The method to fuse with the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda was quite simple.
It required blood refinement to establish a resonance with it.
Lu Yuan drew a dagger, intending to cut open his palm.
Yet he was soon left helpless.
The dagger was a common household knife, perfectly capable of slicing fruits and vegetables.
Yet the instant the blade met his palm, a metallic clatter rang out, and the edge curled right back.
He had no choice—his physical body was simply too formidable. His skin was like hardened steel, impervious even to bullets.
Much less a mere dagger; if he applied any more force, it would probably shatter.
Helplessly, Lu Yuan shifted his gaze toward the Daluo sword core.
At this moment, the sword core remained jet-black, yet dazzling strands of light flowed across its surface. A closer look revealed mysterious, bizarre patterns inscribed upon it.
The Daluo sword core was an otherworldly object from beyond the heavens; even he had no idea what material it was forged from.
This sword core possessed two distinct advantages.
First, it was peerlessly sharp. Once refined, it could merge into the body, linking with the mind and shifting at its wielder's will.
Second, the sword core possessed growth potential. That meant it could assimilate all kinds of extraordinary divine metals, continuously transforming and growing more formidable.
Put simply, it was akin to an unranked weapon in a game that leveled alongside its owner.
It could continually grow with its master.
Otherwise, Lu Yuan would never have waited ten full days at the farm just for its sake.
"Forget it. I'll refine the Daluo sword core first," Lu Yuan muttered in resignation, only able to blame his own excessive strength.
Still, it mattered little. He had plenty of time, and there was no need to concern himself with external affairs for the moment.
Without hesitation, he picked up the Daluo sword core.
It felt slightly cool to the touch.
And rather heavy.
The refinement method was equally straightforward, also requiring his own fresh blood.
Since the Daluo sword core was a divine relic from beyond the heavens, it sliced through his skin with effortless ease.
The next instant, blood surged into it.
Beams of brilliance erupted from the sword core. Unlike ordinary light, each beam was shaped like a miniature sword. When these sword rays drifted to the ground, the stone flooring was instantly sliced through like soft bean curd. Just the stray radiance trailing downward possessed such devastating power!
Indeed, this was another formidable power of the Daluo sword core—the Daluo sword qi.
Yet Lu Yuan paid no heed to this, choosing instead to plunge his consciousness deep into the sword core.
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, the Daluo sword core vanished into thin air without a trace.
Yet soon enough, at a mere thought from Lu Yuan, strands of sword radiance coalesced beside him, taking the form of a blade just over three feet long. It was pitch-black throughout, etched with golden runes—mysterious and immensely powerful.
It had reshaped itself according to his desire. Held in hand, both its length and weight felt entirely natural, answering his will like an extension of his own arm.
"Good."
Lu Yuan tested its feel.
Even in its initial embryonic state, it was more than sufficient for his current self.
Once he grew stronger in the future and fed it with divine metals and ores, it would continually evolve alongside him, completely eliminating any need for a replacement.
Clearing his mind, he knew it was time for the next step: fusing with the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda.
Taking a moment to check the time, he noticed that more than half a month had already slipped by.
Heaven only knew how chaotic the outside world had become by now.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside.
Using the Daluo sword core, Lu Yuan drew blood once more and let it drip onto the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz.*
The blood pagoda trembled, radiating waves of crimson light.
Yet this crimson light appeared profoundly sacred, devoid of any eerie or sinister aura.
It was as though the blood staining it had been left behind by an enlightened Buddha.
As time passed, the crimson light began to resonate with his body—a clear sign that the fusion was about to begin.
"Fusing with the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda will take some time."
"I need to stay focused throughout."
With that thought, Lu Yuan directed his intention, and the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda sank directly into his chest.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
*Thump, thump, thump!*
At that moment, his heart began to pound violently like a war drum—mighty, forceful, and roaring within his chest.
Upon entering his body, the blood pagoda automatically divided into eleven beams of different-colored light, plunging straight into his internal organs.
*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...*
Endless crimson light emanated from Lu Yuan's entire body, making him resemble a man carved of blood.
Strands of fresh blood even seeped from his pores, presenting a rather gruesome sight.
He knew this was because his internal organs were not yet strong enough.
Bearing the power of the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda was bound to be an agonizing ordeal.
Yet to Lu Yuan, who had struggled at the bottom of the world for ten years in his past life, what did a little pain matter?
He concentrated with single-minded focus, banishing all stray thoughts to let his body adjust.
The fusion process proved arduous.
It was far less smooth than his integration with the Ancient Bodhi Tree. The blood seeping from his skin soaked his garments red and dripped onto the floor.
As time elapsed, blood continued to ooze out. Yet upon closer inspection, one could see a faint golden sheen mixed into the blood emerging from his body, radiating a sacred grace.
Legend had it that when monks cultivated to a certain profound realm, drawing close to that of an Arhat, their blood would turn golden.
And now, aided by the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda, Lu Yuan was undergoing a transformation toward that very state.
Once complete, his physical body would be bolstered by the power of the blood pagoda, achieving an unprecedented evolution once more.
And so, while enduring the agony of fusion, Lu Yuan's physical strength steadily climbed as the days went by.
As for the earth-shattering upheaval in the outside world, none of it concerned him in the slightest.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the region, at the farm on the outskirts of Wuzhou.
Its former owner, Boss Zhang, stood trembling inside the farm villa, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
Over this period, the transformations occurring everywhere had completely shattered the understanding of the world he had held for decades. The earth had stretched, mountains and rivers had shifted, beasts and birds had mutated—and most terrifying of all, a group of humans had gained godlike power, breathing water and fire like celestials.
Virtually everyone was affected. People proclaimed that a New Era had arrived, and countless ambitious figures rejoiced in wild revelry.
Yet for ordinary people like Boss Zhang, it was an entirely different story.
Morality was trampled, and the law was on the verge of vanishing completely.
Even the money in his hands had turned into useless paper.
He could only tread cautiously to survive in this chaotic era; one wrong step that offended those Awakened could leave him without so much as a corpse.
Indeed, after a period of upheaval, those individuals who had gained supernatural power and evolved were collectively known as Awakened.
Previously, Boss Zhang had only seen such beings on the news and television.
Yet today was different.
The Awakened had come straight to him.
Drenched in cold sweat, he cast a nervous glance toward the interior of the villa.
The place had been ransacked; the chairs and tables were smashed to pieces.
Inside, several figures clad in combat uniforms moved about—seven tall men in all, each armed with a firearm.
Upon their sleeves was a unique insignia, where four characters were faintly legible:
Longevity Genetics!
"Captain, we didn't find anything," one of them reported.
"Understood."
The captain leading them nodded, then turned and strode toward Boss Zhang, step by step.
Fully equipped, only his eyes were visible—and those eyes were an emerald green, carrying a chilling blend of chaos and bloodlust.
Drawing near, the man looked down on him as if gazing at an ant. His tone was eerily calm and frigid as he said, "I'll give you only one chance. Who is that man surnamed Lu, where does he live, and what is his identity?"
Chapter 30