Meridian Opening Stage, as the name suggests, is about the opening of Meridian. There are a total of 12 Meridians inside the body and the more someone unlocks it, the more someone could unearth their potential.
This may be an insignificant aspect because this is the first stage of cultivation but later on, proves to be the most important aspect of someone's growth.
It is about how fast the absorption, how fast the circulation, and how fast the Spiritual Qi can be used. Someone who opened 10 had the potential of becoming an Emperor, 11 had the ability of an Emperor, and 12 was a Young Emperor. As for the 13th stage? They are beyond that.
Someone with poor talent could open 6-7, someone with an alright talent could open 8. Someone who opened 9 is a genius. That is the limit of Cultivation without the Order of Heaven itself. Yun Haoran opened 13 and Yong Yunzi's previous life, she opened 11 with the help of her Senior Brother and Master.
"This Path of Heaven is too different. Although we are bound to the 3rd Stage Meridian Opening until next month, it is about our foundation that makes the difference." Gu Yan said, looking at the monster before them.
He was not alone because three more Devils had weapons on them. They are using their Qi to empower those weapons. Their qi polluted the surroundings making the aura more chaotic because of the monster with those Devils corrupting the chaotic aura. It makes the Spiritual Qi unstable.
Those Devils however never cared for it but they even had a grin on their faces as they are naturally skilled at these environments. Like a freshwater fish diving in a freshwater river.
The Path of Heaven made sure to open the Meridian Opening a month per level for two reasons. It is to make sure that the low-leveled Meridian Opening Cultivators have a chance to fight those at the Qi Sea level.
That is the plan however at 2nd stage, Yun Haoran and Heaven stopped it for two months. They looked at the Path of Heaven and many people had unstable foundations. They finally both agreed on the same page.
Their only consolation is how even if they are bound, they could use their experiences like controlling Qi and their battle senses making them stronger than the true Meridian Opening.
The second reason is to let the Path of Heaven become stronger over time, to fix the errors that are causing it. It is also to prevent overheating and cause too much damage.
Like a rock that had been hit constantly by a raging river, or an RPG battle game that would lag because of how high level the skills of a player are. It may not cause a lag for the players but it would cause trouble for the server.
Although they would never nerf players. Nerfing an item in the real world is a must, however.
If Yun Haoran had not joined in looking and fixing the Path of Heaven, it would only be temporary and unusable because of the damage the people would cause.
This Heaven is inflexible but has the nature of Innovation and Ideas. Its essence is all about contradiction.
"But how do we defeat it? 10 Drops of Dragon Blood and 50 Comprehension Points to defeat a Meridian Opening 7th Stage? We could truly defeat it but I smell something suspicious. If there is a second, there must be a third." Gu Yan analyzes while attacking the monster.
It has a buffed body without an eye, no it had an eye but it was at the end of the strings that looked like tentacles. It looked at them with disdain. Hundreds of its eyes had the weight of two grown men. This monster is impossible for a Mortal to defeat. Even cultivators who formed groups cannot defeat it.
Its back is a fleshly wing that is harder than anything else they have seen. It cannot fly but it uses its wings like its hands.
It also had 4 hands on its left and a crab hand on its right. Its every swing is monstrous and has a deafening sound when it hits the ground.
"Hit that crab arm first." Gu Yan shouted then he leaped to the ground then instead of the right, he tried attacking the 4 arms.
Those three heeded his order and then attacked the crab arm but it was all futile because it was harder than anything and maybe Qi Sea could only penetrate them.
They had been hit by its eyes, others by its wings, or others straight up hit by its crab arms. They manage to fly without being a Grotto Heaven. How groundbreaking! A literal groundbreaking.
Gu Yan who was aiming for its arms had a fist rammed through his entire body making him sent flying. As a Meridian Opening, they could only strengthen themselves and their weapons.
Only by acquiring the Qi Sea realm could they actually release a Qi capable of turning this buffed giant into smithereens.
They are, however all a Qi Sea Cultivator.
Their pure Qi could be used to slash the air and create attacks capable of injuring the monster. Although it was Gu Yan's plan, it failed.
Gu Yan who looked at the monster after being sent flying had now a devouring spirit in his eyes. He then mumbled, "Heaven Devouring, First Form. Claws of A Predator."
Gu Yan who had claws made of Qi and an Intent pounced again to the giant. The giant who would not let anything used its crab claws swinging them to bring Gu Yan down. Gu Yan looked at the monster with contemptuous eyes as it looked down upon the Monster.
Gu Yan is from the same generation as Yun Haoran, but he is older. He was 27 this year and his original realm is Qi Sea 9th Stage. He just recently acquired the 9th Stage. He could break through into Grotto Heaven when he devoured more materials.
With his acquisition of 'Memories', he now wanted to break through the 10th stage of the Meridian Opening.
He was also strong. Chen Xiu of the Heavenly Demon Sect of Demon Cultivators and Gu Yan of Gu Clan from Devil Cultivators, there is no saying who would win or who would lose.
There is something in common between the two, they are in the Shadow of Yun Haoran who kept his life in a low-key position for a decade. No one knows why but if he finally emerged, those who held grudges against him would kill him without a trace.
So when he used a technique he slashed through the crab's arms with ease. From one fell swoop, the arms had been gone and its body had been pierced through all the wounds, bleeding from all sides. It had no 4 arms on its left nor a crab's arms on its right. Its eyes had also been cut.
Those hundreds of eyes had been slashed mercilessly, it all dropped down that now it has the emotions known to man as fear.
This was not actually his regular technique but an awakened one when he dreamt of that menacing killing intent that surrounded the world.
His choice of equipment is a cloak that can make him jump higher and faster. There are more capabilities of it but it was the most basic of them all. He had versatile choices of techniques so his cloak should also have that capability as well.
He panted and then ordered them, "Finish it. Hahh, hahh." He looked at his own hands and thought, 'It seems I needed more practice.'
The Devil's nodded then laughed as they assaulted the giant buff. The giant who lost all of its hands uses its legs to fight but without those eyes, he now cannot see. Its eyes are shaking like it was rattling because of all of its weight.
It had been sensing the bloodlust of the Devils but it was for naught because of how it bled. It would have died but Gu Yan made sure it would die with regrets.
For punching him. The Prince of the Devil is one heck of someone who tried to revenge for even the smallest of convenience. His pettiness is beyond clouds and Yun Haoran makes sure to hunt him for him to create an oath.
He was also healing and devouring countless blood pills. The pills returned him from his peak because when the giant buff guy had died, no notification had alarmed him. This is where his entire being readied itself for a more merciless battle ahead.
"Ready yourself for its second coming." Gu Yan ordered again while his red cloak became black. He has a seriousness and killing intent that his subordinates feel.
Then an aura of might assaulted them again. Much harder this time. The three devils had a terrified expression on their faces as they thought that the world would be crumbling into dust.
There, from its corpse is a human-like figure without an eye. It had a blade as its hands and an insect's wings on its back. It had no eyes but its mouth had mucus coming from it.
It also had only a leg without a foot. It had a sphere instead of a foot. Gu Yan felt it too for the second time because he thought that the first stage was finished.
When it appeared, he was also killed without any chance of retaliation. He needed to spend one day to come again to the Path of Heaven.
"I'll devour you." He said while looking at the monster before him.
The monster only smiled and then vanished to which it appeared before Gu Yan before delivering a blow, the blade-like sword that would definitely slice Gu Yan into two had nothing from it.
Gu Yan vanished and he appeared at his team again. The monster vanished and then appeared at them like the second time it used its hands to slash at his enemies. Gu Yan who was ready for the second time uses its brought opening to punch it in the gut.
The monster smiled disdainfully and then disappeared.
—
"That monster, are you sure it is beatable?" The white being asked, looking at the fight. He was fixing some errors because of the First Boss's appearance at this stage.
"Yep, that is beatable. 10 drops of Dragon Blood and 50 Comprehension is not a joke. So let them challenge it. If someone fights it solo, I'll even applaud him." Yun Haoran said while looking at the fight that is happening right now.
"But their true fight is not that but something when they defeat it." He added.
"We are impressed at the chaos you wanted to bring in this round of the Path of Heaven. Even if they worked hard for it, someone would get it in the end. No, they could get it if they are fast enough." The white being nodded his head in understanding.
"Right but the moment when the Devil discovered it is more impressive. Like fate fooling themselves just not to get it." Yun Haoran praises their destiny, mocking it at them.
"I designed it but it looks like you don't want them to get it?" He added with a grin on his face.
Heaven could only look at him and say, "We did not intend it, it is their fate and also their karma. Karma that they needed to carry because of the things they had done throughout generations."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it, I get it. Sheesh." Yun Haoran said watching them fighting. They are being destroyed but not without any counterattack because the monster has one remaining arm. Gu Yan had his Devil Transformation but not in physical form, only its image.