"Their current situation is even stranger, itâs been a whole day and night. Logically, once their strength reaches a bottleneck and they find the breakthrough point, they should have already succeeded. But they still canât break through," Ye Lanfeng said, furrowing his brows.
"A day and a night?" Han Yan was startled upon hearing.
She had personally experienced the transition from Great Swordsman to Sword Master. She knew there wasnât much risk involved; once the opportunity arises, it doesnât take much time. How could it possibly take a whole day and night with no progress?
Okay, even if her constitution differed from normal cultivators, she had seen many others break through from Great Swordsman to Sword Master, but never had anyone taken so much time.
Han Yan carefully sensed, the Heaven and Earth Power was converging from all directions, yet it was like ripples on the surface of a lake, unable to condense into clouds â meaning the trio of Huayue, Zirong, and Jiang Yuzhe still couldnât reach the final step of their breakthrough.
"Strange, his Qi is clearly so abundant, and he has already found the opportunity for a breakthrough, why canât he succeed?" Doctor Sun now approached them. He was from a long line of medical experts, knowledgeable and fearless. He extended his hand to check Huayueâs pulse, quickly withdrew it, and remarked with surprise.
"Huh, heâs in the same situation." Subsequently, Doctor Sun checked Zirongâs pulse and became more astonished.
"Strange, strange, heâs the same too." Finally, after checking Jiang Yuzheâs pulse, Doctor Sun shook his head, puzzled.
"Mr. Sun, have you never encountered such a situation before?" Han Yan asked regarding Huayue and her friendsâ bizarre condition, which she had never seen, so she turned to Doctor Sun.
"This..." Doctor Sun contemplated for a moment before musing, "I havenât encountered this before, but I did see similar symptoms recorded in medical texts passed down from my ancestors."
"What!" Han Yanâs spirits lifted.
Initially, she didnât have high hopes for Doctor Sun; she asked just for the sake of asking due to having no way out, and she unexpectedly asked the right person.
"Have Young Master Mu and Young Master Ye ever heard of the Hidden Meridian? According to the medical text, if oneâs cultivation reaches a certain realm and accidentally unlocks the Hidden Meridian, yet doesnât know how to fully exploit it, this can cause a condition where they canât advance further, even though their cultivation seems to be increasing."
Their situation is quite similar to what the medical text describes, but it seems implausible, it just doesnât seem possible," Doctor Sun explained, but he grew more amazed the more he spoke, finding it more and more inconceivable.
Hidden Meridian! With his reminder, Han Yan suddenly recalled that accidentally unlocking the Hidden Meridian, without fully accessing it, could indeed result in a situation like Huayue, Zirong, and Jiang Yuzhe.
She understood why Doctor Sun found it unlikely. For cultivators, the chance of opening a Hidden Meridian is one in billionsâin fact, some cultivators have limited vision, accidentally unlock it, yet never comprehend how to harness it, going to their grave never understanding why their cultivation suddenly could no longer progress.
Originally close friends, Huayue, Zirong, and Jiang Yuzhe simultaneously reached the bottleneck transitioning from Great Swordsman to Sword Master, and simultaneously unlocked the Hidden Meridian, restricted by this circumstanceâsuch a coincidence hasnât likely occurred in millions of years of Holy Court Continentâs history.
Doctor Sun found it unbelievable and considered it impossible, which was perfectly reasonable.
But Han Yan didnât think so; if her guess was correct, the trio finding the breakthrough opportunity simultaneously might have something to do with her, then unlocking the Hidden Meridian simultaneously probably also related to her. She wasnât encountering such strange occurrences for the first time, she was more curious than surprised.
"Mr. Sun, do the Hidden Meridians pose any harm to them?" Yu Qingwan asked anxiously.
She lacked cultivation and her understanding of cultivation paths, mostly derived from Lu Guantian. Seeing even Han Yan sought Doctor Sunâs help, she asked him.
"Under normal circumstances, it wouldnât cause harm, it would even be advantageous. But now, theyâre at the critical juncture of breaking through to Sword Master. Their Qi has condensed to its peak, if they fail to break through, it could harm their meridians and energy sea, leading to severe injury and diminished strength, or worse, a threat to their lives," Doctor Sun answered thoughtfully.
"Doctor Sun, please, save Zirong, save them," Yu Qingwanâs face turned pale upon hearing.
"Iâd like to save them too, but I donât possess that ability." After speaking, Doctor Sun looked at Ye Lanfeng and said, "To save them isnât complicated, just suppress their Qi, and then use oneâs own cultivation forcefully to open the Hidden Meridian. But their Qi is turbulent right now, not much weaker than mine. If I act, not only wonât I save them, but Iâd put myself at risk."
Han Yan and Yu Qingwan simultaneously set their sights on Ye Lanfeng. Doctor Sunâs implicit meaning was clear; he wasnât strong enough for this. The only one present capable of saving Huayue, Zirong, and Jiang Yuzhe was Ye Lanfeng, who was at the Sword Saint Realm.
"If it were possible, I wouldâve acted long ago, I wouldnât have waited until now," Ye Lanfeng shook his head, saying, "Their situation is extremely peculiar. Their Qi entirely differs from typical Sword Master Qi. Even I canât suppress it. Iâm worried that if I intervene, not only wonât I save them, but I might endanger their lives."
"What!" Hearing Ye Lanfengâs words, everyone was shocked and their hearts sank.
They originally thought Ye Lanfengâs strength would suppress Huayue and their Qi, forcefully help them open the Hidden Meridian, aided by Doctor Sunâs medical expertise, there wouldnât be much difficulty. It was precisely because of this belief, Doctor Sun remained unhurried and others werenât overly worried. But Ye Lanfengâs statement made them realize their assumptions were too simplistic.
Thinking about it, with Ye Lanfengâs abilities, despite lacking medical skills, his insight and knowledge wouldnât necessarily be inferior to Doctor Sun, might even be superior. If he can see it, Ye Lanfeng would surely also comprehend it. Delays in his intervention definitely had reasons.
"What should be done then?" Doctor Sun asked instinctively.
Hearing this, Qu Shanling and the Family Head Fang who had just arrived felt their hearts sink simultaneously. Originally, they placed their hopes on Doctor Sun, thinking as long as Han Yan avoided unexpected situations, once Doctor Sun made a timely intervention, Huayue, Zirong, and Jiang Yuzhe would be fine. But unexpectedly, even Doctor Sun felt helpless, rather seeking Ye Lanfengâs advice instead.