Chapter 10: The Inheritance of All for One
The endless green plains stretched beneath a sky so blue it seemed untouched by clouds. The wind caressed the grass, its rustling like an eternal song, while the mysterious man sat upon the same boulder as before. His transcendent aura made anyone before him feel like nothing more than a speck of dust within an endless ocean.
Shen Yuan stood a short distance away, his eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity, his mind still tangled with the words he had heard previously about the paths and the man who had defied the very laws of the universe. He no longer knew whether this was dream or reality, but one thing was certain: every word that left this man's mouth was like a heavenly decree.
At last, the man smiled faintly, his calm gaze resting on the boy who had only just begun his journey. Slowly, he raised his right hand, and in his grasp appeared a worn spatial pouch. It was Shen Yuan's own storage bag, something he had once considered an invaluable treasure. The man lifted it casually, exhaling a breath full of disdain.
"A storage bag… limited capacity, pitiful quality, made from scraps barely worthy of carrying rotten food. In this low realm you treat this as a treasure? Hah, how laughable—frogs at the bottom of a well."
Shen Yuan's face stiffened, yet he said nothing. He had grown used to hearing words of scorn, but this man's voice was not mockery—it was undeniable truth.
The man waved his hand. The pouch vanished, and in Shen Yuan's palm appeared a simple silver ring. At first glance, it bore no carvings or shine, just a plain circle of metal. Yet the moment his fingers brushed it, Shen Yuan's body trembled violently, as if the heavens themselves had opened before him.
"This…" he stammered, unable to find words.
The man smiled.
"An Infinite Storage Ring. No restrictions, no boundaries. You could store an entire world within if you wished. To me, it is nothing but an old trinket… but to you, it is a means to prepare for what lies ahead."
Shen Yuan's breath quickened. He knew what he now held was worth more than all the riches of his world combined. Yet he also understood that the man had not given it out of pity. It was a test, the first step down a road immeasurable.
Before he could express his gratitude, the atmosphere shifted. Darkness rippled across the sky as if night itself had fallen. From the void, a small sphere emerged, no larger than a fist, black as nothingness, dotted with faint stars like a fragment of the cosmos.
It floated toward Shen Yuan, revolving slowly around him. An ancient aura pressed down upon him, something far too old to belong to this realm. His heart thundered, his soul quivered as though answering its call.
The man's voice grew heavy, each word carrying the weight of mountains.
"This is the War God Pearl. An inheritance not bound to this universe alone. Do not show it to another—it is not simply a weapon… it is a path unto itself."
The pearl stopped before Shen Yuan's chest.
"For it to be yours, it must recognize your soul. Offer a drop of blood, and we shall see if you are worthy."
Hesitating only for a breath, Shen Yuan bit his finger and let a drop fall. The instant it touched the pearl, the star-like lights flared brilliantly, as though the night sky itself had ignited. Shen Yuan shuddered, an unfathomable connection piercing into his very core.
The pearl dissolved into a strand of black light, winding around his finger before solidifying into a simple black ring, gleaming like a distant sky.
The man half-opened his eyes, his tone calm but resolute.
"Now, it is yours. The War God Pearl can become any weapon you desire—a sword, spear, bow, even a shield. But do not mistake it for a free gift. Its true power grows only with blood. The more you feed it with the essence of beasts stronger than itself, the higher it will climb."
He paused.
"At this moment, it is but a one-star high-grade weapon. To reach two stars, you will need countless drops of blood from beasts above its level. Each step will be arduous, but the reward… nothing can compare."
Shen Yuan's heart quivered. Even a high-grade one-star weapon was a dream beyond reach in his world. The idea of limitless growth was nothing short of defiance against the heavens.
Clenching his fist around the ring, he declared firmly:
"I will feed it with blood until it becomes the blade that cuts through worlds."
The man chuckled softly, though his eyes remained serious.
"Remember, do not let it starve… it is a living existence of its own."
Then his tone shifted, grave once more.
"But having a weapon is not enough. If you wish to ascend faster than others, you must do what most cultivators never dare—cross-realm battles."
Shen Yuan's eyes widened.
"Cross-realm battles?"
The man nodded.
"When you stand in Body Refinement, you must be able to defeat those in Qi Condensation. When you step into Qi Condensation, you must slay those in the Spirit Master Realm. Only then will you rise above the insects. Otherwise, you will forever remain a follower."
Shen Yuan's heart pounded. All his life he had been looked upon with scorn. Now, these words set his soul ablaze.
The man raised his hand once more, summoning an ancient book. Dust of gold clung to its cover, and its aura was so dense that merely gazing upon it made the soul tremble.
"This," the man spoke, his voice echoing like the will of heaven and earth, "is the technique that will set you apart from all others—the Primordial Body of All for One."
The book floated toward Shen Yuan.
"I created this technique myself. It is the strongest body cultivation technique in existence. Its purpose is to make your body limitless. Every bone, every vein, every drop of blood shall become a weapon. Its true form will reveal itself once you reach Foundation Establishment, where nine dantians will revolve around your core, forming an endless cycle of energy."
He paused, his tone low.
"But do not celebrate too soon. This technique… has no end. No levels, no boundaries. You can cultivate it infinitely. The price, however, is energy beyond imagination. Even I have yet to reach its peak."
Shen Yuan's bones trembled with both fear and exhilaration. A technique with no limits—it was as if the heavens had placed the key to eternity in his hand.
He grasped the book, warmth flowing from it into his heart. Lifting his gaze, he saw the man watching him with a calm smile.
"From this day forth, every step you take will be under the gaze of the heavens and the universe. You are walking a path no one but I have ever walked. Will you endure it? Or will you collapse like the rest?"
Shen Yuan inhaled deeply. Memories surged—of betrayal, of nights he had gone hungry and bleeding, of the faces that sneered and trampled him. Then the memory of his first breakthrough, the cleansing of his body, and the freedom it brought.
His eyes hardened like ice, yet deep within burned an unquenchable flame.
"Even if the path is paved with blood, I will walk it to the end."
The man laughed, a clear sound reverberating through the celestial plains.
"Good. That is what I wished to hear."
As his laughter faded, so too did the scene. The plains, the sky, the boulder, and even the man himself dissolved into nothingness. The last thing Shen Yuan heard was his voice, distant yet clear:
"Rememb
er, Shen Yuan… you are not just another cultivator. You are the bearer of All for One."