C540 Endless Potential!
After refining eleven Sunsorrow with sunfire, Yu Yuan's little world of vitality boasted a Blood Altar, deep red as if drenched in blood. Surprisingly, it bore a striking resemblance—seventy to eighty percent—to the altar crafted by the Star-Spawned Terror with the entire clan's efforts.
The altar, standing midair in the little world of vitality, shone with a bright, crystalline light, exuding a beauty that seemed to encapsulate the infinite mysteries of life itself.
Yu Yuan marveled at the Blood Altar's splendor as he scrutinized it with his mind's eye. Yet, amidst his awe, a sense of unease crept in.
Why was it a Blood Altar?
The giant beast Sunsorrow had been harvested from within the Spawn of Chaos, from the Abyssal Leviathan, besieged by a myriad of pollutants and pierced by the Bone-Devouring Shuttle of the Skyblight Cult. Using the Crucible of Evil, Yu Yuan had seized the leviathan's blood and flesh essence, solidifying it into the Sunsorrow.
And now, it was this very Blood Altar that had taken shape, prompting deep contemplation.
"A Blood Altar!"
The cauldron spirit, too, was taken aback, its remnant soul stirring within Yu Yuan's Heart Lake like a tidal wave. "How could this happen? Shouldn't the refining of the cosmic giant beast's essence and vitality be akin to expanding the Golden Sanctum's little world, enhancing its capacity and purity with each iteration?"
Clearly, the anomaly within Yu Yuan's little world of vitality was a mystery to it as well.
It had assumed that once Yu Yuan had melted down the Sunsorrow, the profuse vital energy would cause his Profound Gate acupoints to expand manifold, as if creating worlds from void.
A more expansive little world of vitality meant more room to harbor surging vital energy, which would be advantageous for Yu Yuan's cultivation.
Moreover, it had not been banished. Before leaving the little world of vitality, Yu Yuan had absorbed a massive orb of vital energy essence, and his actions had aligned with its expectations.
Little did it anticipate that shortly after its departure, everything would change.
Its new master's little world of vitality did not expand as predicted; instead, the vitality became more refined, capable of metabolizing an even greater amount of vital energy.
The mysterious addition of a Blood Altar, carved from blood jade, had taken Yu Yuan by surprise. It was an anomaly that surpassed the usual scope of knowledge within his little world's long history and memory system; there were no records or understanding of such a phenomenon.
"Do you feel any discomfort?" he inquired with caution.
Yu Yuan, sitting in contemplation, observed the peculiar landscape of his vitality-filled little world with his mind's eye. After a moment of silent reflection, he responded, "I don't feel any discomfort. On the contrary, it feels quite pleasant..."
"How so?" the cauldron spirit asked, astonished.
"This Blood Altar harbors the essence of life, which I can harness," Yu Yuan declared, rising abruptly. "Assist me in refining my body. Let's give it a try!"
"Agreed!"
The cauldron, dark and imposing, suddenly expanded, enveloping Yu Yuan within the gloomy hall. Without warning, a dazzling array of lights burst forth from the deep glyphs etched into the cauldron's walls. A mottled gray light, a dark green stream, and a pungent fog filled the air.
"Evil Body Refining Technique!" Yu Yuan bellowed. His body became a massive vortex, rapidly absorbing the myriad streams of psionic power through every pore, nostril, and hidden acupoint.
His body began to swell as if it were an inflating ball.
"Crack! Hiss!" The sound of his bones crackling echoed even when he was still.
Expanding his chest, the stretching of his sinews and the contact of his joints produced even stranger sounds. Invisible to the naked eye, with the aid of the Crucible of Evil, the convergence of psionic power wreaked havoc on his muscles, causing micro-tears in his tendons and shattering his fragile bones.
His internal organs, too, were subject to injury from the infiltration of psionic power and the proactive assistance of the Evil Body Refining technique.
"Stop!"
At the mere flicker of a thought, the dark arts ceased, and the cauldron no longer suffered the onslaught of psionic power.
Yu Yuan's body, outwardly unscathed but internally wounded, began to heal, thanks to the Blood Altar within his vitality's little world. Beams of arc light shot forth from the altar, filling the eight extra-channels like mighty, surging rivers brimming with the essence of vitality teeming with life power. The essence flowed into his organs, and the once severe injuries began to mend at a rate that left even him speechless.
In just a few breaths, the injuries to his internal organs ceased to be an issue. Following the activation of the eight extra-channels, the twelve primary meridians channeled the life power from the Blood Altar throughout his veins, bones, and finally into his flesh and blood. Wherever the life power converged, his bodily injuries were effectively healed—first the internal organs, then the veins, bones, and lastly, the flesh and blood.
The damage caused by the Evil Body Refining technique was quickly mended, leaving him even more robust and formidable than before. Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled as he exclaimed, "My recovery rate has multiplied several-fold!"
The cauldron spirit noticed Yu Yuan's rapid healing within its embrace, aware of the extent to which the Spawn of Chaos's strange power had ravaged his flesh and blood. It was astounded by Yu Yuan's swift return to full health and noted that he seemed even more resilient than prior to the injury.
"Is this the Blood Altar's doing?" the spirit asked, amazed.
Yu Yuan gave a slight nod. After a moment's pause, he retrieved the second Blood Rejuvenation Elixir and swallowed it. Almost instantly, the vitality within the elixir was absorbed by the newly formed Blood Altar at his Profound Gate acupoint.
Once the Blood Altar imparted a portion of vitality infused with life power, its deep red hue faded ever so slightly. It seemed that the locked-in vitality energy would cause a color shift as it diminished, from rich to pale. Yet, the scale of the Blood Altar remained unchanged.
In his little world of vitality, the Blood Altar had become akin to a reservoir. The vital essence within—akin to the water in a reservoir—would deplete with use, but the Blood Altar itself would remain unaltered.
As the vital energy from the Blood Rejuvenation Elixir was assimilated in his abdomen and flowed into his little world, the Blood Altar was the first to engulf it, causing its color to deepen once more.
"I understand now!" Yu Yuan declared, his realization dawning. He turned to the cauldron spirit within the Crucible of Evil and shared, "This peculiar and refined Blood Altar can be seen as another little world within my vitality's little world. The vitality it gathers is even purer! Since it embodies the essence of life, it's more readily assimilated by the body."
Yu Yuan took a deep breath and spoke to the cauldron spirit within the Crucible of Evil, "That peculiar Blood Altar can be considered another little world within the little world of vitality. The energy of vitality it gathers is even more pure! Since it contains the breath of life, it's also easier to assimilate into the body."
"This Blood Altar has similar effects to the one crafted by the Azurefiend that we encountered at the bottom of the Embers Sea!"
"I've tested it with a pill, and I should be able to absorb the energy of vitality much faster through this Blood Altar."
"The Blood Altar can absorb, purify, and infuse mysterious life power. And I, I can use it at will!" Yu Yuan said, his excitement palpable.
"Ah! If that's the case, won't your progression into the Veil Breaking realm be incredibly swift?" the cauldron spirit exclaimed, its voice filled with enthusiasm. It was intimately familiar with every step of a cultivator's advancement, having accompanied more than one master through their journey.
Given that the Blood Altar could grant Yu Yuan the extraordinary power to heal his wounds quickly, his breakthrough in this realm would be unbelievably smooth and rapid.
Advancing and breaking through the Veil Breaking realm is all about dismantling and then rebuilding.
For the dismantling, he could rely on the Crucible of Evil, using its stored assortment of psionic powers, toxins, refined iron dust, and other forces that corrode flesh but cannot be absorbed, to destroy his physical form.
The subsequent rebuilding is a process of healing and repair, which is typically much slower than the destruction.
However, with the appearance of the Blood Altar in the little world of vitality, Yu Yuan glimpsed a beacon of hope. As long as he had an ample source of vital energy, the Blood Altar could swiftly absorb and refine it, then replenish him in return.
This would enable him to rapidly heal his wounds and rebuild his muscles and bones!
It also meant that his breakthrough in the Veil Breaking realm would be incredibly swift!
"As long as there are no other issues with the Blood Altar, I should be able to continuously advance to the middle period and late period in a short amount of time!" Yu Yuan was ecstatic. "I need the flesh and blood of spirit animals or pills rich in vitality. With this Blood Altar and the Crucible of Evil, I can swiftly advance through this realm and reach Subtlety!"
The Blood Altar requires an abundance of the essence of vitality. After being refined and transformed by the altar, it imparts the breath of life.
As long as he has a sufficient source of vitality, he can utilize the Blood Altar to absorb and refine it, applying it to himself to achieve a breakthrough in this realm in a short amount of time.
"You practice the Evil Body Refining technique of the Terror Claws, which relies heavily on the vitality of living creatures. Pills concocted from medicinal herbs will have a significantly reduced effect," the cauldron spirit pondered before adding, "Pills refined from powerful alien beasts or extraterrestrial creatures, or even consuming them directly, will expedite the process."
"I understand."
