Chapter 4110 — The Art of Creation

Before he could finish, Di Xingdao already understood what Tianchan meant, and he was struck dumb. "What? You and Tianchan are... that? And you both came up from the mortal world together?"

Wei Zhao was no less astonished. "I never imagined it either—that Lord Tian was actually Xiaohan's kin..."

With the misunderstanding cleared away, Di Xingdao immediately withdrew his aura. Gazing at Wei Zhao's youthful face, he sighed with feeling. "The waves behind drive the waves before—there's no truer saying. Wei Zhao, to possess such medical skill at your age is truly beyond belief. If I'm not mistaken, you could have healed me completely; you merely held back just now out of caution, did you not?"

At these words, Hou Guanqi and the others were even more dumbfounded. In their eyes, Wei Zhao's ability to heal Di Xingdao's right arm alone was already an extraordinary feat—and yet he had still been holding back?

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Wei Zhao could not bring himself to lie, and so he nodded somewhat awkwardly. Had he known earlier that Lord Tian was Tianchan's kin, he would never have deliberately kept a trick in reserve.

At this, everyone was all the more moved—even Di Xingdao himself found it hard to credit. He had only been guessing, probing; in theory, if Wei Zhao could restore the meridians of his right arm, he could surely restore those elsewhere as well. But theory was theory—to actually accomplish it was as hard as scaling the heavens.

Wasting no more words, Wei Zhao at once set about healing Di Xingdao again. Now that they were family, there was no need for scruples, no need to keep things hidden anymore.

This time, Wei Zhao held nothing back. The process lasted a full four hours, until the sky was nearly dark, before it was finally complete.

Feeling the meridians within him that seemed born anew, Di Xingdao was so shaken he could not move. The heaven-and-earth spiritual energy drawn in that instant transformed into true qi and coursed through his meridians—that familiar, long-lost sensation nearly overwhelmed this one-time legendary expert, and tears streamed down his aged face.

Watching from the side, Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan were struck speechless with shock. Even their master, Zhang Lifeng, possessed no such heaven-defying power to wrest creation itself from the world!

"Seniors, might I trouble you to examine Lord Tian and see whether any hidden dangers remain within him?" Wei Zhao said.

It was not modesty on his part. Though all seemed well, Lord Tian's former cultivation rank had been what it was—perhaps some imperceptible aftereffects remained. Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan were both masters of the medical way, seasoned and experienced, precisely suited to help with a re-examination.

"Of course," Hou Guanqi and the other said with a nod. They had been burning with curiosity anyway, and for such a matter they would not shirk the duty.

While the two conducted a thorough examination of Di Xingdao, Wei Zhao stood to one side chatting with Tianchan, carefully learning everything that had happened to her of late.

The results left Wei Zhao both gratified and quietly furious. He was gratified that, though Tianchan had been forced into a ghost marriage, she had suffered no real harm—rather, she had gained an extra layer of protection. What infuriated him was that Zheng Dongjue and Zheng Tianshuo—those two were simply courting death!

Zheng Tianshuo especially. The scum was plainly scheming after Tianchan, and this was beyond all forbearance. Sooner or later he must find a chance to stamp out this threat in the bud.

As they spoke, Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan finished their examination of Di Xingdao and exclaimed in admiration, "Young friend Wei Zhao, your medical skill is truly peerless. Lord Tian's meridians are now no different from those of an ordinary man—only, having been injured so long, his body is still somewhat unaccustomed. With a good period of rest and recuperation, he should recover as good as new!"

"That's good to hear. I was afraid some aftereffect might linger," Wei Zhao said with a nod and a smile.

Hou Guanqi glanced up at the sky outside, then said to Di Xingdao and Wei Zhao, "Lord Tian, it grows late. My junior brother Cai and I still must go back to discuss the matter of the Middle Island auction gala, so we won't linger here. We'll come see you again tomorrow."

"Then... I'll be going back as well. Rest well, Lord Tian," Tianchan said, following suit. In name she was, after all, a daughter-in-law of the Zheng family, and could not spend the night away.

"Very well, then I won't see you out," Di Xingdao said with a nod, then turned to Wei Zhao. "I live alone here in any case—why not stay the night with me, Wei Zhao, and keep an old man company for a chat? What do you say?"

Wei Zhao was taken aback. Since Hou Guanqi and Cai Zhongxuan had proper business to discuss and no time to arrange anything for him, it made sense to stay the night here instead. He agreed at once. "Very well. Forgive me, then, for imposing."

Di Xingdao laughed heartily. "You're the great benefactor who gave me a second life. That you're willing to spend a little more time with this old man is something I could only wish for—what talk of imposing?"

Everyone exchanged smiles. Wei Zhao saw the others out on Di Xingdao's behalf, and before leaving, Tianchan lingered in his arms, reluctant to part, holding him for a long while before finally separating, with a promise to meet again the next morning.

Back in the room, Wei Zhao and Di Xingdao sat facing each other, talking of all things under heaven like friends who had forgotten the difference in their years. Though Di Xingdao had only just recovered from grave injury, his spirits were high and his desire to talk strong—having his illness of so many years suddenly cured, now was the time to share his joy.

"Lord Tian, forgive my curiosity—how did you come by this injury? To damage the meridians to such a degree is truly rare in this world," Wei Zhao said.

At this, Di Xingdao sighed with feeling. "You've likely heard something of the matter of the Art of Creation. These meridians of mine were injured precisely from cultivating that Art of Creation."

"The Art of Creation!" Wei Zhao was startled at heart. From the other's words, could the rumors actually be true—that cultivating the Art of Creation truly turns one into a cripple?

After all, what he himself cultivated now was precisely the Art of Creation—only, he had rebuilt it upon the foundation of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Formula.

"Indeed. The Art of Creation is a cultivation formula handed down from ancient times. Yet for the vast majority of people, it is a useless formula that simply cannot be cultivated. No one takes it seriously, and no one would cultivate this Art of Creation that has become a laughingstock—except for roving cultivators like me, born of cultivator tribes with no other choice." A trace of nostalgic regret entered Di Xingdao's expression as he spoke on, fluently and at ease.

Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback. He had never heard this before—that Di Xingdao, this legendary figure, had also risen from humble beginnings as a lowly roving cultivator.

"At first, I too was at a loss, but I was unwilling to sink into obscurity just like that. I tried every method imaginable, even at the risk of my life. In the end, heaven did not disappoint the diligent—I actually managed to grope my way to a method of cultivating by means of the Art of Creation. Though my progress was far from as smooth as other cultivators', I could still slowly cultivate my way forward. To me at that time, this alone was a remarkable discovery." Di Xingdao recalled. (To be continued) R655