Chapter 21: Refining and Cleansing

Using one's own body and blood to transform the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir was the unreliable suggestion provided by the system.

Having no other choice but to follow this path, Wang Liang sliced an incision into the palm of his left hand, and pressed the half-liquid Nine-Turn Golden Elixir into it.

The moment the elixir liquid touched the wound, Wang Liang only felt a numbness in his left hand. His left hand no longer felt like his own as a piercing pain began from his fingers and quickly surged up into his arm.

Wang Liang understood that this was the elixir liquid of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir moving through his blood vessels on its own accord. This pain would start from his left hand, spread throughout his entire body, and then recede from his entire body back to his left hand.

And this was merely one of the eighty-one cycles. Sensing the agony in his left hand, Wang Liang picked up a branch from nearby and bit down on it.

Then, he climbed onto the bronze warhorse, glanced toward the west, pointed his right hand in that direction, and let the bronze warhorse gallop forward on its own.

Wang Liang slumped over the bronze warhorse, gripping its reins tightly to keep from falling off.

After making these preparations, Wang Liang closed his eyes to resist the pain inflicted upon him by the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

The pain transformed in a way that grew increasingly intense. Just when Wang Liang thought he could endure it, an even more excruciating wave of pain refreshed his senses. He couldn't help wondering how those players managed to withstand all sorts of pain in the game.

Right now, he just wished he could pass out immediately so he wouldn't have to feel anything at all.

However, the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir had the effect of protecting the player's body; instead of letting him faint, it stimulated him, making him more and more alert.

In the end, Wang Liang had to multitask. Trying not to think about the pain wracking his body, he continuously recited passages from the Supreme Profound Scripture or studied the Classic of Changes to distract himself.

At the same time, his body instinctively adjusted his muscles using the Inborn Universe Skill to suppress the agony.

Kept busy in this manner, Wang Liang almost lost track of time. He only remembered running forward continuously, running from dark to dawn, and from dawn to dark. Unsure of how long he had been riding, he finally stopped in front of a massive river.

The bronze warhorse stopped not because it had run out of stamina, nor because of Wang Liang's command, but because the great river before them was something the bronze warhorse simply could not cross.

Looking up and down the river, he could not see either end; looking across to the other bank, he could not see the opposite shore.

The river water surged, kicking up huge waves from time to time, and amidst the whitecaps, one could see that at least half of the river consisted of churning silt and sand.

This oppressive aura of danger emanating from the water even caused the bronze warhorse—which possessed no intelligence and only knew how to run forward according to Wang Liang's instructions—to halt in its tracks.

As soon as the bronze warhorse stopped, Wang Liang tumbled off the mount, crashing onto the ground and remaining unable to get up for a long time.

At this moment, he felt pain all over his body, and his stomach felt as if it were burning with fire, a sensation akin to having gone without food for seven or eight days.

Fortunately, the notification prompt flashing before his eyes lifted his spirits somewhat.

【Through prolonged study, your proficiency in the Supreme Profound Scripture has increased to Level 5. Your mastery of the Classic of Changes has increased to Level 4. Your riding skill has increased to Level 3. Your mastery of the Inborn Universe Skill has increased to Level 2.】

With a faint smile, Wang Liang propped himself up from the ground, struggling to flip open his backpack in search of something to eat. However, he truly lacked the strength—even the strength to retrieve food.

At that moment, a plump, fair hand reached out toward Wang Liang, holding a dried and hardened waterskin.

Wang Liang looked up and saw that the person standing before him was a chubby, fair-skinned man with a head of curly hair. He was dressed in simple linen garments and looked travel-worn, yet the flesh on his body was remarkably fair, instantly revealing a pampered upbringing.

Fortunately, this person had black hair, dark eyes, and delicate facial features, making him look somewhat like a Han Chinese. As he offered the hardened waterskin, a hint of a smile lingered on his face, naturally evoking a sense of goodwill in others.

"Starving, aren't you? Have something to eat."

Wang Liang propped himself up into a sitting position and, with the man's assistance, sat before a rock near the riverbank. Leaning back against the stone, Wang Liang finally felt a glimmer of strength return to him.

He never expected that instead of dying from the stimulation of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir's liquid, he would nearly starve to death.

He expressed his gratitude to the man, then carefully tore off a small piece of the dry rations, letting it dissolve in his mouth without swallowing it immediately.

Having experienced major battlefields, Wang Liang knew that when a person was extremely starved, one must never gorge themselves wildly; doing so would only ruin the stomach rather than restore physical strength immediately.

Meanwhile, the man began to chatter away on his own, "Why did you come here all by yourself? Getting to this place couldn't have been easy. The entire road is filled with man-eating monsters, and on top of that, you've starved yourself to this state."

"You're not traveling alone?"

Wang Liang finally snapped back to his senses. He looked up with a trace of curiosity at the chubby, fair-faced man in front of him.

Wang Liang found this man to be remarkably approachable; even though they were complete strangers, Wang Liang still felt willing to converse with him.

"Of course not. For some reason, ever since I was a child, I've had this urge to head west. Later on, when I grew up and took over the family estate, I simply sold off all our property, packed up the servants and retainers, and headed west together. Thanks to them along this way, I managed to make it this far.

Right now, they are busy building boats. By the way, would you like to cross the river together? This river is a full eight hundred miles wide; you won't be able to cross it without a boat."

"Alright!"

As soon as he answered, Wang Liang realized how readily he had agreed to the fat man's invitation.

"That's more like it! When people are out and about in the world, they need to help each other out like this. Honestly, I've noticed that whenever I help someone, good things always happen. See this?"

As he spoke, the man fished a wild boar's tusk out from his tunic. "On my way here, I ran into a fleeing wild boar being hunted down by a large group of people. I felt sorry for it, so I gave it a hand and helped it escape. It gave me this tusk in return.

Guess what? After getting this tusk, I haven't encountered any major monsters along the way. The journey has been quite smooth indeed.

That's why I always tell my servants that whenever we meet someone on the road who needs help, we must lend a hand. Who knows, we might receive blessings in return later.

Alright, you rest here for a bit. I'm going to go check on how their boat-building is coming along."

After the man departed, Wang Liang shook his head. He couldn't quite tell whether the man's personality was good or bad, but he certainly wasn't repulsive.

Pushing the man's affairs to the back of his mind, Wang Liang opened the system panel. The description regarding the artifact quest had already changed.

【Artifact Quest: Natal Artifact (Gold) Unlocked】

【Quest Stage One: Refining (Completed)】

【Quest Stage Two: Shaping】

【Quest Description: The Nine-Turn Golden Elixir liquid mixture has merged with you, becoming a part of your body. However, this is merely raw material, not an artifact. Please choose a direction for your natal artifact...】