Chương 196: A Blood Statue

The star's power flowed into my meridians, every molecule of my body crying out in protest as energy that didn't belong in my cultivation realm forced its way through my spiritual pathways. It felt like trying to contain a supernova in a paper cup. The star's power exploded outward, manifesting as a miniature sun that appeared above my head. Unlike Ke Jun's blood-red mockery of a celestial body, this was pure stellar fire that was white-hot and absolutely furious at being contained for so long.

Ke Jun's blood-red eyes widened as he sensed the nature of the energy.

"That's... impossible." For the first time, I heard genuine shock in his voice.

"Stellar Realm energy? In a mere Qi Condensation cultivator?" He tried to retreat, those blood-red lines forming complex defensive patterns in the air around him as his form dissolved into mist. But it was already too late. The star above my head erupted, releasing a beam of pure stellar energy that cut through Ke Jun's blood domain like it wasn't even there, and when the beam struck him, the effect was... spectacular.

Ke Jun's spectral form solidified against his will, forced back into a physical shape by the overwhelming power of a higher realm. His semi-transparent skin began to smoke, then bubble, then burn. The process wasn't quick or clean since stellar energy seemed to want to consume him one molecule at a time, turning his essence into fuel for its cosmic fire.

"No!" His voice held real fear now.

"This wasn't how it was meant to end! I should have —" The stellar light intensified, drowning out his words in a torrent of purifying flame. His body disintegrated, breaking down into its component parts before being consumed by the star's hunger. Where before his remains had dissolved into mist that could reform, now they were reduced to scattered droplets of blood that fell to the platform like crimson rain.

When the light finally faded, all that remained of the former Civilization Realm cultivator were those few drops of blood, spreading out in a pattern that somehow reminded me of a starfield. The silence that followed was deafening. The star above my head flickered once, twice, then winked out of existence. The sudden absence of its power left me feeling hollow, empty in a way that went beyond mere physical exhaustion. My legs gave out and I collapsed to my knees on the blood-soaked stone of the platform.

Every breath felt like inhaling broken glass. My meridians burned as if I'd tried to channel pure lava through them. Even my bones ached, the marrow itself seemingly transformed by the stellar energy that had coursed through my body.

"That," I managed between gasping breaths, "could have gone better."

"Master," Azure's voice was tight with concern, "your vital signs are rapidly deteriorating. The strain of channeling stellar energy has damaged multiple meridians and spiritual pathways. Your physical essence is dropping dangerously low." He wasn't wrong. I could feel my consciousness starting to fade, darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision. The world seemed to be getting further away, sounds becoming muffled and distant. It seemed like I wouldn't be waking up for a while.

But before I could completely pass out, something strange happened. In my inner world, the Genesis Seed suddenly stirred. It had been quietly observing the entire battle, its presence barely noticeable compared to the overwhelming power of the stellar energy. But now... Now it seemed hungry. A deep, primal hunger that resonated through my entire being. The kind of hunger that mountains might feel for rain, that deserts might feel for water, that empty spaces might feel for matter to fill them.

The remnants of Ke Jun's blood essence still saturated the platform, turning the stone crimson and filling the air with traces of his power. The Genesis Seed reached out toward that power with... something. Not quite roots, not quite tendrils, but constructs of pure qi that emerged from my body and began to absorb the lingering blood essence. The sensation was indescribable. I could feel the blood essence being broken down, refined, transformed by whatever process the Genesis Seed was using.

Power that had been tainted by centuries of unnatural existence was being purified, stripped down to its most fundamental elements, then reconstructed into something new. My body began to change. It started with my meridians. The damage from the stellar energy began to heal and were being reformed, strengthened, expanded. My physical essence, which had been dangerously low, suddenly surged upward.

45 units became 48, then 53, finally stabilizing around 55, which was the level of a Stage 8 Qi Condensation cultivator. But the changes weren't just internal. I could feel my facial features shifting slightly, becoming more refined, more... noble, for lack of a better word. If I had to guess, I was probably starting to look more like Ke Jun, which was a side effect of absorbing so much of his essence. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Master," Azure's voice held a note of fascination, "you should examine your inner world. There appears to be an... unexpected development." I turned my attention inward, past the red and blue suns, to where the Genesis Seed pulsed with its usual mysterious power. But now there was something new sharing that space. A statue made of what appeared to be solidified blood essence. It depicted Ke Jun sitting cross-legged in meditation, his expression peaceful in a way it had never been in life.

But the statue was incomplete. Portions of it remained unformed, as if the artist had run out of material before finishing their work.

"Fascinating," Azure mused.

"It appears the Genesis Seed has begun some sort of integration process with the remnants of Ke Jun's power."

"Ha! I knew taking you on my team was the right decision!" Liu Chang's booming voice interrupted my examination of the strange statue. I looked up to see the massive cultivator slowly climbing to his feet, his stone-covered body cracked and battered but his spirit seemingly undiminished.

"Senior Brother Liu," I managed a weak smile, "glad to see you're still alive."

"It'll take more than some ghost from the ancient past to keep me down," Liu Chang grinned, though I noticed he winced slightly as he moved.

"Though I have to admit, that was... closer than I'd like." Around us, the other survivors were beginning to stir. Yan Li pulled himself up using a broken pillar for support, his usually immaculate robes torn and bloodied but his bearing still somehow managing to convey imperial dignity. Shen Xuanyu and Zhang Wei were helping each other stand, both looking pale and drained but alive. Su Yue had managed to sit up, though she seemed content to rest there for the moment.

"We lost too many," Liu Chang's voice grew somber as he looked around at the battlefield.

"Good cultivators, brave disciples... they deserved better than this." No one spoke for a moment, each of us remembering the fallen. Bing Lan's face flashed through my mind: her quiet competence, her skilled swordsmanship, the way she'd fought to the very end. The other disciples who'd been literally divided into their component parts, their remains absorbed by Ke Jun's twisted techniques.

"They died as warriors," Yan Li said quietly, "defending against a threat that could have devastated the entire region if left unchecked. We'll make sure their sacrifices are remembered." I noticed Liu Chang's expression grow distant at the mention of warriors and sacrifice. It reminded me of something I'd been curious about.

"Senior Brother Liu," I ventured, "those ghost techniques you used... they were incredible. I've never seen anything quite like them." Liu Chang was quiet for a long moment, his eyes focused on something far away.

"The ghosts," he finally said, "they were my clan members. My family." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"The Imprisonment Scripture is a way of preserving those who've fallen, allowing them to continue fighting alongside the living." There was clearly more to the story, but Liu Chang's tone made it clear he wasn't ready to share those details. I nodded, respecting his privacy. Everyone had their secrets, their burdens to bear.

"Speaking of unusual techniques," Yan Li turned to me, his eyes sharp despite his exhausted state, "those were some interesting abilities you displayed. The demonic energy, and that star..." He left the question unspoken but clear. I shrugged, trying to appear casual despite my heart rate picking up slightly.

"Everyone needs trump cards, Senior Brother Yan. Though I have to admit, that one was... probably not my best idea." Yan Li studied me for a long moment, then nodded.

"Indeed they do." His lips curved into a slight smile.

"If you ever visit the capital, come find me. I'd be happy to show you around." Coming from most people, that would have been a casual offer. Coming from a member of one of the empire's most powerful clans? That was practically a formal alliance proposal.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied with a smile of my own. It couldn't hurt to have friends in high places. Our conversation was interrupted by movement from the side of the platform. Yan Ziheng and the other surviving Yan clan member were making their way toward us, both looking somewhat sheepish.

"We... apologize for our limited contribution to the battle," Yan Ziheng said, bowing slightly.

"We should have—" I waved off his apology.

"Junior Brother Yan Ziheng, you're both Stage 7 cultivators. No one could expect you to participate in a battle of that level. The fact that you maintained your positions and didn't flee speaks well of your courage."

"Senior Brother, you're also at Stage 7," Yan Ziheng pointed out with a small smile.

"And you only just broke through during the battle." I laughed awkwardly but didn't respond. Sometimes I forgot my own cultivation level because I tended to think more in terms of combat ability than pure stage rankings. But he had a point that by any normal metric, I shouldn't have been able to participate in a battle of that level.

"Well," I said, looking around at the devastated shrine, "since we're here and technically won, anyone want to check for treasures?" The others gave me varying looks of disbelief, but I was already moving to examine the remains of the stone coffin. Hey, I might have just helped save everyone from an ancient monster, but I was still a poor outer sect disciple. A cultivator had to eat.

"Ancient jade figurine," I muttered as I carefully packed away items, "definitely taking that. Ooh, what's this? Some kind of meditation mat? Into the ring it goes. Is that a spirit herb growing between the stones? Mine now."

"Are you... looting?" Su Yue asked, sounding somewhere between amused and scandalized.

"I prefer to think of it as 'resource acquisition'," I replied without looking up from my examination of a particularly interesting-looking piece of jade.

"Besides, he tried to steal my body. I think that makes all his stuff fair game."

"He has a point," Liu Chang said, though I noticed he made no move to join in my treasure hunting. We spent the next hour searching the shrine, but found surprisingly little of value. Either Ke Jun hadn't been big on material possessions, everything had been destroyed in the battle, or the really good stuff had been taken long ago. Still, I wasn't complaining about what I did find because some of these jades looked valuable enough to support my inner world development.

Finally, Liu Chang called for us to prepare to leave.

"We need to report this to the sect," he said, his expression grave.

"A Civilization Realm cultivator using forbidden techniques to preserve his spirit and trying to come back to life... the elders will want to know about this." I took one last look around the battlefield. The shrine was a total loss since between Ke Jun's blood domain and my stellar energy attack, most of the structure had been reduced to rubble. The platform was cracked and scarred, the remaining pillars barely standing.

As we walked back to the village, I couldn't help but notice how the other disciples kept glancing at me. No doubt they were wondering about my mysterious techniques, about the star that had appeared above my head, about the changes in my appearance. Let them wonder. Everyone had their secrets, as Yan Li had said. And I had more than most.