Altar

What kind of person was his older brother?

Su Xuan had no idea—he had never heard anyone talk about him.

His brother rarely came home. Over the past few years, he’d returned only once or twice, and even then, he rarely spoke about life on the front lines.

So to Su Xuan, Su Chen was both a familiar and unfamiliar name. Familiar, because they had grown up together for many years. Unfamiliar, because ever since Su Chen had gone to the front lines, they had barely stayed in contact.

It had been years since they last met. Su Xuan had no clue how his brother was doing—whether he was doing well or not.

But for Su Xuan, as long as he was still alive, that was all that mattered. Because Su Chen was the only family he had left in this world.

If Su Xuan ever found out that his brother was actually a lieutenant general, he’d be absolutely stunned.

A lieutenant general wasn’t someone who simply rose through the ranks based on seniority—it was a symbol of true strength.

To become a lieutenant general meant standing among the elite combatants of the world. At minimum, one had to have reached the peak of the Second Form, capable of holding their own against a Third Form warrior without immediately falling into a disadvantage.

To someone like Su Xuan, who hadn’t even mastered the Initial Form, the Second and Third Forms were distant, almost mythical.

After being questioned, Su Xuan sat blankly at the table, filled with anxiety.

He hadn’t seemed that nervous during the questioning—he’d forced himself to stay calm—but only after the interrogators left did he finally dare to gasp for air.

His calm demeanor during the questioning might have something to do with his natural talents—the more nervous he was, the more control he had over his body, and his mind would enter an icy, hyper-focused state. A kind of psychological coldness. In other words, clarity.

So during the interrogation, he was able to hold his composure and speak naturally, even casually.

But the moment they left and that tension evaporated, he was left panting for air.

His mind was spinning with fragments of the conversation, replaying his answers to make sure there weren’t any slip-ups.

Fortunately, he hadn’t veered off course. He had indeed given them the intel about the black energy stone, and the rest wasn’t necessary to mention.

He sat on the sofa for over forty minutes.

When no one knocked on the door again, Su Xuan stood up—his legs trembling.

He rubbed his smooth, pale thighs and staggered toward his bedroom.

Meanwhile, Captain Chen Daocheng, who had just cleared Su Xuan of suspicion, had returned to the Inspection Bureau.

He headed straight into the archives.

His fingers glided across rows of file folders until they paused on a brown envelope.

“Qingcheng Crisis Incident.”

This was documentation of a major terror event that had occurred years ago.

Back then, peaceful and orderly Qingcheng had suddenly been struck by the appearance of a Dark Altar.

A towering black beam of light had erupted into the sky.

It had summoned the forces of darkness and plunged the city into chaos.

Thankfully, a frontline squad had just returned for rest—and among them was a warrior in the Second Form.

That warrior had singlehandedly destroyed the altar, minimizing the casualties.

Black energy stones were a vital strategic resource, typically used to create energy stones.

But originally, black energy stones were used to summon the Dark Ones—used as power sources for the altar, opening a portal between realms and bringing in the enemy.

Whether or not black energy stones were the key to activating an altar, Chen Daocheng didn’t know for sure.

But as head of the Investigation Unit, it was his duty to find out.

It was hard to believe that in this peaceful little town, a Dark Altar could be silently waiting—for a black energy stone to activate it.

Back in his room, Su Xuan began cultivating.

The black energy stone essence he had absorbed earlier had broken down into standard energy particles, and was filled with soul matter.

The amount was massive. If not absorbed in time, it would place a heavy burden on his body.

A single black energy stone could produce over twenty regular energy stones.

Currently, the energy particles stored in his body were equivalent to four or five stones’ worth.

Apparently, the material absorbed by the Phantom Soul also contained significant energy—or perhaps it could be transformed into usable energy.

Under the guidance of the Phantom Soul and his spiritual will, those four to five stones’ worth of energy began circulating through his meridians.

Blended with azure soul matter, the particles dissolved into his cells.

His body absorbed and refined the energy, strengthening itself—again and again—transformed under the influence of the soul matter.

Even the small amount of red soul matter was circulating calmly within his body.

There was no conflict with the blue, yin-type soul matter. The two moved in harmony, being absorbed without friction—like companions.

Affected by both soul types, it was hard to say whether this was good or bad.

The red soul matter was too scarce to make any significant impact. It could almost be ignored—much to Su Xuan’s dismay.

Clearly, the road ahead would be long.

With the Phantom Soul’s help, Su Xuan was eager to break into the Initial Form.

The so-called Initial Form was a state one reached when they had gained sufficient control over their energy particles and body.

At that point, they could begin to channel energy into rare alloys—achieving external projection of energy.

Su Xuan had been trying to break through this threshold for a long time.

But he was always just short of success.

As the saying goes: the last step is the hardest. That final breakthrough might take more effort than everything that came before.

That’s also why Su Xuan eventually gave in to the Phantom Soul’s “**.”

To become an official warrior, one must first attain the Initial Form.

Without it, you couldn’t even damage a Dark One. Without energy infusion, even a blade of alien alloy couldn’t cut them.

Even if you were physically strong, you could at best knock them back—delaying them, not defeating them.

That was why, even with the frontlines desperate for troops, not every able-bodied man could enlist.

Because not everyone could reach the Initial Form.

The earlier one broke through, the sooner they could enter the frontlines—and the more black energy stones they could earn.

It was an essential investment—everything for the future.

As vast amounts of yin soul matter flowed into his cells, Su Xuan’s skin became smooth and flawless.

His delicate complexion would be irresistible to most men.

His medium-length hair began to grow wildly, fed by the energy within.

In no time, his dark, lustrous locks reached his shoulders.

All of this went unnoticed by Su Xuan, still deep in meditation.

If he woke up now, it would no doubt be another tragic discovery.

His previously congested meridians began to clear.

The strained vessels slowly returned to normal.

His cells, nourished by the energy particles, were becoming saturated—being slowly reshaped by the soul matter.

He took out the alien alloy blade from its box, focused his breath, and began to circulate his energy at full force.

His senses were consumed by the whirlpool-like surge within him.

Wave after wave of energy crashed forward, trying to push outward—trying to infuse the cold blade.

But something invisible held him back.

An unseen membrane blocked every attempt.

No matter how hard he tried, he could only budge it slightly.

This barrier completely sealed his energy and perception within his body.

It refused to let anything leak out.

“Still not enough?”

Su Xuan lowered his head in frustration.

He instinctively reached up to scratch his head—only to feel a silky smoothness under his fingers.

“Huh?”

He quickly grabbed a few strands and brought them in front of his eyes.

“Why is it so long?”

His hair had grown into shoulder-length locks.

And combined with his devastatingly beautiful face…

After healing Su Xuan’er with the black energy stone, he had absorbed a massive amount of soul matter.

Now, after meditating, most of it had been assimilated.

Could the transformation be this intense?

Suddenly, all his frustration disappeared.

He rushed into the bathroom, stripped completely, and took a long look in the mirror.

His hair now draped over his shoulders.

Just yesterday, it had been standard short hair for a guy.

He checked his “little brother.”

Maybe it was psychological—but it seemed… smaller.

Looking at the weakened Little Su Xuan, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

It seemed these days weren’t going to end anytime soon.

His gaze drifted upward.

The faint outlines of four-pack abs were barely visible.

His waist, previously not very broad, had become even more refined—an elegant curve forming along his sides.

Like a water snake’s waist—no man could hope to control it.

Just standing near Su Xuan would be enough to disarm someone.

His eyes traveled higher.

Were those…? No—maybe?

Those two little “grapes” still stood firmly like watchtowers on a flat plain.

But whether it was real or imagined, there was an itch in his chest—like something wanted to sprout.

The changes were heading in exactly the direction he dreaded.

But that didn’t mean there was no hope.

As long as he could collect enough black energy stones, he could use the Crimson Blade to obtain a sufficient amount of yang-type soul matter.

“Before heaven bestows a great mission upon a person, it must first test their will, wear down their body, starve them, exhaust them, and frustrate them in all ways!”

“As long as I stick to my principles—stick to my three non-negotiables—there’s still hope!”

“There’s still a chance to reclaim my manhood, proud and mighty!”

Su Xuan clenched his fists, cheering himself on—

Only to realize his voice had reverted back to that ambiguous, childish tone he’d had as a kid.

Soft. Sweet. A little seductive.

Now this was just… absurd.

A girl so beautiful she could ruin nations was staring in the mirror, declaring her intent to be a real man.

If anyone saw this, their jaws would drop.

That soft, sugary voice completely undercut the seriousness of the vow.

Su Xuan lowered his head.

It was easy to talk big—but black energy stones weren’t that easy to come by.

There was still a long road ahead.

The most likely place to find them was the Chaotic Zone.

But to enter, he had to become stronger.

And to get stronger, he needed Su Xuan’er’s help.

Which meant—he would have to endure the influence of yin-type soul matter for a while longer.

He could only hope he held out.

He tied up his shoulder-length hair with a rubber band—something he hadn’t done in years.

Without a trim, the wild growth looked messy and uneven.

But with that face—so beautiful it could sink kingdoms—and that strange, ethereal charm…

There was an odd, breathtaking allure to the look.

After getting dressed, Su Xuan headed out—intent on getting a haircut.