Chapter Five: Defying Fate and Changing Destiny

As she sensed herself return to bed and that father had left, she opened her eyes once more. Reaching into her embrace, she felt a vial of potion—pure blue, so dazzling that Xuan Xuan couldn't help but narrow her eyes. It was precisely because of this potion that she had been blasted into this world.

She was genuinely curious about the effects of this so-called "Defy the Heavens" potion. Defy the heavens, defy fate—she firmly believed that her own "Defy the Heavens" would not disappoint her.

She shook the vial, uncorked it, and sniffed; there was no scent. Despite all the herbs used, it was utterly odorless. She tasted a small sip—no flavor at all.

She downed it in one gulp. Having just eaten, and now swallowing this entire vial, she was truly full to bursting. Yet nothing seemed to happen.

Just as she was thinking that, a gentle warmth began to radiate from her lower abdomen, spreading throughout her body in a soothing heat.

But the increasing heat soon brought with it intense pain. She was well aware of the potion's effects—not merely altering one's affinity with the elements and honing spiritual power, nor just transforming a mage's innate talent, but also forging the body itself, making it more apt to cultivate battle energy.

Xuan Xuan drew deep into meditation, emptying her thoughts, willing herself not to feel the pain. Yet within her sea of consciousness, her soul and spiritual power began to refine and condense. This dual tempering—from body to spirit—made her grit her teeth hard. From being expelled by her family to becoming a god-ranked alchemist, she had endured hardships unimaginable to anyone else.

She worked harder than anyone, endured more than anyone, focused more intently than anyone, pouring all her energy into alchemy and magic. Had she not, how could a single person have surpassed the achievements of all those before her to become the greatest alchemist in history?

The potion's energy began to surge, more and more, what was once a gentle stream now battered her body in waves like the ocean—crashing against her skin, her meridians, and spiraling round and round in her sea of consciousness, tempering her spirit.

But the energy grew ever stronger, to the point she could no longer bear it. A powerful surge crashed into her soul; fortunately, her soul was always robust, holding firm and continually refining itself.

Another wave gathered around her spiritual power. Xuan Xuan controlled her spirit, steadily increasing its strength, thinking the next surge would hit soon. Just as she was considering this, a current of energy blasted from her lower abdomen throughout her body. At only five years old, her tiny body couldn't possibly withstand such force; the instant agony plunged her into darkness.

After she lost consciousness, her entire body was battered by the energy. Every capillary burst, turning her into a child covered in blood.

Energy coursed through every part of her, the ruptured skin and vessels slowly mending, only for another wave of force to strike, shattering her meridians, which then began to heal again. Throughout this process, Xuan Xuan awoke time and again, only to faint from the continued onslaught of pain.

In the span of two short hours, Xuan Xuan was wrenched awake and knocked unconscious repeatedly.

Beside her, Wan Qi Lianhao glanced at the time—two hours had passed. He assumed his precious daughter must be awake by now. Putting aside his documents, he went to Xuan Xuan’s door.

When he opened it, his keen eyes instantly saw something was wrong. The entire area around Xuan Xuan’s body was stained red. Thankfully, her body was already beginning to heal, so the damage wasn't obvious.

Still, the sight of such pervasive redness sent a wave of terror through Wan Qi Lianhao. He shouted, "Xuan Xuan!"

In two strides, he reached her and scooped her into his arms. Feeling her breathing was still steady, he glanced at the bloodstains around them and felt panic welling up inside. Clutching Xuan Xuan, he leapt out the nearby window, summoning his mecha "Nightfall." Within moments, he stepped inside the machine.

He placed Xuan Xuan in the medical pod within the mecha, then set the machine flying toward the hospital. Mecha were not permitted within city limits, but who was Wan Qi Lianhao?

At that moment, he pushed his speed to its utmost limit. His mecha was the fastest of its era, but even so, he regretted he couldn't go faster.

"Yiqiong, bring the family doctor and head to Hope Hospital immediately. Xuan Xuan is in trouble. Also, investigate everything she's recently touched or encountered." While piloting the mecha, he calmly instructed the AI to contact Yiqiong. Only by finding the problem could it be solved.

Glancing at the medical pod, his heart bled. What was happening? The pod was already stained scarlet with blood, and every bit of Xuan Xuan’s exposed skin was etched with fine cracks. "Xuan Xuan!"

Clenching his teeth so hard his gums bled, he was oblivious to his own strength as he forced the mecha to accelerate once more, fighting to remain calm. He connected with his father through the AI. "Father!"

Wan Qi Yi answered the call. His heart, unshaken for years, now pounded with fear. Wan Qi Lianhao was surrounded by a palpable murderous aura, bloodshot eyes, brows furrowed, lips bitten until they bled. This child had always been steady, never causing worry. "What happened?"

"Xuan Xuan is in trouble." Activating the AI to display the medical pod, Wan Qi Yi was startled as well. "Xuan Xuan? Have you figured out what’s going on?"

"Not yet. It must have happened some time ago." Wan Qi Lianhao shook his head, recalling everything from that morning. He’d eaten everything she had, and after breakfast, the family doctor had checked Xuan Xuan. By all accounts, nothing should have gone wrong.

So it must have happened after he left her in the bedroom?

Wan Qi Yi peered closely at Xuan Xuan. "The cracks on Xuan Xuan’s skin are starting to shrink?"

Looking carefully, Wan Qi Lianhao realized they were indeed much smaller than before. But recalling the blood-soaked bed, how she’d seemed uninjured when he first picked her up, his heart ached.

"After her body repairs itself, the cracks split open again. When I found her, the bed was covered in blood, but her skin was intact. Not long after, the cracks reappeared. Now it looks like she’s healing again."

Wan Qi Yi frowned deeply. "I’ve already summoned the top doctors from every planet in your star domain—they’ll be heading your way. I’ll inform our doctors on Imperial Star too, see if anyone can identify the problem. Get her to the hospital first, and update me with any developments."

Nodding, Wan Qi Lianhao took another look at the now perfectly healed Xuan Xuan. The thought of her skin rupturing over and over in agony made him grit his teeth and accelerate further.

In truth, it wasn’t just her skin suffering repeated ruptures—her meridians, too, were shattering and repairing again and again. Within her sea of consciousness, the ordeal had ended. Xuan Xuan’s spiritual power and soul were always formidable.

In those two hours, she had long since refined all the energy within her sea of consciousness. Her soul, previously wounded, was now fully restored, purged of all impurities. Even her spiritual power was not only healed, but stronger than ever before. Yet with her spirit intact, she was even more acutely aware of the pain this tempering inflicted upon her body.