As the myriad purple markings on Zong Shou finally faded, the psychic storm raging within the cavern began to dissipate.

A flicker of joy crossed Chu Xue’s face. She knew Zong Shou was truly safe now. Though his vital energy was sealed, making him indistinguishable from an ordinary person, the fleeting arc of lightning and the surging vital blood moments ago were undeniable proof. The benefits Zong Shou had reaped were surely immeasurable.

Descendants of ancient divine beasts were often born already possessing the strength of a Rank Seven or higher spirit beast. Considering the sheer volume of essence contained within a single Thunder Luan egg, one could only imagine how vast that power was. Now, Zong Shou had used his own body as a formation to seal every last drop within himself, allowing not a single fraction to escape.

Zong Shou’s method was nothing short of ingenious. To use oneself as the crucible—it was utterly inconceivable beforehand.

Yet, by her understanding, Zong Shou should have absorbed the Thunder Luan egg’s essence by drinking all of its contents. Instead, to her surprise, a single finger was enough. It was faster, more direct, and the innate essence he absorbed was far purer.

It was much like what happened in the Black Mud Swamp previously, where he seemed to absorb the core energy directly from the beast crystal. She still couldn’t fathom how Zong Shou managed these feats.

At this moment, Zong Shou was performing an internal inspection.

“The Bone, Blood, and Mind Wheels are all connected. More than half of the twenty-four acupoints in the Viscera Wheel have been forcefully opened. I only hope my foundation hasn't been too damaged—”

He felt as if his bones, flesh, skin, and membranes, along with the internal organs, had been stripped bare and violently stretched open within his body.

However, this familiar agony, which he endured daily, had rendered him largely indifferent. The pain of tenfold suffering held no more distinction than the pain of a hundredfold. It had surpassed the limits his nerves could bear.

With his formidable willpower, he could still manage to suppress it.

A close examination of his internal condition revealed something slightly beyond his expectations. Not only had the worst-case scenario been averted, but the outcome was strangely fortunate.

“My bones are now as hard as steel! My vital energy is robust, more than ten times that of an ordinary person! The Mind Wheel is also forged, and my soul power has doubled!”

Despite the searing, needle-like pain in his skull, Zong Shou clearly perceived that his cognitive abilities had nearly doubled compared to before. Cultivating the Mind Wheel and strengthening his vital energy directly impacted his soul. The vortex in his sea of consciousness had expanded more than fourfold in this short time!

Part of this was due to absorbing some of the innate essence, and part was the indirect effect of his enhanced vital blood.

Furthermore, the density of his skeletal structure had increased by nearly a hundred percent. His flesh, skin, and membranes, as well as his internal organs, had all seen minor improvements.

He recalled how, during the battle with Lie Jian Uwei that day, a single Willow Leaf Flying Dagger into the eye socket had only caused momentary dizziness, a testament to his Bone Forging.

Zong Shou was in a similar—if not superior—state now; even if struck by a blade, he would likely sustain no serious harm.

“The Fetal Breathing is stable, the foundation is solid—there are indeed significant benefits! If not for this, I would have nearly perished here today. I have successfully vaulted into the realm of a Secret Martial Master in one leap. Although the foundation is somewhat unstable, it can still be salvaged. This tiny price is well worth paying!”

The latter thoughts held a hint of bitterness. The cost he paid today to absorb the Thunder Luan egg’s essence could hardly be described by the phrase 'tiny price.'

Unless he could one day completely refine and absorb the essence he had drawn from the Thunder Luan egg, the tearing pain throughout his body would never cease.

Moreover, due to the necessity of suppressing the myriad strange powers within him, he could likely only manifest about forty percent of his true strength. Even though the vitality in his physical body was far more formidable, it lagged significantly behind martial cultivators of the same rank.

Zong Shou’s body currently resembled a living, human-shaped elixir.

In his past life, the Day Roaming Spirit Master who acquired the Thunder Luan egg had refined its essence into exactly forty-nine Luan Pills. Almost every single pill could elevate a Secret Martial Master by an entire rank upon consumption, pushing them into the Innate Realm!

Though numerous other spiritual medicines were incorporated, this alone demonstrated the astonishing richness of the primordial energy contained within.

In the future, simply grinding down and absorbing these gradually solidifying innate essences within his body would be enough to give him headaches for years to come.

Then there was the Thunder Force of the Luan Bird, hidden beneath the sealing array—another persistent threat. A single lapse in concentration, and he would still be reduced to dust.

“A single Thunder Luan egg can make a small sect prolific with talent, nearly rivaling the Nineteen Spirit Mansions. Now, the entire essence of the Thunder Luan is concentrated within me—who knows how many years it will take me to fully absorb it?”

He scoffed inwardly, yet Zong Shou felt no discouragement. Instead, his heart swelled with joy; he felt an unprecedented lightness.

Since arriving in this world thousands of years in the past, he had lived every day with meticulous care. Subjected to immense pressure, even as the Sword Sovereign Tan Qiu, the foremost of the Seven Sovereigns in his past life as a Heaven Rank powerhouse, he couldn't help but remain vigilant daily, terrified of losing his life to the Innate masters in the next moment. He possessed immense skill but found no outlet for it, nor any path to ascend to the ultimate peak of martial arts!

It was only today, upon completely obtaining this ancient divine beast egg, that he finally possessed the capital required to survive the great storms ahead.

Using his body as the crucible, despite the myriad unforeseen dangers and endless troubles, it was merely the vexation of a fortunate man compared to the constant threat of death he faced before today. It truly amounted to nothing.

Ultimately, he brought this upon himself. However, Zong Shou willingly risked his body tearing apart to seal the majority of the innate essence for the sake of planning for the future.

The obstacle mentioned by Ling Yunlong back then was certainly no lesser challenge than possessing the Dual Vein Physique. The more preparation he made now, the greater his chances of breaking through in the future.

In truth, he already had a vague inkling of what that obstacle might be; it could only be one of a few possibilities—

“It’s just a pity that among the celestial treasures of heaven and earth in my memory that I could obtain, there were still a few. But among them, only the Thunder Luan egg could explain its origins without arousing suspicion. I will need to devise a plan to acquire those other items in the future!”

He recalled the exhaustive efforts spent in Cloud Saint City to persuade Yin Yang. He had pored over countless texts, cited myriad obscure details, only barely managing to convince Yin Yang to let Chu Xue venture into the Blood Valley with him as a trial.

This undertaking, however, was primarily to avoid suspicion. His strength was simply too weak; if he possessed the martial might of his past life, what did it matter if others knew he was a soul transmigrator?

Naturally, there was also the matter of fulfilling the 'Zong Shou' legacy. He could not bear to harm Yin Yang and Chu Xue, who had accompanied him for months.

In the end, his name mattered little to him. He had no objection to establishing his dominance in this world under the moniker of Zong Shou!

His consciousness sank into the sea of his soul, quietly observing the swelling vortex and the thirteen runes.

They remained perfectly clear and translucent, with very few impurities. The innate essence drawn from the Thunder Luan egg was inherently the purest; it could merge directly into his vital energy and soul power without needing the guidance of the Refinement Art or the small Jin.

And the amount of soul power his sea of consciousness could now contain clearly surpassed the Soul Observation Realm!

“The so-called Spirit Nurturing Realm is when a Spirit Master cultivates ‘Inspiration,’ enhancing their control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making their thoughts connect with the spirit. I certainly have enough soul power now, but when casting Daoist spells, there is still a barrier—”

One month, despite the ceaseless nurturing provided by the Twelve Heaven Talismans, allowing his soul power to envelop spiritual energy within ten zhang radius and even integrate with it, was simply too short a time for significant effect.

While the essence of the Thunder Luan egg could boost his soul power, it could not enable him to achieve spiritual communion overnight.

Suddenly, he felt a subtle movement above his head. When Zong Shou snapped back to attention, he saw Xiao Jin, who had been perched atop his head, now hopping and jumping excitedly.