Chapter 233: Chapter 339: Jiang Ling's Breakthrough_1
Jiang Ling stopped cultivating when she heard the words, as she still greatly trusted Fang Ren's abilities. After all, she vividly remembered how back then on the battlefield, Fang Ren casually produced a Fifth Order High-Level Pill and used the Giant Tree Spirit Phase to instantly detoxify her.
"Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Fang," Jiang Ling said.
The reason she addressed Fang Ren as Mr. Fang was, first, because he indeed had the ability to overturn the era, and second, because Fang Ren currently only had a mutually beneficial relationship with the Nightfall Organization and had not joined it, so her address naturally contained a degree of politeness.
"Um, could you expose your back a bit, so I can insert the needles?" Fang Ren asked somewhat awkwardly.
Jiang Ling turned and gave him a look, saw that he had turned his face away, and with a complex smile said, "I'm already an old aunt in her forties, what's there to be afraid of you seeing?"
"This..."
Fang Ren felt helpless inside. Although Jiang Ling was indeed much older than him and calling her 'auntie' was not too much, if one were to ignore age and just look at her face, she didn't look like she was in her forties at all, she seemed to be just over thirty at most.
Seeing him still in the same awkward state, Jiang Ling didn't say much more, after all, who hasn't been young? She unbuttoned her upper garment without any shyness and said, "You are the doctor and I'm the patient now, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Okay."
Seeing this, Fang Ren didn't say anything more, took up the Silver Needle filled with True Qi, and inserted it into the acupuncture points on her back. He concentrated on the points around her back and then inserted three more needles on the left side of her back, which was where the meridians that needed to be closed off were located.
Humm—
After inserting the needles, Fang Ren immediately injected the True Qi from the Silver Needle into Jiang Ling's Dantian, but he found that his True Qi couldn't move an inch within her body.
"Leader Jiang Ling, don't resist too much, otherwise it will be very difficult to get in," Fang Ren said.
Hearing these awkward words, Jiang Ling couldn't help feeling helpless, and then she dispersed all the protective True Qi in her body, allowing Fang Ren's True Qi to circulate within her.
As Jiang Ling dispelled her protective True Qi, Fang Ren immediately followed her meridians with his True Qi into her Dantian. It must be said, the True Qi of Xuan Yang Realm experts was truly formidable. Even Fang Ren's Gray Vital Energy, which suppressed all attributes, struggled as it circulated inside her.
As Fang Ren's True Qi reached the Dantian, the two clashing energy masses inside suddenly paused, especially the Void Energy, which shrank into a corner, as if it had met its natural predator.
Fang Ren quickly wrapped it with his True Qi. His True Qi couldn't directly devour the Void Energy inside Jiang Ling because the severe impact of the merging of the two energies would cause Jiang Ling to explode and die, so he could only control it for the time being.
Even if he could safely devour the energy masses inside Jiang Ling, the frenzied True Qi inside her would not stop because her meridians were about to burst from the expansion, and some of the Void Energy had already integrated into her meridians.
To completely devour or force out all the Void Energy, it would only be possible by destroying all of Jiang Ling's meridians. That was clearly not an option.
"Leader Jiang Ling, you can start trying to break through now," Fang Ren said.
Hearing this, Jiang Ling immediately circulated the True Qi within her body and began to launch another assault towards the Peak of the Xuan Yang Realm. The violent flow of True Qi within Jiang Ling made Fang Ren feel as if his own meridians were suffering from backlash, a severe pain surging to his brain. But to him, this was a numbness, something completely bearable.
"Mr. Fang, are you sure you'll be alright continuing like this?" Jiang Ling asked, feeling the changes in his body.
"Don't worry, Leader Jiang Ling, just keep on cultivating," Fang Ren replied.
Actually, he allowed Jiang Ling to keep trying for a breakthrough because he felt that firstly he could save Jiang Ling's life, and secondly, with various energies converging, perhaps Jiang Ling might manage to absorb the Void Energy.
However, as for the consequences after the absorption, Fang Ren didn't know what exactly would happen, but it was certainly harmless to Jiang Ling; the chances of it occurring were so small they were almost negligible, unless Jiang Ling also had some special constitution.
Upon hearing him speak in such a manner, Jiang Ling began to rest assured and continued with her breakthrough.
As time gradually passed, the pressure on the meridians within Fang Ren's body grew increasingly heavy; however, fortunately, he had consumed the Qi Extension Fruit given to him by Qianye, which thickened the True Qi within him and strengthened his meridians, preventing them from being destroyed by Jiang Ling's aura.
With time moving forward, the scorching aura around Jiang Ling's body became stronger and stronger, and the arms Fang Ren used to protect himself with True Qi were already baked red by the aura, while the bamboo around them continuously turned into ashes.
About two hours later, the blazing aura around Jiang Ling's body suddenly retracted into her, sinking into her Dantian and began to rush towards Fang Ren's Gray vital energy and the Void Energy.
Seeing this, Fang Ren frowned, "Stop, quickly!"
Boom—
Yet, the blazing energy, seemingly out of Jiang Ling's control, directly collided with Fang Ren's energy. In an instant, Fang Ren spurted a mouthful of fresh blood onto Jiang Ling's pristine back, and his internal meridians began to crack.
"Leader Jiang Ling?"
Fang Ren called out, but Jiang Ling did not respond. Her True Qi was continuing to strike at the Realm, while the blazing energy was still uncontrollably attacking Fang Ren. The Void Energy also erupted chaotically.
It was as if Jiang Ling's lower abdomen had become a massive battlefield, with various energies in complete disarray.
"It's over! Why has she entered into a state of self-forgetfulness at this time?"
Seeing that she did not respond, Fang Ren realized that due to the numbness from the pain inside her, and the concentration on breaking through the Realm, she became oblivious to the changes in her physical body!
"At this rate, I won't be able to lead the Void Energy into the meridians. If anything goes wrong, all her cultivation could be wasted, and it's even uncertain whether she'll survive!"
Fang Ren felt a wave of chaos in his heart; this sudden turn of events rendered all the lifesaving measures he had prepared for Jiang Ling in advance useless. He could only watch as Jiang Ling forcefully pushed against the Realm.
If she could break through the Realm, it would still be manageable, but if she failed, she would likely fall today; and Fang Ren, too, would have his body explode from the backlash. Although he was capable of regeneration, it was also uncertain whether it would blow his heart apart.
However, if Fang Ren let go at this moment, she would certainly be gone for good, and if he didn't let go, he might also face a life-threatening explosion. This is a mid-stage Xuan Yang Realm powerhouse; one could imagine the power of an internal energy explosion.
"Forget it! I'll stake it all with her!"
Fang Ren's heart sank, all the True Qi within him surged, tightly controlling the mass of Void Energy to prevent that scorching aura and the Void Energy Cluster from meeting.
"Qianye!"
Hum——
As Fang Ren's voice fell, a gigantic gray tree, hundreds of meters tall, shot out from behind him. Although the younger Qianye was asleep, the elder Qianye was still there.
Giggling——
Then, the base of the gray giant tree began to dematerialize, slowly enveloping both Fang Ren and Jiang Ling within its roots, finally solidifying around them as a riot of colorful energies flowed onto their bodies.
In that moment, Fang Ren felt as if his consciousness had connected with Jiang Ling's. He could even see Jiang Ling's white Soul Body standing in front of a massive bronze door, continuously pounding at it with both hands.
"Leader Jiangling!"
Fang Ren's consciousness transformed into a white Soul Body, rushing towards her, but just as he got close to Jiang Ling, suddenly, a net of lightning descended from above, blocking the space between him and Jiang Ling.
Within the net of lightning, Jiang Ling seemed unable to hear his calls, relentlessly hammering at the door. Every punch she threw made the bronze door emit a deafening sound, yet it remained unyielding.
Fang Ren, sensing the changes within her body and seeing her Soul Body reaching its limits, could find no way to help her and could only stand outside the net of lightning, watching helplessly.
Time marched on, and Jiang Ling had hammered at the bronze door countless times. Her Soul Body had become fragile and weak, and her fists were tired and feeble.
Suddenly, she knelt before the bronze door, her hands resting powerlessly upon it, trying to push with the force from her knees, but it was a futile effort of a spent archer.
Upon seeing this, Fang Ren ignored the lightning net in front of him and charged straight into it. The moment his Soul Body touched the lightning net, he was halted, unable to advance even half a step.
"Nine Techniques of Lethal Combat! Martial Pinnacle! Open for me!"
Hum——
In an instant, Fang Ren's Soul Body turned red, pulling at the lightning net as he charged towards Jiang Ling. The immense power from the net singed parts of his Soul Body.
"Bang!"
Fang Ren kicked at the bronze door, but the massive door didn't budge at all.
As for Jiang Ling's Soul Body next to him, it lacked any strength left to move, as if dead.
"Leader Jiangling! Get up!"
Fang Ren, bearing the pull of the lightning net, felt that he wouldn't last much longer, and immediately reached out to grab Jiang Ling beside him.
Electric energy from the net clung to his hand, and the moment he touched Jiang Ling, her Soul Body flinched in pain and instantly looked up at him.
Thank goodness, she had snapped out of her trance!
"Push! Use all your strength!"
Seeing her awake, Fang Ren kicked the bronze door again while Jiang Ling came to her senses, immediately standing up and pushing at the door with the last of her strength, her entire body trembling from the exertion.
She seemed to be screaming at the top of her lungs, but since it was her Soul Body that lacked Soul Force, she couldn't make a sound.
"Qianye! Help me!"
Hum——
In an instant, a surge of red energy erupted from Fang Ren, who exerted all his strength to push one side of the bronze door while Jiang Ling changed positions, placing her hands over his, pressing at the center of the door.
"Creak——"
The bronze door moved, a sliver of a gap appeared, and light from within began to shine out.
"Keep going!"
Fang Ren kept yelling at Jiang Ling.
Creak, creak, creak——
The gap in the bronze door grew ever wider, and Fang Ren felt his strength failing.
The next moment, he was flung backward by the lightning net, while Jiang Ling's Soul Body squeezed through the crack and entered into the bronze door.
Whoo——
When Fang Ren came to his senses again, he found himself deep within the giant tree, with Jiang Ling's physical body still in front of him.
But at that moment, the aura inside Jiang Ling's body was no longer violent but rather calm.
"Breakthrough... was it successful?"
Fang Ren stared blankly at the flow of True Qi within her body, which had suppressed the Void Energy Cluster and the scorching aura.
"Hum——"
Suddenly, an intense aura exploded from Jiang Ling's body, and Fang Ren felt light as a feather, crashing into the tree wall of the giant tree.