Slightly over a month had passed since Xiao Hua's arrival at the Moonlit Chaos Mansion and his greeting as its Mansion Master.
During this time, Ming Cheng, Li Mei, and Xin Yu emerged from their secluded cultivation, each successfully breaking through to the Dou Sheng class. The news brought great joy to the elders and disciples alike, for they knew the Mansion's strength had soared to new heights.
Word of this spread like wildfire, igniting a sensation across the entire Central Plains.
No one had expected that a recently established force could produce even a single Dou Sheng elite—much less three at once. And these three were none other than the Hall Masters of the Moonlit Chaos Mansion.
The Mansion's reputation rose sharply, its prestige reaching unprecedented heights. With the advancement of Ming Cheng, Li Mei, and Xin Yu, their standing in the Central Plains was firmly cemented—they now stood as the second strongest force, trailing only behind the Hall of Souls, that ancient and unfathomable power among the forces of the Central Plains… aside from the Eight Ancient Clans, of course.
An expert at the Ban Sheng class was someone even the Hall of Souls had to treat with caution. Yet now, the Moonlit Chaos Mansion possessed not merely one, but three genuine Dou Sheng elites.
If, in their weaker days, they could inflict such heavy losses upon their enemies, then with their current strength, they could surely make those same enemies regret ever raising a hand against them.
It was clear to all that even the Hall of Souls would have to think twice before seeking revenge. Frightening as the Hall of Souls might be, the Moonlit Chaos Mansion was no longer a force they could simply erase at will.
What made their foundation even more unshakable was the presence of two Ban Sheng who were also Tier 9 Treasure Alchemists. And above all stood their Mansion Master—whose terrifying combat prowess and status as an alchemist had already been proven. Their reputation and influence had reached a level few in the Central Plains could hope to rival.
At this moment, no one doubted that the Moonlit Chaos Mansion's future was destined for nothing but prosperity.
During this period, the Moonlit Chaos Mansion grew increasingly lively. Countless unaffiliated experts came forth, seeking to join their ranks. Naturally, many other factions and sects also began proposing alliances, hoping to seize this great opportunity and secure powerful backing for a prosperous future.
The commotion was immense, forcing Xiao Hua to postpone his planned retreat so he could settle these matters alongside his sworn brothers and sisters. Only at the end of the following month did he finally find a moment of respite, allowing him to enter seclusion.
After discussing with Ming Cheng and the others, Xiao Hua decided to head back to the Inner Coil of the Stormcoil Mountain Range—the site of the fallen ancient clan's ruins. In that desolate land, none would dare intrude, making it the perfect place for undisturbed cultivation.
Moreover, the possibility of the Hall of Souls discovering his presence there was virtually nonexistent. It was the quietest, most concealed location for Xiao Hua to undertake his next trial.
Upon arriving at the Inner Coil, he made his way to the tranquil lake at its heart, where the ancient Silvershroud Canopy Tree stood in silent majesty. Settling beneath its branches, Xiao Hua closed his eyes. Before embarking on the final trial that would allow him to stand as a peak expert of the Dou Qi Continent… he roused the System from its slumber.
Xiao Hua noted that his ACP balance had exceeded five hundred thousand, prompting him to draw several Gacha spins. There was an option to upgrade his ACP Rate to gain ACP automatically each hour, but such an upgrade would also place a System-imposed restriction on his ACP Bank.
Considering that he was about to enter a prolonged retreat and would not be paying attention to the System during that time, he decided against upgrading the rate.
After the usual flashy animations, a list of rewards appeared before him. Most were unremarkable, yet he had gained a sizable amount of ACP, so he naturally tried his luck with several more draws.
Then, while scanning the newly acquired rewards, Xiao Hua's eyes widened in disbelief. Among them lay an unexpected prize—the corpse of an Ancient Dragon Phoenix, a divine creature with an extraordinarily low chance of appearing!
It was worth noting that he had already obtained numerous ancient beast corpses in the past—such as the Ancient Heaven Phoenix and Ancient Heaven Python—but never once had he acquired the remains of a true divine magical beast like the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python or the Dragon Phoenix.
In fact, the odds of obtaining a large ACP reward were far higher than receiving the corpse of a divine magical beast. Yet against all probability… he had actually drawn one!
A moment later, Xiao Hua took out the corpse of the Dragon Phoenix—only to be stunned by its sheer size. It stretched over a kilometer in length, an overwhelming sight, for never before had he seen such a colossal jade-white skeleton.
Yet, upon closer inspection, it was not in the form of a dragon, but that of a phoenix. The jade-white bones were pristine, flawless, and untouched by even the smallest crack or trace of impurity. What made it even more astounding was the aura it exuded—a blend of a dragon's might and a phoenix's majesty, perfectly fused into one.
"To think you would take out a Dragon Phoenix… Now I am truly curious about the mysterious thing within you, child…"
A gentle yet incredulous voice rang out as two heavenly beauties emerged from Xiao Hua's body. Their gazes were fixed on the skeleton, eyes wide with stunned disbelief.
"Believe me… even for me, this was completely unexpected," Xiao Hua murmured, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness as he stared blankly at the massive remains—his mind still clouded with shock and speechlessness.
"But… isn't this very strange?" Xue Yue turned to Lady Azure, her cool voice carrying a trace of puzzlement.
Xiao Hua raised a brow at her, his gaze carrying a trace of curiosity. He did not immediately grasp her meaning, but from the hardening expression on Lady Azure's delicate face, it was clear she understood exactly what Xue Yue was implying.
"I recall that the two experts who successfully absorbed the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and transformed into Dragon Phoenixes fought a bloody battle, ultimately perishing together. According to that little dragon, these two left no corpses for their descendants to inherit…"
Xue Yue's voice remained calm, yet it drew their full attention as she voiced the doubt that had been troubling her most.
"That's not all." Lady Azure's brows furrowed, her tone heavy with solemnity. "Even if a corpse or skeleton did remain, it should not be in such flawless condition—it ought to bear at least a crack or two."
"…That's—" Xiao Hua's eyes widened, a flash of realization flickering within them as he, too, sensed the abnormality of the situation.
His gaze swept across the colossal corpse, yet he found not the slightest trace of injury or crack. That should have been impossible—after all, the Ancient Heaven Phoenix that absorbed the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit had fought to the death against the Ancient Void Dragon, who had also absorbed the same fruit.
Yet the skeleton bore no sign of the fierce battle it was said to have endured. Instead, it looked pristine—brand new, even—which was inconceivable given how long ago that clash had taken place.
There was only one possible explanation… and it sent a chill down his spine.
This skeleton was not from that one. It had been created by the System itself. Otherwise, such an abnormality could never be explained.
Cold sweat trickled down his face. His gaze shifted to the translucent blue panel before him, a terrified glint flickering deep within his eyes as he stared at it in silence.
"It seems this topic has unsettled our little brother," Lady Azure remarked with a gentle smile.
"I did not mean to frighten you, child." Xue Yue sighed softly, her eyes meeting Xiao Hua's as she offered a faint, reassuring smile. "Do not dwell too much on it. Though my words may be but an empty comfort, I do not believe whatever resides within you intends harm. It merely creates this based on what you had received from it—there is no need to shy away from it."
Xiao Hua let out a dry chuckle at her words. Though her reassurance was hollow, it was precisely what he needed in that moment.
Taking in a deep breath, a spark of determination lit his eyes. Whether he was being manipulated or not, he lacked both the strength and the knowledge to resist.
For now, he would have to go with the flow—diving headlong into whatever awaited him.
"What should I do now…?" Xiao Hua turned to Lady Azure, knowing she was the one most familiar with this plane.
Sensing his gaze, Lady Azure let out a light laugh, easily detecting the excitement hidden within him. With a casual wave of her hand, she said, "Give me the Mysterious Heaven Ring. I'll need certain ingredients to prepare it. Until then, just wait patiently."
Xiao Hua nodded, slipped the Mysterious Heaven Ring from his finger, and tossed it toward her.
Catching it, Lady Azure flicked her wrist, and an enormous pit—over a hundred feet wide—instantly opened in the ground. With another graceful motion, she guided the Dragon-Phoenix's massive skeleton into the pit. Then, conjuring five-colored flames in her palm, she hurled them onto the remains, beginning the refining process.
Xiao Hua stood to the side, quietly watching. Though it wasn't pill refinement, the scene still fascinated him. There were no records of such a skeleton ever being refined, making this an unprecedented sight—one he intended to observe from start to finish.
From the sidelines, Xue Yue merely shook her head with a faint smile. Knowing Xiao Hua's unshakable curiosity toward such matters, she set out a table and chair, settling in to watch the two at work.
Half a month slipped by like fine sand through a still hourglass—each grain falling in silence.
By then, the Dragon Phoenix's colossal skeleton had completely vanished, leaving behind a pair of jade-bones wings and a pool of radiant purple-gold liquid that fill the enormous hole.
Once, this pool had been deep crimson, reeking of a heavy, suffocating stench of blood. Yet after undergoing refinement and merging with an endless array of extremely high-grade medicinal ingredients, the foul odor had completely dissipated. Now, it emanated only an overwhelmingly rich vitality and an aura of pure, condensed spirit.
Faint ripples of formless, bizarre energy stirred the air above the pool. If one focused intently, they could faintly hear the proud roar of a majestic dragon intertwined with the elegant, ringing cry of a phoenix.
"It is done." Lady Azure exhaled deeply before turning to Xiao Hua, her gaze carrying a trace of solemnity as she began to instruct him.
"Step into the pool and begin absorbing it. Activate the blood essence you obtained from the little dragon empress—this will act as your guide, allowing your body to absorb and refine every drop without waste, and without encountering any resistance.
"After that, activate your Heavenly Lightning Bloodline. This will ensure the blood essence offers no resistance at all. Once you have done both, the rest will proceed naturally—the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline will devour the blood essence, nourishing and strengthening your body."
"During this process, you must use the bloodline's strength to form phoenix wings within your body. Once they are formed, guide the spiritual aura within those wings and merge it with your soul. Only then will the fourth technique be unlocked, granting you the fourth pair of wings of the Four Mysterious Body."
Xiao Hua engraved every word into his mind, his expression turning serious. He had not expected the process to involve so many intricate steps, yet nothing could sway his determination. He would obtain the fourth pair of wings… and awaken the fourth technique of the Four Mysterious Body.
After steadying his mind, Xiao Hua's figure flashed as he plunged into the purple-golden pool, brimming with the majestic auras of both dragon and phoenix.
The moment he entered, Lady Azure's fingers danced through a series of intricate hand seals. Instantly, a blinding radiance erupted from the pool, followed by a surge of dense white mist that spread outward, shrouding the massive pit and concealing everything within from prying eyes.
Within the mist, faint shadows of a dragon and a phoenix intertwined, their forms flashing in and out of sight as a draconic roar and a phoenix's cry resonated together, shaking the air.
Xue Yue's gaze sharpened as a peculiar scent drifted from the mist. Though it had no effect on her, she could tell that its mere presence would cause the blood and Dou Qi within most cultivators to surge uncontrollably—a primal temptation rooted deep within the bloodline, luring one to fuse with it.
"Truly peculiar…" Xue Yue's cool voice drifted out as her figure vanished from where she sat.
In the next instant, she appeared beside Lady Azure, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared into the white mist—more precisely, at the pit concealed within it. Her voice, though tinged with amusement, retained its characteristic chill.
"I never imagined the place where our sister's nine will hides could actually transform into a unique bloodline…"
"She must remain hidden from the Heavenly Law," Lady Azure replied with a light smile. "Unless the bloodline itself is unique, her presence would inevitably be exposed."
"And now that our sister's nine wills have departed from it, what will this bloodline become?" Xue Yue asked.
"A new one," Lady Azure chuckled softly, her eyes lingering on the swirling white mist. "One that has never before existed in this Great Thousand World. To achieve such thing, one must use the physical body as the vessel, the soul as the source, and the bloodline as the bridge between flesh and spirit. Only then can our little brother's race be transformed into something entirely different."
"A metamorphosis of both soul and body… It seems you created this technique solely for our little brother."
Xue Yue sighed softly, shaking her head. She understood now—her sister had devised the Four Divine Phoenixes, Fly and Dance Across Heaven as nothing more than a lure, ensuring Xiao Hua would be drawn to it and learn it.
Once he trained in it, he would inevitably uncover the true treasure hidden within—the Four Mysterious Body.
Given that his current bloodline was empty yet brimming with immense potential, it was only natural to transform it into something that could truly benefit him. When the nine Lightning Beasts departed, they left a void within the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline, rendering it incomplete and imperfect. That was why it had devoured the Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline within Xiao Hua… and why it would now consume the Dragon Phoenix's bloodline.
The Heavenly Lightning Bloodline simply sought to fill the vacant space once occupied by the Lightning Beasts—evolving into a complete and genuine bloodline.
Though both the 'Four Divine Phoenixes, Fly and Dance Across Heaven' and the 'Four Mysterious Body' could be learned by others, only Xiao Hua could draw out their true potential—because the latter was a hidden gift Lady Azure had secretly forged for him.
"Regardless… once he completes this cultivation, he will no longer be considered human," Lady Azure said with a light chuckle.
"Do you think he'll realize you've been manipulating him?" Xue Yue asked quietly.
"He will know," Lady Azure replied, a faint bitterness in her smile. "Once he completes this, he will understand everything. I do feel guilty for manipulating him… but this was the only method I could think of—one that would truly benefit him."
Xue Yue wordlessly shook her head, her gaze fixed upon the dense mist ahead. Whether Xiao Hua would emerge in anger or not, they could only wait for him to appear and decide for himself.
…
Within the pool of the Dragon-Phoenix's blood essence, Xiao Hua plunged swiftly to the depths, settling cross-legged at the bottom of the vast hollow.
Closing his eyes, he focused his mind and quickly located the Dragon-Phoenix blood essence gifted to him by Zi Yan.
Lady Azure had sealed it beforehand, ensuring that none of its bloodline strength would dissipate over time. The moment he unsealed it, a dazzling purple-golden radiance burst forth, flooding the surroundings with blinding brilliance.
Buzz—!
In the next instant, the veins throughout his body began to tremble violently, as the purple-golden light surged along a profound and intricate vein paths. A cool, icy sensation spread across his body as the essence fused into his veins and bones.
Boom—!
As the light merged deeper within him, the purple-golden pool around him began to heave and churn, its surface breaking into violent waves.
Buzz—!
Suddenly, the entire pool churning into a massive whirlpool before collapsing inward, forcefully surging into his body in the blink of an eye.
"What a violent strength…!"
Xiao Hua gritted his teeth, feeling the purple-golden liquid rampage through him like a wild, untamed beast. It followed the precise channels formed by Zi Yan's blood essence, each impact shaking his body and tightening his expression in pain.
At that moment, he awakened the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline, allowing it to devour the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline. As the process began, a peculiar sensation stirred within him.
It was as if a void existed at the heart of the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline—an emptiness that kept it from being complete.
"What is this…?" Xiao Hua's eyes flickered with surprise. Never since obtaining the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline had he sensed such a thing.
The more he probed, the clearer it became—the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline was not merely devouring the Dragon-Phoenix essence; it was attempting to merge with it, as though trying to fill that unseen void.
After some thought, he formed a few hypotheses, yet he cast them aside for now, unwilling to dwell on uncertain speculation.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind and focused on the surging might of the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline coursing through his veins and heart. The pain that wracked his body was fierce, yet it was nothing compared to being struck by Heavenly Lightning or Demon Black Lightning.
Gradually, he felt the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline begin to assimilate the properties and traits of the Dragon-Phoenix, weaving them into the essence of the Xiao Clan's Dou Di Bloodline. As this fusion deepened, the once-turbulent pool of purple-golden liquid slowly grew calm.
At this moment, he began circulating the power of his bloodline toward his back, attempting to form a pair of wings from the blood essences that had yet to merge into his body.
Under Xiao Hua's precise control, the suspended blood essences crystallized bit by bit, gradually taking shape into a pair of wings behind him.
…
Outside, Xue Yue's beautiful, cold eyes narrowed. The dense white mist shrouding the entire hole began to recede, revealing the scene within. She knew well—Xiao Hua had entered the critical stage of forging his wings.
However, a single problem arose.
"The Heavenly Lightning Bloodline has consumed far too much…" Xue Yue's gaze swept over the thinning mist, her voice carrying a faint note of concern.
This meant the blood essences within the pool had been drastically depleted, devoured at a rapid pace by the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline. If this continued, Xiao Hua would fail to perfectly forge the final pair of wings.
"I know. That is why I prepared this."
Lady Azure nodded, unsurprised. It was clear she had anticipated such an outcome. With a graceful wave of her sleeve, numerous Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruits appeared, quietly hovering beside her.
Xue Yue glanced at them with a faint sigh. "If the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe and the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe learned of this, they would spare no effort to seize our little brother's storage ring."
"Fortunately, none were the wiser." Lady Azure giggled softly, clearly in agreement with Xue Yue's words.
Xue Yue exhaled lightly before turning to her, her tone deep and warning, "Be careful. If 'that' Heavenly Law detects you, matters may grow far too troublesome."
"Rest assured. I am not so careless." Lady Azure's expression grew solemn as she nodded. Her gaze briefly lifted upward, a dense chill flickering in her eyes, before she turned her focus back to the task at hand.
With a wave of her sleeve, six-colored flames coiled around her hand before surging upward, condensing into a blazing, six-hued medicinal cauldron.
Once the cauldron stabilized, her delicate finger traced through the air, and the numerous Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruits floated into the flames, beginning their refinement.
An incense stick's time later, drops of purple-golden liquid began to gather at the bottom of the cauldron.
When the last Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit had been fully refined, the liquid had formed into a twenty-foot sphere of dazzling purple-gold. Without delay, Lady Azure withdrew it from the cauldron and guided it to merge with the pool of purple-golden liquid within the enormous hole.
Immediately, the pool of purple-golden liquid flared with renewed brilliance, its surface shimmering as fresh white mist rose in thick waves, as though it had been infused with new life. The addition of Lady Azure's refined essence had clearly reinvigorated it.
"Now, there will be no further problems. We need only wait for our little brother to emerge from his retreat…"
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