Chapter 45: When the Last Thread of Mercy Was Extinguished
"Since you are this ungrateful, don't blame me for my cruelty."
"Don't go too far!" Yu Jin cried, her voice trembling. "I tried to persuade you gently. Please release me as soon as possible… hm—"
Before she could finish her words, Li Yitan grabbed her delicate chin roughly and forced a glowing pill into her mouth.
This was the medicine he had prepared at great cost—a drug that placed whoever consumed it into a state of dark ecstasy, driving them to seek the infinite and what lay beyond.
"W-what… what did you make me swallow?"
Yu Jin's face instantly turned deathly pale, terror rising in her eyes.
Li Yitan leaned closer, his wicked smile filled with sadism.
"Something that will make you feel like a free bird soaring proudly through the sky of the cosmos, seeking the infinite and what lies beyond."
As he spoke those demonic words, he began to undo the restraints on her hands.
His eyes glimmered with pleasure and dark anticipation—it was obvious how eagerly he awaited what was to come.
"Li Yitan!" Yu Jin screamed, her voice mixed with fury and terror. "If you dare do this to me, I will make you live a life worse than death!"
She struggled desperately, but to no avail. Li Yitan continued to look at her without expression, like an icy statue devoid of mercy.
"You… let me go, let me go!" Her voice was now trembling. "I will give you a chance to reconcile… please…"
When she saw that Li Yitan did not move even an inch… Yu Jin finally froze.
Deep fear and despair appeared in her eyes. She had never imagined Li Yitan could be this ruthless and filled with such demonic resolve.
"There's no need for that." His voice was as cold as ice, steeped in malice. "Let's go straight to your bridal chamber. Today, you will learn the true meaning of seeking the infinite and what lies beyond."
Li Yitan let out a short, cold laugh, then bent down and lifted Yu Jin into his arms, carrying her toward the bedroom deep within the cave.
Yu Jin whispered in a broken voice as weakness began to seep through her body:
"Mm… Li Yitan… please… no… let me go… please…"
The effect of the medicine was rising rapidly.
Her voice grew faint and fragmented,
and her body began to grow heavy, as if its strength were being drained little by little.
The drug spread through her limbs,
leaving her extremities limp, her breathing unsteady,
and her eyes unfocused, distorted by involuntary daze.
Just as Li Yitan was about to take another step forward,
a faint sound suddenly rang out in the room.
The jade communication stone in her hand lit up,
saturated with pulsing spiritual energy.
§§…§…§§…
Yu Jin spoke quickly, having caught a thread of hope:
"Take it first… maybe there is something important that needs to be discussed."
She was clinging to any chance of survival.
Inside, Li Yitan sneered.
In the original plot,this very stone had been the key to her escape.
But now…
things were different.
Without the slightest hesitation, he released his spiritual power
and crushed the jade stone.
Its light went out, shattering into silent fragments.
He moved closer to her once more,his voice low and sharp, like the edge of a blade:
"Is there anything more important than this moment?
The pursuit of the infinite… and what lies beyond?"
In his eyes,
that moment was more precious than a thousand mountains of gold.
Yu Jin murmured in a broken voice, barely audible:
"Mmm… no… Li Yitan… you…"
But her words dissolved into the air,while Li Yitan's eyes remained cold,devoid of any mercy.
The shadows in the room stretched out,as though they were swallowing the light itself,announcing the beginning of a night that would not be ordinary.
[Ding: Hunting Progress 25%]
After some time had passed, the cold, mechanical voice of the system rang out within his consciousness.
Li Yitan paused for a fraction of a second,but in the blink of an eye, he leaned down again and kissed Yu Jin's lips,which were the color of cherry blossoms,then pulled back without a trace of concern.
He no longer cared.
Twenty-five percent…
that was indeed a large amount, even for Xiu Fan.
Li Yitan sneered inwardly.
And at that very moment…
tears silently flowed from the corners of Yu Jin's eyes.
The next morning,the few remaining clouds in the sky were scattered beneath the brilliant sunlight,as if the rays of dawn had completely swallowed them.
The sky after the rain
looked like a piece of carefully washed jade,clear as crystal,with countless threads of light flowing through it,bathing the entire Cloud Continent in gentle radiance.
Inside a hidden cave,clothes were strewn across the ground,in complete disarray,as though the place had witnessed a violent chaos.
Even the beautiful quilt was twisted and tangled,
bearing the marks of a turbulent night.
In the air,a faint scent lingered,carrying a mysterious trace of heavy emotions.
Li Yitan slowly awoke from his state of cultivation.
There was warmth surrounding his arms,causing the corners of his lips to lift slightly,a smile of mixed satisfaction and fatigue appearing on his face.
Despite the exhaustion he felt,the obvious improvement in his spiritual cultivation
filled him with deep relief.
That night…
had been undeniably beneficial.
Li Yitan exhaled calmly,and inwardly, he could not help but sigh:
This body…
was far weaker than his original one.
He had spent the night cultivating,and now all that remained was the ache in his waist and back,a silent witness to those heavy hours.
Now…
Even if I were to spend long hours cultivating with Yu Jin Yue, the truth would remain the same:
it would not change anything.
I sighed inwardly with a hint of self-mockery, then turned my gaze away from her, directing my attention to a technique I had been studying recently—
the Nine Transformations of the Sacred Heavens.
I flipped through the manual carefully, shaking my head in contemplation.
There was no doubt it was a terrifying combat technique…
but it was exhausting, required a complete reconstruction of the body,and its progress was slow to an irritating degree.
By comparison, it was far less effective than the technique I had obtained from the system.
Perhaps…
I would later grant it to some of the strong men under my command,
letting them cultivate it themselves.
In any case, thanks to my exceptional comprehension, I had already improved it significantly.
Hmm…
I believe that reaching the Heavenly Immortal realm
would not be difficult with this technique.
I am not the type to reveal my cards early.
Being a villain does not mean acting recklessly.
My identity must remain hidden,and only surface…
when circumstances force it to.
My strength is increasing, yes,but it needs allies—
many of them,as powerful as the clouds themselves.
Not merely to fight for me,but to endure…
when the coming storm strikes.
In any case, this technique…
I had already given it to Ding Xiu.
As for how far it would ultimately develop,that depended on her alone.
Before Yu Jin awoke,I bathed,then headed to the Lightning Cave
to begin training in the Crystal Body Technique.
If I could reach even the first level of it…
that alone would be a tremendous achievement for me.
After three days…
I am now reviewing the technique I obtained from this system.
It is a one-of-a-kind technique.
Its name is the Absolute Energy Path,and it consists of only four volumes.
The Absolute Energy Path is not merely an ordinary cultivation method,but an advanced system designed to refine internal energy and control it in an unprecedented manner.
Through this path,the user becomes capable of amplifying the strength of their energy,optimizing its flow throughout the body,and releasing it with maximum efficiency,thus gaining abilities that transcend the limits of imagination.
First Stage: Purification Stage
At this stage,impurities are removed from the energy,
making it purer and more stable.
This leads to improved energy consumption efficiency,
allowing it to be used for longer periods
without rapid depletion.
Second Stage: Expansion Stage
After purification is complete,the energy channels within the body begin to expand,allowing greater flow and increasing maximum capacity.
At this stage,vast quantities of energy can be stored
without negatively affecting the body.
Third Stage: Condensation Stage
Here,the energy is compressed and its density increases,
becoming stronger, more destructive,and far more stable during use.
Every energy-based attack becomes more focused and powerful,
with its effectiveness rising dramatically.
Fourth Stage: Absolute Control Stage
In the final stage,the user attains complete control over their energy.
They can shape it into any form they desire—
to enhance speed,reinforce the body,or create advanced energy techniques.
They also gain the ability to release energy
in multiple forms:
targeted attacks,defensive fields,
or enhancements to the senses and physical abilities.
General Characteristics of the Technique:
•A massive increase in energy capacity and control.
•Greatly improved consumption efficiency, preventing rapid exhaustion.
•The ability to convert energy into offensive, defensive, or self-supporting forms.
•Strengthening of the body against damage caused by excessive energy usage.
The Absolute Energy Path is not merely cultivation,but a complete reconstruction of the relationship between the user and their energy,and their dominion over it…
to a degree that surpasses all natural limits.
In truth,if I were to use the technique I obtained from the Saint
in conjunction with this one,along with the Nine Transformations of the Sacred Heavens,a triple fusion would give birth to an entirely new unity.
And the result…
would be truly astonishing.
Especially since I possess an extremely powerful bodily cultivation method.
However,it is regrettable that I cannot use the Northern Emperor Technique.
The reason is simple—
Li Yitan's body is not suited for it.
It requires a pure body,or an innate ice essence,
or a natural affinity with the ice element.
The Northern Emperor Technique
is not merely a cultivation path,
but an entire path of existence.
Through it,ice energy is refined to its utmost limits,
until the frozen will of the North manifests within the user.
It follows the path of internal energy,
but through the mirror of eternal ice.
Those who master it
are no longer considered human,
but living incarnations of winter itself.
They control temperature,
and possess the power to freeze time
within their icy domain.
And it, in turn,
is composed of only four stages:
1. Zero Point – Ice Body Purification
The user begins by gradually freezing their internal energy,
cleansing the spiritual channels,
and rendering their energy pure
like ice crystallized over a thousand years.
2. Eternal Cold Rebirth
A Heavenly Ice Core forms within the heart,
making the energy colder than snow,
deeper than ice,
and granting the soul the ability to resist time itself.
3. Sovereignty of the North – Polar Domain
The user creates a unique domain of their own,
within which thermal motion comes to a halt,
and all who enter are subject to freezing—
both physically and spiritually.
4. Will Integration
At this stage,
ice is no longer merely energy,
but becomes the user's very will.
Auras form
that freeze the intentions of others,
transforming the surroundings into a winter continent
where none survive
except those granted the blessing of ice.
Abilities Gained:
•Absolute control over subzero temperatures.
•Slowing of time within the icy domain.
•Restoration of wounds and tissues through reverse freezing.
•Conversion of enemies' life energy into frozen crystals.
•Manifestation in the form of the Ice Emperor—a majestic energy body.
Limitations:
•Ineffective for those lacking a yin body or ice element.
•Requires a mind capable of enduring spiritual cold.
•Any weakness of will may result in the soul freezing during cultivation.
Thus…
the explanation of the technique comes to an end.
There was a single quotation
at the end of the manual,
summarizing everything:
"When the North kneels before your will…
know that you are no longer human,
but the Emperor of Ice and Snow."
I truly…
look forward with deep anticipation
to the day I train in this technique
when I return to my original body.