I walked away from No.1 Winery, Caleb Thorne''s mockingughter still ringing in my ears. The jade box containing the Nine Transformation Pill felt heavy in my pocket—not from its physical weight, but from the significance of the decision I was about to make.


    "So much for sharing knowledge," I muttered under my breath. "If they''re too blind to see what''s right in front of them, that''s their loss."


    The streets of White City bustled around me, merchants hawking their wares, cultivators discussing thetest martial techniques. None of them paid me any mind. Just another face in the crowd—for now.


    I arrived at my vi just as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. The familiar stone walls and carefully tended garden weed me home. This ce had be my sanctuary, a testament to how far I''de since being kicked out of the Sterling family.


    Eamon Greene was kneeling in the garden, examining the spiritual herbs I''d been cultivating. His brow furrowed in concentration as he passed his hand over a glowing blue flower.


    "Master Knight, you''ve returned," Eamon said, rising to his feet. "These spirit herbs are absorbing energy at an astonishing rate. I''ve never seen anything like it."


    I nodded. "The soil is infused with essence from the Mystic Realm. It elerates growth and potency."


    His eyes widened with curiosity. "Fascinating. The spiritual density is nearly visible to the naked eye."


    I reached into my pocket and pulled out the jade box. Opening it, I revealed the unassuming gray pill that Caleb Thorne had so quickly dismissed.


    "Do you know what this is?" I asked.


    Eamon leaned closer, studying the pill with keen eyes. "I''m not familiar with this specific medicine, Master Knight."


    "It''s called the Nine Transformation Pill," I exined. "An Earth Rank pill capable ofpletely rebuilding one''s body foundation."


    "Earth Rank?" Eamon gasped. "But those are legendary—"


    "And often underestimated," I finished. "I''ve been stuck at a bottleneck in my cultivation. This pill is exactly what I need to break through."


    Eamon''s expression shifted to concern. "But Master Knight, aren''t Earth Rank pills extremely dangerous? The power could tear apart someone unprepared."


    I smiled grimly. "That''s precisely why I crafted it myself. I know the risks."


    Decision made, I walked to the center of the garden where the spiritual energy was strongest. The setting sun cast long shadows across the carefully tended nts, creating a peaceful atmosphere that belied what was about to ur.


    "You''re going to use it now?" Eamon asked, following me hesitantly.


    "No better time than the present," I replied, sitting cross-legged on a t stone. "I''ve hit a wall in my cultivation. This pill will help me break through."


    I turned the small gray pill over in my palm. Despite its ordinary appearance, I could sense the tremendous power contained within. "The historical record for body temperings from this pill stands at 130 reconstructions."


    "One hundred and thirty?" Eamon''s voice was barely above a whisper. "That sounds... excruciating."


    "It is," I confirmed. "Each tempering shatters and reforms the body. Most cultivators pass out long before reaching their limit."


    Before doubt could creep in, I ced the pill on my tongue. It dissolved instantly, releasing a flood of energy that scorched through my meridians like liquid fire. For a moment, nothing happened.


    Then pain—blinding, all-consuming pain.


    My bones began to crack. Not just break, but shatterpletely, the fragments grinding against each other as they sought to reform. I bit down hard, tasting blood as I fought to remain conscious.


    "Master Knight!" Eamon cried out, rushing forward.


    "Stay back!" I managed to gasp. "This is... normal."


    Normal was hardly the word. My skin split open as muscles tore and rebuilt themselves. Blood soaked through my robes, steaming as it made contact with the air. The first tempering was always the worst, they said. I now understood why.


    Through gritted teeth, I focused on my breathing. In. Out. The agony threatened to overwhelm me, but I refused to surrender to it. Each breath became a battle.


    One reconstructionplete. <small ss="meta-ref-static">Chapter source: My Virtual Library Empire (*).</small>


    My body glowed faintly gold as the second wave began. More cracking bones. More tearing flesh. But something was different now—my chaotic body was adapting, absorbing both light and dark energies from the pill.


    Two reconstructions.


    Three.


    Four.


    By the tenth reconstruction, my consciousness had narrowed to a pinpoint of determination surrounded by an ocean of pain. Eamon watched in horror as my body was repeatedly destroyed and reborn, each cycle leaving me stronger than before.


    "This is impossible," he whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead. "No one could endure this."


    Twenty reconstructions.


    Thirty.


    The sky darkened as night fell, but I barely noticed. Time lost all meaning in the crucible of suffering I''d willingly entered. My body now emitted a steady golden glow, visible evidence of the transformation taking ce.


    "Fifty reconstructions," Eamon counted, his voice hoarse from hours of anxious watching. "Master Knight, you''ve already matched most historical records."


    I couldn''t respond. Speech was beyond me now. Every fiber of my being was focused on enduring, on pushing through to the next level. The garden around me thrummed with disced energy as my body continued its endless cycle of death and rebirth.


    Seventy reconstructions.


    Ny-three.


    Somewhere deep inside, a flicker of surprise registered. I''d passed the average cultivation limit for most masters. Still, the pill showed no signs of depleting.


    As dawn broke over the horizon, Eamon slumped against a tree, exhaustion evident on his face. He hadn''t left my side all night, bearing witness to my ordeal.


    "One hundred and thirty reconstructions," he announced, voice filled with awe. "You''ve matched the historical record, Master Knight."


    But it didn''t stop.


    One hundred and thirty-one.


    One hundred and forty.


    The sun climbed higher in the sky, bearing witness to something unprecedented. My body had transcended normal limits, epting transformations that should have been impossible.


    Two hundred reconstructions.


    By noon, Eamon''s expression had shifted from horror toplete numbness. He could barelyprehend what he was seeing.


    "Two hundred and sixty," he whispered, his voice cracking from thirst and disbelief. "Master Knight... when will it end?"


    I couldn''t answer. My mind floated in a strange limbo between consciousness and oblivion. The pain had be so constant, so all-epassing, that it had transformed into something else entirely—a state of pure existence.


    My body continued to glow, the golden light now so intense that Eamon had to shield his eyes. Each reconstruction left me more powerful, more fundamentally changed than thest.


    Two hundred and sixty-one.


    Two hundred and sixty-two.


    And still, it showed no signs of stopping.