Chapter Twenty: The First Cellular Metamorphosis
"Ah!" Zhou Yi cried out once again, but this time it was a shout of joy.
“One hundred points! I did it!”
An overwhelming surge of excitement instantly flooded his heart, gathering his scattered consciousness. Within the cellular space, a vague and feeble human silhouette suddenly appeared, its gaze fixed tightly above, where a hundred cells blazed with the radiance of miniature suns, aligned across the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under Zhou Yi’s gaze, beams of light burst forth from those sun-like cells in the heavens, spreading outward in all directions. The roaring sound of waves echoed all around. The previously boundless, endless space, which had seemed without limit, now appeared to develop boundaries. Countless rays of light poured forth from the cells, surging toward the edges like waves crashing against a shore, causing wave after wave of thunderous noise.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each resounding blast, muffled like distant thunder, shook the entire space. With every crash, Zhou Yi could distinctly feel the entire realm becoming more solid, as though he were forging iron. Each ray was like the hammer’s blow, steadily tempering the space, making it more and more robust.
A thought flashed through his mind, and Zhou Yi soared into the air, his entire being rising to hover at the center of this world. As he reached out, a shaft of white light appeared instantly in his hand.
The moment he grasped the white light, his previously muddled thoughts cleared in an instant, as though a foggy lens had been wiped clean—everything became vivid and sharp.
Boom!
Excitement surged within Zhou Yi’s heart. He hadn’t expected that the light from this cellular transformation would have such an effect: gathering his scattered consciousness and restoring his clarity. Clutching the white light, Zhou Yi felt like a deity presiding over heaven and earth. With a wave of his hand, the white light shot out, flying toward the edge of the space. The collision produced a sound even louder than before.
Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!
Expressionless, Zhou Yi’s hands moved without pause. Both left and right hands worked in tandem—his left hand reached back, seizing a shaft of white light, then flung it outward. His right hand gripped another, tossing it as well.
With every movement, more thunderous blasts echoed through the world, each one solidifying the entire domain further. The more white light Zhou Yi handled, the clearer and more robust his consciousness became, his movements growing more fluid and increasingly swift.
Had Zhou Yi taken a moment to glance at his attribute panel, he would have seen the "Divinity" stat’s decimal digits flickering rapidly.
As Zhou Yi reveled in this process, suddenly, he reached out and instinctively flung his hand—but this time, he realized, there was no familiar white light in his grasp. He was about to pause in confusion when—
Bang!
Before he could react, the world around him erupted with a thunderclap louder than any before, jolting Zhou Yi awake with a start.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the wake of the thunderous blast, beams of white light burst forth from the edges of the world, solid and tangible—far more substantial than any before—and rushed toward Zhou Yi with a roaring sound.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
There was no time for any other response. As the white beams touched his body, they softened into silken strands, wrapping around him in circles like silkworm threads, encasing his entire form.
In moments, the cocoon of white threads enveloped Zhou Yi completely. Gentle sensations radiated from the cocoon, enveloping him in pure comfort, and his spirit slipped into a state of exquisite tranquility.
After only a few seconds, the gentle whooshing filled his ears. Surrounded by the nurturing white light and sensing no danger, Zhou Yi slipped easily into sleep.
The time was short, but he was truly exhausted. There are two things in this world most difficult: waiting and persevering.
He had endured pain beyond imagination and persisted for far too long. He was utterly spent.
When a string is stretched too tight, it may never return to its former state.
Given his ordeal, after crossing this threshold, if he did not receive sufficient rest or a stroke of good fortune, severe aftereffects might linger.
Thus, perseverance does not always yield results; without calculation, it may only lead to a body full of aftereffects.
But now, under the nurturing white light, his spirit was restored to its peak. Not only were all mental wounds erased, but his spiritual strength grew considerably.
Cellular transformation was not merely an enhancement of cells, but a fundamental elevation of the body itself—both physically and mentally, it was an extraordinary opportunity.
Extreme cultivation yields remarkable results, but at heart, extremity is a trade of potential for breakthrough. Without sufficient reserves, extremity is poison—a slow death.
Like drinking poison to quench thirst.
Zhou Yi dared to push himself because he had the courage—and, though he still did not fully understand his golden finger, there was one thing he did know. From the moment it appeared, it was the only thing he understood:
Physical potential.
His first golden finger was his talent—cellular talent. The information had made it clear: he could pursue extreme cultivation freely. So long as he reached the threshold for cellular transformation before his body broke down, no matter how grievous the injuries to body and mind, the transformation would see him reborn, fully restored.
Hence, for him, extreme cultivation was the most suitable path.
...
The time in the mind and the time in the world outside are not the same. In the cellular space, Zhou Yi’s cocoon hung suspended for what seemed like ages, though in the outside world, only an instant passed.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Within the cellular space, after an unknown span, the cocoon trembled gently, then rocked violently. With a crack, it split open, the silken threads transforming into beams of white light that shot outward.
The white light soared skyward, recombining into shining stars hanging in the heavens. Compared to the cells from before, these newly formed ones seemed denser and more substantial, radiating an aura of solid quality.
“Whew!” Zhou Yi emerged, standing mid-air, taking a deep breath. The feeling was exhilarating.
He looked up at the stars above, his heart filled with indescribable joy. Breaking the cocoon to become a butterfly—this feeling could not be put into words.
“Now, let’s see if all that effort was worth it!” With a chuckle, he opened his attribute panel, only to be stunned.
Name: Zhou Yi
Divinity: 2.1
Body: 2.23
Spirit: 1.005
Energy: 7
Martial Arts: Nameless (Blade Technique) 0/100