noveltune Chapter 8: Awakening and "Qi Observation"
Chapter 8: Awakening and "Qi Observation"
Consciousness, like the receding tide, slowly and steadily withdraws from the deep and tranquil "inner landscape" of the mind, returning to the heaviness and pain of the physical body.
"My body... feels a little better than before I fell into a coma."
He quickly assessed the situation in his mind.
The most obvious effect is the reduction in pain.
The excruciating pain that felt like every bone was being crushed and every muscle was being torn apart had mostly subsided, replaced by a deep ache and a feeling of helplessness.
The deepest claw wound on my chest and abdomen was giving me a cool, tingling sensation, rather than a burning pain, which meant the wound was healing under the influence of medication.
"The wound was properly treated and medicated."
He made a judgment immediately. The last thing he remembered was the image of the female patrol soldier grabbing his arm.
Upon closer examination, the situation remains severe, but it is not without hope.
The meridians were still dry, with many hidden injuries and blockages, but the previous feeling of being on the verge of complete rupture had weakened, as if they were being enveloped and stabilized by a layer of extremely weak, warm energy.
The light and shadow on the internal organs were still dim, but the heartbeat seemed to have become a little stronger, and although the blood pumped out was thin, it was no longer as lifeless as before.
"His vital energy... is almost completely dissipated. His cultivation is entirely lost. But the foundation of this body... doesn't seem to have been completely destroyed?"
Xuan Tianyi sensed something amiss.
The original owner's cultivation level of "Fourth Level of Body Tempering Realm" is definitely gone, but a certain activity or potential deep within this body seems to have been reawakened after the initial stage of visualization and the stabilization of the soul.
Like seeds dormant deep within the frozen earth of winter sensing a faint glimmer of spring.
"Is this the effect of the 'Eight Views Mysterious Life Lamp Visualization Method'? Is the lamplight illuminating and nourishing the very foundation of the physical body? Or...?"
He recalled the wisp of lightning contained within the "Thunder Seed Jade Token." Although he had not yet tried to activate it, its very existence might have had a subtle and positive influence on this severely injured body.
The general condition of the body has been confirmed.
Still severely injured and extremely weak, he was out of the brink of death and seemed to show a very faint sign of recovery.
Xuan Tianyi then began to turn his attention to the outside world.
He slowly and very gently lifted his heavy eyelids, revealing a thin slit.
What first catches the eye is that eternal, suffocating dark red "sky curtain" that stretches across the horizon.
That eerie, enormous "blood moon," with its surface patterns resembling dried blood scabs, still hung high, relentlessly showering its thick, scarlet light.
As far as the eye could see, there were broken walls and scorched earth, and figures lying or sitting haphazardly, most of them with wounds and filthy bandages wrapped around their bodies...
Everything was stained with an ominous, dark red glaze, like congealed blood.
Although this light no longer brought the same level of shock and nausea to his soul as it had when he first saw it, it still weighed heavily on his heart, constantly reminding him of the true nature of this world.
"Kid, you're awake?"
A hoarse, tired voice, yet filled with obvious relief and concern, rang out very close to me.
Xuan Tianyi tilted his head slightly, the movement aggravating his wound and causing a sharp pain.
He saw Uncle Lin sitting with his back against the same dilapidated low wall, his chest wrapped in thick, rough bandages soaked with dark red bloodstains.
Uncle Lin's face was still as pale as paper, and his lips were chapped, but his eyes, weathered by time and now bloodshot, held a faint glimmer of relief as he stared at him intently.
Beside Uncle Lin, Ali, with fresh scars on his face, was holding a rusted steel bar with its tip worn sharp, and his head was nodding off.
Even in his sleep, his body was slightly hunched, his brows furrowed, maintaining a tense posture as if he were about to spring up and fight for his life at any moment.
"Uncle Lin..."
Xuan Tianyi spoke, his voice dry and hoarse, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing together, a burning pain shooting through his throat.
"How long...did I sleep?"
"It's been a whole day and night."
Uncle Lin breathed a sigh of relief, forced an extremely ugly smile, and moved his body with difficulty. He then pulled out a dirty leather water bag from the side and handed it over.
"You're a tough nut to crack. When we saw you like that, we...cough, we all thought you were going to die there. It's all thanks to your last push that you knocked that beast away, otherwise..."
Uncle Lin shook his head, a lingering fear flashing in his eyes, but when he looked at Xuan Tianyi, there was a complex emotion he hadn't felt before, almost like he was looking at his own nephew.
"It was the patrol army. At the last moment, the patrol army's rescue arrived and scattered the remaining zombie dogs. You were exhausted and passed out, and we couldn't wake you up no matter how much we called you. You had so many wounds on your body, it really worried us... sigh."
Uncle Lin sighed and pointed to several places on Xuan Tianyi's body that were wrapped with clean strips of cloth.
"Fortunately, there was a medic in the patrol army who cleaned your wound and applied medicine. I heard that medicine is very expensive, and its effect is truly miraculous. Such a deep wound has started to close up in just one day."
Xuan Tianyi took the water pouch; it felt cold and heavy in his hand.
He uncorked the bottle and took small sips of the somewhat cloudy but still relatively clean water.
The cool liquid slid down my burning throat, bringing a real sense of comfort and diluting the bloody taste in my mouth.
"Uncle Lin, if you hadn't saved me first, I would have been bitten to death by those corpse dogs."
Xuan Tianyi put down the water pouch, looked at the hideous bandage on Uncle Lin's chest, and spoke sincerely, with clear gratitude and guilt.
"It's all my fault for dragging you into this, causing you to suffer such serious injuries..."
"fart!"
Uncle Lin glared, wanting to curse, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain and gasp for breath. It took him a while to recover, and his voice became even lower but more serious.
"I... I saved you, that's my own business, it has nothing to do with you, little brat! But you, you were already in such a state, and you still... you still recklessly charged at me, what... what are you..."
Uncle Lin seemed unable to find the right words, and in the end he just glared at Xuan Tianyi, but there was no anger in his eyes, but rather an indescribable feeling.
"You look young, but you're tough as nails and... loyal enough."
Uncle Lin muttered something and turned his head away, seemingly not wanting Xuan Tianyi to see the complex emotions in his eyes.
Xuan Tianyi felt a warmth in his heart.
This act of kindness from a stranger, risking his life for each other, and this clumsy act of concern, seem especially precious in this cold and cruel apocalypse.
He silently kept this kindness in his heart.
"Uncle Lin, your injury..."
"He won't die."
Uncle Lin waved his hand, leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes wearily.
"The female military doctor treated me and applied medicine. I just lost a lot of blood, but I'll be fine after some rest. Don't talk nonsense, just get some rest."
Don't think you're safe now. This is just a temporary stop; we're still far from the outer city of Tianxia. Even with the patrol army escorting us, the journey... humph, it won't be peaceful."
Uncle Lin's voice grew softer and softer, eventually turning into even and heavy breathing. He was clearly exhausted and was seizing every moment to recover his strength.
Xuan Tianyi understood.
The crisis has only been temporarily averted; the future remains fraught with peril and unpredictable.
He must recover as soon as possible, even if it's just a little bit of self-defense.
He leaned back against the cold wall and slowly closed his eyes.
But instead of resting, he once again focused his mind on the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows, attempting to practice the "Eight Views Mysterious Life Lamp Visualization Method" in reality.
The moment consciousness sank in, the illusory image of the "Eight Scenes Mystic Fate Lamp," which floated in the center of the sea of consciousness and emitted a warm, clear, and lustrous light, reappeared clearly.
The lamp flame was small and weak, yet it steadily illuminated the darkness of consciousness, bringing peace and clarity.
"Contemplating in reality feels more real, and the connection with the physical body is also closer..."
Xuan Tianyi silently comprehended. He carefully maintained his meditative state, guiding the faint lamplight not only to illuminate his sea of consciousness, but also attempting to let its light seep outwards and into his body through the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows.
However, just as he was immersed in visualization, his mind gradually merging deeply with that "lamp of the heart," and he subconsciously extended a wisp of spiritual energy imbued with the essence of his visualization along the outward-permeating light of the lamp, wanting to sense the energy of the outside world—
A sudden change has occurred!
"Buzz!"
In his sea of consciousness, the illusory image of the "Eight Scenery Mystic Fate Lamp" seemed to resonate in some mysterious way with the core of the self-operating "Innate Eight Trigrams Plate" system deep within his soul!
In particular, the position representing the "Li" trigram (fire, light, insight) on the Bagua plate lit up slightly!
The next instant, when Xuan Tianyi's spiritual power, imbued with the intent of visualization, looked outward along with the permeating lamplight, the scene before him suddenly underwent a dramatic and unimaginable change!
Real-world scenery—
The burning campfire, the crumbling walls, the figures lying on the ground, the silhouettes of patrolling soldiers in the distance... all still existed, but in his current vision, everything was covered with a new, mysterious layer of color and light!
Centered on himself, within a radius of several dozen steps of his spiritual power, a hazy halo of light appeared about an inch above the heads of each of the refugees, whether they were lying down, sitting, sleeping, or awake, in the void of the sky! The halo of light of different colors, sizes, and shapes appeared!
These halos were not physical entities, but rather seemed to be formed from some more essential aura or trajectory. Under the combined effect of the "Eight Scenery Mystic Fate Lamp" and his own spiritual power, he "saw" them!
"This is……"
Xuan Tianyi's heart skipped a beat, and a term commonly seen in novels from his previous life suddenly jumped into his mind.
"The art of observing qi?! The method of observing destiny?! The Eight Scenery Mysterious Destiny Lamp Visualization Technique actually comes with such abilities?"
Is it because my potential for divination has been initially awakened? Or is it because my mental energy, combined with the light's glow, has just reached a certain threshold?
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and, like a child who had received divine revelation, began to observe this sudden new perspective with the utmost curiosity and caution.
First, he looked to his side.
Ali was still dozing off, but from Xuan Tianyi's perspective of "observing qi" at this moment, the halo above his head appeared as gray-white mixed with several strands of constantly jumping, crimson like tiny flames!
The crimson color wasn't vibrant, but it carried a sharp, restless quality, as if it were about to explode at any moment, subtly corresponding to Ali's irritability, ferocity, and the fact that he seemed to be practicing some kind of crude and forceful martial art.
The halo above Uncle Lin's head, however, was much more steady and substantial.
The main body is grayish-white, but at the core of the halo, there is a subtle, solid, earthy-yellow spot of light, like a hard rock buried in the soil, exuding a sense of resilience and reliability that has endured hardships.
This may correspond to his calm personality, rich experience, and a cultivation foundation that may lean towards earth-elemental or defensive attributes.
Xuan Tianyi's gaze swept slowly across the surrounding area like an invisible broom.
Most of the refugees' halos were gray or grayish-white, like dusty, low-quality jade, dim and small in range, some even flickering as if they might go out at any moment.
This clearly symbolizes their ordinary or even lowly fate and fortune, as well as their difficult situation of struggling to survive in the end times and living from day to day.
Occasionally, one or two halos can be seen that are pale blue. Although they are not strong and the range is small, the color is relatively pure and the flow of the halo appears slightly more lively.
This may mean that its owner may encounter some minor turning points or opportunities in the near future, or that they are becoming more perceptive.
"The Qi Observation Technique... it really can observe a person's fortune and destiny! Although we can only see the most superficial aspects right now, but..."
Xuan Tianyi was thrilled.
This ability is practically a divine weapon in the apocalypse!
It can not only help judge the state of others, but may also predict good or bad fortune and distinguish between friend and foe to some extent!
He observed more carefully.
Soon, he noticed something unusual in a few relatively secluded and inconspicuous corners of the crowd.
They were a few scattered refugees, outwardly indistinguishable from the other exhausted and terrified survivors; some were sleeping, others were lost in thought.
However, from Xuan Tianyi's perspective of "observing qi", the halo above these people's heads, which should have been gray and white, was actually mixed with a very faint but extremely uncomfortable gray-black aura!
The gray-black current, like a tiny venomous snake or an ominous shadow, coiled and permeated the already dim light, exuding a cold, gloomy, and faintly malicious aura.
Unlike the sickness or death aura that may be present in the aura of other refugees, this gray-black aura is closer to a feeling of filth, conspiracy, or karmic obstacles.
"These people... there's something wrong with them!"
Xuan Tianyi felt a chill run down his spine, his eyes turning slightly cold.
Is he a sinister person? Has he been tainted by something unclean?
Or is it simply that one's luck has hit rock bottom and calamity is imminent?
He secretly memorized the clothing and physical characteristics of these people.
In this precarious environment, any abnormality could mean a deadly threat, so we must remain vigilant.
Just then, a patrol team of soldiers marched past in neat and solemn steps.
The leader was tall and robust, wearing dark red leather armor that was slightly better than the other soldiers', with a sword at his waist. He exuded a calm and fierce aura as he walked.
It was the same Captain Yan who had previously severely injured the Corpse Dog with a single shot, creating an opportunity for Xuan Tianyi to counterattack.
At this moment, from Xuan Tianyi's "aura observation" perspective, the halo above Captain Yan's head was a deep blue!
Like a leaping blue flame, although its range is not particularly large, it is solid, scorching, and has a stable light!
It was far brighter and more substantial than the aura emanating from the surrounding refugees and even ordinary soldiers!
This clearly corresponds to his extraordinary abilities, his position in the patrol army, and his relatively good, or at least "close call" fortune recently.
Being able to carry out rescue missions in the wilderness and serve as a team leader requires both sufficient strength and a certain amount of luck.
"It seems that this Qi-gazing technique can not only reveal the color and nature of one's destiny and fortune, but also the density, brightness, and size of the aura, which appear to be related to the target's strength level and life energy level..."
Xuan Tianyi seemed to be deep in thought.
This ability is practically tailor-made for him, a powerful tool for foresight!
Having gained a basic understanding of this unexpectedly acquired supernatural ability, Xuan Tianyi withdrew his gaze and focused his attention back on himself.
"The most urgent task is to restore physical strength and replenish vital energy, at least to the point of being able to protect oneself. The body is still weak, and right now..."
His thoughts involuntarily drifted to the mysterious rune in his sea of consciousness, which echoed the "Eight Scenery Mystic Fate Lamp" and was wrapped in purple electric snakes.
"Thunder Seed Jade Token!"
An idea that had budded before but had been shelved due to unfavorable timing and circumstances has become incredibly fervent once again.
Beyond the ultimate destruction, does the power of thunder also contain a glimmer of... new life, under strict constraints and meticulous guidance?
Use the thunderous power contained within this "Thunder Seed," which is bound by the meaning of the hexagram "Thunder comes with a tremor, then laughs and speaks softly," and carries the meaning of awakening and generating true essence, to stimulate and temper this body riddled with holes, accelerate its recovery, and even... break it down and rebuild it.
The risks are enormous; a single misstep could lead to self-destruction and being burned alive.
But the rewards are equally enticing. If successful, it might unlock an unprecedented shortcut to physical training!
"Let's gamble!"
A resolute glint flashed in Xuan Tianyi's eyes.
In the apocalypse, survival depends on risk; otherwise, death is the only option!
He possesses the "Eight Scenery Mysterious Life Lamp" to guard his sea of consciousness, keeping his mind clear, and he has the wisdom contained in the hexagram "Thunder Comes Fiercely" to "maintain composure in fear and glimpse hope in crisis".
This might be the best time to try!
Without further hesitation, his consciousness sank completely into the depths of his mind.
The "Eight Views Mysterious Fate Lamp" floated in the center, casting a warm, shimmering light that calmed the mind.
Under the lamplight, the "Thunder Seed Jade Token" was clearly visible, with runes flowing around it. The purple electric snake within seemed to sense something and became slightly more active.
Xuan Tianyi did not immediately and violently activate it.
He first illuminated himself with the light of the "lamp of the heart," adjusting his mental state to an unprecedented level of calmness and focus, as if stripping away all emotions and leaving only the purest will to observe and control.
Then, he carefully extended a wisp of spiritual power, purified by the light of the "Heart Lamp," which was extremely refined, like the most skillful carving knife, or like the softest feather.
Gently touch the core of that dormant "Thunder Seed Jade Token," to the most concentrated point of purple lightning.
Concentrate your mind, recalling the overwhelming power of the earth shaking and all things trembling in fear when the earthquake struck, and savoring the wisdom of quickly regaining composure and grasping the laws after the upheaval when the person laughed and spoke in a low voice.
"lead!"