Despite the injuries Wen Ran had endured, he was in high spirits, and it showed clearly on his face. There was a quiet sense of victory in him, while his master, on the other hand, seemed to be grappling with a bitter defeat. Both were acting like children, yet beneath their antics, something more complex was unfolding—respect, albeit begrudging, was starting to form in the old man’s heart.
Haha… wild brat, the old man thought to himself with a smirk, At least he’s not a pushover like those other two. With this kind of character, he’ll get himself killed one day. I must protect him well.
Little did the old man know, the very qualities he admired in Wen Ran were also what had led to his demise in his previous life. If Wen Ran had just submitted to the gods, if he had kept his big mouth shut, he might have joined their ranks and lived on. But his hatred and unyielding heart had driven him to rebel, and that rebellion ultimately cost him his life. Even now, it was that same fire, that same unrelenting drive, that motivated him to start over and grow from nothing.
"Well, it was all worth it," Wen Ran muttered to himself, a quiet satisfaction in his voice. His palm opened to reveal the pill, and to his eyes, it looked like a miniature cosmos—swirling shades of violet, gold, and silver. Impatience burned in his chest, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He quickly popped the pill into his mouth, the intensity of his curiosity and excitement overcoming him.
He had no idea what kind of effect the pill would have, but in that moment, his desire to find out surpassed everything else.
Almost instantaneously, a massive surge of cool spiritual energy rushed through Wen Ran’s meridians, flooding him with power that seemed to refine his body from the inside out. His dantian and the crimson rivers of energy expanded almost immediately upon receiving this power. But what surprised Wen Ran the most was that not only was he advancing rapidly, but his typically violent, chaotic energy had been calmed under this baptism of pure energy. It was as if he was being washed in the most pristine spring water, his body absorbing the purity and tranquility it offered.
The energy continued to surge through his being, and his dantian expanded further, the crimson rivers of power coursing through his veins at a breakneck pace. Then, with a deafening boom that resonated deep within him, Wen Ran felt the unmistakable shift as he broke through to the third circle of the Spirit Flow stage. But the sensation didn’t end there.
The energy within Wen Ran surged relentlessly, seemingly endless in its power. It clashed violently against the calming influence of the pill, creating a chaotic storm within his body. The red object that resembled a moon pulsed with a brilliant light, its radiance bathing the pure, innocent energy that had once flowed peacefully. The moon-like object forced the tranquil energy to submit, bending it to its will, and with a sudden shift, the energy transformed, its color deepening to a fierce crimson.
This transformation wasn’t subtle—it was as if the entire atmosphere within Wen Ran’s body ignited. The newly awakened chaotic energy expanded violently, a surge of power pushing its way through his meridians. The force was overwhelming, and Wen Ran felt it crash through his body like an explosion, a violent shockwave that sent him spiraling upward to the fourth circle of the Spirit Flow stage. The explosion within him felt as though it was tearing him apart, yet the pain was almost liberating, as if he were breaking through his own limits.
The chaotic energy, once threatening to consume him, now became a part of his newfound strength, and Wen Ran felt himself grow exponentially in that moment. The price of this advancement was steep—his body was drenched in sweat, and his breath ragged—but the taste of power was undeniable. The strength in his veins burned with a newfound intensity, and Wen Ran understood, with a clarity he had never experienced before, that this was only the beginning.
He exhaled a small mist of ethereal energy, his body vibrating with the sheer magnitude of the transformation. "This speed is incredible," he whispered, his voice filled with awe and excitement. "At this rate, reaching the next realm will be a piece of cake."
The exhilaration was palpable, and from an outside perspective, it would have been hard to mistake him for anyone else but someone on the verge of breaking through to new heights. His excitement was nearly uncontrollable, his feet almost lifting from the ground as he reveled in the rapid growth he was experiencing.
In his mind, a plan began to take shape—one to craft as many pills as possible, quickly skipping through the stages of cultivation. But just as he felt himself on the cusp of unstoppable momentum, the harsh reality of his ambition hit him like a slap to the face.
The moment Wen Ran tried to recreate the recipe, he felt the familiar sting of failure. The process was anything but smooth—time and time again, he attempted to create the pill, only to find himself failing each time. Frustration mounted as hours passed, each failure seeming to compound the weight of his earlier success. It wasn’t until his fifth attempt that he finally succeeded, and by the time the night sky overtook the day, Wen Ran had only succeeded four times out of twenty attempts.
"This..." Wen Ran muttered under his breath, staring at the pill in his palm. "Only a twenty percent chance... this will cost a lot of resources, but as long as the old man is paying, I’m alright with that."
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He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh at his own frustration. His impatience had led him to think this would be easier, but the reality was far different. The path to mastery was not paved with quick fixes or shortcuts, and despite the immense energy coursing through his body, the process of creation was far more taxing than he had anticipated. Still, he refused to back down—if anything, the failure only fueled his drive to push forward.