Chapter 26: Profound Advancement, Physical Perfection

In the depths of the night, Wang Fan sat cross-legged in the Botanical Garden of City Z, at the heart of its lush vegetation. Surrounded by thriving greenery, he activated the Devouring Demon Art, drawing the boundless essence from the plants and grasses around him. This vital energy flowed from the trees into his body, merging with him. Yet, this immense vitality, once absorbed, did not blend into the sea of suffering within him; instead, it circled above, around the primordial source of his Night Physique, striving to refine it.

The ability to refine a source of unique constitution was something only the Devouring Demon Art could achieve—such feats were reserved for arts saturated with demonic intent. In ancient times, the Ruthless Emperor, upon cultivating this stage of the technique, devoured countless holy sons and princesses from great sects, seizing and refining their innate sources to strengthen herself. This provoked relentless pursuit by the revered sects of the world. Despite the ceaseless pursuit, the Ruthless Emperor survived, mastering the art to its pinnacle, achieving the Chaotic Physique. Once crowned emperor, she ruthlessly annihilated those sects that had opposed her.

Her journey to emperorhood was fraught with countless perils—no words could adequately describe the trials she endured. Now, as Wang Fan sought to absorb and transform his own constitution, the difficulties awaiting him would be no less arduous than those faced by the Ruthless Emperor.

To devour the primordial source of the Night Physique required half the night. During those hours, Wang Fan focused solely on refining this essence with the Devouring Demon Art, letting nothing else distract him. As dawn approached, he finally succeeded—the primordial source was tainted with his essence, fused into his body, becoming a part of him, a new foundation.

At the moment of success, after hours of toil, Wang Fan was overwhelmed by a deep sense of satisfaction. As his ordinary form fused with the Night Physique’s source, he felt not only fulfillment but something more; the once unremarkable darkness of night now felt intimately familiar, as though he could melt into the shadows at will.

So this is the primordial power of the Night Physique—truly formidable. With this power, cultivating the Earth-Shattering Assassin’s Art would make his stealth unrivaled. No wonder the Assassin Sovereignty revered this constitution—it was indeed extraordinary!

Wang Fan gazed at his hands, a flicker of brilliance in his eyes, pondering the benefits bestowed by the Night Physique. He realized that in battle under the cover of darkness, his abilities would be enhanced, especially in assassination. Combining this with the Earth-Shattering Assassin’s technique, his prowess would be unmatched.

Under the high-hanging moon, around one or two in the morning, Wang Fan had fully integrated the Night Physique’s source into himself. Though he remained an ordinary mortal in body, he now possessed certain traits of the Night Physique.

Continuing his cultivation, Wang Fan operated the Devouring Demon Art to absorb more essence. Meanwhile, his mind revisited the training methods in the Earth-Shattering Assassin’s technique—a method to temper the body, refining it to perfection, the mark of a true assassin.

Under the starlit night, it took Wang Fan barely a dozen seconds to recall everything. The Assassin Sovereignty’s method was simple, yet brutal: use vital energy to bombard the body, shattering bones, skin, and flesh into a pulp. If, after such destruction, one had access to divine medicine and ample essence, there was an eighty percent chance of rebuilding the body to its peak, achieving physical perfection.

Having reviewed the entire method, Wang Fan understood its cruelty. This cultivation required one’s own essence to assault the bones and skin; besides the risk of death from failure, the pain endured would be immense. Only those of immense will could endure such a process. Without willpower, the pain alone could drive one mad, and without divine medicine, the method was impossible to practice.

Wang Fan possessed both the technique and the necessary resolve. As for the divine medicine mentioned in the method, he touched his heart, feeling the lively Nine-Orifice Golden Elixir within—it seemed he had that, too.

Everything was prepared.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Fan glanced at the full moon above, silently vowing to forge a flawless foundation. Both his spiritual and physical cultivation would reach this stage’s peak—he could not falter for the sake of mere hardship.

With this in mind, in the next instant, Wang Fan circulated all the vital energy from his sea of suffering. His body’s boundless essence surged, operating at full capacity, churning like a storm on the ocean as it swept through every corner.

Waves of vital energy rushed from the sea of suffering, striking Wang Fan’s body—flesh, bones, and skin, sparing only the internal organs. Everywhere else was battered relentlessly.

As he endured the impact at the extreme limit of the sea of suffering, Wang Fan clenched his teeth, steadfast amidst the ocean of agony. He was like a tiny boat afloat in a boundless sea of torment, small yet unwavering.

The onslaught shattered his bones, pulverized his flesh, and broke his skin. Wang Fan collapsed on the withered grass of the botanical garden, limp as though his bones had been removed.

More than ten minutes passed. Not a single bone in his body remained intact; all were broken. Sweat drenched his skin, soaking the earth beneath him. His pain nerves were in constant agony, threatening to drive him mad. If not for his perfected spirit, he would never have endured to this point.

His internal organs and brain remained unharmed; all else was destroyed. At the completion of the first stage, Wang Fan activated the Devouring Demon Art, absorbing the essence of plant life to speed his recovery, making his heart beat faster, unleashing more medicinal power from the Nine-Orifice Golden Elixir.

The Devouring Demon Art and the Elixir’s medicinal power worked together, rapidly restoring his body—bones, flesh, and skin regenerated. When the restoration was complete, Wang Fan finally achieved a body perfected to its utmost limit.