Chapter Twenty-One: The Mysterious Yin Anomaly

Nan Rongyao gazed intently at Tong Jin, whose face had grown slightly somber at the mention of his enemies. "I wonder if you would be willing to share your story. Although my martial arts are mediocre, I pledge as the head of the Nanrong Clan that a friend's enemy is an enemy of Nan Rongyao himself!"

Tong Jin looked at Nan Rongyao with gratitude and sighed. "Your words mean the world to me, Clan Head Nanrong, but this is a long story, and revenge is not something that can be achieved in a day or two." He shook his head helplessly. "Ensuring that I do not drag the Nanrong Clan into this would be the greatest repayment I could offer you."

"Brother Tong, what are you saying? Is your enemy truly so powerful that there is no hope at all?"

Tong Jin nodded heavily. "I do not yet fully understand them, but from what I know, at least two among them have reached the peak of the Qi-Condensation Realm. Furthermore, the organization itself is vast. It is not worth risking the safety of your clan for my sake."

When Tong Jin first nodded, Nan Rongyao had felt slightly slighted, but after hearing his explanation, he felt a surge of gratitude. Had Tong Jin recklessly invited him to seek revenge, those two known masters at the peak of the Qi-Condensation Realm would have been enough to topple the Nanrong Clan. After all, his clan focused primarily on commerce, with only two members who had broken through to the Qi-Condensation Realm: Nan Rongzhan, who was currently with him at the initial stage, and the Great Elder Nan Rong Yikong, who had been in seclusion for many years and was the strongest in the clan at the perfection stage of the Qi-Condensation Realm.

While the Nanrong Clan was a dominant force among northern merchant families, they were no match for martial sects in terms of sheer strength. This was precisely why Nan Rongyao felt grateful; Tong Jin was willing to set aside his deep-seated blood feud rather than risk the clan. This young man was truly commendable!

"Brother Tong, do not dwell on this for now. Perhaps those who died under the insects were not your enemies," Nan Rongyao comforted him.

Tong Jin nodded. "I hope so. Clan Head Nanrong has already helped me too much; I will certainly repay you one day."

"Brother Tong, what are you saying? Although there is a significant age gap between us, we are friends across generations. How about we have a drink today? I will have Uncle Zhan come over and teach you a cultivation technique to help you protect yourself in the future."

Though Tong Jin knew his own hopes of cultivation were slim, he felt it would be rude to refuse and nodded in agreement.

Before long, the inn attendants brought a feast to Tong Jin's room, followed by several jars of fine wine. With the help of Feng Yue and Qing Lan, Tong Jin moved to the table. Nan Rongzhan arrived just then, nodding at Tong Jin with a smile and eyes full of admiration.

"Not bad. This lad has excellent bones; he is a fine seedling for martial arts." Clearly, Nan Rongyao had already briefed Nan Rongzhan on the situation. As soon as he entered, Nan Rongzhan began to examine Tong Jin closely.

Tong Jin smiled. "You are too kind, senior." He started to rise to offer a formal greeting, but before he could move, a blur of motion occurred. Nan Rongzhan had already grasped Tong Jin’s wrist to check his pulse, while his other hand patted Tong Jin’s shoulder, signaling him to remain seated.

A stream of icy energy flowed slowly into Tong Jin’s body. Sensing the cold, chilling texture of this Qi within his meridians, Tong Jin raised an eyebrow. *This Nan Rongzhan possesses the Profound Yin Physique!*

The Profound Yin and Profound Yang physiques are one in ten thousand. While an ordinary person’s body maintains a balance of Yin and Yang, these two special constitutions are inherently unbalanced. Those with these physiques find cultivation much harder than the average person, as this internal discord causes their efforts to yield half the results for double the effort. However, both physiques possess unique, individual-specific traits.

"Gathering Qi in darkness, the Profound Yin obscures the light; flowing winds are bitter, and the snow falls in solitude." This was the description of the Profound Yin Physique. The Qi of one with this constitution is freezing and more condensed and introverted compared to those with the Profound Yang Physique. Tong Jin was familiar with this because it was part of his own constitution—though his was far more complex.

Tong Jin’s physique was extremely rare. He possessed both Yin and Yang attributes, but unlike others, they did not harmonize or cancel each other out; instead, they remained independent. His body was half Profound Yin and half Profound Yang, two extremes existing side-by-side, each governing its own domain. This was the legendary Profound Yin and Profound Yang Dual Physique—the Yin-Yang Heterogeneous Body!

As Nan Rongzhan’s strand of Qi moved through Tong Jin’s meridians, his expression shifted repeatedly within seconds. This left Nan Rongyao, waiting nearby, full of questions—what could possibly cause the second-greatest master of the Nanrong Clan to display such a reaction?

After a full half-stick of incense had burned, Nan Rongzhan slowly withdrew his Qi, frowned, and sat down in the chair opposite Tong Jin. "Lad, your meridians... they are exceptionally strange."

"Uncle Zhan, what exactly is strange about them?" Nan Rongyao could no longer contain his curiosity, and behind him, Feng Yue and Qing Lan stared at Nan Rongzhan’s mouth with bated breath.

Nan Rongzhan did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Tong Jin and asked, "Though it seems unlikely, answer me honestly: have you ever attained the Qi-Condensation Realm?"

"Hiss!" Nan Rongyao gasped, staring at Tong Jin as if he were a monster, as if seeing him for the first time.

Tong Jin shook his head with a smile. "Senior Zhan, you have misunderstood. I did possess Qi before, but it was only a small amount, forced into my system by my grandfather using pills and secret arts to temper my meridians from a young age."

Nan Rongzhan nodded thoughtfully, thinking that while it was a method of "pulling up the seedlings to help them grow," it was not impossible. His expression turned solemn. "Your meridians are riddled with holes, but the most baffling part is that your Dantian is completely destroyed!" He sighed heavily. "You must have endured experiences beyond what anyone could imagine."

The bizarre and ugly face of Yin Sha surfaced in Tong Jin’s mind. Involuntarily, he gritted his teeth, the sound audible in the room. Everyone present sighed. Just then, Nan Rongzhan looked at Tong Jin and said, word for word, "But it is not impossible to recover."

*Not impossible to recover!* A roar echoed in Tong Jin’s mind. These were the words he had dreamed of hearing!

Not only Tong Jin, but Nan Rongyao and his daughter also clenched their damp fists in excitement.

After a long silence, Tong Jin spoke with a trembling voice, "Senior Zhan, please help me!" His tone was filled with longing, supplication, and the excitement of a man on the brink of death who had suddenly glimpsed the dawn.

Nan Rongzhan nodded silently. "You are a lucky lad. Since you are a cultivator, do you know of the Profound Yin Physique?"

Tong Jin’s eyes shone with agitation as he nodded heavily.

Nan Rongzhan smiled. "I possess the Profound Yin Physique, and my innate talent is the Qi of Restoration."