44. Obtaining Power VI

Unknown how much time has passed, Clay is staring at the ceiling of cave with a blank expression on his face and it is amazing that despite the level of pain he experienced, his sanity is still intact.

Recalling that time when he was tortured, at least he end up losing consciousness but integrating with another Beast Core is on a whole new level. Even if he begged a millions so he could pass out, he remained conscious and experienced what real hell is like.

That feeling of being burned and roasted and suffocated like being buried alive and for the entire duration of opening the third set of meridians, he was not allowed to lose consciousness.

Unbeknownst to Clay, it is not even an hour when he integrated with the Beast Core but for him, it felt like an eternity. At some point when the pain was at its peak, he felt like his mind drifted and floated through an endless span of darkness and after thousands of years, he saw a glow light waking him back to his reality.

With the pain having fully subsided, Clay wanted to weep. Some people would succumbed to desperation and commit suicide yet the thought of ending it all by killing himself has never enter his mind.

Clay curled his body then slowly crawled backwards then pressed his back against the wall to support his body. Although his body is fine, after going through such brutal experience, he finds it difficult controlling and adjusting with his body.

Clay looked at his palm then closed his eyes so he could see his third set of meridians.

In the past, he would marvel and be awed by the beauty and mystifying discovery but today, he could not even bring himself to be curious. Instead, he willed his second Beast Core to circulate and absorbed the surrounding energy within cave and in less than a minute, the circulation stabilized similar to his dantian and his first Beast Core.

Clay opened his eyes.

Even without testing and combining all his meridians, he could already tell how powerful he has become. In fact, he is confident he can now defend and easily crush that young swordsman who previously injured him.

But Clay is not satisfied by being able to kill someone who is already dead. What he wants now is an assurance that he can overpower anyone even if it is a Nascent expert who can manifest the same level of mysterious energy like the swordsman.

Clay controlled his murderous thoughts then sent his Qi into his spatial ring.

Recalling the first time he fused with a Beast Core, he remembered the need to quench his thirst so he took out the bottles of water he filled with rain then started drinking. However, as soon as he gulped all its contents, he is confused he could not feel anything weird.

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Clay decided to wait and observe but after half an hour, he could still not feel any thirst or hunger.

Unwilling to be caught to a surprise, he opened another bottle but as he drank nearly half of its contents, he actually started to feel bloated and full so he stopped.

Clay placed the bottle of water to his side and stared at the dim glow of the Fire Crystal.

Now that he has obtained a significant improvement of his strength, he is contemplating if he should start travelling his journey.

A few months ago, he thought Core Formation experts are existence to be feared but having encountered the young swordsman with lower cultivation level, he now has better understanding about power scaling.

Whatever that mysterious power, it has similar effect with his boosted power.

It is still unclear how where this explosive power is coming from but each time he combines his Dantian’s Qi and the energy from his Beast Core, there is a multiplicative increase on his power.

From his observation, each time a normal cultivator breaks through a level, that level increases the cultivator’s strength additively. Meanwhile, that mysterious power released by the swordsman serves as a catalyst turning a normal power into a destructive form of energy capable of rivaling his power.

And this is what is worrying him.

The fact that he can integrate with another Beast Core to boost his strength means that mysterious power must have its own version of power scaling. In fact, had the Core Formation expert he killed is capable of imbuing his strength with the same mysterious power emitted by the swordsman, he reckons he would not have had escaped.

Exhale!

Clay let a long sigh. He did not want to over think but since the kidnapping, he would rather be overly prepared than be caught to surprises.

Clay leaned his head against the wall as he took out a small translucent crystal from his spatial ring and placed it on top of his index finger and raised his hand.

“So be it.”

Clay muttered to himself and after a second, he sat on meditative position. After which, he took out two more crystals from his spatial ring and their corresponding awakening pills.

Since he will be experiencing the same inhumane and extreme level of pain each time he integrate with a Beast Core, he may as well do it simultaneously to save time.

Clay placed three different Awakening Pills into his mouth and swallowed them. Right now, he has Fire and Water Beast Core. What he just ingested are for Wind, Earth, and Wood Bloodlines. Technically, it is not bloodline he is awakening but a whole new set of meridians and Qi circulation circuit.

While waiting for the pills to take effect, he then made incision towards the spaces between his ribs to make space for the Cores.

And after five minutes, Clay placed each Core to their respective spaced then imbued his Qi into them.

“Arggg!”

Clay clenched teeth as his body is once again undergoing extreme levels of pain but this time, he has developed a small tolerance.

Unlike the first and second time where he would scream in agony, this time, he is able to maintain a meditative position. To divert his attention, he circulated Qi on to his Dantian hoping he will fall into a trance. However, despite his attempts, it still felt like showering on boiling lava.

Clay forced himself to concentrate and ignored the pain but on the tenth minute, he can no longer tolerate the pain and his body dropped on the floor and started convulsing.

As time passed, the pain gradually subsided but at the same time and unknown to Clay, his body is undergoing transformation starting with a small dark discoloration on his coccyx.