It was a single purple-colored pill with white and orange lines on it.
''Top-grade rank 4 'internal reconstruction pill'.''
Holding the pill in his hand, Shun Long could clearly feel the powerful energy hidden inside it.
The energy inside the pill was not only potent, but it even gave Shun Long a sense of fatal danger at the same time.
And yet, Shun Long knew, that he had to consume this 'internal reconstruction pill' in order to breakthrough to the fourth stage of the 'Monarch's Eternal body'.
After all, the 'Monarch's Eternal body' was different than most other body refinement techniques.
After sitting cross-legged on the ground, Shun Long calmed his mind, before he looked at the top-grade rank 4 'internal reconstruction pill' in his hand.
He barely hesitated for a single moment, before his eyes turned serious, as he consumed the purple-colored pill.
The moment that the pill entered Shun Long's mouth, it turned into a puddle of scorching purple liquid.
After circulating the 'Monarch's Eternal body', Shun Long felt endless amounts of pain filling his mind.
Almost as if guided by the 'Monarch's Eternal body', the purple-colored energy from the 'internal reconstruction pill started to seep through every nook and cranny of Shun Long's body.
''AHHHHHHHHHHHHH''
Shun Long roared in pain once he felt his organs being destroyed one by one.
The 'internal reconstruction pill's' energy, was akin to hot lava that was destroying his insides, and once this process had started, it couldn't be stopped.
Little Black watched Shun Long from the side with pain inside his blue eyes, but he knew that this was something that his master had to go through.
Having his blood slowly burned and purified, again and again, was a kind of pain that would make most people wish that they were already dead.
Although Shun Long had felt pain countless times in the past, only the pain from the 'Golden book's' soul expansion could come close to the pain that he was feeling right now.
After his blood, Shun Long could feel his meridians and his internal organs soon following suit, as they were destroyed almost instantly from the 'internal reconstruction pill's' violent energy.
His heart, his liver, and even his brain followed, along with his bones, and in the end his skin.
Having the heart or the brain destroyed would have meant absolute death for any cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage, but the 'Monarch's Eternal body' still kept Shun Long alive under all this painful torture.
Little Black's had originally a nonchalant look in his eyes, but when he saw Shun Long's body turning into a pool of blood, without even his bones staying intact, the black dragon's heart started beating erratically.
The only reason that Little Black could still stay somewhat calm, was because he could sense that Shun Long hadn't died yet.
Time passed like this, and soon, more than a month had gone by.
In this past month, Little Black had watched Shun Long's body being reformed and destroyed time after time.
However, what Little Black didn't know, was that Shun Long wasn't just feeling physical pain.
Instead, countless scenes had flashed through his mind one by one.
The first, was when he was an orphan back on earth.
Countless other orphans had surrounded him, as they called out 'brother Rock'! Come play with us!
Shun Long could clearly remember that these children had all died of malnutrition. These were the children who couldn't even feed themselves, and couldn't do any physical labor either.
And yet, seeing the pitiful look in the children's eyes, Shun Long simply closed his eyes in response, as the illusion in front of him was shattered.
The scene in front of Shun Long changed once again, but this time, it was even more real than before.
He found himself back inside the Shun estate, in the 'Blue Forest city' of the 'Sky Fortune kingdom'.
He could feel that he wasn't a Spirit realm cultivator this time, but just an earth grade one.
Shun Fang and Shun An were both standing in front of him, with Liu Mei next to them.
Shun Long watched his father, who still had that gentle smile on his face as he looked at his son.
Shun Long could also feel Shun An's warm hands when she hugged him, as she looked at him with tears in her eyes and said
''Long'er, stay with us! Why do you have to go and risk your life?''
He could practically feel his mother's worry as she looked at him.
Turning his head to look at Liu Mei, Shun Long saw the loving look in her eyes, as she looked back at him.
And yet, after closing his eyes, Shun Long could also remember Shun Fang's look that was filled with pride, when he had entered the imperial palace to participate in the 'floating cloud sect's' test.
After all, in this world which father didn't want his son to become a supreme expert?
Shun Long remembered the look in his mother's eyes, when she had said that Shun Fang had become a Duke in the 'Sky Fortune kingdom'.
Shun Long also knew about Liu Mei's regret, and her goal of taking her mother from the 'floating cloud sect'.
Besides, how could he let Little Black down like that?
He still had to become strong enough in order to search for Little Black's true origins, as well as find out more things about the 'Stone of Time'.
The illusion in front of him once again shattered, as Shun Fang's, Shun An's, and Liu Mei's figures started to become blurry until they disappeared from his sight.
However, after opening his eyes, Shun Long hadn't returned to the foggy place in the 'Stone of Time', but instead, he found himself in an entirely unfamiliar place.
More than 10.000 golden armored warriors were standing in front of him, all of them kneeling down on one knee.
Shun Long was wearing a golden armor and was holding a black spear in his right hand, as he stared at the 10.000 warriors below him, while he was riding on Little Black's back.