[Select the Repeater branch? This will consume one year and six months of Lifespan.]
The moment Ren Qing made his decision, the blood vessels around his eyes bulged. A wave of dizziness nearly made him black out, and his clothes were instantly soaked in a cold sweat.
The heat in his stomach immediately began to spread, struggling to support the mutation of his eyes. The pig's eyes were completely digested within a few breaths.
All the blood in his body rushed to his head. Ren Qing instantly felt the effects of severe blood loss, and his heart rate dropped drastically.
Just a wall away, the others were busy sweeping the courtyard, completely unaware that Ren Qing had been drained of his blood and turned into a shriveled corpse.
Ren Qing's consciousness remained clear. He couldn't help but feel a growing terror, as if he were suspended in an endless void.
Time lost all meaning.
Ren Qing even suspected he had died from his cultivation going awry, especially since the Information Flow had vanished completely.
After an unknown amount of time, a single point of red light appeared in the monotonous darkness.
Ren Qing stared at the red light instinctively. A profound and mysterious sensation welled up from deep within him, and his wavering state of mind gradually began to stabilize.
The red light began to extend, outlining one line after another as if painting on empty air.
Ren Qing had a sudden realization.
The red lines were actually the blood vessels that formed his eyes. Under the influence of the mutation, his eyes were transforming into something non-human.
To Ren Qing's slight relief, the mutation was confined to his eyes. At least he hadn't sprouted a hundred-odd eyes.
Once the blood vessels had constructed a rough outline, Ren Qing's consciousness returned to his body.
His chest heaved continuously as he greedily gasped for air.
Ren Qing instinctively raised his arm. He could see his bones through his withered skin. 'I look like a corpse that just climbed out of a coffin.'
'So this is the so-called Half-Corpse Realm... a process of going from death to life.'
A gentle breeze drifted through the window, bathing Ren Qing in light.
His glossy, amber-like eyeballs reflected starlike points of light. His double pupils, resembling an infinity symbol (∞), lent him an air of mystery.
'The price of becoming a Repeater is just too high...'
Just then, fresh blood began to seep from his eyes, flowing back through his veins toward his heart.
THUMP!
THUMP! THUMP!
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Ren Qing's heart, which had stopped, began to beat. The rhythm grew faster and faster, bringing his internal organs back to life.
He recovered a sliver of strength, propped himself up, and with great difficulty, swallowed the pig's eye he had left by his bed. The warmth further accelerated his blood circulation.
The blood flowing from his Double Pupils, having been mutated, was now as viscous as mercury and had undergone some unknown transformation.
Ren Qing's muscles filled out, becoming more resilient. His skin regained its luster, and even his scars vanished.
He couldn't help but marvel. 'Breaking through the Half-Corpse Realm truly is worthy of the name Transcendence.'
'A complete rebirth, no doubt about it.'
Just then, a fly, attracted by the scent of the pig's eye, buzzed around the room. It landed on the blood-stained wax paper, greedily licking the scraps of pork.
The Double Pupils in Ren Qing's eyes began to rotate in opposition, and his blood flow quickened in response.
He shot his hand out to grab the fly.
The fly, sensing the movement with its compound eyes, easily dodged and began to circle him provocatively.
BUZZ. BUZZ. The sound was incessant.
The fly landed on the wax paper again, preparing to seize the opportunity for a meal.
Suddenly, Ren Qing's arm shot out again. As the fly dodged, he took a prescient half-step to the side.
He caught the fly between his fingertips. This was the Repeater's ability: to anticipate an opponent's actions.
Ren Qing maintained the Double Pupils state for a full two hours before his eyes felt slightly strained, at which point he let them revert to normal.
In addition, his strength and speed had increased significantly, enough to rival a wild beast.
The Information Flow appeared.
[Ren Qing]
[Age: Seventeen]
[Lifespan: Seven years, two hundred and thirty days]
[Skills: No-Eyes Technique (Repeater), Human Skin Book]
The huge jump in his Lifespan took Ren Qing by surprise, but he quickly understood the reason.
His advancement to the Half-Corpse Realm had healed all the hidden injuries throughout his body, which was why his Lifespan had increased by over four years.
Unfortunately, since this body of Ren Qing's had already experienced death once, only a portion of his Lifespan could be restored. Four years was already a good outcome.
Ren Qing breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes to observe the sprout in his mind.
The sprout for the Human Skin Book remained unchanged, but the one for the No-Eyes Technique had grown into a small sapling.
The branch representing the [Repeater] grew upward, topped by a single, massive leaf. Black and gray veins outlined the pattern of the Double Pupils on its surface.
When Ren Qing's consciousness touched the leaf, a brief piece of information appeared.
[Twin Nightmare Ghosts: Yin Yang Dual Soul]
[Do you wish to advance to Twin Nightmare Ghosts? This will consume fifteen years of Lifespan.]
Ren Qing buried his face in his hands, exasperated. The joy of his Lifespan increasing to seven years vanished completely.
'Becoming a Repeater cost a year and a half, and becoming Twin Nightmare Ghosts costs fifteen years. At this rate, the next advancement will probably cost a hundred and fifty years.'
'And that's just for one Magic Technique. Once I learn more, even several lifetimes won't be enough to pay the costs.'
'Fortunately, I can also advance through my own cultivation. At least heaven doesn't seal all exits.'
He named the sapling the "Mutated Tree."
'The Mutated Tree must also originate from the Information Flow,' he thought. 'It's likely a projection of the Magic Technique in my Mud Ball Palace.'
As Ren Qing continued to inspect it, he found that he could also get information from the other branches, which corresponded to the other two forks of the No-Eyes Technique.
The Hundred-eyed Man advances to [Hundred-Eyed Demon Monarch: Devour Soul].
The Single-eyed advances to [Soul-Devouring Brain Demon: Enslave Soul].
Ren Qing could see the pattern now. The mutation paths of the No-Eyes Technique all seemed to involve the Soul to some degree. He just had no idea what the function of the Yin Yang Dual Soul was.
A sudden thought struck him. 'Theoretically, each Magic Technique should have a different focus. If I can find a Magic Technique that increases Lifespan, wouldn't I have found a path to the heavens?'
For now, however, the most important thing was to eliminate the Hundred-eyed Man. As long as that person was alive, he would be a thorn in Ren Qing's side.
If the Hundred-eyed Man mutated into the Hundred-Eyed Demon Monarch and used the No-Eyes Technique to trace him, Ren Qing would be utterly powerless to resist.
Of course, he had an advantage as well. After all, he was backed by the Government Office, and the Forbidden Guards were not to be trifled with.
Ren Qing hesitated for a moment and decided against advancing the Human Skin Book. He had to at least figure out the direction of mutation each branch represented first.
He was afraid of an uncontrollable outcome. He could hide the Double Pupils by squinting, but what would he do if his entire body lost its skin?
Ren Qing left his room and chatted with Xiaowu and the others for a while. He relaxed when he saw that they hadn't noticed anything unusual about his eyes.
Bo Feng, on the other hand, sensed that Ren Qing's aura had gained a sharp edge, even though they had only been apart for a single night.
After leaving the Firework Hall, Ren Qing felt a ravenous hunger and went straight to the Kitchen Courtyard, where he ended up eating enough for several men.
Only then did he notice that his digestive speed had increased severalfold, which in turn enhanced the Life Extension effect of the pig's eyes.
'Unfortunately, buying pig's eyes in bulk would undoubtedly expose me to the Hundred-eyed Man,' he thought. 'I have to be more discreet.'
As for eating human eyes, that would likely lead to uncontrollable physical mutations. Besides, if he couldn't consume them long-term, it wouldn't be very meaningful.
Furthermore, as a sane person, he wouldn't be able to stomach it psychologically.
A murderous glint appeared in Ren Qing's eyes.
'For that reason alone, the Hundred-eyed Man must die.'
'Even if I can't deal with him myself, if I can just drag him out of the shadows, one of the Forbidden Guards is bound to make a move.'