Chapter 217: Attaining the Two Meridians of Ren Tong

Despite that energy continuously absorbing his combat energy, Rod did not try to stop it. Instead, he focused all his efforts on absorbing elemental energy, hoping to convert it into combat energy more quickly to replenish what had been consumed. Of course, he knew that even if he tried to stop it, he would be unable to. So, he decided to go all in.

At this point, Rod entered a cycle of continuous replenishment and consumption. After repeated cycles, his combat energy became increasingly pure. He could clearly sense this, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He knew he was on the right track—his guess was correct; it was that energy at work!

What began as caution and concern turned into anticipation and joy as Rod realized the effects of that energy. He hadn’t expected such results—it seemed it wasn’t completely useless after all, with many aspects he could utilize, possibly even becoming a great asset to him.

As time passed, Rod felt his combat energy gradually filling back up. Then, he noticed that the mysterious, active energy stopped absorbing his combat energy. Instead, his combat energy became even purer. Although its brightness was less than before, its power was incomparably greater—definitely stronger than before.

With his combat energy thriving and solidifying within him, his mood improved greatly. Sensing the elements he had absorbed that still lingered around him, Rod felt a subtle stir. Suddenly, he had the impression that he was just half a step away from the imperial level—all he needed was to take that next step.

“Hurry up! Now is the best chance to break through to the Two Meridians of Ren Tong!” As Rod hesitated whether to attempt the breakthrough, Xuan Yuan’s words filled him with determination. He resolved to take the risk—failure was the worst that could happen, and if he succeeded, it would be sheer luck.

After all, he had nothing to lose, as Xuan Yuan had said—it couldn’t be wrong.

Once the idea struck, Rod acted without hesitation. He focused all his mental energy on one point, avoiding any distractions, then slowly gathered his entire combat energy together. Carefully, he directed this energy toward the Two Meridians of Ren Tong.

The Ren and Du meridians are the two most important meridians for martial artists, as well as the two most difficult to unblock. Their difficulty naturally brings the greatest risks, and a single mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. Of course, once these two meridians are unblocked, the benefits are self-evident. High risks come with high rewards; once these toughest meridians are unlocked, one enters a different realm—what martial artists call the “innate state.” The Ren and Du meridians are also of utmost importance among all meridians. The Ren meridian governs blood and is known as the sea of yin meridians; the Du meridian governs qi and is known as the sea of yang meridians. In other words, the Ren and Du meridians play a leading role in the six yin and six yang meridians of the twelve principal meridians. When the twelve principal meridians are filled with qi and blood, it flows into the Ren and Du meridians; conversely, if the Ren and Du meridians are strong, they also circulate and influence the twelve principal meridians. Once these two meridians are unblocked, the entire body becomes a unified network, interconnected and complementary, achieving a state of harmony—what is known as the innate state. This is why there is a saying: “When the Ren and Du meridians are unblocked, all meridians are unblocked.” Based on his understanding of the body’s meridians, Rod easily located the positions of the Ren and Du meridians. Starting from the Perineum point between the legs at the bottom of the body, the Ren meridian runs upward along the center of the body to the Chengjiang point under the lips. The Du meridian starts from the Perineum point, runs backward along the spine to the top of the head, then forward through the space between the eyes to the Yinqiao point on the upper palate. After locating and confirming these two meridians, Rod quickly took action. The greatest challenge in unblocking the Ren and Du meridians lies in the requirements for one’s abilities—without sufficient energy and skill, success is impossible. This is why unblocking these two meridians is so difficult, why there is such a big gap between Gold Warriors and Imperial-level experts despite them being only slightly apart, and why this transition is considered one of the three most difficult hurdles for martial artists. First, Rod focused on the Ren meridian. Then, with a loud roar, his combat qi erupted instantly. He directed part of this qi to control it from the outside while actively coordinating internally, moving along the entire Ren meridian from top to bottom, instantly achieving a reversal effect.

“Okay, don’t rush—take your time. Remember, first clear the September Barrier. Only after that proceed further. Don’t act recklessly!” Xuanyuan, who was closely observing Rod inside him, hurriedly reminded him, fearing that this damned guy would act impulsively as before. This operation was different from previous ones; any mistake could lead to consequences they couldn’t afford.

Rod nodded firmly to show he understood. His action had already begun. The so-called September Barrier referred to the process of the Governor Vessel starting from the perineum, passing through three stages along the spine to reach the Baihui point at the top of the head, then descending via the Conception Vessel to the dantian, where the innate essence and acquired energy were combined to break through this barrier. This stage wasn’t particularly difficult—after all, Rod had already nearly achieved the integration of innate essence and acquired energy while practicing the Qi Cultivation Method before. There was no need to worry about that; only the first half needed to be completed.

Despite the unbearable pain, Rod gritted his teeth and quickly succeeded in breaking through the September Barrier, advancing to the next stage—the October Barrier.

The goal of the October Barrier was to transform Qi into Spirit. None of these were difficult, not even the final stage, the Nine-Year Barrier. The greatest challenge came at the end, when it was time to break through both the Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel in one go. All previous actions had been preparations to unblock these two meridians. Yet, these seemingly trivial preparations brought about a qualitative change in Rod’s combat energy over time. The mysterious energy within him acted as a catalyst, empowering him greatly. This transformation in his combat energy allowed him to begin the final breakthrough.

The first target was the Governor Vessel. With Rod’s efforts and the combined effect of internal and external pressures, the spasms throughout his body and the intense pain from the Governor Vessel nearly caused him to collapse. Fortunately, Xuanyuan helped him at that moment. The cool energy he emitted alleviated most of the pain and strengthened Rod’s combat energy.

Boom… With a loud explosion, the Governor Vessel broke through. The fierce combat energy, as if finding an outlet, rushed inward at high speed, moving upward from below. Through the exchange within and outside the dantian, external elements surged into Rod’s body like a torrential river.

Gasping for breath, with no time to rest, Rod rushed toward the Governor Vessel. Upon reaching its entrance, he quickly sensed that faint barrier. Gathering his strength, he cautiously made his way toward it.

Hiss… A gasp of shock—the excruciating pain nearly shattered Rod’s mental focus. Fortunately, with Xuan Yuan’s help, he managed to endure it and charged at the barrier in a final attempt. Success or failure hinged on this move.

“Bad! Concentrate quickly!” Xuan Yuan’s roar echoed, and Rod inwardly cursed. Just moments earlier, the pain had caused his focus to waver, making his combat energy chaotic and scattered. His strength wasn’t concentrated enough, and his energy wasn’t powerful enough, leading to failure. Instantly, his combat energy scattered in all directions. The chaotic energy surged within his body like a raging storm, putting his meridians under immense pressure and putting them at risk.

“Damn it!” he cursed inwardly. If he didn’t regain control soon, he might fall into a state of mental chaos. In the worst case, his meridians would be severed, his combat energy would dissipate, and he would lose all his power. In the worst-case scenario, blood would flow from his seven orifices, leading to death.

He quickly suppressed his anxiety, took a deep breath, and stabilized his mind before trying to regain control over his combat energy to prevent it from causing chaos.

Pain like struggle surged through his veins, as if thousands of ants were devouring his meridians. Tormented by the pain, Rod’s face turned pale, and sweat poured down his face.

At that moment, he remembered the “Calm the Mind” section of the “Self-Cultivation” technique, which finally proved useful. He temporarily abandoned his attempt to attack the Governor Vessel and focused on calming his mind and controlling his combat energy.

Now, the “Self-Cultivation” technique, which Rod had previously ignored, showed its power. As he practiced the “Calm the Mind” section, his chaotic state quickly settled, just like boiling water losing its heat source and ceasing to boil. It was like throwing an ice cube into boiling water, cooling it down.

As the “Calm the Mind” section progressed, his mind stabilized, and his combat energy, as if summoned, gradually calmed down. It lost its former brutality and frenzy, becoming as quiet as if listening to a lullaby.

In this way, Rod managed to turn the desperate situation around at the last moment, escaping the brink of mental chaos and returning to the right path.

Relieved in secret, with the weight off his heart, Rod, filled with emotions, did not give up. Instead, he began preparing once again to attack the Governor Vessel—he couldn’t abandon an action that was already halfway done.