Due to the possibility that the skyship may be disturbed during his refining process, Yan Zaizen had decided to take a break from his travels to the capital. Finding a quiet mountain and carving out a cave for himself, he sat in there with excitement. Tao decided to use this time to not only further stabilize his foundation but practice his arts. Bai Lufeng, however, decided to stand guard while refining an Origin Consolidation Pill.
Taking a deep breath, Yan Zaizen readjusted his mental state. Pinaka was now hibernating within his soul form, absorbing his soul energy with little restraint. As previously agreed upon, Yan Zaizen would focus on body and qi cultivation to further his progression to excavate his origin source and bloodline. If he could do so, it seems when he reaches the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, a miraculous change may occur giving him untold benefits. He wasn't sure what, but he trusted Pinaka's advice.
She was beyond him in age, which indicated that she had boundless experience. Not to mention, they were connected via his dao. With this intimate connection, he could feel her intentions.
"Refine the Regalia with your heart…" He softly whispered. The description wasn't overly specific in intricacies, but at least it had a method to do so.
His breathing slowly entered a strange rhythm. As his breathing did so, so did his heartbeat. This rhythm seemed to call upon a miraculous power hidden deep within his cells and called upon some unknown force from within.
THUMP!
THUMP!!
THUMP!!!
The surface of his body started to glow with a faint golden light that seemed to wish to break free from the heavenly restraints. It gave the surrounding area a suppressive feel that left one breathless and trembling in fear. Despite being several li away from Yan Zaizen, Tao was instantly disturbed. He felt an inherent but deep penetrating fear that seemed to burrow deep into his soul.
The profound feeling was like staring at the world rushing towards you with malicious intent. Before long, his body was filled with sweat and he could barely move.
Bai Lufeng was even worse. Not only was he kneeling, but clutching at his heart, feeling overwhelmed with a terrifyingly profound sensation of inferiority and insignificance. It was as if the sound was informing him that his existence was less than dust itself. Even tears started dripping from his eyes instinctively.
"I'm…crying…?" He couldn't help but touch his eyes to feel its moistness. It's been thousands of years since he last cried, but now he couldn't stop himself. Biting his lips in defiance, he roared outwards, but the thumping only increased which turned that defiant roar into a tiny whimper of submission.
Tao had already folded into a fetal position, his body trembling incessantly with each thumping sound. The other existences within tens of li range were similar. This experience was as if the heavens were informing them of their insignificance and pointless existence.
They wanted to defy its words but simply couldn't.
Yan Zaizen's reaction was completely different. His amber eyes glowed with traces of golden light that seemed to penetrate all existence and his body thumped so loudly that the world trembled around him, but where he sat, it was as still as it could be. It was as if the planet itself couldn't stop trembling but afraid of disturbing Yan Zaizen's cultivation.
"AHHHHHH!!!" Thundering out a roar that caused the skies to roil and the 3,000-meter mountain to develop an infinite amount of cracks as if it would shatter with the slightest touch.
The inky black wood seemed to be drawn by some unknown power as it floated beside Yan Zaizen, specifically where his powerful heart was releasing that imperious sound. It released strings of black and white, entering his heart slowly. As the strings were drawn into him, the inky black wood shrunk little by little.
After several minutes, the inky black wood and white flame no longer existed outside, but its conceptual law and power laid within Yan Zaizen's heart. If one could rip open his heart, they would see white and black strings circling around as if in a beautiful dance.
Slowly, that originally red heart started to change, its color becoming golden with traces of black and white. As it did, his bones became whiter than snow, his lungs became as black as the darkest night, and his blood had a mixture of the three colors.
An unprecedented evolution was being undergone that has never been done before! There have been other cultivators of the Grand Herculean Physique, but never have they merged two conceptual laws into one heart! There have been many that have tried during the eras, but all failed. However, due to the synchronized existence between the two, it was possible!
His heart grew twice its size, and his bones were harder than ever before and muscles had became strengthened yet remained supple and flexible. His skin was now flawless without a single natural blemish, and his physical features were dashing to the limit! Unlike beautiful men with feminine features, Yan Zaizen could be classified as an exceptionally handsome man with astonishing male features!
Vibrant amber-gold eyes, powerfully sculptured muscles, tall stature, chiseled cheekbones, and perfect facial features! The pinnacle of a man!
A long while flew by in an instant.
Slowly, Yan Zaizen opened his eyes to reveal bright amber-gold eyes that shined with siphoning magnetism and unlimited lifeforce. A smirk tugged at his lips as he revealed his set of pearly white teeth. A breath of air was released, but it wasn't turbid by any means, but filled with an alluring flavor! A clench of his fist caused the surrounding air to yield to his motion.
"Grand Herculean Physique." He silently muttered to himself, standing upright inside the cave and discovering he was now two inches taller, standing at six feet and two inches. His muscles weren't bulky, but they possessed an explosive feeling with traces of profound suppleness and flexibility. He felt that he could shatter a mountain with a single blow.
He could shatter the sky with a single blow!
"Your...progression…" Pinaka's soft voice resounded within his soul, it was filled with shock and awe. If anyone was familiar with Yan Zaizen's physical condition, it would be the one who was connected to his soul. She could feel his extraordinary vital energy that was exceptionally potent to the point where she quivered slightly.
Of course, this was only because she was weakened. If she was at her full, this aura could barely make her twitch.
"This is only the initial-stage of the Grand Herculean Physique. I wonder...how strong am I now?" After refining the Regalia, he could feel his connection to the laws of life and death had become exceptionally profound and clear. With a motion of his qi, he revealed a brilliant white flame in his right palm and an inky black orb in his left. His eyes shined with dazzling light of excitement.
"Perfect Force Level, of both." He remarked, noticing that the amount of law they both possessed was full and they were completely saturated. Perhaps in the near future, he'll be able to reach the Manifestation-level.
Pinaka wasn't surprised, however. Having refined a Regalia of the Heavens, this advancement was expected. If anything, she expected it to be far higher. This was literally an object carved naturally by the heavens or created by someone who reached the peak of both conceptual laws! Refining it into one's body would bring extraordinary effects!
"Your strength...hard to estimate due to body cultivation physique strength being hard to gauge outside of actual battle, but your vital energies...it should rival those at the True Essence Realm in intensity." She softly calculated Yan Zaizen's latest vital energies, but obviously, she couldn't be sure. Unless he revealed his vital energies to its maximum with a proper martial art, determining his strength would be nearly impossible.
"Hahahaha!!!" Yan Zaizen couldn't help but laugh. Not to mention, he felt like his blood contained traces of lifeforce so powerful that it scared him, while also having death aura mixed within that seemed to have originated from his lungs.
With every breath, his quad-lungs would absorb the essence from the air, convert this essence into death-attributed essence, and this essence would flow into his blood and to his heart. When it did, the heart would absorb the death-attributed essence and convert it to even stronger lifeforce that would flow throughout the body to strengthen every aspect of his physique.
He was truly getting stronger with every breath!
It followed the same concept as the inky black wood!!
"AHHHHH!!" He roared towards the sky with a voice filled with exhilaration and power.
However…
The mountain he resided in that was nearing collapse…
Collapsed...