'Such a treasure will surely have a miraculous effect if I consume it,' Lu Mingyuan thought.
'I just don't know if I should consume it now or take it back to Qingzhu Hall.'
Just as he had this thought, he noticed the Flame Bone Sunflower's luster had dimmed slightly.
It turned out that when he had turned over the soil and exposed the roots to the sun, some of its medicinal power had dissipated.
'So this flower can't leave the soil. If it leaves the grave mound, it will wither. Looks like I have to consume it right here.'
Understanding this, Lu Mingyuan immediately plucked the Flame Flower from the desolate grave mound.
The moment it left its roots, the surrounding red glow began to retract, flowing back into the flower's body.
The phantoms that looked like sparks also vanished.
Lu Mingyuan held the flower in both hands, feeling the scorching heat in his palms. While its medicinal power was still potent, he didn't hesitate and immediately stuffed the Flame Bone Sunflower into his mouth.
He chewed hard, not letting a single drop of its essence go to waste.
A bitter juice burst in his mouth.
A burning, fiery sensation immediately surged through his throat, lungs, and stomach, just like drinking strong liquor, but the effect was even more intense.
Immediately after, the qi and blood in his body began to boil. His face flushed beet red as a warm current rose from his Dantian and spread to every part of his body.
His Martial Arts Qi was continuously nourished, gradually growing stronger!
It felt as if his whole body was submerged in a hot bathtub while someone gave him a massage.
"Incredible!"
Lu Mingyuan could clearly feel the changes in his body. From his skin to his flesh and blood, to his blocked meridians and sealed Dantian, his entire being was rejoicing.
A wisp of crystalline red light appeared in his Dantian, causing his Martial Arts Qi to transform.
Overjoyed, Lu Mingyuan immediately checked the progress of his Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture.
[Life Master: Lu Mingyuan]
[Cultivation: First Realm of Martial Arts (External Force)]
[Cultivation Technique: Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter (Second Floor: 407/1000)]
In just a moment, the Second Floor had increased by over three hundred points, equivalent to a month of eating. And this was without the medicinal power being fully refined!
As the Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture circulated, his skin, which had been stretched and flushed red by his boiling blood, slowly faded to a tough, dark purple.
Seeing this, Lu Mingyuan knew.
He had reached the peak of the First Realm. His skin was as hard as bronze hide, with a purple, shimmering luster.
And the explosive power welling up in his solid muscles made him feel like he could lift a thousand-jin weight.
His Dantian now had some substance and had begun to forge the meridians within his body. He was very close to the Second Realm of Inner Cultivation.
The Inner Refining Realm.
The name implies that the patterns on a person's skin become as clear as the grain of a tree. These patterns are the meridians. Some people's meridians are as narrow as a goat's trail, while others are born with meridians as wide as a grand thoroughfare. The purpose of practicing the Martial Dao is to turn one's meridians into such grand thoroughfares.
A martial artist's innate talent would become immediately apparent in this Realm.
Lu Mingyuan knew that it would take a long time to fully absorb the medicinal power of the Flame Bone Sunflower.
Therefore, he needed to find a quiet place to enter seclusion for a while.
Before leaving, he took one last look at the Daoist Temple and bowed slightly. "No matter who you were, Lu Mingyuan thanks you for the grace of this Spiritual Object."
As he finished speaking, a RUSTLING sound came from the treetops. It was impossible to know if it was a reply from the Fallen Taoist.
Leaving the mountain behind the Cold Palace, Lu Mingyuan passed through the garden on his way back to Qingzhu Hall. He glanced around the garden carefully and noticed that the old eunuch who was sweeping earlier was nowhere to be seen.
...
Time flew by, and soon, a month had passed.
Lu Mingyuan had remained in Qingzhu Hall the entire time, never stepping out. He continuously worked on the Refinement of the Flame Bone Sunflower's medicinal power, and all his remaining time was allocated to practicing his Saber Technique, Fist Technique, sleeping, and eating.
He cultivated for four hours every day, split between his Saber Technique and Fist Technique, allowing each to progress by a steady 50 points. Over a month, this totaled 1500 points, which was just enough to bring his Mountain Shaking Fist to the Fourth Form at the Great Success level. His Fiery Fire Saber Technique reached the Fifth Slash, with only one final slash needed for Perfection.
By circulating the Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture, he had refined most of the medicinal power, gaining one hundred points daily. After half a month, he broke through to the Inner Refining Realm. For the latter half of the month, he continued to repair his Flesh Body and nourish his Dantian's Martial Arts Qi, and his Cultivation rose significantly once more.
This greatly increased his Cultivation speed, and his Cultivation level rose with it.
On another afternoon, Lu Mingyuan returned to reality from his Meditation and checked his panel.
[Life Master: Lu Mingyuan]
[Cultivation: Second Realm of Martial Arts (Inner Cultivation)]
[Cultivation Technique: Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter (Third Floor: 1540/3000), Mountain Shaking Fist (Fourth Form: 851/1000), Fiery Fire Saber Technique (Fifth Slash: 152/1000)]
[Fate Grid: Trapped Dragon in the Abyss (Refinement Level 8%), Reading the Room (20%)]
[Life Chart Traits: Dragon Raising Its Head (Basic Level), Hidden Dragon (Basic Level), Recognizing People (Middle Level)]
[Opportunity: None]
The required value for the Second Floor of the Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter was 1000. After breaking through to the Third Floor, it became 3000, a threefold increase. At the same time, he needed to eat even more.
For the past month, he hadn't had a single full meal. It could be said that Lu Mingyuan was the one finishing all the leftovers from the Imperial Kitchen.
He estimated that the remaining medicinal power of the Flame Bone Sunflower would be enough to sustain him until his breakthrough to the Third Realm, Washing Marrow. After that, he would probably have to find another way.
But he was content. The Flame Bone Sunflower had not only provided him with nourishment but had also reshaped his meridians, widening the once fine and narrow channels to seven or eight times their original size.
At the same time, his Martial Arts Qi had been nourished until it was incredibly potent. Within the same Realm, no one should be his match.
'I need to find something else to eat.'
Just as Lu Mingyuan was pondering this, a familiar voice came from the main gate of Qingzhu Hall.
"The Noble Consort is here."
Zi Yun stepped forward to report.
"I know."
Lu Mingyuan straightened his clothes and stood up to greet her. He had only seen his mother a few times this past month. It seemed she was also busy with her own affairs, so she hadn't visited very often.
"Mother has come to see you."
Wang Zhaoyan entered the room with a radiant smile, as noble and elegant as ever. Even though she was over thirty, her skin was still fair and smooth. 'No wonder Father-Emperor is so fond of her,' Lu Mingyuan thought.
Lu Mingyuan had calmly accepted the fact that his mother was a vicious Noble Consort.
If it weren't for his mother, he probably wouldn't have survived this long.
"Mother, I've missed you so much," Lu Mingyuan said with a serious expression.
Wang Zhaoyan looked at Lu Mingyuan with deep pity and sighed. "Look at you. I haven't seen you in a few days, and you've lost weight. But you do look much more handsome than before. Mother will definitely find a way to get you out of here."
Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan's expression froze, and he gave a bitter smile. "Mother, you really don't have to go to such great lengths..."
Wang Zhaoyan thought he was just worried and comforted him, "Don't worry. Your maternal grandfather is constantly trying to find a way, to see if he can earn some merit to have you pardoned. The Wang Family, no matter what, is a prominent clan in the Imperial Capital. That was part of the reason I married your Father-Emperor."
Lu Mingyuan could only pray in his heart, 'My dear grandfather, please, whatever you do, don't succeed.'
'With my current strength, leaving the palace would only lead to a bad end. Getting involved in all that is no different from seeking death.'
'It's quite nice being a nobody right now, just eating and drinking all day, waiting to die.'
Wang Zhaoyan said softly, "I heard your appetite has grown quite a bit. Mother specially brought some Thousand-year-old Ginseng and Centennial Deer Antler to make a soup for you, to properly replenish your body."
"Thank you, Mother!"
Overjoyed, Lu Mingyuan gave Wang Zhaoyan a big hug.
Seeing her son acting more mature and being more affectionate than before, a smile graced Wang Zhaoyan's face.
But when she saw Zi Yun standing to the side, she couldn't help but frown.
"Yuan'er, this Palace Maid you snatched from the fifth prince is a bit too strange-looking. She's unsettling to look at. How about Mother finds you a new one?"
The attending Zi Yun heard this and grew nervous.
Fear began to well up in her heart.
But the next sentence put her at ease.
"It's alright, Mother. She serves me quite well. Although she's not good-looking, her meticulousness makes up for it."
Lu Mingyuan refused his mother's kind offer.
Zi Yun was secretly delighted to hear him praise her for being meticulous, but upon hearing the three words "not good-looking," she lowered her head even further, clearly feeling a bit insecure.
"Then how about Mother adds a few more for you?" Wang Zhaoyan asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lu Mingyuan shook his head again. "No, thank you. Too many Palace Maids. If Father-Emperor hears about it, he'll surely lecture me again."
'More people means more complications. Different factions will try to plant their own agents among them.'
'That's not good.'
What followed was another scene of a loving mother and a filial son.
Wang Zhaoyan stayed in Qingzhu Hall for Half an Hour. Only after watching Lu Mingyuan finish the soup did she leave, satisfied.
...
With a heavy heart, Wang Zhaoyan left Qingzhu Hall and walked towards Qianyuan Palace.
She walked all the way to the entrance of the main hall to seek an audience with the current Great Yan Emperor.
Qianyuan Hall was silent and still.
Emperor Yong'an had just finished dealing with court affairs and was reviewing local documents. When he saw his beloved consort enter, he asked:
"How is that rebellious son of yours?"
Wang Zhaoyan said softly, "He's fine. He seems to be in good spirits."
"To think he can actually endure it. It seems I've underestimated him," Emperor Yong'an snorted coldly.
THUD!
Wang Zhaoyan knelt on the floor, her eyes red as she pleaded:
"Your Majesty, Yuan'er has already paid the price. Isn't thirty years of confinement a bit too long? Besides, he was framed."
"Price?"
Emperor Yong'an's eyes narrowed, his tone icy. "Do you have any idea what happened to that Demoness he released? She returned to the Northern Demon Country and rose from a General to the nation's Witch. She now presides over the celestial sacrificial rites. I've heard she can communicate with Divine Spirits and is revered by the people of the Demon Country as a Divine Envoy. The grand northern expedition I spent ten years planning has all gone down the drain. This is all thanks to that precious son of yours."
Wang Zhaoyan defended her son, "That's because of the Witchcraft Sect's Paperman Skill! He didn't do it."
Emperor Yong'an said sternly, "What evidence do you have to prove that to the world? The only living witness was killed by a mole within the Imperial Guard. The Witch Sect fiend took Corpse-Dissolving Powder, and his body melted into a pool of black blood. How can we clear his name based on mere speculation?"
"If you hadn't leaked his birth details, how could he have fallen into such a state?"
Wang Zhaoyan sobbed, "It was that Demon Daoist who deceived me."
Emperor Yong'an said indifferently, "Life is unpredictable. Even if he is my own son, he must accept his fate. Recently, Great Yan has many matters to worry about. The poetry convention is imminent, and envoys from all nations will come to the Imperial Capital to offer tribute. Many nefarious individuals have also snuck into the Imperial Capital. The Taoist Sect has already sent people to investigate. He is actually much safer here in the palace."
...