Everything was progressing in an orderly fashion.
His body grew stronger at a breathtaking pace through cycle after cycle of destruction and rebirth. Every cell and every Rule Vein underwent an unprecedented reorganization and transformation.
The Flame of Continued Combustion seemed to breathe through every pore. It no longer blazed outward as it once had, but pulsed deep within him like a breath. Shadow Authority lay hidden in every strand of his hair, profound and still, yet perfectly at one with the flame. There was no longer the slightest conflict between them.
A gentle black-and-white radiance coursed through his entire body.
The white was pure and peaceful, as though it could soothe any pain or agitation. The black was deep and all-embracing, as though it could hold countless rules without changing its nature.
The two lights intertwined as they flowed. Wherever they passed, they silently nourished, healed, and restored him: the subtle damage to his Rule Veins left by his clash with the guardian of Cangwu Hall, the exhaustion built up from repeatedly forcing his power into motion, and even the lingering hindrances deep in his soul from all he had endured.
The powers of the two Authorities were not simply adding together. They were slowly ascending to a higher plane.
Shen Yi tried to call upon the utterly tranquil white light. At a flicker of thought, a gentle glow appeared at his fingertip.
It held no aggression at all. It was not even as fierce as a wisp of the Flame of Continued Combustion he might casually release, yet it carried an indescribable stillness that touched the very root of things.
He raised his finger and lightly touched the empty space before him.
Hum—
No earth-shaking burst of energy followed, nor did any ripple tear through space.
The instant