Chapter 19

The brain is the most important part of the human body, and the skull is the last line of defense protecting it. Although the skull is not fragile, the pain brought by the refinement with primordial energy is absolutely the most unbearable!

Gu Xuyao's body twitched as the primordial energy surged into his brain, causing him a dizzying sensation. His vision blurred, and his body collapsed weakly.

Yi Xia frowned slightly at the sight, flashed over to Gu Xuyao's side, gently supported him, and laid him flat on the bed.

For a moment, as the primordial energy rushed into his skull, Gu Xuyao lost consciousness. The sharp screams in his ears and the pain from his limbs and torso temporarily disappeared.

However, this state did not last long. As an extremely unpleasant buzzing sound filled his ears, all the pain surged back like a tidal wave in that instant!

Due to the pain, Gu Xuyao's body convulsed violently. This was beyond his control. His consciousness was like a small boat in a stormy sea, and he instinctively endured the sensations, his expression numb.

Yi Xia watched everything with a hint of pity in her eyes, but even she could do nothing to help.

The convulsions gradually subsided. Many cultivators had lost themselves to the intense pain that had surged in that second, but Gu Xuyao managed to endure.

Since the skull also included some delicate bones in the ears, Gu Xuyao was now hearing all sorts of unbearable sounds—sometimes the sound of nails scratching on glass, and at other times, unknown roars and screams.

However, this was not the worst part. The gradual collision of primordial energy was truly the most critical.

Due to the collision between the primordial energy and impurities, Gu Xuyao's facial features began to distort. It felt as if someone was forcibly twisting his face. However, the pain from the misalignment of bones and muscles was not the most fatal. A twisted nose prevented Gu Xuyao from breathing!

No matter how intense the pain, it could be endured with unparalleled willpower. But without breathing, the body could not hold on, and willpower would be meaningless.

Sure enough, the pain became increasingly vague, and Gu Xuyao gradually lost consciousness. Yi Xia, watching by his side, clenched her fists tightly in anxiety. She knew that if Gu Xuyao fell asleep, he would never wake up. The entry of primordial energy into the skull meant that the cultivator was about to break through the constraints and cleanse all impurities from the bone marrow, but it also meant there was no turning back. If the skull was damaged, even the gods could not save him.

Unfortunately, Yi Xia's concern could not bring back Gu Xuyao's fading consciousness. Scenes from his life flashed by rapidly, familiar and unfamiliar faces breaking apart before his eyes.

"Boom..."

It was that day again, after the heavy rain, a nine-year-old child ran home, tears streaming down his face.

Standing at the door, the child panted heavily, but a smile played on his lips. This was his haven, a place that brought him warmth.

He gently pushed the door open. Inside, his parents were busy preparing dinner. The aroma of the food filled the air, making even the air sweet.

The child smiled, staggering forward, yearning for his father's warm embrace.

"Xuyao, where have you been? Hey, why are you crying? Come, come, tell daddy who bullied you." The man extended his hands and embraced Gu Xuyao.

The child gazed at his kind father, his nose tingling, and the委屈 in his heart threatened to overflow like a breached dam.

"It's okay, it's okay. Come, let me take you to bed for a nap, okay?" The man said, lifting Gu Xuyao and walking towards the inner room.

It was a clean little bed. In his memory, it was not a frequent sight, but it was the warmest.

"Take a nap first. I'll come and wake you when it's time to eat." The man covered the child with a blanket and smiled as he walked out, leaving the child alone on the bed.

"So tired, it's most comfortable at home. Here, no one will bully me, no one will..." Watching the busy figures outside, the child felt a sense of security.

Wrapped in happiness, the wounds in his heart healed quickly. He forgot his sorrows and gradually closed his eyes, about to embrace a beautiful dream.

Suddenly, the child opened his eyes. He seemed to remember something and looked out to the outer room. The busy figures had vanished, and the warm candlelight had gone out.

The child jumped out of bed and lifted the curtain.

The room was empty, not a soul in sight. A cold feeling instantly enveloped him, and the memories flooded back. He remembered that his parents had abandoned him when he was nine. He could not give up; he had to find them and ask why they had abandoned their own child!

The scene shifted, and he was back in the lower chamber of Taiheng Sect. Yi Xia watched as Gu Xuyao lay on the brink of death, about to be consumed by the primordial energy, but she was powerless to help.

"Can't forcibly stop it. If the primordial energy explodes inside him, this room might be destroyed..." Yi Xia thought, gathering primordial energy in her hands, ready to strike Gu Xuyao's head. In her view, since Gu Xuyao was about to die, she might as well end his suffering to prevent the destruction of Taiheng Sect's property.

Just as she was about to strike, Gu Xuyao suddenly let out a roar, and his previously distorted and convulsing body returned to normal. He sat up with a miraculous realignment of his facial bones!

He let out a long, sky-piercing cry, as if expressing his inner emotions or relieving his pain. But that was not important. What mattered was that after this cry, Gu Xuyao collapsed again, and Yi Xia, through her mental perception, discovered that his bone refinement was complete.

She dispersed the primordial energy in her hands and sighed in relief. The primordial energy in Gu Xuyao's bones was no longer chaotic but had fully submitted to him, ready for his use.

Seeing the tension in Gu Xuyao's face ease, Yi Xia smiled slightly, turned, and left the lower chamber of Taiheng Sect.

The door creaked open, and Yi Xia quickly appeared in the upper chamber, in the patriarch's room.

"Grandfather, Gu Xuyao is out of danger, and his bone refinement is complete." Yi Xia entered the room and reported to the old man. "But, Grandfather, I don't understand. Gu Xuyao is not a prodigy. His physique, though strong, is due to his hunting in the mortal world. I don't understand why you made him endure such trials."

The room gradually brightened, and the old man remained seated, eyes closed in meditation.

"Yi Xia, Gu Xuyao, whether in terms of physique or talent, is just average among those I have seen. Even as a physical cultivator, his conditions are barely passable." The old man sighed. "But when I asked him two questions, his answers shocked me, or rather, both shocked and worried me. This person is not a prodigy, but he has something that others lack."

The old man paused and continued. "When I was young, I was also like him. Among my many fellow disciples, I was the most ordinary. Back then, I wasn't even called by this name..." The old man smiled. "He should endure such trials because I believe in him. Perhaps in the future, he will be a pillar of our Taiheng Sect."

Yi Xia looked at the kind old man, seemingly recalling something, and felt a chill. "Grandfather, I understand. You see yourself in him, which is why you pay so much attention to him."

The old man smiled and shook his head, not continuing the topic.

"At first, I just wanted to see how this young man would progress, so I had Yang Xi observe him. I didn't expect him to accidentally enter the extreme state during the full-body absorption of primordial energy. So, I decided to let him continue with the bone refinement, taking a gamble that he could endure it." The old man grew more cheerful, as if recounting his own story. "Ha ha ha, I didn't expect him to really make it through. Yi Xia, you were also an extreme absorption cultivator. What do you think now, seeing this young man complete it?"

Yi Xia remained expressionless.

"The more primordial energy absorbed during full-body absorption, the greater the benefit for future cultivation. Everyone knows this. However, the young man received an incomplete technique, so he was unaware. As for bone refinement, Yi Xia admits that her endurance was not as strong as his. If it weren't for Grandfather's help in extracting some of the primordial energy from my body, I wouldn't have become a cultivator."

Cultivation is like carving. It's not difficult to carve a recognizable piece, but creating a masterpiece that moves heaven and earth is not something everyone can achieve. Similarly, in each stage of cultivation, cultivators can choose whether to break through in an extreme state.

This is not a path everyone can choose. If a breakthrough is attempted in a normal state, even if it fails, it can be salvaged with help or proper preparation. However, if a breakthrough is attempted in an extreme state, failure means certain death.

This is the true reason why Gu Xuyao's bone refinement was so difficult to complete. Of course, the benefits of an extreme breakthrough are different from those of a normal breakthrough. Cultivators who break through in an extreme state often surpass those who break through normally in many aspects. The higher the realm, the greater the gap.

"Ha ha ha, Yi Xia, don't be modest. Although you didn't break through in an extreme state, you were very close. Grandfather is very proud of you." The old man waved his hand. "Alright, alright. Gu Xuyao's body is transforming, and it will take about ten days. Go and cultivate on your own, but keep an eye on him."

Although he said this, Yi Xia knew that even a small difference was a fundamental one.

"Yes." She remained expressionless, responded, and quietly left the room.