Chapter 128: Vitality, Destruction, and Superior True Intent

The best course of action at this moment was undoubtedly to absorb more energy from the True Essence Transformation Fire.

But was that really realistic?

Luo Tian stared at the True Essence Transformation Fire with a sense of hesitation, torn in his heart. The essence of destruction within this flame was simply too fierce and violent; if he truly accelerated the absorption rate, could he even endure it?

Back then, Qin Tianyu had not been in a rush for success, instead choosing to advance steadily and surely. With infinite resources at his back, why would he ever need to risk his life for such gains? Furthermore, the essence of life within the Boundless Life-Generating Wood was not inherently aggressive, so even if Qin Tianyu had once pushed slightly beyond his body's limits, he had suffered no serious harm.

However, on the other hand, he was about to participate in the assessment for the Wind and Cloud Guard. If he did not grow stronger quickly, he would be left helpless should any accidents occur.

Gritting his teeth, Luo Tian began to control his primordial energy to condense into true essence, while simultaneously producing the Boundless Life-Generating Wood.

The path of cultivation is long and fraught with obstacles; which struggle is ever truly safe? If he did not risk it now, then when he eventually lost his life, he would not even have the opportunity to fight for it.

*Whoosh.*

The newly formed true essence was drawn directly from his dantian by Luo Tian, rapidly circulating through his meridians. Upon just breaking through to the Meridian Flow Realm, this step of tempering the body with true essence was crucial.

Every advancement to a major realm brings a touch of celestial energy to reshape a cultivator's physical form. While this is merely the most basic and fundamental improvement, taking this opportunity to have the new true essence temper the meridians not only makes them wider and more resilient, but also allows the body to quickly overcome the period of maladaptation to new power. The benefits are immense.

The new true essence, refined from the True Essence Transformation Fire, was wild and domineering. Infused with the essences of destruction and scorching heat, its power was significant. As Luo Tian had only just broken through, his meridians were naturally unaccustomed to it. The moment this true essence entered, it caused a sensation of tearing pain in his meridians.

Endure!

Having long since grown accustomed to practicing with the True Essence Transformation Fire, Luo Tian’s own willpower had been significantly bolstered. Thus, even though this refined power was highly concentrated, it was no more difficult to withstand than the sparks of the True Essence Transformation Fire itself as it traveled through his meridians.

At this moment, his meridians felt like a sponge meeting water; as the true essence circulated, they slowly absorbed its energy to strengthen themselves. Luo Tian knew that the first major stage of cultivation was the "energization" of the body, and tempering the meridians with true essence was only a tiny part of that.

Seeing that his primordial energy was about to be exhausted and the amount of new true essence was quite small, Luo Tian cast one last distracted glance at the True Essence Transformation Fire. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, he began to absorb even more power!

A wisp of flame flew directly from the True Essence Transformation Fire and burrowed into Luo Tian’s body.

*Boom!*

The instantaneous pain was so intense that Luo Tian heard the sound of a roaring inferno—a sound that seemed to exist, yet also not exist—within his ears. For a split second, his mind went blank.

However, his powerful soul energy quickly brought him back to reality. Even though the intense pain and scorching heat made him feel as if he were being cooked by the flames inside him, he maintained a final shred of clarity.

Control!

I must control it!

Luo Tian kept his eyes shut tight—fearing that if he didn't, his eyeballs might burst from the agony. His intent became increasingly resolute. He forcibly endured the unbearable pain, feeling as though his teeth were about to shatter, and struggled to control this wisp of flame to move along his meridians and be refined by his Fire Origin Scripture.

As soon as the wisp of flame entered, his meridians began to wither and crack, left with only a thin, fragile layer. At this crucial moment, the life force within Luo Tian took effect, rapidly restoring his meridians and making them even tougher than before.

Yet, this was of little use. Even the residual heat left in the wake of the flame slowed the recovery of his meridians. By the time they were fully restored, they still carried the lingering threat of being scorched and warped.

His life force was being consumed rapidly, but Luo Tian did not hesitate. He unreservedly absorbed the power of the Boundless Life-Generating Wood from his other hand into his body. Since he cultivated fire-type primordial energy, this wood-type primordial energy could not be refined by him, but its surging vitality could still be utilized; it was an instinct of the power itself. It is for this reason that some fire-cultivators, when using rare treasures to assist their training, will choose to do so in places rich with water, like the vast ocean or other blessed lands, to suppress the rampancy of their fire-type energy.

Even if unowned power cannot be controlled by a cultivator, it does not mean it is without use.

With the support of this powerful reinforcement, Luo Tian's meridians were finally able to maintain their integrity and vitality under the scorching of the True Essence Transformation Fire. Even though the process of burning and recovery repeated constantly, he managed to persevere. After all, the life essence of the wood element is in no way inferior to the essence of destruction; as top-tier elemental essences, they were evenly matched.

However, this was a miserable experience for Luo Tian. With his body serving as the main battlefield for these two clashing essences, the pain was beyond words. Yet, despite feeling like he was suffering through hell, he did not regret it. He could feel the changes and progress as his meridians were destroyed and then reborn.

The True Essence Transformation Fire would destroy the meridians, and the life force of the Boundless Life-Generating Wood would immediately follow to repair them. However, the initial stalemate began to shift as Luo Tian gradually refined the power of the fire. This wisp of flame was slowly transformed into the purest energy, which Luo Tian refined into his own true essence, before it surged out of his dantian and back into his meridians.

Multi-tasking, Luo Tian did not feel overly burdened, finally realizing the benefits of a powerful soul. Without it, a moment of panic would have led to disaster. Failing the breakthrough would have been the best-case scenario; if he had suffered a cultivation deviation, causing severe damage to his body and meridians, it would have been catastrophic.

With his realm elevated, the spiritual power Luo Tian could command became more immense, which manifested as more precise control over his true essence and the ability to wield even greater power.

Sensing that his meridians had been thoroughly tempered, and realizing that refining any more of the True Essence Transformation Fire would cause irreparable damage, Luo Tian stopped with a lingering sense of reluctance. Although the resilience of his meridians could be constantly improved, there was always a limit. If he trained too frequently or used power that was too destructive, he would easily push them to that limit. If something were to go wrong, even the life force of the Boundless Life-Generating Wood would not be able to save him.

Life force can indeed repair meridians, but only on the condition that they have not been completely destroyed. Excessive cultivation damages not just the surface lining of the meridians, but their core life force. It is like a person who is injured and can be restored to perfect health through various means; but when one's natural lifespan reaches its end, who can save them?

After slowly withdrawing his true essence back into his dantian, Luo Tian tucked the two elemental spirits back into his storage bracelet, stood up slowly, and let out a gentle breath.

The pain within his body had not yet completely faded, but this did not dampen his spirits in the slightest.

So, this is the Meridian Flow Realm?