Chapter 4: Awakening the Devouring Flame
The night after his cliffside discovery, Lian Chen sat in the shadowed corner of his family's crumbling quarters in Duskfall. The *Devouring Method* book lay open before him, its ancient pages glowing faintly with runes that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. The air thrummed with the crimson blood essence in the bottle beside it, its oppressive pressure now a tantalizing challenge. With Mei asleep, he seized the moment, his mind ablaze with the technique's promise: to devour and refine anything for self-improvement, evolving with each realm.
Following the book's instructions, Lian Chen cleared his thoughts, focusing on the method's core principle—drawing energy into his dantian through sheer will, bypassing his broken spiritual root. He uncorked the bottle, and the blood essence's scent hit him like a storm, rich and metallic, hinting at a noble or high-grade origin. Holding his breath, he guided the liquid into his mouth, its warmth spreading like fire through his veins. Pain seared his body as the *Devouring Method* activated, pulling the essence inward, breaking it down, and fusing it with his being.
His vision blurred, then sharpened. A surge of power roared through him, reshaping his spiritual root. Where it had been a faint flicker, it now blazed with clarity, surpassing the high-grade "excellent genius" level and edging toward the rare top-grade tier, where legends were born. His body trembled as his cultivation leapt—level 5 of the Body Training Realm surged to level 7, his muscles hardening, his endurance doubling. The noble blood, perhaps from a fallen cultivator or spirit beast, had unlocked a potential he'd never dreamed of.
As the process subsided, Lian Chen felt a new resonance with the spiritual energy of the Verdant Sky Continent. His dantian, once a void, now hummed with a faint golden sheen, a sign of his transformed talent. The *Devouring Method* had taken root, its evolution tied to his growth, promising a foundation as solid as the mountains. Yet the strain left him breathless, and he knew this power came with risks—Uncle Wei's suspicion would sharpen, and the Jade Sword Sect trial loomed closer.
Dawn broke over Duskfall, and Lian Chen rose, his body lighter, his resolve ironclad. *This is just the beginning*, he thought, clutching the book. The noble blood had changed him, but mastering this method would define his ascent.
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This chapter marks Lian Chen's transformation, using the *Devouring Method* to devour the noble blood essence, elevating his spiritual root to near-top-grade status and boosting his Body Training Realm to level 7. The noble origin of the blood adds mystery, while his improved talent sets the stage for future challenges. Let me know if you'd like this progress.