Yefutidaolu

Chapter 416 Eating Ginseng

Eat your own hand.

This action would be considered insane and extremely foolish by any normal martial artist, and would be entirely detrimental.

A martial artist's physical body is a precious vessel for surviving the world; every inch of flesh and blood contains the essence accumulated through arduous cultivation, which is the foundation of power.

Self-devouring one's own flesh results in a loss of vital essence far exceeding the negligible "replenishment," causing irreversible damage to the integrity of the physical body and severely shaking its foundation. For grandmasters who have opened the "vital energy gate" and possess the ability to regenerate from a drop of blood, severed limbs may still regenerate, but the loss of vital essence and the resulting pain are still considerable.

For those who haven't yet reached the point of sexual maturity, this is tantamount to self-destruction, equivalent to permanent disability.

It's not entirely without its advantages. Martial artists' bodies undergo countless trials and tribulations, and during their cultivation, they inevitably consume countless elixirs, rare herbs, and precious materials. Their flesh and blood are indeed considered highly nourishing "treasures" for certain demonic creatures or practitioners of evil techniques.

If one were to sacrifice their own foundation and treat a portion of their flesh and blood as a one-time "elixir" to devour and burn, it would indeed be possible for other parts of the body to unleash power beyond their usual limits in a short period of time.

But this so-called "stronger" is often just a flash in the pan, and at a heavy cost.

A martial artist with all four limbs intact will inevitably have far greater overall combat strength than one who is missing an arm or a leg.

Unless you're specifically practicing some extreme, forbidden technique that requires self-harm to activate—like practicing a one-handed sword technique and eating your other hand at a crucial moment to temporarily increase its power—but isn't that insane? If you want power, wouldn't it be better to practice a stronger two-handed sword technique?
Therefore, under normal circumstances, the ability to "eat oneself" is a useless skill with extremely low cost-effectiveness, and almost no one would use it.

But right now, Gao Jian's situation is absolutely "abnormal".

The rest of his body had been heavily restrained and locked, his joints were stuck, his acupoints were sealed, and his qi and blood were suppressed. He could not mobilize any of his strength and was like a cripple.

He was already exhausted, his energy nearly depleted. Even with one intact hand, he couldn't muster any strength; it was practically the same as if it were broken.

So when he hardened his heart, bit off and swallowed his left hand, the flesh and blood containing his last essence rapidly decomposed in his body, turning into pure vital energy that, though not much, was incredibly precious at that moment!

This vital energy, like the last bit of dry firewood thrown into ashes that were about to be completely extinguished, instantly ignited his depleted meridians!
"Well!!!"

A sharp pain and a faint sense of "power" surged into Gao Jian's heart at the same time. This power was not strong, not even one percent of his peak strength, but for someone who had been judged to have "completely lost the ability to resist," it was undoubtedly a shocking turn of events!
More importantly, the restraints, spells, and magic that bound him, although the power level of the casters was far higher than his current state, were full of flaws under Gao Jian's divine observation, which had been tempered to the extreme by the "Heart Lamp Illuminating Shadow Sutra" and the meaning of life and death!

It's like a sturdy iron cage used to confine a puppy. To the puppy, the wires are strong and the structure is tight, making it impossible to break through. But for a human with intelligence and a hand, the latch on the cage door can be seen at a glance—it might not even be locked! With just a gentle pull, it can be opened.

At this moment, the numerous seals Gao Jian saw were exactly like this! Under the illumination of the Heart Lamp, the energy flow nodes of each talisman, the power intervals of each sealing spell, the weakest points of each chain... were all clearly presented before his "eyes." These flaws, which might have been easily broken by him when his power was at its fullest, were originally unattainable for him now. But now, he possessed that brief and weak sliver of power gained by devouring his own flesh and blood!
So, in that instant—

Just as everyone was stunned by this crazy act!

collapse!collapse!collapse!
The "Dragon Lock" gold chain wrapped around his right elbow joint was suddenly broken by him with a precise and skillful burst of strength! Although he did not completely break free, he gained a sliver of space to move!

puff!puff!
The two "sealing needles" inserted into the acupoints of his right shoulder and right leg were violently impacted by the sudden surge of weak qi and blood in his body, causing the needle tips to tremble violently and actually being forced out a small section!

scoff!

The two "soul-suppressing talismans" pasted on his chest and right arm flickered intensely, but were temporarily rendered ineffective by his sudden rebellion and abnormal fluctuations in his blood and qi. They spontaneously combusted and turned to ashes!

The seemingly impenetrable confinement was precisely torn open in the blink of an eye by the insignificant strength he gained through self-harm!
All of this happened faster than I could have imagined!
It wasn't that no one reacted. Wang Gang, also a martial artist, almost instantly realized something was wrong the moment Gao Jian bit off his arm. However, the backlash from his previous "Ten Directions Annihilation" move was indeed severe. He was focused on calming his churning blood and slightly damaged meridians, and this momentary hesitation caused him to miss the best opportunity to intercept. Moreover, subconsciously, even if Gao Jian had bitten off his arm and unleashed some power, how strong could he possibly be? Could he possibly turn the tide?

And on the other side-

No one can stop Gao Jian's next move now!

His goal in breaking free from the restraints was never to attack anyone, nor to escape—that little bit of strength was simply not enough.

His goal was crystal clear from the very beginning!

Just as the patriarch of the same family subconsciously took a step forward because of Gao Jian's self-harming behavior, as if he wanted to check or say something, his hand holding the ginseng doll was also closer to Gao Jian - the distance was shortened to within three zhang!
This is the only opportunity that Gao Jian created through self-harm!
Three zhang (approximately 10 meters) is a distance that would normally be covered in an instant for Gao Jian. But for him, who was extremely weak at this moment, it was a distance that required him to sprint desperately!

"Whoosh!"

Gao Jian's figure was like a blood-red arrow, pouring all the power he had just absorbed and transformed from the arm, and even overdrawing some of his future potential, into this one pounce!
Fast! Extremely fast! Faster than most of the eighth-realm cultivators present could react!

Shui Wuyai was preparing the Soul Searching Technique, his mind was highly focused, and he was a beat slow to react to the changes in the outside world.

Wang Gang was suppressing his inner energy, which caused him to slow down for a moment. The other cultivators were also shaken by the series of changes.

In that brief moment before anyone could react, Gao Jian's right hand, which had just broken free from some of the chains and was dripping with blood, shot out like lightning, grabbing with unparalleled precision the dazed ginseng doll with green leaves on its head that was in the hands of the family patriarch!

"You?!" The patriarch of the same family finally realized what was happening, and was filled with shock and anger. He tried to withdraw his hand and activate the secret technique.

But it's too late!
Without any hesitation, Gao Jian grabbed the ginseng doll and shoved it into his mouth, which was still covered in his own blood!
Snap! Glug...

He didn't even chew; instead, with sheer force, he swallowed it whole!

The ginseng doll, formed from the spiritual roots of heaven and earth over two thousand years, contains medicinal power that is nothing short of a miraculous elixir for Gao Jian at this moment!

Ginseng is the king of herbs, a spiritual root of heaven and earth.

Its flavor is sweet and slightly cold, and it is non-toxic. It mainly nourishes the five internal organs, calms the mind, stabilizes the spirit, stops palpitations, eliminates evil qi, improves eyesight, brightens the heart, and enhances intelligence. Even ginseng from ordinary years has many benefits such as "warming and nourishing, moisturizing, strengthening, enhancing essence, keeping warm, improving eyesight, and calming the mind".

The Materia Medica states: "Ginseng is effective for the five types of fatigue and seven types of injury, deficiency and excessive phlegm, stops vomiting, nourishes the five internal organs and six bowels, protects the mind and spirit, and eliminates phlegm in the chest. It treats lung phlegm and pain. It is also effective for cold qi rising upwards, typhoid fever with loss of appetite, and is added for those who are weak and have many dreams."

As for the "five strains and seven injuries," what situation in the world could be more in line with these "five strains and seven injuries" than Gao Jian's current state?
Even ordinary century-old ginseng has the miraculous effect of "saving lives," and is said to be able to "revive yang qi from near death and expel pathogenic factors in an instant," which shows the wonder of its medicinal power.

At this moment, what kind of being did Gao Jian swallow whole?
That was a plant that had absorbed the essence of heaven and earth for two thousand years, and had already become spiritual and transformed. It should have become a true "ginseng baby", possessing unfathomable supernatural powers, equivalent to opening the "essence gate" of a seventh-realm great demon!

Although its intelligence was erased by the ancestor of the same family using a secret method and it was refined into an evil weapon, its medicinal properties and vitality as the most original and powerful spiritual root of heaven and earth were not weakened. On the contrary, in the following decades, the same family carefully nourished and refined it with countless rare spiritual energies and plant essences, pushing its efficacy to a "Medicine King" level that even the original owner's ancestor could not fully fathom!
It was not originally intended for consumption, but rather as the "King of Medicines." Placed in the alchemy room, it could nourish all spiritual herbs, enhance the quality of all elixirs, and eliminate toxicity. The aura it emitted could even transform plants. Its value was immeasurable, an inexhaustible source that could ensure the prosperity of a family of physicians for generations! Even if it was occasionally needed for medicinal purposes, taking only a wisp of its ginseng root or a few drops of its juice would be an immense blessing. How could anyone waste such a precious resource by stewing this hen that lays golden eggs?
Unfortunately, Gao Jiancai disregarded the principles of family inheritance and long-term sustainability. In the face of life and death, how could he care about the future? He swallowed the priceless "Medicine King Ginseng" whole!

next moment--

Boom! ! !
It was as if a star composed of pure life essence had suddenly crashed into his parched and shattered dantian! An indescribable, boundless and immense essence of plants and medicinal power erupted like a submerged volcano that had been dormant for thousands of years, or like the Milky Way bursting its banks and overflowing, instantly sweeping over every corner of his body!
This power is pure and gentle, yet it carries the undeniable and domineering vitality unique to the spiritual roots of heaven and earth!

Miracles occurred wherever it went.

The charred, shrunken right arm, with its veins severed, was like a withered tree that had been parched for a long time and then received rain. The flesh and blood moved and regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye. The charred dead skin fell off, and the new skin shone with a healthy luster. The broken veins were forcibly reconnected and widened, and were even more resilient than before!

The sunken and shattered sternum, which caused excruciating pain with every breath, was enveloped by rich essence, emitting a faint "crack" sound. The fractures healed rapidly, becoming incredibly strong once again.

The depleted dantian, which resembled a cracked riverbed, was instantly filled and swollen by the surging pure primordial energy. It even began to compress and condense involuntarily, emitting a buzzing sound like the ocean tide!

The soul, which had been dimmed and damaged due to excessive consumption and suppressed by the talismans, was cleansed and purified under the nourishment of this gentle medicinal power. It instantly became clear and bright, and the light of the heart lamp suddenly surged, illuminating the sea of ​​consciousness. The power of those soul-suppressing talismans was forcibly forced back and weakened!
The hidden injuries to the internal organs, the fatigue in the limbs and bones, and even the fundamental damage caused by the previous self-eating of the left arm... were all frantically repaired, compensated for, and even strengthened by this incredible medicinal power!
His injuries and his depleted energy were completely restored almost in the blink of an eye! Moreover, he was in better condition than before, with his blood and energy surging like a dragon, his essence overflowing, and a faint radiance flowing beneath his skin!
However, this is far from over!

The medicinal power contained in that two-thousand-year-old medicinal ginseng was far too great, exceeding the amount needed to instantly repair his injuries.

The excess, boundless medicinal power surged and crashed wildly through his fully recovered meridians, like a runaway torrent, trying to find an outlet!
Om-! ! !
Gao Jian's aura began to rise uncontrollably, and the barrier of the seventh realm was teetering on the brink of collapse under the impact of this pure energy! His body felt like a balloon being inflated, his meridians throbbing with pain, and fine beads of sweat, rich in medicinal fragrance, even seeped from his skin!
"Uhhhhhh-!"

Gao Jian couldn't help but let out a long howl. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, like two golden lamps, so bright that the people around him could hardly look directly at him!
At this moment, not only were his injuries fully healed and his condition returned to its peak, but also, driven by the immense medicinal power, he reached an unprecedented level of strength!
And all of this happened in the blink of an eye!

From swallowing the ginseng doll to fully recovering from injuries and the medicine taking effect, it only took a breath or two!
It wasn't until Gao Jian's powerful roar rang out that the surrounding aristocratic experts snapped out of their extreme shock and heartache.

Especially the patriarch of the same family, whose heart was bleeding!

But now, they are no longer facing that prisoner who was at the mercy of others and on the verge of death.

Instead, it is a monster that is in full condition, even benefiting from the misfortune, and whose body contains terrifying drug power that is about to be released!

Gao Jian suddenly twisted his body!

Crash! Crash! Crash! Crack!

The chains, talismans, and restrictions that had bound him were as fragile as paper in the face of this sudden, even more powerful, restoration, which was now stronger than ever before. They were easily broken, shattered, and shattered!

He stretched his right arm, which had just been reborn and felt full of boundless power. His gaze swept over the stunned crowd before him, finally settling on the old ancestor of the same family, whose eyes were bloodshot, and Shui Wuyai and Wang Gang, whose faces were ashen.

(End of this chapter)