Tang Bai Li

Chapter 58 Senior, What Do You Think This Is?

The elder’s head showed several black lines. Acupuncture needles could heal esper-users?

“Young friend, stop treating me like an ordinary old man. My injuries are deep within my internal organs. How can these needles possibly cure them?”

He spoke with a dry throat, explaining that he had been wounded by a Domain Lord level great demon and then corrupted by the eerie night, the poison seeping into his bones and marrow. Even the divine pills from the Medicine King Valley might not work; he could only rely on himself to gradually expel the clotted blood and poison. Any other method would be virtually useless.

Ignoring his words, Xu Mu extended two fingers and picked up a needle.

Then, under the elder’s incessant gaze, he rotated it and inserted it into his Meichong acupoint.

The elder felt a sharp pain on his scalp, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He had refused, yet this young man still managed to insert the needle?

This was too disrespectful, not taking him, a Domain Lord, seriously at all!

Just as he was about to erupt in anger, Xu Mu had already picked up the second needle:

“Don’t move.”

“If you want to heal, you first need to clear the clotted blood. Senior, your neck is so congested it’s turning purple. It’s best to speak less.”

The elder fell silent, the words he wanted to say once again stuck in his throat.

Because he could feel that although the needle inserted into his body did indeed hurt, the swelling in his head seemed to be truly subsiding. It felt as though the clotted blood was actually being drawn out, and a strange sense of clarity was emerging!

“Yangbai, Baihui, Fengfu, Lianquan, Tiantu. After these five acupoints, all the clotted blood in your head and neck will dissipate on its own. You will then feel clear-headed and your thoughts will be agile, accompanied by a recurring sensation of cool, slight pain. This is normal, Senior, please do not be alarmed.”

“Once the major acupoints are clear, the poison in the minor ones will also be naturally expelled. The human body contains many elements, and they are the best alchemists in the world.”

This was all medical knowledge from Blue Star, he explained. As he spoke, his sixth silver needle slowly penetrated a certain acupoint beneath the elder’s jaw.

Instantly, he felt his head become completely clear. He could almost hear the clotted blood dissolving and then dispersing from his body’s surface.

The eyebrow-less elder’s eyes widened in shock. His injuries were far more than just blocked clotted blood.

Just as he had explained to Xu Mu earlier, his condition was due to bone displacement and damaged acupoints resulting from prolonged, high-intensity combat.

His bodily clotted blood, mixed with night poison, had seeped into various acupoints, winding its way in a manner that made it extremely difficult to expel.

If handled improperly, it could even trigger more severe backlash.

This was why he had not dared to act rashly. He had been waiting for the right opportunity, planning to use his esper abilities to expel it one by one while Xu Mu slept at midnight. Although this process would be extremely slow, it would be very safe.

However, he hadn’t expected that this young man had resolved the clotted blood in his head and neck with just a few needles in a matter of moments, making his own healing process more than twice as fast!

“Expelling clotted blood is only the first step of healing. Senior’s internal injuries are not light and require unique medicinal soups for conditioning and rest.”

“If Senior doesn’t mind, you can stay in this courtyard for a few more days. I will treat Senior every night from now on, how about it?”

The eyebrow-less elder gazed silently at Xu Mu.

Acupuncture, a technique everyone knew from itinerant physicians, displayed such miraculous effects in this young man’s hands. In all his years, he had never seen a junior with such exceptional medical skills.

Even his young lady might not be as skilled in this regard.

“I never believe that pies fall from the sky,” the elder hesitated for a moment and then spoke, transmitting his voice with his esper ability, “What do you want?”

Xu Mu’s movements continued uninterrupted. He injected esper energy into the needles, which, through his clothes, made him look like a hedgehog.

“I want to learn your esper abilities, as many as possible.”

The elder was stunned at first, then let out a哑然失笑. So, it was about this.

“Young friend, to be frank, I am an elder of the Nangong clan, ranked seventh among the Hundred Clans Alliance. Although you have rendered me a service, the lightning techniques I cultivate are not something just anyone can learn.”

Nangong Maoguan sighed inwardly and continued transmitting his voice as he looked at the young man before him:

“The lightning technique I practice is called the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, originating from the White Cloud Daoist Temple.”

Xu Mu’s brows twitched upon hearing this, his hands still moving:

“The same faction that is as famous as the Demon Extermination Division, the Hunter’s Alliance, and the Gold and Silver Merchant Guild?”

The elder grunted in affirmation:

“That’s right. This Five Thunder Orthodox Method was recorded in Daoist scriptures long before the Apocalypse. However, at that time, no humans had awakened their esper abilities, so it was not widely propagated. It was only after humans awakened their esper abilities that the Five Thunder Orthodox Method began to circulate in the world.”

“My two-finger technique actually only unleashes twenty percent of the lightning method’s power. To cultivate the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, besides awakening lightning-attribute esper abilities, one also needs to possess the purest Dao Source.”

“Dao Source?” Xu Mu seemed to recall something, and his movements faltered.

“Precisely. The so-called Dao Source is the understanding you gain bit by bit when you comprehend Daoist scriptures. It is stored in your Golden Core in a way similar to esper abilities.”

“It’s like using your awakened esper abilities. Besides the basic ability, you also need corresponding elemental power. The Five Thunder Orthodox Method is also like this. It is a top-tier esper technique from the White Cloud Daoist Temple. To cultivate it, one must first accumulate an immense amount of Dao Source.”

At this point, the elder sighed faintly:

“For an ordinary person without talent, even if they spend their entire life reading the three thousand volumes of Daoist canons, they might not be able to condense a single drop of Dao Source. If you have the talent, and you start reading from now, it would take at least twenty years to barely get started.”

Xu Mu in the Heavenly Palace listened to this, feeling somewhat numb.

Dao Source, was it that purplish-gold, water-droplet-like substance flowing on the surface?

“Charles, every time you finish reciting the Daoist canons with me, there always seem to be such water droplets in the surrounding space.”

Charles pondered for a moment, then shook his head:

“I’m not sure. But if what he says is true, then you should have condensed Dao Source as early as when you first read the *Tao Te Ching*. It’s just that you weren’t an esper then, so you couldn’t absorb it.”

Xu Mu in the Heavenly Palace swallowed nervously:

“Then what is the relationship between that White Cloud Daoist Temple… and Blue Star?”

Not knowing the answer to two consecutive questions, Charles became agitated:

“I don’t know!”

“You ask me, who am I supposed to ask? Science can’t explain it, God doesn’t know!”

……

Seeing that Xu Mu’s expression remained unchanged, Nangong Maoguan felt greatly relieved.

“This child has excellent disposition and talent.”

“If you don’t mind, once my injuries heal, you can accompany me back to the Hundred Clans Alliance, and I will personally recommend you to the Medicine King Valley. I believe with your aptitude, you will surely become a legendary alchemist.”

Elder Nangong said with emotion. He wondered why this boy was so eager to treat his wounds; it turned out he was coveting his lightning technique. However, thinking about it now, his two-finger strike that killed the lord was indeed quite cool. It had also saved his life at the time, so it wasn’t strange that he wanted to learn it.

But this world he lived in, where esper abilities awakened, and he had not yet embarked on the proper path of cultivation, had long passed the best time for practice.

However, his medical skills were unheard of. Compared to becoming a powerful lightning technique master, becoming an alchemist was more practical.

Furthermore, alchemists held a more noble position in the cultivation world than traditional cultivators. The lowest-ranking alchemist could easily secure a patron position in any major power.

“I will go to the Medicine King Valley. But before that, Senior, you still have to teach me the lightning technique.”

A bead of sweat dripped down Xu Mu’s forehead. He then inserted the last needle into the elder’s body and slowly infused it with esper energy, dispelling the poison.

Nangong Maoguan was startled and felt a flicker of displeasure, wondering if the boy couldn’t understand him:

“I told you, the Five Thunder Orthodox Method is not something ordinary people can learn. You need to accumulate Dao Source first.”

“If you are truly stubborn and want to learn, I cannot stop you. However, the recommendation opportunity for the Medicine King Valley will no longer be available. I will tell you the method for accumulating Dao Source, and you can cultivate it yourself. When you have enough, I will tell you the cultivation method for the Five Thunder Orthodox Method.”

The silver needles on the elder’s body were removed one by one, and he felt incredibly comfortable all over.

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

“Although I did save your life in Xishan, I will not ask anything from you because of it. On the contrary, I will continue to repay your kindness of taking me in and treating my injuries.”

“Your name is Xu Mu, right? I remember you mentioned it on the road. This Five Thunder Orthodox Method is truly not that easy to cultivate. I know my two-finger strike that killed that tiger demon was cool, but it’s not just anyone who can learn it. After all, among the entire Hundred Clans Alliance, I, Nangong, have the strongest killing power at the Domain Lord realm. It’s normal for you to envy me…”

The elder leaned back on the quilt, resting with his eyes closed, bragging casually. His blood surged, and his esper energy flowed, causing red heat to emanate from his body. He felt immensely comfortable, even temporarily ignoring the pain in his kidneys and bones.

Listening to the elder’s incessant rambling, a strange look appeared in Xu Mu’s gray-white eyes.

He put away the silver needles, then patted the elder’s shoulder with a half-smile.

“What?”

“Go to sleep after your treatment. Young people who stay up late get wrinkles on their faces.”

Nangong Maoguan was pulled back from his comfortable state to reality. He spoke with a hint of annoyance, but still reluctantly opened his eyes, preparing to formally lie down and sleep.

But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw a gentle yet exceptionally pure dark gold light.

This light was completely different from the white light he had seen on the ceiling. Although both were gentle, this dark gold light contained an incredibly pure and intoxicating energy.

“Yes, that’s right. This is the Dao Source I was talking about. Once you cultivate this, you will be able to begin cultivating the Five Thunder Orthodox Method.”

“……”

The room was silent, and no one answered him.

Xu Mu was looking at him with the expression one would reserve for an idiot.

So the elder opened his eyes completely. He looked at the dark golden water droplet condensed on the young man’s fingertip and suddenly realized something.

“?”

Nangong Maoguan’s pupils contracted sharply, and a giant question mark appeared above his head.

“Senior, is this what you meant by Dao Source?”

Xu Mu spread his palm with a half-smile, and the water droplet on his fingertip abruptly enlarged, expanding into a dark golden sphere of water.

The elder was utterly shocked and let out a curse:

“Holy shit!”

……