Inside the ruined stone hall, time seemed frozen. Li Wuyang sat cross-legged beside the dried-up pool, circulating the Huang Ting Jing with all his strength as he guided the pure energy radiating from the Annihilation Crystal to repair his severely damaged body.
The Power of Annihilation was originally a symbol of endings and extinction, yet the sliver of origin crystal Xuan had left behind contained a strange vitality that promised renewal after reaching the extreme. Like the coldest surgical scalpel, it precisely eradicated the foreign energies and necrotic tissue accumulated within Li Wuyang's body while stimulating his own vitality to flourish. Combined with the Huang Ting Jing's foundation-strengthening and essence-nurturing effects, the results were remarkably good.
Broken bones rejoined, meridians reshaped, internal organs returned to their proper places... The process was still unbearably painful, but Li Wuyang gritted his teeth and endured. With every circulation, he could feel his strength slowly returning, while his understanding of the Huang Ting Jing and the Power of Annihilation deepened another level.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of foul air. The divine light in his eyes had withdrawn inward. Though he was still far from his peak, his injuries had stabilized, and his cultivation had recovered to the middle stage of Spirit Refinement and Void Return.
"Finally survived..." He stretched his body, producing a series of crackling pops. The Earth-Splitting Gauntlet remained dim and would need a long time to be nurtured back to health, so he could not count on it for now. His main combat strength would still have to come from the true qi of the Huang Ting Jing and the few minor divine abilities he had only just begun to comprehend.
He rose to his feet and carefully examined the