Chapter 18
Ye Liyun forced himself upright, every movement sending fresh waves of pain crashing through his body.
His right shoulder was barely holding together—torn flesh bound crudely by coagulated blood, bone still aching from the Elder's spiritual blade. Worse than the physical wounds was the dull, grinding pressure inside his skull. The backlash from the soul attack had not faded. It lingered like a heavy fog, making every thought feel slow and strained.
Yet his fingers tightened instinctively around the ledger.
He had survived.
That alone made the pain bearable.
We cannot linger, the Emperor said urgently. Your condition is unstable, and the Inner City will erupt soon. Use the Nectar—now. Then force the breakthrough while the momentum of life-and-death still clings to you.
Ye Liyun nodded grimly. He activated the Stygian token without hesitation.
The world twisted.
A breath later, he collapsed onto the cold stone floor of his private training chamber within the Stygian Secret Realm. The isolation array sealed instantly, cutting off all external spiritual interference.
Safe.
Barely.
With trembling hands, Ye Liyun retrieved the final vial of Golden Dew Nectar. The liquid shimmered like molten sunlight. He swallowed it in one motion.
Warmth exploded through his meridians.
The stabilizing energy flowed gently yet persistently, knitting torn channels together and suppressing the violent backlash from the soul attack. His breathing gradually steadied, though the pain never fully vanished.
"That saved your body," the Emperor said. "But not your future. You pushed your soul far beyond its limits. If you don't strengthen it now, the next use will cripple you."
Ye Liyun understood.
The soul was no longer an optional path—it was his hidden blade. And hidden blades dulled quickly if neglected.
He sat cross-legged and turned inward.
---
For the next seven days, the outside world ceased to exist.
Ye Liyun devoted himself entirely to soul cultivation.
Unlike Qi training, there were no surging energies or violent transformations. Instead, it was a slow, merciless process of endurance. He guided his nascent soul through the techniques recorded in the basic manual, repeatedly stretching its limits.
Each session felt like forcing his consciousness through a narrowing passage.
Thoughts fragmented.
Memories blurred.
At times, even his sense of self wavered.
Mental exhaustion replaced physical pain—a deep, grinding fatigue that made sleep useless and meditation agonizing. Several times, Ye Liyun nearly lost control, his Sea of Consciousness trembling violently as the fragile light of his soul threatened to scatter.
He endured.
By the seventh day, the flickering glow within his Sea of Consciousness had grown brighter and denser, its boundaries more defined.
"You've reached the limit of the basic manual," the Emperor said at last. "Your soul is no longer fragile. It can withstand backlash—but only once or twice. Do not become careless."
Ye Liyun exhaled slowly.
His body, however, remained stuck at Mid-Stage Qi Condensation.
And that was unacceptable.
"Then it's time," Ye Liyun said quietly.
He retrieved the Foundation Establishment Breakthrough Pill.
The pill hovered above his palm like a miniature sun, radiating overwhelming spiritual pressure. Merely being near it caused his Qi to stir violently.
"This is the point of no return," the Emperor warned. "Once you begin, the old foundation will be shattered completely. Failure means death."
Ye Liyun swallowed the pill.
The effect was instant.
A torrential wave of pure, violent Qi surged into his dantian, smashing into his existing foundation like a collapsing mountain. His meridians screamed as cracks spread rapidly.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Now!" the Emperor roared. "Circulate the Supreme Immortal Body Refinement Art! Refine the energy—don't resist it!"
Ye Liyun obeyed.
The Art activated.
Agony beyond anything he had experienced erupted throughout his body.
The pill's energy was forcibly drawn into his flesh, bones, and organs. His old Qi Condensation foundation shattered piece by piece, each fracture accompanied by bone-deep pain. His skeleton creaked, muscles tore and reformed, and his skin burned as if submerged in molten metal.
Twelve hours passed in a haze of torment.
Several times, Ye Liyun lost consciousness—only to be dragged back by sheer will.
Revenge anchored him.
Hatred sustained him.
When the process finally ended, silence descended.
Ye Liyun lay motionless, chest rising and falling unevenly.
Then—
A new pulse spread through his body.
Stable. Dense. Profound.
He opened his eyes.
The world felt different.
His meridians were wider, his Qi heavier and more refined. His spiritual sense expanded outward effortlessly, covering distances he could never have reached before.
He had crossed the threshold.
Foundation Establishment.
"You succeeded," the Emperor said, awe evident in his voice. "And listen carefully—this is important."
Ye Liyun focused.
"The Supreme Immortal Body Refinement Art is stable at your level," the Emperor continued. "Under normal use, it grants you immense physical power without consequence. However—"
A pause.
"If you attempt to use it to achieve explosive dominance against opponents one or two realms above you, the suppression will activate. Your body may collapse, or your cultivation may temporarily regress."
Ye Liyun's gaze sharpened.
"So it's not a flaw," he said. "It's a restraint."
"Exactly," the Emperor replied. "A necessary one. Remember this when you face a Core Formation master."
Ye Liyun nodded silently.
Power without limits was illusion.
Control was survival.
---
He returned to Lady Lin's estate the same night.
She examined the ledger in silence, her fingers tracing the forbidden transactions recorded within. For the first time, genuine satisfaction crossed her normally cold features.
"Excellent," Lady Lin said. "This will destroy my rival completely."
She handed him a heavy pouch of high-grade spiritual stones and a sealed contract guaranteeing a year's supply of Golden Dew Nectar.
Then her voice lowered.
"The Scroll," she said. "Bring it to me now."
Ye Liyun met her gaze without flinching.
"No."
The word echoed sharply.
Lady Lin's smile vanished. As a Core Formation master, she could crush him instantly—but she didn't move.
"I will deliver the Scroll when I secure my Stygian rank," Ye Liyun continued calmly. "Until then, it remains my leverage."
A long silence followed.
Finally, Lady Lin exhaled slowly. "You are dangerous, Ye Liyun. Very well. Complete your missions—but remember who pulled you from death."
"I never forget debts," Ye Liyun replied.
---
Back in the Stygian Secret Realm, he approached the contact.
"I'm ready for my next assignment."
The elderly man smiled thinly.
"Mission 003: The Silent Witness."
Target: Elder Zhou of the Ye Clan.
Reward: 50 Merit Points and a Soul Cultivation Technique.
Deadline: 96 hours.
Ye Liyun's blood ran cold.
The Ye Clan.
The place of his humiliation.
"This is a test," the Emperor warned. "A trap—but also an opportunity."
Ye Liyun clenched his fist.
"I accept."
He was no longer returning as a discarded child.
He was returning as a Foundation Establishment assassin.