The night was still and tranquil when Elder Mu arrived and delivered his request at the imposing Hall of Order and Discipline.
Meanwhile, in the newly restored courtyard of Ji Wuye, the young man sat cross-legged upon the polished wooden deck, eyes closed in deep meditation.
The gentle breeze carried the crisp scent of bamboo forest as Ji Wuye focused his mind, meticulously reviewing every nuance of the Heavenly Dragon Fusion Gongfa's content. His brow furrowed slightly as he absorbed the profound intricacies, committing each detail to memory.
At length, Ji Wuye's eyes fluttered open, crimson irises sharp with clarity. "A strong vessel," he muttered under his breath, the words a low rumble that barely disturbed the stillness around him.
To withstand the seismic force generated by detonating both the Lower and Middle Dantians simultaneously, the strong vessel or ‘body’ was paramount.
Straightening his posture, Ji Wuye's gaze drifted upwards in contemplation. "It's almost the same principle as the Twin Dragon Ascension Gongfa."
The connection was undeniable, even the name itself an echo of shared essence. Yet the key difference lay in the absence of any mention regarding the niwan's role or the Upper Dantian's location within the latter's content.
Rising fluidly to his feet, Ji Wuye surveyed the meticulously restored courtyard, drawing a deep breath of the Qi-rich air. "As for the dense and nourishing Qi..."
His voice trailed off as crimson eyes roamed over the precisely arranged logs and neatly clean courtyard. This serene space had been chosen with great care - its concentrated spiritual energies a vital wellspring to aid his leap from the 1st to the 3rd realm.
Never could he have foreseen discovering the upgraded version of inner art the Twin Dragon Ascension Gongfa in the Tower shop, much less that their respective breakthrough conditions would share the same need for such rich, potent Qi.
For the briefest moment, a flicker of doubt creased Ji Wuye's features before the memory of his conversation with the Great Elder resurfaced, banishing all uncertainty.
Tilting his head back, Ji Wuye's piercing gaze found the blanket of glittering stars overhead. "Elder Mu should have gone to the Hall by now," he affirmed to himself with a subtle nod.
A pivotal event from a divergent timeline now realigned in this present reality, the shifting pieces locking perfectly into their predetermined places.
Dispelling that thought, a tremor of anticipation coursed through Ji Wuye's body as he began preparations to ascend to the 4th realm for the first time, heartbeat quickening ever so slightly.
Yet the thrill was swiftly tempered by the wisdom of experience, an understanding that this was merely the first of countless challenges awaiting him on the future.
"Time is always against me, forever an enemy," Ji Wuye murmured, the words heavy with resigned acceptance as he turned towards the living quarters. The soft patter of his footsteps against the wooden deck was the only sound breaking the tranquil silence.
…
Settling into a cross-legged meditative pose, Ji Wuye steeled himself and began the breakthrough process.
His breath slowed to a disciplined rhythm as he focused inward, initiating the first step - basic meridians purification.
THUD!
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The thunderous beat of Ji Wuye's heart reverberated through his body as he wielded the power of the twin Dantians - the Lower and Middle Dantians.
Like a raging river scouring its banks, he meticulously scoured every last impurity from the meridian pathways crisscrossing his form. Special focus went towards cleansing the thrusting channels linked to the crucial Niwan Palace.
Thanks to his previous breakthrough, when he advanced from the 1st to the 3rd realm and entered the second stage of the Unbreakable Vajra, the cleansing process of his meridian paths didn't take long.
As a result, there were no visible outer changes, only the steady drip of sweat beading on his brow and soaking through his white martial robe.
"Hufff..." A faint mist escaped his lips before he smoothed his features, eyebrows relaxing as he transitioned to the next pivotal step.
The second stage involved harnessing the surrounding Qi to filling up to the max his two Dantians in preparation.
SWOOSH!
In an instant, the very atmosphere shifted as Ji Wuye's aura flared outward like a rapacious vortex. Every last tendril of Qi in the vicinity was greedily absorbed, sucked into his body with relentless hunger.
His chest heaved with the effort, nostrils flaring as furrowed brows betrayed his intense concentration.
Deftly, Ji Wuye began controlling the newly accumulated Qi, guiding the potent essence along his meridians pathways to further compress the already dense Lower and Middle Dantians pearls.
The twin spheres thrummed with building power, nearing the brink of detonation to serve as the "fuel" for the impending cataclysm.
SHRILL!
A piercing resonance emanated from his very core as the maximally condensed Dantians vibrated in ominous harmony, teetering on the edge of explosive release.
Ji Wuye's skin stretched taut, but thanks to his advancements in the Unbreakable Vajra technique, there was no risk of his body suffering ruptures or bleeding.
Even as sweat beaded and muscles strained with the intensity, Ji Wuye split his concentration, attention diverting to initiate the final, crucial step - converting the twin Dantians into the primordial forces of Yin and Yang.
His mind's eye conjured the image of a serene pool, the waters dark and light elements swirling in a hypnotic dance.
Two koi fish, one inky black and the other pure white, surfaced to glide and twine in seamless harmony. Faster and faster they circled until their forms blurred, separating into two ethereal threads that twined into an infinite loop - the eternal cycle of Yin and Yang, darkness chasing light in perpetual balance.
The white thread, honed to a razor's edge by Ji Wuye's laser focus, represented the Yin essence of the Lower Dantian - forceful and unstoppable as a battering ram.
In contrast, the inky black thread embodied the Yang energy of the Middle Dantian, immense and all-consuming like a cosmic firestorm.
Drawing another steadying breath, Ji Wuye's entire body tensed as he wrestled to restrain the detonation process while completing the intricate integration - intertwining the true essences, the Yin and Yang threads, into unified representations of the Lower and Middle Dantians.
"HA-!" The guttural shout tore from Ji Wuye's lips as he simultaneously unleashed both primal forces in an explosive torrent of power.
BOOM!
The thunderous detonation reverberated from his very core, the shockwave harsh enough to trigger a racking cough. Jaw clenched, Ji Wuye swiftly clamped his lips shut, exerting every iota of control to contain the eruption's destructive potential and prevent damage to his Dantians.
Thanks to his reinforced physique and the Unbreakable Vajra technique, the eruptive force capable of inflicting catastrophic external injuries was constrained beneath his resilient skin.
Muscles bulged with the strain as he channeled the unleashed maelstrom.
From within, Ji Wuye deftly guided the erupted forces - the raging Yin ram and the all-consuming Yang firestorm - towards their pivotal destination: the Niwan Palace residing between his furrowed brows.
“ARGH!” A piercing agony lanced through his mind as the massive wave of primal Qi assaulted the energy nexus. The searing pain intensified with each relentless surge until Ji Wuye's vision swam, the entire world seeming to tilt dizzyingly around him.
"Tsk!" Gritting his teeth, Ji Wuye bit down on his lower lip, the metallic tang of blood filling his mouth as his fortified mind served as the sole anchor - preventing his consciousness from being utterly overwhelmed by the raging tempest.
Gradually, amidst the swirling chaos, shards of Yin and Yang essence churned and merged, synchronizing through sheer force of will into an ordered cosmic spiral.
Like a newly birthed star emerging from the stellar cataclysm, the embryonic seed of the Upper Dantian finally took form.
Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Ji Wuye swiftly unified and cycled the residual Qi reserves from his Lower and Middle Dantians, nurturing and feeding this Upper Dantian - fanning the newborn spark into a roaring blaze.
…
After enduring dozens of grueling meditation cycles, Ji Wuye's mind and body were pushed to the outermost limits by the relentless onslaught. Every hard-won scrap of Qi was channeled into solidifying and nurturing the nascent cosmic nexus taking form within him.
With painstaking persistence, he cycled and replenished the swirling vortex, feeding it in an unbroken stream of focus and willpower.
Gradually, the chaotic energies condensed and took shape - solidifying into the eternal, revolving pearl that marked the perfected Upper Dantian's emergence.
By the time the monumental breakthrough reached its conclusion, Ji Wuye's body was utterly drenched - clothes soaked through with sweat and other bodily fluids exuded under the restraining strain of the cataclysmic eruptions from his Lower and Middle Dantians.
Muscles quivered with spent exertion as he finally opened his eyes.
A ragged gasp escaped his lips, starving lungs greedily drawing in stale air as Ji Wuye's gaze snapped open.
Crimson pupils scanned his surroundings with a disoriented intensity born of utter depletion. His chest heaved with each labored breath, head still throbbing with a dull, lingering ache.
One trembling hand lifted to cradle his temples, fingers massaging slow circles in a futile effort to dispel the residual vertigo.
As the blurriness slowly cleared from his vision, Ji Wuye instinctively began drawing upon the Qi saturating the environment - revitalizing his battered body with its nourishing essence.
"It's a success," he murmured, the words a rasping exhalation of relief and wonder. Within his inner vision, a couple of translucent panes flickered into existence. Beyond them, he also could sense the unmistakable presence of an additional Qi reserve pulsing in resonance with his form.