Crimson Sun True Scripture

It was as if he had been thrown alive into the deepest part of a blacksmith's furnace. Every inch of his flesh and every bone was repeatedly hammered by an invisible sledge, then drenched and filled with molten iron. Li Yuan's consciousness bobbed in the sea of unbearable pain, on the verge of vanishing completely.

But the Crimson Sun within him, forcibly infused with a vast torrent of energy, was undergoing a fundamental transformation amid this torment of destruction and rebirth.

It was no longer merely the core where his qi and blood gathered. It was more like a true, miniature furnace. The ancient, searing energy pouring into it did not burst it apart; instead, it greedily devoured and assimilated the energy, swelling several times in size. Its blinding white radiance gradually settled into a deep, restrained dark gold, like the molten core of the earth, brewing for ten thousand years. As it revolved, it gave off not mere heat, but a weighty, domineering "intent" that could smelt all things.

After who knew how long, the surging Energy Torrent gradually subsided. The light from the Cauldron Pattern on the rock wall dimmed, and the Black Fragments that had served as keys exhausted their power and crumbled to dust, trickling from the grooves.

Li Yuan lay sprawled on the ground, as though he had just been hauled from the water and instantly dried by scorching heat. His skin was coated in a layer of gray-white grime, a mixture of scabbed blood and impurities purged from his body. He gasped violently, every breath hot and tinged with the smell of sulfur.

But the pain was fading.

In its place came a feeling of... "rebirth" unlike anything he had ever known.

He tried moving a finger. Qi and blood far more refined and weighty than before, as if imbued with the power of magma, flowed smoothly through meridians that had grown several times broader and tougher, without the slightest hitch. The hidden injuries in his internal organs had healed, and they had even become more resilient. His bones had grown far denser; when he clenched his fist, he could hear a faint sound like metal scraping against metal.

He abruptly sat up. The grime covering him cracked and fell away, revealing fresh skin beneath. It was no longer dark red, but a warm bronze, faintly gleaming like metal. Underneath, his muscles were sleekly defined and brimming with explosive strength.

With a mere thought, he didn't activate the Crimson Sun Battle Body. He simply threw a casual punch at a broken stone pillar half buried in the ground beside him.

"Bang!"

The pillar shuddered. Stone chips flew from the point of impact, leaving a clear fist mark, its edges even showing traces of melting!

Strength! Pure, terrifying strength! And it carried a searing penetrative force!

Astonishing light blazed in his eyes. Not only had his injuries completely healed, but under the infusion of the Ancient Legacy, his strength had broken through the bottleneck he'd reached and entered a whole new level—the Aperture Opening Realm! And he was far beyond an ordinary early-stage practitioner of the Aperture Opening Realm!

Yet that was far from all he had gained.

At the very end of the energy infusion, as the Crimson Sun transformed, a vast, chaotic Information Flow, like shattered stars, was forcibly branded into the depths of his consciousness.

It was the remaining... Memory Fragments of the master of this ruin! Or rather, fragments of some kind of inheritance!

The information was fragmented and mostly indistinct, filled with scenes of flames, magma, cauldrons, and various Fierce Beasts locked in battle. But one passage, relatively intact, describing a certain fundamental cultivation method, surfaced with absolute clarity.

Its name—[Crimson Sun True Scripture]!

It was neither a fixed set of moves nor a prescribed route for circulating qi and blood. It was a "principle," a "method"! It explained how to use one's body as a furnace, draw upon the power of earthly fire and the heavenly sun, smelt all things, temper oneself, and ultimately forge an unrivaled battle body of utmost yang and hardness, impervious to all evil!

It included an understanding of the nature of the "Crimson Sun," methods for smelting various energies—including, but not limited to, spiritual energy, Killing Intent, curse power, and even deadly poisons—and ways to use the resulting refined energy to strengthen the skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, and even the five viscera and six bowels to the utmost!

This Crimson Sun True Scripture seemed tailor-made for him! It perfectly explained and elevated the path of "smelting all arts" he had stumbled into by accident!

Li Yuan ravenously absorbed the information, his heart surging like a storm-tossed sea. The master of this ruin must have been an ancient powerhouse who specialized in body refinement and followed the Path of Refinement! Their realm and insight far surpassed anything he could comprehend at present.

Following the basic method recorded in the Crimson Sun True Scripture, he tried guiding the newly formed Crimson Sun Qi and Blood within him.

As his qi and blood circulated, they were no longer violently turbulent as before. Instead, they moved with a steady, orderly rhythm, working more efficiently and nourishing and strengthening his body to a far greater degree. He could even sense that the trace of icy Netherworld Curse Power within his qi and blood had been perfectly integrated by this method, transformed into a "blade" that enhanced penetration and erosion, rather than remaining an impurity at odds with the Crimson Sun's nature.

"So that's how it is... This is the true path of 'smelting'..." Li Yuan murmured, eyes gleaming with understanding.

He looked up at the collapsed opening above, his gaze turning sharp and cold.

The Netherworld Cult Deacon and those twisted monsters should still be guarding the surface, right?

He slowly rose to his feet. Bathed in the dark-red light, his bronze body looked like a divine statue fresh from the forge. He rolled his shoulders and limbs, and every joint cracked sharply, filling him with a boundless sense of power.

His injuries were fully healed, his strength had soared, and he had gained a fragment of the Crimson Sun True Scripture that pointed straight toward the Great Dao.

This Underground Dark Cave was no longer his grave. It was his... blessed paradise!

He bent down and carefully gathered the other Black Fragments from the ground. These keys might still open other parts of the ruin.

Then he fixed his gaze on the opening, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile, his battle intent burning like magma.

Time to head back up.

There were some scores he needed to settle properly.