I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress-Chapter 170: Zhou Clan’s Circumstances
Glancing at Yi Chen’s expression, Gao Zhen was able to somewhat guess what was going through his mind.
"Is Young Master Chen wondering how they are able to store such a large amount of Qi in their Qi pools?"
She asked the next moment with a knowing smile.
"Y-yes."
Yi Chen nodded the next moment and stated his mind.
"The size of our Qi pool is so small, so I find it quite difficult to imagine how they are able to store so much Qi inside it."
"That’s a very common doubt, Eighth and Ninth Meridian Refinement Stage cultivators have," Gao Zhen stated with a subtle smirk and explained.
"Unlike the Meridian Refinement Stage, in the Qi Absorption Stage, one’s Qi pool is not limited by any physical boundary.
The moment the Spiritual Sea opens up in our mind, our Qi pool also undergoes a qualitative change and expands beyond spatial limits.
A separate compartment within the Qi pool, not bounded by spatial limits but by one’s spiritual energy, thus becomes available to us, which drastically raises the limits of one’s Qi capacity.
Was I able to answer Young Master Chen’s doubts?"
Gao Zhen asked while looking at Yi Chen’s contemplative expression.
"...Ah, yes. Thank you for your guidance, Madam Gao," Yi Chen thanked sincerely.
Although there were still many doubts in his mind, he didn’t want to trouble Gao Zhen with tens of questions.
’Just having a general idea for now is enough...’ he thought in his mind.
"You’re welcome, Young Master Chen," Gao Zhen answered as soon as her attention went back on the stage.
By now, the Xen Clan had won the second match. Thus, it successfully retained its Ninth rank and was about to challenge the eighth-ranked noble clan.
Seeing this situation unfolding, Gao Zhen commented a few seconds later, "Well, this was an anticipated result since noble rankings rarely undergo changes."
Although she said those words while looking at the fighting stage, it was clear that those words were directed towards him.
"I see."
Yi Chen nodded, hearing those words as he glanced back at the stage.
The next series of matches ended with similar results, just the way Gao Zhen had stated.
The higher-ranked clans had more talented cultivators, and so they were able to display their dominance and thus retain their ranks.
However, Yi Chen’s focus wasn’t on the results but on observing the intricacies of each and every fight.
He observed that all the Qi Absorption Stage cultivators from the noble clans had very high comprehension of their absorption arts and were able to utilise them quite freely.
’They all should have already breached the 50% when it comes to comprehension...’
Yi Chen made an estimation in his mind while comparing them to himself.
At the same time, seeing that not one of those cultivators between the First to Third Level of Qi Absorption Stage had comprehension percentage of their art at par with him, a pleased feeling welled up inside him.
Currently, the Sixth and the Seventh-ranked clans were engaged in the fighting stage.
Analysing the skilled and innovative ways of using martial techniques and pairing them up with the Qi Absorption art attacks to save their Qi made Yi Chen feel quite impressed.
At the same time, he got another one of his doubts answered by Gao Zhen.
"Why do they have such high comprehension despite their age? That’s because they use their spiritual energy to enhance their learning speed."
Gao Zhen answered the next instant.
’So, this spiritual energy also helps increase the rate of one’s comprehension...how interesting!’
Yi Chen thought with gleaming eyes.
"The Ren clan has successfully retained its sixth rank and will be challenging the Zhou Clan next!"
Hearing the Envoy’s words, Yi Chen suddenly started looking around the second floor.
His mind had been a little out of place since he arrived on the second floor. Therefore, it was only now that the Zhou Clan was mentioned by the Imperial Envoy that he started looking for them.
’Is Zhou Mei here as well?’
Understanding the reason for his frantic movements, Gao Zhen helped him a little and pointed towards the other side of the fighting stage.
"The Zhou Clan is seated on that side. Does Young Master Chen intend to visit them?"
She asked.
Hearing those words, Yi Chen’s eyes zoomed to the other side of the second floor and soon noticed the familiar figure of Zhou Mei’s father and mother seated in the top rows.
Since they were seated separately, it was easier for him to locate them, but because of the distance, he was unable to find Zhou Mei.
’Should I go and greet them? While at it, I could also look for Zhou Mei.’ A thought momentarily appeared in his mind, but he shook it away when he remembered something.
"No, it’s alright..." Yi Chen replied the next second.
The scene from the banquet hall was still vividly clear in his mind, so the idea of going there to greet Zhou Mei’s parents felt awkward to him.
Noticing the shift in his expression, Gao Zhen nodded in understanding.
"After what had happened last time...that’s understandable. Moreover, I would have made Young Master Chen reconsider your decision even if you had stated that you wanted to go and greet them."
"Why? Is something wrong?" Yi Chen suddenly asked, sensing that there was more to it than what he knew.
"Well..." With pursed lips, Gao Zhen said a few seconds later, "After the fallout between the Zhou Clan’s Patriarch and Miss Lan, the atmosphere within the clan hasn’t been quite right.
Moreover, during the yearly demonic subjugation that happened a little more than a month ago, Miss Lan had got into an accident and was severely injured.
From what I heard, not one person from her family and clan had come to visit her.
Gao Zhen paused to take a breath and continued.
"Thankfully, the Sect’s physicians are adept in healing arts and helped her fully recover in a few weeks.... However, just a few days after that, Miss Lan had disowned her family’s title and had struck it off from the Sect’s records."
"This..." Yi Chen couldn’t help but make a bitter expression when he heard this.
Although Yi Chen knew that after such incidents it was normal for relationships to sour, he had hoped that after a few weeks or months it would recover a little, as in the end...Miss Lan was their own daughter.
So, seeing things taking a turn for the worse, a bitter expression formed on his face. At the same time, a feeling of worry rose in his heart.
"Thank you for informing me, Madam Gao." He thanked Gao Zhen the next moment while thinking of visiting Zhou Mei a few days later.
’I just can’t imagine just what mental torment Zhou Mei must be going through during these weeks, seeing her family breaking up right in front of her eyes...’
Yi Chen thought with pursed lips.
