Chapter 104: A Frail Body Cannot Endure Great Nourishment

Before Li Shun's eyes, a vision gradually emerged.

He saw a divine tree stretching across the river of time, supporting the very vault of heaven and earth.

The sacred tree had long since been broken. Its canopy that once blotted out the skies and its flourishing branches were nowhere to be seen. Only a fractured remnant of its trunk remained, standing in lonely majesty upon the boundless earth.

Though the tree was broken, its will endured.

Its roots had long since plunged deep beneath the earth like hidden dragons diving into an abyss.

Intertwining and spreading endlessly, they extended all the way to the horizon.

Like a vast net, they seemed to encompass every living being beneath heaven.

All life was born because of the tree.

All life perished with its end.

Compared to that divine tree spanning heaven and earth, Li Shun's consciousness was as insignificant as an ant.

Yet, somewhere beyond comprehension, a mysterious connection existed between him and the sacred tree.

His chanting caused the broken trunk to tremble faintly.

His gaze followed those abyssal roots, sweeping across every corner of the world in an instant.

Every breath he took resonated with the divine tree.

The vitality of heaven and earth lay within his grasp.

Endless life force and boundless vitality were carried by the howling winds, surging into Li Shun's body like a tidal wave.

Under the frenzied stimulation of that life force, his body began swelling at a visible rate. Muscles bulged violently, and his skin stretched taut.

"What terrifying vitality..."

At first, Li Qing could only marvel in astonishment.

But in the next instant, his expression changed drastically.

"Something's wrong! Brother, stop!"

Li Shun had already realized the danger.

This immense vitality had transformed into a catastrophic torrent, far exceeding the limits his frail mortal body could endure.

He immediately stopped chanting.

But it was useless.

The life force he had invoked continued to roar forward, pouring ceaselessly into every inch of his flesh and blood.

'How could this happen? By all rights, once the chant stops, the flow of vitality should cease as well. So why...'

In an instant, Li Shun understood.

Compared to the ancient Shaman Gods, his physical body was simply too weak.

He could not withstand even the smallest unit of life force drawn forth by the Verdant Wood Invocation.

What should have been nourishment for cultivation had instead become a calamity capable of destroying him.

Under Li Qing's horrified gaze, Li Shun's body swelled to its limit in the blink of an eye.

Every inch of flesh radiated a distorted crimson glow.

His entire body transformed into a grotesque, massive sphere of blood and flesh.

Then...

It exploded.

"Brother!"

Li Qing let out a heart-wrenching scream as a rain of blood mist and shattered flesh splattered across his body.

Officials from all over Dongshan Town arrived one after another upon hearing the commotion.

When they stepped into the ruined courtyard and witnessed the horrific scene before them, everyone froze as if struck by lightning.

No one dared utter a single word.

An eerie silence descended over the courtyard.

Only when Fang Xun and Sun Chengyou landed heavily within the courtyard did the stillness finally break.

"The Shaman God Sect?"

Sun Chengyou caught the lingering traces of an unfamiliar aura in the air, and his expression darkened instantly.

His cold gaze swept over Li Qing, who stood motionless amidst the blood and gore.

"Seize him!"

At his command, fierce constables rushed forward.

Chains rattled as they bound Li Qing tightly.

Yet Li Qing seemed utterly consumed by the grief of losing his elder brother.

His eyes were vacant, his spirit absent.

He offered no resistance whatsoever.

"No one is to reveal a single word about today's events. Otherwise, do not blame me for showing no mercy."

Sun Chengyou's voice was icy as he surveyed the crowd.

The officials present all lowered their heads, fearful and silent, hurriedly voicing their agreement.

Not long afterward, inside the Dongshan Town prison.

"You damned officials... one day, I'll flay you alive with my own hands!"

Within the dark, damp interrogation chamber, Li Qing's curses echoed alongside the sounds of torture.

After only a brief round of harsh interrogation, his intent to kill the Emperor had already been exposed.

"What audacity. A rebel through and through."

Sun Chengyou raised an eyebrow, killing intent flickering in his eyes.

Just as he was about to pass judgment, Fang Xun leaned closer.

"Lord Sun, this young man's master appears to be an old man surnamed Wei from the town."

Sun Chengyou's cold expression instantly stiffened.

After a moment's hesitation, he waved his hand, ordering the torture to stop.

Then he brought Fang Xun back to the magistrate's hall.

"It seems this boy has no connection to the Shaman God Sect after all."

"He was merely an innocent bystander caught up in the incident."

With a solemn expression, Sun Chengyou offered a conclusion completely opposite to the one he had reached moments earlier.

"On the very first day the Imperial Mausoleum returned, a member of the imperial clan was murdered by the Shaman God Sect."

"Those rats truly dare to overreach themselves."

Murderous intent flashed through Sun Chengyou's eyes.

Fang Xun seized the opportunity to ask, "My lord, just what is the origin of this Shaman God Sect? Why have I never heard of them before?"

"It is only natural that you haven't."

Sun Chengyou clasped his hands behind his back and replied coldly.

"The faith of the Shaman Gods traces back to the age of ancient myths."

"But the Shaman God Sect itself is deeply entangled with the remnants of the Xiang Nation."

"In the past, Great Xiang worshipped the Shaman Gods. From nobles to commoners, everyone cultivated the arts of witchcraft and divination."

"Although Great Xiang has long since fallen, that folk belief endures like wildfire that cannot be extinguished, lying dormant throughout the realm."

"These remnants harbor deep hatred toward the imperial court. They gather followers and form factions, resisting under the banner of the Shaman Gods."

"They are nothing more than stubborn insects refusing to accept their fate."

"I will submit a memorial to the court. This time, we shall uproot them completely."

The death of Li Shun, a member of the imperial clan, caused quite a stir.

However, he had died at the hands of the rebel Shaman God Sect rather than beneath heavenly punishment.

As a result, the repercussions were far less severe than those caused by the events of the Second Reflection.

The imperial court issued no harsh penalties.

Nor was Sun Chengyou summoned back to the Sacred Capital to answer for the incident.

Instead, he remained in the Imperial Mausoleum to oversee its affairs.

'It seems the status of Great Qian's imperial clan is nothing special after all.'

'Once a person dies, not even a single soul steps forward to seek justice for them.'

Fang Xun shook his head inwardly.

Another day came to an end.

The Threefold Self-Reflection activated once more, and time reversed.

The Third Reflection.

Li Shun opened his eyes and reviewed the gains and losses of the previous two iterations.

"I've found a way to avoid the Tribulation of Dharma Deviation."

"And as for the Verdant Wood Invocation..."

The sensation of being slowly torn apart by overwhelming vitality still lingered vividly in his mind.

His expression darkened.

"It wasn't ineffective. The effect was simply too overwhelming."

"It is, after all, a cultivation method passed down from the legendary Shaman Gods. Even the minimum amount of heaven and earth vitality it draws exceeds what I can currently endure."

"Moreover, Li Shun's current identity is that of a legitimate member of the imperial clan and a direct descendant of one of the Three Excellencies..."

"It would be inconvenient to become associated with rebels like the Shaman God Sect."

At the thought of rebels, Li Shun could not help but think of his inexpensive younger brother, Li Qing.

"He was willing to throw himself in front of heavenly lightning for me. That alone proves he is trustworthy."

"Perhaps I can let him cultivate it."

After some thought, however, Li Shun did not make a decision immediately.

"I'll observe a little longer."

"After all, the effective duration of Threefold Self-Reflection's rewind is only one day."

"I'll decide after today has passed."

What followed unfolded just as it had during a rehearsal.

Li Shun removed the protection of the Empty Vessel, Bereft of Self, resolved the issue of the lifespan-reclaiming shadow beneath the Imperial Mausoleum, and freed himself from the threat of the Tribulation of Dharma Deviation.

When the skies of the Imperial Mausoleum reconnected with the Xuanhuang Heaven, he refrained from taking any reckless actions.

Instead, he quietly waited for the upheaval to pass.