For the first hundred li, he could still advance steadily. But as he climbed higher, the Pangu Pressure increased not linearly, but in successive layers, growing ever more terrifying.
Eventually, every step upward seemed to add another measure of weight to the invisible burden on his body.
The air was as thick as mercury. Breathing became agonizingly difficult, and each breath required an enormous effort.
Everything around him was silent. Only his heartbeat, the flow of his blood, and the faint creaks of his overburdened bones were amplified beneath the boundless pressure, becoming exceptionally clear.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, only to be crushed and evaporated instantly by the immense pressure.
His blue-green Daoist robe clung tightly to his body, outlining his taut muscles.
He was no longer merely walking. It was more as though he were carrying the entire sky on his back, struggling upstream.
He had no idea how long he had walked. Perhaps months, perhaps years.
With the pressure everywhere, even the concept of time grew hazy.
Lord Wanshouyuan was already drenched in sweat, but his eyes remained bright, their gaze growing sharper still.
He could feel the crushing pressure drawing out his body's hidden potential bit by bit. His flesh became denser, his bones took on a faint jade sheen, and his meridians widened slightly under the repeated impacts, growing more resilient.
He even began trying to comprehend the faintest traces of fragments of Great God Pangu's law of strength contained within the omnipresent pressure.
This was no concrete inheritance of cultivation methods, but an essence imprinted upon heaven and earth, upon the mountain's stones: a supreme will that advanced without hesitation, cleaved through chaos, and stood tall between heaven and earth.
Occasionally, he encountered other beings who had come to Buzhou Mountain to seek treasures or temper themselves.
Some rode magic treasures, struggling to fly upward amid brilliant flashes of light;
Others chose to walk as he did, but most radiated a treasured glow, clearly using magical power or protective treasures to withstand the pressure.
When they saw Lord Wanshouyuan walking through sheer bodily strength, and barely slower than themselves, every one of them stared in shock and disbelief.
One cultivator at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm had deployed an ancient bronze shield and was struggling to withstand the pressure. Seeing Lord Wanshouyuan approach step by step from below, his breathing steady and his gaze sharp despite his fatigue, the cultivator blurted out in astonishment:
"Fellow Daoist... you... you're walking using nothing but your body? This... this Pangu Pressure is no joke!"
Lord Wanshouyuan merely gave the cultivator an indifferent glance. Without stopping, he continued upward step by step, leaving behind a figure that remained as straight as a pine beneath the crushing pressure.
The cultivator watched his receding figure, then glanced at the shield treasure humming and trembling under the pressure. Shock and uncertainty crossed the cultivator's face, finally giving way to a bitter smile and profound apprehension.
The higher he climbed, the fewer beings he encountered.
Anyone who could reach this height was an outstanding figure in the Primordial Wilderness, at the very least a powerful Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.
Yet without exception, they needed external aids or magical power just to hold on.
Someone like Lord Wanshouyuan, relying purely on his body, was utterly unheard of.
The pressure grew heavier and heavier.
Lord Wanshouyuan felt his internal organs groaning, as though they were about to be crushed into a single mass.
His blood flowed with agonizing slowness, and every heartbeat required tremendous strength.
Even tiny beads of blood began seeping through his skin, a sign that his capillaries were rupturing under the extreme pressure. Yet his footsteps never stopped.
His will fought directly against his body's pain and the crushing extremes of his surroundings.
His mind sank into the struggle, forgetting time and purpose. All that remained were the instincts to climb and persevere, along with a delicate awareness of every minute change in his body.
Just as he felt he was approaching his body's current limit and considered using a trace of magical power to ease the strain, something abruptly changed!
On a steep cliff not far ahead, the dense Pangu Pressure, previously calm, suddenly fluctuated violently. As though drawn by some force, it converged in an instant.
It became a terrifying shock wave, invisible and intangible, yet heavy enough to crush the Dao body of an ordinary Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, and swept toward Lord Wanshouyuan like a hidden current!
This was no deliberate attack. It was more like a "pressure tide" naturally formed when Buzhou Mountain's own pressure was drawn together by unusual terrain or currents of qi!
Danger!
Lord Wanshouyuan's pupils contracted sharply, and an overwhelming sense of danger swept through his entire body!
If he used magical power to defend himself now, his previous efforts would be wasted and the tempering effect greatly diminished. But if he endured it head-on... in his current condition, he would very likely suffer grievous injuries!
In a flash, he made his choice!
"Roar!"
A deep roar like muffled thunder burst from his throat. It was no spell, but a sound naturally produced as his physical strength reached its utmost limit and compressed the air!
Every muscle in his body bulged at once. Veins rose and coiled like dragons and serpents, while the vast Essence of Yi Wood within him circulated furiously at an unprecedented speed. Rather than releasing it outward, he drew it entirely inward, reinforcing every inch of flesh and every bone!
His feet shattered the hard rock beneath them. Leaning slightly forward, he assumed the most basic firmly rooted stance, determined to meet the sudden torrent of pressure head-on with the very body he was tempering!
Boom!
An invisible collision erupted!
Lord Wanshouyuan felt as though a star of the Primordial Wilderness had struck him head-on!
His vision abruptly went black, and a roar filled his ears. Blood rose in his throat and nearly burst from his mouth, but he forced it back down.
Every bone in his body creaked with a teeth-grating sound, as though his frame might fall apart the next instant.
Countless tiny wounds split open across his skin. The blood that had barely begun to seep out was immediately forced back into his body.
Yet he held firm! He was neither swept away nor crushed!
Like the roots of an ancient tree, his feet remained driven deep into the mountain rock. His body shook violently, but he did not retreat so much as half a step!
The terrifying pressure tide lasted roughly ten breaths before slowly subsiding.
After the tide passed, Lord Wanshouyuan remained motionless in that same stance.
He was covered in blood and looked utterly wretched, his breathing somewhat unsteady.
Yet a careful examination would reveal that although his body was riddled with wounds after enduring the tide, something purer, denser, and more resilient emanated from deep within it!
Break and then establish!
Under that extreme impact, his body's potential had been forced out once again, allowing it to make a small leap forward!
Nourished by the Essence of Yi Wood, his cracked bones began to heal, becoming harder;
His ruptured meridians reconnected, becoming wider;
The density of his flesh also rose to a new level.
He slowly straightened and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. There was no fear in his eyes. Instead, a flash of fervor and understanding passed through them.
"So that's it... these pressure tides may be trials, but they're opportunities too! They can draw out even more potential!"
Without further hesitation, he continued upward.
Along the way, he encountered several more pressure tides of varying strength. Each time, he chose to endure them head-on. Each time, he was left covered in wounds, but after every recovery, his physical strength improved significantly.
His ability to withstand the Pangu Pressure also grew steadily stronger.
Eventually, he even began deliberately seeking out regions where the pressure was dense or where tides might form, stepping into them willingly to be tempered.
Through this almost self-torturous cultivation, his body grew stronger at an astonishing rate.
His skin acquired a luster as smooth and warm as jade, with a faint blue-gold sheen. Every movement held explosive strength.
He even felt that in terms of strength alone, his body was already a match for some cultivators at the peak of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm!
And all of this was thanks to Buzhou Mountain, thanks to the selfless "tempering" of the Pangu Pressure!
Thus, with nothing but physical strength, he resisted the lingering might of Pangu that permeated heaven and earth. One solid step at a time, he continued his long, grueling, yet immensely rewarding cultivation and ascent of Buzhou Mountain, whose summit stood beyond sight.
The mountain path ahead still wound upward into the clouds and mist. Every step was a test, and every step was cultivation.
His goal was not merely the summit, but to transcend the limits of his body and gain a glimpse of the mighty power that had opened heaven.
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