Chapter Eighty-Four: Successfully Breaking Through

Before Chu Feng swallowed the two golden pills, the effect of the previous pill still lingered within him. Now, the addition of these two was an immense shock, all pain compounded into one. As soon as the pills reached his stomach, Chu Feng groaned, his body convulsing violently. The scabs on his face began to crack, and fresh blood seeped out.

In that moment, he felt as though thousands of needles pierced him from within, the agony boring into his bones. The pain was so overwhelming that he could no longer sense the Sword Dao; all he could do was endure. He wanted to cry out, but managed to suppress it.

The process was interminable, an endless torment to Chu Feng. Immersed in a golden liquid tinged with crimson, he felt neither hunger nor fatigue, as if all his energy was devoted to tasting the pain. It was a destructive ordeal that eventually exhausted him—not physically, but mentally.

He did not know how long he endured, as if months or years had passed. At last, his trembling ceased; whether the pain had lessened or he had grown numb, he could not say.

Just then, a bell tolled, marking the end of this ordeal. Though it had lasted only ten days, its conclusion signaled the beginning of another painful phase.

Chu Feng opened his eyes, drew a trembling breath, and reached for three more golden pills. "I can do it. I must do it," he murmured, quickly chewing them and swallowing.

This process lasted nineteen days, and was more brutal than ever. Chu Feng could no longer sit cross-legged; he was nearly kneeling within the great cauldron, his hands gripping the cauldron wall with all his strength. To him, these days felt like years. It was as if he had fallen into a mountain of blades and a sea of flames. His skin split open, leaving half-inch gashes that quickly closed, only to open again in a relentless cycle. Inside him, magma seemed to flow, a violent energy raging through his body, threatening to destroy everything.

The golden hue of the medicinal liquid faded, turning dark red. During this period, Chu Feng’s mind grew weary, his body weak, his gaze unfocused. Even as the bell sounded, his body continued to change, showing no sign of stopping.

Yet throughout, Chu Feng never screamed. Even he did not know how he endured—a hellish torment by any measure.

He reached out with difficulty, grasping the final four pills. Having chosen this path, Chu Feng showed no hesitation, willing even to die for it.

In the courtyard, Master Jin watched in awe. He had not left for days, even at night. Chu Feng had shocked him deeply. Even as a Holy Spirit Warrior, Master Jin could scarcely comprehend that human willpower could be so mighty.

"Is this why Yu Yang guided him to this path? If he can't reach the summit, I truly will doubt the authenticity of these ancient texts!" Master Jin murmured to himself, believing even the Grand Elder had not foreseen such an outcome.

Chu Feng swallowed the last four pills. At last, a scream sounded within the house, but the wards surrounding it ensured that only Master Jin could hear.

Chu Feng began his greatest transformation. His body glowed like red-hot coal, golden energy wrapping around him. From within came crackling sounds—the fracture of bone. His skin, organs, and bones were torn apart by the violent energy, then repaired by the medicine, transforming him through endless cycles.

In the great cauldron, Chu Feng struggled and roared, tossing himself into the liquid, pounding the cauldron wall with his fists, each blow echoing loudly.

Chu Feng felt as though his will was about to collapse under the near-limitless agony. Yet he forced his eyes open, repeatedly reminding himself to endure, to persist, not to succumb to sleep.

This extreme suffering wore away at his resolve, but by struggling, he kept himself conscious.

At some point, scenes appeared in Chu Feng’s mind. He did not know why they surfaced now, but recognized them as memories once lost.

The blank spaces in his memory were finally filled. Chu Feng had not expected such an outcome. These recollections even distracted him from the pain, as if easing his suffering.

Those events had occurred about sixteen years ago.

It was in a village west of Ancient Kirin City. The two-year-old Chu Feng lived there, already wearing a small black sword around his neck.

One day, villagers began to die, including Chu Feng’s parents, until only he remained.

Even now, Chu Feng could not understand why he alone survived, nor why the villagers died one after another. Later, he learned it was a terrible plague.

His parents gone, the young Chu Feng was terrified and lonely. He kept vigil beside their bodies, naïvely believing they would someday awaken.

But they never did. Days later, a young man arrived, bringing a child with him.

"At last, I’ve found you. This is fate," the man said upon seeing him.

The man explained that everyone was dead and would never wake again. To stop the plague, he burned the village to ashes, erasing it forever.

Chu Feng followed the man to Ancient Kirin City, learning his name was Yu Yang, and the boy’s name was Yu Xiang.

Yu Yang bought a small house in Ancient Kirin City, the very house where Chu Feng and Long Yue would later live.

The three lived there for about a month.

During that time, Chu Feng and Yu Xiang were happy, their similar ages forging a deep bond. Chu Feng found a beautiful rainflower stone by the river, its pattern resembling an eagle, and gave it to Yu Xiang, who cherished it.

Life was peaceful, except for one occasion under the banyan tree outside the city, when Yu Yang spoke strange words to Chu Feng.

Later, Yu Yang etched Chu Feng’s name onto his small sword, saying, "This way, you’ll never forget your name."

At the time, Chu Feng did not understand. Even now, he could not fully grasp it, as if Yu Yang had foreseen his future amnesia.

The young Chu Feng was content with this life, wishing to remain with Uncle Yu Yang and Yu Xiang forever. Yet, fate could not be denied.

One night, Yu Yang spoke at length to Chu Feng and Yu Xiang. He said he had something important to do, promising to return, and urged them to live well, assuring that neighbors would care for them.

Within the cauldron, Chu Feng struck the wall, clinging to the edge, enduring pain but shaken by the revelation.

The child was indeed Yu Xiang. Previously, Chu Feng thought Yu Xiang had been taken away by Yu Yang, but that was not the case.

That night, Chu Feng and Yu Xiang slept. By morning, Yu Yang was gone, but Yu Xiang remained.

Though young, Yu Xiang was understanding. He wept in sorrow but knew his father had important matters and would return someday.

Chu Feng and Yu Xiang continued living in Ancient Kirin City, but Chu Feng began to change, becoming increasingly forgetful and losing clarity of past events.

Then, one day, Yu Xiang vanished for reasons unknown. Chu Feng searched repeatedly but found nothing. Neighbors avoided the topic.

Gradually, Chu Feng’s amnesia worsened. Yu Xiang faded from familiar to strange in his memory, until he was forgotten entirely, leaving Chu Feng with a blank past.

For a time, he lived like a walking corpse, forgetting everything soon after it happened. Only after meeting Long Yue, living with her for a while, did he recover, no longer forgetting, though his earlier memories remained blank.

"So this is the truth. So this is the truth. Yu Xiang, where are you?" Chu Feng murmured in the cauldron, the restoration of memory bringing unprecedented heartache, tears sliding down his ravaged face.

Yu Xiang was the missing piece of his life. What truly happened that year? Why did Yu Xiang disappear? Why did neighbors avoid the subject, never mentioning Yu Xiang’s existence to him over the years?

Yet Ancient Kirin City was destroyed, the neighbors long gone. He would never learn the secret, and Yu Xiang was likely lost forever.

"Yu Xiang! Yu Xiang! Where are you?"

Chu Feng struggled and howled in pain, his cries growing weaker, his mind ever hazier.

His transformation continued, the liquid around him evaporating. He had no idea how much time had passed, unable to see the hourglass nearby, but he kept fighting, determined not to lose the last shred of clarity in his mind.

Suddenly, golden mist surged around him, enveloping him completely. In this moment, his body’s extreme transformation began to ease.

Gradually, the golden mist nourished his flesh, his changes growing gentler, his trembling ceasing.

When all the golden mist was absorbed, the bell rang again. Chu Feng felt as though he had broken free from all shackles, an unprecedented lightness, utterly free from pain.

"It seems I’ve succeeded," Chu Feng murmured, secretly relieved, a hint of joy in his heart. He did not open his eyes, but sat inside the cauldron, leaning against its wall, and drifted into a deep sleep, for his spirit was utterly exhausted.