A piercing pain once again shot through Hua Tianxiong’s brain. Amidst the splitting headache, he felt as if he were truly dying this time; a flood of information surged directly into his Niwan Palace, and he lost consciousness again. It is unclear how much time passed before Hua Tianxiong gradually stirred from his coma.
"My soul energy is essentially depleted; I am now on the verge of fading away completely. Do not disturb me—practice on your own. Also, a reminder: the time ratio between inside and outside the Star Domain Cauldron is 1:12. Make good use of it, and you will reap unexpected rewards, allowing you to restart your martial path. You may leave whenever you wish." After saying this, the phantom retreated to a distant corner within the Star Domain Cauldron to cultivate.
After bowing three times to the phantom, Hua Tianxiong carefully circled the edge of the space, gaining a deeper understanding of the Star Domain Cauldron. It felt inconceivable, but he firmly believed that as his cultivation realm improved, the cauldron would surely undergo new changes. There was only a sparse amount of spiritual energy inside, barely enough to maintain the cauldron's existence, roughly equivalent to the concentration of the outside world. He stopped overthinking it, sat cross-legged in the center of the space, and focused all his attention on reviewing the information he had received.
According to the information that flooded his brain, his master was one of the successors of the "Star Domain Formula" and a famous Martial God of the Profound Martial Arts among the Three Thousand Great Worlds. He had been one of the top-tier Martial Practitioners in the universe, but due to his solitary and eccentric nature, unwilling to join any faction, he was ambushed by those closest to him—treacherous wretches—and his soul was nearly obliterated. Only by relying on the supreme divine artifact, the Star Domain Cauldron, was a single wisp of his remnant soul able to survive until now.
The "Star Domain Formula" was a divine technique created by an ancient predecessor based on the evolution of the starry heavens. Each time one ascended to a major cultivation rank, a new Dantian would be opened. Upon reaching the pinnacle—nine Dantians merging into one—one could split the heavens, create stars, and forge domains. As he studied the "Star Domain Formula," Hua Tianxiong discovered it only contained the first layer, but thinking that his master was a being beyond the Martial Emperor level, he knew the technique provided to him could not be inferior. With this in mind, he set his doubts aside, took his seat, and began to cultivate according to the path mapped out in the first layer.
Although Hua Tianxiong’s previous training had not been profound, he had practiced during his time in the Great Qin Empire’s palace. In the Huaxia Continent, where martial strength was revered, everyone attempted to cultivate, so he was quite familiar with the methods. As he moved his energy through the specified meridians, Hua Tianxiong felt the familiar acupuncture points opening one after another. All the points he had previously unblocked were easily cleared by the spiritual energy flowing from his Dantian like a gentle stream. Furthermore, thanks to his master’s modification of the youth’s body, Hua Tianxiong quickly mastered the first layer. After three hours of cautious practice, he completed a minor cycle, and the true energy returned to his Dantian. Feeling the strength steadily increasing with every pulse, he found himself unable to stop; the Star Domain Formula began to run on its own, and Hua Tianxiong entered a state of profound clarity rare among ordinary Martial Practitioners.
From the outside, Hua Tianxiong appeared enveloped in a bright ring of spiritual energy, tirelessly refining the surrounding essence into his body. Time blurred; he did not know how many cycles he had completed before the Star Domain Formula finally came to a halt. A long while later, accompanied by a series of popping sounds like exploding beans, Hua Tianxiong opened his eyes to see the phantom staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes.
"Kid, do you know how long you were circulating the energy? Nine days! Nine whole days! Even the ancient predecessor who created the Star Domain Formula only ran it for nine days. Do you know what this means? It means you can open nine Dantians! Ordinary people have only one, but you can open nine! Hahaha, I have taken on a good disciple! My revenge now has hope!" The phantom shouted with a touch of madness, completely ignoring how Hua Tianxiong might feel.
"Master, are you alright?" After the phantom had roared for a while and finally calmed down, Hua Tianxiong asked, looking at the phantom beside him.
"You're the one with the problem! I only managed three days on my first run of the Star Domain Formula, ultimately opening three Dantians. You, brat, are defying the heavens! Take a good look at yourself!"
Hua Tianxiong looked at himself in confusion and felt his internal state. He had reached the peak of the Fourth-Rank Martial Disciple, rivaling the cultivation level of most ordinary soldiers. He had jumped three levels in one go and felt an inexhaustible amount of strength in his body. Looking around the space, he suddenly noticed that it had expanded significantly—the radius was now fifty meters, and soft soil had appeared. Seeing that the space within the Star Domain Cauldron expanded along with his cultivation realm, Hua Tianxiong found it truly incredible. Just as he was marveling at his own state, he noticed a foul odor and saw that his skin was covered in a thick, dark, greasy substance. He knew this was the result of cleansing his marrow, excreting all the impurities from his body.
"I’m going to go wash up."
After saying this, Hua Tianxiong shifted his intent and instantly appeared back in the cave. Looking inward, he found that his previously shattered Dantian had recovered and was now more than ten times larger than before. Furthermore, a miniature version of the cauldron was spinning steadily inside his Dantian. Although he didn’t know why, he knew this cauldron was definitely heaven-defying.
Inside the cauldron, nine days had passed, but in the outside world, less than a day had gone by; it was just breaking dawn. He darted into the river and took a refreshing bath. Watching the murky, dark water flow downstream, Hua Tianxiong felt an indescribable sense of relief. He threw a punch at an arm-thick sapling on the bank, and with a *crack*, the tree snapped instantly. Looking at his achievement, Hua Tianxiong roared, "That has to be at least one hundred *niu* of force! My strength has caught up to a Martial Practitioner! I am no longer a piece of trash!" His powerful voice echoed through the valley, drawing out the howls of Demonic Beasts.
After venting his pent-up frustration, Hua Tianxiong returned to the place where the old eunuch had been buried, selected a better spot, and properly laid the body to rest. With a rumble in his stomach, he realized he hadn't eaten in several days. Having reached the Fourth-Rank Martial Disciple, he felt much more agile, his running speed more than doubled. Hungry, he headed back to the river. Whether because of the abundance of fish or some other reason, he quickly caught six unidentified fish, each about twenty centimeters long and weighing nearly a kilogram. Using branches from the tree he had snapped and some dried wood from the riverbank, he soon had a fire going and began to roast the fish.
A quarter of an hour later, the roasted fish emitted a rich, savory aroma. After another quarter-hour, the smell became even more intense. Unable to wait to retrieve seasonings from his storage bag, Hua Tianxiong started eating right away. It tasted divine; the exhaustion from three months of running finally vanished. After finishing all six fish, his belly was finally full. Patting his slightly protruding stomach—the first time he had been able to feast like this in three months—he looked down at the rushing river and revealed a genuine, happy smile.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, where are you?" He vaguely heard Wu Tian calling out. Since cultivating the Star Domain Formula and reaching the Fourth-Rank Martial Disciple, Hua Tianxiong felt his vision and hearing had improved by at least double. Wu Tian’s voice drifted in from far away in the vast valley.
"Fine. Since the heavens have not abandoned me, I, Hua Tianxiong, will surely achieve something great!" The youth quickly ran back to the cave, retrieved Elder Xuan’s remains, and placed them into the cauldron. There were no other belongings in the cave, so he had entered quickly and left just as fast. Naturally, he did not need to seal the cave entrance; he would leave it for any future traveler who might be fated to find it.
"Kid, there is a saying: 'The innocent man with a treasure is guilty of a crime.' Do not let a second person know about the existence of the Star Domain Cauldron or me. Furthermore, you can use the Star Domain Cauldron to hide your cultivation. Even a Martial Sovereign will not be able to see through it. This will prevent others from becoming suspicious of your rapid progress and causing you trouble!"
"Understood. Thank you for the reminder, Master. Having spent fifteen years in the imperial palace, I understand this well. Don't worry, Master; no one will ever know!"
Hua Tianxiong then shifted his intent, using the Star Domain Cauldron to set his visible cultivation to the First-Rank Martial Disciple, making it impossible for anyone to detect his true strength.
"Master, what kind of existence is the Star Domain Cauldron?" Although he had stepped out of the cave, Hua Tianxiong continued to communicate with Elder Xuan inside the cauldron via his intent, sharing his plans for what lay ahead.
"I do not know myself, but I know it is at least above a Sacred Artifact—it is comparable to a Divine Artifact. Artifacts like the Star Domain Cauldron are rare even in the vast universe. You will slowly understand its wonders. If not for the Star Domain Cauldron, I would have long since turned to dust."
"Understood, Master. In the future, I will do my best to help you forge a new body!"
"Wait until you are strong enough. I will likely need to enter a dormant state for a long time; otherwise, I cannot hold on—my remnant soul could dissipate at any moment. Little one, you must work hard yourself!"
Hua Tianxiong then began to run quickly along the riverbank, using the sound to close the distance toward Wu Tian. When he was within three hundred meters of the search party, he finally heard the soldiers' calls.
"General Wu, I am here." Hua Tianxiong continued to feign extreme weakness as he slowly walked toward the group.
Hearing his voice, General Wu immediately rushed toward the youth.
"Your Highness! Are you hurt? You have been through so much—it is my fault for failing to protect you properly! Please, punish me!" Seeing that Hua Tianxiong was safe and sound, Wu Tian quickly knelt to beg for punishment.
"No, General Wu, you all did well. It was I who dragged everyone down; I am the one who deserves punishment. But now is not the time to assign blame. There are many Demonic Beasts in these mountains; let us get back to the main road as quickly as possible and reach Tieshi City!"
Hua Tianxiong then told Wu Tian what had happened, omitting the encounter with Elder Xuan, the Star Domain Cauldron, and his cultivation. He simply lied, telling Wu Tian that due to extreme hunger, he had accidentally eaten some unknown fruits, which had miraculously repaired his meridians and Dantian, though his cultivation remained at the First-Rank Martial Disciple level.
The group had no reason to doubt what had happened to Hua Tianxiong. Everyone was overjoyed: the Prince of Shicheng had not only survived but his Dantian and meridians were restored, meaning he would have greater potential in the future. They would still be able to return to their homeland with the Prince of Shicheng rather than simply fading away in Tieshi City.
After the rockslide incident, the original group of eight hundred was reduced to just over six hundred. Upon finding Prince Hua Tianxiong, the party quickly headed for Tieshi City. During the next two days, no accidents occurred, and even Prince Hua Tianxiong, while riding his horse, did not faint a single time. No one was overly surprised by this; after all, now that his Dantian and meridians were restored, Hua Tianxiong was once again a Martial Practitioner. After two days of arduous travel, the group finally arrived at Tieshi City.
Thus, after more than three months, the Prince of Shicheng finally arrived at Tieshi City from the capital of the Great Qin Empire. Of the initial three thousand men, only six hundred remained, and without a doubt, these were the most loyal supporters of Hua Tianxiong.
Tieshi City was located in the far north of the Great Qin Empire—a seventh-grade, low-tier empire. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a marshland extending over sixty kilometers to Heze City on the fourth. It was an extremely remote town. Because it was nestled within the Tieshi Mountains on three sides, arable land was scarce—only about forty thousand *mu*—and few people farmed it. Moreover, they were affected by the Beast Tide every year, which easily destroyed crops, making farming a losing proposition. Consequently, very few residents engaged in agriculture, leading to grain prices being slightly higher than in inland cities. Fortunately, the population was small, and the locals lived off the land, requiring less grain.
Tieshi City itself was not large—a perfect square, roughly one thousand meters on each side, covering one square kilometer. The Tieshi Mountains began just fifteen *li* beyond the city walls. Nearly all the residents of Tieshi City survived by hunting, so the population was sparse, totaling only about thirty-eight thousand people, with fewer than ten thousand living inside the city walls. For the Great Qin Empire, which had over five hundred million citizens, this could almost be called a wasteland.
If not for its role as the closest gateway to the Zhao State, this town might have vanished long ago. Because of its remote and treacherous location, combined with the fact that the Qin and Zhao states had been on good terms for over a century, there was almost no interference here, save for the Beast Tide. The officials sent by the Qin Empire to this post were essentially appointed for life. Since the city was impoverished and had few resources, each official typically lived out the rest of their days there.
The reason Prince Hua Tianxiong had been sent here was that the elderly City Lord was nearing the end of his life and needed a successor. Thus, the Prince of Shicheng was sent to spend his final years here—or, as some had arranged, he might not even survive the journey, dying on the way to put an end to the matter once and for all.
Of course, one could survive by hunting Demonic Beasts, but you had to have the skill to back it up. If you wanted to hunt more Demonic Beasts, your cultivation had to be sufficient.