New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live-Chapter 1096: Changing Energies

The lightning bolt, if it could even be called that any longer, considering the thickness had reached the thickness of Liu Yan’s thigh, exploded upon contact with his chest, ripping his clothes to shreds along with it.

The energy coursed into him like a raging fire, burning his insides as it rushed toward his dantian.

Liu Yan had barely heard what Alexander shouted before the thunderclap drowned him out, and the booming explosion swallowed the words whole.

However, on instinct alone, when the energy crashed into his shielded dantian, he knew this was not a good thing.

The walls around his dantian quickly eroded, threatening to collapse any second now, and, by the pain this was producing, he knew it was a bad idea to let it happen.

Trusting the few words he heard, of letting go of his defence around his dantian, Liu Yan focused on his core, and retracted the walls around his soul and dantian.

Instantly, the energy surged into it like water down a bath drain, spinning around inside and mixing with the mana already inside. It didn’t take long before the mana was drowned out, leaving only this new kind of energy swirling inside his dantian.

The lightning bolt receded, leaving a wounded Liu Yan, his chest still smoking from the burnt flesh now decorating it.

Alexander wanted to send Corey down there to heal him, but the fox put his hand on his shoulder, feeling his intention to help his friend before he could put words to the intention.

"Wait. Look," he said, pointing at Liu Yan.

Liu Yan opened his eyes, sparks appearing in his gaze, as his eyes reflected the darkened sky. He seemed calm, like the burns on his chest were not but an illusion.

He stepped forward; the sky rumbling again, and Alex’s mouth opened slightly in shock.

The flesh on Liu Yan’s chest started reforming, at a pace visible to the naked eye, as the burn disappeared, almost like it had never happened, and the wound closed, leaving behind unblemished skin.

Alexander could sense the energy inside the young man swirling through his body, through channels that hadn’t been there before, on different paths than he could feel within himself and his friends, which were mana channels.

"Incredible. Twenty meridians unlocked on his first interaction with true Qi... This child is a genius..." the fox muttered, catching Alexander’s attention.

"Meridians? What are those?" he asked, confused about what was happening.

The celestial fox pulled his gaze away from the phenomenon happening before him, gazing over at the clueless boy who called himself a man.

"Meridians are like streams, or rivers, through which Qi circulates through your body. They are essential to cultivating a powerful body and ascending to further stages of existence."

Alexander looked at him with a frown.

"So... Like mana channels. But why are they in different places? Wouldn’t the body force those similar energies to pass in similar places?" he asked, curious.

"Tch. Just like a human to compare two different things under the same standard. The energy you use, and Qi, may be similar in nature, but do not be mistaken; they are not the same. It is no oddity for the channels that convey it to be different.

"The body processes different things through different paths. Just like your blood, food, and air, each have their own tubes; mana and Qi wouldn’t go through the same ones. Do you understand?" he asked, looking at Alexander condescendingly.

Alex grimaced at him, not liking the look he was getting, but focused on Liu Yan, who was reaching the ninetieth step, as the skies rumbled to life again.

Two more thunderbolts the size of Liu Yan’s thighs struck at him again, smashing into his chest from both sides, and he stood there, almost unfazed.

"Fascinating. His body is already acclimating... This is the most natural talent I have seen in my entire millennia of walking this forsaken rock. It’s almost like the tales of old, where humans could ascend just like celestial beasts..." the fox said in Chinese.

Alexander couldn’t understand what he was rambling about, but by his fascinated gaze, he could tell he was yearning to take Liu Yan for himself.

"Don’t be getting any ideas, you monster. He is my friend, and I’m not letting you take him. Not if he doesn’t want to," Alex growled.

But the celestial fox ignored his threats. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the young man on the Heavenly Ascent, who was walking the steps one after another, no longer seeming burdened.

Lightning kept shooting at him every few steps, now coming in waves, until he reached the eighth attack at the ninety-ninth step of the staircase.

"We need to pull back," the celestial fox said, his eyes narrowing.

"Huh?" Alex asked, confused.

"Everyone needs to get further back. Now!" he yelled, jumping back fifty paces.

Alex didn’t have time to react, as he suddenly felt a surge of power from above, and watched in horror as an actual pillar of golden lightning came crashing down on Liu Yan, who had stepped onto the plateau.

He hurriedly erected a mana shield, Cory instinctively adding to it, as Violette and Kary did the same, layering on the shield with their own mana shield, albeit weaker than Alexander’s.

The energy from the golden and white pillar crashed into the shield, immediately breaking through two layers and cracking the third.

"Fall back!" Kary shouted, her layer gone as quickly as she put it, and fearing for the worst.

Their group immediately rushed toward the next staircase, trying to escape the surge, causing their legs to shake unconsciously.

Most of them wondered why their body was reacting like this, given that they had faced a dragon not too long ago and had not felt this much instinctive fear.

Sure, the dragon had still been inside its egg, but the pressure it exerted on their minds was no less real than the servants it had, doing its bidding.

The celestial fox had already started working the formation that clouded the top of the mountain to hide this event. If people around the mountain saw this pillar of light, there was no way they would stay at the foot.

And he couldn’t afford to have more intruders right now. freewёbnoνel-com

But, as he finalized the modifications, the pillar exploded, drowning the mountaintop in golden white light, momentarily blinding them.

*BOOOM!!!!*