Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3625: Pain And Gain

Nature Energy filled the forest, present in everything.

But wielding it was another matter entirely.

Even cultivators with strong wood affinity could not use it freely without years of deep cultivation and comprehension of the Nature Dao. Only certain races, those born with innate connections to nature itself, could interact with it at this level.

Elves.

Nature spirits.

Dryads.

For a human...

To control it like this...

Their thoughts halted.

’He is... blessed by the Nature Dao...’ Yinglei realized.

’No... this is beyond blessing,’ Huoyang thought. ’This is the acceptance of the Nature Path itself.’

At that moment, they fully understood.

Why the Guardian Beasts had chosen him.

Why they had placed their trust in him.

Only someone like Lin Mu could stand at this intersection of forces and not be consumed by it.

Within the pool, Li Chang felt everything.

The moment the Nature Energy enveloped her, her entire body reacted.

Her senses stretched outward, her vitality surging with it. The sheer intensity of it was overwhelming.

She had lived within the Mother Forest for thousands of years. She had cultivated in its presence, drawn strength from its environment, grown alongside its energy.

But this...

This was different.

The density of Nature Energy surrounding her now was beyond anything she had ever experienced.

It was thousands of times greater.

Her heart began to beat faster.

Her blood pumped with renewed vigor.

Her skin flushed faintly as warmth spread through her body from the sheer intensity of life energy coursing through her.

She felt alive in a way she never had before.

A strange thought crossed her mind.

’I could run across the entire world... and not feel tired...’

It was not an exaggeration.

It felt real.

At the same time, another sensation emerged.

A deep and profound connection.

She could feel the Heart Tree.

Not as a distant entity.

But as something... close.

Something that acknowledged her.

Something that embraced her.

And beyond that... The forest.

Its countless trees, roots and leaves. A network of life that seemed to stretch endlessly. And for a brief moment, her vision blurred.

Emotions rose.

Tears threatened to form.

But she held them back.

This was not the time.

She steadied herself.

Lin Mu observed her carefully.

Her condition was stable.

Her vitality had increased significantly.

Her body was fully receptive.

He nodded slightly.

"I will begin the next step," Lin Mu said.

His tone grew more serious.

"I do not know how it will affect you. It may be painful."

Li Chang met his gaze.

"I can endure it," she said.

There was no hesitation.

No fear.

Lin Mu nodded once.

Then he began.

He activated the containment arrays.

A barrier formed over the pool, sealing it completely. The energies within were contained, isolated from the external environment. Nothing would leak.

Everything would remain under control.

Then...

He released the Beast Qi.

WHOOSH

A dense stream of energy surged from the container, flowing into the pool with controlled intensity. It did not disperse randomly. Lin Mu guided it precisely, ensuring the ratio remained within the parameters he had determined through his experiments.

He stopped exactly when the balance was reached.

Then...

He stirred the energies, forcing them into motion. The Nature Energy responded, shifting to accommodate the new presence. The Beast Qi shifted, then pressed into the surrounding Nature Energy. Li Chang’s body reacted instantly and her eyes widened.

A sharp intake of breath escaped her.

The sensation was immediate.

Brutal.

It felt as if a heated iron rod had struck her skin.

The moment the Beast Qi began to enter her body, the pain intensified.

It was no longer external. It was internal. Like something burning its way through her from the inside.

Her muscles locked, her body trembling as a sound nearly slipped from her lips.

But she held it back.

Her teeth clenched.

Her will anchored her.

The process had begun.

Lin Mu’s immortal sense expanded fully.

He observed everything.

Every movement.

Every reaction.

The ancestors did the same, their attention locked onto Li Chang as they watched the transformation unfold.

The Beast Qi entered her skin.

Spread through her muscles.

Mixed with her blood.

It was carried through her entire body, flowing through her circulatory system, reaching every corner.

Then...

It entered her meridians.

The pathways of energy within her body lit up as the Beast Qi flowed through them, interacting with her internal structure in ways that were both precise and violent.

Finally...

It reached her dantian.

The core.

The center.

The energy integrated.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Hours passed.

Six hours.

By then, every inch of Li Chang’s body had been exposed to the Beast Qi.

The process was complete in distribution.

But not in effect.

The pain came in waves.

Relentless.

For minutes at a time, it would subside, giving her a brief moment of reprieve.

Then it would return.

Stronger.

Sharper.

Like a hammer striking her from within.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Li Chang endured.

She did not scream.

She did not beg.

She remained as still as she could. Her consciousness wavering at times, her body trembling under the strain, but her will holding firm.

Lin Mu did not interfere.

He watched.

Analyzed.

Adjusted.

The arrays recorded everything.

Every second.

Every fluctuation.

Every response.

Time lost meaning.

Days passed.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Li Chang remained within the pool, her body sustained entirely by the Nature Energy, her condition stabilized even as the internal process continued.

At times, she appeared almost lifeless.

Her breathing slowed.

Her movements ceased.

Her consciousness faded into a near-comatose state.

But her vitality...

Remained.

In fact...

It grew.

Brighter.

Stronger.

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed as he observed the changes.

Something was happening.

Something significant.

Then, on the sixth day, something shifted.

Li Chang’s body stirred.

A subtle movement at first.

Then more.

Her fingers twitched. Her chest rose slightly as her breathing deepened. The energy within her surged as her vitality flared.

It was brighter than it had ever been before.

A full minute passed.

Then...

Her eyes opened.

Slowly.

Clear. Alive. Changed.

She had awakened.