The interior of the Shattered Jaw Cave was surprisingly warm. The Spirit Vein, a jagged river of glowing blue crystal protruding from the rock walls, hummed with a low vibration that made the teeth ache.
To a cultivator, this radiation was a blessing. To Jiang Chen, it was raw, unrefined fuel.
But before he could harness the mountain, he had to fix the machine that piloted it: his own body.
He sat on a flat slab of rock near the vein. His chest heaved. The adrenaline of the fight had faded, leaving him exhausted. He was still the "Heavenly Void Body"—a genetic dead end. The cold air outside the thermal suit made his joints stiff. A stray arrow, a lucky dagger, or even a slip on the ice could kill him.
"Old Wu," Jiang Chen said. His voice echoed in the cavern.
The old servant approached, holding a bloody bundle wrapped in cloth. "The beast's heart and gallbladder, Your Highness. And the Core."
Old Wu handed over the items with trembling hands. The Monster Core was the size of a fist, pulsing with a heavy, yellow earthen light. It felt heavy, like lead.
"The bandits are whispering," Old Wu added quietly. "They say you are a Devil Cultivator. That you used a 'Thunder Artifact' to kill the guardian."
"Let them whisper," Jiang Chen said, taking the core. "Fear is a better leash than gratitude."
He dismissed Old Wu to the entrance. "Stand guard. If anyone tries to enter, shoot them." He tossed the empty M1911 to the old man.
"But... it has no... bullets?" Old Wu stammered.
" They don't know that."
As Old Wu retreated, Jiang Chen turned his attention to the System interface.
'System. Priority: Biological enhancement. My body is the weak link.'
[Assessment Confirmed. User fragility exceeds safety parameters.][Proposed Solution: Construct Bio-Analysis Module (Tier 1).][Cost: 2,000 EU. Material: 50kg Biomass (Bear), 1 Rank-2 Core.]
"Execute."
Jiang Chen placed his hand on the cavern floor. The blue light of the Spirit Vein seemed to bend toward him, sucked into the G.E.F. interface.
In front of him, the air shimmered. Nanites swarmed, consuming the pile of bear meat he had set aside. They reassembled the organic matter into a sleek, white pod—a coffin-like structure made of bone-white polymers and glass. It looked terrifyingly sterile against the rough cave walls.
[Bio-Lab Constructed.]
Jiang Chen placed the Earth Core and the Gallbladder into the intake slot. The machine hissed as it swallowed them.
[Analyzing Rank 2 Earth Bear Genetic Material...][Trait Isolated: Dermal Calcification (Iron Hide).][Trait Isolated: Muscle Density Enhancement.][Warning: User DNA is incompatible with Spirit Qi. Magical properties will be stripped. Only biological advantages will be synthesized.]
"I don't need magic," Jiang Chen muttered, stripping off his thermal suit. "I need armor."
He climbed into the white pod. It was cold. As the glass lid slid shut, locking him in darkness, the System spoke one last time.
[Initiating Genetic Rewrite. Pain inhibitors unavailable at Tier 0. Brace for impact.]
"Wait, pain inhib—"
Needles shot out from the lining of the pod, piercing his neck, spine, and limbs.
Jiang Chen screamed.
It wasn't just pain; it was fire. The System was forcibly rewriting his cells. It was tearing apart his fragile, noble-born muscles and knitting them back together with denser fibers. It was flooding his bones with calcium and minerals extracted from the Earth Core, turning his skeleton into a composite lattice closer to steel than bone.
His skin burned as the "Iron Hide" gene was stripped of its magic and applied as a biological reality. His epidermis thickened, the cells interlocking like microscopic scales.
He thrashed against the glass, but the pod held firm. For three hours, the cave was filled with the muffled sounds of his agony.
Hiss.
The pod opened. Steam billowed out.
Jiang Chen sat up, gasping for air. He was drenched in a thick, black sweat—the impurities and toxins purged from his system.
He climbed out of the pod. He felt... heavy. But not tired. Solid.
He looked at his hand. The skin was no longer the pale, translucent parchment of a scholar. It was slightly darker, smooth but possessing a strange, matte texture. He squeezed his fist, and the knuckles cracked like pistol shots.
'System. Status.'
[USER STATUS UPDATED]
Physical Integrity: 100% (Optimized)
Strength: 8 (Peak Human = 5)
Durability: 15 (Small Arms Resistance)
New Trait:Sub-Dermal Plating (Grade 1). Skin can deflect standard steel blades and low-velocity arrows.
Side Effect: Caloric requirement increased by 300%.
Jiang Chen picked up a jagged rock from the floor. Without hesitation, he slashed it across his own forearm.
The rock scraped against his skin with a sound like sandpaper on leather. It left a white scratch, but no blood.
"Better," Jiang Chen breathed. He was still mortal—a high-caliber bullet or a cultivator's flying sword would still kill him—but he was no longer made of glass.
He dressed quickly. The thermal suit felt tighter across his shoulders.
He walked out of the cave. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the snow. The bandits were huddled around campfires, eating the bear meat.
When Jiang Chen emerged, the chatter stopped. They looked at him. They sensed a change. He didn't look like the sickly boy who had arrived in the carriage. He moved with the predatory grace of the beast he had just consumed.
He walked up to the largest fire. He didn't say a word. He simply reached into the flames and picked up a burning log.
The fire licked his hand. His skin blackened slightly, but he didn't flinch. The heat was uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
He tossed the log back.
"Tomorrow," Jiang Chen announced, his voice booming without effort, "we build the Foundry. Eat well. You will need your strength."