique.

He also learned that practicing the “Ancient Sun Scripture” would help alleviate his hot and cold symptoms—the heat would be dispelled, though the cold would remain, albeit less severe.

This revelation filled Chen Mu with both joy and amazement. At last, there was a way to relieve his affliction. It wasn’t a complete cure, but it was worth trying.

After some thought, he became worried and asked Rou’er, “This is an incredible technique, but I’m already a disciple of Starwatch Valley, practicing the ‘Starforging Formula.’ If they discover I’m cultivating another method, they’ll definitely question me. This scripture is so extraordinary, it might even attract the Law Enforcement Hall’s scrutiny. If they accuse me of being a spy and force me to hand it over, I’d be doomed.”

“Starwatch Valley? What a joke. You’re only at the Meridian Realm. Just quit the sect and regain your freedom,” Rou’er replied.

“That won’t do. The Valley Master of Starwatch Valley is an old friend of my foster father. My father entrusted me to them to study. How can I let him down? If I leave now, what will people think of me?”

“You’re such a hassle. The method you’re practicing now is pure garbage. Are you really going to stick with trash just to avoid disappointing your father and neglect your family’s heritage?”

“Of course I want to learn the ‘Ancient Sun Scripture,’ but…”

“Fine, you win. I have here the secret art ‘Phantom Veil Concealment,’ an art of the Shadow Fox Clan for hiding breath and evading enemies and assassination. It’s a demon clan technique, so it requires powerful spirit. Whether you can master it depends on your talent.” In a huff, she leaped onto Chen Mu’s head and tapped his forehead with her tiny paw.

Information about the “Phantom Veil Concealment” flooded Chen Mu’s mind. After a long while, he snapped back to himself, smiling wryly. It was indeed as difficult as Rou’er had claimed.

But he was undaunted. The immediate priority was to open more than thirty-six meridians.

Just then, Rou’er handed him a bracelet. “This is a spirit beast bracelet. I hate to admit I’m a spirit beast, but wandering outside all the time will cause trouble. Someone stronger than you might get greedy. If you recognize this bracelet as its master, I can live inside it. Honestly, I’m annoyed that old Chen Yuanzhou treated me like a pet, but with my current circumstances, I have no choice.”

“A spirit beast bracelet? A spatial artifact? That’s amazing!” Chen Mu’s eyes sparkled.

Rou’er rolled her eyes and urged him to hurry up and bind it.

Chen Mu pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the bracelet. It quickly formed a link with him. When he put it on, its glow faded, making it look utterly ordinary.

Chen Mu was still pondering how to practice the secret art and awaken the Earth Fiend meridians. After a moment’s struggle, he asked, “Rou’er, how does one open the Earth Fiend meridians? I’ve never heard of such a thing here.”

“It’s not surprising you haven’t. Earth Fiend meridians are extremely hard to open. You need powerful spirit to sense them and abundant vital energy to flush them open. The techniques around here are too weak to help you do it. You’ll need to practice the ‘Ancient Sun Scripture’ your father left you and, ideally, refine Fiend Pills from demon cores to assist. How many you can open depends on your destiny. But if you focus too much on opening Earth Fiend meridians and miss the best time to advance, you’ll regret it.” With that, Rou’er slipped into the spirit beast bracelet and fell soundly asleep.

By evening, Chen Mu obtained a bottle of Meridian-Opening Pills from Chen Haoran—enough to unlock his remaining Heavenly Gang meridians.

After a night of cultivation, Chen Mu endured excruciating pain but finally opened the thirty-sixth meridian and completed the transition to the new technique.

The “Ancient Sun Scripture” was supremely yang and fierce. A surge of sun-like vital energy, more potent than the star energy he had previously cultivated, coursed through his meridians like a latent dragon. With a single motion, explosive power filled his body, granting him a sense of immense strength.

He could feel his Solar bloodline gradually awakening. Soon, his hot and cold affliction would be reduced to just a cold syndrome.

...

In the morning, after washing up, Chen Mu wandered the Chen household grounds and overheard clansmen whispering.

“I hear Young Master Wuhen will return in a few days. He must have succeeded in his cultivation at the Azure Sky Sect and is coming to visit Master Chen Quan.”

“Master Chen Quan truly has a fine grandson. Who in Fan City hasn’t heard of Chen Wuhen? He reached the Foundation Realm at fifteen, and it’s been two years since then—he’s likely at mid-Foundation Realm now. In our Chen family, apart from the family head’s eldest son, Young Master Chen Feng, who’s more renowned than Young Master Wuhen?”

“Well, there is one—don’t forget the sickly young master. Every time he cultivates, he falls ill. He’ll probably never make progress. He’s the one the family head sent to Starwatch Valley. The shame of the Chen family isn’t just an empty phrase. Even though the family head forbids gossip, everyone knows that good-for-nothing isn’t really one of us, just an orphan picked up off the streets. He showed up again yesterday, so he must have been expelled from Starwatch Valley.”

“If you know the family head forbids gossip, why are you talking? Careful, or you’ll be punished with confinement…”

“What’s there to fear? We’re Chen family members. If we’re punished, so be it—it’s just the truth.”

Whenever those clansmen looked at him, their eyes were full of disdain and contempt. Chen Mu remained indifferent. After paying his respects to Chen Haoran in the study, he left the main compound straight away.