“Ahhh!”
Shi Hao let out a pained groan as his right shoulder split open, the wound spreading toward his chest. Blood gushed out violently, nearly tearing half his body apart. Gritting his teeth against the agony, he activated the bone inscriptions to heal his injuries, drawing in the golden sap of the Divine Calamity Lotus and the essence of the immortal pool to mend his wounds.
His chest healed, barely avoiding complete severance, but his right arm and shoulder were not so fortunate—they fell away, staining the pool crimson.
Pale-faced, Shi Hao clenched his jaw, picked up the severed limb, and realigned the bones himself. He channeled the immortal pool’s essence to reconnect the limb, repairing the grievous injury.
This was far from the first time. His torso had been torn apart repeatedly, his blood tainting the sacred pool as he endured torment akin to the depths of hell—like being dismembered alive.
Anywhere else, even Shi Hao wouldn’t have survived. His flesh had been severed dozens of times, severely damaging his foundational Dao roots. But here, the Divine Calamity Lotus had dissolved into the lake, its golden life essence capable of regenerating flesh from bone and reviving the near-dead.
Shi Hao was refining the Golden Bodhi Fruit here—a wise choice. Had he attempted this elsewhere, even with his dragon-like vitality, he would have perished.
“Less than a seventh of the fruit remains. Success is near!”
What kept him going was the belief that he was close to fully refining the Golden Bodhi Fruit. The dawn of hope was visible, though the path was drenched in blood and suffering—perhaps the final darkness before daybreak.
Taking a deep breath, Shi Hao steadied himself. Golden liquid from the pool surged toward him, seeping into his pores to mend his fractures and nourish his broken bones.
It was a miracle!
Severed bones regrew, limbs reformed, and even the most grievous wounds healed at an astonishing pace, nearing perfection.
This was the Divine Calamity Lotus—its legendary effects undeniable. It could breathe life into bones, regrow flesh, and had driven ancient deities to madness in their pursuit of it.
After what felt like an eternity, Shi Hao opened his eyes. Symbols flickered within his pupils, like stars being born in the depths of his gaze.
“Begin!”
Enduring hellish torment, he resumed refining the divine fruit. Beams of light coiled around his body like serpents.
The minor world was veiled by Dao patterns and formations, obscuring heavenly secrets. Even those nearby couldn’t sense each other’s presence.
On the opposite side of the pool where the Divine Calamity Lotus grew, a stunning woman with gem-like eyes suddenly sensed something amiss.
The lake shimmered under the moonlight, illuminating her flawless, ivory-like skin. With a flicker of her gaze, she stirred the water, moving cautiously toward the disturbance.
Beneath the silver moon, she was ethereal—her raven hair cascading, her luminous eyes gleaming, her skin like polished jade.
She drew closer, unseen.
In Shi Hao’s hand, only a tiny sliver of fruit remained, clinging to the seed. It blazed with radiant light, its rules manifesting as divine chains intertwined within its flesh.
The seed itself was the size of a pigeon’s egg, emerald-green and pulsing with a sinister allure. Its eerie glow made Shi Hao’s hand appear translucent.
With a final resolve, Shi Hao took a small bite. The last fragment of fruit dissolved into a torrent of scorching light, rampaging through his body like a wild stallion, severing his life force once more.
All that remained in his hand was the eerie green seed.
A muffled groan escaped him as his body convulsed. This time, his sternum shattered, and his heart cracked—a critical blow.
*Pop!*
His heart was torn open, pierced by a chain of order that left his body translucent at the core. Cracks spiderwebbed outward, filling with blinding light.
If this continued, Shi Hao would be half-destroyed!
“Agony!” Shi Hao’s face twisted in pain as he collapsed into the pool, thrashing in torment. His injuries were catastrophic.
Holy flames flickered as his chest disintegrated into light, threatening to reduce him to ashes. Gleaming white bones peeked through—a dire sight.
“Reincarnation!”
Shi Hao roared, his body erupting with divine radiance. Bone inscriptions blazed like a phoenix reborn in flames, cloaking him in sacred light to protect his core.
He wielded his most profound treasure technique to resist the Golden Bodhi Fruit’s corruption, staving off total bodily collapse.
The invasive rules clashed within him—his chest split and healed, bones fractured and realigned, locked in a grueling stalemate.
This was the most perilous moment yet. In an instant, cracks spread from his sternum to his entire body, tearing him apart.
The power of reincarnation wasn’t just for slaying foes—it could bend time itself. Shi Hao used it to reverse his decay, fighting for survival.
The cost was immense. His life essence was nearly drained, his potential fully unleashed. He was gambling with his life to cross this threshold.
For him, this was a trial by fire—a wager with fate. Failure meant annihilation.
In mere moments, Shi Hao’s body shattered over ten times. Each time, he fought back, his bone inscriptions flaring as he pieced himself together.
Finally, he collapsed, blood staining the water. His body was a wreck, his bones shattered beyond count. He lay motionless, utterly spent.
But he had survived.
The Golden Bodhi Fruit’s terrifying potency had been absorbed. The ordeal was over.
Yet, he was too exhausted to move. After reassembling his limbs and torso, he had no strength left.
All he wanted now was to sleep.
Fortunately, the Divine Calamity Lotus was near. Golden sap flowed from the pool, seeping into his pores to restore his shattered form.
“Did I… succeed?” Shi Hao smiled weakly, his eyes heavy with fatigue, but satisfaction filled him. He had endured.
Then—a ripple in the water.
A mermaid-like figure emerged, her hair adorned with glistening droplets like pearls. Her beauty was breathtaking as she gazed calmly ahead.
It was a scene of surreal elegance—a moonlit nymph, untouched by mortal taint.
“A man?!” Yue Chan’s eyes widened in shock.
In a flash of radiance, battle armor materialized around her, shifting her into combat stance.
Even-numbered days were reserved for women in the immortal pool; odd-numbered for men. This intruder had broken the rules.
Was this an act of malice?
Yue Chan’s flawless face darkened. A man sharing the sacred pool with her was unthinkable—an affront to her purity.
Her heart seethed. This was intolerable.
Before she could act, Shi Hao sensed her presence. Despite his exhaustion, he forced himself upright, sending water cascading around him.
*Fizz!*
Both their bodies flared with defensive light, their bone inscriptions clashing violently in the water.
At such close range, conflict was inevitable.
A rainbow streak shot from Yue Chan’s brow—a devastating psychic strike meant to overwhelm Shi Hao’s mind.
Weakened from his ordeal, Shi Hao dodged instead of resisting, slicing through the water to evade.
“Scoundrel! Trespassing under the moon—how shameless!” Yue Chan’s rebuke was no mere scolding. Each word carried a curse, manifesting as metallic runes that crashed down like mountain seals.
Unprepared, one might mistake her anger for mere indignation—but this was a lethal technique.
Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed. Instead of countering, he evaded again, conserving his energy.
Yue Chan’s starry eyes saw through his frailty—his pallor, the bloodied water. He was severely wounded, his vitality drained.
As the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Mending Sect, her perception was peerless. She knew he was spent—an easy capture.
A faint smile touched her lips as she glided across the water, poised to subdue him effortlessly.
Her calculations were precise—or so she thought.
In a flash, she realized her error. All five of her supreme techniques dissipated upon contact with his skin, repelled by an unknown force.
Now, she was too close—forced into melee combat.
Having consumed the Golden Bodhi Fruit, Shi Hao’s magic immunity had strengthened. Though weakened, he seized the opportunity to counterattack.
With a teleportation talisman on him, escape was guaranteed tonight.
*Thud!*
In an instant, each had seized the other’s arm, locked in a grapple.
“Moonlit beauty hunt?” Shi Hao teased.
“You won’t escape!” Yue Chan’s divine aura flared, her flawless skin glowing, her eyes blazing with determination.
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