Devouring Death Qi

At the edge of Black Mountain Forest, inside a narrow cave concealed by dense vines.

Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the cold ground. He had carefully sealed the entrance with broken stones and branches, leaving only a few faint rays of light filtering in and casting mottled shadows across the moss-covered rock walls.

He spread open his palm. The dark gray ore rested quietly within it. Observed up close, its extraordinary nature became even clearer. Its texture was loose and porous, its color dim and murky, as though it had swallowed every trace of light and life into its depths, leaving behind only pure "emptiness" and "silence." That icy, deathly aura was like invisible feelers, constantly trying to burrow into his skin.

Deep within his Sea of Qi, the rotating "Crimson Sun" noticeably sped up, and the desire it conveyed grew clearer and more intense.

Li Yuan hesitated no longer. He closed his eyes, sank his consciousness into his body, and tried to actively communicate with and guide that "Crimson Sun."

It was awkward at first. Though the "Crimson Sun" was bound to his life, controlling it was not as easy as moving an arm or a finger. He focused all his attention, imagining himself becoming an invisible hand that gently pushed that tiny sun.

Buzz...

The "Crimson Sun" trembled lightly, as if answering his call. A weak yet genuinely controllable scorching force extended from his Sea of Qi, flowed slowly along the meridians in his arm, and wrapped around the dark gray ore in his palm.

The instant the power of the "Crimson Sun" touched the ore—

Sizzle!

An incredibly faint sound, like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, rang out in his mind!

The ore in his palm shuddered violently! That pure, icy aura of deathly silence was like Ice and Snow cast into roaring flames, instantly boiling and going berserk! It resisted on instinct, trying to corrode and freeze that scorching force.

Yet while the power of the "Crimson Sun" was weak, its quality was supreme! It was a tyrannical force from a higher level, born to restrain all yin, evil, and deathly silence!

Scorching heat and deathly silence began a silent yet fierce clash in Li Yuan's palm.

Li Yuan held his breath and devoted himself fully to maintaining his guidance over the power of the "Crimson Sun." He could feel how stubborn that deathly aura was, carrying the decayed stench of all things reaching their end as it continuously battered the barrier of scorching force. Strands of bone-piercing chill even tried to flow backward into the meridians of his arm, bringing needle-like pain and a stiffening numbness.

In the past, even a trace of this deathly aura entering his body would have been enough to drain away his vitality. But now, Crimson Sun Qi and Blood flowed through his meridians!

The chilling aura that tried to invade was wrapped up and burned by the circulating Crimson Sun Qi and Blood the moment it entered his meridians. With faint sizzling sounds, it swiftly vanished into nothing.

Refine it for me...!

Li Yuan growled inwardly, his consciousness focusing even further. The power of the "Crimson Sun" in his palm received a boost, its glow brightening slightly as its heat surged sharply!

At last, the stubbornly resisting deathly aura could no longer withstand this suppression of essence. It began to crumble step by step, dispersing rapidly like thin mist beneath the sun. Meanwhile, its purest, most fundamental energy—stripped of its negative properties—was forcibly extracted and dragged away by the power of the "Crimson Sun," pouring back into Li Yuan's body along the meridians of his arm!

This energy was completely different from the Food Essence and Fierce Beast blood essence he had consumed before!

It was colder, purer, and carried a weightiness accumulated across endless years. When this energy was swept into his Sea of Qi and cast into the slowly rotating "Crimson Sun"—

Boom!

Li Yuan felt a faint roar explode in his mind!

That tiny "Crimson Sun" seemed to have been fed powerful fuel, abruptly expanding by a full circle! Though it quickly returned to its original size, the light and heat it emitted had clearly strengthened! Its color also became deeper, with a faint golden sheen hidden within its dark crimson hue!

Crimson Sun Qi and Blood, far more vast and pure than when he had consumed the Fierce Beast meat soup, surged violently from his Sea of Qi like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam, rushing toward his limbs and bones!

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"Ugh..."

Li Yuan could not help letting out a suppressed moan of pleasure.

This energy was too powerful! It far exceeded his expectations!

His meridians expanded, his muscles swelled, and his bones crackled densely like exploding beans! He could clearly feel his strength growing madly at a rate visible to the naked eye! His muscles, which had only been slightly firm before, now bulged as if inflated, their lines becoming distinct and brimming with explosive Sense of Power.

His lean body was becoming stronger and more solid at an unprecedented speed!

His skin grew tougher, faintly glowing with the healthy luster of jade. His five senses improved once more; he could even hear the faint sound of leaves falling from trees far beyond the cave.

More importantly, the total amount of Crimson Sun Qi and Blood in his Sea of Qi had nearly doubled! What had once been like a stream was now a babbling river, ceaselessly coursing through his body and bringing boundless energy and heat.

Who knew how much time passed before the icy aura of deathly silence in his palm finally disappeared completely.

Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes and spread his hand. The dark gray ore had turned into a small pile of grayish-white powder, trickling through the gaps between his fingers.

The "deathly silence" source contained within it had been completely devoured and refined by the "Crimson Sun," becoming nourishment for his growth!

Li Yuan rose to his feet and stretched his muscles and bones.

Crackle, crackle...

A series of explosive pops rang from the joints throughout his Whole Body. Looking down, he saw that his formerly bony chest was now covered with a layer of balanced, firm muscle. The lines of his arms and Thighs had also become smooth and powerful. Though he was still far from "burly," he had already escaped the realm of "frailness," becoming the body of a Youth filled with Sense of Power.

He casually threw a punch.

Whoosh!

The force of his fist stirred the air, producing a distinct rushing sound! His fist struck the nearby rock wall, leaving behind a shallow fist mark as fragments of stone pattered down.

"This strength... must be several times greater than before!" Sharp Light flickered in Li Yuan's Eyes as an indescribable excitement surged within him.

An ignored, "unlucky" ore could actually bring such an enormous improvement! This "Crimson Sun" and its Smelting ability were simply heaven-defying!

He clenched his fist tightly, feeling the surging Crimson Sun Qi and Blood within him and his ever-growing strength.

This was the right path!

The Marketplace... no, the entire world—those "discarded things" ignored, abandoned, and deemed ominous by Ordinary Person—could all be treasures in his Eyes, treasures capable of lighting the "Crimson Sun" and helping him ascend to the summit!

He glanced at the daylight filtering in from outside the cave and estimated the time. He could not delay any longer. He had to return to the Li Family as soon as possible, lest he arouse suspicion.

After dusting himself off and straightening his clothes, Li Yuan pushed aside the cover at the cave entrance. Like an agile leopard, he silently melted into the shadows of the mountain forest and slipped toward Black Mountain City.

His footsteps were steady and powerful, his Eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

Within him, the nourished "Crimson Sun" was continuously sending threads of warm, powerful strength throughout his Whole Body.

Devouring had only just begun.

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