Bai Zihan had already ordered his servants to gather the necessary ingredients for cultivating the Primordial Chaos Body Refinement Technique.
The materials required were incredibly rare and precious, each one a treasure that would make even powerful cultivators envious.
Like Grade-3 Dragon Blood Marrow—extracted from the bones of dragon-type beasts, it could vastly strengthen one’s physical body, making it tougher than steel.
Grade-4 Netherfire Essence—a flame-infused mineral capable of tempering the body’s meridians, increasing their resilience and energy flow.
Grade-4 Void Spirit Grass—a mystical herb that enhances bodily endurance and allows one to recover from injuries at an astonishing rate.
And there were almost twenty other ingredients, all of which were above Grade 2.
Each of these materials was exceedingly difficult to obtain, but Bai Zihan had the backing of the Bai Clan.
Within the Bai Clan, all the required ingredients were available.
Of course, that didn’t mean he could simply take whatever he wanted, since they didn’t belong to him.
As the heir Bai Zihan has many privileges but he wasn’t allowed to squander the clan’s resources without justification, especially the Grade-3 and above ingredients.
However, he had already anticipated this hurdle and obtained permission from his father.
As for how he convinced his father, when he approached his father, Bai Tianheng, with the request, he emphasized that it was solely for his training and also promised that he would not sabotage the engagement.
Of course, sabotaging the engagement seemed difficult, so he didn’t want to—not that he wouldn’t if he could.
But his father didn’t know that, and he wanted to take advantage of that.
Given Bai Zihan’s past behavior, Bai Tianheng was obviously worried that his son would do something reckless.
With that promise, Bai Tianheng could be less worried about Bai Zihan interfering in the engagement—though if he did, his father’s belt was waiting for his ass.
Moreover, upon hearing that it was for training, Bai Tianheng was more than pleased.
And although those ingredients were precious, to Bai Tianheng, they weren’t worth as much as Bai Zihan’s future.
Of course, Bai Tianheng assumed that Bai Zihan would ask the clan alchemist to refine a pill or something—he had no idea that Bai Zihan was going to directly use these ingredients for body refinement.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed so easily, knowing just how potent those Grade-4 and Grade-3 ingredients were when directly consumed or refined.
Anyway, Bai Zihan had no problem with collecting the ingredient for his body refinement unlike the protagonist who probably would have to search far and wide to obtain it.
With these resources in hand, Bai Zihan was ready to cultivate the Primordial Chaos Body Refinement Technique.
However, Bai Zihan knew that the process wouldn’t be easy.
There was a chance that he could die if he couldn’t endure the pain—and it would be a gruesome death.
But he was ready, at least he thought he was.
He was going to cultivate in isolation and instructed the servants not to disturb him or allow anyone else to interfere.
Until he came out, nobody was allowed to interrupt his training.
***
“Huuu…”
Bai Zihan took a deep breath as he stepped into his personal training chamber.
The room was reinforced with formations to suppress energy fluctuations, ensuring that no one would sense what he was about to do.
The ingredients had already been delivered, each one glowing with an aura of power.
The lower-grade ingredients emitted faint energies, while the higher-grade ones radiated overwhelming pressure.
The first step was to take the Grade-2 Ironwood Root, a tempering material that strengthened bones.
“Let’s start!”
He swallowed the Ironwood Root.
The moment it entered his body, a dull pressure spread through his skeleton, like a slow, rhythmic pounding deep within.
His bones vibrated, reinforcing themselves under the root’s essence. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
Silently, he endured.
Next came the Grade-2 Thunderleaf Vine—a plant known for stimulating the nervous system, making the body more responsive.
The moment he absorbed its essence, a sharp tingling sensation ran through his body, his nerves twitching involuntarily.
His muscles stiffened, the sensation spreading like countless needles pricking beneath his skin.
His fingers trembled slightly, but he took deep breaths, keeping himself steady.
Still, he did not make a sound.
Then came the Grade-3 Bloodstone Extract, which stimulated blood regeneration and increased vitality.
The moment the extract merged with his body, his heart pounded violently.
“Guhh—!!!”
A torrent of energy burst through his veins, surging like a raging flood.
His blood felt like it was boiling, his skin turned bright red, and his organs threatened to rupture from the overwhelming force.
His breathing became ragged. He clenched his jaw, but a low groan escaped his lips.
“I can’t… No! I have to endure!”
The excruciating pain nearly shattered his mind, but Bai Zihan forced himself to stabilize it.
With each new herb that he consumed, the pain multiplied, but there was no going back.
If he stopped, then death was the only outcome awaiting him. His only path to survival was to continue and endure until the end.
Minutes passed.
With each refined ingredient, his body experienced pain unlike anything before—so excruciating that he wished for death instead.
However, Bai Zihan still persisted.
He knew that this pain was only temporary—something he had to endure. Otherwise, given his circumstances, death could claim him at any moment.
“L-Let’s continue…”
Now, it was time for the Grade-3 Dragon Blood Marrow.
He swallowed the thick liquid, and instantly, a powerful surge of vitality spread through his veins.
“GAAAAHHH!!”
His bones cracked and reshaped, his muscles twisted violently, and his skin split open, revealing raw flesh underneath.
“ARGHHH!”
His veins bulged as red-hot energy stormed through his body, threatening to tear him apart from the inside.
It felt like he was being ripped apart and reforged at the same time.
He gasped, black spots dancing at the edges of his vision.
His body trembled uncontrollably, but he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, refusing to pass out.
With so many herbs already in his system, it was a miracle that his body hadn’t exploded, but he still had to endure the overwhelming power they unleashed.
Just as he barely stabilized the Dragon Blood Marrow, he proceeded with the Grade-4 Netherfire Essence.
The instant it fused with his meridians, it felt as though his entire body had been set ablaze.
“GAAAHHHH!!!”
Bai Zihan let out a bloodcurdling scream as hellish flames scorched his internal organs.
His meridians strained, expanded, then burned as the energy coursed through him.
His skin was charred and cracked, and his bones radiated searing heat.
“AAAAAHHHHHH!”
Bai Zihan thrashed violently, every fiber of his being engulfed in endless torment.
This was hell—perhaps even worse than hell itself.
(Why… Why am I suffering like this?)
Doubt crept into his mind.
No reason seemed sufficient to justify the torment he was enduring—it felt meaningless, unbearable.
Wouldn’t it be easier to simply give up and let death take him? Wouldn’t that be a relief?
But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t.
No matter how agonizing it was, surrender was not an option.
“I am Bai Zihan, someone who will rise to trample over everyone. I refuse to give up!”
Bai Zihan might have been a coward, but he was never one to give up easily. As long as even the faintest glimmer of hope remained, he would cling to it with everything he had.
Although his body screamed in pain, he took the final step—Grade-4 Void Spirit Grass.
An icy surge followed the fire, sending a chilling force through his burning body.
“GGHHAAAHH!!”
It felt as though his body was being torn apart and rebuilt, only to be shattered again in an endless cycle of torment.
His organs quivered, his bones hardened to an unnatural degree, and his flesh continuously regenerated—each time stronger than before.
“AAAAAAHHHHHH!”
Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Bai Zihan had no way of knowing. Trapped in the depths of agony, time lost all meaning.
He screamed. He thrashed. He endured.
For what felt like an eternity, his body and mind were pushed to the brink—until, at last, something changed.
The unbearable pain began to fade.
The suffocating pressure gradually subsided.
His shattered body mended itself, his skin toughening, his muscles reforging into something far beyond human.
With a shaky breath, Bai Zihan slowly opened his eyes.
“Did I… survive?”