The dark cave trembled, not from cold, but from the tension and suppressed energy that was on the verge of explosion. Wei Shen stood before the "Blood-Devouring Stone," a waterskin containing the mixed blood of the sixth-level "Rock Thunder Beast" and the fifth-level cultivator "Lin Fei" in one hand, and the Rock Thunder Beast's "beast core" in the other. This was the moment he had gambled everything on, the moment that could elevate him to new heights of power, or crush him under the weight of his dark ambition.
"A fifth-level human essence… and a sixth-level spiritual beast," Wei Shen muttered in a low voice, his eyes gleaming with a deep crimson glint that reflected the faint glow beginning to emanate from the stone, as if it sensed the coming feast. "This mixture… must be enough. It must be more than enough."
There was no longer any trace of hesitation or doubt in his heart. He had chosen this path, the path of blood and absolute power, and every step brought him closer to his goal, and further away from any remnants of humanity that might have seeped into this vessel of "Wei Shen."
With a steady hand, he began to pour the viscous, dark, hybrid blood onto the smooth surface of the stone.
The moment the first drops of this hybrid blood touched the stone, a reaction erupted that Wei Shen had never witnessed before, a reaction that made even his cold consciousness, dulled by horrors, brace itself to the utmost.
It wasn't just a crimson glow; it was an explosion of multi-colored light. The deep red of "Blood Qi" was dominant, but it was now mixed with bright threads of electric blue reflecting the nature of the "Rock Thunder Beast," and with flashes of pale, ethereal white light, like an echo of "Lin Fei's" devoured human spirit. These colors danced and intertwined in a violent, dazzling vortex, filling the entire small cave and casting long, terrifying shadows on the rock walls.
The cave shook with unprecedented violence, and large pieces of rock fell from the ceiling, creating a deafening noise. The hum that used to emanate from the stone now transformed into a deep, powerful roar, as if a mythical beast imprisoned for eons was preparing to break free into the world—a roar carrying the power of thunder, the savagery of spiritual beasts, and that faint, unsettling whisper of consumed human consciousness.
A wave of energy, no longer just tainted "Blood Qi," but a complex and dangerous mixture of all these essences, surged from the stone—dense, violent, and carrying a primal power that almost crushed Wei Shen where he stood. He felt the echo of the beast's spirit, the rage of thunder, and that cold void left by Lin Fei's spirit, all merging with the dark energy that had now become part of his being.
"This is the true power that can be extracted from great sacrifices," Wei Shen thought, his eyes gleaming with the reflection of the multi-colored light, as he struggled to maintain his consciousness and stability before this torrent of raw energy. "This is the fuel I need not just to break through one level, but to overwhelm several realms!"
Then, he placed the sixth-level "beast core" onto the surface of the glowing stone. The stone swallowed it instantly, its glow intensifying for moments, as if devouring the core's essence and converting it into more of that hybrid, complex energy.
Wei Shen immediately sat in a meditative posture, ready to absorb this energy feast that would definitively shape his destiny. He knew this session would be the hardest and most dangerous of his life so far, but the potential reward was worth all the risks.
He began to draw that immense energy, that chaotic mixture of "Blood Qi," "Thunder Qi," and the "echo of a human spirit," into his body.
The pain was unbearable, surpassing anything he had ever felt, even surpassing the torment of the venom. It wasn't just physical pain; it was a pain that pierced his soul, tore at his consciousness, threatening to disintegrate his entire being. He felt as if the Qi pathways in his body weren't just tearing, but were being dissolved and recast with a burning, explosive substance, as if being newly sculpted. His "Blood Qi," which had reached the peak of the third level, clashed violently with this new energy, trying to resist it, then being terrifyingly drawn to it, then merging with it in a painful, chaotic process like a cosmic war raging in every cell of his being.
"It must be broken down… Control every thread… Integrate it into my 'Blood Qi'… Or die here and now," his thoughts screamed with resolve.
With an iron will forged in a life of absolute dominance and merciless conflicts, Wei Shen began to wrestle that savage energy. He didn't try to stop it—that was impossible—but rather to guide it, to force it along the pathways his mind was charting at lightning speed, trying to find some kind of balance, some semblance of control, amidst this overwhelming chaos. Every second was a bitter struggle on the edge of consciousness, on the brink of madness, on the precipice of death.
And suddenly, after what seemed like an eternity of indescribable torment and suffering, the first change occurred.
That solid barrier which had separated him from the fourth level of Qi Condensation, and which had seemed impregnable moments before, shattered as if it were a piece of thin glass under the pressure of this colossal energy tide.
The new "Blood Qi," now saturated with the power of thunder and the essence of a human spirit, surged freely, filling his Dantian, which had expanded noticeably, and flowed through his Qi pathways, now wider, stronger, and more flexible, like rivers flowing with cold lava and glowing lightning.
He had broken through. The fourth level of the Qi Condensation stage!
Wei Shen felt a wave of pure power (by the standards of this dark path, of course) sweep through his entire body. It was immeasurably stronger than anything he had felt before. But the flood of energy from the stone didn't stop. It was still flowing, still pressing, still pushing him forward.
"Not enough… This is not enough yet!" Wei Shen screamed in his mind, feeling that insatiable hunger for power surging within him, merging with the hunger of the stone itself.
He continued to absorb the energy, continued to guide it, continued to refine it with his unyielding will. He felt his body being remolded from within, rebuilt on stronger, darker foundations.
And after another struggle, less violent than the first but still arduous, he felt another barrier crack and shatter.
The fifth level of the Qi Condensation stage!
The power that flowed into his body this time was like a raging river, threatening to drown him, but he clung to his consciousness, controlled the current, and directed it to fill every corner of his Dantian, which had now become the size of a small lake.
And the energy from the stone… was still flowing, though it had begun to weaken slightly.
"Can I…?" Wei Shen thought, his eyes tightly shut, his face contorted with concentration, pain, and dark ecstasy. "Can I reach even further than this?"
With a final surge of will, he pulled what remained of that hybrid energy and pushed it towards the last barrier he could sense at this stage.
The resistance of this barrier was much stronger. He felt as if he were hitting a wall of steel. But he didn't give up. He continued to press, to push, to direct every ounce of his "Blood Qi," now imbued with unimaginable power, towards that point.
And suddenly, with a thunderous internal sound like a star exploding, the final barrier collapsed.
Wei Shen slowly opened his eyes. The multi-colored glow of the stone had now dimmed, transforming into a mere dark red ember, pulsing slowly. But the glint in Wei Shen's eyes was brighter and more terrifying than ever before.
He had done it. He had overwhelmed the realms.
The sixth level of the Qi Condensation stage!
From the peak of the third level, straight to the sixth level. Three full leaps in a single cultivation session, thanks to a composite offering of the blood and essence of a sixth-level spiritual beast, and the blood and essence of a fifth-level human cultivator.
Wei Shen stood up, his body trembling not from weakness, but from the excess of power flowing through him. He felt as if he could shatter mountains with his hands, and dry up rivers with a single glance. This was just the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, but the power he felt was immense.
"The sixth level…" he whispered, and a cold, terrifying smile, the smile of an emperor reborn in a world of blood and darkness, stretched across his lips. "From a single composite offering. Undeniable efficiency. 'Blood-Devouring Stone'… you exceed all my expectations."
He looked at his hands, then clenched them powerfully. "The Fallen Leaf Sect… Their leader is at the eighth level. The distance is shrinking rapidly. The reckoning… is very close now."
Then, he turned his gaze towards the cave entrance.
"Now…" he said, his voice carrying the echo of a new, dark power. "The next stage of the 'experiment' begins."