Within the cave, agony reigned.
Shen Yuan's flesh and blood burned like molten iron, his bones creaking under the sheer intensity of the process. He could feel his very existence unraveling, as though the universe itself sought to reject him. His flesh peeled away, his veins shriveled, and his blood evaporated into nothingness. The pain was unbearable—a torment so profound it threatened to strip him of his sanity.
Yet, he endured.
Through gritted teeth and sheer will, he forced himself to remain aware, clinging to his identity even as his body dissolved into a skeleton. A lesser cultivator would have long since perished, their consciousness shattered, their soul forever lost to oblivion. But Shen Yuan was not a lesser cultivator.
He had chosen this path.
This wasn't just suffering—it was an opportunity. Amidst the torment, he could feel himself brushing against the profound mysteries of life and death. He was breaking past the limits of the human body, forging something new—something greater.
Hours passed. Then an entire night.
Outside the cave, the five companions waited.
The sun had long risen, its golden light washing over the mountains, yet Shen Yuan had still not emerged. Tang Jiyan stood with arms crossed, his brows furrowed in deep thought. Even for a method as extreme as Shen Yuan's, this was far longer than expected.
"He's still alive," Xiang Xiaoli muttered, glancing at the cave entrance. "I can still sense his energy… but it feels strange, like it's shifting between states."
Shi Meixiu huffed, arms folded. "Tch, that lunatic. He better not die there after acting so smug all the time." Despite her words, there was an edge of concern in her voice.
Guo Bohai exhaled slowly. "This is the path he chose. Either he survives and ascends to new heights, or—"
"Or he dies," Tang Jiyan finished the sentence grimly.
Silence fell among them. None of them wished to acknowledge the possibility, but it was a reality they all understood.
Then, as noon arrived, a tremor shook the mountains.
Inside the cave, Shen Yuan's regeneration had begun.
His veins stretched and reformed, stronger than before. His flesh knitted together, layer by layer, until his skeletal frame was once again covered in smooth, flawless skin. However, this wasn't merely a restoration—his very existence had evolved.
The cut wings of the Tempest Falcon shimmered, breaking down into pure, ethereal energy that surged into his back, fusing into his being. He could feel it—the transformation wasn't over yet.
A breakthrough was near.
Sitting in complete stillness, he closed his eyes and began forming ancient hand seals. Behind him, ten radiant halos burst into existence, their glow piercing through the cave's darkness.
Outside, the five companions stiffened as the colossal halos manifested above the cave.
"What the hell…" Guo Bohai whispered in awe.
The halos expanded, their divine radiance dwarfing the very mountains. The sky itself trembled as waves of energy rolled outward, causing the trees to sway violently. Even cultivators residing miles away could feel the disturbance in the natural order.
Then, one by one, the halos shattered.
Each collapse sent a surge of pure, condensed qi into Shen Yuan's body, refining his cultivation to an unprecedented level. By the time the final halo broke, the five outside could feel it—an oppressive dread, a monstrous presence far beyond what a Nirvana Realm cultivator should possess.
And then, amidst the storm of spiritual energy, the shattered halos merged together, forming an ethereal, glowing sphere—the Elysian Core.
Dong Chen's breath hitched. "That's…"
"A Nirvana breakthrough," Tang Jiyan finished, eyes wide with understanding. "He's forging his Elysian Core."
The core descended, slipping into the cave.
Inside, as soon as the Elysian Core fused into Shen Yuan's body, a terrifying, suffocating aura exploded outward.
A monstrous yin energy surged from within, its icy grasp freezing the cave walls into blackened ice. A moment later, an explosion of cold mist erupted outward, rushing into the forest like a deathly tide.
Half the forest turned to frozen wasteland in an instant.
The five watching instinctively took a step back as the sheer weight of the energy sent shivers down their spines.
Then, amidst the dissipating frost, a lone figure walked out of the cave.
Shen Yuan.
His aura was vastly different. Even though he looked the same physically, his very presence exuded something unnatural, something wild. It was not merely the power of a Nirvana Realm cultivator—it was something far beyond that.
But what caught their attention the most was what lay behind him.
From his back, black-red energy leaked outward, twisting and shifting until it solidified into enormous, tempest falcon wings, though they now looked slightly more demonic.
Wings that were not merely an external enhancement—they were now a part of his flesh and blood. It was more clearly noticeable as Shen Yuan's upper body was robe-less.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The five simply stared.
Then, Xiang Xiaoli broke the silence.
"…Are you even human anymore?" Her voice was calm, but there was something else hidden beneath it—wariness.
Shen Yuan glanced at her, then looked at his own hand, flexing his fingers. He exhaled softly, before answering.
"What am I? I no longer know. Perhaps I never did." His voice was quiet, yet it carried a weight that made the air feel heavier. "Human, beast, monster—these are nothing but empty words, shackles forged by those who fear the unknown. In the face of power, what does it matter? Let others call me whatever they wish. In the end, only strength is eternal."
"And do I look like someone else to you, huh?" Shen Yuan asked with a smirk.
Silence.
Then, after a few seconds, Xiang Xiaoli exhaled and walked up to him. She gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Tch. That's all I needed to hear." She smirked. "If you were any different, I'd be worried. Your insufferable arrogance is proof it's still you."
Shen Yuan smirked in amusement. "Should I take that as a compliment?"
"Take it however you want."
As the tension eased, Tang Jiyan suddenly grinned and threw an arm around Shen Yuan's shoulder.
"Enough of this gloomy atmosphere!" he laughed. "You just had a monstrous breakthrough, but instead of brooding about it, how about we celebrate? When we return to the sect, let's go to the elite disciple hot springs."
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "A bath?"
"Obviously! You've been locked in a cave all night, nearly turned into a skeleton, and probably stink of death and blood itself. You need it."
The others chuckled, the atmosphere relaxing.
For a moment, Shen Yuan simply stared at them. These five… they didn't care about what he had become. They didn't fear him.
His expression remained indifferent, but inwardly, he felt something rare—a moment of genuine peace.
"…Fine," he finally said, a small, almost imperceptible smile appearing on his lips. "Let's go."
"I haven't had a good peace in a long time anyways", said Shen Yuan with a small smile.
After few more minutes of chatting, Shen Yuan took out the teleportation array and all disappeared before reappearing in the elite area of the sect instantly.