Li Chen's consciousness swam in the cold, analytical light of the System's interface as the diagnostic report scrolled through his mind. It was far more terrifying than any beast's growl.
[Full Body Diagnostic Complete.]
Physical Trauma: Three fractured ribs. Severe bruising across the torso. Minor internal bleeding in the lower abdomen. Spiritual Core: Critical. Status: Fractured. Multiple micro-fissures detected, causing a 92% leakage of generated Qi. Unstable absorption of ambient spiritual energy. Meridian Network: 7% of primary channels are blocked by coagulated blood and chaotic energy. 23% are damaged, causing inefficient Qi flow. Prognosis: Without intervention, host will experience systemic organ failure within 12 standard hours. Complete spiritual core collapse will follow.
The verdict was as cold as a tombstone. His body wasn't just a house with a few broken windows; its entire foundation was crumbling. No simple pill or meditation technique could fix this. This was a catastrophic structural failure.
"System," Li Chen forced the words out, his voice a dry rasp. "Search all inherited knowledge from the Celestial Formation Sect. Cross-reference with my own knowledge of biological systems and micro-fluidics. Find any formation, array, or principle related to purification, regeneration, or life-energy regulation."
[Searching... Cross-referencing... The Celestial Formation Sect archives contain 17 blueprints for purification arrays. Most are large-scale, intended for water sources or ore refinement. However, one theoretical design is flagged: [The Gentle Stream Purification Array].]
A new blueprint, this one incomplete and filled with faded lines and questioning annotations, appeared in his mental workshop. Its purpose was to gently cleanse spiritual herbs of chaotic energies without damaging their delicate structures. It was never fully developed, deemed too inefficient for large-scale use.
Inefficient for herbs, perhaps. But for a fragile human body?
"This is it," Li Chen whispered, his mind latching onto the concept with feverish intensity. "This is the principle. System, open a new project file. Title: [Micro-Vitalization Array]."
The vast, grid-lined space of his mental workshop reappeared. He imported the broken blueprint of the [Gentle Stream Purification Array] as his starting point. His own body's diagnostic, a 3D model of mangled meridians and a cracked core, floated beside it.
"This isn't about just cleaning something," he murmured, his architect's mind taking over. "This is a repair job. A biological renovation."
He began to dismantle the old design. The original array was designed to be placed around an object. His needed to be part of a living system. He redesigned the energy pathways to match the layout of his own damaged meridians, turning them into a guide for the array. The formation wouldn't just push energy at his body; it would guide his body's own chaotic Qi through a cleansing filter.
Next, he focused on the spiritual core. It was leaking energy like a shattered vessel. He designed a microscopic containment field around it, not to seal it completely, but to create a pressurized, stable environment—like a splint on a broken bone—that would encourage the micro-fissures to mend under a gentle, constant stream of purified ambient Qi.
"System, run the simulation," he commanded after what felt like hours of painstaking mental work.
[Simulating… The proposed [Micro-Vitalization Array] demonstrates a 68% probability of stabilizing the host's spiritual core within three hours. It has a 75% chance of clearing meridian blockages. WARNING: The required precision is beyond what standard spiritual materials can offer. The design requires conductors with high biocompatibility and a power source with pure, gentle life-attribute energy.]
The familiar roadblock: materials. He was in a ruin, not an alchemist's shop. He had no rare spirit grasses or elixirs.
"System," he asked, a desperate idea forming. "Scan the local environment. Analyze the flora outside this cellar. Find materials that match the required properties. Forget rarity. Focus on function."
[Scanning... Analyzing... Match found.]
Two images appeared in his mind.
[Material 1: Sun-Sipping Moss. Properties: Thrives on ambient light and Qi. Possesses strong, stable life-attribute energy. Excellent as a low-yield, gentle power source.][Material 2: Silverwood Sapling Sap. Properties: Extremely low spiritual resistance. High biocompatibility. When dried, forms a flexible, conductive filament. Ideal as a micro-conductor.]
Moss and tree sap. Things nobody in this world would look at twice. To the cultivators who prized rare and powerful treasures, they were worthless. But to an architect who understood that the design was more important than the materials, they were priceless.
A new blueprint, complete and glowing with a soft, green light, finalized itself in his mind. It was an intricate circle designed to be drawn on his own torso, centered on his dantian.
[New Blueprint Created: [Micro-Vitalization Array - Mk. 1]. Do you wish to save?]
"Save it," Li Chen said, his voice filled with a desperate resolve.
He had the design. He knew the materials. But they were outside, in the dangerous, blood-soaked ruins. He looked at the makeshift barrier blocking the cellar entrance. For the first time since the massacre, he would have to leave his shelter. He would have to venture out, not to fight, but to gather the simple ingredients needed to rebuild his own life from the ground up.