Chapter 14: Problem and Its Solution?
After finishing his trial within the cave and claiming the Hellfire Lotus, Shen Yuan allowed himself no long rest. He quickly gathered his strength and rose—there was much work to be done. He knew the road still stretched far ahead, and that he needed both cores and blood.
Cores were the foundation for refining the Primordial Body technique—All for One—and strengthening it until it could face stronger opponents. Blood, meanwhile, was the essential fuel for the War God Pearl embedded in his body, the pearl he aimed to raise to a second-tier star weapon.
Shen Yuan stood at the cave entrance and looked out over the dense forest, his eyes gleaming sharply. "I'll gather cores… and feed the pearl with blood… I must test my limits today."
He walked with steady steps, cutting his way out of the cave to find the morning barely spilling golden light through the branches. He drew a deep breath and pushed toward the forest's outer depths.
His target was clear: one-star peak beasts and low-tier two-star beasts. He had no intention of consuming the cores immediately; he planned to store them until his hunt was done, then use them later in a focused session to temper his body.
For three straight hours Shen Yuan ran, darting between trees like another predator of the woods. The forest was vast, and reaching its deeper sections took time and effort. When he finally reached a suitable depth, he began a silent slaughter without hesitation.
He leapt on the first mid-grade one-star beast, slitting its throat with astonishing speed. Then another… and another. Within half an hour he had slaughtered dozens; blood coated his arms and blade. The beasts did not stand a chance—he moved like a greater monster among them, leaving death in his wake.
As he progressed, low-tier two-star beasts began to appear. They were tougher to deal with but not truly threatening. He felled them one by one, carefully balancing the preservation of his strength with gathering blood and cores.
Still, one red line remained uncrossed: mid-tier or peak two-star beasts. Whenever he sensed one approaching, he would alter his path or quietly withdraw.
A familiar voice echoed in his mind—Elder's voice, or rather the voice of the same man from another timeline:
"Why do you avoid the high-tier beasts?"
Shen Yuan froze for a moment. He knew the Elder could read thoughts with ease, but the question still weighed on him. He answered hesitantly, "I can't match them in raw power or speed… I'd die if I tried to face them."
A brief silence followed, then the Elder chuckled lightly, an edge of mockery in it:
"You truly look down on the Primordial Body technique. Even though you've only devoured one beast core, it's more than enough to deal with those insects. The problem is not the technique—it's you. Your combat skill is shallow, your senses weak, and your fighting spirit unrefined. That is why you feel inferior before them."
The Elder's words struck like an arrow through Shen Yuan's chest. It wasn't just criticism; it was a slap to his pride. Yet he did not doubt the Elder's judgment for a moment. They were the same person—two lines of the same life.
He asked cautiously, his voice carrying resolve, "So… what's the solution? If I can kill them, their cores will be a great treasure, and their blood will feed the pearl. I won't waste this chance."
The Elder replied with bone-deep coldness, "Go and fight them. Let your body bleed, let your bones break, let yourself fall to the ground again and again and rise. Pain is the greatest teacher. Only thus will your combat senses be honed. Later you will learn refined combat techniques, but now… you must build your foundation through blood and sweat."
Shen Yuan swallowed—not because he had never stood at death's edge before, but because the Elder's cold tone felt like frost piercing his soul. Still, he did not argue. He tightened his grip on his sword and kindled an unextinguishable fire within.
"If this is the path… I will walk it to the end."
Thus began Shen Yuan's new journey: an ordeal of agony within the forest, facing mid-tier and peak two-star beasts. He knew his body would be broken many times, but with every wound his body and technique would be tempered. With every drop of blood, the War God Pearl would glow brighter.
The path of blood and pain had only just begun.