Chapter 1141: Another Unfortunate Soul

The advantage of spiritual talent is that you can take your time, but the downside is that you might die before fully refining it. In short, if you're aiming to touch the realm of immortality through this method, it's almost impossible.

To be precise, whether you're cultivating spirit or Inner Qi, neither can change the fact that time is insufficient. There's simply not enough time to refine your essence down to the cellular level. This is a problem that affects all life, whether they cultivate or not—time is never enough.

Xu Chu didn’t feel particularly moved by these words. What Huang Zhong described didn’t quite align with his own cultivation experience. For Huang Zhong, the spirit infused into the body outweighed both the Qi and the physical form, creating a sense of “as long as my mind endures, my body will remain.”

However, for Xu Chu, the presence of the spirit merely enhanced his control over his strength—it didn’t seem nearly as mystical as Huang Zhong described.

"Indeed, up until the Inner Qi Leaving the Body stage, the paths are largely the same, but once that threshold is crossed, everyone’s journey becomes unique," Xu Chu thought silently. He didn’t argue. After all, once someone breaks past the human limit, it makes sense that each individual would have a different path.

Of course, Xu Chu also understood that Huang Zhong wasn’t wrong about the framework of Inner Qi Leaving the Body. The powers of recovery were indeed extraordinary, and Huang Zhong’s explanation about how this recovery worked was largely accurate. But beyond that, every individual’s experience varied.

After all, each person had to carve their own way through uncharted territory. That’s why warriors like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Dian Wei, though considered rough around the edges, were exceptionally powerful—because their paths were custom-made for themselves. This generation of warriors forged their way through battle, making their path the most suited to them.

"Whether we drive our Inner Qi with spirit or strengthen our bodies with it, we are each walking the path most suitable for ourselves. There's no need to switch to someone else's path. Huang Zhong’s words are worth listening to, but they don’t apply to me," Xu Chu mused. Although he looked simple-minded, as a son of a powerful family, he was far from foolish.

In Chang'an’s Ma family residence, Ma Chao remained unconscious due to severe injuries. After Lü Bu ascended, Ma Teng had ordered Pang De to escort Ma Chao back to Chang'an to see if the imperial doctors could treat him. Though Ma Teng knew that seeking Hua Tuo or Zhang Zhongjing would be the best option, the timing wasn’t right.

Moreover, Pang De had repeatedly assured him that Ma Chao’s physical condition was stable, so Ma Teng was reassured, deciding to let the imperial doctors examine him first, and if they failed, he would then send him to Liu Bei’s care.

Thus, when Guan Yu visited the Ma family, Ma Chao had just been settled in by Pang De. Guan Yu's visit was quite public, aimed at signaling to Cao Cao the close ties between his faction and the Ma family, increasing Cao Cao’s concerns.

However, when Guan Yu arrived, the Ma family was in chaos. There was no sign of the usual festive atmosphere of the New Year, only a sense of panic.

“General Guan Yu is here to visit,” Guan Yu’s personal guard handed his name card to the Ma family. Though Guan Yu was ostensibly there to visit Ma Teng, everyone knew Ma Teng was absent. Guan Yu’s real intent was to check on Ma Yunlu, the young lady who had caught Zhao Yun’s attention.

Although the Ma family was in disarray, they couldn’t refuse entry to a guest like Guan Yu. With only Ma Yunlu remaining in the house, she personally came to the front door to greet him, leading to Guan Yu’s first meeting with Ma Yunlu.

What could be said? Ma Yunlu was indeed valiant and skilled, with a mix of fair skin and exotic beauty. However, in Guan Yu’s eyes, she was just average, prompting him to silently scoff at Zhao Yun’s taste in women.

Then again, Guan Yu reflected, Zhao Yun was incredibly handsome, well-built, and could effortlessly blend in with the scholars. Despite that, he was still a formidable warrior and an exceptional cavalry commander. In many ways, Zhao Yun seemed perfect.

So, when Guan Yu saw Ma Yunlu, who wasn’t particularly stunning, he felt like he had finally discovered a flaw in Zhao Yun—his ordinary taste in women.

“Lord Guan, please come inside,” Ma Yunlu bowed and gestured for him to enter. “My elder brother returned injured from the battlefield and is unable to receive guests. I beg your pardon.”

“Is Mengqi injured?” Guan Yu frowned slightly before relaxing. “Miss Ma, you need not worry. With your brother’s constitution, he will surely recover.”

“Thank you for your kind words,” Ma Yunlu replied with a faint smile but refrained from mentioning that Ma Chao had been unconscious for several days.

As Guan Yu entered, he noticed a group of doctors waiting in the courtyard. For a wealthy family like the Ma clan, having so many servants and medical personnel bustling about was highly unusual.

“Hm!” Guan Yu suddenly noticed a robust man exiting the main hall, and he paused, sensing a faint pressure from him. This man was none other than Pang De.

Pang De, upon seeing Guan Yu, was also taken aback but quickly realized who the visitor was. “I am Pang De, from Liangzhou, and I greet General Guan.”

If Guan Yu felt a slight pressure from Pang De, Pang De felt an even more chilling aura from Guan Yu. However, having survived the ordeal with Lü Bu, Pang De remained calm and collected.

As Pang De himself would say, having faced Lü Bu, no one else in the world could intimidate him—though it would be wise to keep a distance from individuals like Dian Wei, who could fight Lü Bu head-on.

“I didn’t expect General Ma to have such a mighty warrior under his command,” Guan Yu remarked, his voice even, but Pang De could sense a hint of praise within his words.

Guan Yu was keenly aware that Pang De’s strength had grown significantly since the time they last met in Ye City. Pang De now displayed almost no reaction to his imposing aura.

“General, please come inside. Mengqi is gravely injured and unable to rise from bed. I ask for your understanding,” Pang De said, assuming the role of steward in Ma Teng’s absence and with Ma Chao incapacitated. At this, Ma Yunlu didn’t say much.

Guan Yu was puzzled. To this day, he had never seen an injury so severe that it could incapacitate someone at the Inner Qi Leaving the Body stage.

“I have a military physician under my command, a direct disciple of Hua Tuo,” Guan Yu offered, genuinely curious about the extent of Ma Chao’s injuries.

It just so happened that Hua Tuo, besides researching pharmacology, was currently funded by the government to write medical texts and train disciples. As a result, he had many students, but only a few were considered his direct heirs. One of those direct disciples served under Guan Yu.

“That would be helpful,” Pang De agreed after a brief consideration. He understood why Guan Yu was curious. In truth, even Pang De himself was baffled—Ma Chao’s physical wounds had healed completely, yet he remained unconscious, which made no sense.

While Guan Yu sent someone to fetch the military physician Wu Pu, the doctor was busy at the time treating a commoner who had ingested something poisonous. As he worked, Wu Pu grumbled about the unsanitary conditions in Chang'an, where he had to gather his own herbs. After saving the poisoned man, he was immediately whisked away.

However, upon seeing Ma Chao, Wu Pu merely glanced at him before turning around to leave. Ma Chao was as strong as an ox and showed no signs of illness. If there was a problem, it had to be in his head—a place Wu Pu had no ability to treat. Wasting time on this case would be pointless when the filthy capital was full of patients who needed his help more.

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