Everlasting Pain

Within a large cave in the Valley of the Ten-Thousand Trees, Leng San was trying to do something. Forty-seven species of herbs, with burnt marks from the extraction process, were laid down in front of the boy. Both of his hands were glowing blue from the dragon’s fire qi.

Tree saps, leaves, and roots, manipulated by the boy’s qi, were swirling in the air. As blue flame rose from his palms, the swirling herbs were slowly compressed. Now, the extracts of herbs were fused together into four pills, enveloped in blue flames.

“Do not lose your concentration. Look at the color of the herbs. Don’t burn the extract or else the potency will decrease.”

Freya constantly advised Leng San.

The burning then subsided. The bluish-green pills appeared in front of Leng San. The aromatic smell of herbs filled the air within the cave. Leng San grinned, pleased at the result.

“Freya, how is it?”

“Hmm...very good. These four indigo moon pills have been extracted with the best quality possible. If a divine doctor of humankind was to see these four pills, he would’ve begged you to become his master!!”

“Great!! At least the past six months weren’t a waste. These four pills are enough for me to reach the blue stage. And with the blood pool, I couldn’t predict which level of the blue stage I will reach!!”

“Yes...but don’t forget that you can take only one pill per month or else the change will be too much for your body and meridians to bear.”

Six months have passed. Fifty percent of Freya’s knowledge about medicines had been taught to Leng San. But due to the limited variety of herbs within the Valley of the Ten-Thousand Trees, Freya couldn’t teach Leng San the remaining half.

Leng San was still at the third level of the indigo stage, as he dedicated all of his time learning about medicine and medicine making. For metamorphosis, the boy mastered the technique within the first seven days of training.

“Kid, are you ready to be tormented by the beast blood pool?”

The question took him by surprise. Sweat appeared on the boy’s forehead.

“Nope, not in a million years, but I don’t have a choice!!”

“Hehe… with the herbs in this valley, I don’t have anything left to teach you for now, unless we move to a different place. If you’re ready, let’s start with the cultivation.”

Freya was amused.

Leng San started preparing materials for the beast blood pool at once. The boy could do it on his own without Freya’s help. It took him two days to gather twenty species of herb and two carcasses of magical beasts, one with a middle level, and another with a high-level indigo qi. Right after, the boy dug up the trench. The only thing that he lacked was courage!!

Leng San stared into the blood pool as he laughed pitifully.

“Freya, had someone ever died from being in the indigo beast blood pool?”

“Only one out of ten,” Freya answered with a flat voice.

Leng San let out a sigh.

“So, I have a ninety percent chance of making it.”

“Silly kid, only one out of ten survived.”

“Bullshit!!”

The more he procrastinated, the harder it got to bring out the courage. Leng San ground his teeth and jumped into the blood pool. After ten breaths, the sensation of being eaten alive by millions of insects visited him once again!!

“Argghhhh!!”

Leng San’s face turned blood red. The boy’s veins that swelled up throughout his body proved that the pain was excruciating. The torment was several times worse than last time. Even Leng San, who had become stronger, couldn’t numb down the pain.

“Circulate your Mountain Dragon Qi, you idiot!!” Freya yelled.

But the voice did not reach Leng San. The boy didn’t forget that the Mountain Dragon Qi would cut the pain by half. However, circulating the Mountain Dragon Qi was impossible, as he couldn’t even breathe!!

Ten breaths felt like a year to Leng San, but he didn’t move one bit. The boy ground his teeth even harder and submerged his head into the blood pool to increase the pain to desensitize his body at a faster pace.

Until one incense stick had passed. The boy slowly appeared from the blood pool, trembling. Even so, he didn’t circulate the Mountain Dragon Qi yet.

“Why didn’t you circulate the Mountain Dragon Qi?”

“I...if I couldn’t to...tolerate this level of pain, in...in the future I am certain that I won’t be able to tolerate pain levels of the blue an...and yellow stage, so...so I must not circulate the Mountain Dragon Qi unnecessarily.”

Leng San’s lips quivered. Suddenly, his dimensional ring flashed. The boy took out one indigo moon pill from the storage.

“Don’t do it!!” Petrified, Freya shouted.

Leng San ignored her voice and took the pill. The pill dissolved with the saliva in his mouth and slipped down his throat.

“Arghhhh!!”

The pain increased by several folds. Absorbing power from the pill to increase the level of qi was equally tormenting to the blood pool. Even Freya did not anticipate that the boy would use both of these methods at the same time!!

Not only that... with completely blood-red eyes from the swelling of veins, the boy also flicked his hand to slice off a piece of meat from the magical beast’s carcass and put it in his mouth!!

The scene that Freya witnessed demonstrated Leng San’s sky-high ambition. She couldn’t find the right word to describe what the sixteen-year-old boy had done.

‘Kid, I’ve never seen anyone with your level of determination, in my entire life. You are truly terrifying.’

Seven days passed, Leng San had never taken a step out of the blood pool. He was completely desensitized. In the past, several people survived the blood pool, but no one had ever stayed in it for several days in a row, without stepping out once.

Leng San’s body was calm and completely still while the cultivation continued. The outcome was unpredictable. However, the boy suddenly opened his eyes. The dimensional ring flashed again as he took out another indigo moon pill.

“Do not even think!! Have you forgotten my warning that the indigo moon pill must be taken only once a month!! Or else your meridians will be torn up by the pill’s power.”

“I know my body better than anyone!! My meridians are abnormal, it’s several times denser and more flexible than normal people. I am confident that they will be able to withstand the pill’s power, as long as I can tolerate the pain, there’s nothing that could stop me!!”

Leng San plopped the indigo moon pill into his mouth!! Once the pill dissolved and slipped down his throat, Leng San could feel the vibration of his meridians. The abrupt expansion of meridians meant that the sensation of pain was attacking his internal organs. The level of external pain was only ten percent of this internal pain!!

Leng San writhed in pain in the beast blood pool. But there wasn’t a single sound from him. His tolerance was indescribable!! His meridians expanded by several folds, but there was no sign of them bursting. The pills’ torment continued for days.

Half a month had passed, a spark of blue light steadily radiated from Leng San, until it lit up the entire cave.

‘The first level of the blue stage reached.’

Content, Leng San smiled with the corner of his mouth and dragged his body out of the blood pool before losing his consciousness...