Chapter 316 - 4: Rebirth of the Origin Turns the Seasons; A Coiled Dragon in the Dantian Proves Growth and Decay
Chapter 316: Chapter 4: Rebirth of the Origin Turns the Seasons; A Coiled Dragon in the Dantian Proves Growth and Decay
"ROAR—!"
Following a dragon’s cry that shook his very Divine Soul, a colossal star dragon spanning the heavens and the earth, formed from Star Cores and Xinghui Yun, abruptly materialized before Zhong Ming.
The Great Sun served as a pearl, suspended from the dragon’s head, shining brilliantly. Venus streamed forth ten thousand golden threads, weaving into the solid bones within the dragon’s body. The boundless Life Force contained within Jupiter transformed into the dragon’s rich flesh and blood. The resilient foundation forged by the Earth Star formed its scales, each one reflecting the solemn patterns of the earth and its mountains.
Atop this Dragon of the Morning Star’s head, majestic horns of violet-gold rose up like a crown—the manifestation of the Ziwei Emperor Star upon the Rings of the Morning Star Dragon.
As for the water vapor commanded by the Morning Star, it had transformed into ethereal clouds and mist, coiling around the dragon’s body, surging and subsiding with its every breath, awaiting its command.
This was the Rings of the Morning Star Dragon, the Ring "Beast" formed by the fusion of Zhong Ming’s many Star Cores and Dao Rhymes!
"BUZZ—"
Right now, the dragon was not motionless; it was coiling.
And with each rotation, it stirred the Great Dao of heaven and earth, causing the world to change along with it.
With the first rotation, the essence of spring began to permeate the air.
With Jupiter’s Way of Wood at its core, vegetation instantly flourished across the world. Withered trees sprouted new shoots, and countless points of fresh green broke through the soil.
Beasts slumbering deep underground awoke, and the birds of the forest chirped with joy.
Activating his Mind Reading, Zhong Ming was able to experience the beauty of spring with full Immersion:
’Spring is the spiritual rhyme of new life, the beginning and revival of all things. If I use the essence of spring to cast a Magic Technique, my Call the Wind and Summon the Rain will become a spiritual rain brimming with life. The wind will become a spring breeze that blows away fatigue and injury, refreshing the Divine Soul.’
The second rotation: spring gave way to summer. The world’s timeline seemed to fast-forward as plants grew wildly, their branches stretching tall. Flowers bloomed furiously across the mountains and fields, their vibrant colors painting the sky.
Relying on his Mind Reading, Zhong Ming could clearly perceive that this was not an abrupt, unrelated transition. Spring was wood, and wood fed fire; thus, summer was a summer of fire, a combination of wood and fire.
And fire was not merely about burning and destruction; it also represented scorching heat and soaring Life Force. Igniting wood qi with starlight—this kind of ignited Life Force was the reason the trees before Zhong Ming could grow with even greater exuberance.
This was the beauty of high summer, and also the peak of a person’s life.
But the Dragon of the Year Rings was still rotating. This time, it turned to autumn—a metal autumn, dominated by killing intent and sharpness.
The grim, metal autumn severed the splendor of high summer, causing all things to wither and return to dust. Only the golden ears of grain hung low, concealing an essence of withdrawal.
Last came winter. A desolate winter of falling snow and the extinction of all things. The world became a vast expanse of stark white, as if all Life Force had been frozen solid.
However, while winter was extinction, beneath the destruction lay the seeds of new life.
"ROAR!"
Soon, the Dragon of the Year Rings rotated once more, and the world of spring, representing the revival of all things, appeared before Zhong Ming again.
With that, using the four seasons as nodes, the Rings of the Morning Star Dragon had completed a full year—one full cycle.
"No, it’s not just a cycle..."
Gazing at the Dragon of the Year Rings before him and recalling everything that had just happened, a realization flooded Zhong Ming’s mind.
"Using the ashes of the previous ’year’ as nourishment, the rotation of the Dragon of the Year Rings is both a cycle and a process of growth."
"Through the changing of the four seasons, with each rotation, its year rings will increase by one, and its power will grow stronger... If this Array is set up in my Dantian, it will rotate endlessly, pouring all its effort into manifesting the four seasons."
"And after completing one full cycle of the four seasons, the Dragon of the Year Rings will grow stronger. Since this Ring Beast is a synthesis of the Star Cores and Spiritual Qi in my Dantian, its growth also represents an increase in my Magical Power."
At this moment, Zhong Ming had to admit that Luo Zhiwei was truly skilled. The One Origin Rebirth·Chronological Tree Diagram she had deduced using the many Star Cores in her own body was exquisite.
If this Array were successfully deployed, he wouldn’t have to do a thing; the automatically operating Array would continuously increase his strength.
"On top of that, this Array has also made me stronger and given me more ways to deal with enemies."
"The Dragon of the Year Rings has made it so the Star Cores in my body no longer exist individually, but have fused into a single whole... And the changing seasons have also granted me four Dao Rhymes."
"The Spring Vitality, the summer’s prosperity, the autumn’s killing intent, and the winter’s extinction... By using these essences to augment my Magic Techniques, my methods for dealing with enemies will be far more varied."
The endlessly rotating Dragon of the Morning Star, and the world that transformed along with it, left Zhong Ming somewhat entranced.
Of course, none of this was happening in the real world. It was the manifestation of the Array, the One Origin Rebirth·Chronological Tree Diagram, within Zhong Ming’s dreamscape.
—Any sufficiently advanced Cultivation Technique or Array could not be described in mere words; they contained abstruse mysteries that could ’only be understood, not explained.’
Ordinary Cultivators could only use their Divine Souls to perceive these ’mysterious and profound’ messages. How much they could comprehend depended entirely on fate and their own aptitude.
But Zhong Ming was different. Because of his Great Dream of Thousand Years Divine Technique, he was able to materialize these abstruse Dao Rhymes within his dreams. The Dragon of the Year Rings before him was the complete Dao Rhyme deduced by the Master Luo Zhiwei, and her comprehension of it had been entirely siphoned away by him.
And as the Dream Dominator, once Zhong Ming recorded this information, he could replay it over and over.
But he could do more than just that. "BUZZ!" With a stir of his Heart Spirit, his Soul Spirit consciousness merged with the Rings of the Morning Star Dragon. Then, in the form of the Ring ’Beast,’ he began to experience the mysteries of the seasons’ rotation, the cycle of life and death.