Gods—agents of the laws of heaven and earth, embodiments of order itself.


    The pure primal divine energy within the Origin Divine Pool was a miraculous force, akin to the natural power of the cosmos. In most cases, it carried no side effects and was compatible with nearly all races—a perfect match for the delicate constitutions of this world’s inhabitants.


    Time slipped by, and as the pool’s energy dwindled, the power within Han surged in turn. Alongside this, a striking transformation began to unfold.


    On Han’s back, the crimson flames flared once more, flickering and shifting as if straining to take shape. The Phoenix Gel had sparked a change, though an incomplete one. Now, with the Origin Divine Pool’s aid, those wing-like patterns might finally evolve further.


    As the trial’s victors immersed themselves in their pools, a hush fell over Black Mountain, inside and out. Yet in the peach grove beyond, a visitor arrived.


    Jiang Hengchuan had come to see Lu Qingmo again, this time with Wang Zai in tow. Oddly, Wang Zai should have been inside Black Mountain—yet here he was.


    Lu Qingmo frowned as the pair approached. “Nephew Wang should be in Black Mountain right now. Why are you here as a soul fragment?”


    “I’ve come to discuss something urgent with you, Aunt Lu,” Wang Zai replied. He’d used a rare treasure to split his soul, ensuring it wouldn’t disrupt his cultivation within the mountain.


    “What is it?”


    “Uncle Jiang has something to say first. Let him go ahead,” Wang Zai deferred.


    “Junior Sister Lu,” Jiang Hengchuan said gravely, “you must bring Han into Xuandu Temple. You’ve seen his performance. Yes, he’s a bit older, but for a prodigy like him, age is no barrier. Every Dao Seed carries profound potential. If Han joins the temple, it’s a win for everyone.”


    Lu Qingmo rubbed her temples. Jiang Hengchuan’s persistence was maddening, though she knew his intentions were good. She sighed. “Senior Brother Jiang, I’ve got my own plans.”


    “Anything else?”


    Jiang Hengchuan’s jaw tightened, but he couldn’t force her hand. “That’s all from me. Junior Sister, please think it over seriously. Nephew Wang, your turn.” He glanced at Wang Zai. “He mentioned he had business when I came to see you, so we arrived together.”


    Lu Qingmo nodded, understanding. Wang Zai’s matter was separate—Jiang Hengchuan wasn’t here to back him up.


    “What’s your business?” she asked.


    Wang Zai wasted no time. “Aunt Lu, I have a treasure that can forcibly elevate someone to the Yin God Realm—guaranteed success.”


    Both Lu Qingmo and Jiang Hengchuan froze, startled. A treasure that could assure a breakthrough to Yin God? If Wang Zai dared make such a claim, it might even work for someone like Lu Qingmo. But they quickly sensed a catch.


    “What is it?” Jiang Hengchuan pressed.


    “It’s akin to a divine shard—exceptionally rare,” Wang Zai explained. “My family stumbled upon it by chance. Whether a second exists in this world, I can’t say.”


    In this realm, when gods fell, their essence vanished—divine seats crumbled, shards shattered. Inheritance was almost unheard of. Wang Zai’s comparison to a divine shard painted a vivid picture, though.


    “What’s the drawback?” Lu Qingmo cut to the chase. No treasure this potent could be flawless, or Wang Zai wouldn’t offer it so readily.


    “Aunt Lu’s insight is sharp,” Wang Zai said with a faint smile. “Using it to force a breakthrough to Yin God halts all future progress. The resulting strength is weaker than a typical Yin God cultivator’s, and most crucially… despite reaching that realm, your lifespan remains capped at a mere century.”


    Silence fell. The downsides were staggering—weaker than peers, no lifespan extension. What kind of Yin God was that? A sham, at best—beneath the notice of true Yin God or True Blood cultivators. Xuandu Temple had no need for such impostors.


    Yet was it valuable? Undeniably. Even a flawed Yin God with a hundred-year lifespan outclassed ordinary Manifest Saint cultivators. For those with no hope of breaking through naturally, it could rewrite their fate.


    Lu Qingmo, barring miracles, was stuck at Manifest Saint for life. If Wang Zai’s treasure worked for her, it could be a way out—akin to burning her lifespan for a breakthrough, but amplified. Once, that might have tempted her. Not anymore. With news of the Heavenly Saint Soul-Restoring Liquid and two of its three components already secured, full recovery was within reach. Wang Zai’s offer held no allure.


    “I appreciate the thought, Nephew Wang,” she said with a slight nod, her tone signaling refusal. “But this treasure is too precious and hard-won. I can’t accept it.”


    Wang Zai blinked, stunned. Jiang Hengchuan gaped, equally shocked by her swift rejection. This was a shot at a breakthrough!


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “Are you hesitating for some reason, Aunt Lu?” Wang Zai pressed. “Don’t worry—you can try it first. If it doesn’t help you break through, I’ll ask for nothing in return.”


    His boldness was clear: if it failed, he’d walk away empty-handed.


    “Are you after the Heavenly Thunder Earthfire Seal?” Lu Qingmo asked bluntly.


    Wang Zai nodded, unashamed. “I’ve long admired that peerless technique. If possible, I’d trade for it. If the breakthrough treasure isn’t enough, I can find whatever else you need.”


    “I’m touched by your kindness,” Lu Qingmo said evenly, “but after more than a decade, I’ve let go. There’s no need to waste your treasure on me. The Heavenly Thunder Earthfire Seal—I won’t teach it to you.”


    Wang Zai’s shoulders slumped. He hadn’t expected such unwavering refusal. The allure of a supreme technique was immense, and despite her years away, some still coveted Lu Qingmo’s mastery. His family had gone to great lengths to acquire this rare treasure, a true anomaly. This trip to Black Cloud Town—earned over other Xuandu true disciples—was partly to broker this deal. He’d hoped to build rapport first, but Lu Qingmo gave him no chance. Forced to lay his cards on the table, he’d been confident the treasure addressed her plight, albeit imperfectly. Yet she’d dismissed it outright.


    Jiang Hengchuan, silent until now, spoke up. “Junior Sister, you haven’t passed the Heavenly Thunder Earthfire Seal to Han, have you?”


    He’d noticed their unusual bond. Given Han’s talent, it wasn’t unthinkable.


    Wang Zai’s heart jolted, then sank. The seal’s true essence could only be transmitted three times—a fact known across Xuandu Temple. Lu Qingmo had used one, reserving another for her master—a sacred, untouchable slot. No one could demand she give it up. That left one final chance, the one others could vie for. If Han had it, all hope was lost.


    Lu Qingmo didn’t answer directly. “In short, thank you for your efforts, Nephew Wang, but I won’t share the seal.”


    “Apologies for troubling you, Aunt Lu,” Wang Zai said, retreating without anger or insistence. He carried himself with some dignity despite his agenda.


    Jiang Hengchuan lingered. “I’m not here to plead Wang Zai’s case, Junior Sister, but that treasure does suit you. Who you pass the seal to is your call—but if you did give it to Han, all the more reason to bring him into Xuandu Temple.”


    “Senior Brother Jiang, why don’t you check on Nephew Wang?” Lu Qingmo suggested.


    With a sigh, Jiang Hengchuan left the peach grove to catch up with Wang Zai and offer some counsel.


    Long after they’d gone, Lu Qingmo shook her head. “Forcing a breakthrough… With the treasure he’s already found for me, why would I need to?”


    A long lifespan mattered deeply to her.


    That afternoon, another visitor arrived—Bai Tian. “I’m here to discuss Han’s future with you,” he said straightaway. “I’ll be heading to Jade Capital, and you’re returning to Xuandu Temple. What about Han? He’s not like the others—not on the same path. My plans for Shen Long and them don’t fit him.”


    Three days passed in a flash.


    In the stone hut, the Origin Divine Pool’s energy had vanished, fully absorbed by Han. The refining process had caused quite a stir, but now, calm reigned. His breaths stretched long and steady.


    Five radiant lights bloomed across his body—yellow like the earth, vibrant green of life, soothing blue of moisture—each pulsing with a unique rhythm, as if breathing. The most dazzling was the iridescent glow at his chest, a kaleidoscope of colors.


    An inward gaze revealed their source: his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys—the five viscera. They shimmered with an ethereal haze, transformed into celestial treasures, exuding a flawless, perfect aura. A complete cycle had formed, seamless and unblemished.


    This perfection fueled rapid growth in Han’s physique and true qi. In three days, the Origin Divine Pool had polished the unrefined parts of his five viscera to completion, triggering a breakthrough. He’d reached the Great Completion of the Viscera Realm—a full realm leap.


    As the five viscera’s cycle solidified, it linked with his already perfected six bowels, merging two distinct loops into a grand cycle of five viscera and six bowels. Intertwined by nature, their dual perfection sparked a wondrous shift.


    Resonance hummed between them, releasing a steady stream of primal essence to bolster Han’s body, which in turn nourished his organs, making them ever stronger. Then, faint voices emerged—the six bowel gods stepped from their “divine kingdoms,” appearing above their domains. Eyes open, they chanted ceaselessly.


    Threads of colored light extended from them, reaching into the five viscera. There, vague humanoid figures flickered. The bowel gods’ connection seemed to catalyze something extraordinary—the five figures stepped forth, settling atop their respective organs like their counterparts. Unlike the bowel gods, their eyes remained shut.


    The divine energy flooding Han’s body poured into all eleven gods, sharpening their forms. Their chants grew louder, as if this power was tailor-made for them. Guided by the bowel gods and fueled by the divine energy, the faint outlines of the visceral gods solidified. Their eyelids twitched, teetering on the edge of awakening yet unable to cross it.


    Han remained patient, urging the bowel gods to deepen their pull and channel more energy into their kin. At some point, a second faint chorus joined the bowel gods’ chants, growing stronger until it abruptly halted. The visceral gods flickered, poised at a tipping point.


    “Awaken!” A voice like cosmic thunder roared from beyond, shattering the stillness. The five visceral gods’ eyes snapped open.


    They stirred from slumber—gods reborn!


    “God!”


    “God!”


    Eleven resounding cries echoed within Han, contained yet deafening. A sacred aura surged, filling his being. The eleven gods, though diminutive, radiated immense majesty. Their once-faded chants resumed, now crisp and clear.


    Following the six bowel gods, Han had awakened the five visceral gods—without even using the Five Viscera Divine Pill!


    [Earth-Grade Pill: Five Viscera Divine Pill]


    [Temporarily links to the visceral gods, granting the five viscera unique divine traits. Exceptionally gifted individuals have a minuscule chance to permanently awaken the visceral spirits.]


    He’d used the Six Bowel Divine Pill before, expecting to need its visceral counterpart. Yet the eternally awakened bowel gods had guided their visceral siblings, and with the Origin Divine Pool’s pristine energy, Han had saved the pill and seized the breakthrough to rouse them.


    Eleven gods now presided over his five viscera and six bowels, their divine light safeguarding their “domains,” rendering them “immortal.” Their presence elevated the organs’ essence once more. At this realm, few—if any—could rival the strength of Han’s viscera and bowels.


    The gods forged bonds among themselves, weaving the grand cycle into a divine domain of profound mystery. As worldly essence entered Han, this domain refined it into divine essence, feeding back into his organs to amplify them further.


    “What realm would it take to fully unleash the wonders of these gods?” Han wondered, captivated. Legends spoke of summoning such deities into the world to fight on one’s behalf—an awe-inspiring prospect.


    After savoring the final echoes of his transformation, Han opened his eyes. Divine brilliance blazed in his gaze, outshining the pearl and bathing the hut in daylight.


    Feeling his newfound power, Han grinned. The realm breakthrough was just the start—this haul was massive.