Chapter 129: Astonishing Transformation

Chapter 129: Astonishing Transformation



Li Yuan's consciousness gradually awakened around two in the afternoon, after a long period of slumber.

His eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes slowly opened.

"Huff!" Li Yuan's consciousness quickly returned to clarity. "Did I just endure the agony of Hundred Marrow Spirit Withering and eventually lost consciousness?"

The recent experience flooded Li Yuan's mind.

That bone-chilling, soul-crushing pain was so intense that the mere memory of it caused Li Yuan to instinctively furrow his brows.

It was truly terrifying.

The cumulative pain from five rounds of Purifying Spirit Marrow was like child's play compared to this.

At this moment, the pain had completely subsided, but subconsciously, Li Yuan didn't want to dwell on it.

"Bang~" Li Yuan reached out to get up, only to feel his entire body prickling with pain once again.

However, he merely furrowed his brows and sat up, unaffected by the discomfort.

It was then that Li Yuan noticed a thin layer of dark gray grime covering his skin.

He gently wiped it away, and like shedding a snake's skin, the grime came off, revealing Li Yuan's smooth, jade-like skin beneath.

It was full of vitality.

"You're awake?" A cheerful voice sounded from a short distance away, and Li Yang approached.

"I'm sorry for the embarrassment, Teacher," Li Yuan said as he slowly stood up.

He had recalled the moment when he couldn't bear the pain and almost took his own life.

This indicated that his willpower was still insufficient.

"What's so funny? Do you find it shameful to feel pain to the point of wanting to die?" Li Yang chuckled, "You did well. At seventeen, enduring ten minutes of that agony is terrifying. I doubt there's another student in the entire school who could do the same."

"This Hundred Marrow Spirit Withering, while a Celestial Treasure and a rare bone-washing treasure, is also used as a form of torture." Li Yang smiled, "For some high-ranking Origin Warriors, just one pill is enough to make them suffer immensely and wish for death."

"After one pill, they'll likely spill everything."

"And you?"

"You took a whole ten pills! That's an entire unit. In terms of willpower alone, most advanced Origin Warriors wouldn't surpass you." Li Yang marveled.

There was something Li Yang didn't say—even he wouldn't dare claim he could have handled it better.

Li Yuan listened silently, his face devoid of joy.

Instead, he was deep in thought, reflecting on his weakness and the need to train harder, rather than blaming the intensity of the pain.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Li Yang said, observing Li Yuan's expression. "Willpower and psychic energy are complementary. As your psychic energy strengthens further..."

"For example, if you had 29th-rank psychic energy, your willpower should be able to endure such pain."

"If your psychic energy rivals that of a Flying Sky Warrior, suppressing this pain would be effortless."

Li Yuan nodded slightly.

Psychic energy and willpower were akin to physical qualities and martial arts skills.

Strong willpower could maximize the potential of psychic energy.

But if psychic energy was too weak, even the strongest willpower couldn't compensate.

"Secondly, not everyone is born with strong willpower," Li Yang shook his head. "Just like a person's aptitude, there are innate factors, but various experiences and insights gained throughout life can reshape one's aptitude, even leading to transformations, hence the saying 'late bloomers'."

"Willpower is the same."

"Most people's willpower strengthens through continuous challenges, but a small number may experience a weakening of willpower due to significant life changes or traumatic events..." Li Yang looked at Li Yuan, "You're so young, yet your willpower is already so formidable."

"It will undoubtedly grow stronger over time. You must believe in yourself." Li Yang encouraged.

He could tell that Li Yuan had always been confident in his willpower.

He didn't want Li Yuan to doubt himself because of this.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher," Li Yuan said respectfully.

"Do you plan to use the Hundred Marrow Spirit Withering again?" Li Yang asked tentatively, "How about waiting until your psychic energy is stronger?"

"No."

"Teacher," Li Yuan smiled, his eyes gleaming with determination, "I'll get back up where I fell. I want to try again in a month."

Was he afraid?

It would be a lie to say Li Yuan wasn't afraid of enduring that hellish torment again.

But Li Yuan understood that the most crucial aspect of tempering one's will was to confront one's weaknesses, pain, and psychological shadows head-on.

If he gave up trying due to the agony of the Hundred Marrow Spirit Withering, this weakness would grow over time, potentially becoming a mental obstacle, or even a demon within.

He had to overcome it.

"Are you sure?" Li Yang asked again.

"I'm certain," Li Yuan nodded firmly, "Next time, I'll do my best to avoid having suicidal thoughts."

"Good," Li Yang nodded, no longer dissuading him.

He could see that someone like Li Yuan, with such formidable willpower at a young age, often had an unyielding determination.

Once they made up their mind about something, it was difficult to sway them.

"By the way."

"I submitted an application to President Hai, and he has approved it," Li Yang said with a smile. "From now on, your monthly free resource quota will increase from 2 million to 4 million."

"You can decide what specific resources to apply for."

"If it's still not enough, then you'll have to find a way to make up for it," Li Yang added.

"Understood," Li Yuan nodded.

The school, or rather, the national system, had a limit on the 'resource quota' for students of different levels.

For ordinary Kunlun Martial University students, their physical quality improvement primarily relied on advanced cultivation techniques, and their resource quota was mainly used to purchase cultivation resources and a small amount of first-tier Qi-Blood Potions, which were sufficient for their needs.

But what about Li Yuan? If he wanted to maintain his super-fast progress, even 4 million Blue Star Coins worth of resources per month would not be enough.

...

After seeing Li Yang off, Li Yuan retrieved a 'High-Origin Spring' from the resting room.

The crystal bottle, about half a liter, emitted a rich and pure fragrance as soon as the cap was opened.

It was as if a person who had been starving for three days suddenly caught the scent of rice.

Li Yuan's heart was filled with an irresistible urge to swallow it.

"One bottle costs 1 million Blue Star Coins?" Li Yuan muttered to himself.

It was indeed expensive! He quickly swallowed it.

Soon, waves of Essence Energy surged through his limbs, crazily impacting every inch of Li Yuan's muscles and bones.

Li Yuan clenched his teeth and gently closed his eyes.

His entire body was filled with psychic energy.

He felt as if his bones, muscles, and internal organs had been starving for a long time, ravenously devouring the constantly flowing Essence Energy... His physical quality was continuously improving.

"Hundred Marrow Spirit Wither, the effect is indeed remarkable."

"My body feels as pure as ever, and the flow of Essence Energy is unobstructed," Li Yuan marveled in his heart.

Hundred Marrow Spirit Wither was indeed painful.

But its effect was also excellent.

"Huff!"

Li Yuan began to cultivate the 'Boulder Cultivation Technique' to maximize the effects of the High-Origin Spring.

As Li Yuan cultivated, the soreness throughout his body quickly dissipated, gradually returning to normal.

After more than an hour...

"Your Life Rank has increased from 12.8 to 12.9," a subtle prompt flashed across the Divine Palace Panel.

Half an hour later, Li Yuan finally stopped.

"12.9?" Li Yuan glanced at the Divine Palace Panel with a hint of joy in his eyes. "At this cultivation speed, I might be able to reach around 14 within two months."

Without advanced cultivation techniques or refined techniques, Li Yuan's physical quality improvement was already terrifying.

"Let's go!"

Li Yuan made a silent decision, ordered six sets of nutritional meals, and then took a shower.

Tonight, he would have practical combat training with Teacher Jiang Lun.

...

And so it went.

After meeting with President Hai, Li Yuan broadened his horizons and gained the blessing of 'Hundred Marrow Spirit Wither'.

His cultivation state underwent another transformation.

Every day, starting at midnight, he would cultivate the Contemplation Method.

For the past year, Li Yuan had been cultivating the Contemplation Method for about two hours daily, strengthening his psychic energy without deliberately seeking to temper his willpower.

But from August 9th onwards,

he began to pursue another limit of the Contemplation Method.

Even when cultivating the Great Sun Star Scripture, Li Yuan would actively try to approach the scorching sun in the vast starry sky scenario, willingly subjecting his consciousness to more intense burning.

"Before this, my strong willpower was mostly passively tempered." Li Yuan's eyes were filled with determination. "But in my subconscious, my primary goal is to strengthen my psychic energy and reduce the pain."

Previously, strengthening psychic energy was the goal, and tempering willpower was a secondary effect.

After all, who would willingly endure pain if it wasn't necessary?

"But the fact is, my willpower is not strong enough, not strong enough!" Li Yuan's eyes were filled with resolve. "Then, let's actively temper it."

"Just strengthening psychic energy? Not enough! My willpower must improve faster."

This change made Li Yuan's cultivation of the Contemplation Method increasingly painful.

Hundred Marrow Spirit Wither primarily targeted the physical body.

However, the 'scorching sun' in the Contemplation Method targeted the soul's consciousness, and even unconsciousness was impossible; at most, one would experience repeated mental breakdowns.

Tempered through a hundredfold!

Li Yuan was determined to forge his mental will into an unyielding and unshakable state.

...

During the day, for the general education class, Li Yuan insisted on attending.

"Brother Yuan, I feel like there's something different about your eyes," Gu Qianghan noticed Li Yuan's change.

"Really?" Li Yuan smiled.

"Yes."

"Brother Qiang is right, Senior Brother," An Nong agreed. "I feel like your gaze has become sharper... Your aura... Yes, it's like a spear, more piercing."

They all sensed the subtle changes in Li Yuan's demeanor.

"Haha, maybe I didn't get enough rest," Li Yuan made up an excuse and laughed. "Let's focus on the class."

Soon, the general education teacher arrived.

"Today, we'll further explain the physical structure weaknesses of nine flying Star Realm creatures. After the lecture, you can change your combat targets to these Star Realm creatures in the Kunlun Nine Mountains to experience it firsthand."

"The teacher spoke slowly, his words lingering in the air.

...

Aside from general education classes, Li Yuan spent almost all his time practicing with the spear and cultivating his martial arts.

"Teacher Jiang! Faster! Even faster!" Li Yuan shouted as he wielded his long spear, engaging in an intense battle with Teacher Jiang.

As they fought, Li Yuan roared, "Teacher, I don't feel enough pressure. Don't hold back. As long as you don't kill me, push me to my limits!"

The long spear moved like lightning, and its momentum was as heavy as a mountain. Li Yuan unleashed a variety of lethal moves from the Starlight Gun Technique.

Accompanying Li Yuan's roars was an inexplicable aura that left Teacher Jiang in awe.

Having taught for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered such a crazed student.

"Good, after all these years, I've finally met someone crazier than me." Teacher Jiang smiled.

...

During Teacher Li Yang's class, Li Yuan raised a question. "Teacher, minute force, and full-body psychic resonance." He then asked, "So, for the 'Heaven-Human Unity' that marks the transition to the fifth stage."

"The 'Heaven' here, if referring to the external environment, does it mean that from the fourth stage to the fifth stage, the body technique will advance before the spear technique?"

"Body technique is the integration of the mind, body, and the external environment."

"Smart." Teacher Li Yang smiled. "Before the fourth stage, body techniques often lag behind spear techniques, sword techniques, and the like."

"But from the fourth stage to the fifth stage, it's often the body technique that breaks through first."

...

Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by. It was September 1st.

Li Yuan had officially come of age.

Universities of Culture around the world had already started their new academic year.

And Li Yuan, in the true sense, had become a freshman.

The 'Blue Planet Youth Rankings' and 'Blue Planet Youth Prodigy Rankings' had been fully updated.

Li Yuan's rankings for the 2042-2043 session had been finalized, becoming a part of history.

Li Yuan's final ranking on the 'Blue Planet Youth Prodigy Rankings' was 16th globally and 4th in Xia Nation.

This didn't mean that the top 15 were stronger than Li Yuan; it merely indicated that their rank points on the Starfield Combat Network were higher.

The new session of the 'Blue Planet Youth Rankings' belonged to the new batch of high school seniors, and they too had their own brilliance.

...

On September 8th, Teacher Li Yang visited Li Yuan's villa once again, bringing a new batch of 'Hundred Marrow Spirit Drought'.

"Have you thought it through? Are you sure you can't give up?" Teacher Li Yang asked one last time.

"Teacher."

"You've come all this way." Li Yuan grinned, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. "Today, I really want to test if the Hundred Marrow Spirit Drought can defeat me."

"Alright."

Ten minutes later, a scream of agony reverberated through the air. The endless terror of pain engulfed Li Yuan's entire body, pushing him to the brink of insanity once more.

His entire being was wracked with painful wails.

The pain escalated to its peak.

The terrifying effects of the Hundred Marrow Spirit Drought unleashed, its tormenting erosion of the body was, by all accounts, unbearable for an Origin Martial Artist to withstand.

But this time.

Although Li Yuan was howling in agony, his body once again turned crimson, and his teeth clenched so tightly that blood almost seeped out.

Yet his fists remained tightly clenched, his eyes bloodshot as if about to burst, but he maintained a shred of sanity.

Hold on!

Hold on!!

He must hold on! Deep within Li Yuan's heart, this thought erupted repeatedly.

On the path to becoming a strong warrior, one could fail, one could lose.

But one's inner spirit must never bow down! Never cower! Li Yuan's innate talent wasn't particularly exceptional.

But deep within his bones, he possessed the madness and determination to challenge everything.

Half an hour passed.

For Li Yuan, it felt like an eternity, longer than the entire previous year.

Finally.

The effects of the Hundred Marrow Spirit Drought rapidly diminished, and the hellish pain gradually lessened. Though still agonizing... Li Yuan, on the contrary, swiftly felt a sense of relief.

A comfort that emanated from his soul.

It was sheer enjoyment.

"Hahaha! So refreshing!" Li Yuan lay on the ground, his limbs still twitching in pain, but he couldn't help but cough and laugh, "It feels amazing!"

Not far away, Teacher Li Yang was stunned.

He had witnessed the entire ordeal.

He had prepared to stop Li Yuan again, but he never imagined that after just one month, Li Yuan, who had suffered so much that it almost seemed like suicide and eventually passed out, was now enduring it.

This time, though he seemed to be in pain, he had persevered.

Such a transformation of willpower was almost unbelievable.

After a long while, Li Yuan gradually returned to normal, lying on the ground, resting.

"Impressive!" Teacher Li Yang muttered to himself.

Geniuses often inspire envy.

But it is those with great determination and endurance who truly command respect.

"I, Li Yang."

As he thought, a smile crept onto Teacher Li Yang's lips, "In this lifetime, I have the chance to teach such a disciple."

Although Li Yuan was his student, and although Li Yuan's strength was still weak, in this moment, Teacher Li Yang's heart acknowledged that Li Yuan's future achievements would undoubtedly surpass his own.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end