A flicker of joy appeared on Lu Yuan's face.
Yet soon, doubt arose in his mind.
The speed of pill refinement had been far too fast, exceeding his expectations.
However, once he took the pill into his hand, he immediately understood.
The Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace could draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to refine pills automatically, a process that naturally took a very long time. Moreover, without any spirit herbs or exotic fruits, even if it produced a pill, its efficacy would vary greatly.
The reason it had been so fast this time was because Lu Yuan noticed that all the residue of essence remaining inside the furnace had vanished.
It must have been incorporated into the pill, which explained why it was finished so quickly.
After all, though he had soaked it in water before, he had only been able to extract the surface essence. But this freshly refined pill in his palm had absorbed the deeper essence from within.
"I just don't know how effective it is, or if it can help me take another step forward and reach the next realm—the Shackle Realm!"
Lu Yuan held the pill, his mind turning as a light gleamed in his eyes.
If the Awakening Realm was about awakening the mythical genes within the body so they were no longer bound, then the Shackle Realm was about breaking the genetic locks that shackled the human form, unlocking its latent potential completely, continuing to evolve, and attaining even greater transcendent power.
Even more importantly, reaching this realm elevated one's life tier once again.
Even in his previous life, this realm belonged to the ranks of the truly strong.
He had thought he was still quite a distance away from this realm. He had not expected he would be stepping into it so soon.
One had to know that back then, Lu Yuan had only watched battles between figures of this level from a distance; he had had no direct contact with them whatsoever because the gap had simply been too vast.
Now, he too was about to enter the Shackle Realm.
Of course, beyond this realm lay even higher stages of evolution, but those were not something he needed to consider right now.
The evolutionary realms of the Awakened were formulated by the various major factions based on extensive research and ancient records in order to categorize strength.
According to his memories, this realm framework would likely be announced not long after the mutation.
Shaking his head, Lu Yuan dwelled on it no further. He raised the pill and swallowed it directly.
The pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, erupting into a tremendous surge of energy.
This energy was exceptionally violent; an ordinary Awakened would have been unable to withstand it, and it would have wreaked havoc upon their body.
Yet for Lu Yuan, it was entirely different. After fusing with the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda, his internal and external being were united as one, and his internal organs were strengthened to a terrifying degree. The energy converted from the pill posed no threat to him at all.
Instead, supported by his formidable physique, it began to be absorbed in no time, flowing through his limbs and bones.
"Not bad. Comfortable," Lu Yuan murmured after feeling its effects, a smile gracing his face.
Without overthinking any further, he focused on channeling this energy into every inch of his cells and genes.
Because this time, he aimed to break straight into the Shackle Realm.
Once accomplished, when he stepped outside again, while he might not be completely invincible and unhindered, it would not be far off.
Like this, Lu Yuan steadily absorbed the pill's energy, infusing it into his body and stimulating his physical potential.
The process was by no means slow; in fact, it progressed very smoothly. With several divine objects already fused into him, his foundation was simply too solid—likely unmatched by anyone across the globe, not even those special beings possessing ancient bloodlines.
His three months of preparation had not been in vain.
Lu Yuan had resolved early on to lie low in the early stages of the mutation, growing stronger in secret so that once he emerged from seclusion, he could sweep across the world!
And the medicinal potency of this pill was truly beyond expectation, its efficacy immense.
He was certain that as long as he could absorb it entirely, breaking through the barrier of evolution, severing the genetic locks, and elevating his life tier once again was entirely possible.
However, fully absorbing it would likely take some time.
This made Lu Yuan slightly concerned.
While his villa would remain safe for the time being during the early period of the mutation, unexpected incidents were still possible.
It was not that he feared being discovered, but rather that he wanted to prepare everything with complete peace of mind.
Of course, he might simply be overthinking it.
Setting aside unnecessary thoughts, he concentrated on absorbing the energy in peace.
After three months of preparation, putting every asset to its best use and maximizing its efficacy naturally required time.
Thus, the days slipped by one after another, and the weather began to turn cool.
Meanwhile, along a broad road, two jeeps sped forward.
Due to the global mutation, however, sections of the asphalt had cracked and sheared away, with overgrown weeds flanking the roadside. Farther in the distance, mountain peaks rising thousands of meters into the clouds could be seen, from which terrifying roars of wild beasts echoed from time to time.
"Captain Wang, it looks like we're almost at Shanghai's border," someone in the vehicle said.
This group was none other than the Longevity Genetics squad that had set out from the farm in Wuzhou.
Captain Wang Xing nodded upon hearing this and looked ahead.
Yet what met his eyes was still a continuous stretch of mountains.
"Wuzhou wasn't supposed to be far from Shanghai, but after the global cataclysm and the opening of the path of evolution, the land expanded. The journey has multiplied several times over, eating up so much of our time."
A squad member sighed. Along the way, they had encountered either broken roads or towering mountains blocking their path, making driving exceedingly difficult.
At times, they even ran into mutated beasts that had begun to evolve.
Those beasts were colossal and extremely troublesome to deal with.
Had they not taken the specialized gene serums developed by the company, embarked on the path of evolution, and carried full gear, they would have perished on the road long before ever reaching their mission objective.
"Alright, that's enough talk," Captain Wang signaled to the men, taking out his phone. "The company just sent over information confirming Lu Yuan's exact residence. Once we reach Shanghai, we won't waste any time and will head straight there."
"Of course, Captain. When the time comes, you can just sit back and rest; a few of us can handle it," one member chuckled, considering the mission merely tedious rather than difficult.
Judging from the information on Lu Yuan, he was nothing more than a spendthrift rich heir with a hobby for antiques and curios.
"Don't let your guard down," Captain Wang countered, shaking his head. "We lost an entire squad earlier, and whoever dealt with them had some real skill. That guy Lu might not be as simple as he appears on the surface. When the time comes, follow my orders in everything."
He could not shake the feeling that something might go wrong with this mission, though he had no idea where the premonition came from.
He merely suspected that the death of the previous three-man squad had everything to do with Lu Yuan.
"Captain Wang, I think you're overthinking it," someone spoke up. "Even if that guy has a few tricks up his sleeve, so what? Every one of us here is a true elite trained by the company, and we're packing all this heat. How could he possibly fight back?"
As he spoke, he patted the firearms at his waist and showed a few grenades.
Longevity Genetics possessed monstrous influence both domestically and abroad; procuring firearms and conventional weapons was naturally a simple matter for them.
The other members nodded in agreement.
They were not ordinary people; each possessed superhuman means and was no longer on the same life tier as regular humans.
"Mm."
Hearing this, Captain Wang fell silent.
Perhaps running into so many evolved beasts along the way had simply made him on edge.
"Alright, focus on driving. We must finish this mission as quickly as possible so the company doesn't have to press us." He pushed the thoughts aside and told them to speed up. Finishing a day earlier meant getting their rewards from the company a day sooner.
"Understood!"
The squad members answered, pressing forward at full speed.
Their moods were light and relaxed, as if they were merely setting out on the simplest of tasks.
At the suburban villa in Shanghai.
Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the courtyard, his eyes firmly shut.
Though he did not make a single movement, waves of powerful aura emanated from him.
Within his chest, his heart beat with resonant thuds that could be heard from quite a distance.
Like an engine roaring, it was a striking display.
Some time had passed since he swallowed the pill refined by the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace.
By now, Lu Yuan had thoroughly absorbed its energy. He could feel an immensely vigorous vitality swelling within every single cell, as if poised for a profound transformation.
"This is the feeling."
Lu Yuan understood that he had reached the absolute peak of the Awakening Realm.
The next step was to break free of the genetic locks, unleash the latent potential of his genes, and evolve once more.
Without hesitation, he focused his full attention.
He channeled the energy within his cells to undergo deep metamorphosis.
Upon reaching the Awakening Realm, one could gradually begin controlling their cells, aligning them with the body.
What Lu Yuan was doing now was precisely that: using the power from that pill to blast open the genetic locks.
He understood, however, that this process was notoriously difficult and required sufficient patience.
Yet soon, as Lu Yuan began exerting his strength—
*Crack.*
A faint sound of something shattering rang out.
An even greater surge of power surged from deep within his body, circulating through his blood vessels, internal organs, and down to every single pore. The sensation was immensely soothing, as if his entire being were submerged in a hot spring.
At the same time, Lu Yuan felt his strength swell once more, a comprehensive boost in every aspect.
"Is this... breaking a genetic lock and reaching the Shackle Realm?"
He opened his eyes, slightly stunned.
According to what he knew, wasn't breaking free of a genetic lock supposed to be an arduous ordeal?
Why had it seemed almost easy for him?
It felt unbelievable.
And just as Lu Yuan was about to examine himself more closely—
*Crack!*
*Crack!*
Two more crisp sounds followed in quick succession.
Those were genetic locks being shattered and cast off, releasing yet another wave of brand-new power.
Counting the first, that meant three genetic shackles had been broken!
Lu Yuan was left at a loss for words.
One had to realize that upon reaching the Shackle Realm, breaking each genetic lock typically required painstaking effort, unless one had the aid of rare spirit fruits and exotic herbs. Yet on him, that rule seemed not to apply.
*I get it. My foundation is simply too robust. Fusing several divine objects has elevated my physique to a terrifying level.*
*The main reason I could break through genetic shackles so easily is largely because of that.*
Lu Yuan finally realized the cause, his face brightening with joy as various thoughts crossed his mind.
The human body contained a total of one hundred and eight shackles.
An ordinary Awakened could advance to the next evolutionary stage after unlocking twelve.
However, geniuses gifted with extraordinary talent or potent bloodlines would choose to keep breaking genetic shackles.
In his previous life, the highest record he had ever heard of was breaking forty-nine genetic shackles in total.
That was already horrifyingly impressive, paving a smooth path for one's future evolution and allowing them to go much farther.
Now, what Lu Yuan pondered was whether, with his foundation and depth, he could break all one hundred and eight shackles.
"If I break them all, just what kind of heights will I reach?"
He mused, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
He knew it was entirely possible—in fact, the chances were very high.
"Let's see if I can keep going," Lu Yuan muttered to himself. Having broken three shackles in a row, keeping the momentum going would naturally be ideal.
Unfortunately, perhaps because the essence of that pill had been completely depleted, he was unable to break any further genetic shackles in the end, halting at his current progress.
This was only natural.
After all, this was something that required time and accumulation.
Lu Yuan was very satisfied with what he had achieved so far, harboring no insatiable greed.
The path of awakening and evolution had to be trodden step by solid step.
"That's about it."
Without another word, Lu Yuan stood up and stretched his limbs.
Instantly, an imposing, heavy aura burst forth from him.
His body was slightly taller than before, with well-proportioned muscles and flawless lines.
Looking closely, subtle glimmers of light shimmered across his skin with a dreamlike sheen—a sign that appeared only when one's physique evolved to a certain degree.
Lu Yuan could clearly sense the explosive power coiled within him; he had nothing to fear from conventional firearms now.
Next, he glanced at the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace and tapped the outer wall a few times.
The furnace swiftly shrank until it was the size of a fingernail, making it easy to carry.
The immortal elder's artifacts were truly convenient.
"Now, practically all the divine objects have been used once, leaving only the last one." As Lu Yuan pondered, he held up the only relic he had yet to use: the Heaven-Shaking Bow.
After the mutation, the Heaven-Shaking Bow had changed as well. Its body gleamed in gold and crimson, with the sun and moon carved into either end.
The bowstring was a black cord made of some unknown material.
Touching it lightly revealed its tremendous resilience; snapping it was nearly impossible.
Ancient artisans had crafted it as a replica of Dayi's Sun-Shooting Bow, and it was exceedingly powerful, named "Heaven-Shaking."
"The Heaven-Shaking Bow, the Innate Qi Robe, the Daluo sword core, along with the divine objects fused into me and the peerless Daoist and Buddhist divine abilities... Right now, I can practically be said to be armed to the teeth. If I go all out, there's probably hardly anyone in this world who could harm me."
Holding the bow and thinking of the divine items he possessed, Lu Yuan made an appraisal of his strength.
Strong—terrifyingly so.
As for why he conservatively phrased it as "hardly anyone could harm me" rather than an absolute statement, it was because Lu Yuan maintained a clear understanding of his capabilities. Leaving aside fellow Awakened on the evolutionary path, modern technology still possessed weapons like nuclear warheads, which he still treated with caution; their destructive power was simply too colossal.
Furthermore, this world was far from as simple as it appeared.
It held countless secrets.
For instance, legends of immortals had existed in distant eras.
In the past, hardly anyone would have believed them, but looking at it now, those immortals must have been exceptionally powerful Awakened. Whether such beings still remained in this world was unknown to Lu Yuan, but being cautious was never a mistake.
So long as he was not yet invincible under the heavens, caution remained necessary.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside.
Lu Yuan knew very well that with the foundation he had laid down, as long as he continued evolving, he would have nothing to fear even if true immortals appeared.
"I wonder how much time has passed out there, and what changes have occurred."
He murmured to himself. His phone had long since died from lack of charge, so he could not accurately tell the time, knowing only that it was night.
Judging from the current chill in the air, however, quite a few days had passed.
Sure enough, when Lu Yuan plugged in his phone and powered it on, he found that the date displayed was already December.
In other words, assimilating and utilizing these divine objects had taken him over three months.
"Let's see what the situation outside looks like first."
Lu Yuan did not dwell on the time and prepared to browse through some news and forum websites.
Just then, his ears twitched as he caught an unusual sound.
It seemed to be footsteps rapidly approaching, nearly at the villa.
An Awakened's five senses far exceeded those of ordinary people, and at Lu Yuan's realm and strength, they were even more exaggerated—unless concealed by some special method.
Evidently, the newcomers possessed no such ability.
"Just when I was looking for someone to test the Heaven-Shaking Bow's power on, isn't this perfect?"
Lu Yuan smiled, setting aside his thoughts of checking the news for now. With a leap, he exited the villa hall.
His three months of dormant evolution would now be displayed for the very first time!
Chapter 33