The Witch Hunter System

All the attention in Black Mountain had been stolen away by Vaan's unprecedented achievement. His brilliance burned so brightly that no one within the Black Mountain paid attention to the chaos spreading outside of it.

Ba-dump!

Many hearts thumped loudly whenever the concerned warriors witnessed Vaan's body crack under the gravitational pressure only to reform itself.

No one knew how long Vaan could last under such unimaginable suppressive power, but no one wished for him to fall. The natural respect and worship for the strong ingrained in every warrior didn't permit them to desire otherwise.

At that point, it no longer mattered who Vaan was or where he came from. Even if he weren't someone from their empire, their feelings wouldn't necessarily change.

After all, to bear witness to the birth of someone greater than Emperor Varan and the Sea Emperor was a form of glory, and having such a strong human emerge from their empire was a good thing for humanity.

Splurt!

Blood burst from the cracks on Vaan's skin as his body broke down again, only to regenerate shortly after. The process of destruction and recreation of the body had repeated over several dozens, soaking the mountain top in his blood.

It was a bloody scene no one would have believed was created by one man had they not seen it themselves.

Vaan's body was like a vessel of boundless blood as his bone marrow continuously produced new blood to restore his physical condition to its peak. Although Vaan showed no sign of fatigue, he was definitely feeling the burden.

After all, the energy of his bone marrow wasn't limitless, nor did it come from nothing.

As such, after enduring fifty cycles of bodily destruction and recreation, Vaan retrieved a few magical plants with restorative properties from Heaven-Swallowing Space and directly consumed them.

Ding!

<You have consumed a Rank 4 Blood Invigorating Flower>

<You have consumed a Rank 4 Sun Glazed Ganoderma>

<You have consumed a stalk of Peak Rank 4 Blithe Nirvana Grass>

<Effectiveness of all fire-attribute magical plants has increased by 100%>

<Your body has completely absorbed the efficacy of the fire-attribute magical plants>

<Your blood potency has greatly increased>

<Your marrow energy has fully restored>

<For a short period, your regenerative abilities will be 100% more effective>

…

After consuming the blood-enhancing magical plants, Vaan's blood was filled with medicinal power as they turned scorching hot like fire.

Every new wound that opened on the surface of his flesh disappeared almost instantly. It was as if the brief cracks that appeared were mere illusions.

Ding!

<Your physical body has been tempered by gravity>

<Your physical body has been tempered by gravity>

…

Vaan continued to endure the self-mutilating cultivation without a complaint. Although blood kept splurting out from the cracks in his skin, the amount had been greatly reduced compared to the initial process.

As his fleshly body improved at an unbelievable rate under the power of gravity and medicine, it became less susceptible to cracking under pressure.

'My body is a piece of iron. With my blood as the fire and the Black Mountain as my hammer, I will temper my physical self to the limit and forge an indestructible body!' Vaan steeled his resolve.

Ding!

<Your body's overall defensive attributes have reached the Peak Early-level Transcendent Rank>

…

<You have consumed a Peak Rank 4 Dragon Jade Lotus>

<You have consumed nine drops of Divine-rank Stalactite Milk>

…

<Your physical body has been tempered by gravity and medicinal power>

<Your body's overall defensive attributes have reached the Middle-level Transcendent Rank>

<Your body's overall defensive attributes have reached the Peak Middle-level Transcendent Rank>

<Your body's affinity to the earth has reached 80%>

<Mid-rank Earth Spirit Body → High-rank Earth Spirit Body>

<You have acquired Earth Authority>

…

Vaan's body was already improving very quickly. But after he consumed higher-quality magical plants and precious heavenly elixirs without hesitation, his improvement rate could only be described as insane.

In a mere six hours, Vaan's physical body was tempered to a level that most Body Refiners couldn't achieve in their decades or centuries of cultivation.

However, it was also understandable.

After all, other Body Refiners did not have a Divine-rank physique and bloodline like Vaan, nor did they have precious magical plants and heavenly elixirs like the Divine-rank Stalactite Milk to consume recklessly.

Furthermore, they couldn't enjoy the full might of the Black Mountain in tempering their bodies.

Anyone else in Vaan's shoes would have long died under the crushing force of the Black Mountain before they could enjoy its tempering benefits, let alone with precious magical plants and heavenly elixirs to indulge in.

When the body-refining masters watched Vaan cultivate on the peak of the Black Mountain, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

Anyone at their level could endure hardship in the process of pushing their bodies to the extreme limits. However, none of them had ever seen anyone refine their body in such a cruel and gruesome way.

It shook their hearts greatly.

There wasn't a single spot on Vaan's body that wasn't covered by blood.

After Vaan's body reached a level that stopped cracking under the Black Mountain's crushing pressure, his blood quickly dried under his high bodily heat, forming a thin layer of blood crust.

Vaan remained motionless like a firm mountain under such a condition. Because of that, no one knew if he was alive or dead. Sadness permeated the hearts of many warriors as they assumed his death.

They couldn't help but mourn his silent passing.

Among the crowds of warriors gathered at the foot of the Black Mountain, Berucha, who had come from the Martial Hall, became absent-minded with a sense of loss.

He was unwilling to believe in Vaan's death.

An Old Master sighed, "Today, a legend was born, shining brightly like the sun in the sky. Everyone was dazzled by its brilliance. Unfortunately, it was also short-lived like the shooting stars…"

"Young Master Vanderlin isn't dead! He can't be dead!" Berucha quickly regained his wits as he denied the increasing murmurs of assumption regarding Vaan's death. He was unwilling to believe it.

The person had given Berucha far too many surprises since the beginning of their encounter.

When they met, Berucha already felt the person was extraordinary. However, it was only after the person ascended to the top of the Black Mountain did he see how extraordinary the person truly was.

It didn't seem likely for such an extraordinary person to roll over and die just like that.

'Everyone is mistaken. Young Master Vanderlin is definitely alive,' Berucha silently convinced himself despite having no confidence or proof.