The next day, just one day before the highly anticipated gathering was set to begin, the sky remained shrouded in darkness, with not even a glimmer of sunlight peeking through the dense clouds. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, Ji Wuye was already awake, sitting cross-legged in the vast emptiness of his room, his back perfectly straight and his eyes closed in concentration.

The room itself was blanketed in a thin layer of dust, evidence of Ji Wuye's absence for more than five days on a mission. As his gaze swept across the familiar surroundings, a slight crease appeared on his brow when he noticed the conspicuous absence of his cauldron.

An unsettling feeling crept up his spine, especially since he had only realized this peculiarity when showing Yi Yujin the condition of the courtyard earlier.

He had already conducted a thorough search of the area, leaving no stone unturned, but not only was the cauldron missing, the empty boxes that once held the herbs for his Unbreakable Vajra preparation were also nowhere to be found.

'But they left the boulders and logs,' Ji Wuye thought to himself, taking a deep, steadying breath, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest the only movement in the stillness of the room.

It had been a considerable amount of time since he had last practiced, but now, as he focused his mind, he could feel the surrounding Qi being drawn into his meridians like a gentle stream, flowing effortlessly through his three Dantians in a continuous cycle.

The meditative state enveloped him, his mind becoming a blank canvas devoid of any thoughts except for the vivid visualization of his body as a vessel of Qi, pulsing and thrumming with energy.

Unity of Vitality, the second stage of the Healing Art Primer, allowing the manipulation of Qi, or natural Qi, to create micro Dantians capable of fusing torn muscles together – this was Ji Wuye's goal. At this moment, he was attempting to master this stage by focusing his awareness on his right cheek, where Elder Qiao's disciple had left a shallow blade mark.

His eyes and mind became one as he observed the wound on his right cheek, his heightened senses somehow allowing him to zoom in on the minute details, seeing the damaged cells and torn muscle fibers with startling clarity, as if peering through a microscope.

Having successfully visualized this, Ji Wuye then controlled his Qi, drawing it from his Lower Dantian instead of absorbing it from the environment.

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Guiding the Qi through his meridians with the utmost precision, he carefully directed it to the small injury.

Ji Wuye then visualized the flowing Qi, resembling a gentle stream of water, gradually forming into a ball of radiant light. This luminous sphere pulsed with energy, gradually transforming into a small vortex of spinning Qi that initiated the intricate healing process.

Maintaining his unwavering focus on this imagined vortex, Ji Wuye carefully stimulated the healing properties of the micro Dantian. The imaginary Dantian and vortex emitted subtle signals that attracted platelets, white blood cells, and other repair mechanisms to the site of the injury, like a beacon guiding them to their destination.

Though the wound on his cheek was relatively small, perhaps just a shallow scratch, it didn't take long for the cells to diligently create a protective membrane that restored the torn skin, knitting it back together seamlessly.

Once the healing process was complete, Ji Wuye slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the lingering images of his visualization. He was greeted by a transparent screen that he hadn't seen in a long time, hovering before him like a ghostly apparition.

image [https://i.ibb.co.com/YXvsxwb/Notif-1-1.webp]

There was no mirror nearby, but Ji Wuye raised a hand to gently touch his right cheek, his fingertips grazing over the smooth, unblemished skin.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips before he let out a soft sigh. 'Back then, I could freely practice the Healing Art Primer, but now...'

Without injuries or open wounds, the Healing Art Primer's capabilities were limited. Unlike the first stage, Mending Meridians, which nurtured existing cells to increase proficiency, the second stage, Unity of Vitality, required active wounds or lacerations to work its restorative magic.

With his body now as hard as granite, unless he faced a high-level martial artist or deliberately sought out trouble, there would be no way to create the necessary wounds.

'Besides, I have no time to play,' Ji Wuye thought, shaking his head slightly, strands of hair falling across his brow. There were still many tasks ahead, and intentionally injuring himself was not an option he could entertain. 'Perhaps only when the Tower reopens again...'

Rising from his cross-legged position with a fluid grace, Ji Wuye took a moment to check his current stats, his eyes scanning the familiar display.

image [https://i.ibb.co.com/GksH8rJ/Notif-1.webp]

'Besides Healing Art Primer, Cloudsoaring Steps, and Pressure Form Perfection Style, which can be practiced on their own, the rest require a target to upgrade their ranks,' Ji Wuye concluded inwardly, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered his options.

The Unbreakable Vajra, would take a considerable amount of time if he followed the regular training, and as for his primary Internal Art... Ji Wuye's expression grew pensive.

'It's difficult to practice after what I experienced,' he thought. It seemed more practical to utilize the Heavenly Dragon Fusion Gongfa to advance, rather than relying on the regular method, which could take an unpredictable and potentially lengthy amount of time.

The Qi Training skill remained shrouded in mystery, and now that he had advanced to the 4th realm, he no longer felt any significant change in his consumption rate, adding yet another puzzling layer to the enigma.

'Not to mention Du Chen has already made his appearance,' Ji Wuye pondered.

With everything set and his priorities in order, Ji Wuye made his way towards the door leading to the main courtyard, intending to practice Cloudsoaring Steps and perhaps increase his stats using the Wudang-style training.

But to his surprise, as he opened the main house door, his eyes locked with none other than Lin Fang, Yi Yujin's bodyguard.

The familiar figure stood with a rigid posture, his expression betraying no hint of surprise at Ji Wuye's emergence.