Chapter 24: Minor Mastery of the Qi-Condensation Realm

"Boom!"

A terrifying surge of energy, like a blast wave erupting from the Dantian, finally found an outlet through the intricate network of meridians and swept outward. The moment this scorching current made contact with the cold, blue internal energy that Nanrong Zhan was using to mend Tong Jin’s meridians, Nanrong Zhan felt it instantly.

"What is happening!" Nanrong Zhan’s eyes widened. While struggling to keep his own internal energy stable within Tong Jin, he desperately pushed even more of his power into Tong Jin’s body.

At that moment, the meridians inside Tong Jin had become a battlefield. If one could see inside, they would witness the red, scorching energy and the blue, icy energy fiercely entwining, repelling each other like mortal enemies. Tong Jin, unable to withstand such turmoil, fell instantly unconscious. The moment he lost consciousness, the crimson, searing vortex in his Dantian spun violently, sending even more powerful waves of heat surging into every meridian.

"Bang!" A dull thud echoed from the room. Nanrong Yao, who had been guarding the door, felt a jolt in his heart. A moment ago, he had been struck by a sudden, intense pressure; though it lasted only an instant, his entire body had felt frozen solid. Hearing the crash from within, he could no longer restrain himself and shoved the door open.

"Uncle Zhan!" The first thing Nanrong Yao saw upon entering was Nanrong Zhan slumped against the wall, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Nanrong Yao braced himself for danger, but to his surprise, the room was eerily calm. He hurried forward to help Nanrong Zhan up.

"Uncle Zhan, what happened to you?" Nanrong Yao asked anxiously.

Nanrong Zhan finally opened his eyes slowly. "Yao’er, help me back to my room quickly. I have suffered severe internal injuries and must enter seclusion immediately."

Tong Jin remained in a coma. Just moments ago, the heat wave erupting from his Dantian had completely overwhelmed Nanrong Zhan’s Profound Yin energy, creating a terrifying repulsive force that had sent Nanrong Zhan flying several yards to slam hard against the wall.

When Nanrong Yao returned to Tong Jin’s room, there were still no signs of him waking. Seeing Tong Jin with blood also staining his lips, Nanrong Yao’s brows furrowed in deep confusion.

"What on earth happened? Uncle Zhan has used his internal energy to treat many people, yet this has never happened before," Nanrong Yao muttered to himself.

Nanrong Zhan remained in seclusion for several days. During that time, Nanrong Yao was perpetually gloomy, his heart clouded with worry. He never once looked relieved, and the two young girls, Feng Yue and Qing Lan, were so frightened that they hardly dared to breathe in his presence.

"Big sister, do you think something happened to Brother Tong Jin? Look at Father’s face—it’s as dark as if it were smeared with charcoal," Qing Lan asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and swinging her legs.

Feng Yue wrinkled her nose at her. "Don't talk nonsense. Brother Tong Jin is lying right there, perfectly fine. He doesn't look like he’s in trouble."

"But look, he hasn't woken up for five days. If it were me, I would have starved to death by now," Qing Lan retorted, pouting and shaking her small braids.

Just as Feng Yue was about to respond, her eyes widened in surprise. Qing Lan, sitting with her back to the bed, could not see that Tong Jin had actually sat up.

"Little girl, are you really hoping I’ll starve to death?" Tong Jin suddenly spoke. Startled, Qing Lan let out a shriek and leaped from the bed to hide behind Feng Yue.

Tong Jin looked at the two girls, whose mouths were agape in shock, and felt a mix of amusement and helplessness as he stretched his stiff arms.

"B-Brother Tong Jin, you’ve woken up?" Qing Lan crept out from behind Feng Yue, still reeling from the fright.

Tong Jin rolled his eyes. "With two noisy little girls chattering in my ear, anyone would have woken up."

"Ah—Brother Tong Jin is awake!" Two sharp cries made Tong Jin shudder. He wondered to himself, *I only took a nap; is all this excitement really necessary?*

"Brother Tong!" The door was nearly kicked off its hinges as Nanrong Yao rushed in, shouting before he had even crossed the threshold.

"Brother Tong, you’re really awake! That’s wonderful! That’s just wonderful!" Nanrong Yao exclaimed, rushing to the bedside and gripping Tong Jin’s hand.

Tong Jin was utterly bewildered. "Master Nanrong, what is going on?"

Nanrong Yao paused, then laughed heartily. "Brother Tong, you have no idea—you’ve been unconscious for five full days."

"What?" Tong Jin nearly jumped off the bed.

Nanrong Yao called for an inn servant to prepare warm water for a bath, while briefly explaining the sequence of events to Tong Jin.

"So, I really haven't woken up for five days. No wonder I smell like mold," Tong Jin said, rubbing his nose in embarrassment. "By the way, how is Senior Zhan?"

"Uncle Zhan is still in seclusion," Nanrong Yao replied with a worried shake of his head.

After their conversation, Tong Jin took some fresh clothes and entered the empty room prepared for his bath. With a splash, he discarded his dirty clothes and submerged himself into the large wooden tub filled with warm water. "So comfortable," he sighed, a look of pure satisfaction crossing his face.

Tong Jin recalled his childhood, the first time his grandfather had infused his body with internal energy and forced him into an ice pond, using the biting cold to trigger the awakening of his own energy. Unconsciously, Tong Jin thrust his arms forward in the tub. "Boom!" A thunderous explosion erupted from the bathing room.

"This... this is!" Tong Jin stared at his palms in disbelief. The large wooden tub beneath him had been shattered into pieces, and the bathwater surged out into the hallway.

The door burst open, and Nanrong Yao rushed in with the two girls.

"Ah!" The two girls shrieked upon seeing Tong Jin standing there naked, quickly covering their eyes and running out of the room.

Nanrong Yao quickly grabbed a robe and draped it over Tong Jin, then looked at the debris covering the floor, his voice trembling with excitement. "Brother Tong, could it be that you have recovered your cultivation?"

Tong Jin nodded blankly. "Yes, it seems so."

Nanrong Yao clapped a hand heavily onto Tong Jin’s shoulder, unable to hide his joy. "That’s great! I knew you would recover!"

However, Tong Jin slowly looked up at Nanrong Yao, his expression leaving the other man confused. "Brother Tong, why that look? Is something wrong with your body?"

"No, I feel as if... I have broken through." Tong Jin clenched his fists, feeling the internal energy rushing through his body like a mighty river. It was a long-lost sensation! And this feeling was far more powerful than it had been before his cultivation was ruined.

"Broken through? Could it be that just as you recovered, you broke through to the Minor Perfection of Body Tempering?" Nanrong Yao asked, his hands gripping Tong Jin’s shoulders tightly.

Tong Jin shook his head expressionlessly. "No, I think... I have broken through to the Qi Refinement Realm."

"What!!!" Nanrong Yao stood frozen, as if struck by a bolt of lightning...