To Wen Ran, this sudden system approval was suspicious, to say the least. But when it ca to accepting power, he had long since beco a blind fool. Even when he was cautious, the desire to take full advantage of the damned system that had tornted him so many tis—pushed him to the brink of madness—was too tempting. How many tis had this system mocked him? How many tis had it held him back when he was desperate for strength? This ti, he would take it all.
"What you will experience will hurt more than anything you've ever felt, and the sa goes for your companion. Perhaps you can take it, but can she? Are you sure you want to proceed with it?"
Wen Ran didn't even hesitate. His voice was cold, steely with resolve. "If she can't take it, then what is the use of having her by my side? If she can't survive this, then better for her to die now, before we face the gods. If she can't endure this, she'll die far more brutally on the battlefield, torn apart by those stronger than her. This is not even a question—she will go through it. And the two of us will soar. Isn't that perfect?" His hand rested gently on Xiao Mo's head, his fingers lightly ruffling her soft fur.
Xiao Mo's ears perked up in response, and for a mont, Wen Ran felt a sense of unwavering determination from her. She had seen him grow, she had witnessed his pain, and now, she wished to stand beside him. She refused to be left behind. As power was offered to her, she made no protests. What was a little suffering compared to being by her beloved's side?
"Good..." The system's voice ca again, indifferent but sohow acknowledging, "Proceeding with evolution in 3... 2... 1..."
Then, it hit.
The pain that surged through Wen Ran and Xiao Mo was nothing like anything either of them had ever known. It was agonizing—hot and cold at once—ripping through their bodies in waves. Every nerve felt as though it was being flayed open, only to be re-knit and torn apart again in a cycle that seed never-ending. His breath ca in shallow gasps, his throat burning, but no scream could escape. His lungs fought against the searing heat and freezing cold that wracked his body, but he couldn't breathe deeply enough to utter a word, let alone scream. The urge to vocalize the pain was overwhelming, yet it was denied. He couldn't scream, couldn't cry—he was not allowed any release.
Every second felt like an eternity. His insides felt like they were being incinerated by lightning, the fiery agony crackling through his veins, while the cold gnawed at his flesh like ice. Every inch of his body seed to be disintegrating, being remade again, and then torn apart, only to be remade once more. His muscles spasd, his skin stretched and tore as if so invisible hand was shredding him from the inside out. Yet, through all of this, the thought that kept him grounded was simple.
This pain... it ans power.
He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to focus. His heart burned with an unrelenting determination that held his sanity together, even as the agony threatened to fracture him. Pain was sothing he had learned to endure over the years, especially when it had co in the form of lightning storms and other tortures. But Xiao Mo... could she handle this?
To his surprise, Xiao Mo did not falter. Her tiny body, trembling, endured the tornt with a strength that could rival even the most seasoned warriors. She had seen Wen Ran's growth, and now, she chose to endure it alongside him. She would not allow herself to be a weak link. Won, by nature, could endure more pain, but this? This was beyond even what most could bear. And yet, Xiao Mo proved that, like her master, she was capable of unimaginable strength.
Wen Ran could feel his body change. Sothing was shifting within him. His insides, his organs, his muscles—all of it was transforming. His spiritual consciousness sharpened, focusing on the sensation of change as he counted the passing monts. Ti blurred as the agony stretched on, but he knew he had to endure. The system had said this was only the first fragnt of power. He couldn't afford to falter here; there was more to co. And those fragnts might take longer, be more brutal. He had to be prepared.
Fifteen days passed.
At least, that was what he guessed the system ant when it spoke of the end of the evolution. The pain had beco more bearable with ti, the searing agony dulling into a raw, lingering ache. Finally, it faded completely. The intensity that had dominated their bodies disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, leaving them standing motionless in the darkness. It was as though the very air around them had beco heavier with each passing second, weighing them down, daring them to move.
Finally, it was over. The silence was almost deafening, and Wen Ran felt a strange lightness in his body, though it could simply have been the absence of pain. He waited a mont, testing his own senses.
I must inspect myself.
He closed his eyes, focusing his spiritual consciousness inward. What he saw made his heart stop for a brief, terrifying mont.
His organs, his ridians, his muscles—all of it had undergone an impossible transformation. Each of his internal organs had taken on a crystalline shine, as though they had been polished to perfection. His body—his body—had beco sothing he had never imagined possible. A perfect vessel. A perfect form.
This can't be... The words echoed in his mind. It was too much. Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn't dared to imagine sothing like this. In a world that had no immortal energy, where the laws of nature seed broken, how could he possess such a body? No one had ever achieved this before, not even in his old world, where a few legendary figures were born with near-perfect bodies. But they were often killed by those too jealous of their perfection.
His heart raced as he looked deeper, trying to understand the magnitude of the change. The power now coursing through him was beyond what soone in the Spirit Refinent realm should have. Even his dantian, the reservoir of his spiritual energy, had undergone a transformation. It, too, glead with a crystalline sheen, as if everything within him had been elevated to a level that defied logic.
For the first ti, Wen Ran realized that this evolution had changed him in ways he could never have anticipated. And yet, as he stood there in the dark silence, his thoughts sharpened into a singular focus. This was just the beginning. He had gained sothing extraordinary, but there was still so much more to claim. Power, destruction, immortality—the road was still long, and he would see it through, no matter what it took.
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