Mutilated Body

Lin Ye sat cross-legged amidst the ruins of the altar, eyes closed in introspection.

The nascent seed of true qi rotated slowly within his dantian, drawing a sliver of energy from his shattered meridians with every revolution.

His meridians were riddled with dark golden cracks. As energy flowed through them, it brought a constant, searing pain. Many minor branches had snapped entirely, and the main channels were twisted and deformed, appearing ready to collapse at any moment.

The muscle tissue beneath his skin felt like porcelain that had been smashed and glued back together. His bones had been forcibly mended, yet many joints remained webbed with fissures, emitting a grinding "click" whenever he moved. His internal organs were the most severely damaged, with many functions critically impaired.

I must recover as quickly as possible, Lin Ye thought to himself.

He attempted to circulate the Qingyun Art. The true qi seed trembled slightly, but before it had moved even an inch, a sharp, stabbing pain erupted from the cracks in his meridians, and the circulation path immediately fell into chaos.

It won't work. Lin Ye stopped instantly.

He then tried the Star-Drawing Art. This time, the true qi seed moved a fraction more smoothly, and those strands of star power became more active, like wanderers returning home. But after moving less than two inches, the unstable energy patterns on his meridian walls began to flicker violently.

Still no good. Lin Ye frowned.

This new true qi seed was a monstrosity born from the forced fusion of multiple powers. No single cultivation technique could fully command it; forcing it to circulate would only trigger internal strife and worsen his injuries.

Do I have to create my own technique? The thought flashed through his mind, only to be suppressed immediately. Creating a technique was an arduous task, requiring profound martial accumulation, insight into the laws of heaven and earth, and countless trials and errors. He was currently on the verge of death; how could he possibly have the time to explore such a path?

Perhaps I can try "guiding" instead of "commanding"?

He stopped trying to force the true qi along a fixed path and instead sank his consciousness into the heart of the true qi seed, carefully sensing the different properties of the energy contained within.

Deal with the most dangerous one first. Lin Ye locked his focus onto that "mark."

He attempted to use his consciousness to pull, hoping to peel that strand of the mark away from the true qi seed. But the mark seemed to have a life of its own, clinging firmly to the seed; the moment he touched it, a stinging pain flared up.

Lin Ye decisively gave up. This mark was connected to that terrifying existence in the lake. In his current state, forcing a removal would trigger a backlash or even alert the entity.

Since I cannot command them as one, I will let them go their own ways and maintain a fragile balance.

He stopped trying to fuse the different energies within the true qi seed into a single entity and instead began to guide them.

Using his consciousness as a brush, he began to sketch out different "channels" within his shattered meridians.

His focus was sharper than ever, like walking a tightrope. Every minute adjustment could trigger a chain reaction, causing the already fragile balance within his body to collapse entirely.

Time slipped away, bit by bit.

The energy within his body gradually began to coexist in a state of dynamic equilibrium.

"Haa..." Lin Ye slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

He turned his attention back to the outside world.

On the lake in the distance, the surviving Star Soul Fish had not left; they continued to circle in the distance, their scarlet eyes fixed firmly on him.

This island in the center of the lake was no place to linger. The Star Soul Fish were watching like tigers, and although the terrifying entity in the lake had retreated for now, it had left a mark and could descend at any moment.

I must leave this place first.

He gathered all the useful items nearby and tucked them into his storage bag.

The crystal powder formed from the crystal skeleton.

After a moment of hesitation, he took out a jade bottle and collected the powder, as he had, after all, received the skeleton's inheritance.

Having done this, he looked once more toward the distant lake surface.

I have no choice but to gamble.

He fished the last bit of Soul-Bewildering Incense powder from his robes, mixed it with some Hemostatic Powder, wrapped it in a cloth strip, and tucked it into his clothes for later use.

Then, he took a deep breath, endured the agony racking his body, and used the Star-Shattering Sword as a crutch to stand up, bit by bit, with agonizing slowness.

His bones groaned under the strain, and his vision swam with darkness. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand steady.

He looked at the black rocks at the edge of the altar, then at the ink-blue water that hid such murderous intent.

There was no turning back.

He moved toward the lakeshore, one step at a time.

His footsteps were heavy, each one leaving a bloody print behind.

Reaching the shore, the cold scent of the lake water washed over him.

He cast one last glance at the ruined altar, this island of death that had brought him both destruction and rebirth.

Without further hesitation, he leaped into the ink-blue water.

Splash.

He gripped the Void Nether Stone in his left hand and injected a sliver of weak true qi into it.

Silver light spots flickered on the surface of the grey-white ore, and a ripple of distorted space began to spread slowly from his position.

The Star Soul Fish that had been preparing to swarm him visibly faltered upon sensing the spatial distortion. Their scarlet eyes flickered with confusion and a hint of wariness.

It works! Lin Ye felt a surge of joy, but he could not afford to relax.

Maintaining the true qi barrier and the fluctuations of the Void Nether Stone, he endured the intense pain and began to swim slowly in the direction he remembered coming from.

Behind him, the Star Soul Fish had been momentarily confused, but they had not given up. They followed from a distance, waiting for an opportunity.

Lin Ye dared not look back, focusing all his energy on swimming forward.

He drew closer and closer to the lake shore, but the true energy within his body was dwindling. Maintaining the protective barrier and activating the Void Nether Stone was a massive burden for him in his current state.

"I can't stop..." he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

Finally, the gray-white, twisted silhouettes of trees appeared ahead.

The Bone-Eroding Forest had arrived.

Exerting his final ounce of strength, he accelerated, burst out of the lake, and crashed heavily onto the black rocks by the shore.

He gasped violently, every inhalation tasting of blood. Looking back at the lake, those Star Soul Fish were lingering in the waters near the bank. They seemed filled with dread toward the Bone-Eroding Forest, not daring to come ashore easily.

He was safe for the moment.

He dared not linger, for the Bone-Eroding Forest was equally dangerous. He needed to find a relatively safe place as soon as possible to treat his wounds and recover his strength.

He struggled to his feet, using the Star-Shattering Sword as a crutch to walk into the gray-white forest.

The light in the forest was dim, and mist permeated the air. His footsteps crunched against the leaves, and the surroundings were terrifyingly silent.

This place was relatively hidden; the rocks could block some lines of sight and attacks, and the ground was fairly dry.

He could no longer hold on, sliding down to sit against a rock, panting heavily.

After resting for a moment, he forced himself to stay alert and began to treat his wounds.

Once finished, he leaned his back against the rock, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his true energy to recover his strength.

Time flowed by slowly.

Lin Ye closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, remaining as motionless as a rock. Only the extremely faint rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

He did not know how much time had passed—perhaps an hour, perhaps two.

Just then—

"Rustle... rustle..."

An extremely faint sound of friction drifted from the mist not far to his left.

Lin Ye's heart tightened. He quietly gripped the Star-Shattering Sword on his lap, his gaze sharp as lightning as he cast it toward the direction of the sound.

The mist slowly parted.

An inner sect disciple wearing a water-blue dress walked out from the mist. Her face was as pale as paper, dried blood stained the corner of her mouth, and there was a deep, bone-exposed claw mark on her left shoulder. Her aura was extremely weak, and she was swaying, clearly having suffered severe injuries.

It was the cold-tempered young girl from the plaza when they first entered the secret realm.

She seemed to have seen Lin Ye as well. Her footsteps faltered; a flicker of wariness first flashed in her eyes, which then transformed into the hope of seeing a companion in a desperate situation.

Separated by a distance of over ten feet, the two stared at each other in silence within the gray-white, deathly still forest.

Lin Ye's gaze was cold and vigilant, his hand on his sword not relaxing in the slightest.

The girl's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only let out an extremely faint moan before her body went limp and she collapsed straight forward.

She had fainted.

Lin Ye stared at the heavily injured, unconscious figure, his eyes shifting uncertainly.

To save her would mean splitting his already meager supply of medicinal pills and true energy; the Bone-Eroding Forest was filled with murderous intent, and another person was just another burden.

To not save her meant that the girl's aura was so weak she could stop breathing at any moment, and she would become a snack for demonic beasts in the blink of an eye.

In the secret realm, fellow disciples even slaughtered one another; why should he be soft-hearted?

Yet, those cold brows and eyes were like a thorn, pricking at his vision and refusing to fade away.

Lin Ye remained silent for a moment, but in the end, he slowly stood up.

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