Chapter 9: Purification of Impurities
Shen Yuan sat in silence, his face pale and his eyes unsettled. The words of the mysterious man had shaken his entire being.
Everything he thought he knew about himself and the world had suddenly crumbled… Was he merely an echo of a man who once defied the universe? Was his destiny to walk a path no one could even imagine?
The man across from him, however, showed no concern. His gaze lingered on Shen Yuan as though he were staring into a mirror—at a younger, weaker, and purer version of himself.
With a mocking smile, he muttered:
"Yes… I know that face well… the face of a child who has yet to experience anything."
He was remembering his past self in the first timeline. Back then, he had no resolve; his determination was forged only after his life had been shattered again and again, after watching the people closest to him die before his very eyes.
But this child… he had only suffered a casual betrayal from his family. How could he possibly understand what it meant to bear the weight of the world?
The man sighed faintly, speaking as though to himself:
"No matter… everything in due time."
Then he raised his head, locking eyes with Shen Yuan, and spoke seriously:
"Enough about paths and destinies. Let's discuss something simpler. It seems the universe resisted the seed I planted within you—one meant to enhance your spiritual roots. If we do nothing, your talents will remain restricted. But don't worry… a herbal bath will resolve everything."
Shen Yuan blinked in disbelief, shaken from his earlier thoughts.
"Enhancing spiritual roots? Isn't that impossible?"
The man smiled lightly, as though the question was foolish:
"No, not impossible. It's only impossible in this world, because it is a low-level realm. But in higher realms… there are countless ways to achieve it."
Shen Yuan's confusion deepened. A low-level world? Higher realms?
He quickly asked:
"What do you mean by a low-level world?"
The man answered calmly, as if stating the most obvious truth:
"Worlds are divided into categories:
— Low-level.
— Middle-level.
— High-level.
— And finally… the Nominal World.
Each world is ranked according to the abundance of spiritual energy and resources it contains. Do you think mortals could break their limits and ascend to immortality if their world lacked sufficient richness?"
Shen Yuan's eyes widened in shock.
"Immortality?! Are there truly beings who achieved it? Wasn't the so-called Legendary Realm supposed to be the peak?"
The man laughed coldly, his gaze filled with scorn.
"The Legendary Realm? Ha! That's nothing but a pitiful beginning. I have no idea why humans chose to glorify that pitiful stage by calling it 'Legendary.' It barely deserves to be mentioned."
The man's words crashed into Shen Yuan's mind like thunder.
"So everything I've ever known… was just a shallow pit?"
He suddenly felt like a frog living at the bottom of a dark well, only now lifting its head to glimpse the vast sky above.
Without giving him more time to digest it, the man waved his hand. In an instant, a massive wooden tub appeared, filled with clear water.
Moments later, strange glowing herbs materialized between his fingers. He tossed them into the tub, and the water began to boil, transforming into a deep green liquid. A pungent yet refreshing fragrance spread through the air, both enticing and repulsive.
The man said calmly:
"It's time. We shall purge the impurities from your body."
Shen Yuan's heart trembled as he stared at the tub.
"Purging impurities…?"
He had heard of this process before. Normally, no one attempted it until much later stages, as it was considered deadly for beginners.
He asked anxiously:
"I'm only at the First Stage of Body Refinement! If I enter… won't I die?"
The man gazed at him for a long moment before letting out a tired smile, almost as though blaming his younger self.
"Was I truly this foolish when I was young?"
But he did not explain further. With a casual wave of his hand, he said coldly:
"You won't feel any fatal pain. These herbs are from higher realms, their effects unique. Do not hesitate."
He lied with a straight face, utterly unconcerned.
Shen Yuan had no other choice. With a heavy sigh, he stripped off his clothes and leapt into the tub in one swift motion.
At first, a gentle warmth seeped into his body. Sitting cross-legged, he tried to absorb the energy, even smiling faintly to himself.
"Perhaps this isn't as bad as I thought…"
But the smile lasted only a heartbeat.
Suddenly, searing pain erupted through every fiber of his being!
His skin burned as though aflame, veins bulged as if ready to burst, and his organs writhed as though being roasted alive.
He screamed:
"Ahhh—!"
But the man cut him off sternly:
"Do not lose focus! Hold on to your consciousness, or death will claim you."
Biting back his cries, Shen Yuan clenched his teeth so hard that blood seeped from his gums.
Time crawled. Each second felt like a century.
After an entire hour of unbearable agony, his body slowly adapted to the heat. The pain didn't vanish, but transformed into a strange sensation, as though filth was being drawn out of his very core.
Black sweat seeped from his pores, coagulating on the water's surface.
After five full hours, the once-green water had turned pitch black, reeking like rotten eggs.
With trembling eyes, Shen Yuan gasped for breath.
"This… my body… it feels as if I've broken free from a prison!"
He leapt out of the tub, nearly retching at the stench clinging to him. But the man waved his hand, summoning a pristine lake nearby. Without hesitation, Shen Yuan dove in, scrubbing himself furiously.
After dressing again, he looked at the man with sparkling eyes and an eager smile.
"My body feels a hundred times lighter! My absorption speed for spiritual energy has increased a hundred… no, a thousand times over! Faster even than when I was with the Shen Clan!"
The man only smiled calmly, unsurprised.
"Of course… your spiritual roots have been upgraded."
But what Shen Yuan did not realize was that his enhancement was far from ordinary.
From Diamond Roots—already exceedingly rare even among low-level realms—he had now attained Primal Roots: the highest grade of all, surpassing even Celestial Roots!
Unknowingly, his cultivation had also advanced.
From the First Stage of Body Refinement… he had leapt directly to the Fifth Stage.