Chapter 124 – Transforming into a Jiao Dragon

“Noble… the fortune of a dynasty…”

With some urgency, Mu Lin took the paper and, after sensing it briefly, could hardly conceal the smile on his face.

He could feel that it indeed carried the fortune of a dynasty.

Although this fortune was somewhat thin and incompatible with the fortune of the current dynasty—even gathering a hundred sheets of Year-End Paper would not allow Mu Lin to be enshrined as the City God in the present world.

However, even if enshrinement was impossible, with this dynastic fortune, Mu Lin could briefly manifest the City God in the present world.

“Thank you, this is a great help.”

“Hehe, as long as it helps Brother Mu Lin…”

After delivering the paper, Yan Yunyu very much wanted to sit in the courtyard for a while and get closer to Mu Lin.

Unfortunately, upon realizing Mu Lin’s dedication to cultivation, she ultimately dared not disturb him and left.

On the other hand, having obtained the Noble Year-End Paper, Mu Lin immediately began paper folding.

“Swish, swish, swish…”

With incredible speed, Mu Lin folded the Noble Year-End Paper into his own paper figure.

After having the avatar inhabit it, Mu Lin immediately began to sense the differences between the thousand-year Year-End Paper and the ten-thousand-year Year-End Paper.

“The first difference is still the duration. Ten-thousand-year Year-End Paper can last for a year as long as it remains undamaged.”

“The cultivation speed also increases accordingly, but not by much. With various resources combined, my current cultivation speed is 30 times the normal rate.”

When using thousand-year Year-End Paper, Mu Lin’s cultivation speed was 20 times that of his base state (without any resource assistance). The ten-thousand-year Year-End Paper only increased Mu Lin’s cultivation multiplier from 20 to 30, which indeed wasn’t a significant increase.

However, one ability received an extreme enhancement.

This ability was—Heroic Spirit Summoning.

“Using ten-thousand-year Year-End Paper as a foundation, I feel as though I could summon ancestors from hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Time, graves, ancestral heroic spirits… the two are indeed connected…”

After experiencing the sensation of the ten-thousand-year Year-End Paper, Mu Lin folded all six sheets of Noble Year-End Paper into paper figures, had avatars inhabit them to cultivate, while his main body continued refining the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood.

He intended to fully refine the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood in the shortest possible time.

“Roar!”

“Hum!”

Clashing auras, shattering, merging, absorbing, refining bodily energy.

This series of steps had become extremely familiar to Mu Lin, and as a result, the later stages progressed even faster.

At the same time, through continuous refinement, Mu Lin’s understanding of the Jiao Dragon deepened, and the progress of his Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art soared as a result.

This even gave Mu Lin a premonition:

“When the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood is completely refined, it will also be the day the Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art advances to the Master Realm!”

Predicting this, Mu Lin cultivated with even greater diligence.

However, just as Mu Lin was about to enter seclusion again, Teacher Dongfang Ya came to find him. She brought Mu Lin a jade scroll for an array—the Celestial Fortress Array.

She also handed him a letter.

“This was written by the Headmaster of the Dao Palace. Just take it and give it to that woman Meng Rui. After reading it, she will teach you the North Star Purple Tenuity Array.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

After conversing with Teacher Dongfang Ya, Mu Lin did not open the jade scroll for the Celestial Fortress Array, nor did he immediately go to Master Meng Rui.

Feeling in optimal condition, he continued refining the power of the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood according to his original plan.

This refinement lasted three days.

“Hum…”

…

Three days later, gazing at the faint, almost negligible blood threads in the jade bottle, Mu Lin murmured:

“This is the last time.”

Through continuous dilution, most of the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood had already been integrated into Mu Lin’s body.

The abundant essence blood energy had elevated Mu Lin’s physical strength to the mid-stage of Gushing Spring.

Due to the excessive Jiao Dragon aura, Mu Lin now exuded a draconic majesty.

This draconic majesty caused birds and sparrows to scatter around him, and insects and cicadas to fall silent.

More crucially, with each refinement, new insights imprinted themselves upon Mu Lin’s mind, bringing his Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art to the brink of its limit.

Today, after this final refinement, his cultivation method would fully advance into the Master Realm.

‘I wonder what changes the Master Grade Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art will bring.’

Holding a trace of excitement and anticipation, Mu Lin did not dilute it further but directly swallowed the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood.

“Hum…”

As the essence blood entered his body, just like the thousands of times before, a majestic Jiao Dragon phantom appeared within Mu Lin’s Mindscape.

Accompanying the Jiao Dragon phantom was a torrential downpour.

However, unlike before, this rain was not controlled by the Jiao Dragon phantom but was now under Mu Lin’s command.

“Pitter-patter…”

Simultaneously, through the continuous refinement of the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood, the fusion of its Divine Soul, and the absorption of its aura, Mu Lin’s Mindscape had also undergone some changes.

First, the pervasive gloomy rain made his Mindscape somewhat oppressive and no longer transparent.

The torrential rain, combined with the Black Mist Magical Power, meant ordinary people could only see through three to five meters around them; beyond that, nothing was visible.

Even Qi Refiners would find their vision and perception affected by the heavy rain.

Second, regarding the foundation of the Mindscape—Mu Lin’s City God Dharma Body—a phantom resembling both a serpent and a Jiao Dragon coiled and circled around it.

Due to its transformation and the influence of its jurisdiction, the Yin Soldiers and Ghost Messengers under its command also underwent inexplicable changes.

It was clearly visible that both the Yin Soldiers and Ghost Messengers had grown scales all over their bodies. The Yin Soldiers’ spectral warhorses had even transformed into spectral Dragonblood Warhorses.

  ”Overall, they’ve become stronger…”

While Mu Lin observed the changes in his Mindscape, without him even needing to act, the Jiao Dragon phantom, after appearing, involuntarily flew toward Mu Lin’s Divine Soul—it, too, was under his control.

This was an entirely natural occurrence. After all, the Jiao Dragon before him was merely a wisp of an illusion, not the Jiao Dragon’s Main Body; it was influenced by instinct.

Over the past few days, Mu Lin had already refined most of the Jiao Dragon Essence Blood, his body saturated with vast amounts of Jiao Dragon Qi and Blood. To the Jiao Dragon phantom, which lacked intelligence and was driven solely by instinct, Mu Lin was the Main Body.

Influenced by instinct, it naturally sought to return to its source, and thus, it flew straight into the trap.

However, when it flew over, Mu Lin did not immediately accept it. Instead, he purified it once with the Vow-Power Heart Lamp.

Only after completely incinerating the Jiao Dragon’s will did Mu Lin refine this last trace of the Jiao Dragon’s power into his body.

“Hum…”

As the phantom image of the Jiao Dragon was fused and absorbed by Mu Lin, becoming his nourishment, some of the Jiao Dragon’s abilities once again surged forth within his Sea of Consciousness.

This final piece of information, like the completion of a puzzle, filled in the last missing piece of Mu Lin’s Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art.

His cultivation method had reached perfection.

Instinctively, as his cultivation method reached completion, a profound insight arose in Mu Lin’s heart.

Following this insight, Mu Lin coiled his body like a serpent… no, rather than a serpent, it was more akin to an unborn infant.

Curled up, Mu Lin seemed to return to the embrace of his mother.

And after he assumed this posture, a torrent of Qi and Blood surged from within his body.

“Hum!”

The Qi and Blood formed a cocoon, enveloping Mu Lin into a ball, resembling a massive crimson egg.

As if returning to the womb, Mu Lin began his evolution and transformation.

While his body underwent changes, within his Sea of Consciousness, Mu Lin fell into a state of illusion.

At this moment, he felt as though he had become a serpent.

Struggling to break free from the eggshell, being born, feeding, growing, hibernating, and… molting and evolving.

With each molt, he grew larger and stronger. Each molt represented a step of growth, and after nine molts, he had reached his limit…

This was the life of the Blackwater Profound Serpent.

But what left Mu Lin bewildered was that, aside from the Blackwater Profound Serpent, he also felt as though he were a Jiao Dragon.

Unlike the Blackwater Profound Serpent’s struggle for survival,

as a Jiao Dragon, from birth, he possessed immense power, capable of summoning wind and rain and commanding the Aquatic Tribe.

As he grew, he grew increasingly powerful, gradually able to overturn rivers and seas, roaming the world as a dragon.

Then, during a Jiao Dragon’s flood, he recklessly unleashed the power within him, causing raging waters to engulf everything. And just as he reveled in his unrestrained might, a sword descended from the west, severing his head.

“…”

That sword not only slew the Jiao Dragon but also jolted Mu Lin back to awareness.

Only now did he recall: “I am not a serpent, nor am I a Jiao Dragon. I am Mu Lin.”

“Or rather, I am Mu Lin, but I can also be the Blackwater Profound Serpent, and I can also be… a Jiao Dragon.”

“Boom!”

As this realization dawned upon Mu Lin, a flood of information poured into his mind. Only then did he understand that he had successfully advanced.

“Crack, crack…”

After his successful advancement, the great cocoon formed by his Qi and Blood split open, and his figure emerged from the blood-red shell.

Returning to the Mortal Realm, Mu Lin’s first sensation was one of immense power. An overwhelming force filled his body, giving him the feeling that he could shatter mountains and uproot peaks.

Of course, Mu Lin knew this sensation was illusory. The sudden surge of power was so immense that it created a false sense of invincibility.

“However, while shattering mountains and uprooting peaks is beyond my current ability, with the Jiao Dragon Body I now possess, I do have the strength of several thousand jin.”

Yes, the current Mu Lin could be considered half a Jiao Dragon.

When the Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art reaches its peak, it allows Mu Lin to transform into a Jiao Dragon. And reaching the 4th realm, Master, signifies the perfection of the cultivation method, so Mu Lin’s transformation into a Jiao Dragon is not surprising.

However, although he has transformed into a Jiao Dragon, Mu Lin’s current state is somewhat awkward.

According to conventional cultivation practices, one’s Mana Cultivation and cultivation method progress are typically aligned.

That is, at the 2nd realm, Proficient Realm, a cultivator’s Mana Cultivation would be at the Spirit Awakening stage.

At the 3rd realm, Expert, a cultivator’s cultivation level would be at Gushing Spring, Spirit Pool, or Spirit Sea.

Advancing to the fourth realm as a Master, Mu Lin’s mana cultivation level should normally be at the Spell Master stage of Gang Condensation and Sha Refinement.

At that time, he would transform into a Jiao Dragon, truly possessing the formidable power to summon wind and rain, and overturn rivers and seas.

However, with the assistance of the Proficiency Panel, Mu Lin’s cultivation method progressed too quickly.

Black Mist… When his Blackwater Mana was only at the mid-stage of Gushing Spring, his cultivation method had already reached the Master level.

His realm had arrived, but his mana was insufficient, making the Jiao Dragon he transformed into extremely awkward.

“Strictly speaking, I am now a young Jiao, that is, a juvenile Jiao Dragon. I possess the essence of a Jiao, but my strength and physical form need to gradually grow as my mana increases.”

Being a young Jiao rather than a flawed Jiao Dragon, Mu Lin was generally satisfied with this.

Moreover, even as a young Jiao, Mu Lin’s strength had increased significantly.

Take the simplest physical strength, for example. Currently, Mu Lin’s pure strength alone is around two to three thousand kilograms.

And physical strength does not solely encompass power… defense and resistance are also included.

(End of Chapter)