Chapter 085: Breaking Human Limits

  *Clang! Clang!* Just as Yang Tian opened his eyes, his expression froze in shock. Xiao Bai was rolling around on the ground, excitedly playing with a purple-gold bell that now hung around its neck. The once radiant divine aura of the bell had completely receded, making it look like an ordinary trinket.

  "My goodness... this... this is possible?" Qing Yuan's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the bell around Xiao Bai's neck. Could a beast really bond with a treasure like this?

  The others were equally stunned, their faces filled with incredulity. None of them had expected this adorable little creature to successfully claim such a high-grade artifact.

  "What kind of rare beast is this...?" Meng Hao muttered, his gaze shifting between Xiao Bai and the bell. This treasure was notoriously difficult to bond with, yet Xiao Bai had done it effortlessly.

  "Alright, stop showing off," Yang Tian said with a chuckle, tapping Xiao Bai's head lightly. His curiosity about Xiao Bai's origins deepened. How had this little creature managed to bond with such a mysterious artifact so easily?

  "Yang Tian, why don't you try bonding with that Sun God Furnace replica? It should be a good fit for you," Qing Yuan suggested after a moment, his eyes fixed on the crimson furnace. Among the treasures here, this one was the most valuable, and its fire attribute made it a perfect match for Yang Tian.

  "Alright, I'll give it a shot," Yang Tian nodded, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart. He had long wanted a powerful artifact, and this Sun God Furnace replica seemed like the perfect opportunity.

  As Yang Tian approached the furnace, the scorching heat around it intensified. He swallowed a handful of pills to steady his nerves and suppress any distracting thoughts. Slowly, he reached out his hand toward the furnace.

  The moment his fingers touched the furnace, the entire structure trembled violently. Flames surged out from within, cascading down the sides and causing the surrounding temperature to skyrocket.

  *Boom!* A vast, overwhelming pressure spread through the air. Several tendrils of fire shot out, wrapping around Yang Tian's hand and instantly searing into his body.

  Pain—indescribable pain—flooded his senses. Every inch of his flesh felt like it was being melted. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his face twisted into a grimace as he gritted his teeth.

  "Brother Yang, what's happening?!" Yun'er's face turned pale as she saw Yang Tian's agonized expression. Her delicate frame trembled slightly.

  "Don't disturb him. Bonding with a Dao artifact isn't easy. He has to endure its trial," Xing Hao said, placing a reassuring hand on Yun'er's shoulder.

  "Exactly. To earn a Dao artifact's recognition, one must pass its test. And this is a replica of the Sun God Furnace—it's far more powerful than ordinary Dao artifacts," Meng Hao added, nodding in agreement.

  Inside Yang Tian's body, the searing flames wreaked havoc. Blood seeped from his pores, only to be instantly vaporized by the intense heat. If not for his exceptionally strong physique, he would have been reduced to ashes long ago.

  "This thing isn't for the faint-hearted," Qing Yuan remarked, watching Yang Tian's charred body with a mix of awe and concern. When he had bonded with his Thunder God Hammer, he had nearly been struck dead by its lightning. And he had had powerful guardians protecting him at the time.

  "Little guy, just what kind of beast are you? How did you bond with that bell so easily, without any trial?" Qing Yuan muttered, glancing at Xiao Bai, who was now staring intently at Yang Tian.

  Inside Yang Tian's body, the flames continued to gather, turning him into a living torch. His mouth and nose exhaled waves of heat.

  "If this keeps up, I'll be burned to a crisp," Yang Tian thought, his lips twitching. He quickly sat down cross-legged, focusing his mind on the Dragon Ring and activating the Heaven-Defying Art.

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  *Boom!* As soon as he began circulating the technique, the surrounding chaotic energy surged into his body like a tidal wave. He became a black hole, voraciously devouring the wild energy around him.

  "Isn't this dangerous?!" The others stared in shock. The energy in the air was incredibly volatile, and absorbing it directly could easily cause one's body to explode.

  "Don't worry. Yang Tian has a way of creating miracles," Qing Yuan said, forcing himself to stay calm. He couldn't help but recall how Yang Tian had saved his life and healed his dantian. To him, Yang Tian was nothing short of extraordinary.

  The others nodded, focusing on replenishing their own energy. If Yang Tian's bonding process was interrupted, the consequences could range from severe injury to death.

  Inside Yang Tian's dantian, the river of blood and energy churned violently. The Heaven-Defying Art refined every bit of the incoming energy, infusing it into the river and adding a trace of wildness to its essence.

  The scorching flames within his body were slowly being tamed by the Heaven-Defying Art. A small portion of the energy seeped into his flesh, where the residual power of the Mystic Origin Nurturing Pill began to merge with the fiery energy.

  "Could this be helping me refine my body?" After what felt like an eternity, Yang Tian noticed changes in his physique. His bones began to glow with a crystalline sheen, and the medicinal energy from the Mystic Origin Nurturing Pill spread throughout his body, strengthening his bones and muscles.

  "Is this what it means to break through one's limits?" Yang Tian marveled at the rapid improvement in his body. The flames were incredibly potent, and each round of tempering opened up new possibilities for growth.

  "The flames in this furnace must have been accumulating for countless years. They're growing stronger by the minute," Yang Tian thought, his consciousness delving into the Sun God Furnace. The heat inside was overwhelming, far beyond what he was currently enduring.

  "Once I reach the Martial Warrior realm, my fire attribute physique will allow me to summon flames. There are different grades of flames—Earth Fire, True Fire, Mystic Fire, and Heavenly Fire. The original Sun God Furnace is said to contain flames that surpass even Heavenly Fire, capable of melting the heavens and the earth. I wonder what level these flames are at."

  After being tempered by the flames, Yang Tian's bones gleamed like precious jade, becoming more translucent and resilient. The medicinal energy from the Mystic Origin Nurturing Pill had been fully absorbed, increasing his physical strength by a significant margin.

  "If I'm going to temper my body, I might as well go all out," Yang Tian thought, a daring idea forming in his mind. Despite the lingering pain, he opened his mouth and inhaled a mouthful of flames from the Sun God Furnace.

  "What is Yang Tian doing?!" The sudden action shocked everyone. They stared in disbelief as Yang Tian swallowed a mouthful of fire.

  "No idea," Qing Yuan shrugged, though his expression was tense. The flames in the furnace were powerful enough to melt even the strongest materials.

  "Ahhh!" The moment the flames entered his body, they began to wreak havoc. The newly tempered physique he had worked so hard to build was instantly destroyed. Yang Tian let out a low roar, sounding more like a wild beast than a human.

  As time passed, Yang Tian's body was reduced to a charred, broken mess. However, he remained calm. The Dragon Ring protected his dantian, and as long as that remained intact, he could recover.

  Suddenly, a surge of life force erupted in the air. The others turned their attention to a small jade bottle in Yang Tian's hand. It was the source of this overwhelming vitality.

  "Is that... Spring of Life water?" The same thought crossed everyone's mind. But the bottle was full—how could he have so much? If it truly was Spring of Life water, the entire Eastern Continent would go mad for it.

  "It's a byproduct of the Spring of Life. It seems Yang Tian is using the flames to temper his body," Meng Hao observed, his lips twitching at Yang Tian's audacity. This was an incredibly risky move, one that could easily cost him his life.

  *Sizzle...* Yang Tian poured three drops of the life-giving liquid onto his body. Instantly, a thick mist enveloped him, and the rich vitality began to repair his injuries at an astonishing rate.

  Every bone and muscle in his body seemed to come alive, greedily absorbing the energy. As the vitality integrated into his body, Yang Tian's physique began to improve at a terrifying pace.

  "I think I'm witnessing the birth of a monster," Xing Hao muttered, his voice filled with awe. Yang Tian's body was recovering and strengthening at an unprecedented rate. If this method succeeded, his physical power would become truly fearsome.

  "He really is a monster," Qing Yuan agreed, nodding. In less than two years, Yang Tian had gone from an unknown to someone capable of driving a Holy Son out of Martial Dao Mountain. In the history of the Eastern Continent, only a handful of people had achieved such feats, and they had all gone on to become legendary figures.

  Yang Tian's body glowed with a crimson light, his muscles and bones undergoing a profound transformation. This was a breakthrough of human limits—every inch of his flesh was infused with explosive power, and the air around him crackled with energy.

  As Yang Tian took another mouthful of flames, the others couldn't help but wince. With the amount of Spring of Life water he had, he could complete a full transformation.

  "Do you think Yang Tian could rival a Holy Son from the Sacred Land?" Xing Hao mused aloud.

  "Impossible," Meng Hao shook his head. "When a Holy Son is born, it triggers celestial phenomena. They are blessed by the heavens, possessing near-invincible combat prowess from the start."

  "Don't be so sure..." Yun'er pouted, her cheeks puffing out in disagreement. She had faith in Yang Tian, no matter what anyone said.