"Damn it, this wasn't ordinary pain!" Li Yang clearly felt his muscle cells rupturing, then regenerating into new cells... Even his tendons and bones began to tremble, changing with every passing moment...
Black energy surged through every part of him—muscles, tendons, bones, meridians. Every part was undergoing transformation, yet that transformation was agony, pain that pierced straight through the soul!
Every second, every instant!
A day felt like a year. Li Yang finally understood the true meaning of those words.
The ancients had once possessed a secret technique called tendon-rending and bone-crushing. Under it, no matter how valiant a man was, he would be tortured until he wished he were dead!
But Li Yang's suffering now far surpassed tendon-rending and bone-crushing. That technique merely applied pressure to the tendons and bones from the outside. Yet this terrifying black energy had completely rushed into his tendons and bones, stimulating them from within. Anyone who had never experienced such pain could never imagine it.
Wave after wave of shudders—shudders of the soul!
"I finally understand why some test subjects couldn't endure the experiments and died from mental breakdowns!" Li Yang could still think. He could actually still ponder things? Even the other successful test subjects had nearly all been unconscious. This alone showed that Li Yang's mental strength was far tougher than theirs.
"Li Yang, do you want this Hegemon to help you? It's simple. This Hegemon only needs to slightly control the potency of the medicine and let it take effect more slowly, and you'll find it much easier to bear!" Xiang Yu spoke at this moment like a savior descending from heaven.
Li Yang said coldly, "Don't worry. If I can't even endure this little pain, how could I, Li Yang, ever amount to anything? This pain is nothing more than training for my mind. Besides, if you slow down the medicine's effects, wouldn't the experiment last even longer?"
Upon hearing that, Xiang Yu immediately said, "Ah, indeed. If this Hegemon lets the medicine take effect slowly, the experiment will indeed last longer. But this Hegemon has another method: sever the connection between your soul and body, so you won't feel the pain of the flesh. Then your soul naturally won't suffer any shock, nor will any problems arise."
This was indeed a good method. Once the connection between soul and body was cut off, the soul naturally would not be affected in any way. Ordinary people could not separate their souls from their bodies; only after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm could one leave the body and exist independently. However, Xiang Yu could still accomplish it with the power of his Primordial Spirit.
"No need! I can still endure this little pain!" Li Yang's voice was cold, but Xiang Yu could naturally hear the faint tremor in it. Even his voice was shaking. This pain was clearly far from the "little pain" Li Yang claimed it to be!
"Hisss~~~"
Suddenly, streams of green energy seeped in through his skin.
This green energy was cool and comfortable. In some ways, it was very similar to the energy of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, though nowhere near as pure. The instant it entered Li Yang's body, it was absorbed by his continuously evolving tendons and bones.
"Whew!" An extreme comfort made Li Yang's soul completely relax. The sensation made him feel as though he were floating among the clouds.
"I imagine this is how people who snort cocaine feel!" That green energy made Li Yang, who had been wholly immersed in pain, feel much better.
"Ah!" Suddenly, an even fiercer pain jolted his nerves, and Li Yang felt even greater agony.
The initial pain had already reached its limit, numbing Li Yang with suffering. But when the green energy entered, the sharp contrast between comfort and pain finally made Li Yang understand what true, unbearable torment was.
It was like placing one's hand in ice water until it froze numb. Though cold, it could still be endured. But if that numb, frozen hand were then plunged into hot water, that feeling... how could a single word like "exhilarating" possibly describe it?
Li Yang was in precisely that state. The pain brought by the Gene Potion was like ice water, leaving him nearly numb with agony. The green energy was like hot water. Though the warmth and cold initially blended and brought him some comfort, the pain caused by that violent contrast became even more intense.
Bai Yang was watching at this moment. Li Yang lay inside the Crystal Coffin, his body surface trembling violently without pause. His shackles and handcuffs let out groans after groans, while his skin had even turned blood-red, threads of blood seeping out through its surface...
Streams of precious nutrient solution were also seeping into Li Yang's body. That green energy was the energy contained within the nutrient solution.
"Although this nutrient solution isn't as effective as the Marrow Cleansing Pill, it should at least make this kid Li Yang feel more comfortable. I believe he can endure such intense pain!" Bai Yang was quite pleased with himself. He believed his specially formulated nutrient solution would make this experiment safer. But how could he possibly know that Li Yang was now in even greater agony...
"Roar!"
A deep growl from the depths of his throat sounded from within the transparent Crystal Coffin, followed immediately by...
"Bang!" "Bang!"
Bai Yang's eyes widened until they were round. Li Yang had actually snapped apart the specially made handcuffs and shackles, crafted from the same material as the experimental bed.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Li Yang let out a pained howl and slammed both fists viciously against the lid of the experimental bed—or rather, the lid of the Crystal Coffin! Naturally, the lid had been completely secured to the Crystal Coffin. Yet under Li Yang's violent agony, as he unleashed strength beyond his limits, he actually sent the lid flying with a single blow.
Bai Yang's eyes lit up. "Ah, he snapped the handcuffs and shackles, then smashed the lid away! These materials are newly developed polymer materials. During the original tests, only Innate Stage experts with energy exceeding 30,000 crystals could break them! It seems the experiment will succeed!"
Li Yang stood like a war god. The lid had already been blasted into a corner, but Li Yang himself had his eyes closed...
At this moment, Li Yang was feeling the powerful strength contained within every muscle, tendon, and bone in his body. A smile immediately appeared on his face. In that final instant, the pain had suddenly multiplied severalfold. Under that intense agony, Li Yang had unleashed tremendous potential and frantically snapped the handcuffs and shackles restraining him.
Li Yang was awake now. The pain that had multiplied severalfold in that final instant had vanished all at once. The first thing he did was sense his transformed body.
What did it feel like?
Powerful!
Mighty!
Overwhelming!
Li Yang's smile became even more radiant. He even believed that if a massive boulder stood before him, he could shatter it to pieces through sheer brute strength alone!
A beam of light shone onto Li Yang's body, then vanished.
"15,800 crystals!"
Li Yang opened his eyes. What appeared before him was a white-bearded old man beside himself with joy, holding a testing device in his hand.
"Boom!" In his excitement, Bai Yang violently smashed the testing device onto the ground and shouted, "A Level Five expert, a Level Five expert! It succeeded, hahaha... I succeeded! I finally succeeded!"
Before you continue