Chapter 384 - 382: The Fire Flood Dragon Becomes a Dragon

Chapter 384: Chapter 382: The Fire Flood Dragon Becomes a Dragon

Lu Song couldn’t have reached Foundation Establishment Perfection in a hundred years by relying solely on the aid of elixirs.

After all, Tong Huan’s cultivation conditions were no worse than his, yet he was still only at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.

This could only mean that the Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body he acquired in the Ancient Secret Realm did far more than simply preserve his vitality and keep his physical body in a perpetual state of peak condition.

It made sense. On one hand, there were legacy items like the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box, the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword, and the Nine Heavens Bone Forging Techniques.

On the other hand, the Black Flame infusion was clearly also prepared for the Secret Realm’s heir, so it was bound to be something extraordinary.

Who would have thought that the true, incredibly fortunate heir to the Secret Realm couldn’t even handle a pack of Blood Wolves and had to find help, which in turn allowed Bai Zichen to receive the true inheritance of the Upper Realm Sword Immortal.

Furthermore, Lu Song also had Tong Huan to thank for being able to reach Foundation Establishment Perfection.

When a young Tong Huan had just become Bai Zichen’s registered disciple, it was Lu Song who guided his initial cultivation, and the two had formed a deep bond.

After Tong Huan became the Sect Leader, he took good care of Lu Song, assigning him Sect missions that were all highly rewarding and had little risk.

He also made things easier for him when it came to exchanging for elixirs, using his authority as Sect Leader to approve many that were in short supply.

’The seven points of unusual light on the seven major acupoints in his body are gone. Have they completely merged with his flesh, causing his cultivation speed to skyrocket...?’

A sweep with the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror revealed a Human Meridian Map. The biggest difference from before was the absence of those seven points of unusual light.

Bai Zichen remembered clearly that while those seven points of unusual light had sealed away one’s Magical Power and vitality, they had also infused any circulating Magical Power with iridescent specks.

’But looking at him now, he seems just like an ordinary cultivator. Could it be that his rapid cultivation to Foundation Establishment Perfection has already exhausted the potential of his Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body?’

In any case, Lu Song’s invitation back then to explore the Secret Realm together had laid the greatest foundation for his Sword Dao.

Moreover, they had originally agreed to split the gains from the Secret Realm evenly, but Bai Zichen had clearly taken an extra share, which was why he had promised to help.

Lu Song himself was also very tactful. After they left the Secret Realm, his attitude never changed because of this matter. He only actively sought help on two occasions: when he was attempting Foundation Establishment, and when he asked to borrow the Nine Heavens Bone Forging Techniques.

Otherwise, after helping Lu Song achieve Foundation Establishment, Bai Zichen would have considered his promise fulfilled and the debt repaid, and there would have been no further assistance.

"Are you short on the Contribution Points needed to exchange for the Clear Spirit Jade Marrow?"

Bai Zichen took the initiative to ask, seeing Lu Song hesitating to speak.

"Yes, a single portion of Clear Spirit Jade Marrow from the Secret Hall costs eighty thousand Contribution Points... Although they allow payment in installments, you have to put down at least half of the Sect Contribution up front. I’m still short thirty thousand."

The Qingfeng Sect had always offered many supportive policies for cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection who were attempting to break through to Core Formation.

As long as one obtained the Sect Leader’s permission, Core Formation Spiritual Objects and other applicable Secret Treasures could be exchanged for through installment payments.

From Wei Dao to Zhou Suqing, they all exchanged for Clear Spirit Jade Marrow through this method.

With a few rare exceptions, the vast majority of Perfect Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn’t scrape together that many Sect Contribution Points. After all, the elixirs and Spiritual Artifacts they consumed throughout their cultivation were considerable expenses.

If they succeeded in reaching Core Formation, the tens of thousands of Contribution Points they owed could be easily repaid.

If Core Formation failed, the Sect wouldn’t actually pursue them for the Contribution Points, treating it as a sunk cost for sponsoring a promising disciple’s attempt to break through to Core Formation.

As long as one Core Formation True Man appeared, all the investment would be worthwhile.

"I’ve shamelessly come to borrow thirty thousand Sect Contribution Points from Junior Martial Uncle Bai. Whether I succeed in Core Formation or not, I will return them within ten years."

At the Foundation Establishment Perfection realm, it wouldn’t take Lu Song many years to accumulate another thirty thousand Contribution Points.

The problem was his advanced age. Even if his Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body ensured that his age wouldn’t affect the probability of success, no matter how old he was when he attempted Core Formation...

...but if he really waited until he was two hundred years old to try, he would certainly be filled with anxiety. Any fluctuation in his mental state meant he could forget about passing the crucial step of entrusting his Divine Sense.

Therefore, for Lu Song, time was of the essence. The sooner he attempted Core Formation, the better.

"I’ve transferred the thirty thousand Contribution Points to you. Consider it a gift... However, we just established a new rule a while ago. To exchange for a Core Formation Spiritual Object, you must first make a significant contribution to one of the major projects. Go find Tong Huan and have him arrange a post for you. Spend three to five years and achieve something noteworthy."

Lu Song had only asked to borrow thirty thousand Contribution Points, not the full seventy thousand he was short, and had clearly stated he would pay it back.

This made Bai Zichen nod slightly. He could see that Lu Song was still the same tactful cultivator who knew his limits and hadn’t let the hope of Core Formation go to his head.

However, the new policy was already set. It couldn’t be changed for one person; such inconsistency would damage the Sect’s prestige.

The most he could do was provide some help within the bounds of the regulations.

The rule was newly established, and many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had not yet realized its importance, or if they had, they hadn’t been quick to act.

As long as Tong Huan assigned him the right personnel, it would still be easy for Lu Song to achieve some results.

"I see you haven’t cultivated the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique yet. You should use this time to learn it; it’s as good as having another Core Formation Spiritual Object."

"Previously, the Transmission Hall raised the exchange requirement for the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique to Late-Stage Foundation Establishment. I didn’t meet the condition then, and later I just forgot to go exchange for it."

With his wish fulfilled, Lu Song visibly relaxed.

Bai Zichen recalled that there had indeed been such an adjustment. When the Bai Family first presented the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique, all Foundation Establishment Elders could study it without any restrictions.

Later, they realized the importance of this Cultivation Technique—it was practically on par with the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect’s Core Formation Spiritual Object Secret Realm. It was only after Ge Cang made a suggestion that the exchange requirements were raised.

The Late-Stage Foundation Establishment requirement returned the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique to its original purpose: burning one’s lifespan to increase the chances of successfully reaching Core Formation.

This prevented the initial situation where droves of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators were learning it solely for its life-extending benefits.

...

’Besides being used to separate out the Holy Beast Aura, does this drop of Essence Blood have no other purpose...?’

This time, around one hundred and fifty Bai Clan Members met the requirement of being proficient in the Wood God Skill. After applying the Holy Beast Aura to them, Bai Zichen moved a Crystal Stone to float before his eyes.

Though contained by the Crystal Stone, the power of the Holy Beast Essence Blood still seeped out, constantly affecting its surroundings. Nearby plants grew and withered at a dizzying pace.

He rarely touched the Crystal Stone, other than to separate the aura from it, because a previous touch had nearly caused him to turn into wood.

The Holy Beast Essence Blood had been in the Fish Dragon Sect for a very long time, yet only one Nascent Soul True Monarch had figured out how to use it to empower the Wood God Skill, allowing an ordinary Spirit Plant Technique to work wonders. Otherwise, it had always been locked away and left untouched.

Not even Nascent Soul True Monarchs knew how to utilize that vast and pure power. Any attempt to open the Crystal Stone was abandoned upon feeling the tangible, immense pressure of the Holy Beast within the Essence Blood, for fear of causing irreversible consequences.

’The Dragon Monarch has been relentlessly searching for the Holy Beast Essence Blood. There can only be one reason for such focus: it’s related to its path to Divinity Transformation... It is of the Dragon Race, so it has some connection to the Cyan Dragon Sacred Beast. Perhaps its bloodline inheritance contains information about this, but that doesn’t mean Human Race cultivators can use it the same way.’

A wisp of moonlight gathered on Bai Zichen’s fingertip, gently nudging the Crystal Stone. It began to spin, emitting a captivating yet terrifying jade-green light.

His strength was many times greater than when he had first reached Core Formation, but he still had no confidence to touch the Crystal Stone directly.

Perhaps after reaching Nascent Soul, by wrapping his palm with the Power of Time, he would be able to resist the corrosion of the Holy Beast Essence Blood and could study it directly in his palm.

Today, he just thought about having such a top-tier Spiritual Object on him, containing a terrifying power sufficient to allow a Tier Four Great Demon to break through to Tier Five.

Yet here he was, sitting on a Treasure Mountain and returning empty-handed. He wanted to see if he could draw even a sliver of its power to speed up his cultivation.

’It seems the Core Formation Perfection realm is still too low to perceive anything about this Holy Beast Essence Blood. I can’t find any clues at all.’

Just as Bai Zichen was about to put the Crystal Stone away, a sudden idea struck him.

’A single wisp of Holy Beast Aura can cause the Wood God Skill to change. So what would happen if I separated ten wisps, or even a hundred, and applied them to myself? Would the Wood God Skill mutate again, or would it affect me in other ways?’

The Thunder Sound Bamboo Scrolls confiscated from the Youlong Sect cultivators showed that the Fish Dragon Sect had tried something similar. However, even a Core Formation True Man would begin to grow wood inside their body and fall into a deep slumber if they absorbed too much Holy Beast Aura.

Conversely, a single wisp of Holy Beast Aura would be instantly refined by a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s Realm upon contact.

Even for a newly ascended Nascent Soul Cultivator, the Holy Beast Aura would be identified as an foreign power and consumed by their Central Palace Nascent Soul.

Simply put, a Core Formation True Man couldn’t withstand a large amount of Holy Beast Aura, but for a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it was too weak and would be automatically refined and dissolved upon entering the body.

Just because an ordinary Core Formation True Man couldn’t do it didn’t mean Bai Zichen couldn’t.

Using the Fish Dragon Sect’s Secret Technique, Finger Light, he lightly tapped the Crystal Stone. Dozens of fine, jade-green threads shot out and landed on his body.

His body trembled. A jade-green hue faintly appeared within his True Essence, threatening to spread through his limbs. A five-colored crystalline light flashed across his bones, while his skin took on a glazed, crimson sheen.

His Five Crystal Permanent Casting Body and Glazed Fire Divine Body activated automatically, isolating the Holy Beast Aura and preventing it from spreading further or affecting his physical body.

’There’s a new, indescribable power in my True Essence. It’s not strong—I can dissolve it with a single circulation. But its fundamental quality is extremely high. If I were to use a Five Elements Magic right now, its power would at least double.’

Of course, this was not the effect Bai Zichen wanted. He used his current True Essence to cast the Wood God Skill, the Sword-Encompassing Technique, and the Sword Nurturing Technique respectively, and found that all three secret techniques had undergone some changes.

He tried various magic and Divine Techniques, then circulated the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture once.

An hour later, the Fire Flood Dragon Illusion manifested and, in a single gulp, swallowed the dozens of green threads.

A spark of intelligence appeared in the Fire Flood Dragon’s eyes. It soared majestically, five claws sprouted from its feet, and two horns grew from its draconic head. It was already taking on the appearance of a true dragon.

It let out a long roar to the sky, blowing the nature’s spiritual energy in the courtyard into disarray, then slowly retracted back into his body.

This long roar carried the weight of a Dragon’s Majesty, indistinguishable from the roar of a True Dragon.

’Manifesting a True Dragon... isn’t that supposed to happen only when the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture reaches the ninth level? It’s happened two levels early!’

Bai Zichen was inwardly stunned. This change was clearly caused by the sheer quantity of Holy Beast Aura he had absorbed, which had caused his main cultivation method to mutate.