The evening descended upon Stone Village with an unusual luminescence emanating not from celestial bodies above, but from the ancient bronze cauldron positioned prominently in the village square. Within its depths, a transformation was occurring that defied ordinary understanding of medicinal refinement.
The liquid contents had achieved a state of violent agitation, though not from mere thermal energy. Instead, the substance roiled with concentrated vital force, its color having shifted to a profound crimson hue. This transformation resulted from the infusion of blood essence drawn from the Suan Ni beast, the Frost Bear, and the Dragon Blood Elixir that Su Chen had contributed from his personal reserves.
Shi Hao, the young prodigy of the village, observed the bubbling concoction with both trepidation and fascination. His small hands clutched his treasured milk container as he remarked upon the mixture's intimidating appearance, comparing it to an excessively spiced broth.
Su Chen corrected this misunderstanding with patient amusement, explaining that the cauldron's contents should be understood not as nourishment for consumption, but rather as a crucible for physical transformation. After testing the temperature himself, he turned to address Shi Yunfeng, the Village Chief, providing assurance regarding the safety of the procedure. The presence of Xiao Yi Xian, who stood beside the cauldron channeling her refined purple energy, would serve as a regulatory mechanism. Her role was critical in neutralizing the violent properties inherent in beast blood while preserving the beneficial vital essence.
The Village Chief, accepting these assurances, commanded the children to enter the medicinal bath. Their immediate reactions testified to the intensity of the body tempering process. The pain proved considerable, manifesting in reddened skin and visible emanations of steam. When one child, known colloquially as Pi Hou, vocalized his distress, Su Chen responded with firm encouragement rather than sympathy. His words, delivered with authoritative resonance, reframed their suffering as the necessary price of strength. He invoked their rivalry with Wolf Village to motivate their endurance, a tactic that proved effective in steeling their resolve.
When Shi Hao's turn arrived, the child displayed remarkable composure that exceeded his years. Rather than fear, he expressed enthusiasm, inquiring whether the treatment would grant him strength comparable to Su Chen's own. Su Chen's response acknowledged the possibility while also providing practical instruction regarding the proper method of absorption. He then placed the boy into the cauldron's center.
The reaction was immediate and extraordinary. The concentrated energy gravitated toward Shi Hao with notable preference, drawn by the regenerating Supreme Being Bone developing within his chest. A golden vortex manifested around the child's small form, visible evidence of the profound transformation occurring within.
Su Chen activated his Spirit Sight ability to observe the process at a fundamental level. The observation revealed intricate runes forming and interlocking within Shi Hao's thoracic cavity, demonstrating the Rebirth Technique in action. He quietly instructed his system to analyze and record the regeneration pattern, recognizing the valuable principle underlying this phenomenon: that destruction could serve as the foundation for creation. This data would inform his future cultivation endeavors.
## The Formation of Three Hundred Sixty-Five Celestial Apertures
While the village children underwent their transformation, Su Chen withdrew to a location beneath the ancient Willow Tree. The charred branches of Liu Shen provided shelter as he prepared for his own breakthrough.
The Willow Deity's consciousness addressed him directly, noting the audacity of his methods. The amount of energy he had provided the children would typically prove fatal to creatures far more powerful than human youths, yet they survived due to his careful preparation.
Su Chen acknowledged their potential before turning his attention inward. He had reached the threshold of the Cave Heaven Realm, a significant milestone in cultivation. Traditional methodology involved opening a singular "crater" or "volcano" above one's head to channel energy from the void. Exceptional cultivators of ancient times had achieved ten such apertures, which was considered the ultimate limit of human potential.
Su Chen found this limitation unacceptable for his purposes. He simultaneously activated multiple authorities: his Space Authority derived from the Tesseract, his Genetic Energy from the Star Traveler bloodline, and his Mind Authority for precise calculation and control. With these preparations complete, he initiated the breakthrough.
The first crater manifested above him, radiating silver luminescence. A second followed immediately, then a third. Within moments, ten magnificent Cave Heavens had formed in a circular array behind his head, creating an appearance of divine transcendence. The ambient energy of the Great Wilderness surged toward him with tremendous force.
Liu Shen acknowledged this achievement, noting that he had instantaneously reached what typically required years of arduous cultivation to achieve. However, Su Chen indicated that his ambitions extended beyond conventional limits.
He focused his attention on the fundamental structure of the human body, specifically the three hundred sixty-five major acupuncture points recognized by traditional medicine and cultivation theory. His hypothesis proposed that if each point could be transformed into a singularity, a point of connection to the void, the resulting system would far exceed any previous achievement.
The attempt produced immediate and dramatic consequences. The spatial fabric surrounding Su Chen fractured under the strain. Rather than simply multiplying his Cave Heavens, the fundamental nature of his cultivation transformed. The eleventh aperture appeared, followed by the twelfth, then the twentieth, rapidly progressing toward the hundredth and beyond.
The physical toll proved severe. His body began to fracture under the pressure of establishing three hundred sixty-five simultaneous connections to the void. Blood erupted from his skin as structural integrity degraded. His system issued critical warnings regarding his physical condition. Both his Indestructible Diamond Body and Hulk Regeneration abilities activated automatically in response to the emergency.
Su Chen responded by consuming True Dragon Blood directly from his supply. The extraordinary vitality of this substance enabled his regeneration to match the rate of damage, creating an equilibrium that allowed the transformation to continue.
The process completed with a series of audible manifestations, each representing the ignition of another celestial aperture. The result bore little resemblance to traditional Cave Heavens. Instead, three hundred sixty-five miniature portals to the void arranged themselves in a cosmic configuration around his body, resembling a star chart or celestial map.
The concentration of energy achieved such density that liquid mana began to precipitate, falling like rain to nourish the ground. The Willow Tree absorbed this bounty eagerly, its luminescence intensifying in response.
Liu Shen, despite her vast experience and ancient wisdom, expressed genuine astonishment at what she witnessed. She recognized that Su Chen had transcended the Cave Heaven Realm entirely, instead forging what she termed a Star Chart within himself, effectively creating an internalized universe.
As the pain subsided and Su Chen rose to his feet, he stood at the center of his three hundred sixty-five stellar apertures, resembling the nucleus of a galaxy. The power flowing through him had reached terrifying proportions. He estimated his capacity to absorb and process mana had increased exponentially, potentially sufficient to drain an entire ocean of magical energy in a single breath.
He summoned the Soaring Shuttle, releasing its three hundred sixty-five component blades. Each blade flew unerringly toward a corresponding Cave Heaven aperture, entering to undergo tempering. The void energy within would refine the silver metal, transforming it into Void Gold of superior quality.
## Entry into the Void God Realm
The following morning brought evidence of the children's successful transformation. They radiated enhanced vitality, with Shi Hao demonstrating his increased capability by wrestling and defeating a massive eagle chick of considerable size.
Su Chen approached the Village Chief with an inquiry regarding access to what he had heard described as a Spirit World, a place where cultivators could test their abilities. Shi Yunfeng confirmed the existence of the Void God Realm, a legendary domain created by Ancient Gods in a previous age. However, entry required a specific medium.
The Chief produced an ancestral artifact: a peculiar bone with mottled coloring that resembled alternately a grimace or a laughing expression. Su Chen examined this object, allowing his system to analyze and copy its essential properties. Within moments, he had created two duplicates, returning the original to the Chief while retaining the copies for his own use.
He presented one copy to Shi Hao, proposing the venture as an opportunity for combat experience and potential rewards. The mention of beasts that could potentially be consumed secured the child's enthusiastic participation.
Su Chen organized his team for the expedition. Albedo and Saeko would remain to guard their physical bodies, as consciousness projection into the Void God Realm left the flesh vulnerable. Esdeath, possessing sufficient mental projection capability, would accompany them.
The three arranged themselves in a triangular formation and channeled their Spirit Energy into the Grimace Bones simultaneously. The effect proved immediate, their consciousness being extracted and transported to the designated realm.
## The Initial Testing Ground
They materialized on an expansive plaza constructed of golden stones beneath a gray, misty sky. Hundreds of other individuals, mental projections of cultivators from across the Eight Domains, populated the area. Various activities were underway: trading, dueling, and general socialization.
Su Chen's system provided confirmation of their successful entry and noted an important limitation: physical cultivation advantages were suppressed within this realm, with only Spirit and Technique remaining relevant to determining capability.
Su Chen compared the environment to a game lobby, noting the similarities in structure and purpose. His appearance remained consistent with his physical form, while Shi Hao manifested as his actual age, and Esdeath projected an aura of frigid authority that created a perceptible zone of lowered temperature around her position.
Shi Hao directed their attention to a massive stone tablet positioned centrally within the plaza. This Record Tablet documented the greatest achievements throughout the realm's history across various categories: speed, strength, jumping height, and numerous other metrics.
An observer, noting their apparent newcomer status, explained the reward system. Breaking an established record would result in receiving a Bronze Book Fragment, which contained high-tier cultivation methods of considerable value.
The mention of rewards captured Shi Hao's interest immediately. Su Chen proposed systematically breaking all available records, an ambitious goal that reflected his confidence in their capabilities.
His first target was the Strength Testing Stone. A muscular cultivator was currently attempting the challenge, his punch registering thirty thousand jin of force, a result he celebrated loudly. When Su Chen requested his turn, the man responded with derision, making unflattering comments about Su Chen's appearance.
Rather than verbal response, Su Chen employed telekinesis to forcibly remove the man from proximity, propelling him backward ten meters. He then focused on the stone itself.
Within this realm, his physical advantages—the Gold Body and enhanced strength—held no relevance. However, his Mind Authority and Soul Power, derived from his Lich bloodline, remained fully functional.
Su Chen struck the stone with a punch that incorporated no particular technique beyond the mental visualization of the Mountain Crushing Kong he had previously defeated. The result exceeded all expectations. The stone not only registered a measurement but fractured, then exploded completely, scattering debris across the plaza.
Silence descended upon the entire area as witnesses processed what they had observed. A system announcement confirmed the breaking of the strength record, though it categorized the new record as "Limitless" due to the destruction of the measuring device. A golden bone fragment materialized and descended from above, which Su Chen caught efficiently.
He then instructed Shi Hao to attempt the Speed Record, employing the psychological tactic of suggesting his milk supply was at risk. The child's reaction proved instantaneous, generating a sonic boom and leaving a dust trail as he vanished. The Speed Tablet shattered moments later, accompanied by another system announcement that included commentary regarding the unusual pair disrupting the realm's established order.
## Systematic Record Breaking and Escalation
The following hour witnessed unprecedented disruption of the Void God Realm's normal operations. Su Chen and Shi Hao proceeded methodically through the available challenges, breaking established records with apparent ease.
The Highest Jump record fell when Su Chen employed his Space Authority to effectively teleport to the stratosphere, technically satisfying the requirement while rendering the challenge meaningless. The Precision record succumbed to Shi Hao's natural talent when he successfully threaded a needle from a distance of one mile.
When Esdeath approached the Elemental Tablet to attempt the Coldest Ice challenge, the consequences proved more severe than previous attempts. Her touch caused the tablet itself to freeze, an effect that rapidly propagated to encompass the entire plaza and subsequently the other participants present.
A system warning announced the detection of a glacial anomaly, indicating that the realm's administrative consciousness—the ancient gods who had created and maintained this space—had been alerted to the disturbance.
Golden-armored guards materialized throughout the plaza. These Realm Enforcers demanded identification and cited the disruption of established order. Su Chen responded with deliberately informal aliases: he designated himself as "Player One," referred to Shi Hao as "Milk Lover," and identified Esdeath as "Ice Queen."
When the Enforcers moved to arrest them, Su Chen consulted with Esdeath regarding the permissibility of eliminating what he termed non-player characters. Her affirmative response, accompanied by the formation of an ice sword, initiated combat.
The engagement proved entirely one-sided. The Enforcers, being constructs of pure Spirit Energy, found themselves at a severe disadvantage against Su Chen's Lich Bloodline, which possessed the specific capability to absorb and consume spiritual essence. Each defeated Enforcer strengthened Su Chen's soul, transforming what was intended as punishment into an opportunity for advancement.
Su Chen addressed the sky directly, calling out to what he understood to be the Realm Spirit, using the somewhat irreverent title of "Grandpa Bird." He demanded access to the higher-level regions, characterizing the initial area as insufficiently challenging.
A massive spectral bird manifested within the clouds, its demeanor suggesting considerable irritation. The entity noted the extensive damage to its tablets and guards, questioning the audacity of someone who caused such disruption then demanded preferential treatment.
Su Chen responded by displaying the power flowing through his three hundred sixty-five Cave Heavens in simulated form, suggesting that refusal would result in structural damage to the realm itself. The Bird, recognizing both the genuine threat and the futility of further resistance, acquiesced to the request.
A portal materialized, providing access to the advanced regions where the most accomplished cultivators of the Eight Domains typically gathered. Su Chen collected Shi Hao and prepared to proceed, noting to the child that greater challenges and opponents awaited them in the higher levels.