After the crow eliminated the eagle, it flew over to Xie Yun's body, which was in terrible shape. His face was covered in blood, his hands were gone, his nose was fractured, one of his ribs was probably broken, and there was likely a spinal injury as well.
"Poor kid…"
The Black Crow felt pity. For a sixteen-year-old to go through this… it was tragic. But more than anyone, the crow knew: this was only the beginning of an unlucky tale, where worse things were yet to come.
Sighing for the young man, it suddenly saw Xie Yun's golden eyes open. The first thing he said upon awakening was:
"Damn this shitty luck!"
He cursed, burning with deep anger. He tried, with effort, to look at whatever had hit him, but he couldn't even move a muscle. A tree trunk lay over him, and beneath that, the metal partially held him upright.
Xie Yun was being crushed alive. He only survived because, at the last second, he activated the Invincible Body Refining Technique.
The first step of the technique was to refine the blood. And for Xie Yun, this came at the perfect moment — he felt his body burning, as if turning into a living flame.
Of course, it wasn't real. But that's what it felt like.
Relaxing his mind, he closed his eyes and entered meditation. He adjusted his breathing and shut out the external world.
Focusing solely on himself, he began to breathe slowly, then quickly, alternating the rhythm until he found his balance. When he succeeded, he gained an inner vision of himself.
And realized he was in horrible condition. Internally, his organs had been damaged, the impact had displaced several parts and caused severe fractures.
The sight almost made him give up. But Xie Yun forced himself to remain calm. He stopped observing the chaos and focused on the key component:
The blood!
Which, at that moment, was boiling and simultaneously drying up. On the outside, his body was still bleeding nonstop.
If he delayed any longer, he'd be dead. And he knew that. So he began to move the blood, making it circulate through his flesh, reaching different areas, down to his feet, then rising to his brain.
After running the blood through his entire body, he reached the most dangerous part.
'All or nothing!'
Either he died now, or he died later. His only chance was to complete this insane refinement and secure another day of life.
"Break!"
He sent the crimson blood to all the marked points. In the next instant, an infernal pain coursed through his body. One hundred and eight internal explosions began, attempting to break invisible barriers.
"Endure it! Use this cursed fate to grow stronger! That thing that hit you… it was just a stepping stone!"
Xie Yun clenched his teeth.
"From now on, I'll use all my misfortune to my advantage! I won't be submissive anymore, waiting for fate to kill me! I'll fight back!"
Determined, Xie Yun screamed with all his fury:
"Meridians… breaaaaaak!"
A thunderous sound burst from his mouth. It was the cultivator's absolute command to his own body. In the next moment, the blood surged with force, smashing through the gateways.
Boom! Boom!
Internal explosions echoed like bombs. The cracking sounds didn't stop. Each crack opened a meridian. One by one, from the feet to the head, one hundred and eight were opened. At that moment, Xie Yun felt his circulation in perfect harmony with his body.
'I did it… I used my misfortune to my advantage for the first time! Now… time for the second!'
Happy, he decided to gamble with fate once again. Opening his eyes, he called to the Black Crow:
"Black Crow! Can you grab the metal in my bag and grind it down? Pour it on me… in liquid form."
He wasn't sure the creature could do it. Despite being powerful, its body was small. Could it really lift over fifty kilos?
But the answer surpassed his expectations. With its small claws, the crow lifted the tree trunk and hurled it far away. Then, it broke the bag's clasp and dragged it to the right side.
Xie Yun's body collapsed to the ground without its support, but the impact was minor compared to his earlier injuries.
Meanwhile, the crow opened the backpack and took out a black metal. The two were the same color — they looked like blood brothers.
"Kid… this next pain will be worse than opening your meridians. Hang in there!"
The crow warned. Then, using a mysterious energy, it melted the metal, turning it into a black liquid that dripped onto Xie Yun's torn shirt.
More precisely, onto his bare chest, struck earlier by the red eagle, now exposed. Upon touching the skin, the liquid brought an intense cold. Uncomfortable, but nothing compared to what would come next.
'Another trial…'
He thought, and didn't back away from the challenge. Using the newly opened meridians, he began to absorb the liquid, which tore through his skin like paper.
The liquid spread through his body, carried by his bloodstream.
Xie Yun endured the pain of something invading his meridians, like ants entering an anthill.
'It hurts so much…'
He wanted to stop, but didn't. He continued the insane refinement. Soon, the first saturation hit, and his meridians glowed with a dense black light.
Then, they expelled the refined energy throughout his body, strengthening it and altering its entire structure. Making everything more resilient, restoring his physique.
His broken nose began to heal, and he could smell again. His hands regenerated, his organs returned to place, ribs healed, bones restored to their optimal condition.
"I did it! I'm officially a cultivator now!"
He was overjoyed. But the heavens were furious. Above him, darkness gathered. Clouds began to crackle with lightning.
"Oh right… those bastards didn't just curse me — they send lightning bolts every time I break through a major realm… I really love this physique."
He spoke with sarcasm. He placed his hands on the ground, using it for support as he stood up. He did it gracefully. His black hair flowed in the breeze stirred by his rise.
"Black Crow, step back!"
He ordered the creature. Then looked only at the sky.
"Black Crow! Watch me continue your legacy! And become like you — someone who uses the heavens to their advantage!"
The small creature heard this and was genuinely moved. It looked at Xie Yun with tenderness, like parents watching their child take their first steps.
"Go, Xie Yun… Don't shame this divinity."