Otherworldly Medicine King

Chapter 4: When Poison Shatters, and Life Awakens

Nolan King did not loosen his grip.

He could not afford to.

Between his thumb and index finger, the Heaven Needle continued to rotate in a calm, controlled rhythm. It spun smoothly, almost effortlessly, as if it were part of him rather than a tool held in his hand. Its slender golden body caught the faint light of the room, releasing a quiet hum. Soft. Low. Easy to ignore if someone was not paying close attention.

But Nolan was listening.

His body was listening too.

Across his chest, arms, legs, and back, the remaining eight golden needles embedded in his flesh began to react. They did not jerk or rattle. They did not shake wildly.

They trembled.

Gently at first, then with growing intent, as though responding to a signal only they could hear.

Nine needles.

Nine hidden acupoints.

Heart Sea.

Bright Jade.

Celestial Hall.

Shadow Court.

Dragon Crest.

Spirit Gate.

Sun Peak.

Lost Well.

Elowen.

On their own, each point was meaningless. Just flesh, blood, nerves, and energy. Nothing that could change a man’s fate.

Together, they were something else entirely.

They formed a complete internal circuit. A living network woven through Nolan King’s meridians, blood vessels, breath, and bones. Each point fed into the next, creating a closed loop that turned his body into a single unified system.

And at the very center of that system stood one core point.

The Inner Nexus.

That was the key.

By controlling the Inner Nexus through the Heaven Needle, Nolan forced the other eight acupoints to align. Perfect synchronization. No delay. No deviation.

This technique allowed no mistakes.

One shallow breath.

One flicker of doubt.

And the backlash would not simply injure him. It would tear him apart from the inside out.

The Ninefold Golden Needle Art was cruel in that way.

Once it began, hesitation was no longer an option.

The needles began to resonate with one another.

A subtle vibration spread through Nolan’s body, starting from his fingertips and rippling inward. It was not painful yet. Just present. Like the low rumble of distant thunder.

Then came the heat.

At first, it barely registered. A mild warmth beneath the skin, like embers buried deep under ash. Quiet. Patient. Waiting.

His pulse quickened.

His skin warmed.

His breathing slowed, becoming deeper, steadier, more deliberate.

Minutes slipped by.

Then, without any warning, Nolan’s fingers moved faster.

The Heaven Needle accelerated.

The response was immediate.

The Earth Needle and the remaining seven golden needles reacted as one. Their trembling intensified sharply, escalating into violent resonance. The air in the room vibrated as a sharp, layered buzzing filled the space, like thousands of wings beating together in a confined chamber.

Sweat burst from Nolan’s pores.

It soaked his hair, streamed down his face, and drenched his clothes in moments. Thin rivulets ran down his spine. Faint wisps of steam rose from his head, curling into the air before vanishing.

Inside his body, chaos erupted.

His meridians surged as if boiling water had been poured directly through them. Blood thundered through his veins, slamming against vessel walls with terrifying force. Deep within him, a dull rolling sound echoed, like thunder trapped inside flesh.

Then something changed.

Slowly.

Unmistakably.

The medicinal power that had been lodged in his body for more than a decade finally began to melt.

That power had once been praised by countless healers. Compressed. Dense. Incredibly valuable. Physicians had called it a miracle accumulation, a blessing that most cultivators could only dream of.

They had all been wrong.

It had been poisoning him.

Day by day. Year by year.

Now, under the relentless resonance of the Ninefold Golden Needle Art, it softened. It liquefied. It flowed like molten ice, guided with merciless precision toward the Elowen acupoint.

At the doorway, Mara could not move.

Her fingers dug into the doorframe until her knuckles turned white. She forgot to breathe as she stared at the scene before her, her mind struggling to accept what her eyes were seeing.

Golden needles trembling in perfect rhythm.

Mist curling lazily through the air.

That strange, musical hum vibrating through the room.

For a moment, it felt unreal.

So it really was possible.

Needles that long.

Inserted that deep.

Controlled with such terrifying accuracy.

The tight knot of fear in her chest loosened without her noticing. Her gaze fixed on Nolan’s face. Calm. Focused. Almost unnervingly steady. His fingers moved with absolute certainty, every motion precise and intentional.

When he had first claimed that nine golden needles could cure illness, she had only half believed him.

Now, she believed him.

Not completely.

But enough.

At least eighty percent.

Relief surged through her, followed by a warmth she had not felt in years. For the first time, hope felt real. Solid. Like Nolan might actually escape the sickness that had shadowed his entire life.

Still, a quiet doubt lingered.

Where had he learned something like this?

Inside Nolan’s body, the liquefied medicinal power gathered faster, condensing as it flowed toward the Heaven Needle like iron filings pulled toward a magnet.

His intention was clear.

He planned to expel it.

No matter how precious it was, no matter how many fortunes it could buy, more than ten years of compressed medicinal power was far beyond what his weakened body could safely absorb.

If he forced it into himself, the result would be fatal.

Not from weakness.

From excess.

Just as Nolan prepared to expel it, something unexpected happened.

The violet seed resting within him trembled.

“Ah ya ya…”

The sound echoed softly inside his mind. Fragile. Almost pitiful.

At the same time, a powerful craving surged from the seed. Pure. Instinctive. Like a newborn crying for food.

Nolan froze.

The seed wanted it?

For a brief instant, disbelief flickered through his thoughts.

Could this seed actually possess awareness?

The hesitation lasted less than a breath.

Decision made.

Nolan tapped the spinning Heaven Needle sharply with his middle finger.

The condensed medicinal power dropped directly onto the violet seed.

It vanished almost instantly.

Gone without a trace.

Nolan narrowed his eyes.

The seed reacted eagerly. Almost greedily. As if this was not merely nourishment, but something it had been waiting for since its creation.

Curiosity sparked within him.

Whatever this seed would become, it was clearly no ordinary thing.

Without hesitation, Nolan redirected the melting medicinal power flowing through his meridians. Instead of expelling it, he guided it carefully, feeding it directly into the seed.

Time slipped by unnoticed.

A quarter of an hour passed.

Gradually, Nolan slowed his fingers. One by one, the eight golden needles calmed, their violent trembling fading as if responding to an unseen command.

About twenty percent of the medicinal power had melted.

Every trace of it had been devoured by the seed.

Still, Nolan did not stop.

The Ninefold Golden Needle Art was not a single motion.

It consisted of nine complete cycles.

The first cycle had only been preparation.

Even in his previous life, Nolan had rarely used this technique. It demanded enormous mental energy, and even then he adjusted the number of cycles carefully based on the patient.

With his current body, attempting three cycles in one night was already reckless.

The real danger was just beginning.

Second cycle.

This would decide everything.

His breathing grew lighter. His thoughts cleared. His mind sank into perfect stillness.

Then, without warning, his fingers moved again.

Faster than before.

His body jerked violently.

All nine golden needles blurred, leaving rings of afterimages as they vibrated in complex arcs. Their resonance plunged straight into his bloodstream.

His blood vessels swelled instantly.

Blood surged through his body like a raging flood. Moments later, the rotation intensified again, and a sound like rushing water echoed deep within his chest.

A muffled groan escaped his clenched teeth.

Pain exploded.

It tore through his veins like serrated blades. Every nerve screamed. His vision blurred, stars bursting at the edges.

Still, his fingers did not falter.

Not even for a second.

This moment mattered too much.

Heat erupted from the nine acupoints.

In an instant, warmth turned into an inferno. Nolan’s entire body flushed deep crimson, muscles trembling as if ready to tear themselves apart.

At the doorway, Luna went pale.

Anyone could see it. The pain was unimaginable. Her hands clenched so tightly her nails cut into her palms.

She wanted to rush forward.

To stop him.

To help him.

To do anything.

But she could not.

All she could do was pray.

Through the agony, Nolan sensed it again.

That strange power.

But this time it was different.

Yesterday, it had been vague and elusive. Now, it condensed into visible strands of dark green liquid, separating from his blood and flowing toward the Inner Nexus.

The seed cried out again, its excitement unmistakable.

Nolan flicked the first strand toward it.

The seed absorbed it slowly.

Painfully slowly.

Nothing like before.

Another quarter of an hour dragged by.

At last, no more dark green liquid appeared.

Within the Elowen acupoint, a thumb sized mass remained. The seed floated above it, having absorbed less than half of even the first strand.

It was over.

Relief washed through Nolan.

Something so small had tormented him for eighteen years.

His fingers relaxed. The trembling faded. With careful control, he transitioned into the third cycle.

This one was gentle.

Under the needles’ stimulation, the remaining medicinal power spread through his meridians, transforming into warm currents that nourished muscle, blood, and damaged tissue.

Fatigue faded.

Pain dissolved.

Warmth wrapped around him like a spring breeze.

Color returned to his face. His breathing steadied.

As Nolan prepared to remove the needles, his gaze shifted to the seed.

He froze.

A crack had formed.

Soft green light seeped out.

The seed had sprouted.

In that instant, a bond snapped into place, reaching straight into his soul.

Images flooded his mind.

Lightning.

A failing game server.

A final boss battle.

Data collapsing. Compressing.

A seed.

Through a helmet, through a fracture in reality, it fused with his soul and crossed worlds.

Game data merged with a human soul.

Nolan almost laughed.

After reincarnation itself, what was impossible anymore?

As the seed absorbed the last of the dark green liquid, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

Blood absorption complete.

Entity recognition successful.

Spiritual companion acknowledged.

Please assign a name.

A spiritual companion?

Warmth flowed back through the bond. Familiar. Trusting.

Ravena.

Name assigned successfully.

Joy rippled through the seed.

Ravena?

The response came immediately, soft and pleased.

At last, Nolan withdrew the needles and began cultivating.

Without the impurity, his spiritual absorption surged nearly tenfold.

Two hours later, he opened his eyes, energy overflowing.

The door creaked.

Luna had fallen asleep against the frame.

He lifted her gently, laid her on the bed, and tucked her in.

In the darkness, Luna buried her burning face beneath the blanket.

Her heart refused to calm.

So embarrassing.

And deep within Nolan King’s soul, Ravena stirred.

Awake.

Hungry.

Alive.