MTL NOVEL Chapter 51: Spirit Flow Stage!
The powerful energy rushed through Wen Ran's body, making him wish he could just give up. But at the same time, he knew he couldn't. The intense pain seemed to refine his will, forging him into a stronger version of himself with every moment.
Luckily for Wen Ran, his meridians held firm, even if they were on the verge of collapse. They strained, cracked, but refused to break, adapting under the immense pressure. The energy forcefully carved its path, expanding his meridians and allowing the raw spiritual power to flow freely through him.
Then, without warning, the second river split off.
A new surge of power rushed through his body, flooding into his bones and muscles like a crashing tidal wave. Agh—! Wen Ran clenched his jaw, but the pain was unbearable—a firestorm raging within his very core. His entire body trembled as he let out a guttural scream, every inch of his flesh forcefully refined to accommodate the surging spiritual energy.
This was no ordinary breakthrough. His bones fractured and healed instantly, his muscles tore and reknit themselves stronger, every fiber of his being being tempered to the extreme. The benefits were undeniable—his speed, strength, endurance… all of them would reach an entirely new level. His skin and bones would become tougher, resistant to blades and blows that would have once maimed him.
If someone were to look inside his body right now, they would see a crimson glow radiating from within his bones—not merely coating them, but fusing into their very structure. The energy was becoming a part of him, molding him into something far beyond ordinary cultivators.
And yet, this was only the beginning.
He felt as if he could collapse at any moment, his body screaming for release, but his will refused to bend. Just when he thought he had reached his limit, as if pouring oil onto an already raging fire, the third and final river roared to life.
The energy surged forward, an unstoppable current flowing toward his internal organs.
His lungs burned, forcefully refined to withstand extended periods without air. Every breath felt like fire searing through his chest, reshaping his very ability to endure. His heart pounded wildly, hammering against his ribs as though trying to escape, sending shockwaves of agony through his body. The crimson energy wrapped around his heart, coiling tighter with each beat, refining and strengthening it beyond human limits. His arteries widened, his blood surged faster, carrying an unholy power through his veins.
One by one, his internal organs glowed with crimson light, reforging themselves in a relentless process of destruction and rebirth. This was refinement in its purest, cruelest form. The body he had once known was being stripped away, reshaped into something far greater.
And he had to endure this endless torment for the time it would take to burn three incense sticks.
Eventually, the three crimson rivers, which had once felt endless, merged into a powerful current, flowing in a continuous loop around his body. They circled the eerie crimson object within his dantian—an unknown entity that pulsed with a faint, sinister glow. As Wen Ran's foundation solidified, the object vibrated gently, as if acknowledging his efforts. Then, with a sudden pulse, a surge of crimson radiance erupted from it, dyeing the entire cave in an ominous glow.
A wave of energy rushed through Wen Ran's body, reinforcing his physique and stabilizing his meridians. Suddenly, a towering pillar of crimson light shot out from his body, piercing the sky above, sending tremors through the heavens themselves.
Xiao Mo flinched, instinctively jumping away as she turned to stare at her master. In that moment, he looked like a devil god—his entire being wrapped in blinding crimson, a deity descending upon the mortal world. The sheer force of the energy made her fur stand on end, her tiny heart racing.
The pillar's final pulse washed over Wen Ran, healing the hidden injuries he had sustained during the grueling breakthrough. The tension in his body melted away, his muscles relaxing as the domineering power within him surged outward—the power of the First Circle of the Spirit Flow Stage.
But little did he know…
This so-called "small breakthrough" had turned the surrounding lands into a storm of chaos. The mysterious crimson pillar that had pierced the sky would not be forgotten—for years, cultivators would whisper of the day the heavens themselves were dyed in blood.
And even now, many experts were already rushing toward his location.
A small village nestled deep within the vast mountain range had long enjoyed peace, untouched by the turmoil of the outside world. The very aura surrounding this place was mysterious, as if the mountains themselves had cast a blessing over it, shielding it from harm. A dense mist had veiled the village for countless years, forming a natural barrier that warded off dangers and unwanted guests.
But not all things in life last forever. Trouble finds everyone.
As dawn broke, the villagers—numbering no more than a couple hundred—began their day as they always had. It was peaceful, just as it had been for the past five thousand years. A sacred spring, brimming with spiritual energy, had long been the heart of this village, its water carrying a miraculous effect. A single sip could elevate one's cultivation by leaps and bounds, a divine gift that allowed even the weakest to flourish. Surrounding the spring, rare spiritual plants thrived, their very presence nurturing the land. The village had flourished under its blessings, becoming a self-sustaining paradise where animals, crops, and people thrived in harmony.
Yet the people in this village didn't know the kind of disaster Wen Ran had brought upon them. He never intended for it to happen, but at the same time, even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared all that much. To him, such accidents were normal. But little did he know that this seemingly small disaster would intertwine his fate with this place in ways he would never be able to imagine.