"...even after a year..."
He gently closed the cover.
"I suppose this is where our story ends."
He slowly stood.
His vision suddenly darkened. The room spun violently. His legs gave way beneath him.
"Cough—!"
A violent fit of coughing seized his chest. He instinctively covered his mouth. Warm liquid spread across his palm. He froze.
Blood. Not from his finger. From deep inside his body. A single drop of bright crimson blood escaped between his lips and fell through the air.
It landed squarely upon the closed cover of An Extreme Theory. The moment it touched the leather...
The entire book trembled.
A deep golden radiance burst from beneath the cover, illuminating the abandoned hut with brilliant light. The faded title on the front blazed as if newly inscribed.
The ancient leather binding began to pulse like a living heart. Mo Xuan stared in stunned silence. The book slowly opened by itself.
Its blank pages turned one after another without any wind.
On the very first empty page, golden words began appearing stroke by stroke, as though an invisible hand were writing them in real time. The golden light gradually faded.
Silence returned to the abandoned hut. Only the small oil lamp continued to flicker beside the ancient book, its pale flame dancing in the cold night air.
Mo Xuan remained kneeling. He didn't dare move. He didn't even dare breathe too deeply.
The words were still there. It felt as though someone had engraved them directly into his Sea of Consciousness.
"Revolution Connecting Mantra
Strengthen the body, and the mind shall feed upon it.
Temper the mind, and the body shall become divine.
When body and soul connect, revolution begins."
Mo Xuan's breathing became uneven. For the first time since the Awakening Ceremony, a new path forward had appeared before him. His fingers clenched unconsciously. "I can cultivate another way."
He laughed.
A quiet laugh at first.
Then louder.
The sound echoed through the empty hut until tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. He had spent more than a year chasing a miracle. He had sacrificed his essence blood night after night.
Even with his unwavering will, Mo Xuan had begun to doubt himself. He had questioned his choices and nearly given up countless times. Yet the answer had been waiting all along.
Perseverance.
For the first time since everyone had declared him a cripple... Mo Xuan felt something stronger than disappointment.
Hope.
He steadied his breathing and lowered his gaze back to the book. The Living Script continued glowing faintly. Unlike ordinary writing, every character seemed alive. Each stroke pulsed gently, as though carrying the heartbeat of the person who had written it thousands of years ago.
Mo Xuan cautiously reached toward the page. The moment his fingertip touched the script—
Warmth flowed through him like a gentle stream passing through his consciousness. He immediately withdrew his hand. "...Amazing."
He had studied Living Script for months in the Rune Archive. Every ancient text described it as the highest achievement of a Runist. Yet descriptions were nothing compared to experiencing it personally.
Turning the page, he found more writing had appeared. Unlike the opening passage, these were not philosophical teachings. They were like instructions.
The first requirement immediately erased his smile: a medicinal bath.
Not an ordinary one. A body-tempering bath prepared from twelve rare spiritual herbs. Mo Xuan carefully read the list once. Then again.
Each name sounded familiar.
Nine-Yang Spirit Ginseng.
Netherworld Ice Lotus.
Dragonbone Flower.
Phoenix Blood Grass.
The remaining ingredients were no less precious.
His expression gradually stiffened. He rubbed his forehead. He let out a helpless sigh. Even with his limited knowledge of medicinal herbs, he understood one thing. These ingredients were unimaginably expensive.
Still...
He continued reading. The instructions left no room for shortcuts. The herbs had to be gathered exactly as listed. The proportions had to be exact.
The bath required three full days of uninterrupted soaking. Any failure would cripple his body permanently. Mo Xuan slowly closed the book. His excitement cooled considerably.
"So the cultivation method has finally appeared…"
Mo Xuan looked toward the broken roof.
"But now I have another impossible problem."
The moon was visible through the gaps. For a long while, he remained silent. His thoughts drifted toward his father.
His father had already sacrificed much after the Awakening Ceremony. Even Cousin Mo Ming had quietly given him medicinal pills without asking for anything in return.
How could he ask for herbs worth a fortune?
No...
He couldn't. Not like this.
He stood and carefully tucked the book back inside his robe. The night had grown late. As he stepped outside, snow crunched softly beneath his feet.
The cold wind brushed against his face. Yet for the first time in over a year...
It no longer felt cold. Because hidden beneath his robe...
He carried something far more valuable than any treasure. He carried hope.
And with hope... he was finally willing to dream again.
The walk home felt shorter than ever before. Snow crunched softly beneath Mo Xuan's feet as the winter wind swept across the quiet Mo Clan estate. For more than a year, he had walked this path carrying nothing but uncertainty.
Tonight...
He carried an answer.
Hidden beneath his robe, the book felt strangely warm, as though the ancient inheritance had truly awakened. Yet excitement gradually gave way to reality. The cultivation method existed. Whether he could cultivate it… was another matter entirely.
Back inside his room, Mo Xuan carefully locked the door before lighting another oil lamp. He removed the ancient book from beneath his robe and opened it once more. The Living Script glowed faintly.
Unlike before, the golden words no longer appeared unfamiliar. He slowly reread the instructions.
Every sentence. Every warning and every requirement. The medicinal bath could not contain substitutes. Every herb listed had to be gathered exactly as written. Even changing a single ingredient would destroy the balance of the formula.
Mo Xuan sighed.
He reached for a blank sheet of paper and began copying the list.
Nine-Yang Spirit Ginseng.
Netherworld Ice Lotus.
Dragonbone Flower.
Phoenix Blood Grass.
One after another, the names filled the page. Some he recognised immediately from the Rune Archive. Others he had only encountered briefly while studying medicinal records. By the time he finished writing the final herb...
His expression had become increasingly helpless. He placed the brush aside. Even without knowing the exact prices, he understood these ingredients were very precious. Ordinary disciples would never even see them.
The next morning, Mo Xuan returned to the Rune Archive as though nothing had happened.
Elder Qin smiled from behind the reception desk. The moment he saw the change in Mo Xuan's expression, his eyes softened.
That evening, he carried the list home. Throughout dinner, his thoughts never left the paper folded inside his sleeve.
His father noticed immediately. "You seem lost in thought... you've barely touched your food."
Mo Xuan looked down. His untouched rice remained almost exactly as it had when the meal began. He smiled awkwardly.
"Eat first."
"Problems can wait."
He nodded obediently.
Later that night...
Mo Xuan stood outside his father's study, his hand raised toward the door. After a long moment, he lowered it.
His father had already sacrificed too much for him.
After the Awakening Ceremony, countless medicinal pills had been purchased.
Physicians had been invited repeatedly.
He sighed and went back to his room.
Morning sunlight stretched across the Mo Clan estate. For the first time in many months, Mo Xuan did not head directly toward the Rune Archive. His father was away, so Mo Xuan decided to remain at home.
That evening, Mo Kang returned home much later than usual. His clothes carried the faint scent of fresh ink and Spirit Jade.
Several long wooden cases rested across his shoulders. The clan had accepted an order from Azure Pine City: a set of Grade Four defensive Rune Plates.
Mo Xuan looked curiously toward the wooden cases. His father rarely accepted commissions of that level. They required weeks of uninterrupted concentration. The reward, however, would also be considerably greater.
Dinner passed quietly.
Halfway through the meal, Mo Kang suddenly looked toward his son. "Xuan'er."
"Hm?"
"I heard you've been studying medicinal herbs."
Mo Xuan nearly choked on his soup. "Elder Qin talks too much."
His father laughed. "He was worried."
"So..."
"What are you researching?"
Mo Xuan hesitated. He had promised himself he wouldn't burden his father.
Yet...
Keeping the entire truth hidden felt equally wrong. After a moment's thought, he reached into his sleeve and unfolded the list. "I found an old medicinal formula in the Archive."
Mo Kang accepted the paper without suspicion. His expression remained calm... Until he reached the third herb. His brows slowly rose.
By the seventh… he began reading more carefully. When he reached the final name...
He quietly folded the paper again. "Where exactly did you find this?"
"An ancient medical record." Mo Xuan chose his words carefully.
"It described a body-strengthening medicinal bath."
His father looked at him thoughtfully. "Most of these herbs are extremely difficult to obtain."
"But..."
He looked back at his son. "...not all of them are impossible."
Mo Xuan blinked. "They aren't?"
His father pointed toward four names. "These."
"The Mo Clan's medicinal gardens occasionally cultivate them."
"They're rare."
"But not beyond reach."
Hope flickered inside Mo Xuan's heart.
"And these?"
He pointed toward several others.
Mo Kang smiled. "I have friends among the merchants in Azure Pine City."
"They sometimes acquire unusual herbs."
"It may take time..."
"...but I can ask."
Mo Xuan immediately shook his head. "No."
"I didn't mean for you to—"
Mo Kang raised a hand. "You've never asked me for anything."
The room became quiet. His father looked at the list once more before smiling warmly. "If these herbs truly help strengthen your body..."
"...then I will do everything I can."
Mo Xuan lowered his head. His eyes suddenly felt warm. For more than a year, he had believed he was walking this road alone. Only now did he realise...
His father had never stopped walking beside him.