Sweat already permeated through Tian Mo entire body as every spot of his skin and flesh trembled in pain. Yet between his clenched teeth, the fact that no sound had escaped, was extremely shocking. In his distorted face, there actually hid a little..... excitement!
The Soul Emperor's was a bit suprised, obviously there ought to be in enough pain to wish for death as an escape.... How could this reaction be possible!
'How can he, a normal mortal, have such daunting willpower?!' the Soul Emperor thought.
Was this really the willpower a human could possess?! That kind of pain, even if it were my yourself, would not even be able to bear it as leisurely as he is! Even with his race helping.
This ordinary, mortal man.... a person using the Poison Pearl.... What exactly is he....
During Tian Mo refining, he had thought he would have giving up halfway through, now he really wanted to know where's he from and what inside of him…how could he possess such a horrifying willpower? Had he actually experienced the pain before?
At this time, the crimson colored demonic marking stopped shimmering, and instantaneously vanished altogether. Along with it, Tian Mo eyes snapped open.
At that same moment, the inch qi sphere inside of him, was filled that it's now huge, it began cracking like glass, every crack realsed a wave of qi blasting out his body, even pushing the air and tree around him.
"How do you feel?"
Tian Mo glanced up, his eyes meeting the Soul Emperor's gaze as he sat high upon his throne, looking down on him. "I feel… reborn," he said. "The refining speed... it was unbelievably fast ten times faster than anything I've ever heard of. And the emptiness I carried before, it's gone. I feel whole!"
"Indeed. You've achieved something no other cultivator dares to attempt without succumbing to greed or despair. Eternal Dominion Scripture is a path that consumes most… yet you not only survived but gained."
The Soul Emperor leant forward slightly, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his throne. "You accomplished this without your your meridians open. That alone is a testament to your potential. When the time comes to form them, it will be child's play for you."
Tian's Mo eye glinted of joy then, he gazed down at himself. "My lord… this scripture, it felt as though it was tearing me apart… yet, at the same time, I felt something building within me. How is that possible?"
"The Ethereal Dominion Scripture was not created to accommodate mediocrity. It refines the soul as fire tempers steel, forging it into a weapon capable of commanding the very essence of existence. The pain you felt was the impurity within your mortal body being purged, and the scripture trying to refine your soul to…my scripture can do all"
His piercing gaze locked onto Tian Mo. "Most who attempt it are consumed, their minds shattered, their bodies reduced to ash. But you… Do you understand what that means?"
Tian Mo's brows furrowed, his head shaking slowly as he spoke with uncertainty. "No, my lord. I only know that I feel… whole. As though a void I never realized existed has been filled."
"That void is your potential. The scripture allowed you to tap into the essence of your soul, aligning it with the dominion of the heavens and earth. It is a method that accelerates cultivation at a speed others can only dream of, is that your soul will be shatter ever time its strenghten."
"I understand." Tian Mo said, Then his thought raced.'This technique is so dangerous if my soul is tp shattered to get stronger then what if isn't ready to shatter and fail.'
Tian Mo shiver from that thought. I'm sure he won't let that happen to me.
Is the pain really making me stronger, or is it just breaking me down piece by piece?
His heart raced as he remembered the countless cultivators who had attempted the same path. The Soul Emperor had told him how most failed, how their minds were shattered beyond recognition, their bodies reduced to ashes. He wasn't so naive to think he was immune to the dangers. I'm no different from them. Just a mortal man. No, not even that. A broken man who dared to seek greatness beyond his reach.
Yet, something inside him rebelled against that thought. No. I can't back down now. If I fall here, I fall forever.
Tian Mo then remembered something so he asked. "My lord, how long… how long have I been cultivating?"
"…Three Years."
Tian Mo eye widen in shock. "Three years?! I had no idea cultivation could take so long! I'll be punished for vanishing for so long!" He stumbles to his feet.
"Calm yourself. Time flows differently here. In the world beyond, only one year has passed."
"I see… Thank you, my lord. If not for you, I would have…" Toan Mo kowtowed.
"Gratitude can wait. Reflect on what you have achieved today, Tian Mo." The Soul Emperor said.
Tian Mo stood still, bowing deeply. "I understand, my lord. I will take your words to heart."
The Soul Emperor looked intently at Tian Mo.'This is both a gift and a curse. It will draw both allies and enemies. I hope you can be prepared.'
Tian Mo's eyes snapped open, the sharp clarity of the moment pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the empty courtyard. The stillness was unsettling, almost too quiet. His senses tingled, but the only sound was the faint rustle of the wind through the trees.
Gradually, he spent time in the blood pool he had to leave because, he noticed that the blood was getting extremely low. Because of that it will bring attention to him.
Still he wonderd. Why did no one wake him up?
Because had classes to or he didn't he didn't know, in the sect you spend time cultivating for a while without needing the classes.
"Grr"
Touching his stomach of hunger, he heard the sound of grumbling. He heard a old rasp voice at his side.
"Discple Xun Min, your cultivation came to and end."
Tian Mo glanced to the voice source he saw Elder Fei Ling he instanly started patting his gut covering the scripture.
Did he come for the scripture? Does he know about it already?
He noticed that Elder Fei Ling eyes scanning him, his heart skipped a beat. "Congratulations, on your breakthrough." He said.
Tian Mo quikcly stood up cupping his fist. "Thank you…But does Elder Fei Ling need something of me."
Elder Fei Ling pushed foward put a box of something, he got a whiff immediately he knew it was food. At that moment Tian Mo grabbed then food sat back down he instanly started eating.
Tian Mo's stomach growled fiercely as the first bite of food hit his lips, the warmth and richness of it almost overwhelming after the long stretch of intense cultivation. His hand shook slightly as he tore into the food, each bite bringing a rush of relief to his starved body. His body, once depleted, felt the energy flooding back, revitalizing him in ways he couldn't have imagined.
After a full year of cultivating he had used up all his energy, starving, as couple second passed steam realsed from his body. It started growing back to it's normal size.
However now, it more sculptured looking you can see his muscles were more defined.
"Before your cultivation I felt like rewarding you with these pills for defeating, Zhao Kang."
Tian Mo stood up. "…Thank you Elder but I don't deserve this I just gotten lucky there nothing I did to earn it." It true he really felt so, because it wasn't something that only him will exploit in that fight.
"Just take it, you did something that most discples here can't do."
"I'm sure there is…still even though I don't want it…I will take it because respect to you." Tian Mo said.
Tian Mo opened the satchel, to see mutiple glowing pills that released the best aroma that he ever smelt, it almost made it became obsessed with it.
"As a warning don't ever cultivate in the open again" Elder Fei Ling said.
Tian Mo's eyebrow rose in confusion. "Why? I thought no one else from this courtyard was allowed to enter."
Elder Fei Ling turned, looking at the hidden tree. His eyes twitched with a hint of mischief, a tiny grin tugging at his lips as he spoke with an unusual smirk. "They can't…still that doesn't mean other won't attack without care or in secret, there are some on the souls list that don't care about the punishment."
Soul List?
The Soul List was a discples ranking system; it was a testament to the strongest and most influential outer disciples within the sect.
'Is that some can of reward or cultivation list' Tian Mo thought, then he saw Elder Fei Ling walking away. "Elder wait!"
Elder Fei Ling looked over his shoulder. "What's the problem?"
"Is there any way to get more pillsbor thing that cab help me speed up my cultivation."
Elder Fei Ling looked thoughtful for a second. "Hmm…you can do some missions at the mission pavilion for each mission you can get reward in the hall or outside it just depending on the degree of the mission and your luck."
'Mission Pavilion…so that mean they finally a way I can go outside the sect.' He thought before bowing. "Thank you Elder Fei Ling."
Elder Fei Ling chuckled softly, eyes narrowing with amusement as he turned to walk away. "Good luck, disciple. Don't get yourself killed."
Tian Mo qucikyl walked to the food distribution area he needed more thing to eat., where still the dicples were fighting over there food, however this time he was prepared that he was easily able to slip throught all the discples, still it brought attention to him.
Tian Mo then headed straight for the mission pavilion.