Chapter 534: Super Absorption

Although Qin Li’s perception of the outside world was weaker than before, he had heard every word of Ji Yuyan’s confession. It left him rather surprised. He had sensed that she had feelings for him, but he never imagined she would pour out her heart while he was so grievously injured and unconscious.

It was just that the current Qin Li had no energy to be moved. A supreme powerhouse of the Thunder Tribulation Realm, despite failing to self-destruct, had succeeded in blasting more than half his life’s worth of energy into Qin Li’s body. If it had been an ordinary Martial Artist at the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation stage, that single blast would have likely left not even ash behind.

This was all thanks to Qin Li’s body, which had been tempered many times. It was in no way weaker than that of any Thunder Tribulation Realm Martial Artist. Then there was the complete version of the Innate Purple Qi Technique he was currently cultivating—the Purple Qi Technique, which could absorb any of the Five Elements Qi!

This was what truly saved Qin Li’s life!

With only his formidable physique, Qin Li might have been able to survive Leader Mo’s blast of tyrannical power. However, the meridians throughout his body would have been unable to withstand the impact. No matter how strong or resilient his meridians were, they could not have resisted such overwhelming energy.

But the Purple Qi Technique could!

The vast majority of Leader Mo’s energy came from the Earth Element, containing a considerable amount of the Essence of Earth. The moment it surged into Qin Li’s body, the Purple Qi Technique immediately began to absorb it voraciously.

But the sensation was simply unbearable!

To put it simply, imagine an ordinary person who normally eats one bowl of rice but can manage three at most. After three bowls, they would feel stuffed, but it’s still tolerable. They could digest the food and convert it into the energy their body needs.

But then, suddenly, they are force-fed twenty bowls of rice!

What would be the result? An ordinary person would surely die from being overstuffed… and even if they didn’t, they’d be left with chronic ailments or even become an invalid.

This was exactly how Qin Li felt right now. The omnipresent sensation of swelling all over his body gave him the illusion that he had been stretched into a giant sphere!

The sensation felt terrifyingly real. Although Qin Li knew deep down that his body hadn’t actually changed, his physical senses screamed otherwise!

He felt so bloated that it seemed if someone so much as pricked him with an embroidery needle, he would instantly burst with a deafening BOOM!

It was a feeling that no one who hadn’t experienced it could ever possibly understand. Qin Li even started to think, ‘It would be better to just explode and die. Anything would be better than this living torment.’

No matter how powerful the Purple Qi Technique was, it could only absorb the energy little by little. After all, Qin Li was only at the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation stage, not the Thunder Tribulation Realm!

It was like a vessel that could only hold one bucket of water, but someone was insisting on pouring in ten. The vessel could gradually expand, but the process was agonizingly slow!

This was precisely Qin Li’s situation. The agony assaulted his Spiritual Power and soul directly! As a result, he was completely unable to even make a sound to relieve his suffering.

It was at that moment that Qin Li heard Ji Yuyan’s heartfelt confession. He was deeply moved. The excruciating pain had previously left him without the energy to think of anyone at all.

After Ji Yuyan finished speaking, Qin Li endured the immense pain and forced himself to picture the peerlessly beautiful faces of the women in his life. He forced himself to think of his parents’ love and care, and of the hopeful gazes of his followers!

The pain did not lessen in the slightest, but his mind was miraculously freed from its earlier, frantic agitation. Then, gritting his teeth, Qin Li began to actively circulate the Purple Qi Technique.

The speed at which he absorbed the energy instantly increased many times over!

But this undoubtedly intensified the pain Qin Li was enduring by many times as well!

If the pain he felt when he first consumed the Vermilion Fruit to temper his body made him wish for death, then the agony he felt now was so overwhelming that the thought of death couldn’t even form. His entire Sea of Consciousness was completely consumed by it!

Ji Yuyan was exhausted; she hadn’t slept in several days. After confessing her feelings to the unconscious Qin Li, she finally succumbed to her overwhelming drowsiness, collapsed by his bedside, and fell asleep.

She even had a dream. In it, she and Qin Li were like an inseparable pair of lovers, flying together through the skies. It was a sweet romance she had never even dared to imagine, yet it felt so wonderful.

In the dream, the two of them were nestled together when a figure with wings on its back and Purple Eyes suddenly appeared. Wearing a savage, terrifying smile, the figure raised a hand, and a beam of purple light shot toward them. Ji Yuyan threw herself in front of Qin Li, taking the purple light to her chest. She could even hear Qin Li’s enraged roar.

Then, she woke up.

Looking at Qin Li, still lying unconscious in bed, Ji Yuyan rubbed her eyes. A wave of shyness washed over her. A deep blush spread across her cheeks, reaching all the way to her neck and ears.

‘How could I have such a strange dream?’ Especially when she recalled the intimate scenes from it, Ji Yuyan’s face flushed crimson, and she felt incredibly shy. She stole a glance at Qin Li, who lay there, motionless.

Suddenly, to her great astonishment, Ji Yuyan discovered that the tyrannical energy rampaging through Qin Li’s body seemed… it seemed to have diminished, just a little!

The discovery gave Ji Yuyan an immense shock. ‘Generally, there are two reasons for something like this,’ she thought. ‘The first is that Qin Li is already dead! With his life force gone, the energy would naturally weaken and dissipate.’

At the thought of this possibility, the blush on Ji Yuyan’s face drained away, leaving it deathly pale. She quickly placed her fingers on Qin Li’s wrist to check his pulse, and slowly, her expression relaxed. His pulse was stable and brimming with life!

Ji Yuyan immediately thought of the second possibility, and her beautiful, tear-swollen eyes lit up. ‘Could it really be happening?’

The second possibility was that Qin Li was turning a disaster into a blessing and actually absorbing that incredibly tyrannical energy!

In truth, the concept of Power transference has existed since Ancient Times. For instance, within great clans or Sects with long histories and deep foundations, when a highly accomplished elder knows their time is near, they will often summon the most outstanding disciple of the younger generation and transfer their life’s worth of Power to them. This is how they ensure the torch is passed from one generation to the next.

This is a key reason why those major powers can remain prominent for so long without declining. While there are some who are unwilling, choosing to take their Power with them to the grave, they are ultimately a minority.

For those born into great clans and Sects, one of the most crucial principles instilled in them from a young age is the spirit of sacrifice!

However, transferring Power requires extensive preparation. After the transfer, the recipient doesn’t instantly become a top-tier expert. It’s just as described before: if you insist on pouring ten buckets of water into a vessel that can only hold one, your only option is to expand the vessel’s capacity—and that process is slow!

Therefore, a proper Power transfer is not something that can be completed overnight.

It takes several months at a minimum, and can even take several years!

That is a true Power transfer!

But for Leader Mo to blast his tyrannical energy into Qin Li’s body in a single instant… that wasn’t a Power transfer. That was an attempt to kill him!

It was already a considerable miracle that Qin Li hadn’t exploded and died on the spot. And now… he was actually managing to slowly absorb this unbelievably tyrannical energy!

This… this was simply too incredible!

Ji Yuyan stared at Qin Li, dumbfounded, and couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “Qin Li, who in the world are you? A king of the Purple Eyes? The one who fulfills the ancient prophecy of the Celestial Essence Continent? Or a descendant of the gods?”

At that moment, someone suddenly came to report from outside, “Mother, outside our Ice and Snow Sect… a lot of people have arrived!”

“Hm?” Ji Yuyan paused, taken aback. ‘In my fury, I completely wiped out the Scorpion Gang. Leader Mo had already led all their elites away, and the ones left behind were hardly a threat. How could they withstand an attack from a Thunder Tribulation Powerhouse?’

‘With the Scorpion Gang destroyed, there are no other significant powers for a thousand miles around. Who else would come here?’

As she pushed the door open and walked out, Ji Yuyan asked, “Who is it?”

The voice outside was very soft, whispering, “It’s a messenger sent by the Saint Emperor!”

“The Saint Emperor?” Ji Yuyan repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. “What is he sending people here for?”

The voices grew fainter and fainter, gradually fading into the distance.

Lying in bed, Qin Li overheard the conversation and grew anxious. ‘The Saint Emperor sent someone? What good could possibly come of that? Either the matter with the Ji Family has come to light, or he’s lusting after Ji Yuyan’s beauty.’

‘Both possibilities are unacceptable!’

And so, Qin Li threw all caution to the wind and began to circulate the Purple Qi Technique with frantic abandon. Instantly, a soul-deep, bone-piercing agony washed over him like a tidal wave, completely submerging him…

Ji Yuyan led a dozen or so disciples out from her residence, the Blessed Land known as Ice and Snow Heaven. In the distance, she saw a group of people studying the deep crater left behind from the battle between her, Qin Li, and Leader Mo.

Upon seeing Ji Yuyan emerge, the people stood up, their expressions solemn. Though they were separated by several thousand meters, the lead person’s voice carried over with perfect clarity, reaching everyone’s ears.

“By decree of the Saint Emperor! Ji Yuyan of the Ji Clan, Sect Leader of the Ice and Snow Sect, pure as ice and chaste as jade, has preserved her virtue for the Saint Emperor for one hundred years. His Majesty is greatly pleased. He hereby confers upon Ji Yuyan of the Ji Clan the title of Ice and Snow Consort. Within one month of receiving this decree, the Saint Emperor’s bridal procession shall arrive to escort you. The entirety of the Ice and Snow Sect is hereby appointed as the Personal Guard of the Ice and Snow Consort and granted permission to accompany her into the Saint Emperor’s domain…” The Imperial Decree Messenger’s arrogant face held a faint smile as he gazed at Ji Yuyan from afar. He gave a slight bow. “Ice and Snow Consort, congratulations! Now, receive the decree!”

As he spoke, the Imperial Decree Messenger gave a slight flick of his hand, sending the yellow Scroll in his grasp gliding slowly toward Ji Yuyan. Despite the immense distance, the Scroll flew with both speed and stability. This move alone was a display of the messenger’s profound Power!

Countless eyes from both sides were fixed on Ji Yuyan’s every move, waiting to see if she would accept the decree, or refuse it!