The Night of Transformation
It was another stormy night in Wushan. Thunder rumbled faintly, but in the midst of it all, Orion's cultivation quietly advanced. In the distance, the flickering lights inside his tent cast eerie shadows. Ying Mo, standing guard nearby, grew increasingly curious. What was happening inside that tent? What kind of power was Orion unlocking?
Yet, with so many people around, Ying Mo had no choice but to stifle his burning curiosity. He would wait—when the crowd thinned out, he would find out the truth himself.
As dawn broke the next morning, Orion began his daily routine.
"The system will check me in daily!" he muttered, yawning, his voice laced with exhaustion. The night had been intense, and he hadn't fallen asleep until the first light of morning. Fatigue weighed on him heavily.
Ding! The familiar sound of the system echoed in his mind.
[Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, for obtaining the Great Wilderness Holy Body!]
Orion's eyes widened as he read the notification. He'd heard of the ancient holy bodies, but this—this was something new. The system quickly explained:
[The Holy Body of the Great Wilderness: One of the top ten physiques among the Three Thousand Holy Bodies of Ancient Times. It contains the essence and blood of the Great Wilderness, the soul of primordial power. It is indestructible by evil and impervious to all laws.]
[Effects: This body will sanctify its host, greatly enhance their understanding, improve their cultivation potential a hundredfold, and accelerate growth.]
Orion grinned, excitement flickering across his weary features. "This body... it's incredible," he thought. Though not as powerful as some ultimate holy bodies, the Great Wilderness Holy Body was a monstrous advantage on the Dongzhou Continent. It was even stronger than those of the Holy Land Saints!
Ding! The system's voice interrupted his thoughts once more.
[Host, would you like to claim the reward?]
"Of course!" Orion's impatience was palpable. Any new body was bound to be better than his old, useless one.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a wave of mysterious energy descended upon him. The skies above him churned, and the world trembled. Purple light streaked across the heavens, and celestial music filled the air. Spectral emperors looked down from the skies, their majestic gazes fixed upon him. Brilliant clouds shimmered, and mystical beasts roared joyfully. A surge of primordial energy shot down, enveloping Orion entirely.
A great transformation had begun.
Orion's body was surrounded by a radiant, milky-white cocoon as the power of the Great Wilderness penetrated his very being. His muscles reformed, his bones strengthened, and his soul underwent rebirth. Every fiber of his existence was being remade.
He felt an overwhelming warmth coursing through him, a bliss so profound that he couldn't help but release a soft moan. This was a transformation on the deepest level—a leap in the very essence of life itself.
Then, with a thunderous crack, the final surge of power entered his body. Orion's eyes snapped open, and the wild, ancient aura of the Great Wilderness exploded outward, filling the air with a sense of desolation and primal strength.
He exhaled slowly, mist billowing from his breath like steam. Orion had never felt so alive, so powerful. His once meager cultivation had transformed entirely. The spiritual energy within him, once gaseous and weak, had condensed into a thick, viscous liquid, brimming with the power of the ancient wilderness. Though still within the realm of Martial Emperor, his strength now was a hundred times greater than before.
"This Holy Body... it's terrifying," Orion marveled. His body felt like that of an ancient beast, overflowing with raw, untamed power. A single strike from him could tear apart beasts, shatter mountains, or send shockwaves across the land.
At that moment, everyone who had witnessed the celestial phenomenon knelt before him.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" they cried. "Congratulations on receiving the Holy Body!"
Orion acknowledged their praise with a nod, his heart swelling with pride. His new strength would carry him far, and he could sense that destiny had something grand in store for him.
Among the onlookers was Yao Qianming, who had come to deliver an elixir. The shock was still visible on his face. The aura Orion had released during his transformation had shaken Yao Qianming to his core. For the first time, he had witnessed a true holy body awakened before his eyes.
When Orion approached him, Yao Qianming finally snapped out of his stupor.
"Master of Medicine Valley, are the elixirs ready?" Orion asked, his voice casual but with an underlying strength that had not been there before.
Yao Qianming nodded slowly and handed him a small porcelain bottle, still dazed by what he had just seen. There were eight pills inside. Orion smiled, satisfied.
But as he held the elixir in his hands, a sudden thought struck him. A lesson from his childhood echoed in his mind—never take food from strangers.
Without warning, Orion plucked one of the elixirs from the bottle and handed it to Yao Qianming with a smile.
"Master Yao, I trust you. But... just in case this is poisoned, why don't you try it first?"
Yao Qianming stared at him, bewildered. "Poisoned?" His mind raced, confusion plastered across his face.
"I'm not injured, why should I take a healing elixir?" Yao Qianming protested. "If someone uninjured consumes a potent elixir like this, it could harm them!"
Orion nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, that makes sense." Then, without missing a beat, he called, "Xu Chu!"
Xu Chu appeared at once. "Yes, my lord!"
"Make a few... shall we say, 'ventilation holes' in Master Yao's body."
Yao Qianming's face drained of color. "What—what are you doing!?" he shouted, backing away in panic.
Orion looked at him innocently. "Master Yao, you said the elixir is for healing. So if I injure you, you'll be able to use it, right?"
Yao Qianming's jaw dropped. Was this how the new Lord thought?
It was going to be a long day.