Li Yan returned the smile with a small nod. "Then, Senior Yao Fuhuo, guide me. What do I do next?"

  Her expression turned solemn, eyes deep with gravity.

  "Now comes the true beginning. I will reconstruct your body from the ground up, just as I promised. This will not be like any pain you’ve ever endured. Your very essence will be torn apart and reforged. You must endure, no matter how unbearable it becomes."

  Li Yan didn’t flinch. He knew she wasn’t exaggerating. "I’m ready," he said, his voice steady, though a faint tension was coiled in his chest.

  Yao Fuhuo rose a few inches into the air from her earlier spot, her long hair fanning around her as invisible winds stirred. Her hands moved with ritualistic grace, weaving through the void as though plucking unseen strings of fate.

  Ancient symbols materialized one by one, glowing with a fusion of blue, green, white, and soft pink. Each sigil pulsed with resonance, humming like distant thunder as they spiraled outward.

  The symbols assembled into a titanic formation above and beneath Li Yan’s body, etching themselves into two colossal, ten-foot-wide circles that hovered in midair. Their lines shifted like living veins of light, and the pressure they exuded made the very air heavy.

  Then came the flame.

  With a delicate wave, Yao Fuhuo summoned a spark—a white flame laced with pink, blue, and green hues. At first, it seemed fragile, a glowing petal in her palm. But as it floated into the formation’s heart, it began to grow.

  The flame swelled until it filled the space, burning brighter than the circles themselves. Its glow was blinding, yet it didn’t illuminate—it devoured. Reality warped around it, twisting like molten air.

  The formation pulsed.

  A low hum rolled across the realm, and beams of condensed energy speared downward, striking Li Yan’s body. His back arched violently. A strangled cry burst from his lips as the energy pierced him. It felt as if his very soul had been impaled.

  Fire consumed him, scorching his bones. Then came cold—so deep and biting it made the fire seem merciful.

  Every nerve screamed. His veins bulged, blood boiling under his skin. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even scream—the agony smothered his voice, crushing it in his throat.

  Yao Fuhuo’s expression stayed calm, but her hands moved faster, weaving another flame into existence. This one was smaller, sharper, a concentrated blaze of white. It pulsed like a living heart.

  With a flick, she drove it forward. It hovered above Li Yan’s chest, then sank through his flesh like a phantom—and exploded within.

  His body convulsed. His temporary arms and legs, which were formed with flame energy, and his clothes ignited instantly, devoured in fire until nothing remained but raw, trembling flesh.

  It didn’t stop there.

  It drilled deeper, consuming muscle, peeling apart bone. His skull cracked audibly under the pressure as his organs liquefied. Pain no longer came in waves—it was endless, boundless, an ocean drowning him without mercy.

  Time itself lost meaning—

  Then reconstruction began.

  From his ruined form, new flesh began to knit together.

  Slow. Agonizing. Sinew wound itself around, adjusting bones, forming muscles pulled taut, skin stretched thin and raw before thickening with spiritual luster. It was like being stitched together from the inside out with molten needles.

  He gasped as new lungs filled with air. Every breath seared like fire.

  New arms grew, bones elongating like vines before muscle and skin wrapped around them. The right arm formed cleanly, but the left lagged behind, breaking and reforming in stuttering fits. The imbalance twisted agony through his spine, nausea crashing over him in waves.

  Minutes dragged on. Ten. Twenty.

  The pain never faded—it shifted, settling deep into his marrow. Something within him was changing.

  Pressure built in his core: Li Yan’s eyes snapped open.

  The outer flame was gone, but within him swirled chaos. A vortex had formed around his dantian, a storm of Qi tearing at his insides. His Qi Core shuddered violently, cracking under the strain.

  He had no choice.

  With sheer willpower, he closed his eyes again, tried his best to focus, and forced Qi to circulate. His body screamed, but his mind cut through the haze like iron.

  Qi flooded into his widening meridians, threatening to tear them apart, yet he pushed it further, guiding everything back into the core.

  Then—

  A pulse.

  Breakthrough.

  Then another.

  His cultivation surged. One stage. Then another.

  Li Yan gritted his teeth as his bones cracked again and again, reshaping, hardening—like steel hammered in the heart of a star.

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  But the flame did not relent. It surged fiercer, as if sensing his breakthroughs and challenging him further to check if he could endure more. His newly formed muscles convulsed violently, each fiber tensing and releasing in rhythm with the pulsing fire.

  His raw skin blistered and peeled, only to regenerate and blister again in endless cycles, agony layering upon agony until time itself blurred.

  Every breath was a battle, the air searing his lungs, the act of inhaling and exhaling itself becoming a torture.

  Yao Fuhuo’s hands moved with unwavering precision, her eyes reflecting both focus and quiet anticipation. With a twist of her wrist, she conjured another flame—an indigo blaze threaded with crimson and gold.

  She guided it into Li Yan’s body, merging it seamlessly with the flame already consuming him.

  A new torment struck. The indigo flame was cold, bone-deep, freezing the marrow within him even as the outer fire scorched his flesh. His body felt suspended between two extremes—fire and ice, heaven and abyss.

  His consciousness flickered on the edge of collapse, but sheer will anchored him. Memories of his past life—struggles, losses, vows—rushed through him, hardening his resolve to endure.

  Yao Fuhuo, sensing the unstable surge within him, frowned. She felt the Qi gathering in his core, driving him toward a forced breakthrough.

  "Li Yan," her voice cut through the roar of flames, calm but firm, "do not rush forward! Use the Qi to stabilize your foundation first. If your foundation crumbles, all of this will be wasted."

  Gritting his teeth, Li Yan shifted his focus. Instead of forcing more breakthroughs, he guided the surging Qi into his Qi nodes, one by one, tempering them patiently. The process was grueling—pain demanding his surrender, focus demanding his strength.

  Yet slowly, the chaos eased. The storm within gave way to a steady current. His Qi, once wild and erratic, began to flow in harmony. His battered meridians adapted, becoming tougher, capable of bearing greater loads of energy.

  His Qi Core, once trembling on the edge of collapse, pulsed with a steady rhythm, stronger for having endured the trial.

  Externally, his body reached its final refinement. His skin gleamed with a subtle luster, smooth yet resilient, like jade tempered by flames. His muscles aligned in perfect balance—supple, compact, radiating power without excess bulk.

  His bones, denser and harder than before, formed an unshakable foundation.

  At last, the flames subsided, dissipating into the ether. Li Yan gasped, each breath filling his lungs with the sweet relief of survival. His body was exhausted, yet thrummed with vitality—every cell alive with newfound power.

  Yao Fuhuo lowered her hands gracefully, her expression carrying both pride and relief. "It is done," she whispered, her voice heavy with the weight of their ordeal.

  Li Yan looked up, eyes shining with a depth born of both suffering and renewal. "Thank you, Senior Yao Fuhuo," he said hoarsely, his voice steadier than before.

  She nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. "You have been reborn, Li Yan. Embrace your new self."

  Only then did he notice the air against his bare skin. His clothes had long since been reduced to ash. A flush crept across his face, but before he could react, Yao Fuhuo flicked her hand. A green flame shot toward him, enveloping him briefly before vanishing.

  Warmth brushed over his skin.

  When it cleared, he found himself clad in elegant white robes embroidered with golden patterns that shimmered faintly in the dim light. The fabric draped flawlessly over his frame, exuding both grace and strength.

  Li Yan blinked in surprise, then rose to his feet—taller now by nearly five centimeters than Yan Tian’s old body. He stood at 168 centimeters, his figure slender yet athletic, every line honed by the trial. His skin was smooth and flawless, muscles firm without excess bulk.

  Purple hair, now richer and lustrous, fell freely to his shoulders. His vibrant purple eyes gleamed with newfound depth and intensity. He glanced down at the robes again, admiring their craftsmanship. They fit perfectly, as though woven for him alone.

  Li Yan clenched his fist, marveling at the vitality coursing through him.

  Taking a deep breath, Li Yan closed his eyes and turned his focus inward, exploring the changes within his body. The flow of Qi through his meridians was smooth and abundant when he examined his lower dantian, where his Qi Core resided.

  The Qi Core was the same; two-thirds of the core gleamed pitch-black, while the remaining third glowed a vibrant orange.

  But orbiting the core were seven small orbs, each pulsating faintly with power. Only now did he realize just how far he had advanced during the reconstruction.

  His eyes snapped open, excitement flashing across his face. "Six stages? I advanced six whole stages? I’m already at the seventh stage of the Qi Gathering Realm (Qi Disciple)?"

  Yao Fuhuo smiled softly, amusement flickering in her expression. "Yes. And more importantly, your cultivation is stable. Had you ignored my instructions, you might have forced a breakthrough to the next realm… but your cultivation would not be as solid as it is now. This way, you’ve gained both strength and stability."

  Her gaze softened, though her words carried weight. "This is only the beginning. Much more awaits you on your path. Also, remember, Li Yan—do not confuse this with a unique constitution. Those are granted at birth, bound to fate and bloodline."

  Her gaze deepened, carrying quiet gravity. "Your body was destroyed and reforged after death. This is something the heavens themselves rarely permit."

  She paused for a breath before continuing. "What you possess is a Heavenly Constructed Physique. Its true potential will not reveal itself all at once. When the time is right, I will teach you how to unlock it."

  Though curiosity stirred within him, Li Yan decided to leave the matter for later. Cupping his hands respectfully, he bowed. "Senior Yao Fuhuo, I am deeply grateful. Without your guidance, I would not have reached this point. I’ll wait patiently for that day."

  She waved his thanks aside, though her eyes gleamed faintly with approval. "It was a small matter. Still, your endurance surprised me. To remain awake through the entire process… honestly, I did not expect that."

  Li Yan chuckled faintly. "Perhaps the struggles of my previous life tempered my willpower. Or maybe it’s simply anticipation for the journey ahead that pushed me through."

  Yao Fuhuo’s lips curved into a small smile. "Perhaps. But keep this in mind—never tell anyone about your transmigration or your special body. Not a soul."

  Li Yan nodded without hesitation. "Don’t worry, Senior. I’ve read enough stories to know how dangerous such secrets can be. I won’t even whisper the truth to my own shadow."

  "That’s good," Yao Fuhuo said, her expression easing.

  Her gaze then shifted toward the eleven unconscious children lying nearby. "Now, I must take care of these children to send them somewhere safe. After that, we’ll discuss your next steps."

  Li Yan nodded firmly, determination shining in his eyes. The pain he had endured had been excruciating, the ordeal harrowing, but he had emerged stronger—his body and spirit tempered like the finest steel.

  Yao Fuhuo lifted her hand, and with a subtle gesture, the eleven children slowly rose from the stone beds. The beds dissolved into nothingness as the children drifted to her side.

  Another flick of her wrist, and a soft glow enveloped them all.

  The world twisted.

  In the blink of an eye, the darkness of the underground vanished. Li Yan blinked against the sudden brilliance of daylight. They now stood in a dense forest, golden rays of the late-afternoon sun spilling through the canopy, dappling the ground in shifting shadows.

  Li Yan staggered slightly, his body still reeling from the shift. A thrill of disbelief ran through him. "Did we just… teleport?" His voice carried a mix of awe and curiosity.