Chapter 31: The Breakthrough Crisis and Unexpected Transformation

Yu Liang spent the next three days inside his cave with the scroll spread open on the table. The Iron Marrow Refinement Method was clear enough and straightforward about instructions, material lists, preparation steps, and warnings about the pain. But clear didn’t mean simple.

He read through it once. Then again. And again.

By the second day he could recite entire sections from memory. The process of preparing the marrow mixture, the exact temperature needed for the medicinal bath, and the breathing technique during tempering, everything was ingrained in his mind as deeply as if it had been etched into stone.

Still, he didn’t stop.

On the third day, he started copying the scroll. He moved his brush slowly on the new parchment as each letter had to be an exact replica of the original. A single error would change the entire meaning of the procedure, making it something dangerous instead of safe.

He made two copies of the whole scroll. There was a smeared letter at the end of the first copy so he tossed that one and made another one from scratch.

Once he was done, he placed both scrolls next to one another and began comparing them line by line. His eyes moved with caution as he read every word, instruction, and warning. He matched the list of materials three times and then rechecked the preparation process.

After the fourth review, he finally allowed himself to relax.

He then rolled up the original scroll, placed it in the wooden box, and sealed it carefully as he would take it back to the library tomorrow. The copy of the technique was safely put away inside his storage bag.

Yu Liang stood and stretched. His shoulders were stiff from hunching over the table for too long. The lamp overhead flickered slightly, indicating the energy stored inside it running low. He made a mental note to replace it later.

But first, there was something more important.

Walking to the rear of the cave, he found a small recess which functioned as the storage area of the cave. Inside it, hidden behind some extra robes and other things, was a jade bottle. He took it out and examined it.

The Essence Cleansing Pill.

He had kept it hidden since buying it in Jade City, waiting for the right moment.

That moment had come.

He placed the bottle on the table and sat down, staring at it. His mind began to wander as he thought about what excuse he would give when people realized he had broken through.

It wasn’t unusual for disciples to advance after intense a combat or life and death battle as it could trigger insights and push someone past a bottleneck they’d been stuck on for months. He had fought someone at Qi Condensation realm, survived strikes that should have killed him, and even managed to land a decisive blow.

People already believed he had touched upon ’Force’ during that final attack. He hadn’t confirmed it, but he hadn’t denied it either. Let them think what they want. If they assumed he was a genius who had grasped something profound in the heat of battle, that would work in his favor.

A breakthrough after such an experience? Perfectly reasonable, right?

No one would question it. And even if they did, the story is still there with witnesses. Former handyman with poor aptitude suddenly shows combat talent and advances — it wasn’t common, but it wasn’t unheard of either.

More importantly, it gave him a cover. His future progress wouldn’t look strange if people believed he stumbled onto something during that fight. Then they would attribute his growth to talent rather than resources, and that was exactly what he needed.

Yu Liang picked up the jade bottle and turned it slowly in his hand. The pill inside glowed faintly, a soft green light that pulsed like a heartbeat.

He uncorked the bottle.

The scent hit him immediately, it’s clean, refreshing, with a subtle smell of something earthy. He tilted the bottle and the pill rolled into his palm. It was smooth, perfectly round, and warm to the touch.

He didn’t hesitate, placed it in his mouth and swallowed.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then warmth spread through his chest, slow at first, like water seeping into cloth. It moved down into his stomach, then outward, flowing through his meridians in gentle waves.

Yu Liang closed his eyes and began circulating his Qi, guiding the pill’s energy along the pathways he trained for years. The sensation was pleasant, almost soothing, as the medicinal properties began to take effect.

His body relaxed involuntaryly. The tension he had been carrying since the battle eased, and his breathing steadied. This was it, the moment his cultivation would finally move beyond Body Tempering realm.

But then something changed.

The warmth in his meridians intensified, growing hotter. It wasn’t painful yet, but the change was sudden and unexpected. Yu Liang frowned, focus sharpening as he tried to control the flow.

But the energy didn’t stop at his meridians. It sank deeper, past the channels where Qi normally flowed, down into his muscles, his bones, his very marrow.

His eyes snapped open.

The pill wasn’t just pushing him toward Qi Condensation realm. It was interacting with his body specifically with the foundation he had built during Body Tempering realm. The nine layers which he completed, all of it was responding to the pill’s energy.

His muscles began to tremble. Not from weakness, but from pressure. The warmth had turned into intense heat like a burning furnace, and that heat was spreading like a wildfire, seeping into every fiber of his body. His skin flushed red. Sweat bead formed on his forehead.

Yu Liang gritted his teeth. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Essence Cleansing Pill was meant to purify his body and prepare it for Qi Condensation realm. It shouldn’t be triggering something like this. The sensation felt strangely similar to Body Tempering realm, but he had no idea what was actually happening.

But it was still happening on its own.

His bones ached with a deep, grinding sensation that reminded him of the Ultimate Pill for Body Tempering realm he had taken before. His meridians burned as energy surged through them faster than he could guide it. The Qi in his dantian churned violently, unstable, threatening to spiral out of control.

He tried to stabilize it, to slow the process down, but the energy refused to obey. It moved on its own, driven by something beyond his control. His body was reshaping itself, refining itself, as if the pill had decided his foundation wasn’t complete.

All of a sudden he felt waves of pain passing through his legs. Then his arms. His chest. His back. Every part of him was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.

Yu Liang clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. His vision was getting blurry. His breathing grew ragged. The warmth that had started in tenderness now felt like fire in his veins.

And then he realized something worse.

The energy was running out.

The pill’s power was finite, and the process it had triggered was consuming it faster than expected. His body was demanding more energy now as a fuel to finish whatever transformation that had begun.

But there was nothing left to give.

The Qi in his dantian was barely moving, trying to contain the turbulent force within him. His meridians were under tremendous strain, about to burst from the pressure as they were being forced to hold back. His body trembled, unable to sustain the tempering without enough energy.

Yu Liang’s breath hitched. Through the haze of pain, the truth became clear.

If the energy ran out now, the process would collapse. His body, caught halfway through an incomplete transformation, would tear itself apart. His meridians would shatter. His dantian would break.

He would die.

The realization hit him like a bucket of ice water.

He needed more energy. Not just a little, but in a massive amount. Enough to complete what his body had started. Enough to stabilize the chaos tearing through him.

And he needed it right now.