Dragon Transformation Technique

"Big brother, I've grown back." He raised his hand and touched his face, his eyes slightly red, but this time there were no more tears or snot. He just blinked hard, suppressing his emotions, and then gave his reflection in the water tank a long-lost smile, a smile that resembled the one Zhao Fengnian used to give when he delivered takeout on time and slapped the card on it.

"Although the mark of gluttony has been removed, you were able to ignite the divine fire this time thanks to the help of the lights of ten thousand homes. This cause and effect must be repaid." Liu Jin withdrew the golden light from his fingertips and gestured for him to look at the reflection in the water tank.

"I understand. Do more good deeds and help more people who need fire. Anyway, the Sanyi Temple is going to open soon, so these are just things that happen along the way." Zhao Fengnian answered casually, without making any grand vows of "using this crippled body to serve the world," but simply categorizing doing good deeds as "things that happen along the way."

Liu Jin nodded slightly: "Now that you have the heart for cultivation, you can switch to the Xuanmen (mysterious sect)."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fengnian pulled over a stone bench and sat down opposite him, going through the entire Dragon Transformation Technique that he had previously mentioned to Liu Jin. The physical foundation, forged with refined fire, was already established; the magical foundation, refined with qi fire, was mostly complete; and the spiritual foundation had just been ignited by divine fire.

With Samadhi achieved and the Gluttony Seal refined into a divine power, the next stage of cultivation is no longer about "removing the curse," but about "building a system." The dragon transformation began with three sub-dragon scales, which have now been integrated into his being. Next, he needs to collect more dragon materials: dragon blood to temper his flesh, dragon tendons to refine his meridians, dragon bones to forge his spine, and dragon breath to nourish his dantian. The Devouring Divine Power of the refined Gluttony Seal can help him absorb the power within the essence of dragon blood; what was once a curse is now a tool.

The path to becoming a dragon begins with the Western dragon, because he only has sub-dragon scales at hand, but he also has ideas about the cultivation methods of the Eastern dragon. The Western dragon relies on physical strength to withstand hardships, while the Eastern dragon relies on controlling clouds and rain, accumulating merit, and being conferred the title of a righteous god. The two paths seem to be opposite, but in fact they can run in parallel. He can walk the path of the Eastern dragon with the body of a Western dragon.

"The idea is good." Liu Jin pondered for a moment after listening, "but there are also many dangers. Dragons are very strong in a low-level immortal world like Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but they are weak in a large world like Journey to the West: The Primordial Era. Your path will be quite challenging."

"Just going with the flow. I don't know how far I'll end up, but this is a path I figured out myself, and I'm walking it steadily." Zhao Fengnian sat on a stone bench, leaning back slightly, his hands clasped behind his head. This relaxed posture was exactly the same as when he was a food delivery rider, sitting on his electric scooter enjoying the evening breeze after delivering his last order.

Liu Jin didn't say anything more, he just nodded slightly.

......

"My youth is over! Little Zhao has become handsome! No, he's back to being handsome!"

"Her eyes were red but she didn't cry. Her self-control is much stronger than when she first arrived."

"The attitude of 'doing something on the spur of the moment' is really good. It doesn't have that kind of pretentious, grandiose talk of 'I want to save all living beings,' it's just a genuine act of helping out as you go."

"Because of the lights of thousands of homes, one attains enlightenment; and in return, one repays with the lights of thousands of homes, creating a perfect closed loop of cause and effect."

"The idea of ​​the Dragon Transformation Technique is really wild. Western dragons and Eastern dragons cultivate together, one achieves physical sainthood, and the other achieves godhood through merit. The Three Ones Temple has a Fire-Swallowing Taoist and a Dragon Transformation True Lord. This sect should be called the Immortal Zoo from now on."

"Liu Jin praised him twice today. Once for being a model worker, and once for having developed a desire to cultivate Taoism. Zhao Fengnian has truly made something of himself."

......

Liu Jin didn't comment much on Zhao Fengnian's Dragon Transformation Technique. He simply stood up, walked to the stone table in the courtyard, and moved the windproof glass lamp he had brought back from the City God Temple to the side, making room for an empty tabletop.

He lightly traced a line of blue flame on the table with his fingertip, leaving a faint trail like a charcoal sketch. Jinhua City was on the left, Sanyi Temple on the right, and a winding official road stretched northward between them, ending at a black mountain-shaped marker. Black Mountain.

When Zhao Fengnian saw the black mark, the smile on his face slowly faded, but it didn't disappear. Instead, his relaxed expression changed to one of anticipation, not nervousness.

"Do you remember what the City God said that day?" Liu Jin withdrew his finger, the blue flame still flickering slowly on the stone table. "The Black Mountain Demon has five hundred years of cultivation and escaped from the Underworld. The Tree Demon is his ally, and he sent that group of demons to test us last time. The Tree Demon is dead, the demons are dead, and Black Mountain hasn't made a move. It's not that he doesn't hold grudges, it's that he doesn't know how many trump cards we have. His subordinates botched the last test, so he will reassess our strength before deciding when to make his move."

"We did a few things during this time." Liu Jin raised his hand, and three flames—silver-white, pale gold, and dark blue—flamed from his fingertips in succession. The Taiyin Fire, draped over his body, concealed his aura, making it impossible for the Black Mountain side to ascertain his true strength. The myriad lights of the city, as they gathered the flame, also drew the attention of the rogue cultivators in Jinhua City. If the Black Mountain had spies in the city, they would surely know that the Sanyi Temple had produced a cultivator capable of igniting the city's lights.

There were also fireworks and streamers. Although they hadn't officially engaged in combat, some of Black Mountain's lesser demons had escaped back to report the battle against the tree demon at Lanruo Temple. It wasn't that Black Mountain hadn't made a move; he simply dared not act rashly. But he wouldn't wait indefinitely. After the probing failed and the assessment was complete, the next step would be to make a formal move.

"One reason I hesitated to act against him was because of you." Liu Jin put away the flame at his fingertips and looked at Zhao Fengnian. "Before, you hadn't removed the Gluttony Seal, your cultivation was unstable, your essence fire was just beginning to form, and your qi fire hadn't yet circulated. Taking you to Black Mountain was like pushing you into a fire pit. But now your divine fire is complete, and the Gluttony Seal has been refined into a supernatural power. It's time to practice in actual combat. Another reason is that I myself need time to integrate the several new flames I've acquired. Now the Taiyin Fire can conceal my aura, the lights of ten thousand homes can sense the yin energy of demons, and I've tested the fireworks ribbons several times. It's time."

"Leave the Black Mountain Demon to me," Liu Jin said calmly, as if he were talking about buying a few lamps in Jinhua City. Then he looked at Zhao Fengnian, "There's more than just him on Black Mountain. The little demons who escaped last time, the demon generals guarding the mountain, and other scattered demons who might have sought refuge there after the tree demon was destroyed—they're all yours. Your Dragon Transformation Technique requires dragon-type materials. There might not be any dragons on Black Mountain, but the blood essence of demon general-level beasts, refined with the Gluttony Seal, is far stronger than ordinary wild beasts. Besides, you've just broken through and need resources to stabilize your cultivation."

Zhao Fengnian took a deep breath, stood up from the stone bench, snapped his fingers in front of his chest, and the fiery scales spread from the back of his hands to his forearms, gleaming warmly in the morning light. He didn't utter any grand words, but simply wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb and grinned. The smile was exactly the same as when he first arrived at Lanruo Temple, but his eyes were no longer those of a completely different person.

"Big brother, when are we leaving?"

"Have a good meal, get a good night's sleep, and tomorrow go to the City God Temple to let them know we're leaving at noon."

Zhao Fengnian turned and walked towards the kitchen, but after taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, "By the way, brother, those monsters' caves on Black Mountain usually have hidden treasures—spiritual herbs, magical artifacts, ores, and so on. If we destroy Black Mountain, will those things be considered spoils of war?"

"Calculate."

"Then I'll have to prepare a few large sacks." He muttered to himself, counting on his fingers. "I'll use the demon cores to devour them, keep the spiritual herbs to soak in wine, grind the ores into scale-like maintenance oil, and although I don't know how to use the magical artifacts, I can sell them to the City God Temple for incense money..." His voice faded into the distance, and soon the sounds of chopping vegetables and sizzling oil came from the kitchen. Zhao Fengnian hummed a little tune while chopping ribs, occasionally peeking out and calling out to the stone table in the courtyard, "Big brother, how long do you need to steam the cured meat?"