The soft whisper of bamboo leaves framed the morning light cascading into Shadow's residence, but the peace was a lie. Within, two people sat across from each other—one a storm wrapped in calm robes, the other a thundercloud disguised in beauty.
Han Yuelin's tea had long gone cold, but she didn't move. Not out of grace, but because the weight of Shadow's words had frozen the air around her.
Shadow broke the stillness.
"Do you want to know why that man with the Three Heaven Devouring Physique failed?"
Yuelin didn't answer immediately. When she did, her voice was quiet, flat. "He tried to merge what was never meant to be combined. Three supreme physiques forced into one body... suicidal."
"Correct." Shadow nodded. "But it was more than that. He misunderstood his gift. He thought his body was a container. Something to hold power. But you—" he pointed at her, eyes firm, "—you're not a container. You're a forge. You don't just absorb power. You refine it. Transmute it."
Yuelin's fingers tightened slightly around her teacup.
"You don't just contain chaos," he continued. "You bend it. Shape it. That's why you're not listed among the supreme physiques. Because yours isn't meant to be cataloged. It's meant to evolve."
"Nine," she whispered. "That's what you said."
"Nine Heaven Devouring Physique," Shadow confirmed. "Your body can absorb and refine up to nine supreme physiques. Or maybe... it's the starting point. We don't know if it has a limit."
She gave a dry laugh. "So I'm a glutton? A monster who grows by consuming others?"
Shadow shook his head. "No. Parasites consume. You transform. You're not stealing gifts. You're rewriting the meaning of power."
She studied him. "You really believe that?"
"I believe most monsters in history became supreme when people stopped being afraid of them."
The teacup trembled. She set it down.
"Two months," she said again. "That's all I have."
Shadow stood and walked to the window, staring out across the mountains. "Not if you awaken it. Your physique is collapsing in on itself. Rejection and resonance clashing. You must harmonize your core. And to do that... you need to understand the nature of supreme physiques."
He turned back to her. "There are three you must obtain, no matter what: the Spirit Physique—enhanced soul and spiritual perception; the Immortal Physique—endless vitality, regeneration even from a single drop of blood; and the Innate Energy Physique—limitless spiritual energy capacity."
"They're the core of what made the failed devourer break. He chose incompatible traits. But if you build correctly, they'll form the foundation of your true evolution."
Shadow summoned a jade scroll from his storage ring and placed it on the table.
"This contains the cultivation method known as the Three Timeless Physiques. It's not for ordinary people—it splits the cultivator's essence into three separate avatars: the Past Body, Present Body, and Future Body. Each can cultivate separately, storing traits independently. When reunited, the three become a single perfected vessel."
Yuelin leaned forward slightly. "So… each one takes a different supreme physique?"
Shadow nodded. "Yes. Three paths, all synchronized. When you merge, they harmonize into your final form. That's when the Nine Gates open."
"Gates?"
"The Nine Gates of Devouring." Shadow's voice turned grave. "Each time you devour a supreme physique, your body will resist. Each gate must be broken through force or understanding. Some may open with blood. Others with meditation. But once all nine are opened... you will become something this world has never seen."
Yuelin stood slowly. Her gaze turned inward, then outward. A strange calm settled over her.
"And if I fail?"
"You die. Or worse. You become what the original devourer became—a fragmented soul torn between stolen powers."
Shadow approached her, his voice low. "But if you succeed, not even the Celestial Thunder Sect will be able to name you. Because no name will be high enough."
Yuelin looked down at her hand, curling and uncurling her fingers. "So, I need to study all known supreme physiques, find compatible ones, devour three for each temporal body, and then fuse them in the final convergence?"
"Yes. And you'll need time, secrecy, and understanding. Which is why this courtyard is now yours. From today on, you vanish from the world's eyes."
"That won't stop people from hunting me."
"Then let them come," Shadow said. "But not yet. Prepare first. In two weeks, begin your search. Until then—meditate. Listen to your body. Learn its language."
Yuelin looked at him, veil fluttering slightly.
"And you? What's your path?"
Shadow gave a wry smile. "Born in a burned village. Raised by a dying man. Taught myself to cut through monsters, not cultivate like them. My dantian devours chaos. My sword has no manual. And I fight like a starving wolf because I am one."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "That sounds lonely."
Shadow shrugged. "Maybe. But now you're here. Two monsters under one roof. Who knows? Maybe we'll scare heaven itself."
For the first time, her smile reached her eyes.
They said no more. Each walked to their chambers in silence.
The Nine Gates had opened. Not in power—but in possibility.