In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 443 A Flower Blooms, Like a Star, Like a Furnace
What surprised Gu Shaoan the most was that although the Dragon Essence Liquid could increase a martial artist's power, the Dragon Essence within it could also help temper a martial artist's own essence.

Gu Shaoan still has a small portion of the "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" power within his body that has not been completely refined.

Taking other drugs to enhance one's abilities would be more harmful than beneficial to Gu Shaoan.

However, this Dragon Essence Liquid can help martial artists temper their essence, so it would naturally be beneficial and harmless for Gu Shaoan to take it.

With a thought, a miniature jade bottle, about an inch long and carved entirely from mutton-fat white jade, appeared in Gu Shaoan's hand.

Opening the bottle, Gu Shaoan's internal energy surged through his fingers, and the energy he generated directly drew out a drop of fiery red liquid, the size of a broad bean.

At the same time, a unique fragrance wafted into Gu Shaoan's nose.

Among the master-level medical skills that Gu Shaoan acquired, there were also fragments of information related to the Dragon Essence.

Therefore, Gu Shaoan knew that although these dragon essences had a great tonic effect, they also contained a special blood poison.

What's most peculiar is that once these blood toxins enter the human body, they invade the bloodstream and form a kind of mad blood, causing people to become enraged and bloodthirsty due to the influence of these blood toxins.

However, this Dragon Essence Liquid is obtained by purifying the essence within the Dragon Essence, and the blood toxins within it are also removed during the refining process, so there is no need to worry about its impact.

After observing the small amount of Dragon Essence Liquid in front of him for a while, Gu Shaoan put it into his mouth.

The moment the Dragon Essence Liquid entered the mouth, there was no unbearable bloody smell; instead, it carried a fresh, herbal fragrance.

However, the moment the Dragon Essence Liquid entered his stomach, Gu Shaoan felt as if this drop of Dragon Essence Liquid was like a grain of red gold that had sunk to the bottom of a lake, suddenly exploding into a tsunami, with surging energy rising up and then rushing along the meridians.

Gu Shaoan's mind sharpened, and he immediately circulated his internal energy.

Under the refinement of the罡元 (罡元 is a type of internal energy), Gu Shaoan's own power is also increasing in a significant manner.

However, as his power was continuously refined, a special energy seemed to flow upwards along Gu Shaoan's internal energy, causing his own innate internal energy to become even more solid.

However, compared to the changes in his skill level, Gu Shaoan could feel the more dramatic changes in his own blood and qi.

Under the influence of the Dragon Essence energy, Gu Shaoan could clearly feel that the power of his blood and qi was "boiling".

Gu Shaoan could even feel the sound of his own blood flowing.

After an incense stick had burned, Gu Shaoan could clearly feel that the power of his internal energy had suddenly increased by nearly double.

Even now, the energy of the Dragon Essence Liquid in his body has not been completely consumed.

Moreover, the energy within the Dragon Essence Liquid is extremely special. It can both enhance and refine Gu Shaoan's Qi and Blood Power, making it seem as if Gu Shaoan has grown through painstaking cultivation bit by bit, without any of the superficiality that comes from using drugs to improve it.

Later on, Gu Shaoan could almost "see" the flow of his internal energy and blood. Instead of flowing in all directions, they rushed down to his lower dantian like rivers flowing into the sea.

Upon internal observation, Gu Shaoan could clearly see that his lower dantian was no longer as clear and spacious as before, but was filled with layers of surging blood mist.

The blood mist was so thick it was almost viscous, sometimes swirling like a cloud tide, sometimes churning like a crimson ribbon, and faintly gleaming with a heavy, lead-like sheen, rising and falling with his breath.

And in the center of this blood mist lies the "seed of essence".

What was originally no bigger than a finger joint has now grown to the size of a fist, round and full. Its surface is no longer smooth as a mirror, but instead shows rings of extremely fine lines, which resemble tree rings or meridians, layer upon layer, subtly resonating with a certain life rhythm.

Whenever the surging blood mist touches the surface of the essence seed, the patterns on it glow slightly, and then absorb the power of blood and qi.

It wasn't swallowed in a hurry.

Like a seed absorbing moisture in the winter soil, slowly but surely.

Slow doesn't mean weak. Gu Shaoan could clearly feel that the seed was like a bottomless well, steadily receiving and pressing down any amount of blood and energy that flowed into it.

Just then, the essence seed in the lower dantian, which had been tirelessly absorbing the surrounding qi and blood, suddenly trembled slightly.

"Boom, boom, boom"

It was like a heartbeat, or like the drumbeats coming from the depths of the earth. With each tremor, the blood mist in the lower dantian would pause.

Immediately afterwards, the Qi and blood in Gu Shaoan's body seemed to be suddenly seized by an invisible giant hand. Instead of slowly sinking, it was frantically drawn out, gathered, and poured into his lower dantian.

The feeling was extremely obvious, as if all the flesh and blood in the body were "pouring" down to the lower dantian.

Gu Shaoan, who was observing this process, couldn't help but gasp.

If it weren't for the fact that the energy of the Dragon Essence Liquid within Gu Shaoan's body was still continuously transforming into more Qi and Blood Power, in just a few breaths, the Qi and Blood Power surging into his lower dantian would have been enough to drain Gu Shaoan dry, and even affect his foundation.

Within the lower dantian, the blood mist suddenly solidified.

The blood and qi power that originally looked like a blood mist has now become more solid, like countless strands of willow branches.

These millions of blood threads, condensed from the power of qi and blood, are now swirling and coiling around the essence seed, becoming denser and thicker, until they completely envelop the essence seed, transforming it into a dark red, iron-like blood cocoon that floats and sinks.

The moment the blood cocoon took shape, Gu Shaoan's aura suddenly sank.

From the outside, he appeared to be sitting motionless, but inside his body, it was as if a furnace was roaring. Within the blood cocoon, qi and blood churned, while outside the blood cocoon, qi circulated throughout the body. The two resonated with each other, subtly forming a cycle of "refining blood with qi and nourishing qi with blood".

Time passed little by little.

Two hours later, the blood cocoon in Gu Shaoan's lower dantian finally changed.

First, tiny cracks spread out from the top of the blood cocoon like spider silk. Then, a purer crimson-gold luster seeped out from the cracks. The light was not dazzling, but it had a clear brightness like the first sprout breaking through the soil after spring thunder.

"Click".

Suddenly, a clearer, soft sound emerged from Gu Shaoan's lower dantian.

During Gu Shaoan's observation, a small crack suddenly appeared at the top of the blood cocoon formed by the essence and blood energy.

Immediately afterwards, a tender sprout emerged from the crack.

The sprouts were extremely small, only the length of a grain of rice, yet their color was exceptionally vibrant, a reddish-gold hue, like fire burning in blood, or life hidden within fire.

It first swayed gently, as if trying to find its way, then suddenly straightened up, forcefully widening the crack.

The blood cocoon swelled, and more cracks spread out. Tender buds sprouted.

Two points, three points, half an inch...

The bud tip slightly forked, and a pair of extremely thin leaves sprouted from it.

The leaves are not as soft as ordinary leaves, but rather like two thin jade blades with clear veins and a subtle sharpness.

As they opened and closed, the blood mist in the lower dantian spun even faster, as if being pulled by leaves, actively flowing into the blood cocoon.

This is sprouting.

After the buds form, branches will grow.

The roots of the tender shoot gradually thickened, transforming into a short main stem. Fine textures appeared on the surface of the main stem, corresponding to the "annual rings" on the surface of the fine seed, as if things of the same origin were being recombined.

With each inch the main stem grew, Gu Shaoan could feel the flow of qi and blood throughout his body becoming smoother, and the heavy feeling of lead and mercury did not diminish, but instead became more condensed and stable.

Subsequently, lateral branches grow from above the main stem.

One, two, three.
Each branch that sprouts is like a pillar erected in the lower dantian, giving the surging blood mist a support, preventing it from scattering, and instead forming an orderly swirling around the branch.

Once the branches are formed, the idea of ​​flowers begins to take shape.

Half an hour passed.

The blood cocoon suddenly trembled violently.

"Om-"

A deep, resonant sound emanated from the lower dantian. In an instant, the blood cocoon was peeled away layer by layer as if sliced ​​by an invisible blade, turning into a sky full of blood mist fragments, which were then absorbed back by the branch.

After the blood cocoon disappeared, what was revealed inside was no longer the seed originally formed from the power of blood and qi, but a "flower".

Its shape resembles a lotus, with a red gold "fire core" condensed in the center, like a star or a furnace. The petals unfold layer by layer, with nine petals forming a circle. The petal patterns resemble sword marks or meridians, and the edges are slightly shiny, as if naturally sharp.

The branches beneath the flower are stable, and the roots are completely connected to the lower dantian (energy center), forming a self-generating cycle.

The moment the essence seed condensed into a flower, Gu Shaoan's blood and qi circulation suddenly changed.

The Qi and blood are no longer restless and surging, but rather as heavy as lead and as smooth as mercury. When they flow, they have a cold and heavy metallic texture, yet they are full of vitality, becoming stronger and stronger as they flow and more stable as they turn.

Gu Shaoan felt his limbs and bones being washed over by this new life force again and again, his muscles and bones becoming more resilient, his internal organs more stable, and even his skin and membranes seemed to be tightened again, with a sharp increase in load-bearing capacity.

He slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear and bright, yet a faint crimson-gold radiance flashed within them.

Feeling the luminous flow in his lower dantian, like stars and a furnace, even Gu Shaoan couldn't help but show a hint of joy on his face.

"As expected of something refined from dragon essence, just one drop can have such an effect."

Gu Shaoan knew that the Dragon Essence Liquid could increase a martial artist's own blood and qi, but he did not expect its effect to be so powerful.

She actually helped Gu Shaoan cultivate his sperm into a flower.

The power of blood and qi brought by just this one drop of Dragon Essence Liquid is completely equivalent to what Gu Shaoan has gained from three or four years of cultivation.

Moreover, through this drop of Dragon Essence Liquid, Gu Shaoan not only increased his power by another ten years, but also completely refined the remaining "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" from Huang Xuemei's body, merging it with the Gang Yuan within Gu Shaoan's body.

After a short while, Gu Shaoan slowly raised his hand.

With a slight twitch of his fingertips, a wisp of sword energy, about an inch long, suddenly leaped from his fingertips.

The sword energy was still sharp, but unlike Gu Shaoan's previous sword energy which was pure gold, this wisp of sword energy was gold with a touch of deep, dark blood. When it was suspended in the air, it gave people a sense of weight.

As Gu Shaoan flicked his finger, the sword energy emitted a muffled sound of air being torn apart and landed on a one-zhang-high boulder five zhang away.

"despair."

There was no earth-shattering noise.

The sound was so soft it was almost like a raindrop falling on a stone.

But the moment the sword energy touched the stone, a tiny point suddenly appeared where the sword energy touched the rock, spreading outwards in dense, fine lines before suddenly exploding.

A ring of grayish-white stone powder surged outwards like waves, shaking the ground and causing fine gravel to jump up and fall back down.

The rock, which was originally ten feet high, collapsed into a low pile of ash in an instant, as if it had never stood at all.

Gu Shaoan's eyes flickered, and in a flash, he was already in front of the pile of dust.

He squatted down and lightly touched the powder with his fingertips. The powder was as fine as flour, and there were some irregular stones mixed in with it.

"not bad!"

As the essence seed condensed into a flower, the power of qi and blood became completely solidified, allowing Gu Shaoan to control this power of qi and blood at will, just like the罡元 (gāngyuán, a type of internal energy).

Moreover, every strand of Qi and blood carries Gu Shaoan's own skill of "making light things seem heavy".

Just like that wisp of sword energy, which seemed as thin as a willow branch, it actually carried immense power, enough to crush that ten-foot-high boulder in one go.

If it is mobilized at full strength, its power is unimaginable.

But then, Gu Shaoan frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in his mind.

However, before Gu Shaoan could think further, he seemed to have sensed something and suddenly turned his head to look at a tree on his right.

Suddenly, Zhang Sanfeng appeared under the tree, holding a string of candied hawthorns with only one candied hawthorn remaining.

At its feet were several empty wooden sticks.

(End of this chapter)