The dark forest pulsed with unnatural stillness.
Deep within a jagged mountain cavern, Li Xuan sat cross-legged. His breath was ragged. His veins flared like molten rivers beneath his skin as he activated the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art. The explosive force of the stars surged through him—unstoppable, but unsustainable.
His enlarged meridians could only hold for so long before threatening collapse.
[ "Still can't handle the power, huh?" ] Long Chen's voice echoed through the system, half amused, half annoyed. [ "You want to walk my path, you need more than grit. You need a foundation that won't crack under pressure. You're still in the molding stage, brat." ]
Li Xuan gritted his teeth. "Then what do I need?"
System Notification:
—New Mission: Anchor the Chaos Pearl to Your Core—
—Status: Chaos Pearl Awakening Required—
—Required Items: Beast Core (Level 5+), Body Tempering Flameroots (x3), Chaos-Sourced Life Energy—
—Reward: Chaos Pearl Integration (Permanent), Nine Star Duration +40%, Chaos Qi Refinement Enabled—
He didn't hesitate.
Four Days Later – The Crimson Wastes
The air here was poisoned. Every breath burned.
Li Xuan dragged himself across the ashen earth, blood dripping from a dozen wounds. The corpse of a massive flaming beast lay behind him—its core clutched in his trembling hand.
System Notification:
—Beast Core Acquired—
—All Requirements Met. Commence Awakening? Y/N—
He sat beneath a crooked tree whose bark gleamed like obsidian, and whose roots were soaked in fire-essence. This was the system's chosen site. The birth chamber of the Chaos Pearl.
He answered, "Yes."
The ingredients vaporized into swirling energy that formed a spinning orb in front of his chest. Crimson and black, swirling with primal madness. Chaos energy.
Then it struck him.
The Chaos Pearl rammed into the center of his chest, boring through flesh and bone, drilling straight into the hollow void where his dantian once existed.
Pain unlike anything before.
He screamed.
Bones shattered. Meridians split open and regrew. His entire cultivation foundation twisted and reshaped—reborn to accept a power that had no equal.
It wasn't the same as rebuilding a dantian. This was deeper. It replaced the core of his being with something infinitely more ancient.
Chaos.
Hours passed.
Silence fell.
Then—
BOOM.
A pulse of pure energy radiated from his body, shattering boulders and flattening the terrain around him. When the dust settled, Li Xuan floated slightly off the ground, eyes closed, body glowing faintly with chaotic light.
And in the center of his being… not a dantian.
But the Chaos Pearl.
Not floating outside. Not hovering beside him.
Rooted deep within his body.
Where his dantian had once been, now swirled a galaxy of chaos.
System Notification:
—Chaos Pearl Successfully Integrated—
—Chaos Core Formed—
—Nine Star Compatibility: 92%—
—Qi Refinement: Chaos-Aligned Conversion Active—
—Meridian Expansion: Complete—
—New Feature: Passive Qi Absorption (x3 Efficiency)—
—Life Energy Regeneration: Enabled (Requires Spiritual Beasts / Herbs / Bloodline Cores)—
[ "Hah… now you're no longer an empty vessel." ] Long Chen's voice was strangely satisfied. [ "This is the true beginning. Your core no longer follows heaven's laws. It follows your will." ]
System Update:
Cultivation Stage: Chaos Foundation Realm (0%)
Nine Star Duration: Extended to 15 minutes
Chaos Pearl Status: Internal Core
Qi Efficiency: +300% (Passive)
LCP: 1520
New Shop Unlocks:
Chaos Meridian Enhancement Pill – 900 LCP
Phantom Blood Armor Technique – 750 LCP
Legion Support Pack (x5) – 1000 LCP
New Feature: Chaos Core Stabilization (Automatically Regenerates Qi with time and life energy)
Li Xuan stood, feeling the change.
No longer did he rely on fragile constructs. His very core was now a realm of chaos, sealed within him.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of raw power within.
This was no borrowed strength. No artificial crutch.
This… was his.