CHAPTER 214 ENDLESS PAIN
As soon as Darren jumped into the boiling cauldron, Scott lifted a large bronze lid and covered the
cauldron. Then he used the dragon aura to seal it tight.
"Oh? Scott, why did you do that?" Darren's voice echoed from inside the cauldron.
"Darren, I need to ensure that you won't flee from the cauldron because of the pain. That is why I have
sealed the cauldron. It's only temporary. You must hold on and finish the refinement."
Although each step of using the demonic blood to refine the body brought tremendous pain, Scott
believed that Darren's body was solid enough to endure it and that he would not die in the process.
However, he worried that Darren would instinctively jump out of the cauldron, and if Darren did that, the
skin refining would be interrupted, and all his efforts would end in vain. What was worse, Darren
wouldn't get a second chance to refine his skin if he failed the first time. This setback would also mean
that Darren would not enter the next stages—the meridian refining stage and the bone refining stage.
"Got it. I'll try to bear the pain." Anguish laced Darren's voice as he spoke.
"I have to leave now. But I'll be back ten days after to let you out!" Scott didn't leave. He stood in front
of the cauldron quietly.
He had told Darren that he needed to be elsewhere so that he would not plead with Scott to remove the
lid when the agony became unbearable.
Inside the grand cauldron
The medicinal liquid that had integrated numerous precious herbs and the demonic monster blood
began eroding Darren's skin. Darren felt as though millions of ants were eating his skin and flesh.
'This pain is less than what I suffered from the soul attack. I can handle it, ' Darren thought as he
exhaled. As the agony increased, Darren clenched his teeth but remained in the cauldron.
Ten hours later, the medicinal liquid had saturated Darren's skin and flesh. Meanwhile, the pain NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
increased tenfold. As a result, Darren's body began to cramp.
"Ah!"
Darren bellowed. The pain had become so extreme that he could not handle it.
He could perceive that his skin had corroded, little by little. If a person saw him now, he would be
terrified because he would see a bleeding man without skin!
Scorching air rushed into his nose and the pain tortured Darren to the extent that he almost fainted.
However, he knew that this was not the end and that the medicinal liquid's effect had not reached its
peak. Otherwise, Scott would not have left him in the medicinal liquid for ten days.
As more time passed, the pain cycle continued. Each time Darren's skin was destroyed, new skin
would form. Then, the medicinal liquid would dissolve the new skin as well, and the process would start
all over again. The longer the cycle continued, the more intense the pain became. Darren couldn't bear
it anymore and was ready to quit.
Bang!
Darren instinctively punched the cauldron as he wanted to break out of the hell-like place!
Continuous booms resounded from the cauldron. The cauldron shook violently and shapes of Darren's
palm and fist formed on the outside each time he punched. However, the cauldron had an excellent
hardness. So, no matter how powerful his punch was, the cauldron remained intact.
"Ahhhhh! Let me out!"
Several hours later, anguish-filled cries were heard from the cauldron.
It was as if the voice containing endless agony was coming from hell. Even Scott, who was meditating
with his eyes closed outside the cauldron, felt the agony in Darren's pleas.
"Darren, hold on," Scott murmured. Then Scott closed his spiritual senses and concentrated on his
cultivation because he couldn't bear to hear Darren's painful cry.
Inside the cauldron, Darren's eyes were bloodshot. He lost all senses because of the pain and only
uttered beast-like bellows.
Five days later, the cauldron returned to peace. No sound was heard from the inside.
Meanwhile, the cycle continued as Darren's skin was destroyed and regenerated continuously. Finally,
pieces of skin, which couldn't be eroded by the medicinal liquid, built up. These segments of skin were
more solid as they were stronger than before.
This was also the reason why the intensity of the pain Darren felt, grew. The newly generated skin was
several times more solid than before, so the pain also multiplied when it was torn apart.
"Boohoo." Darren sobbed as the torment continued. Soon, he lost consciousness as he couldn't bear
the pain anymore.
Finally, ten days passed.
As soon as Scott removed the lid, which he had sealed earlier, a beam of metallic light shot out. Darren
sat motionless in the cauldron as rays of metallic light circled his body.
However, Scott saw an anomaly at once.
"Darren, your new skin has only one thin layer. Is the medicinal liquid not strong enough?"
Scott could see through the metallic light around Darren's body and found that Darren's new skin was
so thin that it looked transparent, which was beyond his expectation.
"Darren." Scott gently shook his friend when he realized that Darren was unconscious.
Darren opened his eyes and looked at Scott. His eyes were as pure as a newborn baby's. He felt as if
a century had passed and that the face he saw was familiar, but also strange.
It was the feeling of having experienced enormous pain and acquiring a new life.
Darren's memory didn't flood back until an hour later.
"Scott," Darren uttered weakly as he exhaled.
"Don't speak. I have good news to share. But there is also some bad news." Scott paused. Then he
continued, "Generally speaking, after finishing the skin refining stage, neither blade nor spear can
penetrate your skin. But, the medicinal liquid was not effective enough to help you finish the skin
refining. That probably happened because your previous skin was too strong. So, I have to add more
herbs to the cauldron, and you have to stay there for a longer time."
Hearing that, Darren's heart skipped a beat. He had to experience pain that was more torturous than
death once again!
But then Darren thought about something and asked, "Does that also mean that my skin refining stage
is more perfectly conducted?"
"Yeah. Once you finish the skin refining stage, your skin will be several times stronger than those who
finished the stage normally."
"Okay. Let's start, Scott. I can hold on!" The greater the pain experienced by a person, the stronger he
would be. Darren was not afraid of bearing more pain to acquire a more durable body.
Scott nodded and added more natural precious herbs as well as demonic monster blood into the
cauldron. Then he used the dragon aura to boil the liquid and was about to cover the lid.
"You needn't put the lid! I'm sure that I can handle the pain."
After Darren had experienced the pain from the first round of skin refining, he found that his
determination had significantly increased. He would control himself and not flee from the cauldron
instinctively.
"Okay. Your success or failure depends on your determination!" Scott trusted Darren explicitly. He
stood outside and watched the cauldron quietly.
Darren took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he became silent.
Since his new skin was very strong, when it was eroded by the boiling medicinal liquid again, he felt ten
times the previous pain.
But Darren sat in the cauldron motionlessly. The sweat beading on Darren's forehead was the only
indication of the discomfort he felt.
A month passed. This time, Darren remained in the cauldron and made no sound.
Scott watched as Darren's skin was destroyed and regenerated. He thought if he were at the same
realm as Darren, he might not have the fortitude to bear such tremendous pain.
Swoosh!
That day, as soon as Darren opened his eyes, a bright light shot out.
Boom!
Darren flew out of the cauldron, and golden light circled him.
"Your skin refining is perfect!" Excitement showed on Scott's face as he exclaimed.
"Scott cut me with your blade!" Darren wanted to test his new skin.
"Okay!" Scott's eyes lit up. He summoned an extraordinary blade and leaped into the air. Then he
turned into a dragon and shot toward Darren.