Volume One, Chapter Three: Purification and Transformation

In the apocalypse, the most scarce resources were food, water, and even those seemingly insignificant everyday items.

Yu Yue had struggled and fought through the apocalypse for four years, deeply understanding just how precious and rare these resources were.

Perhaps at the very beginning of the apocalypse, humanity could still rely on the remnants left over from before, managing to survive somewhat decently.

But as time passed, the land, rivers, and lakes gradually became polluted. By then, survival depended almost entirely on those with water and wood elemental abilities to produce food and water.

Food grew increasingly scarce; more and more people starved and died of thirst. The horrific tales of cannibalism were no longer just legends.

Compared to the early days of the apocalypse, the two years of severe famine afterward were truly a living hell.

Yet now, a fierce light flickered in Yu Yue’s eyes.

With the Peach Garden Space at her disposal, she had little to worry about regarding daily necessities.

This time, she was confident she could live comfortably in this desolate world.

In her previous life, Yu Yue had grown accustomed to the cold-heartedness of humanity in the apocalypse. But now, armed with a priceless treasure, she would never trust anyone so easily again.

This time, she would not be the foolish woman she once was.

With her resolve set, Yu Yue stripped off the remaining clothes and stepped toward the Spirit-Purifying Spring.

Her current body was far too weak. Although elemental powers would awaken after the apocalypse, a fragile physique could not fully unleash their true might.

Moreover, relying solely on these powers was perilous; once the internal energy was exhausted, death would be inevitable.

That had been her downfall last life—energy depleted, surrounded by zombies, and abandoned without hesitation by her own sister. Had she not been rescued by another elemental team, she would have perished then and there.

After suffering such a bitter defeat, Yu Yue had begun to prioritize physical cultivation upon returning to the base. Yet due to severe deficits, her efforts yielded little progress.

Now, with a miraculous treasure like the Spirit-Purifying Spring, how could she not take advantage?

Though memories transmitted through the Peach Garden Space warned her the purification process was arduous, she hesitated not a moment and plunged into the spring.

As the water slowly covered her head, she immediately felt warm currents flowing through every acupuncture point into all her meridians.

At first, it was merely a slight warmth and itchiness, but gradually the faint itch transformed into the agony of a thousand biting insects, and the warmth surged into boiling heat.

She could distinctly sense her bones breaking inch by inch, accompanied by the grating "crackling" sounds from within her body as they shattered and regrew anew.

It was agony worse than death.

Gritting her teeth, Yu Yue endured in silence.

If she could, she wished to faint outright, but the purification was not merely physical refinement—it was also a trial of spirit and will.

Fainting now would greatly diminish its effect, and since one could only undergo this purification once in a lifetime, she absolutely could not waste the chance.

Compared to the suffering and injustice she endured in her past life, the physical torment before her was trivial.

Whenever she felt on the brink of collapse, she would recall all she had suffered before—the abuse by the Lin family, the cold stares of the Yu family, Yu Jiao Jiao’s slanders, the vile faces, and that chilling, cold laboratory...

As her entire body’s meridians and bones continuously broke and regrew over an unknown span of time, the only thing sustaining her was that overwhelming hatred.

Beneath her collarbone, a golden diamond pattern faintly glowed. At the bottom of the spring lay an egg etched with fiery and thunderous patterns, seemingly responding to some call.

A vibrant life force spread through the spring water into Yu Yue’s body, alleviating her pain. Meanwhile, her soul instinctively intertwined with this vigorous energy.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain gradually faded. Stretching her limbs, Yu Yue lifted her head above the water’s surface. The strange egg resting at the spring's bottom was scooped up by her.

Climbing out of the spring, she could clearly feel her body had grown lighter, her senses sharper, and her skin fairer and more delicate.

Her height appeared to have increased by about ten centimeters, now standing around 168 centimeters.

Clenching her fist, she sensed a significant boost in strength.

Before she could fully adjust to her transformed body, a familiar energy stirred in her lower abdomen—the energy of her elemental power.

Not only did her familiar ice elemental ability awaken, but with a thought, she summoned an unfamiliar power and unleashed it upon the ground.

“Whoosh!”

Electric arcs danced, and a sizable crater was blasted into the earth nearby.

Yu Yue stared in astonishment at the smoking, scorched pit before her. Was this... thunder elemental power?

She had never awakened thunder abilities in her past life. Even after all the strange encounters since her rebirth, she was still somewhat bewildered.

Then she suddenly understood—it was the Spirit-Purifying Spring, a rare treasure of the cultivation world, that had not only triggered her elemental powers early but also granted her an additional thunder elemental ability.

This was thunder elemental power—the undisputed top offensive ability in the future apocalypse.

For Yu Yue, it was an unexpected boon. Compared to relying solely on ice abilities, gaining thunder power would undoubtedly accelerate her path to strength and vengeance.

Though elated, her gaze turned complex as it fell upon the strange egg she had just retrieved.

The soul fusion had revealed the truth: this egg contained the descendant of the Golden-Mane Howl, the original lord of this Peach Garden Space, and now they had formed a life-and-death soul contract.

A natural sense of kinship swelled in Yu Yue’s heart. Through the contract, the little creature inside the egg conveyed curiosity and goodwill.

Having never experienced such emotions before, Yu Yue felt both unfamiliar and uncertain.

This space had originally belonged to the Golden-Mane Howl tribe. Now that it was her foundation in this apocalypse, she understood the importance of clear-cut loyalty and gratitude.

Since she had received such a great favor, it was her responsibility to care for this unborn little one.