Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 18: The Secret of Yunyu Pool, the Efficacy of Spiritual Energy
After receiving his palace pass from the Imperial Medical Academy, Zhao Wuji had it verified by the Imperial Guards and then headed straight for Jingqing Palace.

The imperial palace was governed by strict rules.

The Cold Palace was practically a place of marginalization and exile, where more than a dozen demoted concubines lived.

Logically, concubines in the Cold Palace had lost their royal privileges, and the imperial power tacitly allowed them to fend for themselves.

Even if the illness was critical, it had to be reported through a eunuch, and the Imperial Hospital would dispatch the lowest-ranking physician to examine the patient, without needing to consult the imperial physicians or royal doctors.

However, since Zhao Wuji took the initiative to apply, the Imperial Medical Academy was still willing to give him face as the son-in-law of the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court and approved his application.

After all, the position of Minister of the Imperial Clan was specifically in charge of the affairs of the imperial family and clan members, and thus had certain privileges.

Over the years, Zhao Wuji has been performing acupuncture on the concubines in the Cold Palace quite often, as he needs to absorb Yin and Yang energy for the Yin-Yang Pearl. He goes there almost every few months.

This is mainly because the concentration of Yin and Yang energy varies from person to person.

The concubines in the Cold Palace are those whose bodies were once nourished by the emperor's dragon energy but have fallen out of favor. Having lived in the Cold Palace for a long time, they are filled with a heavy yin energy.

The cold, yin energy within one person can be equivalent to that of more than ten people.

However, this time, Zhao Wuji came not only to collect Yin energy for acupuncture, but also to search for the whereabouts of the Supreme Sect's sacred artifact.

It was nearing Shenshi (3-5 PM) in a hall within Jingqing Palace.

With the eunuchs watching, Zhao Wuji administered acupuncture to the disgraced Consort Yi to dispel her cold, but his expression gradually became suspicious.

Consort Yi's body was also tainted by Yin energy, showing signs of possession, unlike the usual cold and dampness that entered her body.

This situation was exactly the same as that of Liu, the Imperial Observatory Director whom he had treated with acupuncture, which was quite surprising.

"How has Consort Yi been eating and living lately? Why has her illness worsened?"

While secretly absorbing Yin energy with the Yin Pearl, Zhao Wuji asked the eunuch serving him a question.

The eunuch hesitated for a moment before saying, "Some time ago, Consort Yi accidentally fell into the Yunyu Pond in the West Garden and caught a chill, which may have aggravated her illness."

"He accidentally fell into the Jade Pool?"

Zhao Wuji pondered the name of the pavilion and asked, "Has anyone else recently fallen into the Cloud Jade Pond?"

The eunuch said, "No, Yunyu Pond is very strange. It is said that the previous Consort Zhang fell into it and drowned. The Imperial Observatory even performed an exorcism."

"Oh? Has the Imperial Observatory started exorcising evil spirits lately?"

"No." The eunuch remained expressionless, but inwardly he was about to burst into laughter.

Why would the officials of the Imperial Observatory come to exorcise evil spirits just because a concubine in the cold palace accidentally fell into the pond?

Seeing the eunuch's expression, Zhao Wuji knew what the eunuch was thinking, so he stopped asking questions and focused on absorbing the Yin energy from Consort Yi's body.

The imperial harem is a hotbed of intrigue and deceit, so he should ask fewer questions and do more.

Before long, Consort Yi's pale and embarrassed complexion improved considerably, and she began to talk nonsense again.

Suddenly, she grabbed Zhao Wuji with all her might and wouldn't let go, her voice piercing with sorrow: "Lord Zhao! My imperial son is still waiting to be fed! If you allow me to return to Yongning Palace, when my son ascends the throne, I will surely promote you to a higher rank and title!"

Zhao Wuji's expression changed instantly. He hurriedly pushed away Consort Yi's hands, stood up, and said, "Consort Yi, please be careful with your words. Your child has already died, and it was a girl, not a prince."

This concubine was punished for giving birth to a stillborn child and was exiled to this cold palace for five years. She was already mentally impaired and could be considered a pitiful person.

However, it seems that the condition has worsened.

After finishing his treatment, he quickly packed up his acupuncture needles and withdrew.

The Yin energy within Consort Yi provided him with five strands of Yin energy, and coupled with the news from Yun Yuchi, the trip was not in vain.

After that, he also administered acupuncture to six concubines who had fallen out of favor to dispel their cold.

The combined Yin energy within the six individuals could only be refined into five strands of Yin energy.

During this time, some people even urged him to plead with the emperor, but only Consort Li was unusually clear-headed and rewarded him with a gold hairpin as a gesture of goodwill.

After all, even if a concubine in the Cold Palace had a few ailments, no imperial physicians would come to treat her. This was a good thing that Zhao Wuji did for her.

Zhao Wuji felt that Consort Li had some strength, and perhaps she could turn the tables and escape the Cold Palace in the future.

In recent years, he has cast a wide net and performed acupuncture extensively, collecting yin energy while also building a wide network of connections, which is a blessing.

Just as the consultation was about to end and they were about to leave Jingqing Palace.

Zhao Wuji deliberately bypassed Yunyu Pond in the western corner of the Cold Palace to analyze the source of the illness that caused Consort Yi and Supervisor Liu.

This Jade Pool seems to contain a thick layer of Yin energy, which may be the place where the Yin Marrow can be found.

At the very least, you can acquire more yin energy.

He even suspected that this Cloud Jade Pool might be related to the sacred artifacts of the Supreme Sect.

Because in the poem provided by Protector Xu, the second-to-last character of the two lines, “Sacred traces hidden on cloud-capped peaks, the beauty of nature condenses into a jade dome,” when read together, forms the characters “cloud and jade.”

However, before he could get close enough to observe Yun Yuchi closely, his heightened spiritual senses, enhanced after his breakthrough, detected a gaze watching him from the shadows. Though the aura was subtle, it was nonetheless quite powerful. "A Grandmaster-level expert in the Transformation Realm?"

Zhao Wuji's heart stirred, and he abandoned the idea of ​​approaching Yun Yuchi at this moment.

He guessed that the person secretly observing was likely the chief eunuch of Jingqing Palace.

In addition to the four chief eunuchs, special areas like Jingqing Palace were also overseen and managed by a senior eunuch.

Although he felt like he had scratched an itch, he would not act rashly.

There is plenty of time ahead; seeking out the Yin marrow and accumulating Yin energy cannot be rushed.

Zhao Wuji left with a normal expression and submitted a medical report to the Imperial Hospital.

After making it clear, it was necessary to administer acupuncture to Consort Yi twice more in order to completely eliminate the cold poison and leave room for another exploration of Jingqing Palace.

In the following days, Zhao Wuji administered acupuncture to a handful of patients while practicing martial arts and immortality in his official residence.

It was probably because the news of his voluntary acupuncture treatment at the Cold Palace reached the ears of some concubines in the royal harem that no concubines had summoned him for acupuncture treatment in the past few days.

This is quite normal; the concubines in the Cold Palace were all those who had lost favor after failing to seize power.

He went to administer acupuncture to these concubines, and naturally, some of the concubines who were currently in favor would feel resentful.

Zhao Wuji wasn't in a hurry; he could use his free time to cultivate.

At the same time, he wrote a letter to Lord Mo, who had previously given him Qinghualang wine, offering to trade the ancient wine for the Golden Spear Fiery Elixir.

Now, he has gradually cultivated his 11 martial arts meridians to a proficiency level of 28 points, and his immortal cultivation is also progressing rapidly, having condensed 7 spiritual energies.

However, the Yin energy was depleted to only 1227 strands, and the Yang energy to only 404 strands, both being consumed very quickly.

Inside the cultivation room, Zhao Wuji mobilized the spiritual energy in his dantian to perform the Pill Manipulation Technique.

The newly crafted sword pellet emitted streaks of silver light, like silver ribbons, stirring up a white glow, easily piercing through the iron ingot placed on the opposite table.

The sword pellet, like a high-speed spinning spiked ball, plowed a furrow into the wall with a 'whoosh,' sending stone dust flying everywhere.

A flash of lightning pierced through the stone wall with incredible speed.

"Using spiritual energy to cast spells seems to be much more powerful than casting spells using yin or yang energy alone."

Zhao Wuji made a comparative judgment.

A sword pellet, launched after a spell is cast with spiritual energy, can pierce through an iron ingot that is a foot and a half thick in an instant.

The Yin energy was used to cast the sword pellet, but it took a breath for it to penetrate at high speed through friction.

The difference in lethality is obvious.

He suddenly flicked his finger, and the sword pellet exploded, its silver light blinding. Countless gleaming micro-blades flew out rapidly, instantly turning the iron target opposite him into a sieve.

With another wave of his hand, the seventy-two opening and closing blades quickly retracted into a spherical shape and returned, launching the blade armor like a torrential rain during the attack.

This is the latest bladed sword pellet made by dispatched craftsmen.

Each blade is crafted from refined gold, possessing the ability to pierce through qi and energy. It was designed specifically for hypothetical enemies at the Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster levels, and its destructive power is even greater than that of the Poisonous Caltrop Sword Pellet.

"Whoosh-"

Zhao Wuji put the bladed sword pellet into his sleeve, felt the fluctuations of spiritual energy in his dantian, and pondered the efficiency of spiritual energy recovery.

Three days ago, he had used his spiritual energy to perform the Netherworld Communication Technique and found that its power had increased, providing excellent protection for his soul.

Moreover, a wisp of spiritual energy can sustain a spell for up to two hundred breaths, which is twice as long as yin energy.

However, the depleted spiritual energy recovers very slowly.

Today, the spiritual energy that was lost three days ago has barely recovered by half.

With the help of guiding techniques, Zhao Wuji could sense that the half of his restored spiritual energy was slowly being restored through the metabolism of the Qi in his five internal organs and the overflowing power of his essence, Qi and spirit.

This is neither good nor bad news.

Although there is no spiritual energy in the world during the Dharma-ending Age, cultivation is impossible.

However, the spiritual energy that has already been cultivated, even if it is depleted, can still be slowly restored through the circulation of the microcosm within the human body.

In this way, it can also bear part of the yin and yang energy consumption of cultivation techniques.

At that moment, the bell outside the meditation room rang.

As Zhao Wuji pushed open the door and stepped out of the room, he saw Xiao Yue, dressed in a green apothecary robe, approaching him with bright, kind eyes, offering a friendly reminder.

"My lord, you have a date with Miss Nan at Zuiyue Tower tonight, and it's almost time for dinner."

(End of this chapter)