Chapter 188: Drum Sound Captures the Soul

In the blink of an eye, half a day passed. Yang Tian had been devouring the golden flames, tempering his flesh. Strands of golden flame blazed with astonishing intensity, enough to scorch half the sky—fearsome and terrifying.

Bang! Bang! Yang Tian's crystalline body radiated golden light, as if plated with gold. His solemn bearing exuded a terrifying aura; his flesh resounded like a great drum, like the pulse of the earth, inspiring fear in all who heard it.

"Not bad, the physical phenomenon has already manifested a trace of power." Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Xiao sensed the drumming, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes as he murmured to himself.

Ancient cultivators took body refinement as their foundation. The powerful could tear the void, pluck stars and moons barehanded; even stronger ones traversed realms within and without the universe by sheer physical might—stunningly brilliant, truly peerless figures.

Yang Tian's physique, in the present age, among those of the same rank, if not invincible under heaven, could be called unparalleled through the ages! So terrifyingly strong that before even entering the Rebirth stage, he could already manifest a trace of physical power.

Among his peers, who dared contend with him?

Above Yang Tian's head, the Tianshu Divine Sword hovered, radiating myriad beams of light, divine radiance shimmering. Amid this sharp aura, a hint of metallic essence spread. The surrounding blazing flames could no longer temper Tianshu.

Now, Yang Tian opened his mouth and inhaled, directly pulling in several mouthfuls of golden flames. His skin no longer cracked; his jade-like flesh offered resistance, but the effect was still astonishing.

In the blink of an eye, after another two hours, Qin Shi panted heavily, sweat beading on his nose. The blood and qi within him were nearly dry; if not for medicinal pills restoring his cultivation, he could not have lasted this long.

After two hours, Qin Shi slowly stopped pouring in his blood and qi, wiped the sweat from his face, and murmured to himself, "Could that kid have died in there? Why hasn't he begged for mercy after so long?"

"Your Highness, the person inside should have been refined by now, right? Even a War King couldn't hold out this long." The white-robed elder walked over slowly, gazing at the golden cauldron, and said flatly.

Hearing this, Qin Shi frowned slightly, then knocked on the golden cauldron and said, "Do you surren—"

Clang! Clang! Just as Qin Shi's words fell, the golden cauldron suddenly shook, and from within came the clang of metal, crisp and loud, jarring Qin Shi's eardrums painfully.

"How is this possible?" Seeing this, a flicker of surprise crossed the white-robed elder's face. Qin Shi had activated the cauldron with all his might, yet the person inside had not been refined!

"Such tenacious vitality! This kid's flesh is truly formidable!" A look of displeasure appeared on Qin Shi's face. Inside his own artifact, Yang Tian still had the strength to fight back.

The white-robed elder moved closer, wanting to kill Yang Tian directly to avoid trouble. "Your Highness, shall we..."

Hearing this, Qin Shi waved his hand. His heart was extremely proud; if he needed help against a peer opponent, his pride could not accept it, especially since Yang Tian was still trapped in his artifact.

"I don't believe it. Let's see how long you can last." After a few moments of silence, Qin Shi steadied his mind. A golden, lustrous pill appeared in his hand, shrouded in misty haze, radiating golden light, with vast medicinal power surging.

Qin Shi swallowed the pill directly. It was clearly perceptible that the blood and qi within him were recovering wildly at a terrifying speed.

Seeing this, the white-robed elder's eyes showed a hint of pain. This fifth-rank high-grade pill, the Great Rejuvenation Pill, normally required a sixth-rank alchemist to refine, and now Qin Shi had swallowed it directly.

Medicinal power surged, blood and qi churned. If observed closely, one could see medicinal power spraying from Qin Shi's mouth and nose, drifting into the void, swept away by the wind into the high heavens.

"Alas..." The white-robed elder shook his head slightly, lamenting Qin Shi's wastefulness. Though the Southern Divine Dynasty was immensely wealthy, high-grade pills were still very rare. In the cultivation world, precious spiritual herbs were too scarce; many had become extinct.

After about sixty breaths, Qin Shi opened his eyes. Rolling blood and qi flowed out, cyan-jade battle qi shimmered, and his entire aura became充盈.

His gaze fell on the golden cauldron. Qin Shi's sleeve flicked slightly, and a cyan-jade stream shot out, directly surging onto the cauldron.

"Cauldron spirit, appear!" Qin Shi shouted, his palms together. Terrifying cyan-jade energy shot straight into the sky, like ocean waves, shattering the clouds.

The golden cauldron suddenly trembled. The golden dragon embossed on the cauldron moved, emitting an ancient aura, like a waking dragon.

As energy continuously poured in, the golden dragon's aura grew stronger, its claws extending slightly.

The blood and qi Qin Shi consumed were terrifying, continuously pouring into the golden cauldron. Only a small portion of the Great Rejuvenation Pill's medicinal power had been used; the consumed blood and qi were constantly replenished.

Rumble! The golden cauldron shook, erupting with a terrifying aura. The void cracked, and within came the sound of roaring waves, like ten thousand horses galloping.

The golden cauldron seemed to transform into a furnace, emitting scorching waves of fire. The surrounding rocks were melting, giving an idea of the temperature inside.

Sensing a vast pressure sweeping over, Yang Tian opened his eyes. Looking at the surging golden flames, he couldn't help licking his lips.

"Where else can I find such free labor?" Scratching his head, Yang Tian grinned, an excited smile on his face.

These terrifying golden flames posed a lethal threat, but the strands of golden fire could not approach within ten zhang of him.

Tianshu clanged, its blade trembling. A mass of golden light surged out, its devouring power opening wide, gathering the surrounding golden flames. Sparks occasionally overflowed from the sword body.

"Divine materials are indeed hard to nurture. Even this flame can't achieve much effect." Observing Tianshu for a while, Yang Tian sighed. This cauldron was extremely powerful, but Qin Shi could not unleash even a fraction of its might.

Yang Tian inhaled a mouthful of golden flames. The searing pain reached his very mind, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. At the same time, his skin began to crack, revealing flesh.

After long torment, Yang Tian's mind was nearly numb. He knew very well that only this could rapidly increase his strength. Over the years, he dared not inquire about his parents' news. He bore a blood feud; only with supreme strength could he show his edge.

Though the pain of body forging was agonizing, decades of interwoven pain and hatred had made his mind and resilience extraordinary. He could have relied on Yang Xiao to leave, but he did not. Something behind him drove him forward, unable to stop, for stopping meant enduring the interweaving of pain and hatred.

His strength surged wildly. Drops of Hundred Herbs Divine Liquid fell. Using the contained golden flames, Yang Tian had broken his limits several times. His flesh was terrifyingly powerful, the drum sound growing louder.

The sea of qi was long and crystalline, like jade, each drop containing terrifying power. Battle qi surged, raising monstrous waves, as if about to split the nine heavens, the waves rending the sky, shattering the clouds!

Yet beneath this trembling river, battle qi seemed on the verge of bursting out of his body.

This was a sign of reaching the extreme. He could now step into Rebirth, completing the first four realms, also known in the cultivation world as the Foundation Building stage. After completing the first four realms, one's lifespan would greatly increase; a War King could live four or five hundred years without issue.

But he was still waiting. Yuan Xia had once said that divine abilities and techniques, upon passing the fourth realm, would attract the Annihilation Divine Thunder, which no one on the continent could survive. Yang Tian knew his flesh still had potential; he could not give up any hope.

Outside, Qin Shi's surging aura rapidly shrank. He licked his dry lips, his eyes exceptionally weary, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

"Your Highness, it should be about done, right? I suggest opening the lid to take a look." The white-robed elder stepped forward; he had felt something amiss all along.

"That's fine." Hearing this, Qin Shi nodded. After so long, even he would have been burned to ashes.

Qin Shi waved his hand. The golden cauldron shook, and the lid above lifted. Ten thousand beams of golden light burst forth, and terrifying waves of fire swept across heaven and earth.