Chapter 17: Shut Up and Rest

Wudi's body was screaming in pain as he lay on the ground, but he had a faint smile as he looked up at his frowning uncle, Tian Shou. Tian Shou was staring at Wudi while frowning, but he was actually really perplexed. The academy had already come across many bodies, and he'd even seen Jiang Feng's body while following their trail, but he had already assumed Wudi to be dead as he sensed that there was a Martial Divine Realm cultivator chasing Wudi. In reality, he wasn't even sure if it was Wudi they were chasing, as he thought there was no way Wudi could have killed all those cultivators and Jiang Feng.

Bosheng and Jiang Feng were close to being teachers like Teacher Liang for the outer disciples. Technically, Teacher Liang was part of the core disciples of the academy, but was a teacher for the outer disciple as it could be part of the duties one took as a core disciple, which were considered as members of the academy, as one would have to drop any affiliations to be a part of it. The only reason Teacher Liang was leading a group of inner division disciples was that she had volunteered.

Wudi should be very far from cultivators at that level and shouldn't be able to stand toe to toe with them at all, but he had miraculously killed them. Despite any reason as to why, it was still an incredible feat that others wouldn't be able to mimic. Tian Shou was a man without many expressions, so his look of shock and confusion was just a frown as he stared at Wudi on the ground. He eventually sighed in relief and started to treat Wudi's wounds.

He was shocked when he checked Wudi because it seemed that the last strike Elder Yang landed on Wudi's abdomen should have either killed him or injured him to the point of not being able to move, but he'd somehow used will alone to continue the fight. Despite still breathing, Wudi's actions of pushing himself had actually pushed him one foot into the grave. Wudi was poisoned and was badly injured internally, and the fist he used to punch Elder Yang was shattered in several places.

Tian Shou sucked in a deep breath at these wounds and wasn't even sure if Wudi could make it to an outpost before he passed. Tian Shou let out a sigh and pulled a medicine from his bag and shoved it in Wudi's mouth. He then grabbed Wudi and headed to the outpost but didn't forget to take Elder Yang's body as well.

Wudi had passed out and was drifting in and out as he could see trees passing by at fast speeds. From time to time, he would see Elder Yang's face dangling by his own and would groggily think, "Am I in hell?" Eventually, the scenario changed to a grassland, and faint smells that he couldn't make out were tickling his nose as his stomach rumbled. Cultivators could go a long time without food, but Wudi wasn't that strong of a cultivator and was thus very hungry.

Wudi began to slightly come to when the grass field began to change into several pebbles on the ground, and the sunlight from the western sun setting shone across a pond they passed. Eventually, Wudi could feel that they passed some sort of formation as the air suddenly changed, and things felt somewhat lighter. It was at this moment that his thoughts became a bit more sharp as he began to focus on his internal condition.

There seemed to be some kind of energy in his body that was clashing with another foreign energy. That was when he remembered that his uncle had stuffed something in his mouth. It seemed that whatever his uncle gave him was clashing with the poison, but it didn't seem very effective, and in fact, both energies were causing damage internally.

Wudi began to circulate his Qi and wrapped it around both Qi's as a powerful vortex formed in his body. He started by absorbing the medicine his uncle gave him, but it was difficult because it was an enormous amount of Qi, and it seemed it was meant for those in the Martial Divine Realm. Wudi had faced many cultivators in the past few days and felt that this medicine would likely be too much for those in the Martial Dao Realm as well and thus had to be for those in the Martial Divine Realm.

Wudi then suddenly remembered his uncle's sigh. It must have been because he'd been planning to use the medicine for his own cultivation. Uncle Shou must have had a hard time making the decision because the medicine was likely to kill Wudi, but Wudi was definitely dead if he didn't take it as the poison was also of the Martial Divine Realm.

Unfortunately, the medicine was meant more for cultivation and not as a herbal treatment for injuries and thus wasn't the best thing to give Wudi, but it was the only choice they had. Wudi felt warm thinking of how his uncle gave up his resources in exchange for Wudi's life, especially because he might still die in the end, and the medicine would have been wasted, but Tian Shou still didn't hesitate to use it.

Wudi left all these thoughts behind as he began to focus on trying to control the two energies and began to circulate his cultivation technique. In the past, Wudi had faced the heavenly lighting and knew energies could co-exist, so maybe he could try and subdue these energies and refine them. Wudi knew he didn't want to be used by the lighting, so he never refined it. The heavens made the lighting, which means that the heavens suppressed and used all those essences. Wudi already denied the heavens, so he would also become like the heavens under no one's control. Wudi would also subdue these powers and make his own path to the grand dao.

Following this thought, Wudi did something inconceivable and began to push these energies into his dantian. Most would do their best to expel these powers or slowly refine them. Bringing these different Qi would be like committing suicide for most cultivators, as it would cause deviation, and they would likely explode. Wudi seemed to have no care for himself as he recklessly shoveled these differing energies into his dantian.

Wudi circulated the cultivation technique he had been creating, using his experiences and Regal Dragon as a base. In reality, Regal Dragon didn't resemble his current cultivation technique at all, and if one were to learn both, they wouldn't be able to make the connection that one was derived from the other. "Here we go," Wudi thought as he achieved incredible focus, pushing his concentration to the limits.

In the meantime, Tian Shou could feel slight changes in Wudi as he carried him. Tian Shou pushed himself to the limits as he felt these changes were likely not good. Tian Shou was now at the fortress that the imperial family had control over. Originally, Tian Shou planned to take Wudi to the nearby outpost, but he concluded that they wouldn't have the ability to save Wudi. Despite the longer distance, he had to head for the fortress the imperial family had as their was a very good physician at the Martial Divine Realm stationed there, and it was likely the only hope of saving Wudi.

Even though Tian Shou had made it to his destination, the fortress was large, and he had to travel a few more miles before he reached the medical facility. Upon arriving, Tian Shou could feel a storm brewing in Wudi and sat him down on a bed.

Li Ming, the head physician, rushed over before shoving Tian Shou out of the way. Even from a distance, Li Ming could sense the abnormalities happening in Wudi and didn't even care for his image as he pushed Tian Shou back and began reading Wudi's pulse and using his divine sense to check Wudi's internal condition.

Li Ming had a look of shock stood up and screamed, "Everyone without a Martial Divine Realm cultivation leave immediately!!" Tian Shou said, "Brother Ming, Wudi.." Li Ming waved his hand indicating he understands and said, "This crazy brat is attempting to refine these powers directly in his dantian."

Tian Shou frowned, knowing what this meant and understood that even they would get injured if Wudi explodes. Li Ming pulled some needles out and said, "All I can do is help elevate some pain and release some toxins from his body. Everything else will be up to the kid. Either he explodes or he doesn't." Li Ming said this all in one breath while pushing the needles in different spots of Wudi.

Wudi was currently in an expanse of chaos as he was slowly forming his cultivation technique. The different Qi Wudi had mastered were turning around him in a maelstrom of chaos. This was the current state of his dantian and at the moment things weren't looking good as green and blue Qi clashed in the same space that was twice the size of the maelstrom that was pulsing unsteadily as the energies clashed.

Wudi was somehow floating in this expanse as if he was actually there, and he suddenly opened his eyes and said, "All is one and one is all." The maelstrom pulsed, and Wudi lifted the hand of his corporeal self and reached toward the two energies. Like the energies had a life of their own seemed to sense something and started to run from his dantian, but Wudi's palm didn't stop, a hand that seemed as if it was the incarnation of all things reached out of the maelstrom and grabbed the two energies and pulled them into the maelstrom like a hungry beast.

On the outside, Tian Shou and Li Ming had a shocked expression as Wudi's cultivation suddenly jumped in succession all the way from minor completion to large completion and finally grand completion Martial Insight Realm. The needles in Wudi's body were burning hot, and a green gaseousness was exuding from where the needles were stabbed.

Wudi opened his eyes, and it was only for a split second, but the aura of a tyrant seemed to descend. Tian Shou and Li Ming jumped to Wudi's side and began checking his condition. Wudi still had his fist broken in many places, and even several ribs were shattered from Elder Yang's palm, and his shoulder was still oozing with the skin looking somewhat disfigured.

Li Ming shoved some medicine in Wudi's mouth and started applying ointment and bandages to the areas that needed it. Wudi glanced at the two with a slight frown and said, "Only grand completion stage.." Wudi sighed and looked somewhat bitter. Tian Shou and Li Ming stopped momentarily and looked like they wanted to beat Wudi up.

Tian Shou said, "You're lucky to be alive, let alone advancing after your craziness. You may have refined Elder Yang's Qi, but you're still poisoned on top of the physical injuries. So you should shut up and rest."