My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Chapter 28.
Pain.
That is something we all dread but, in reality, cannot do without, as every part of a living being serves a purpose. For Yan Anle, the moment he tried awakening the Three Thousand Treasures Body—a Divine-grade physique—the sensation told him many things.
For starters, he understood that if he failed to endure, then even if he did not die, there would be irreversible damage.
The light that patiently waited for him at the end of the tunnel was the fact that if he toughed it through, the ceiling of his future accomplishments would fly beyond the clouds.
He would be made anew. Literally.
The pain did not start from anywhere in particular; it came from everywhere. It took less than half a minute for the agony to become so intense that his vision blurred. Every vein that burst, every muscle torn apart, and every fracture of his bone felt as vivid as could be.
He bit his tongue, perhaps trying to focus on a lesser pain instead, but it did not help.
In under an incense stick of time, he went from looking like someone a few steps away from his grave to someone who had crawled out of it.
The systems silently spectated, their exact thoughts unknown.
His body trembled and his appendages twitched amid a pool of his bodily fluids—sweat, blood, saliva, urine, and other impurities that resembled crude oil.
Meanwhile, above the auction house, the sky of the Secret Realm was shrouded in myriad phenomena.
Images of all kinds of treasures and rarities appeared and disappeared at an astonishing speed. It was difficult to imagine that those weaker than the Soul Transformation Realm could even gaze upon them.
Even figures in the Void Refining, Grand Unity, and Mahayana/Cataclysm Realms would feel dizzy and dazed after a few moments.
Whether this was due to the excitement of what they saw or the phantom pressure exerted by the projection of powerful treasures is anyone's guess.
Just like that, Yan Anle remained in that posture for hours on end. By the sixth hour, his consciousness began to slip from his grasp. By the eleventh, he was akin to someone in a coma.
Outside his mobile Secret Realm, Dou E stood behind his rocking chair in the courtyard. She stared up at the night sky as her Young Master usually did.
Her expression betrayed no emotion, but the subtle clenching of her fists revealed the turbulence in her heart. She could already guess where he had gone, but since he had left no message, she was not completely sure.
The sound of approaching footsteps prompted her to glance back over her shoulder.
"Sister Dou E," Pan Ting called out. She had changed into a light blue dress. "How is it? Is the Young Master still unavailable? I have reheated the water for his bath."
Dou E glanced in the direction of his room. Seeing that the candles were still out, she shook her head. "Seems not. No need to reheat it again, Sister Pan. You may go rest."
Pan Ting remained silent for a moment before saying, "Can I wait out here with you instead? I would like to hear some things about our Master, if possible."
"Sure." Dou E mulled it over before nodding lightly. "What would you like to know?"
Pan Ting folded her arms beneath her bust, a thoughtful expression on her face. As for Sun Ziyun, she sat in her chosen room with her communication mirror in hand. She poured her Spiritual Qi into it for a time but received no response.
Eventually, she waved her hand casually, sending it back into her Soul Palace.
"She must still be in combat," she muttered. Then, she spoke as though to empty air, "Yuruo, Bingruo."
Two hooded figures stepped out of the void. "Yes, Your Highness."
"How is it?" probed the Burning Mountain Demon Princess.
"Your Highness, the Yan Clan's upper echelons are indeed making preparations for a huge event," Yuruo said.
Bingruo reported shortly after, "The Sword River Sect also shows signs of the same. Several flying boats have already taken to the skies and are poised for this direction. They should arrive in four to six days."
"...I see." Sun Ziyun's expression did not change much.
"Your Highness, do we intercept or slow them down?" Yuruo suggested.
"No need." Their lady waved her right hand, still seated with her back to them. "You may retreat."
"Yes, Your Highness." The hooded pair returned to the void.
A period of silence followed before she exhaled audibly. "Wars at the front and back. The cultivation world can indeed never be at peace." She then glanced toward Yan Anle's room.
Speaking of her target, the process of his awakening finally ended and his body started to heal itself at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Shortly after, a dirt-covered pair of eyelids twitched a few times before slowly opening.
Yan Anle drew a deep breath and sat up as the look in his eyes changed from confusion to realization.
"I… I pulled through?" He looked down at his dirty self. His brows furrowed at the sight and the foul stench.
[Myriad Worlds'] voice echoed in his mind. [Congratulations, Host! You have successfully awakened the Divine-grade Special Physique: Three Thousand Treasures Body!]
"Mm." He rose to his feet, his lips curved into a smile. "Thank you."
As the systems had access to his surface thoughts, she knew he was thanking her not only for the congratulations but also for granting him the opportunity. [Myriad Worlds] laughed. [It's my duty, my duty!]
[Immortal Clan System] chimed in, [Host, how do you feel? Although you have yet to cultivate, you should be able to wrestle weaker and inexperienced early-stage Qi Refining cultivators to the death right now.]
Yan Anle flexed his muscles and threw a few punches at the air, causing it to ripple. "That's right! I feel amazing! Much stronger than ever!"
The sound of the air snapping was music to his ears. "I bet that if I went back to Blue Star right now, I'd be no weaker than the top 1% in boxing and wrestling."
He jumped on his toes a few times as well. "I also feel quite agile. I would be no slouch in racing and gymnastics either!"
[Myriad Worlds] told him, [This physique is for Body Cultivation, so this is only the beginning. In the future, your body will be that of a living, breathing treasure.]
Yan Anle reveled in the new feeling a bit more before deciding it was time to take a bath. Thinking about returning, he reflexively asked, "Right, how long was I unconscious?"
[Immortal Clan System] answered, [Counting from the moment you went comatose, it has been three hours.]
'Three hours?' Yan Anle raised a brow in doubt. 'I guess the pain made one moment feel like forever.'
[Myriad Worlds] clarified, [Adding the time before you fell truly unconscious, your physique's awakening took fourteen hours.]
"Four—fourteen?" Yan Anle froze in disbelief. "So long?"
The systems chorused: [Mm-hmm.]
With the image of Dou E at the front of his mind, he cussed and said, "Open the spatial gate! Send me back!"
[Myriad Worlds]: [Host, this room is equipped with a bath. You can clean yourself up a bit first before returning.]
[Immortal Clan]: [That's right. Don't frighten that sweet girl.]
Yan Anle thought about it. He had already been gone for so long; a little more time would not kill anyone... hopefully.
If his little tigress saw him returning in his current filthy state, it was hard to imagine what her reaction would be. So, he agreed, "Fine."
In Yan Anle's room, Sun Ziyun's figure suddenly appeared. She soundlessly walked around, her eyes roaming in the dark, keenly observing.
Despite the candles being out, she moved like they weren't.
At her realm her bare eyes were so sharp the actual quantity of light she needed to see was quite minuscule.
Eccentric as she was, she was also meticulous and cautious. Once she decided to put on the identity of a Foundation Establishment figure, she decided to take it all the way.
She refused to use Divine Sense or any abilities beyond what would be reasonable for someone at the late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm to possess.
This figure that had caught her Empress Senior Sister's attention even had a private Secret Realm; he was clearly not a simple character. Who knew what peculiar tricks he may have arranged in this place before leaving?
If his means could monitor or defend his room in his absence, then she could be exposed and all her maneuvers to get close to him so far would be in vain.
'It would be such a shame to have to end this charade so quickly,' she thought. 'I am yet to satiate my curiosity about him. Once he is taken back by force, he would be much more on guard and it would be difficult to taste his real flavor.'
Less than a minute after she appeared, the spatial integrity at the center of the room faltered and a spatial gate materialized.
Her brows jumped slightly. 'So coincidental?'