A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

It's no wonder that Zhou Jianguo and Liu Ming reacted so erratically; the number Ji Zuodao mentioned was beyond the comprehension of "common sense."

The three stages of Qi cultivation—opening the orifices, unblocking the meridians, and reaching the spiritual sea—are collectively referred to by Qi practitioners as the "Three Realms of Foundation Building."

It is the starting point of the path to transcendence, and of paramount importance.

The so-called "enlightenment" is to draw upon the spiritual energy scattered between heaven and earth through breathing techniques.

Using internal energy as a hammer, repeatedly strike and knock on those dormant "gateways" deep within the human body—the acupoints.

Occasionally, a lucky person might accidentally ingest a rare and precious herb, and under the influence of its immense spiritual power, some of their acupoints might be passively opened.

With each new opening, a faint connection is formed between the human body and the universe.

Even without actively activating one's inner energy, as long as one calms the mind and adopts a relaxed posture such as "five hearts facing the sky," spiritual energy will flow in through these open "gates" with each breath, subtly nourishing the body and soul.

Enlightenment itself does not immediately make one incredibly strong or magically powerful.

At most, it can make one's hearing and eyesight sharper, one's body stronger and healthier, and one's thinking more agile.

Therefore, the common saying "this child has suddenly become enlightened" originates from this.

Only by opening a sufficient number of acupoints and attracting enough spiritual energy can one have the resources to attempt the even more perilous "Meridian Opening" realm.

Using the spiritual energy drawn in through acupoints as a drill, it repeatedly washes over and expands the Ren and Du meridians, which are the most core and stubborn parts of the human body.

Once these two meridians are opened, the spiritual energy within the body can circulate independently, and the circulation of energy through the microcosmic and macrocosmic orbits will no longer be hindered.

Only then can the foundation for opening up the "spiritual sea" and storing a massive amount of spiritual power be established.

In short, the beginning of spiritual practice can be likened to building a pond and storing water:

The acupoints are the inlets of the pool, the meridians are the pipes that transport the water, and the spiritual sea is the final pool where the water is stored.

The more and larger the inlets, the more "fresh water" will flow in per unit of time.

The larger the "pool" that can eventually be filled, the more limitless its future potential will be.

As the saying goes, a tall building rises from the ground.

The depth of the foundation laid in the Enlightenment Realm almost directly determines how far a Qi cultivator can go in the future.

Ordinary independent cultivators or disciples from small sects who can open more than a hundred acupoints are considered promising talents.

The true teachings of prestigious schools often pursue the full opening of all 365 acupoints to achieve "the perfection of the Small Heavenly Circuit," which is a universally recognized and theoretically perfect foundation.

And seven hundred and twenty orifices...

This is beyond what "perfect" can describe.

This is simply unheard of.

But if it is true, then Ji Zuodao has built a "super foundation" with an astonishing throughput that should not exist in theory.

Zhou Jianguo's gaze behind his glasses was unfathomable, and it fell back on Ji Zuodao's still somewhat childish and even shy face.

This kid... what kind of heaven-defying methods did his three masters use, and how many unbelievable rare and precious materials did they put in to create such a freak?

"If I'm not mistaken—"

Zhou Jianguo rubbed his temples, seemingly trying to dispel the feeling of unreality.

"Besides the 365 acupoints on the twelve regular meridians... you also opened those 'extraordinary acupoints' scattered outside the meridians, in tricky locations, and even extremely dangerous ones?"

"Hehe, Mr. Zhou, you truly have keen insight and can see things very clearly."

Ji Zuodao promptly offered a well-behaved yet slightly obsequious smile.

Looking at him like this, Zhou Jianguo couldn't help but rub his temples again and mutter to himself:

"Those three old devils... they really are..."

He paused, seemingly unable to find a more fitting word, and finally let out a complex sigh.

"Eh~ This goes beyond just being 'unorthodox'."

"Extraordinary acupoints outside the meridians?!"

Liu Ming, who was standing next to him, finally snapped out of his shock at the number "seven hundred and twenty" and caught the more crucial information. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"No... Brother Ji, really? You dare to activate those extra meridian points?! Are those things something you can just move around on like that?!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief:

"Other things are one thing! But the temples! And the area between your eyebrows! How dare you hit those two spots?!"

"If either of these two places goes wrong, at best you'll suffer mental and spiritual damage and become an idiot, at worst you'll die on the spot from a head explosion!"

Seeing Liu Ming's horrified expression, Ji Zuodao's innocent look vanished instantly, replaced by a resentful look of unbearable memories.

"Do you think I want this?"

He pursed his lips, his tone filled with the helplessness of being tricked.

"At that time, I was young and ignorant. My three masters coaxed and deceived me, saying things like, 'When the temples open, the mind becomes clear and understanding increases,' and 'When the Yintang acupoint opens, the third eye naturally arises, allowing one to see through falsehoods'..."

They painted a huge picture of a pie, making me so hungry I was dizzy, and then I unwittingly believed their lies.

"And then...it opened?"

Liu Ming subconsciously pressed for an answer, even though he already knew in his heart that the answer would not be pleasant.

"Open it? It's not that easy!"

Ji Zuodao rolled his eyes and pointed to his head.

"The first time I had my temples pierced, my skull was practically blown off! I was bedridden for half a month, and it was only thanks to my master's soul-nourishing incense that I didn't become an idiot."

He paused, his resentment deepening.

"And guess what? I had barely gotten out of bed and was still catching my breath when my second master came over with a newly prepared 'Pain-Relieving and Mind-Awakening Soup,' claiming it was to 'consolidate the therapeutic effect and finish the job'... and then, it happened again."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ming gasped, as if he could feel the same way, and instinctively covered his temple.

Just imagining that kind of pain made his brain go numb.

"You're practically Superman..."

Liu Ming's gaze toward Ji Zuodao had changed from initial shock to a complex mix of fear and a hint of admiration.

The pain of enlightenment is excruciating, making you want to bang your head against a wall. Moreover, the further you progress, the greater the test of your will and endurance becomes, which is simply inhuman torture.

A trace of unbearable pain appeared on his face:

"To be honest, I've only opened 357 acupoints myself. The last few, those near the groin, I didn't dare open..."

"When I had one ruptured, the pain was so intense I almost died on the spot! That feeling... ugh..."

Liu Ming squeezed his legs together, his expression contorted.

"It's like being hit hard in the groin with a Rising Dragon Fist! That lingering sadness... I never want to experience it again in my life!"

Therefore, he simply could not imagine it—

How did Ji Zuodao, who looks even a bit frail, manage to carve open more than three hundred "extraordinary acupoints" that are even more remote, dangerous, and theoretically should never be touched?

This goes beyond mere willpower; it's an extreme level of self-discipline that's downright appalling!

Ji Zuodao looked at Liu Ming's distorted expression of empathy, and simply shrugged indifferently, as if to say, "You'll get used to it."