The Moon Seal and Star Seal shattered beneath Darian's hands, revealing two objects of entirely different shapes. His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
He already had a faint idea about the fiery-red, fragrance-emitting sphere, so he first approached the jet-black rectangular box. This mysterious item stirred his curiosity.
It felt cool to the touch.
Darian placed his right hand lightly on the box's surface. The initial sensation was its cool temperature. As his fingers traced its form, he sensed an odd texture.
"Cool and smooth, yet somehow rough with grainy lines… What material could this box be made from to feel so contradictory?" he wondered.
His gaze sharpened. He extended his other hand, applied a little pressure with both, and easily lifted the quietly floating box.
"About four pace long, one paces wide, pitch black and rectangular... almost weightless. What could this be?"
Studying it closely, he couldn't discern anything obvious, yet the box gave off an unusual feeling—as if it should weigh a thousand catties.
"Huh? There are some faint patterns on the back?"
Flipping the box over, Darian noticed delicate engravings on its reverse side.
"Riven, don't these look like stars? Almost as if they're connected."
His voice tinged with curiosity. The seven faint designs, viewed top to bottom, resembled a ladle.
"That's… the Big Dipper."
After a long silence, Riven finally spoke slowly.
Darian's eyes widened as he studied the carvings. "No wonder it seemed familiar—the craftsman etched the Big Dipper onto the box. Though so faint, it's probably decorative."
Unconsciously, Darian reached out to touch the first star's position—Dubhe.
The moment his finger pressed down, his vision exploded with light. Suddenly, he found himself standing beneath a dazzling starry sky.
Radiant starlight swirled all around, countless stars rising and falling. An ancient aura, condensed from the depths of time itself, filled the vast expanse.
Among them, seven stars shone brighter than the rest, linked in the unmistakable pattern of the Big Dipper, their light piercing straight into Darian's eyes.
"Big Dipper… Seal of the Gods! Seven-Star Refining!"
At once, a deep, ancient voice echoed, growing louder until it seemed to engulf the entire starry firmament.
Buzz!
Darkness returned.
Darian blinked, startled, and found himself back in the cavern.
Exhaling deeply, his face was filled with awe. The vision had felt completely real.
He glanced down at the black box in his hands, a gleam of wonder in his eyes.
"A Seven-Star Refining Box… what a precious artifact."
"Just now, your soul space trembled violently and slipped into a strange illusionary state. That box isn't ordinary," Riven said, his voice tinged with fascination. Remaining within Darian's soul space, he could not miss the tremor in his companion's spirit.
Darian recounted everything he had seen.
"Big Dipper Seal of the Gods, Seven-Star Refining, the constellation itself, and that aged voice… it's like a puzzle from the stars. The Seven-Star Refining Box was sealed with me in the Sun Moon Star Seal. Could my past self have been connected to its owner? Or did I once own it? Then… who am I really?"
Riven's speculation echoed Darian's own thoughts, though it was far too mysterious to unravel now.
For the moment, the Seven-Star Refining Box was a symbol of enigma in Darian's heart.
Seamless, with no visible openings except two small round clasps on either side, it looked as if it were crafted by nature itself.
"There must be secrets hidden inside. I just can't unlock them yet. But when my cultivation deepens, perhaps I will," Darian murmured.
Riven gave a low grunt of agreement. Clearly, now was not the time to dwell.
"The Moon Seal contained the Seven-Star Refining Box… let's see what the Star Seal hides. I hope it lives up to my expectations."
Setting the box upright on the ground, Darian's eyes fixed on the fiery-red sphere.
The fragrance wafting from it made his entire body tremble. It was as though every fiber of his being was drawn to it. Even his Holy Dao Battle Qi quickened, filling him with soothing warmth.
He reached out with his right hand and touched something smooth, round, and warm.
Grasping it carefully, he withdrew his hand and opened his palm.
A smile of delight crept across his face.
"As expected… a medicinal pill."
Resting in his palm was a pill about the size of a longan, glowing a deep red with faint flickers of light swirling inside.
"Tsk, tsk… Pills come in ranks, each divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. In the entire Valeblue family, cultivators are given only First-Rank Lower-Tier Spirit-Fusion Pills and Blood-Qi Pills—the former refines origin force, the latter harmonizes blood and qi. Just supplying these consumes massive clan resources each month."
"A First-Rank Middle-Tier pill, however, must be earned by the disciples themselves—that's the purpose of the clan's grand monthly competition: to test combat strength and win better rewards. Talented disciples vie fiercely for these."
"But those born with exceptional talent don't need to compete; they receive the best pills and techniques directly. Their only task is to keep advancing. Lucian is such a disciple."
Without a steady supply of high-grade pills and techniques, how could Lucian, only eighteen, have far surpassed everyone—condensing the Spirit Core and entering the Valor Soul Stage of the Mortal Purification Stage? His talent alone was not enough.
Holding the warm red pill, Darian's thoughts drifted. Ten years ago, he had enjoyed even better care than Lucian —but after choosing seclusion, it all vanished. Without Theron's support, he hadn't received a single Spirit-Fusion or Blood-Qi pill in a decade.
No one cared for the useless.
"This pill is at least Second-Rank Upper-Tier, maybe even Third-Rank Lower-Tier," Darian estimated, though he was not an alchemist.
If it was truly a Third-Rank pill that boosted origin force—that would be his greatest gain from this trip.
Even Lucian's finest pills never exceeded First-Rank Upper-Tier or Second-Rank Lower-Tier.
"That is a Third-Rank Lower-Tier—Human-Grade Spirit-Bursting Pill," Riven stated confidently.
"Oh? You know pills too, Riven?" Darian asked, surprised.
"Yes. My remaining memories include fragments about pills. I've forgotten the recipes, but I can still identify them."
This pleased Darian greatly. If he ever needed to learn more, Riven was his best guide.
That only deepened his curiosity about Riven's past.
"What exactly does a Human-Grade Spirit-Bursting Pill do? Will it increase the origin force in my body?"
Darian asked the crucial question.
After a pause, Riven replied, "A Third-Rank Lower-Tier Human-Grade Spirit-Bursting Pill has one effect: it raises the user's origin force by three levels. Only usable by cultivators in the Ironbody Tier."
Darian's heart skipped a beat.
"So if I take it, my Holy Dao Battle Qi will jump three levels instantly?"
"In theory, yes."
"What do you mean?"
Riven's answer was cautious.
"No power comes from nowhere—just as you paid ten years of silence to condense the Holy Law origin. This pill can boost origin force, but there's a catch."
"What catch?"
"To break into the Mortal Purification Stage, Ironbody Tier cultivators must refine their skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and marrow to perfection. Origin force and qi-blood unite only at Great Perfection of Ironbody Tier, qualifying them for that breakthrough."
"Cultivation is a gradual process; shortcuts come with great risks. The Spirit-Bursting Pill is such a shortcut—it skips three levels without properly tempering the body. If it were easy, there'd be no saying 'Heaven rewards diligence.'"
"These five Ironbody Tier stages are gates every cultivator must pass. Each breakthrough brings tremendous pain—survive it, and you advance; fail, and at best your meridians are damaged, at worst you become crippled. Normal cultivation is step-by-step, but this pill leaps from Tendon Refinement Great Completion to Marrow Refinement Minor Completion in one shot. The danger and pain are unimaginable."
Darian's face grew serious, yet Riven sensed no fear within him.
"With this pill, you have a 50% chance to succeed—and a 50% chance your body will explode. It's a gamble with your life."
Riven fell silent, leaving the choice entirely to Darian.
Pa.
Darian sat cross-legged, holding the pill between his fingers. His expression was calm—no trace of fear, only a quiet smile.
"Riven, in these ten silent years, besides perseverance and faith, I've learned one truth: once you choose a path, you walk it to the end. Even if it's a dead end, I'll carve out a thread of life."
His handsome face lit with fierce determination. To the world, his words might sound naïve—but no one knew how unbreakable his spirit had become in those ten years.
Not even Riven.
"Ten years ago, when I chose silence, I knew to find Uncle Faelan and uncover my origins, I would need great strength. Any price is worth paying. Lucian wants the Blood Dragon Jade? I won't let him! I'll gamble with my life if I must. I won't die—I will succeed."
His slightly fanatical voice echoed through the cavern. Riven watched silently as Darian Kaelthorn swallowed the pill holding both death and hope.
Deep within Darian's soul space, a golden bolt of lightning flashed—inside it, a young man with blurred features sighed softly:
"Darian… you must live…"