Journey of True Cultivation

Blood dripped onto the ground with every step Yuan took, each movement sending a fresh wave of pain through his battered body.

His countless wounds pained in protest, his limbs felt as if they were being torn apart, yet he had no choice but to grit his teeth and push forward.

"Damn it!" Yuan cursed aloud, his voice laced with frustration.

Although his red aura struggled to heal him, it couldn't keep up. His body was still moving, exerting itself,and the healing required rest.

But stopping was not an option.

What if the blue haired woman woke up in the time he is resting?

What if she recovered enough to kill him while he is resting?

No.

He had to endure.

With painstaking effort, Yuan finally reached the unconscious woman.

The first thing he did was secure her belongings.

Her bag of holding was still attached to her burnt arm, the strap half melted from the flames. Without hesitation, Yuan ripped it away, breaking the weakened strings that bound it to her.

He then tucked it into his own sleeve, securing it next to his own bag of holding.

Only then did he allow himself to properly examine the woman before him.

Even in her miserable state, she still had a proud figure.

Her once long, blue hair was now burnt.

Her once flawless skin,now nothing but charred blackened flesh, her entire body scorched beyond recognition.

And yet…

Her face remained almost untouched,except for her hair, her features were left intact.

This was no coincidence.

It was proof of something crucial.

She had resisted the flames, pouring all her remaining strength into protecting her head.

If her brain had suffered even the slightest damage, it would have guaranteed her death.

She had prioritized survival,even if it meant her body was ruined.

And so, Yuan began to analyze the extent of the damage the flames had inflicted on the woman's inner body.

However, just as he attempted to lower himself to his knees, his body failed him.

His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.

A violent cough wracked his body, and blood spilled from his lips, splattering onto the ground around the woman's motionless form.

For half a minute, the coughing continued, each breath sending sharp pain through his chest.

Finally, the fit subsided, but a deep, burning ache settled in his lungs.

"Damn it..." Yuan muttered under his breath, his hands clenching into weak fists as he struggled to steady himself.

But the pain in his chest didn't fade.

Instead, it lingered, deep and relentless, reminding him just how close to death he truly was.

"Let's just skip worrying about the damage to her body. I'll paralyze her first, recover, and then get my answers about this damn forest."

With that thought, Yuan moved his trembling hand toward the woman's upper spine, just beneath her neck.

His fingers, sticky with his own blood, dug into her skin, pressing down on a vital point. Then, with a sharp twist, he applied as much force as his exhausted body could muster.

Crack!

The sound of bone shifting echoed through the silent room.

Yuan knew that in his current state, he couldn't completely break her spine, but for a Bone Forging cultivator, this injury would be extremely difficult to recover from. Even if she healed, it would take a long time.

A cruel and brutal method to paralysis someone.

But Yuan didn't care.

He was too tired, too battered, and too drained to concern himself with her well being.

His recovery came first.

"Haa…"

A deep sigh escaped his lips.

His body was at its absolute limit. Even his mind,which had pushed him this far,was now crumbling beneath the weight of exhaustion.

He couldn't even stand anymore.

His eyes flickered across the room, scanning for a safe place to recover. The fight hadn't completely destroyed the chamber, but damage was still visible,a broken bookshelf, shattered decorations, and a bit of blood splattered across the walls and floor.

But then

He spotted it.

The cultivation bed.

Untouched.

Perfect.

Yuan gritted his teeth and forced his broken body forward, dragging himself across the floor, crawling toward the bed like a dying animal.

Every movement was agony.

Each breath felt like razor blades slicing through his lungs.

More blood spilled from his wounds, leaving deep red stains in his wake. His entire body trembled,his muscles failing him, his vision swimming.

But after what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the bed.

With the last remnants of his willpower, Yuan hoisted himself up, collapsing onto the bed in a half sitting, half falling motion.

His body screamed in protest, but he ignored it.

Summoning every ounce of strength left, he adjusted himself into a lotus position.

Then

He closed his eyes.

And the moment his eyelids shut

His mind snapped into darkness.

Unconscious.

Seated in lotus position, completely vulnerable, his body was now left unprotected.

But Yuan was too exhausted to realize it.

And so, an entire week passed.

During this time, nothing happened in the Lifeless Region of the Thirty Plants Forest or inside the cave where Yuan and the woman lay unconscious.

Everything remained eerily peaceful.

Neither Yuan nor the woman awakened during this time.

However, compared to his previous state, Yuan's body had improved significantly. The numerous cuts that once marred his skin had vanished, leaving behind only scars.

But

One wound remained.

The deep gash from the Crystal Blue Sword on his right arm had not healed.

More time passed.

Another week slipped by.

And then

At the beginning of the third week, the woman finally woke up.

She lay motionless on the cold, hard ground.

As she opened her eyes, her vision blurred, the rough stone floor filling her sight.

Instinctively, she tried to move her body

But failed.

Her mind, still foggy with exhaustion, struggled to process what was happening.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Then, as her head shifted slightly, a sudden and agonizing pain shot through her spine, making her eyes widen in shock.

Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain and summoned every ounce of strength left in her body, forcing herself to look around.

And that's when she saw him.

A young man sat in lotus position on the cultivation bed, his body still like a statue.

He looked to be around 13 or 14 years old, with dark, shoulder length hair. His green robe, though intact, was damaged and torn, covered in dried blood. The fabric was ripped open in several places, revealing his chest and numerous healed scars.

At first, she simply stared at him.

The more she looked at his face, the more a sense of familiarity grew within her.

Had she met him before?

That was the only thought that flickered through her mind before

It all came rushing back.

Her paralyzed body trembled.

Her breathing quickened.

Her eyes darted frantically around the room.

Fear.

A deep, suffocating fear settled in her chest as she finally realized what had happened.

She remembered the fight.

She remembered the pain.

She remembered his flames.

The Azure Flames that had burned her alive.

And then

A scream.

A loud, horrifying, gut-wrenching scream ripped from her throat as the memory of the excruciating pain flooded back into her mind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The loud cry echoed through the Lifeless Region, piercing the otherwise silent surroundings.

Yet, it did not travel beyond the region.

Still, it was loud enough to rouse someone from the depths of deep slumber.

Yuan's eyelids trembled before he slowly opened his eyes.

His azure black gaze flickered with clarity as he gradually regained awareness.

The first thing he did was look at his right arm

Only to see that it was mostly recovered.

His spiritual blood and body had already healed long ago, leaving only his right arm in a weakened state.

Yet, even now, his entire body ached, a deep pain pulsing through his bones.

Yuan closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath as the Azure Basilisk Flames ignited between his eyebrows.

With practiced control, he inhaled the flames, guiding them inward, allowing them to assess his internal injuries.

Inside his body, his meridians, bones, and muscles were nearly healed from the severe wounds sustained in the battle against the blue haired woman.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"I'm close to a full recovery."he thought.

And with that, he finally opened his eyes

His gaze landing on the woman.

Yuan's lips curled into a smirk.

He leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto the woman's trembling form.

With a calm, almost gentle tone, he spoke.

"Heh, now… will you answer a few questions?"

His smile widened, his voice laced with mockery.

"Or will you reject this kind offer of mine?"

Although his words sounded kind, the underlying threat in his tone was undeniable.

The woman did not respond.

She remained silent, her entire body shaking.

Her eyes, still filled with terror, flickered with confusion.

She was unable to process what was happening.

Her mind was blank,paralyzed by the memory of pain.

Instinctively, her body trembled.

Even when Yuan had closed his eyes earlier, she had not dared to move.

Observing her state, Yuan understood the situation.

"This woman still isn't in her right mind yet," he mused.

"She must still be recovering from the trauma of the Azure Flames."

His eyes darkened as he watched her lay there in fear, her breath shallow, her gaze hollow.

And as time passed, Yuan's mind drifted

Recalling every moment of the battle they had fought in this very room.

The entire fight had been a failure.

He had clearly underestimated Bone Forging stage cultivators,severely.

And not just by a little.

He had no chance against them in a direct battle.

They were faster, stronger, and had far greater spiritual blood.

Every option he had for fighting was already blocked the moment the battle had truly begun.

And that, in itself, was a weakness.

He had overestimated his own power!

As realization struck, a wave of anger surged within Yuan.

"Why did I do something this foolish?"

He clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly with frustration.

"I became too arrogant!I acted as if I were some all powerful being… but that is not the case.I'm still just an new advanced blood purification stage cultivator."

His azure black eyes darkened as his thoughts continued.

Yes, he had the memories of the young master of the Azure Dragon Clan,Basilisk.

And it was through Basilisk's experience that he had walked the path of cultivation.

But in the end…

What had he really accomplished?

Had he truly used those memories to his advantage?

Or had he just been coasting on borrowed knowledge?

A new question surfaced in his mind.

"Why haven't I truly used Basilisk's memories until now?"

For a moment, uncertainty filled his heart.

And then…

He realized the answer.

The memories of Basilisk were not useful at the early stages of his cultivation.

Basilisk had been a demonic beast.

As an infant, he had no real intelligence,only instincts.

He had only awakened his true intelligence at the Bone Forging stage.

Only at that time had he been able to develop techniques, understand the powers, and refine his control over his abilities.

That was the key difference.

Yuan had knowledge… but not the cultivation level to apply it fully.

And that was something he needed to change.

But the more he thought about it, the more that thought faded from his mind, replaced by a new realization.

He began to analyze his actual strength.

His raw strength, without using the Azure Basilisk Flame, was at the Peak Meridian Awakened Stage.

He could fight against someone of that level and his battle with this woman had proven that.

However, the moment she tried to truly kill him, the difference between their power levels became painfully clear.

He was too slow.He was too weak.And his spiritual blood reserves were far too low to sustain a long fight against a Bone Forging Stage cultivator.

With that in mind, Yuan came to a conclusion.

"I should only attempt to fight a Bone Forging cultivator when I reach the Peak of Blood Purification Stage."

This thought settled in his mind, bringing a sense of clarity.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Disappointment washed over him.

His strength was not enough.

No… it was far from enough.

Time passed as he processed this realization.

By his estimation, he had spent at least ten hours thinking,perhaps even more.

Not that it mattered.

He had no way of knowing exactly how long he had been in this cave.

But as he turned his gaze toward the woman, something changed.

The fear that had once dominated her expression was gone.

Instead…

Her eyes burned with anger, laced with arrogance.

And beneath that… a hint of pride.

Yuan smiled at this.

His azure black eyes locked onto hers as he spoke, his voice calm yet commanding.

"So… shall we begin our talk?"