The divine nature of this object was self-evident. Chen Ang had discerned its extraordinary quality – capable of cultivating medicinal qi, emanating brilliance and color, and adeptly condensing the external medicinal property. Such medicinal pills could endure over time without any loss of their medicinal properties.

With utmost care, Chen Ang used a jade knife to cut it. Only a faint odor was noticeable. He then kneaded the dark red clay into a small, finger-sized pill using beeswax and placed it into a sealed porcelain bottle.

As a verification, Chen Ang retained only three tablets.

He handed one pill to Shaman Lang and, lifting another to his lips, swallowed it. An acidic tang rushed down his throat like a line of fire, burning through to his belly before radiating outwards. Chen Ang felt an intense heat in his lower abdomen, as if a small fire was ablaze within him, causing him to break out in a sweat.

Quickly circulating his internal force, he sensed a surge of vitality flooding through his body. Hastily assuming a cross-legged position, he fused the medicinal properties with his internal force. Shaman Lang, on the other hand, felt even more uncomfortable. His face flushed, eyes reddening as he dashed out of the boat, plunging into the river, and vomiting profusely.

Chen Ang's dark blue pupils grew deeper as he drew in a deep breath, gradually subsiding the body's heat.

The "Five Qi Yin-Yang" harmonized his body, soon calming the effects of the medicine. Chen Ang sensed a pure power entwined within his organs, slowly replenishing them, refining them bit by bit through the tempering of the Five Qi.

"Yin-Yang is the hub of the human body, and Five Qi is the foundation of life! It seems that longevity and the treasury's richness are actually embedded within the Five Qi; the five internal organs nourish the whole body and provide the power of life. Aging originates within the body's organs, attributed to the decline of Five Qi. It's no wonder that organ failure is the primary cause of death."

This realization uncovered a mystery for Chen Ang. While external skills could result in a perfect body and eliminate internal injuries, those practicing national martial arts often had difficulty extending the human body's lifespan. This was far from the realm of Inner Strength Grandmasters. Although foreign masters possessed strong, perfect physiques, one might assume their life force should be superior to Inner Strength practitioners. In reality, it was the opposite.

Chen Ang comprehended that Inner Strength practitioners gathered the Five Qi, revealing why their route was correct. Pursuing extremes in attributes and even relatively strong internal force would impair the nurturing of Five Qi, making it difficult to cultivate the dirty. Only by adopting a medical approach – progressing both internally and externally, nurturing the vital energy, and practicing in a peerless manner – could the essence be harnessed.

Sensing the vitality within his body, Chen Ang frowned; the lifespan extension was only marginal, far less than his expectations. Blood Orchid should exhibit more effects; even the snake king, giant snakes living for hundreds or thousands of years, could attest to this. The local wizards here, consuming Blood Orchid drugs, could live for more than four hundred years. Although the drug's effect diminished with each intake, they could extend their lifespan to around 260 years.

Despite resembling the traditional Pill Recipe style, the Blood Orchid's role was not maximized; it leaned more towards supplementing essence qi, rendering its power akin to the Shaolin Great Revitalizing Pill in improving internal force. The outlook was clear – Blood Orchid's role in enhancing lifespan was limited.

Regarding genetic enhancement, Chen Ang held a vague hypothesis. If overclocking drugs could unlock the intellect, then Blood Orchid might have the potential to unlock Life Shackles, perhaps revealing the human body's hidden potential and evolutionary power.

This remained a speculative analysis based on Chen Ang's current information, yet he felt a high probability of this hypothesis.

Perhaps breaking certain genetic aspects, breaking free from the shackles of life, and evolving oneself was possible. Chen Ang conjectured he might not be the first to unlock such shackles.

In ancient times, immortals, demons, beasts, and even the fabled singular beings might have broken these Life Shackles. Vampires, werewolves, elves, halflings, monks, angels, titans – were they results of human evolution or another life's evolution? Consuming the Blood Orchid drug might unleash genetic powers, transforming into ancient life forms.

And in the realm of his own Intelligence Shackles, Chen Ang harbored various thoughts. The path of meditation, inner reflection, and perhaps the wisdom of sages might lead to understanding the existence of Intelligence Shackles. This Great Way had many fellow travelers.

Chen Ang's heart swelled with joy.

The journey ahead wasn't a solitary one!

In the darkness, numerous fellow explorers were akin to him—exploring, questing, and never alone.

Extending his hand, Chen Ang pointed his fingers through the void ahead of him, sensing a familiar presence. It felt as if he was stepping into the abyss. An ancient voice resonated in his ears: "Unnamed, the genesis of heavens and earth; Named, the mother of all things. Hence, there is a perpetual yearning to witness its marvel; often desiring to understand its obscurity. Both are manifestations of the mysterious. Profound and inexplicable, it is the gateway to wonder..."

Another compassionate voice echoed slowly: "When smelling: good man, good woman, sending forth vows to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, all three, three great bodhisattvas, could they abide and not descend?"

"The path to see the heavens, the journey to the heavens, give it your all."

"It is believable without seeing its form; emotional yet intangible."

"Legend has it that in ancient times, those who wished to rise above the heavens and earth, grasping Yin-Yang, breathing essence qi, could become deities alone. Should muscles unite, they'd be able to live amongst the heavens and earth, with no foreseeable end."

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God."

"e=mc2!"

Countless voices, whether grand or subdued, ancient or young, resounded in harmony—reciting in classic languages like Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit, proclaiming profound truths.

Chen Ang closed his eyes, whispering the truths interwoven within these memories. A faint crimson glow emanated from his lower abdomen. The sudden activation of Blood Orchid's power wrought an earth-shaking transformation within his body—thickening, scales emerging uniformly at key junctures.

At the peak moment of this change...

Chen Ang's eyes snapped open; his irises now a deep blue, darker and purer than before.

Rapidly returning to normal, the scales gradually receded, revealing his white skin. Chen Ang exhaled deeply, closed his eyes.

When they reopened, his pupils had reverted to their usual brown.

"Fourfold overclocking, damn! That was fast! Luckily, the gene mutation was controlled; otherwise, my body would have collapsed." Chen Ang rubbed his forehead with concern. "Intelligence Shackles—seems to be the path of cultivation! I didn't expect that I, like the ancient sages, would find myself treading this most direct Great Way."

"Learning is cultivation. Intelligence is the Great Way. Surprisingly, this orthodox Great Way isn't in scriptures, nor within the sages' teachings, nor the paths they forged! It exists alongside them, traversing the same trail, exploring further."

"It's all so straightforward."

Seating himself on the floor, Chen Ang pondered: Intelligence Shackles, Life Shackles—perhaps there are other evolutionary paths. If Intelligence Shackles represent the path to comprehension, Life Shackles could symbolize the path to evolution; one is for immortality, the other for change. But they aren't mutually exclusive.

The distinction lies in the path to comprehension—know thyself through learning and understanding the world. The path to life is about emulating nature, survival of the fittest, evolving through natural means. However, these paths significantly intertwine, influence each other, and even reinforce one another.

Currently, Chen Ang sought to improve his essence through sage-like intelligence—exploring the world, gaining knowledge. But this wouldn't stop him from controlling his genes, exploring primal life forces, or even transforming into ancient beings, mastering supernatural abilities.

If he had first used the Blood Orchid drug, Chen Ang might now be grappling with power in the world of X-Men, exploring the realm of blood and werewolves, delving into bloodlines, confronting Greek gods, or battling extraterrestrials. He could also explore the essence of life and genetic power to reach the end of that road.

Yet, Chen Ang still preferred his current path—learning more and knowing more.

"The Blood Orchid drug is absolutely off-limits until my gene stabilization. When I can utilize both the overclocking drug and the Blood Orchid drug, I'll undoubtedly unlock the secrets of the evolutionary path. Three thousand paths might lead to Tao, but the fundamental path remains consistent—I've always said we must reach the end of that road."

"Even as I add to it now, I wish to relish the journey and arrive at the end. The path to comprehension—I must follow it through to the end." Sensing the vitality of distant Shaman Lang, Chen Ang smiled gently.

Drifting away into the ether, he vanished.