Chapter 49: Challenging The Natural Order

As the last remnants of the Spiritual Burst Pill's energy were consumed, the dragon let out a faint, resounding roar that echoed through Jiang Feng's body. Lin Moyi felt the vibrations from where he stood, and a flicker of unease crept into his expression. Whatever type of draconic creature was, its hunger and power were boundless.

For a moment, he considered the implications: if nurtured correctly, Jiang Feng could ascend to heights unseen in centuries. But the risk was equally great. This insatiable force could easily lead him to ruin if he lacked the wisdom to control it or the resources to sustain it.

Lin Moyi exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing in thought. "This boy... he is a storm waiting to break," he muttered under his breath. But whether he will devastate the land or bring rain to the parched remains to be seen. For now, all he could do was watch over Jiang Feng, ensuring that this extraordinary potential didn't burn him alive before it had the chance to bloom.

The room fell into a tense quiet as Jiang Feng's trembling subsided. The pale hue of his skin gave way to a faint glow, and his breathing steadied. The dragon in his chest coiled itself once more, its presence now dormant but undeniably stronger. Lin Moyi glanced at the Jiang Feng, then at the empty pill box in his hand. He sighed heavily. "To think I would live to see such a thing," he said softly, his voice laced with awe and weariness.

Stepping closer, he gently placed a hand on Jiang Feng's shoulder. "Rest now, child," Lin Moyi murmured. "The road ahead will be long, and the trials will be many. Whatever destiny binds you to that dragon, it will demand more from you than you can yet imagine." His gaze lingered for a moment before he turned away, the weight of the unknown pressing heavily upon him. In his heart, Lin Moyi knew that this was only the beginning.

-

Jiang Feng slept throughout the night, his body slumped in the chair in the main hall as it underwent subtle changes. His breathing was steady, though each exhale carried a faint trace of vitality and heat that seemed to ripple through the room. His body, still and unassuming on the surface, was teeming with activity within.

His blood coursed through his veins with newfound potency, infused with traces of golden strips of energy. With every powerful beat of his heart, the coiled dragon around it pulsed as if alive, its form ethereal yet brimming with savagery.

Unbeknownst to Lin Moyi, who had placed his hand on Jiang Feng's shoulder earlier, two additional meridians within Jiang Feng had opened, completing a critical connection within his body's energy pathways. The first to take form was the Dai Meridian, also known as the Belt Vessel. This meridian, unlike others that ran vertically through the body, encircled the waist like a belt. Its purpose was unique and vital—it served as a regulator and stabilizer for the other meridians, binding their energies together in harmony.

The opening of the Dai Meridian allowed Jiang Feng's energy flow to become more cohesive, ensuring that the surging spiritual power within him didn't spiral out of control. Without the Belt Vessel's stabilizing influence, the sheer force of his dragon-infused energy could have led to a chaotic backlash, potentially crippling his cultivation foundation.

The second meridian to awaken was the Yang Qiao Meridian, often called the Yang Heel Vessel. This meridian governed the movement and balance of yang energy, playing a pivotal role in maintaining physical agility and strength. Its influence extended to the lower limbs, enhancing speed, reflexes, and balance.

With this meridian now opened, Jiang Feng's body would experience a heightened sense of control over his physical movements, as well as a deeper reservoir of yang energy to call upon during combat though not a lot seeing that the meridians weren't a true storage unit. This was no ordinary breakthrough, it marked a significant leap in his cultivation, enabling him to channel energy with precision and efficiency while enhancing his martial prowess.

As these meridians synchronized with the others, Jiang Feng's body entered a state of equilibrium, his golden-tinged blood nourishing his muscles, bones, and organs. The dormant dragon within his chest seemed to hum in satisfaction, its coiled form glowing faintly as if basking in the progress. This transformation was not merely a result of the Spiritual Burst Pill; it was the work of Jiang Feng's unique constitution and the dragon's influence, an entity that seemed to guide his growth with an unfathomable purpose.

When the first rays of dawn broke through the windows, casting a golden hue over the hall, Jiang Feng stirred slightly in his sleep. Though still unconscious, his body radiated a quiet strength that hadn't been there before. Lin Moyi, now seated nearby, sipped his tea and glanced at the boy with a mixture of wonder and trepidation. He could sense the subtle changes within Jiang Feng, even if he hadn't noticed the opening of the two meridians, last night, he sure did now.

"Two meridians in a single night," Lin Moyi mused quietly to himself, his voice tinged with awe. "Such progress isn't natural—it's something far beyond ordinary comprehension. What secrets are you hiding, Jiang Feng?"

-

"Hmm, wait—this seems to be five fully opened meridians. Where did these come from?" Lin Moyi finally shouted out loud, unable to contain his shock and confusion. He stood abruptly, pacing the room as his mind spun. What he was seeing didn't make any sense, defying even the advanced cultivation knowledge he had spent years mastering.

"Wait..." Lin Moyi's voice grew sharper as he examined Jiang Feng's unconscious form once more. "He's completed Blood Purification, Bone Forging, and Muscle Strengthening. All at a hundred percent completion! The Spiritual Burst Pill might have accelerated the process, but how in heavens did five fully formed meridians emerge?" His voice trailed off into a tense silence, his thoughts spiraling once more. The more he studied Jiang Feng, the less he understood. It wasn't just strange, it was unprecedented and unheard of.

What Lin Moyi didn't know, however, was that the unusual complications of Jiang Feng's foundational cultivation phases had triggered something extraordinary. The flawless completion of Blood Purification, Bone Forging, and Muscle Strengthening had altered the flow of his cultivation under the influence of reverse cultivation.

The reverse cultivation method, long thought to be a forbidden art, had begun to unravel its terrifying potential. Without realizing it, Lin Moyi was witnessing a phenomenon that had not occurred for millions of years.

Outside the Lin estate, the heavens stirred in eerie synchronization with Jiang Feng's state. Thick thunderclouds began gathering over Northern Moon in the dead of night until early morning, their dark forms swirling ominously. They gathered, then scattered, only to regroup again, as though drawing power from the world itself.

To most of the city's residents, it was a harmless anomaly, a sign of a coming storm, not an omen of cataclysmic significance. After all, sudden weather changes weren't uncommon in the unpredictable Obsidian Woodlands.

"It seems we'll be having rain soon. Best to prepare" a merchant called out to his workers as he secured a tarp over his wares.

"Rain at last," a farmer said, his face lighting up with relief. "It's been two months since the last downpour. My crops will flourish now!"

Yet, others weren't so quick to dismiss the strange sight. "That's odd," murmured a middle-aged cultivator, tilting his head to study the clouds. "Didn't the city's forecasters say we wouldn't see any rain until the end of the next two months? Why is the sky darkening now?"

Speculation rippled through the streets of Northern Moon, but no one—not even the city's most seasoned cultivators—would have dared to attribute the strange phenomenon to a young man sleeping within the Lin estate. Jiang Feng, locked in the throes of reverse cultivation, had unknowingly triggered something that few in the current era could comprehend. His transformation wasn't merely an act of cultivation—it was a direct challenge to the natural order.