Pain had become a constant companion, a shadow that pressed against Li Yuan from every side. Every movement, every shallow breath, every pulse of his twisted, reconstructed body screamed agony—but it was no longer paralyzing. It was now fuel.
He crouched at the edge of a jagged stone ledge, peering into the deeper abyss. Faint crimson glows pulsed along distant walls, distorted qi moving in chaotic currents. Somewhere below, he could hear the scraping of claws across stone.
He had survived. Barely. But survival alone was no longer enough.
Forbidden Body Reconstruction — Phase Two available
The system's words flickered before his eyes, a reminder that progress came at a cost. Phase Two promised strength, speed, and resilience—tools necessary for survival. But the price had not been disclosed.
Li Yuan's hand clenched into a fist, veins standing out along his forearm. He had been given a second chance, a path that was denied to every other cultivator. And yet, it was not free.
Activation requires host consent.
Cost: Extreme pain, permanent body alteration, and system-determined penalties.
He exhaled sharply. Perfect.
"Let's begin," he whispered.
The system responded immediately. The air around him thickened. The shadows in the abyss seemed to contract, drawn into a silent, invisible sphere of influence. His bones groaned as invisible hands, cold and precise, tore apart damaged tissue, reshaping it, reconnecting nerves and meridians.
The pain exploded.
It was unlike anything Li Yuan had felt before. His ribs felt like molten iron. Every ligament snapped and reformed in violent spasms. His eyes watered as his body convulsed, trembling under the invisible force of reconstruction.
Warning: Host pain threshold exceeded.
Probability of unconsciousness: 92%
Li Yuan gritted his teeth, biting down on his palm to hold back a scream. He did not scream. Pain was a tool. Pain was the system's language. And he was fluent.
Hours—or perhaps seconds—passed in the blur of agony. The abyss around him seemed to respond to the system's work, shadows recoiling from his presence as if sensing the change in his aura.
When the process finally slowed, Li Yuan collapsed to the stone floor. His body shook violently, sweat mixing with blood, hair plastered to his face. He could feel the difference immediately: bones aligned, muscles tense but functional, and—most importantly—meridians that would now accept forbidden qi.
Phase Two complete
Body Status: Inferior, usable
Host pain: Extreme, sustained
Li Yuan opened his eyes, blinking through the haze. The first sensation that registered was control. He could feel qi—twisted, unstable, yet palpable—coursing through his body in a way it had never done before.
Not smooth. Not harmonious. But alive.
System note: Desire energy now available for conversion.
Li Yuan's lips curved into a small, dark smile. "Finally," he whispered. "I can use it."
But the system immediately reminded him of the cost.
Warning: Desire conversion will inflict mental and physical backlash proportional to intensity. Mismanagement risks Heart Demon formation.
Li Yuan inhaled, steadying himself. The first trial was simple: convert his anger, fear, and hatred into usable energy.
Desire Conversion — Stage One Initiated
Heat surged from his chest to his head. Every pulse felt like fire, every nerve a live wire. His stomach cramped violently. His vision blurred. His heartbeat raced as though trying to escape his chest.
The system fed off him, extracting raw emotion, weaving it into the veins of his newly rebuilt body. Pain sharpened, twisting into something almost… satisfying.
He had expected agony. He had not expected pleasure to be laced with it.
Stage One Complete
Desire Energy Gained: 0.04% of maximum capacity
Host fatigue: Severe
Li Yuan collapsed onto his side, breathing heavily. Sweat and blood slicked his skin. Every inch of him screamed rebellion, yet he had succeeded. The abyss no longer had him entirely on its terms. He now had a small spark of control—a tool to manipulate the world around him, starting with himself.
System note: Phase Two reconstruction allows limited attacks. Stage One desire energy enables minor power applications.
Li Yuan sat up slowly, feeling the weight of his first victory. Small, insignificant to most, but monumental to him. Survival alone had been meaningless until now. Now, pain could be transformed into strength.
Fear could become fuel. Hatred could become power.
The shadows shifted again. Something moved silently among the distant rocks, eyes glowing faint crimson. Li Yuan did not flinch. He had already paid the first cost. He had already burned through agony.
And he had survived.
Warning: Host must rest before further desire conversion. Extended overuse may cause permanent system penalties.
Li Yuan allowed himself a single, dry laugh. "So," he whispered to the darkness, "this is what it feels like to rise from nothing. To take what
Heaven denies you. I can endure more. I will endure more."
He clenched his fists, feeling the residual fire in his body, and rose to his knees. The abyss had not killed him. It had not claimed him.
And now, the system was his.
It demanded cost. He would pay it.
And in the dark, cold, endless world of the Fallen Heaven Abyss, Li Yuan took his first deliberate step toward forbidden cultivation—not for mercy, not for survival, but for power.
This is only the beginning.