The outer layers of the herbs were burned away, leaving behind only the pure, glowing Fire Essence. Gao Tian flicked away the burnt remains and placed his right palm back on his real body's spine. With a quiet breath, he infused the Fire Essence into the weakened meridians.
A sharp scream broke the silence.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
The real body arched in pain, veins glowing faintly with red-orange light as the scorching essence surged through his inner channels.
But Gao Tian didn't flinch. His eyes remained closed, focused entirely on controlling the flow of energy and balancing the fusion of spiritual essence with damaged meridians.
Suddenly—
Tuk. Tuk. Tuk.
A knock at the door.
"Gao Tian, open the door. I brought food for you."
The familiar voice of his mother, Gao Chi.
Gao Tian's eyes snapped open, panic flashing briefly in them.
"Damn—" he muttered, then quickly sent a spiritual transmission to the girl.
"I can't stop now. Do something. Stall her."
The girl stood up immediately and walked over to the door with the same calm expression she always wore.
She stood before it and answered with a composed voice,
"Ah, Miss Gao Tian is sleeping right now. He told me not to disturb him. I'm a friend."
There was a pause. Then the voice on the other side softened.
"Oh… alright. I'll come back later then."
Footsteps receded.
But Gao Chi had forgotten that Gao Tian was supposed to be dead for the others. Gao Chi and her husband has to know that Gao Tian is alive…
Inside the room, Gao Tian returned to full concentration. The Fire Essence was nearly completely absorbed, and the spiritual energy was stabilizing within the meridians.
Minute by minute, the veins stopped twitching. The burned and broken meridians began to pulse with life again—soft, glowing lines running through the real body's back, like veins of lava beneath the skin.
After seven long minutes, Gao Tian finally released a deep breath.
He pulled back both hands and staggered slightly, catching himself on the edge of the bed.
The real body had stopped trembling.
Meridians were completely repaired.
Gao Tian slowly stepped down from the bed, stretching his arms as he felt the energy coursing through his newly repaired meridians.
"Hey, real body—I'm taking back control now."
The second body nodded silently.
Gao Tian closed his eyes and focused. His consciousness gently slipped from the second body and fused into the real one. Moments later, his eyes opened—brighter, sharper, alive.
"Oh wow…" he muttered, flexing his fingers. "I feel amazing now."
The girl walked up to him, her usual calm expression unchanging.
"So you're in this body now?"
"Yeah," Gao Tian nodded with a grin.
He glanced back at the second body resting by the side of the room.
"Alright, second body—go to the location in my memory and cultivate until I summon you again."
The second body received the command, bowed lightly, and disappeared in a blink.
The girl blinked once.
"Where did you send him?"
"Somewhere deep and safe to cultivate."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"And how exactly do you plan to protect me now? You don't even have any cultivation yet."
Gao Tian smirked confidently.
"Now that my meridians are repaired, I'll surpass my second body in no time. Just watch."
Boom!
Suddenly, the room's door burst open.
"Son! We're here, don't worry—we'll protect you!" Gao Chi, his mother, ran in, flustered but fierce.
Gao Hai stormed in behind her, holding a sword.
"Gao Tian! Who's trying to kill you?! Just tell me—I'll cut them down!"
Gao Tian and the girl stared, stunned.
His parents stopped when they noticed the girl, sitting peacefully by the table.
Gao Chi's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Gao Tian... is she not here to kidnap you or something?"
"No, no," Gao Tian waved quickly. "She's my friend. I told her to say I was sleeping in case anyone knocked."
Gao Hai slowly sheathed his sword.
"Oh… we misunderstood then."
Gao Chi still eyed the girl.
"Well… who is she, and why is she here?"
Gao Tian turned to the girl, a bit awkwardly.
He realized… he still didn't know her full name.
The girl stood up and bowed slightly.
"I'm Shu Yu."
I can't tell them my real name. They'll only get dragged into unnecessary trouble.
Gao Tian jumped in.
"Yeah, she helped me. She's the reason my meridians are healed."
Better to give her the credit. She deserves it.
Gao Chi and Gao Hai froze in shock.
They rushed forward—Gao Hai placing his palm against Gao Tian's chest to sense.
"This… this is real. Your meridians—they're whole again!"
Gao Chi turned to Shu Yu with heartfelt gratitude.
"I'm so grateful. It's a blessing he has a friend like you."
Shu Yu didn't respond, her face still expressionless, but she slightly lowered her head in acknowledgment. She wasn't used to praise.
Why did he give me credit? she wondered silently. I just led him there… he did everything.
Gao Tian cleared his throat.
"Mother, father… I need to speak with Shu Yu about something important."
The couple exchanged a glance, then nodded with understanding.
"Of course."
As they stepped out, Gao Chi gave a mischievous smile and whispered at the door:
"Gao Tian, take your time. I'll be waiting to welcome her into our family."
Shu Yu blinked.
"What does that mean?" she asked plainly.
Gao Tian, meanwhile, turned red like a tomato.
"What the fuck, mother?! You're insane!"
He shouted internally, forcing a smile on the outside.
"Haha, don't mind her, she just… talks too much sometimes."
Shu Yu didn't press further. She just stared at him.
Silently.
Expressionlessly.
Which somehow only made Gao Tian sweat more.
Gao Tian, flustered by his mother's comment, quickly changed the topic.
"Forget it... I'm going to cultivate for a while, alright? You can rest here. I'll show you a room later."
Shu Yu nodded slightly and sat back down in the chair, her usual expressionless face unmoved.
She didn't fully understand what Gao Chi had meant earlier, but she dismissed the thought. There were more important things to focus on.
Gao Tian sat cross-legged on the bed and took a deep breath.
Now that my meridians are fully restored… it's time.
This body will cultivate the technique I created—the one that ranked first in the Heavenly Creator Ceremony…
The Eternity Dao Mantra.
While my second body cultivates the Demons and Gods Scripture, this real body will walk the path of eternity. Heh… this is going to be fun.
He closed his eyes and began to circulate the Eternity Dao Mantra.
Suddenly—ten red orbs materialized behind his back, forming a circle like a halo. Each orb pulsed gently with raw potential.
As Gao Tian continued his cultivation, the first orb began to glow golden. The golden light slowly spread, covering 2% of its surface.
Then—
BOOM!
A shockwave burst from his body.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The spiritual pressure surged. The entire room vibrated as Gao Tian's cultivation broke through multiple layers in rapid succession.
Shu Yu looked on, still calm—but this time, a faint flicker of surprise reached her eyes.
He broke through five layers in one sitting? What kind of cultivation technique is he using? Both his bodies are complete monsters…
Moments later, Gao Tian opened his eyes.
They were glowing with inky black light, and dark, mysterious aura leaked from them. His breathing was steady, controlled—but his presence had changed completely.
He was now at Qi Refining – Fifth Layer.
Shu Yu leaned slightly forward.
"You really are talented," she said flatly—but even that small comment from her meant something.
Gao Tian smiled and let the energy settle.
"Yeah," he said confidently. "But I still have a long way to go. I've got to get much stronger."
He clenched his fist, feeling the newfound power surge through him.
After stabilizing his cultivation, Gao Tian stretched his body slightly and looked toward Shu Yu, who was still seated calmly in the chair.
"Alright, I'm done for now. Let me show you the guest room so you can rest."
Shu Yu stood up without a word and followed him.
They stepped out of the room quietly. The corridor was dimly lit by the warm glow of spirit lanterns along the walls. Gao Tian glanced around to make sure no servants were nearby—he still didn't want too many people knowing he was alive.
He led Shu Yu down the hall, past a small courtyard where moonlight shone through the leaves of an old spirit tree. The wind was cool and carried the faint scent of blooming spirit herbs from the nearby garden.
Finally, they stopped in front of a quiet guest room.
Gao Tian pushed the door open.
"Here. This was usually reserved for traveling elders, so it's clean and has a basic barrier formation for safety."
Shu Yu stepped inside and looked around. The room was simple but elegant: a neat bed, a small table, a tea set, and a cultivation mat in the corner. The air inside smelled faintly of sandalwood.
She turned back to him, still unreadable.
"It's good enough."
Gao Tian scratched the back of his neck and chuckled awkwardly.
"Well, I'll let you rest. If you need anything, just knock—or send a spiritual message."
She gave a light nod.
As he turned to leave, Shu Yu's voice stopped him.
"Gao Tian."
He paused and looked back.
"Thanks."
It was a simple word, delivered with no emotion—but from her, it carried unexpected weight.
Gao Tian blinked, a little surprised, but smiled warmly.
"You're welcome."