CHAPTER 1018: CHAPTER 1017: LITTLE SHITOU’S WILLPOWER

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At this moment, Little Shitou was enduring immense pain, his entire body trembling, his face as pale as if his life could vanish at any second. When the liquid form of Spiritual Energy from the dried well was injected into his body, Ye Tianchen already anticipated the possibility that Little Shitou might not withstand it. Therefore, he allowed this liquid Spiritual Energy to slowly seep in from Little Shitou’s head, drop by drop, washing his marrow and letting his body gradually adapt to the strong Spiritual Energy. However, such a crisis still surfaced, leaving Ye Tianchen unsure of what to do, except for urging Little Shitou to persist!

"Ah..."

Little Shitou couldn’t help but scream, his whole body shaking with pain. The torment was unbearable, penetrating layer by layer from skin to flesh and then to bones. In the end, he could even clearly feel the pain reaching his soul. You can imagine how excruciating such immense pain was, but Little Shitou gritted his teeth and persisted. Even though his body trembled with pain, even though he bit his lips until they bled profusely, even though he felt on the brink of death, Little Shitou didn’t give up. He relied on his strong willpower, holding onto the belief that he could break through his physical limitations to walk the true martial path. He also believed he could become strong enough to protect everything in Desolate Stone Village and to find his parents...

"Empty everything, don’t pay attention to the pain from your body, concentrate all your divine power to feel the Martial Arts True Qi within your dantian, and harness the mysterious power of Chaos Qi, with the strong help of the liquid Spiritual Energy, to consolidate the Chaos Qi inside your dantian into form!"

Ye Tianchen sat cross-legged in front of Little Shitou, sending his thoughts through Divine Thought to instruct Little Shitou on what to do. At this moment, Ye Tianchen was equally cautious and serious. Little Shitou indeed had the chance to shape the Martial Arts True Qi within his dantian, but the risks were significant. Little Shitou was extremely vulnerable, likely unable to withstand the mysterious power of Chaos Qi. Moreover, the strong liquid Spiritual Energy might cause his flesh to expand to its limit, leading either to an excruciating death or to his body bursting apart. These are all severe possibilities, so Ye Tianchen remained fully alert, focusing meticulously on every internal and external change in Little Shitou’s body.

Gradually, Little Shitou calmed down, seeming to forget the immense physical pain. He slowly immersed his mind into his dantian, in the best state to feel and control the Martial Arts True Qi within it, bit by bit trying to shape it into the form he envisioned.

Bang!

A muffled sound came from within Little Shitou’s body, and Ye Tianchen frowned as blood seeped from the corner of Little Shitou’s mouth. He failed. His first attempt to consolidate the Martial Arts True Qi in his dantian into shape had failed, causing further serious injury to his body. This tiny frame was enduring excruciating pain beyond what most Martial Artists could withstand. Now, the spreading Martial Arts True Qi in his dantian caused even more severe damage. Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but feel worried and heartbroken. Little Shitou was pitiful and bore many resemblances to Ye Tianchen, who also grew up without parents or parental love. If this method failed, Ye Tianchen found it difficult to think of an alternative way to help Little Shitou successfully consolidate the Martial Arts True Qi in his dantian.

"Little Shitou, Little Shitou..." Ye Tianchen called out with Divine Thought to the fainted Little Shitou.

"Master..." Little Shitou weakly awoke, calling to Ye Tianchen in front of him.

"How are you?" Ye Tianchen anxiously asked.

"It’s okay, Master, let us continue!"

"Little Shitou, don’t push yourself. Your body is too weak now, and the liquid Spiritual Energy is just too strong. It’s too hard for you to successfully consolidate the Martial Arts True Qi inside your dantian..." Ye Tianchen said, looking at the severely injured and barely alive Little Shitou.

Actually, what Ye Tianchen didn’t anticipate was the strength of this liquid form Spiritual Energy that Little Shitou couldn’t bear. When this strong liquid Spiritual Energy overwhelmed Little Shitou’s ability to cope, it did more harm than good, overburdening him and putting his life at risk. It’s like a too-thin person trying to gain weight; just one more bowl of rice each day may lead to gradual weight gain and improved physical strength. But suddenly eating ten bowls in one go to achieve it instantly could backfire, not only failing the objective but risking one’s life because it’s too excessive!

The current state within Little Shitou was just like that. Ye Tianchen constantly channeled a strong Divine Thought to explore within Little Shitou’s body, observing the situation in his dantian. The liquid Spiritual Energy was indeed overwhelmingly potent. Even though Ye Tianchen had taken measures to reduce its strength and allowed Little Shitou’s body some time to adapt, Little Shitou was still too weak to cope. Now, his body was filled with this powerful Spiritual Energy, unable to bear it and in danger of exploding at any moment.

"Master, let me try again, I can’t wait anymore. Among the five senior siblings, I’m the only one holding everyone back. All the kin in Desolate Stone Village are betting their lives for me to cultivate, yet I am a waste. I’m unwilling. If I can’t cultivate, how can I live up to their trust and their treatment of me? Besides, I have my ideals and goals; if I can’t cultivate, none of these can be achieved, so even if I am shattered to pieces, I must try..." Little Shitou said with utmost determination.

"Little Shitou..." Ye Tianchen was moved by Little Shitou’s strong and stubborn character, unsure what to say. He himself was not someone who would easily give up, and he advised Little Shitou to quit out of concern for his safety. However, seeing Little Shitou’s resolute determination, he somewhat wanted to give it another try.

"Master, help me!" Little Shitou looked at Ye Tianchen with determined eyes.

"Alright, go ahead and try again. Master will protect you!" Ye Tianchen finally nodded.

"Thank you, Master!" Little Shitou smiled.

Attempting once more, Ye Tianchen this time lessened the force of the Spiritual Energy injected into Little Shitou’s body. Little Shitou’s body was extremely weak and already seriously injured. Continuing like this, it would be difficult to withstand the erosion of this force. If the force remained this strong and Little Shitou failed, he would likely explode and die on the spot.

Within Little Shitou’s dantian, the faint Martial Arts True Qi gradually began to flow, circulating around his dantian. Ye Tianchen was mildly shocked. This was a sign that Little Shitou’s Divine Thought could control this Martial Arts True Qi. At this, he said, "Don’t concern yourself with anything else, just focus all your Divine Thought on consolidating this Martial Arts True Qi into form. I will handle everything else!"

Gradually, within Little Shitou’s dantian, a Martial Arts True Qi circulated around, continuously circulating. Little Shitou grew increasingly adept at controlling this Martial Arts True Qi with his Divine Thought, closing in on shaping it. He had consolidated the Martial Arts True Qi together, and if he succeeded in forming it, he would have broken through his physical limitation, enabling true cultivation. This was the moment Little Shitou had long awaited, and Ye Tianchen had also waited eagerly.

Bang!

At the final moment, just as Little Shitou gathered the Martial Arts True Qi in his dantian and needed only a moment to form it, the Qi exploded, scattering within his dantian. Blood dripped continuously from his mouth, impacting his entire network of meridians, on the verge of bursting apart.

Whoosh!

A strong force of Martial Arts True Power entered Little Shitou’s body. Ye Tianchen quickly changed the seals in his hands, absorbing all the scattered energy within Little Shitou to endure himself, barely saving Little Shitou’s life. Even so, Little Shitou almost lost both body and soul. His injuries were severe, and this time he remained unconscious for more than half an hour, while Ye Tianchen used his strong Martial Arts True Power to heal Little Shitou.

"Little Shitou, that’s enough for today. Let’s try again in the future when we have another chance!" Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but suggest, seeing the awakened Little Shitou.

"Master, we don’t have time, nor can we afford to wait. I need to become stronger, to grow rapidly..." Little Shitou said, clenched teeth and resolute.

"Little Shitou..."

Ye Tianchen hurriedly called out to stop him, but it was too late. Little Shitou once again concentrated his Divine Thought to control the Martial Arts True Qi in his dantian, attempting to shape it. Ye Tianchen was both astonished at Little Shitou’s willpower and alarmed at his reckless attempts. Little Shitou might truly lose his life in such daring trials, and Ye Tianchen wouldn’t be able to save him! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets, as your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)