Chapter 137: Essence of the Sun and Moon

The scene unfolding before my eyes completely stunned me. What on earth was happening? How could this be?

Terrified, I hurriedly tried to let go of the osmanthus tree, but my hand simply refused to detach from it. Watching the thumb-thick osmanthus tree wither and die in an instant, a wave of panic washed over me. I mustered all my strength and shook my arm violently several times before it finally broke free from my grip.

The flowerpot containing the osmanthus tree flew from my hand and crashed against the wooden door, producing a loud, clattering sound.

I gasped heavily for air, feeling a surge of warm current spread from the palm of my hand throughout my body. This warmth felt somewhat similar to when I first acquired the Yin-Absorbing Art from Yueyue, but the overall sensation was infinitely more comfortable.

The sound of the flowerpot striking the wooden door lured Wan'er into the room. Seeing me slumped over the bedside amid the utter mess on the floor, she lunged forward with a cry and threw her arms around my head, sobbing bitterly. "Brother, what are you trying to do?"

Auntie, Fatty, and the others also rushed in to check on me. Taking in the chaotic scene, they stood in silence, paralyzed. They had only witnessed what looked like a suicide attempt on my part, completely unaware of the profound mystery hidden beneath it.

"Wan'er! Wan'er, stay away from me! Keep your distance!" I had just drained an osmanthus plant to death with my bare hands; surely, this power would spell disaster for humans or ghosts alike.

"Brother, why would you do this? What would become of me if anything happened to you?" Wan'er wept, holding my head tightly.

Had it been any other time, I would have pulled her into a tight embrace, but now I did not dare. I was terrified that my hand would suck her life dry, just like that unfortunate osmanthus tree.

"Wan'er, Wan'er, I'm fine. I don't want to die anymore. Listen to me." I held my palms open, not daring to touch her.

"Y-you really don't want to die anymore?" Hearing my words, Wan'er finally checked her tears. She slowly released me and gazed at me through tear-stained eyes, looking like a pear blossom drenched in rain.

"You silly goose, I'm not going to die." At that moment, I felt a deep sense of peace settle into my heart. The chaotic currents in my elixir field had calmed, and best of all, I could actually feel a surge of strength returning to my hands. Even my previously numb legs seemed to be regaining a spark of sensation.

"Auntie, Auntie, I have something to tell you." Wan'er let go of me, and I called out to Auntie standing by the doorway.

With a sorrowful expression, Auntie walked over and gently squatted down beside me. "Dachuan, I understand your feelings, and I know how much pain you're carrying inside. Don't despair. Auntie will find a way, I will definitely cure you." Her words were so warm and comforting that they rivaled the love of a real mother.

"Auntie, look at this." I pointed toward the doorway at the osmanthus tree that had fallen out of its flowerpot. It was completely withered, its branches even twisted and deformed.

"This... what is going on?" Auntie's sharp eyes immediately caught the anomaly.

I recounted my bizarre experience just moments ago. My words left everyone completely dumbfounded, standing frozen in place like wooden chickens.

"How could this be? This is nothing short of a miracle! Could it be that you are absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, gathering the spiritual energy of the earth?" Without another word, Auntie sprinted outside and returned carrying a potted orchid. "Dachuan, grab a handful of this and let's see!"

Hesitating for a moment, I reached out and grasped the orchid. The miracle manifested instantly. Within mere seconds of my grip tightening, the orchid shriveled completely, turning into a clump of dry green straw. As I relaxed my palm, the withered grass crumbled into fine powder and drifted softly to the floor.

The onlookers grew even more astonished. Wan'er reached out and grabbed my hand. "You don't even have a fever!" With her innocent nature, she still thought I had somehow roasted the orchid with a high fever.

I hurriedly wrenched my hand away. "Wan'er, don't touch me." I was deathly afraid of accidentally draining her life force as well.

"Why not?" Wan'er pouted.

"I'm worried about you."

"I'm not afraid at all! While you were unconscious, I held your hand the whole time; when you were sleeping, I held your hand; and when I was grieving, I held your hand. There was never any danger," she argued.

That was indeed true. She had been tending to me tirelessly all these days, and no harm had ever come to her. What on earth was going on then? Did my ability only affect plants? Yueyue practiced the Yin-Absorbing Art to devour human souls, but I was devouring plant souls? Good grief! Do plants even have souls?

"Dachuan, tell me quickly, how does your body feel?" Auntie squatted by the bed, eyeing me intently.

"I feel a flow of energy inside my body. It's somewhat similar to when the Yin-Absorbing Art was first transferred from Yueyue, but my elixir field feels exceptionally comfortable. Moreover, I can actually feel strength returning to my limbs." I tried twitching my legs, and sure enough, they felt much stronger than before, with a distinctly sharper sense of feeling.

"Dachuan, you truly are extraordinary! This is wonderful! I understand now. You didn't fully absorb the Yin-Absorbing Art into yourself; the final surge of malignant yin energy was expelled, leaving behind only the pure capacity for absorption. You can now use the essence of these plants to repair your body, absorbing nothing less than the pure essence of heaven and earth!" Auntie said excitedly.

"Really? That is fantastic! Wan'er, Auntie, quickly find some more plants for me to absorb so I can recover faster!" It felt like a dream. The situation had shifted so abruptly and miraculously that I was now capable of absorbing the dual essences of the sun and moon.

Auntie shook her head. "Dachuan, don't rush. Take it one step at a time. Haste makes waste. You've already absorbed the vital breath of an osmanthus and an orchid today. I think you should let your body digest and adapt first, just to avoid any adverse reactions."

"Understood!" I replied joyfully, suddenly feeling as though the entire world had cleared up and brightened.

Auntie instructed Wan'er to take good care of me before heading out to the front shop with Fatty and Yueyue. Before leaving, she reminded me that as I gradually absorbed more and more energy from the sun and moon, not only would my physical health fully recover, but my martial cultivation would also soar. Once I was fully healed, I wouldn't even need to cultivate internal Qi from scratch—just practicing form and technique would suffice.

With Auntie gone to the shop, Wan'er became visibly excited, grabbing my hand and massaging it affectionately. "Brother, this is so wonderful that you've undergone such a change." I quickly withdrew my hand from hers. "Wan'er, it's still best if I don't touch you, lest I accidentally absorb your vital essence."

Wan'er leaned in and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. "I'm not afraid. It would be even better if the two of us melted into one."

Though I remained slightly anxious, I now understood that I possessed no such power over humans or ghosts. What I could absorb was strictly the vital essence of plant life.

Over the next few days, Wan'er pampered me with delicious meals, and under Auntie's guidance, I absorbed the essence of several plants every day. Sometimes it was a handful of foxtail grass, sometimes a cucumber; in short, as long as it was a fresh plant, my bare hands could draw out its life force and leave it withered.

By the fifth day, I performed a miracle and stood up. When I rose from the wheelchair with the support of Wan'er and Fatty, tears filled my eyes. Fate had given me a second chance at life.

"Wan'er, Fatty, help me outside for a walk." My heart swelled with emotion, completely enveloped in the exhilarating joy of a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Early autumn had already settled over the land. The Luo River outside the shop rushed onward with a murmuring sound, and the leaves on the willow trees by the entrance were beginning to turn yellow. Despite the sights of seasonal decay, I felt the world was profoundly beautiful! For the nineteen years I had lived, this was the very first time I felt such a sentiment, the very first time I found the world to be so breathtaking.

After strolling down the street for a short while, I began to pant heavily. Having not stood on my feet for so long, my muscles ached fiercely. Had Wan'er not diligently massaged them every day, they likely would have suffered permanent atrophy.

After completing our walk around the neighborhood, Auntie called us back inside. Following dinner, she supervised my rehabilitative exercises. Another month flew by in this manner, and during those thirty days, I underwent a complete metamorphosis, emerging as an entirely different person.

When I stood before the mirror, I could hardly believe my own reflection. I was much more solidly built than before, and the muscles across my frame had grown powerful and defined. Over the past month, under Auntie's tutelage, I had fully mastered the mutated Yin-Absorbing Art: I could absorb whenever I wished and stop whenever I pleased. In short, whenever I needed spiritual energy, I could draw it directly from flowers and grass. Auntie joked with a smile that since what I practiced was no longer the Yin-Absorbing Art, it should simply be renamed the Essence-Absorbing Art—with "essence" referring to the pristine dual essence of the sun and moon, rather than base desires.

The Divine Weapon of Fengchi, the Luoshui Ring, the Purple-Gold Colt, and now the Essence-Absorbing Art—I had completely transformed. I was no longer that frail, sickly spirit walker, that Wang Dachuan who wandered the streets arranging ghost marriages for the dead.

I now possessed the strength to protect my beloved.

I now possessed the strength to seek out and rescue my brother.

I now possessed the strength to avenge senior peers like Li Danian.

I!

Would march an army upon Dinglin Temple. It was time to settle every single score once and for all.