Feeling the violent dou qi surging within his body, Gu He took a moment to assess his condition. A satisfied smile soon curled at the corners of his lips.
The Marrow Washing and Body Quenching Liquid refined from the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Tempering Milk was truly extraordinary. His physical strength had undergone a tremendous enhancement.
In truth, Gu He's physique had never been weak to begin with. Tempered by multiple flames and further honed through the Divine Flame Art's body-refining technique, his physical prowess was already among the finest within the Dou Ancestor realm.
As for the remaining seventeen vials of Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Tempering Milk, Gu He had no intention of refining them further.
His current physique had reached a near-ceiling in terms of improvement—any additional tempering would yield diminishing returns.
"Next, it's time to focus on cultivation."
With that thought, Gu He reached out to the system and commanded inwardly:
"System, extract the remaining years of cultivation!"
The moment his voice faded, the suspended dou qi orb within the system space shot forth like a streak of light, merging directly into his body.
Before he could react, an overwhelming surge of power flooded his meridians—wild, untamed, like a raging river crashing against its banks.
Boom!
A muffled explosion resonated within his body, his face flushing crimson.
The dou qi erupted violently, sending tremors through his entire being. Sensing the abrupt transformation, Gu He immediately activated the Divine Flame Art, channeling the technique to absorb this vast, unruly force.
Yet the moment he made contact, his expression shifted.
The sheer magnitude of the dou qi far exceeded his expectations.
He had assumed that his enhanced physique would allow him to refine it with relative ease.
But now, this dou qi rampaged through him like a wild stallion without reins—scorching his meridians, tearing through his flesh. Agony, sharp and relentless, seared his nerves.
"Again, I underestimated this dou qi!"
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his face contorted in pain. But Gu He gritted his teeth, drawing upon his prior experiences in dou qi refinement. He had endured fusion before—he could endure this.
Yet the destructive force of this dou qi was undeniable. Every muscle in his body twitched violently under its assault.
"I need to suppress it first..."
His expression hardened. His waist-length hair whipped wildly as a destructive aura radiated from him. Then, his eyes flashed with a brilliant purple light.
In an instant, substantial violet flames erupted within his body, surging toward the rampaging dou qi. His goal was simple—use his divine flame to shatter the violent force, then refine the fragments one by one.
"Roar!"
The purple flames intensified, crashing against the dou qi like tidal waves, breaking it apart.
Gu He exhaled in relief, his gaze fixed on the scattered dou qi. "Now, the refinement begins. This may take a while."
Closing his eyes, he immersed himself in the process, his focus absolute.
Silence reclaimed the dark cavern.
…
Mountains and Ravines…
Low, guttural roars echoed through the abyss-like terrain, shaking the heavens. Monstrous beasts rampaged, their terrifying auras saturating the world with violence and disorder.
Inside the cave, illuminated by glowing pearls, a figure sat cross-legged—still as an ancient cultivator. Yet within him, tyrannical dou qi clashed, tearing and reforging his bones, flesh, and meridians in a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
His Dou Crystal expanded at an alarming rate.
Then—his eyes snapped open.
Two opposing auras burst forth before dissipating just as quickly. His face was youthful, handsome, but his eyes held a depth that betrayed his age.
"Five-Star Dou Ancestor."
"Master grows more terrifying by the day."
At the cave entrance, Xiao Jin—ever vigilant—felt the unintentional ripple of Gu He's aura. His golden pupils flickered with awe.
But Gu He wasn't done yet.
With a thought, a blood-red crystal materialized before him, its scorching presence oppressive.
"Now, it's your turn."
His gaze gleamed as he raised a hand—purple flames engulfed the Phoenix Blood Stone instantly.
"Hum!"
The stone trembled violently, as if sensing danger. A thick blood mist erupted from it, shielding it from the flames.
Gu He's eyes narrowed.
"This mist… can resist my Divine Flame?"
His flames were a fusion of multiple Heavenly Flames—how could mere mist repel them?
A defiant spark flashed in his eyes. He increased the output, the flames intensifying.
Slowly, the mist weakened.
"It's working!"
Excitement surged within him. He pushed further.
Half an hour later, the mist had thinned to a fragile veil.
But just as his flames were about to breach the final barrier—
"Screech!"
A piercing phoenix cry erupted from the stone.
A fiery phoenix phantom materialized above it.
Gu He's instincts screamed—danger.
BANG!
The stone exploded.
Scarlet light flooded his vision. The entire cave was drowned in blood mist.
Then—the mist surged toward him, seeping into his pores.
Agony.
His body twisted as a burning sensation ravaged his bones. His mind reeled—phoenix cries, ancient and deafening, echoed in his skull.
"Undying Flame!"
The Phoenix Blood Stone contained a Heavenly Flame—the Undying Flame!
And now, it had dispersed into mist, attacking him.
Each wisp carried power rivaling a Dou King's strike. The sheer volume was unimaginable.
But shock gave way to resolve.
The mist coalesced around him, pressing down like a mountain. His enhanced physique barely withstood the pressure—but the real threat was the mist invading his body.
It burned his blood, his Dou Qi—consuming them as fuel to grow stronger.
"It's refining me… instead!"
Horror flickered in his heart. He pushed the Divine Flame Art to its limits, Dou Qi surging wildly.
But the mist-flames ignored it, spreading like wildfire.
His flesh, bones, meridians—all burned.
The pain was unbearable.
Yet he clenched his jaw, refusing to scream. Opening his mouth would only let more mist in.
"The Phoenix's will lingers… even after millennia."
For the first time, he felt powerless.
He could flee—use Spatial Teleportation to escape.
But he refused.
"Divine Flame… it's my only hope."
He sat firm, summoning his purple flames.
"Boom!"
The Divine Flame clashed with the blood-mist flames, devouring them.
The scarlet flames dimmed, riddled with holes before collapsing into raw dou qi.
But the relief was short-lived.
The dispersed dou qi reignited, searing his flesh anew.
"Damn it!"
He endured, refining frantically. His Divine Flame clashed endlessly with the mist, a brutal tug-of-war.
Gu He didn't know how long this would last.
He only knew—if he slowed, he died.
His nerves numbed. The pain became background noise.
His mind—calm as still water.
'Refine. Refine. Refine.'
Gu He's body changed, quietly undergoing a metamorphosis.
Streaks of scarlet blood traced his skin, eerie yet radiant.
...
In the dimly lit cave, time passed silently.
At this moment, Gu He had completely lost track of time.
The dense mist of Phoenix blood surged toward him like a violent storm, forcibly seeping into his body.
"Boom!"
Gu He's entire body was now shrouded in the blood mist, drenched crimson as if he had been bathed in blood. A deep, resonant roar echoed within him, followed by scarlet blood oozing from every pore.
This was not the blood of the Phoenix—it was his own essence, forced out under the overwhelming pressure.
The endless blood mist transformed into raging flames, scorching his flesh and bones relentlessly.
Two full hours had passed, and Gu He was still enduring.
As time wore on, the oppressive will of the Phoenix grew stronger, the blood mist around him thickening further, accompanied by its terrifying aura.
Even with Gu He's formidable physique, he could barely withstand this pressure. His body trembled slightly, his bones quaking under the strain.
Under such duress, his blood continued to spill out. Though the amount was small, the relentless burning of the blood flames meant that, given enough time, his vitality would be completely drained.
Knowing this, Gu He had no choice but to refine the Phoenix blood mist frantically, absorbing it into his own flesh and blood to replenish his dwindling dou qi.
Under this life-and-death trial, Gu He pushed his limits to the extreme.
As each wave of blood flames was refined and fused into his body, he could feel a profound strengthening taking place—not just in his muscles, but in his very bones and meridians.
With this newfound vitality, the exhaustion that had plagued him finally receded, replaced by an even richer surge of dou qi.
His blood churned violently, roaring like a tempest.
As his physical body grew stronger, the dou qi flowing through his limbs and bones surged like a flood, roaring through his meridians before finally converging into his Dou Crystal. An overwhelming sense of power filled his heart.
Feeling the transformation in both his body and cultivation, Gu He's spirits lifted. Encouraged, he redoubled his efforts in refining.
"In just this short time, the gains rival half a month of cultivation."
"Most importantly, my physique—every part of me has been tempered by the Phoenix blood mist."
A thrilled smile tugged at his lips, but his mind remained as calm as still water.
Focusing intently, he endured the excruciating pain while continuing to refine the blood mist.
He knew he had to bear this suffering.
Like a butterfly struggling free of its cocoon, he had to endure the agony of breaking his own wings.
"Crack… Crack…"
The faint sound of bones fracturing and reforming echoed through the cave, sending shivers down one's spine.
A full day and night had passed since Gu He began refining the Phoenix Blood Stone.
As the blood mist was consumed, what remained around him grew even thicker, almost on the verge of solidifying.
The more he absorbed, the greater the pressure on his body became.
His bones repeatedly shattered and reformed, each cycle bringing unbearable torment.
Yet, despite the pain, Gu He remained seated like a meditating monk, his body radiating violent fluctuations of dou qi.
His form seemed to have transformed into a sea of flames, burning him to the brink of ashes. Within this inferno, endless purple flames surged.
Gu He had pushed his Divine Flame to its absolute limit.
Under his control, the divine flame coursed through his body, refining and devouring the invading blood flames before feeding pure dou qi back into his flesh and bones.
With each infusion, his aura grew more terrifying—like a dormant volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
"Fortunately, maintaining the Divine Flame Art at full power for so long has deepened my mastery over it."
"Now that my body has been tempered to this extent… it's time to break through."
Sensing the violent power within him, determination flashed in Gu He's eyes.
With a thought, his pores expanded, and the surrounding blood mist flooded into him at an even faster rate.
Before the mist could ignite into flames, he dispersed it with his Divine Flame, allowing it to seep into his bones and flesh.
The pain was like molten steel being poured into his veins.
His body trembled uncontrollably, his handsome face contorting in agony.
Yet, with unwavering resolve, he roared inwardly: "Endure!"
"Boom!"
A shackle seemed to shatter within him.
Gu He's body underwent a rebirth—his bones, flesh, and blood reforged under the fusion of Phoenix dou qi and his Divine Flame.
A radiant glow enveloped him as newfound strength surged through every fiber of his being.
Clenching his fists, he couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
But the moment of triumph was short-lived.
The Phoenix's will struck again, its pressure soaring.
Had his physique not just broken through, even his iron will would have been crushed.
Without pause, Gu He resumed refining the blood mist, racing against time.
As the Phoenix's essence merged into him, he endured the torment once more, his nerves screaming under the pain.
In the silent cave, illuminated by faint moonlight stones, Gu He was bathed in scarlet radiance.
He had lost himself entirely in cultivation, pushing forward with reckless abandon.
Time blurred as his aura swelled—both his cultivation and physical strength skyrocketing at a terrifying pace.
"Another breakthrough is near… My body and dou qi are both at their limits."
With a swift hand seal, a violent tearing force erupted from him, drawing the surrounding blood mist into his body like a vortex.
"Boom… Boom…"
The berserk dou qi ravaged his meridians and flesh.
Even prepared, the pain forced a bestial growl from his throat.
His body felt like it was being torn apart—meridians fracturing, bones splintering.
Yet with each brutal infusion, his body grew stronger.
Every strike of dou qi brought agony, but also a strange, euphoric relief.
He no longer resisted, letting the dou qi temper him freely.
His muscles, bones, and even cells burned, the Phoenix's power merging into his very being.
Though the process was slow, the changes were undeniable.
Encouraged, Gu He gritted his teeth and endured.
Half an hour later—
"Rumble!"
A thunderous roar erupted from his body as scarlet dou qi burst forth, his aura exploding outward.
The blood coating his skin flaked away, revealing jade-like flesh beneath.
Gu He's eyes snapped open, a smile tugging at his lips despite the lingering pain.
"My physique has broken through again… This power is intoxicating. Next—my cultivation."
Closing his eyes, his expression sharpened like a blade.
"Break!"
With a low shout, the blood mist surged into him once more, igniting into flames within his body.
But he was numb to the pain now.
"Screech!"
A Phoenix's cry echoed within him as purple flames tore through the invading dou qi, refining it into pure dou qi that surged toward his Dou Crystal.
The process was brutal—only his newly tempered body could withstand it.
Ten minutes later—
"Boom!"
A volcanic eruption of dou qi burst from his Dou Crystal.
His aura skyrocketed.
His eyes snapped open, blazing with light.
"Finally… broken through."
"Six-Star Dou Ancestor!"
After absorbing so much Phoenix blood mist, Gu He had ascended once more.
But his greatest gain wasn't his cultivation—it was his physical strength.
With his current physique, he could now contend with an ordinary Dou Zun in pure bodily combat.
Of course, true battles between Dou Zun experts weren't decided by physical strength alone.
Surveying the remaining blood mist, Gu He summoned his purple flames, devouring the last remnants.
His cultivation stabilized at the mid-tier of Six-Star Dou Ancestor.
And then—
"Screech!"
A phantom of the Phoenix materialized above him, its oppressive will bearing down.
"Hmph! Without the blood mist, a mere remnant will dares suppress me?"
With a thought, his Divine Flame surged forth, engulfing the phantom.
The Phoenix's will, stripped of its power, was incinerated in moments.
Then, crimson flames emerged from his body, clashing with his purple flames.
Half an hour later, a new flame was born.
Purple intertwined with crimson—a fusion of his Divine Flame and the Phoenix Flame.
As it merged into him, a flood of knowledge filled his mind.
"The Undying Flame… holds the power of Nirvana."
Rebirth from severed limbs.
Rebirth from death itself.
Excited, Gu He tested the power—slashing his own arm.
The wound healed instantly, leaving no scar.
"This… is semi-immortality."
After several more tests, his excitement settled.
"Seven days of seclusion… it's time to return."
Stepping out of the cave, he found Xiao Jin waiting.
"Master, are you alright?"
Gu He smiled. "I'm fine. Let's return to the sect."
Mounting Xiao Jin, they soared back to Misty Cloud Sect.
In his courtyard, three figures—Little Fairy Doctor, Qing Lin, and Nalan Yanran—turned at his sudden appearance.
"Teacher!"
Smiling, Gu He glanced at Nalan Yanran.
"Yanran, last time, I only gave you one gift. Today, I'll make up the rest."
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
The other two pouted but obediently retreated.
"Come, kneel before me."
…
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