And what about the cultivation of the body wheel, breaking through the Yin lock—what was that all about? Could it be—

For a moment, Henry Clark's mind was filled with wild thoughts. It wasn't until the pain and swelling in his meridians became even more unbearable, and his skin once again felt as if it were being devoured by ten thousand ants, that he snapped out of it slightly. Then, at once, his brows furrowed deeply.

Ethan, though always putting on a cheerful and optimistic front before him, could not hide the trace of hidden worry between her brows and eyes from him. Just now, when she probed him with questions, she also avoided giving any real answers.

It was clear that the three of them were now in a precarious situation.

Chapter 005: The Art of Yuan Devouring

Relaxing his brow, Henry Clark once again regulated his breathing. Sitting in the bath barrel, he continued to guide the medicinal power within his body, little by little transforming it into spiritual energy, infusing it into his internal organs, every single corner.

What he was using at this moment was the internal breathing guidance method, a branch of the guiding arts. Without the corresponding physical movements and postures, it naturally could not utilize every strand of spiritual energy to the utmost, as the latter could.

Ethan's acupoint-massaging technique was clearly a superior secret art. With her true qi as an aid, the speed at which she refined the medicinal power far surpassed his guiding art by dozens or even hundreds of times. However, in terms of evenness and delicacy, it was far inferior.

At this moment, Henry Clark was converting the medicinal power in his body that had not yet been refined into spiritual energy. He did not expect these medicines to cure his dual-meridian body, nor did he wish to further strengthen his bloodline origin and worsen the root of his illness; he could only do his best to strengthen his body.

He truly couldn't bear to let the essence of these medicines go to waste.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Henry Clark had already washed and combed through almost every corner of his limbs and bones. Only when the swelling pain in his meridians became nearly unbearable did he stop.

Although this medicinal bath could strengthen the body and invigorate the blood, it required gradual progress and slow improvement; haste would not do. Once every ten days was the most appropriate interval.

But when Henry Clark opened his eyes again and looked at the medicinal liquid around him, still thick with fragrance, he let out a sigh.

In his heart, he was deeply suspicious whether that so-called "famous doctor" really understood pharmacology. The prescription for this Five Ginseng Blood-Tonic Decoction was simply extravagant; every ingredient was rare and precious. Yet, the medicinal power that could actually be absorbed by the body was less than one-tenth.

If he were the one to prepare the medicine, the efficacy could be increased by at least threefold. And if his body were healthy, without the dual-meridian affliction, he could even use his self-created internal breathing guidance art to open up a wheel meridian and step onto the path of martial cultivation.

"—It's a pity that now I can't even perform normal internal breathing. The internal qi simply can't circulate within my meridians. If it were just pain, that would be one thing, but the real fear is that the qi will run into both meridians, clash with each other, and if things go wrong, it could be fatal. Is there really no solution?"

After pondering for a long time to no avail, Henry Clark was about to get up from the bath barrel. Just as he stood, a passage of scripture surfaced in his mind again. It was not demon script, but ancient talisman text!

Observe the way of heaven, know the actions of heaven; the way of heaven is constant, never failing to return. In a month there is fortune and misfortune, with form and shape; what is auspicious at one moment may turn ominous, what is ominous may become useful—

"Why is it this Art of Yuan Devouring again?"

Henry Clark's eyes snapped open, his body frozen in place. He was all too familiar with this passage. It came from that very book, "The Scripture of Devouring Heaven and Transforming Yuan."

It did not record martial arts, only some profound scriptures and martial secrets. For some unknown reason, this heretical book, which should have been completely banned by all the sacred lands, had somehow spread within the Divine Emperor game, albeit in a very limited scope. As a result, over three years, millions of players had died.

By a stroke of luck, Henry Clark had also obtained a copy of the "Scripture of Devouring Heaven and Transforming Yuan." Not daring to practice it rashly, he had always been exploring and trying to improve it, but with little success. He could only borrow some of its essence and integrate it into other martial arts. Over time, he had given up on the idea of creating his own martial art based on this scripture.

Yet in recent days, perhaps because he had become utterly desperate about his own situation, Henry Clark kept recalling this scripture, unable to help himself.

"—The way of heaven takes from the excess and gives to the deficient. My current condition of dual meridians and weakness fits this principle exactly. If I practice this art, I could, like that person, soar straight to the clouds and ascend in a single step!"

The core of the Scripture of Devouring Heaven and Transforming Yuan was to seize the primal energy of others for one's own use, to devour the essence of heaven and earth to nourish oneself. Such plundering was most abhorred by martial cultivators and spirit masters. But Henry Clark felt no burden about it.

A tool in a person's hand—used for good, it is good! Used for evil, it is evil!

Against a life-and-death enemy, one must use any means necessary. As for innocent people, Henry Clark would naturally never seize their vital energy at will.

"Soaring straight to the clouds, ascending in a single step? Sounds nice! That person may have dominated for a time, but what was the result? In just three short years, he died from his body splitting apart. Rather than saying he fell to the combined assault of those top experts, it's more accurate to say he died by his own hand. If you practice this method, how will you regulate your qi and meridians, how will you fuse those foreign true essences? It looks like a shortcut, but it's actually a path to doom. With such chaotic true qi, it will be hard to transcend death and enter the gate of immortal martial arts in the future—"