Body Transformation

With a bit more struggle, he managed to crawl out of the crater.

The stone he had been talking to earlier had lost its glow and was now silent, its energy completely drained.

'It seems he really did pass on,' the baby thought, a pang of sadness flickering through him.

He bowed his head in a silent prayer, offering his gratitude to the stone that had guided him.

As he did, he noticed a small light flickering by the side of the rock, faint but unmistakable. 

The baby looked around cautiously, checking for anything unusual.

After a while of nothing happening, he started to crawl toward the flickering light.

When he got closer, he found it was a tiny relic of some sort—a small stone with strange scriptures etched into its surface, glowing faintly with a soft blue light.

Beside it were two rings, their designs intricate and beautiful, radiating an aura of mystery and power. 

Without giving it much thought, the baby reached out with his tiny hand and picked up the stone.

Its surface felt cool to the touch, the faint blue glow casting a soft light on his fingers. The strange scriptures seemed to pulse slightly, as if alive, and the baby couldn't help but feel a strange connection to the relic. 

'Little one,' a voice suddenly called out in his head, making him flinch slightly. 'If you've found this stone, you've most likely survived the Qi absorption process for the first time, and I have passed on.

This is just a piece of my consciousness, inscribed into the stone. You can't talk to it, and it's a one-time use, so listen carefully,' the voice continued, its tone firm yet gentle, urging the baby to pay close attention.

'You must've felt intense pain when you tried to gather Qi for the first time. That's because your body is too underdeveloped and can't even maintain a proper meditation pose.

So, I will teach you a way to condense your Qi and transform your body into an older version while cleansing and reconstructing it,' the voice explained.

As it spoke, it began to engrave a lost technique into the baby's mind—a secret art of the Blood Arts, specifically designed for body transformation.

The knowledge flowed into him, ancient and profound, carrying the weight of centuries of cultivation wisdom.

After some time of absorbing the knowledge, the stone finally stopped glowing, its light fading completely.

Li Wei had truly moved on.

Offering one last silent prayer for him, the baby began to follow the instructions he had been given.

He sat up, his back leaning against the wall, and started to condense the stored Qi within him.

The energy spread across the surface of his skin, flowing through his body and cleansing out any impurities.

Soon, a black, gooey substance with a foul stench began to seep out of his pores. Despite the discomfort, the baby didn't lose focus and continued to meditate.

The black substance spread all over his body, covering him entirely—even his face—leaving no space to breathe.

By this point, the baby had lost consciousness, but the process continued.

The black substance grew taller, reaching about a meter high, before it began to harden, trapping the baby inside like a cocoon. 

It looked like a large, black rock—oval in shape with irregular, rough surfaces—sitting silently inside the cave.

The hardened substance had completely encased the baby, leaving no trace of his tiny form.

The cocoon-like structure stood still, its dark surface glistening faintly under the dim light filtering through the cavern's opening.

The cave was eerily quiet, the only sound being the faint hum of energy emanating from the strange, black formation. 

Without any movement, days began to pass inside the cave. The black cocoon remained still, its surface unchanged, but inside, a profound transformation was taking place.

The baby's body was being torn apart and rebuilt, cell by cell, into something far stronger and more resilient than before.

It was a grueling process, one that would have been unbearable if he were conscious, but the cocoon kept him in a deep, dreamless state, shielding him from the pain.

Each passing day brought him closer to his new form, a body capable of harnessing the immense power he had absorbed.

After three whole years of being trapped inside, a crack finally formed on the side of the hardened mud. It spread rapidly across the surface, breaking it apart piece by piece.

What emerged was not the tiny, fragile baby who had entered the cocoon, but a full-grown adult who appeared to be around 25 years old.

He had long, lustrous black hair that cascaded down his back, a lean yet muscular build, and captivating brown eyes that seemed to hold a depth of wisdom far beyond his apparent age.

His well-defined jawline and striking features added to his impeccable handsomeness, a stark contrast to the helpless infant he had once been.

The man appeared in a sitting position, his legs tucked beneath him.

Slowly he stood up, stretching his arms out as if waking from a long sleep. "Well, that was a good rest," he said, his voice deep and smooth. Then he paused, surprised. "I can talk?!?."

He looked down at his arm, which was no longer chubby and short but muscular and defined.

"What in the world?" he exclaimed, his eyes widening as he took in his new body.

Standing bare naked, he marveled at his well-defined figure, a far cry from the fragile infant he had been just moments—or what felt like moments—ago.

The man quickly rushed toward the still water surrounding the stone, eager to get a good look at himself.

He kneeled down on one knee, peering into the water's surface.

What stared back at him was a cold, mysterious-looking man with sharp features and an intense gaze.

Although he was almost skeptical, the reflection mimicked his every move, confirming it was indeed him.

Overwhelmed, he sat back on the ground, his mind racing with surprise and disbelief at the transformation he had undergone. 

'Old man, what exactly have you taught me?' he thought, his mind swirling with a mix of awe and confusion. The transformation he had undergone was beyond anything he could have imagined.