Finally, Bai Ru added everything together to make the Final Total.
The moment the final number appeared, even her expression changed slightly. "Wow…"
She looked up toward Li Yan with visible surprise. "Your total comes to one hundred one thousand seven hundred ninety Shadow Points."
However, Li Yan's thoughts moved differently. "Only a little over one hundred thousand?"
Compared to the enormous amount he had accumulated through relentless hunting during the past two and a half months, the number felt surprisingly manageable.
Without hesitation, Li Yan summoned his golden disciple badge and extended it calmly toward Bai Ru.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed within her eyes again after seeing the golden badge. Still, she quickly retrieved her own dark-gold elder badge and touched it gently against his.
A soft glow appeared between them. The transaction completed instantly.
Bai Ru exhaled slowly afterward before shaking her head faintly. "Li Yan… I honestly don't know whether anyone in the sect's history has ever spent this many Shadow Points in a single purchase."
Li Yan smiled lightly in response. "Hunting Tier-2 Magical Beasts for the last two and a half months turned out to be fairly profitable."
Once the transaction was complete, Li Yan withdrew his badge and briefly channeled Qi into it to check the remaining balance.
On the reverse side of the badge, glowing numbers appeared clearly.
98,230 Shadow Points.
Even after purchasing every Tier-2 through Tier-4 pill recipe alongside the other materials, his remaining wealth remained astonishingly high for a disciple at his rank.
Li Yan stored the badge and the things you brought into his storage ring.
Afterward, he bid farewell to Bai Ru before leaving the Alchemy Hall entirely.
Outside, the afternoon sunlight shone brighter, bathing the sect grounds beneath warm golden light while disciples moved steadily between halls and courtyards.
Li Yan did not return directly to his residence. Instead, he made his way toward the sect treasury located deeper within the Core Hall district.
There, he met Elder Han Yujie, the elder responsible for overseeing treasury exchanges and higher-tier artifact transactions.
After a brief discussion, Li Yan purchased a Tier-5 artifact.
A cauldron.
Unlike ordinary pill furnaces, this cauldron possessed a thick square-shaped structure forged from dense firesteel. Its surface carried heavy heat-resistant inscriptions alongside reinforced spirit-conductive layers.
The artifact alone cost him two thousand five hundred Shadow Points.
Yet Li Yan showed no hesitation.
After storing the cauldron in his storage ring, he finally left the treasury and headed toward the outer pathways leading toward the Fire Mine mountain.
Today—
He planned to begin true Body Cultivation.
However, before he could even reach halfway toward the mountain path, a voice suddenly echoed directly within his mind.
Clear.
Composed.
And strangely familiar.
"You've become powerful… far more than I expected, Senior."
Li Yan's footsteps stopped instantly.
Shock flickered across his eyes for the briefest moment.
Without another word, he immediately changed direction and returned straight toward his residence instead of continuing toward the Fire Mine.
The moment he entered his room and closed the door behind him, Li Yan sat cross-legged on the couch immediately and closed his eyes.
His consciousness descended inward into the depths of his Spiritual Consciousness.
Within the depths of Li Yan's Spiritual Consciousness, soft light pulsed gently across the spiritual sea. The entire realm felt calm, silent, and strangely peaceful beneath the flowing currents of Spiritual Energy.
At the center of that spiritual sea floated the green transparent seal created by Yao Fuhuo.
Inside it—
Yan Tian had awakened.
Though still sealed within the translucent sphere, the boy no longer remained in silent meditation. His eyes were open now, yet filled with quiet emotion as he observed the world around him.
The moment Li Yan appeared within the Spiritual Consciousness, a faint smile surfaced across Yan Tian's face.
Li Yan walked toward the seal slowly before stopping nearby. "You finally woke up, Yan Tian."
His voice carried neither excitement nor sorrow.
Only quiet relief.
Yan Tian looked toward him silently for several moments before giving a small nod.
Their reunion unfolded calmly afterward.
No dramatic emotions.
No overwhelming reactions.
Only two souls were sitting quietly within the spiritual realm while Li Yan shared everything that had happened since their lives became intertwined.
Li Yan explained everything.
The potential of all elemental affinities.
The deal with Yao Fuhuo.
The reconstruction of the body.
The cultivation breakthroughs.
The tasks given by Yao Fuhuo.
The sect.
The disciples.
The Spiritual Beast Egg.
Even the plans he made for their future.
Yan Tian listened silently throughout the entire conversation. Occasionally, faint smiles appeared across his face while hearing how far Li Yan had already advanced using the body that once belonged to him.
Not jealousy.
Not regret.
Only quiet amazement.
And perhaps… pride.
After what felt like a long conversation within the realm of Spiritual Consciousness, Li Yan finally looked toward Yan Tian again before asking calmly,
"So… what are you planning to do now?"
Yan Tian fell silent briefly before sighing softly. "What can I even do while trapped inside this seal?"
A trace of helplessness appeared within his expression for the first time since awakening.
Yet Li Yan simply smiled faintly. "Don't think like that. You may not be able to leave the seal yet, but there are still many things you can do."
Confusion immediately surfaced across Yan Tian's face.
Seeing that reaction, Li Yan raised his hand calmly.
The spiritual sea beneath them rippled gently.
Then—
A book slowly emerged from beneath the surface, formed entirely from Spiritual Energy itself, before floating into Li Yan's hand.
Yan Tian stared at it in surprise.
"This is one of the books about Magical Beasts that I read inside the Shadow Knowledge Pavilion," Li Yan explained calmly.
"Everything I learn and remember leaves behind a copy here within my Spiritual Consciousness."
"One of the advantages of Spiritual Consciousness." As he spoke, Li Yan extended the spiritual book toward the transparent seal containing Yan Tian's soul.
Yan Tian's surprise deepened visibly. "What?"
Li Yan smiled slightly. "You can still learn."
"You can still grow."
"You can still prepare yourself."
Yan Tian remained silent while listening carefully.
Li Yan continued calmly afterward. "Senior Yao already told us there may be a way to restore your soul completely someday. But finding that method could take years."
"Maybe longer." His gaze remained steady. "But if fate truly allows us to restore you one day…"
"Then, when that day arrives, you shouldn't face this world helplessly. You should already possess enough knowledge to survive on your own."
The words settled deeply within the spiritual realm.
For several moments, Yan Tian simply stared silently at the spiritual book floating before him. Then understanding gradually appeared within his eyes. "I understand."
Li Yan nodded lightly. "Take your time. Think about what you want to learn."
"And think carefully about what kind of path you want to walk in the future. When you decide… tell me. I will try my best to arrange the knowledge for you."
Yan Tian gave a slow nod once more. The helplessness within his expression had not disappeared entirely.
But something else now existed beside it.
Purpose.
Afterward, Li Yan remained there only briefly before his consciousness gradually withdrew from the spiritual realm and returned toward reality once again.
Yet something had undeniably changed.
Yan Tian no longer slept endlessly in silence.
From this moment onward, he would remain awake within the depths of Li Yan's Spiritual Consciousness—
A silent observer watching the world unfold through another's eyes. The world he himself never had the opportunity to explore.
After leaving his residence once more, Li Yan headed directly toward the Fire Mine. By the time he arrived in front of the teleportation portal, the sun had already begun descending toward the horizon.
Late afternoon had arrived.
Inside the Fire Mine, dim crimson light shimmered across jagged stone walls, casting flickering shadows that twisted across the tunnels like restless spirits beneath the earth.
Heat rolled continuously from molten fissures running through the cavern floor. The air itself felt heavy, thick with concentrated Fire Qi and the suffocating breath of the underground depths.
Li Yan walked deeper without hesitation.
Eventually, he arrived once more at the central cavern he frequently used for cultivation. The familiar stone platform rested quietly beneath the fiery glow surrounding the chamber.
Here, the heat no longer resembled ordinary fire.
It felt alive.
Like the breathing pulse of the world's core itself.
Li Yan stopped calmly before waving his hand.
Light flickered softly from his storage ring as several herbs appeared neatly across the surrounding ground. Seven different types rested around him in a precise arrangement.
Five had originally come from Yao Fuhuo.
The remaining two—
Golden Thread Flower and Stone Vein Root—
had been purchased earlier from the Alchemy Hall to complete the required recipe.
Then came the cauldron.
A heavy metallic thud echoed throughout the cavern as the Tier-5 artifact landed firmly upon the stone floor. Its thick, square body, forged entirely from dense firesteel, faintly reflected the surrounding crimson glow.
Li Yan rested his palm against its surface briefly. The cauldron vibrated subtly beneath his touch, resonating naturally with the dense Fire Qi saturating the mine.
"Worth every Shadow Point," Li Yan muttered softly.
For several moments, he simply stood there quietly before slowly closing his eyes.
The path of Body Cultivation is not peaceful…
You don't nurture the body into strength.
You destroy weakness.
You burn it away.
And force the body to crawl back stronger from the ashes.
Those were the words recorded within the Body Cultivation scripture.
This path differed completely from the Steel Body Tempering technique he had practiced previously. That technique merely supported external refinement and gradual strengthening.
But true Body Cultivation—
Was violent.
Ruthless.
It shattered weakness, then rebuilt something stronger in its place.
Fire.
Medicinal force.
Pain.
Pressure.
Everything became tools for reforging flesh and bone.
Li Yan slowly opened his eyes again.
"Let's begin."
With another wave of his hand, several barrels of purified water emerged from his storage ring beside the cauldron. One after another, he poured them carefully inside until the massive cauldron reached the proper level.
Then Li Yan extended his hand.
Refining flames emerged instantly above his palm.
One by one, he refined the seven herbs directly into pure medicinal essence, carefully extracting every drop of potency without wasting even the smallest amount.
Inside the depths of Spiritual Consciousness, Yan Tian silently watched the entire process unfold.
Soon, the refined essences merged within the cauldron. A pungent, bitter aroma gradually filled the surrounding mine.
The liquid darkened rapidly into a deep crimson, thicker than blood itself, while violent medicinal energy churned beneath the surface.
Li Yan maintained steady control of the refining flames beneath the cauldron, continuously heating the mixture while fully integrating the seven medicinal essences.
The liquid boiled violently.
Steam surged upward endlessly.
Pressure gradually spread throughout the cavern.
Once the preparations were complete, Li Yan calmly removed his outer robes, leaving only simple undergarments behind.
The body revealed beneath them carried clear signs of relentless training and battle endured over nearly half a year.
Corded muscles.
Refined balance.
Countless hidden signs of tempered strength.
Li Yan inhaled deeply before shifting his focus inward.
Toward the Martial Core within the middle dantian.
Following the circulation method recorded in the scripture, Li Yan carefully and steadily activated the flow of Martial Energy throughout his body.
Gray energy spread across his skin instantly.
A faint gray glow enveloped his entire body.
Only then did he step into the cauldron.
Slowly, Li Yan lowered himself into the boiling medicinal bath before settling cross-legged inside until the crimson liquid reached his chin.
The moment full contact formed—
The medicinal bath reacted violently.
His Fire immunity completely prevented ordinary burning and heat damage, yet the medicinal pressure still surged directly into his body through every pore.
The herbal essence aggressively invaded his flesh.
His muscles tightened instinctively.
Nerves flared sharply beneath the stimulation.
Steam exploded upward from the cauldron as the volatile medicinal properties collided against the Martial Energy coating his skin.
Then the pain began.
And with every passing moment—
It intensified.
The medicinal essence continuously tempered his skin, layer by layer, while Fire Qi from the surrounding mine accelerated the process even further.
Several minutes passed.
The pain increased rapidly.
For ordinary cultivators, the agony alone would have already forced screams from their throats.
Some would have fainted entirely.
Yet Li Yan remained motionless.
Only his eyes narrowed slightly beneath the growing torment.
"Pain is temporary."
"Weakness isn't."
His voice remained low and steady.
At the same time, Spiritual Energy circulated tightly through his mind, reinforcing his consciousness while suppressing the chaos threatening to overwhelm his senses.