Chapter 22 Rebirth, Crystal Belly

The wind rose.

Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and Ganoderma Immortal Medicine on the island swayed in the wind, strands of pure Medicine Qi spilled into their roots and entered the ground, converging into the water veins.

If someone could see through the rocky ground, they would discover that at this moment, threads and strands of liquid potion were gathering from all directions, forming a vast network. Each treasure medicine contributed its Medicine Qi, merging into the water veins, and through the flowing water, converged in the valley at the center of the island.

On the valley's rock walls, waterfalls were infused with the liquid potion, becoming colorful, and the water pool below emitted a rainbow hue, a thick Medicine Qi diffusing around it.

The Ochre Whip on the Divine Farmer's Stone Statue emitted a crimson brilliance, covering the water pool; it used the gathered Medicine Qi as its source and the medicinal properties as its material to create the color of Xuanhuang.

"Hundred Herbs refine the Xuanhuang Liquid, Earth Nourishes All Things, nurturing the True Body--indeed, the Ochre Whip only displays its true effectiveness in the hands of a particular person," Gongsun Qingyue muttered as she watched the color of Xuanhuang gradually assimilate the colorful liquid potion.

The Dinghu Sect had possessed the Ochre Whip for four years now, and in those four years, the upper echelons of the sect had thought of truly taking possession of this Dao Artifact and had experimented with numerous methods, all ending in failure.

The only thing the Dinghu Sect could do was to use it to convert medicinal poison, creating such an island where spiritual herbs could be cultivated normally. But even just this alone was enough for the Dinghu Sect to benefit infinitely.

Thinking of this, Gongsun Qingyue sat down cross-legged beside the water pool and quietly meditated on the mysterious creation.

Meanwhile, within the water pool, Jiang Li was in extraordinary torment.

The Xuanhuang Liquid permeated his pores, bringing sensations beyond any normal imagination.

At times he felt as if he were under the warm sun of spring, his whole body relaxed; at other times, as if he were in a fierce storm, enduring the wind and rain; another moment, like he was in a scorching desert, every drop of moisture in his body evaporated; and suddenly, he experienced the desolate autumn wind, the harsh cold wind, trembling all over.

Spring, summer, autumn, winter, the scenes of the four seasons alternated cyclically, Jiang Li suffering through comfort, blistering heat, dreariness, and icy cold.

He could only preserve the last bit of clarity in his heart, relying on the Dao Fruit Ability "Seeking Truth" to suppress the agitation brought by the torment, silently waiting for the conclusion of Bone Marrow Cleansing.

Gradually, Jiang Li seemed to forget comfort, forget pain, slowly breathing under the water pool, as if he was a baby who had fallen into a deep sleep.

Time flowed slowly, seeming as long as a lifetime, yet also as if in a mere instant.

When Jiang Li awoke again, he felt astounding changes.

Although clearly at the bottom of the water, Jiang Li breathed easily; his long breaths seemed to be internal, yet in fact, they affected the inside, allowing him to be unfazed by the underwater environment. Moreover, he felt as if his spirit had merged with his physical body into one; with a mere thought, he could "see" every corner of his body, perceiving the activity of various organs, flesh, tendons, and bones.

'Is the Bone Marrow Cleansing finished?'

With that thought, Jiang Li saw the still-concentrated Xuanhuang Liquid.

It seemed he had not consumed much Medicine Qi.

Jiang Li's mind flickered with a thought of loss, then he looked toward the book only he could see.

These words appeared on the Karma Collection, and then the pages flew rapidly forward, flipping through a full two hundred pages before stopping.

"······The Xuanhuang Liquid permeated his pores."

Two hundred and three pages before, such a sentence appeared.

Following that line, various sensations and physical changes emerged, as well as image upon image of the human body's meridian channels.

The Karma Collection recorded every change that Jiang Li experienced.

As each page turned, all kinds of bodily transformations and the operation of Qi Mechanisms came into view, and Jiang Li's visage began to change as well.

Initially, his complexion was normal, but it gradually turned to a forest green, then shifted to crimson red, faded to withered yellow, and finally settled on a blueish hue. As his complexion changed, the True Qi within his body also transformed accordingly.

The Wandering God Qi Technique that Jiang Li practiced was specialized in Divine Control Energy, characterized by the manipulation of True Qi. Having undergone the Bone Marrow Cleansing, his control over his body and his grasp of True Qi both improved dramatically. With the added assistance of Dao Fruit Ability, he was now fully capable of controlling True Qi to perfectly reverse and replicate the previous changes.

As the True Qi flowed, sensations of spring, summer, autumn, and winter reappeared in his Perception, and the previously calm Xuanhuang Liquid began to fluctuate once more.

Threads of indescribable Qi stream flowed into his body, coursing through muscles, bones, flesh, the five viscera and six bowels, seeping into the meridians, blending with True Qi, which made the balanced and harmonious True Qi purer and more refined.

At the same time, the stone statue above the pond was once again bathed in a red glow, and the Ochre Whip started emitting halos of light.

This caused Gongsun Qingyue, who was contemplating the transformations by the side, to show a look of doubt.

To her knowledge, there had never been such a prolonged period of Bone Marrow Cleansing. He wasn't one of the powerful seniors, so why did it last so long? And if she saw correctly, it should have stopped earlier, so why did it start again?

Gongsun Qingyue sensed something unusual and wanted to intervene, but she also worried that Jiang Li might be adversely affected and that his Bone Marrow Cleansing might end up incomplete. After much consideration, she chose to observe the changes silently.

"Let me contemplate a bit longer."

She sat crossed-legged beside the pond and closed her eyes again.

Meanwhile, Jiang Li once again became immersed in the seasonal changes. His body continuously absorbed the strength of the medicine, refining his physique with a glimmering luster appearing all around his body that grew increasingly intense.

Time and again, Jiang Li repeated the recorded Qi Manipulation Technique, the white light on his body growing increasingly intense, and his skin also seemed to be affected, turning pale and translucent, like crystal.

Until finally—

Jiang Li once again opened his eyes and looked at his body.

As the True Qi flowed, his skin gradually became transparent, faintly revealing the texture beneath. Especially around the torso...

Jiang Li looked at his crystal-like body, and surprisingly, an image began to slowly emerge in his mind of the five viscera, six bowels, and the network of blood vessels.

He titled his head slightly, extracting a phrase from his memory: "The belly of the Divine Farmer's Sect is as transparent as crystal..."

It was said that the Divine Farmer's Sect was different from common people because their bellies were transparent like crystal, allowing one to see the five viscera and six bowels and the various transformations of consumed substances within the body.

With that Crystal Belly, the Divine Farmer's Sect tasted all kinds of herbs, recording their effects.

Now, Jiang Li might not have a Crystal Belly, but a similar form appeared in his mind, truly showing the various transformations within his body.

With the True Qi's operation within his body no longer a secret to him, he began to adjust and modify the flow of True Qi according to the images in his mind, step by step, towards a more harmonious direction of improvement.

The balanced and harmonious True Qi circulated through the five viscera and six bowels, melting the Essence Element, progressively purifying it until it was refined into a liquid state. Jiang Li could distinctly feel a stream flowing within his body, not just a mere sensation, but a palpable feeling.

His True Qi had transformed into a liquid state.