Chapter 25: The Result of the Decoding

"Fellow Daoist, have you discovered the reason?" Yu Xuan asked, his face filled with excitement.

"The acupoints you mentioned are all part of the seventy-two vital orifices I spoke of earlier!" Qiu Ci nodded and continued, "The human body possesses the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and the Twelve Primary Meridians. The seventy-two acupoints are distributed precisely at the critical junctions of these meridians. Although the circulation of spiritual energy only utilizes twenty-four of them, these meridians have always been interconnected. Since these orifices were never opened from the beginning, they have naturally remained sealed."

"However, an increase in cultivation level is an enhancement of the entire body. When your cultivation was low, those twenty-four acupoints were sufficient to sustain your body. But as your cultivation grew higher, the burden on those few acupoints became increasingly heavy. They could no longer bear the load, and naturally, your progress stagnated."

To put it simply, his body was configured with only twenty-four cores, yet he was trying to force it to run software designed for the Nascent Soul stage and beyond, which required seventy-two cores. Is it any wonder it was creaking and grinding under the strain?

"So... it is because of the foundational acupoints?" Yu Xuan's eyes widened. In truth, he had vaguely suspected this, which is why he posed the question after reviewing the improved version of the Qi-refining technique Qiu Ci had shown him. "Then... if I were to reopen those acupoints now, could I..."

"No!" Qiu Ci shook her head, immediately dismissing the idea. "Your acupoints have been sealed for years, and the connected meridians have long since become obstructed. Forcing them open would only cause the meridians themselves to rupture." This, she realized, was the reason he felt like he was falling apart whenever he practiced.

From the moment he began his cultivation, that technique was destined to reach only the Nascent Soul stage, which was exactly why the system had despised it so much in the beginning.

Yu Xuan felt the glimmer of hope he had just felt shatter completely. A wave of bitterness washed over him. How wonderful it would have been if he had met Fellow Daoist Chu earlier! Even if not at the start of his cultivation, he would have had the courage to abandon his training and start over, opening the seventy-two orifices, had he met her when he first formed his Golden Core.

But now, having been in the Nascent Soul stage for many years with only a few decades of life remaining, abandoning his cultivation would be no different from suicide. It seemed his pursuit of the Great Dao was destined to end here. Very well! He would spend his remaining time doing what he could for his sect.

Yu Xuan let out a heavy sigh, already considering whether to storm the Immortal Alliance and take at least one of them down with him to relieve some of the pressure on his sect. Old men whose lifespans were drawing to a close were always treated like mad dogs by the other sects, and he didn't mind acting the part.

"I have troubled you, Fellow Daoist Chu," Yu Xuan said, letting go of his obsession and thanking her sincerely once more. "I shall not disturb you any further..."

"Here." Just as he was about to bid farewell, he noticed Qiu Ci suddenly scribbling something on a piece of paper and handing it to him. "Take it!"

"This... what is this?" Yu Xuan asked, blinking in confusion as he took the note.

"A prescription," Qiu Ci replied solemnly. "I don't have these spiritual plants and herbs on hand right now, so you will need to find them yourself. Once you have gathered them all, I will help you refine them into pills. However, you had better prepare at least two sets; I haven't done this before, so I cannot guarantee the success rate." Still, with the system as a cheat, it shouldn't be lethal.

Yu Xuan stared at the paper covered in a list of various spiritual herbs, then looked at the earnest expression on Qiu Ci's face. His hands began to tremble. "Fellow Daoist Chu, do you mean... this... this prescription... can... can help me open the remaining acupoints?"

"That's right." You came to me for a medical consultation; naturally, I have to prescribe medicine. We couldn't just sit around chatting, could we? "Using medicine to clear them will be gentler, but the treatment course is a bit long. It will take about three months."

"Th-three... three months?!" To be able to mend a foundation he had lacked for hundreds of years in such a short time—he must be dreaming, right?

"What, do you think it's too slow?" Seeing him stuttering in his anxiety, she reflexively wanted to take the prescription back. "In that case..." I can make some revisions.

"No!" Yu Xuan snatched the paper back with lightning speed, clutching it to his chest as if it were a precious treasure. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Chu! I... I will go and prepare them immediately!"

Without another word, he turned and flew away in a flash.

But he had only been gone for a moment when he zipped back, his weathered face flushed red. Looking both ashamed and troubled, he said, "Um... Fellow Daoist Chu, since this prescription can open my acupoints, could it also..." There were still a bunch of Golden Core teachers and juniors in the sect; he had to ask for them as well.

"It can!" Knowing he was asking on behalf of the Sect Leader and the others, she nodded readily. "As long as you can find enough spiritual plants, I can refine them all together."

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Chu!" Yu Xuan bowed ceremoniously once more before turning to fly away again.

With everyone gone, the back mountain returned to its quiet state. Just as Qiu Ci was about to call her companions to continue farming, a long-lost electronic chime sounded in her ears.

[Ding! Master, Master! I have finished analyzing that scale! You must come quickly!]

Qiu Ci paused, shoving the hoe in her hand to the person next to her. "Feng Ting, I'll leave the field to you all. I have something to attend to."

"Ah? Oh, alright!" Feng Ting took the tool without asking questions, nodding obediently. "Leave it to me, Sister Qiu Ci!"

Qiu Ci was already running toward the thatched hut on the other side. It seemed her pastoral life was about to come to an end.

As soon as she entered the room, she instantly activated a barrier, isolating all sound and energy from within. A familiar little ball of light flew toward her, circling her excitedly.

[Master, Master! I have finally deciphered the contents of the scale. You will never believe what this is!]

Qiu Ci quickened her pace and picked up the green scale, which still held a lingering warmth, from the corner of the table. For nearly two months, the system had been stationed on this scale, working to crack it. If it could be encrypted to such a degree that even the system took this long, it was undoubtedly something of great importance.

She examined the scale, which looked much the same, though perhaps a bit brighter, and asked directly, "What exactly is written on it?"

[It is a treaty—a treaty from over twenty thousand years ago!]

"A treaty?" Qiu Ci was stunned. She had expected something like advanced technology, a unique cultivation technique, or perhaps a treasure map. She hadn't expected just a treaty. "What kind of treaty?"

[It is a peace treaty signed between the Blue Star and an alien race. The full title is: "The Two-Race Peace and Mutual Assistance Treaty!"]

"Two races? Which two? Project the contents onto the screen so I can see."

[Certainly, Master!] The light orb flickered, and a white beam shot out, projecting a screen in front of her.

Qiu Ci looked closely. Indeed, a vast amount of text flashed across the screen, all in the familiar Chinese characters she knew. It was listed point by point, and upon closer inspection, it spanned dozens of pages.

It included, but was not limited to, articles on mutual respect, assistance, and non-aggression. The phrasing was eerily similar to the official announcements she used to hear on the news back on Blue Star at 7:30 every evening.

It really was a standard peace treaty.