Sun Yi didn’t just drink the Heavenly Soul Liquid; his soul devoured it.

Like a starving predator, his weak, misty soul pounced on the energy, absorbing it with ravenous efficiency. Before this, his soul was a fragile wisp, completely incapable of tanking the Heavenly Punishment Force required for Foundation Establishment.

Now, it was evolving.

System Upgrade in Progress…

The misty soul density increased exponentially. In moments, his soul strength had quintupled.

However, the volatility of the liquid was a problem. Despite his soul’s frantic consumption, a significant portion of the energy evaporated into the ether.

Inefficient, Sun Yi grimaced. That’s wasted capital.

Staring at the remaining liquid pooling on the strange stone, Sun Yi adjusted his consumption protocol. Instead of gulping, he began to ingest it drop by drop, maximizing absorption efficiency.

This painstaking process took five full days.

When the last drop was consumed, Sun Yi closed his eyes to run a diagnostic.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the once-thin mist had condensed into a solid cloud bank. At its center, a vague, humanoid shape was beginning to form.

Soul Condensation?

Sun Yi was stunned. Forming a tangible Soul Body was a feat reserved for Golden Core cultivators. He was just a Qi Refining junior, yet he was already approaching that threshold. If this data leaked, the cultivation world would lose its mind.

“Resource depleted,” Sun Yi noted, opening his eyes. His mind felt razor-sharp, his processing speed overclocked. He was, quite literally, smarter.

He turned his attention to the large black stone that had held the liquid. “This container… it stored the liquid without evaporation. It’s high-grade material.”

Unable to use True Qi to store the massive rock, he scanned the surroundings and found a smaller fragment, roughly the size of an infant’s head.

He reached for it.

Heavy.

The small rock weighed at least a thousand jin. An ordinary human would have dislocated their shoulder trying to lift it. Thanks to his upgraded physique, Sun Yi managed to heft it.

Just as he prepared to leave, a streak of soul light flashed from the stone, piercing straight into his forehead.

Intrusion Alert!

Sun Yi froze. It was too fast to dodge.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, a blurry, fading remnant soul manifested. It was dissolving rapidly, clearly on its last legs.

“Human descendant, listen closely!” the soul transmitted, its voice urgent. “Tianyuan Island is a farm. A slaughterhouse where the Demon Race raises humans like livestock. The borders are sealed. Do not trust the Tiansheng Palace—they are collaborators, traitors serving the demons. You must—”

Static.

The soul dissolved into nothingness before it could finish.

Sun Yi stood frozen, his mind reeling.

Tiansheng Palace… the strongest faction on the continent. Collaborators? And we’re… livestock?

This was a world-shattering secret. If true, the entire political landscape was a lie. If exposed, Sun Yi would be deleted instantly by powers far beyond his comprehension.

Archive this data. Encryption Level: Maximum. Do not discuss. Do not investigate—yet.

Sun Yi took a breath, burying the secret deep in his mind. He wasn’t the protagonist of a novel who got a cheat code or a legacy weapon; he just got a terrifying truth that could get him killed.

He shook his head and began the long trek back to the perimeter.

Two days later, a blood-soaked Sun Yi collapsed next to Elder Jin Jue.

“Sect Leader!” Jin Jue gasped, horrified by Sun Yi’s condition.

“I’m fine,” Sun Yi wheezed, popping a Vitality Pill. “Just… maintenance required.”

Three days later, Sun Yi stood up, fully repaired.

“The Heavenly Soul Liquid?” Jin Jue asked eagerly.

“Success,” Sun Yi confirmed, a satisfied smile on his face. “Soul integrity is at 100%. I can handle the Heavenly Punishment Force. Foundation Establishment is now a guaranteed success.”

“Wonderful!” Jin Jue beamed.

“I apologize, Elder. I consumed all the liquid. I couldn’t save any for you,” Sun Yi said apologetically.

“Sect Leader, please,” Jin Jue waved him off. “The Qingyun Sect can survive without me. It cannot survive without you.”

Touched by the loyalty, Sun Yi vowed to compensate him later.

“Did you discover the mechanism behind the liquid’s production?” Jin Jue asked.

“I have a hypothesis,” Sun Yi nodded. “The terrain here… it’s an industrial setup. I need to run simulations back at base, but I believe I can reverse-engineer it.”

“If we can mass-produce this…” Jin Jue’s eyes widened.

“We will,” Sun Yi promised. “I need ten more days to gather data.”

Ten days later, they prepared to leave. Jin Jue, having recharged his batteries outside the zone, grabbed Sun Yi and launched them out of the valley.

Sun Yi clutched the black rock in his storage ring, his mind heavy with the secret of the Tiansheng Palace, but his face revealing nothing.