At this critical juncture, Du Bufan's mind was preternaturally clear. He knew full well that what lay before him was a life-or-death trial concerning the inheritance, and more importantly, the sole opportunity to rewrite his own destiny. Every single jolt of pain felt like a summons from the Grim Reaper, yet he had not the slightest intention of retreating. He bit down hard on his lips, as if trying to seal away all his fear and agony behind his clenched teeth. Within his eyes burned an unyielding flame—a flame that, like a beacon in the darkness, shone with indomitable brilliance. His hands, gripping the book like iron-forged pincers, turned stark white at the knuckles from the immense force. Even as excruciating pain, akin to countless sharp blades slicing through his entire body, coursed through him, he refused to let go, as though loosening his grip would mean losing the entire world.
I know not how much time passed, but that force which had been battering his soul like a raging torrent finally began to subside, receding like an outgoing tide. Du Bufan's hands were still trembling—the lingering aftermath of the immense agony he had just endured, with every slight quiver feeling like a memory of that soul-shattering storm. He drew a deep breath and slowly opened the first volume of the heavenly book: the Heavenly Dao Samsara Moral Scripture. The introduction inscribed within opened like the gates to a mystic treasury, declaring that this technique encompassed a myriad of wondrous arts including Body Refining, soul refinement, spirit tempering, and meridian cultivation, rendering it peerlessly unique. Its cultivation speed was nothing short of heaven-defying; once mastered, the practitioner could accumulate vast oceans of spiritual energy. Moreover, the density of this spiritual energy was exceptionally high, coalescing like the most dazzling stars in the universe—a coveted divine treasure sought by every practitioner.
With a heart intertwined with tension and anticipation, Du Bufan cautiously turned to the first page. In an instant, like the unlocking of a mystical floodgate of knowledge, an overwhelming torrent of information rushed into his mind like an unceasing river. "The Heavenly Dao Breathing Technique, Body Refining Chapter?" A flash of surprise crossed Du Bufan's eyes, akin to the sudden sight of dawn for one who had walked in darkness for ages. This technique gave him an indescribable sense of familiarity, as though it were inherently a part of his own body, intimately bound to his bloodline—an innate treasure born within him. He eagerly reached to turn the second page to explore further mysteries, but the page remained utterly motionless, like an impassable barrier. "It seems I must break through before I can continue," he muttered to himself. A trace of regret flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolute determination as he carefully returned the heavenly book to its original place. Then, focusing his intent with a gentle thought, the second volume of the heavenly book—the Heavenly Dao Body Tempering Formula—appeared before him. The introduction to this volume was equally staggering, revealing it to be an invincible body-refinement art. Its cultivation speed was extraordinarily rapid, and once mastered, its might would be earth-shattering, rendering the practitioner's physical body as hard as divine iron, forged from the toughest materials between heaven and earth. With a sense of reverence, he turned a page, and the contents instantly merged into his mind. It, too, was a Body Refining Chapter. Filled with excitement, he attempted to turn to the second page, but it remained firmly sealed. Immediately afterward, the Heavenly Dao Contemplation Method, the Heavenly Dao Movement Technique, the Heavenly Dao Restful Breathing Method, the Heavenly Dao Fist, the Heavenly Dao Finger Technique, the Heavenly Dao Chaos Primordial Method, and the rest of the heavenly books presented themselves before him in an orderly fashion, obedient as trained soldiers. The introductions to each all proclaimed earth-shattering, extraordinary power; every single character seemed imbued with boundless mysterious force, making each volume feel like a vast and mysterious world holding countless undiscovered secrets that inspired both yearning and profound awe.
When the contents of the first page of all twenty-four heavenly book volumes had merged into Du Bufan's memory like trickling streams, the books seemed to acquire a consciousness of their own and automatically returned to their rightful places. "With such an astonishing opportunity, I must test cultivation." Jarred awake from his dreamlike state, Du Bufan's eyes burned with a scorching light—a brilliance resembling a blazing sun, filled with a craving for power and a desire to explore the unknown. Unable to wait a moment longer, he crossed his legs and prepared to practice the Heavenly Dao Breathing Technique. "Today, let us see if this technique is truly so miraculous!" he vowed silently to himself, as though already witnessing his own soaring ascent upon the path of cultivation.
As Du Bufan fell into a rhythmic pattern of respiration, the entire world seemed stirred into motion in an instant. Centered on his room, the spiritual energy within a radius of a hundred meters ignited like a powder keg, surging inward with the force of an apocalyptic tsunami. Its majestic momentum felt like the arrival of the end times, causing even the heavens and earth to change color. The spiritual energy spun and condensed furiously in midair, sculpted by some miraculous artisan into streams of pure white Qi resembling the waters of the Milky Way. Like agile, living spirit serpents, these streams vied with one another to pour into Du Bufan's body, as if his physical form were the most alluring treasure in the world. Moments later, a dazzling brilliance flashed within him, shining with the radiance of stars scattered across the vast cosmos, every single orb seemingly whispering an ancient and mystic tale.
"What? I can't absorb any more?" Du Bufan snapped his eyes open, shock plastered across his face. When he caught sight of the changes within himself, an involuntary exclamation slipped past his lips: "I've actually reached the Body Refining Realm Ninth Layer Peak directly?" He could scarcely believe his own eyes. Only moments ago, he had merely been at the Body Refining Realm First Layer; yet after practicing the breathing rhythm for just a dozen cycles, such an astonishing transformation had occurred. This speed completely shattered all his comprehension of cultivation, akin to a mortal abruptly stumbling into the realm of the gods, shocking him to the very depths of his soul. "This cultivation speed is truly heaven-defying and world-shocking!" he marveled inwardly, his overflowing joy difficult to contain.
Yet, fate always seemed fond of playing tricks, and the tragedy of sorrow following hard upon extreme joy quietly played out. Soon, Du Bufan detected an abnormality within his body. He felt his realm growing precarious, like a tower built upon an unstable foundation rocking violently in a gale, standing on the verge of collapse at any moment. From within his meridians came an excruciating pain akin to being scorched by the fires of purgatory—an agony like the sharp claws of a demon fiercely raking across every single nerve, each jolt pushing him to the brink of death. "My advancement was too rapid; the strength of my body and meridians cannot keep up." Knowledge from ancient tomes he had read in the past flashed instantly through his mind—dangers he had once regarded as distant legends had now truly descended upon him. He knew full well that this situation was fraught with extreme peril. If mishandled, the worst-case scenario would involve severed meridians, the complete loss of the cultivation he had worked so hard to achieve, and perhaps even the forfeiture of his life. At this life-or-death moment, only a single thought echoed in his mind: "Cultivate the Heavenly Dao Body Tempering Formula!"
Du Bufan hurriedly set about practicing the Heavenly Dao Body Tempering Formula. The first chapter of this formula consisted of twenty-four bizarre and eccentric movements. When he first began, his movements were exceedingly clumsy and sluggish, each posture acting like an impassable mountain fraught with difficulty and danger. He was like an infant taking tentative first steps, struggling forward along a rugged path, every motion fraught with uncertainty and hazard. Yet, once he completed the entire sequence of movements, a miracle occurred, akin to a sudden ray of piercing light in the dark: the pain in his meridians and body noticeably abated. The overwhelming sense of relief was enough to make him nearly weep with joy. "Practicing it just once pushes my physical strength to the average level of the Body Refining Realm Ninth Layer? What if I practice it a few more times?" A gleam of excitement flashed in Du Bufan's eyes, acting like a torch in the dark that illuminated his path forward. Without hesitation, he began practicing anew. On the second pass, he distinctly felt the pressure diminish, and his movements flowed much more smoothly than before; the time required was even halved compared to his first attempt, making him increasingly adept like an artisan finding his rhythm. Without a moment's pause, he continued his practice through the third pass, the fourth pass... When he completed the tenth pass, a brilliant golden light, fierce as the blazing sun, erupted from within his body. Surging forth like a powerful tide, the golden radiance instantly enveloped his entire being. The dazzling brilliance formed a divine armor, emanating a mysterious and formidable aura as though it were a divine protection bestowed upon him.
"Golden light protecting the body?" Du Bufan froze, his eyes filled with a mixture of pleasant surprise and bewilderment. He felt as though he had stepped into a realm of illusion, where everything around him had grown surreal, while he himself had become the protagonist of this phantasmagoric world, embarking upon a legendary journey uniquely his own.