Chapter 23: Opening the Palace of Toil

In the instant when the hero's corpse turned to ashes, the light shield covering the grand arena began to flicker. Then, from a point at the center above, it slowly fractured, dissolving into countless points of light that drifted within the bounds of the arena.

As the five were permeated by these luminous motes, surges of vigorous vitality arose, nourishing their bodies, fortifying their flesh, strengthening their spirits, and healing their wounds. In moments, the wolf and Little Flower's injuries were wholly restored, their states reaching perfection.

Only now did Du Alone breathe a sigh of relief, beginning to sense and ponder carefully. Unbeknownst to him, his two Wells of Power were now completely replenished.

A torrent of power surged forth, like the winds and waves of the sea, sweeping through his muscles and bones. The overwhelming rush of energy compelled him to throw back his head and howl to the heavens. He felt as though his body could not withstand this onslaught, that it would ultimately explode, leaving not even a trace of bone behind.

Throughout the battle on the arena, he had essentially led, vanquishing his foes. Thus, when the trial ended, the Butterfly Queen had already arranged rewards for the ten qualified heroes, most of which she bestowed upon him. What was meant as kind encouragement now transformed into a deadly threat!

If he failed to properly channel and consume this energy, death was certain!

“What should I do?” Du Alone focused his mind with unprecedented intensity, searching for any possible solution. He even unleashed his strength over and over, striking the arena, but the effects were negligible. The remaining points of light continued to merge into him, and the power swelling in his heart grew ever stronger. The shadow of death became ever clearer.

Confronted with this, he was finally at a loss.

The Tenfold Body Refinement Technique had just reached perfection not long ago—what could he do?

Suddenly, a spark flashed in his consciousness. “Since my strength is overflowing, why not seize this opportunity to open another Well of Power?”

With the opening of a single Well of Power, one ascends to the Hero realm. Yet, for a hero to advance further and become a General, the first requirement is to open all of the Wells of Power.

As the foundation of cultivation, there are five Wells of Power: three are located beneath the feet—the two Spring Wells—and the heart. The remaining two lie in the palms—Laogong points.

Opening the Well of Power in the heart is highly dangerous; a single misstep could cost one's life. Thus, for now, the most suitable—and necessary—option is the palms.

Laogong: “Lao” means labor; “gong” means palace. This acupoint transforms harmful energies, catering to the body's needs, much like human labor, hence its name. It is also called “Five Li,” signifying its influence over a five-li radius, marking it as an indispensable acupoint within the body.

Another name for it is “Ghost Road.” Ghost, opposed to heaven, refers to earth; road is a pathway. “Ghost Road” means that the energy within the acupoint comes from below—from the earth. The corresponding lower point is the Spring Well. The Spring Well absorbs the earth's essence, which rises to Laogong, transforming negative energies into beneficial ones and nourishing the body's vitality.

With the two Spring Wells beneath the feet, opening the twin wells in the palms is simply following the natural flow.

His consciousness guided and directed: energy surged from the twin Spring Wells, magnificent as two dragons, charging upwards along the meridians, journeying a great distance until they finally neared their destination.

He focused all his mind, not daring to slacken for an instant. Du Alone fully immersed his awareness, tracing the trajectory of power, striving to control its speed, gradually enveloping the two Laogong points.

Permeation.

Drawing upon the cultivation insights of a mysterious master, like a guiding lantern, he acted according to the teachings. Without damaging or rupturing the Laogong points, he infused them with power, slowly testing, condensing, and compressing it bit by bit.

His essence, energy, and spirit pressed themselves against the acupoints in greater measure, nourishing them swiftly, enhancing their toughness. He hoped that when the explosion of energy came and the space opened, they would withstand the impact. Otherwise, should Laogong be destroyed, he would forever lose the ability to grow stronger, doomed to possess at most three Wells of Power—a lifelong hero, lost amid the multitude.

This was his first time guiding the process himself, without prior experience, relying solely on the knowledge fused in his memory, so he was exceedingly cautious. The increasingly wild and chaotic energy within his body was fiercely constrained, providing as much buffer as possible.

The power continued to permeate. His essence, energy, and spirit continued to nourish and lubricate. The energy within Laogong was now compressed to a high concentration, swelling and twisting, its form warping—perhaps in the next moment it would explode, destroying everything, extinguishing hope.

After a while, with no word from him, the wolf, Little Flower, Little Sister, and Baby approached in concern, only to see blood trickling from the gap between his tightly clenched lips.

“Big brother, what's wrong?” Baby called anxiously.

“Don't speak!” Little Flower's eyes widened suddenly, uttering a low warning. “It looks like the boss is breaking through, probably opening a Well of Power. Do not distract him—if his attention wavers, all his efforts will be wasted, regret will follow, and he will carry that sorrow for life.”

Alarmed by the gravity of Little Flower's words, Little Sister quickly covered Baby's mouth and pulled her away. The wolf, after careful inspection, nodded and signaled Little Flower to stand apart at a distance, focusing their vigilance.

In truth, only the five of them remained on the vast arena, so there was no need for such caution. Their actions stemmed entirely from heartfelt recognition and respect.

Outside, the minor drama unfolding was unknown to Du Alone. His mind was taut as a drawn bowstring, wholly immersed in the inner world of his flesh, striving to compress and purify the gathered energy, while ensuring the Laogong points remained unharmed.

Time slipped by, oblivious to the passing of days.

The energy in the twin acupoints grew ever purer, gradually becoming impossible to contain. At last, in a certain moment, it exploded.

Boom!

As if the universe had just come into being, chaos split, heaven and earth opened; pure power, with unmatched wildness and destructive force, spread in all directions, blasting open a pocket of void, which then automatically evolved, forming a unique space—infinitely small, yet infinitely vast.

This space, propelled by immense power, expanded rapidly, growing in the void. The membrane at its outermost edge began to collide against the acupoint...

...

“Is he actually breaking through?” Within the chaotic sky, a hunched old man appeared silently, gazing at the empty grand arena, murmuring in surprise. “Indeed, the final five are you. All the restrictions could not halt your stride; it seems you have considerable potential... Heh, since you have passed both the Queen's and my tests, I cannot trouble you further. Let me lend you a hand...”

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, sending an invisible force, carrying pure essence, energy, and spirit, downwards, entering precisely into Du Alone's palm.

“Farewell, young friend. See you at the Academy.” The elder's figure vanished instantly, as quietly as he had appeared. “I truly look forward to it...”

...

Du Alone exhaled slowly, opening his eyes. The Wells of Power had finally been opened. The excess energy granted as a reward had been perfectly digested. All troubles faded; his mind was clear and at ease. Energy flowed to the extremes, blood nourished the five organs.

Power—abundant and mighty—coursed through the four Wells of Power, each surging in its own circuit like four invincible legions, vast and formidable, brewing the iron will of a military soul, ready to unleash devastating force at a single command.

These four Wells, though separate and distinct, shared a subtle connection, their breaths entwined, their vitality intertwined.

From now on, Du Alone was a Four-Well Hero in the Hero realm—just one more, and he would reach perfection. In truth, the Hero realm is subdivided into five minor stages, determined by the number of Wells of Power achieved.

Relaxing his body and mind, Du Alone wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Just now, he had triggered and received the full legacy of the mysterious master's information, learning that cultivators, when opening Wells of Power, usually did so one at a time. The hero's battle strength is limited and short-lived; if one runs out of energy partway, the consequences are dire. Fortunately, he had succeeded.

Shhh—

Having finished his cultivation, the five had just gathered together, barely exchanging words, when a burst of divine light suddenly flashed above the arena, enveloping them.

The world spun!

Just as when they entered the selection area: time seemed suspended, space vanished, heaven and earth reversed. In the next instant, the sensation of weightlessness faded, and the turmoil in their organs settled.

Their vision brightened—they had returned to the city lord's guard post. Yet they sensed the air had grown heavy, filled with a strange atmosphere.

Something was off.

The Lord of Skylight City was still present, awaiting those who had passed the final trial and earned qualification. Around him was a large contingent of guards, their faces solemn but tinged with oddity.

The five were puzzled; scanning further, they immediately noticed something new.

Gathered in their original meeting place were more than twenty heroes, wounded and scarred, glaring fiercely. Surrounding them were hundreds more who had been eliminated earlier.

Those twenty-odd figures were the last group to flee the arena. Now, they called out to their friends, their eyes fierce, murderous intent rekindled!

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