Chapter Fifty-Six: A Transformation
Long Yun nodded. As a fellow descendant of the Dragon God's bloodline, he had no reason to refuse; since Qiu Niu had already divined everything that would happen today, there was only one thing left for him to do.
That was to cultivate diligently, not to disappoint Qiu Niu’s intentions, nor the selfless decision he had made.
“Go ahead! Immerse yourself in it. Your cultivation may be low, but your bloodline resonates with our elder brother’s. I believe you can succeed,” Bi An said calmly, then sat cross-legged.
Long Yun moved with a graceful step, drifting down into the stone chamber. At close range, he gazed upon Qiu Niu’s remains, feeling bathed in the golden radiance. In this moment, a profound comfort suffused his entire being.
Though he had only just entered the Bone Transformation realm, he could already easily defeat ordinary experts of the Rebirth realm. Once he fused with Qiu Niu’s spirit bone, even those who had attained the eighth level, the Return to Origin realm, might not be his match.
Thinking of this, Long Yun knelt reverently before Qiu Niu’s bones and bowed three times, his head touching the ground. Then, with a gentle motion, he placed his arm upon the remains.
Instantly, an immense suction surged from the bones, drawing in all the golden light like a great whale drinking water. The surrounding space dimmed abruptly, and Long Yun himself was swallowed by the darkness.
His mind entered a serene, undisturbed state of cultivation. He roused the power of the Dragon God’s blood within him, slowly integrating it into the bones.
He was making contact with the Dragon God’s power within the remains. To fully replace these true dragon bones, he first needed to gain the recognition of the spirit within them.
Because their blood was of the same origin, Long Yun’s vital energy easily entered the bones, and his consciousness slipped in along his arm.
Suddenly, everything around him brightened. Long Yun now seemed to stand within a vast golden ocean, where every mote of radiance gilded the world in a magnificent light, bringing an indescribable sense of peace and joy.
His spiritual form stood quietly in that golden sea, feeling at ease, as if a child had returned to his mother’s embrace.
“You have finally arrived.” A deep yet kindly voice resonated.
Hearing this, Long Yun trembled all over. He immediately knelt and bowed, saying respectfully, “Junior Long Yun pays his respects to Senior Qiu Niu!”
“Haha! It seems Little Seven has already told you about me. Two thousand years ago, I exhausted all my power to divine today’s events. Boy, I have waited here two thousand years for you. However, though I foresaw someone would arrive, I could never see your true nature. Your destiny is shrouded in mist, impenetrable to me! It seems your fate has been altered by someone, and you have already deviated from the expected path!”
Long Yun’s body shook at these words. He trusted Qiu Niu completely—if even Qiu Niu could not fathom his fate, had someone truly changed his destiny?
Who could it be? Was it the one who rescued him from the burial grounds? For a moment, Long Yun’s heart was thrown into turmoil.
“Steady your mind, boy!” Qiu Niu’s voice sounded again, calming Long Yun, who was already drenched in cold sweat.
“Thank you, Senior. I was careless,” Long Yun thought, startled. That brief distraction had almost shattered his Dao heart; in that instant, he had skirted the edge of destruction.
With this realization, he felt a wave of fear and hurriedly suppressed his doubts, refocusing his mind.
“There’s no need to dwell on it,” Qiu Niu said softly. “Since this trial is part of your destiny, and you have come here, it means you have not completely strayed from the way of heaven. So, that so-called defiance of fate is not a total alteration. Perhaps when you are strong enough, you’ll find the one who changed your destiny.”
Long Yun nodded. “Thank you for the guidance, Senior. I will not fail your expectations. One day, I will reach the pinnacle of this world!”
“In the past, our Progenitor Dragon expended all his cultivation to gravely wound the Demon God, suffering irreparable injury himself. In the end, he chose to merge with the world, leaving behind his legacy in desperation.”
Long Yun understood. Born on Dragon God Island, he was intimately familiar with the legend of the Progenitor Dragon. The elder’s story was one he had heard recounted by the island’s elders.
“Before his fall, the Progenitor Dragon condensed all his essence and blood into two fangs: one became the treasured Dragonfang Sword, sealed in the island’s sacred ground; the other bore his purest legacy, awaiting a worthy inheritor.”
“The Progenitor knew that with his death, the Demon God’s seal would gradually weaken. If the Demon God ever broke free, the righteous path would stand no chance without him. So he left his legacy—he left hope. I trust you understand this.”
Long Yun nodded. Qiu Niu’s account was far more detailed than what he had known. Thinking back, the sword he saw on Dragon God Island must have been the Dragonfang Sword, forged from the Dragon God’s fang.
“The Progenitor prophesied that an inheritor would one day wield the Dragonfang Sword and battle the Demon God to save the world,” Qiu Niu continued, pausing briefly.
Long Yun gave a bitter smile. If not for the Dragon God’s legacy, he would not have suffered such a tragic fate. In truth, he harbored some resentment toward this inheritance.
Yet as he pondered, Qiu Niu spoke on: “But what the Progenitor never revealed was that although the inheritor appeared in his predictions, that person was not the final terminator. In his divinations, a mysterious figure emerged—someone whose aura was not inferior to the inheritor’s, perhaps even surpassing it. So, at the moment of his fall, the Progenitor remained uncertain, not knowing who this person would be.”
Long Yun’s brow furrowed. He sensed Qiu Niu’s meaning, and deep down, he was profoundly shaken.
“You guessed correctly,” Qiu Niu said without concealment. “When I saw you today, I suddenly realized—the one who surpasses the inheritor might be you!”
Long Yun smiled faintly. “It’s far too soon to say such things. I have no grand ambitions, Senior. All I want is for those who once looked down on me to regret it for the rest of their lives.”
“Boy, I believe you can achieve all this. My spirit bone is a true dragon bone; you need not worry that it will interfere with your Dragon God bloodline. Absorb it without fear.”
Long Yun nodded. “Rest assured, Senior. For the fate that binds us today, I will someday repay all eight elders.”
“It is good to know gratitude and repay kindness. You are kind by nature—follow your heart, and do not let hatred cloud your conscience. Perhaps when you finally understand, everything will be different,” said Qiu Niu, his words profound, leaving Long Yun momentarily perplexed.
Before he could ask, Qiu Niu’s voice came again: “Enough. My remaining consciousness is about to dissipate. Do not tarry—replace the spirit bone.”
Long Yun bowed deeply toward the source of the voice, then returned his consciousness to his body. Ripples of twisted light spread from within him, enveloping Qiu Niu’s remains entirely.
To replace the spirit bone, one must first extract one’s own skeleton—an act akin to self-mutilation, separating bone from flesh. The agony involved was almost unimaginable.
Many had lost control under such pain, going mad during the process and perishing as their bodies exploded.
Yet Long Yun was unfazed. On Dragon God Island, he had endured every form of torment. Compared to the agony of having his bloodline stripped, this pain of bone removal was hardly worse.
Without further delay, he transformed his vital energy into myriad sharp blades, which he sent slicing into the joints between bone and flesh.
A searing pain instantly engulfed his entire body. Long Yun gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his sweat soaking through his robes.
Each spiritual blade cut through his flesh like the tortures of ancient execution, driving his senses numb with pain.
He mechanically directed the energy blades, slicing through flesh and sinew.
By the time every bone had been separated from his flesh, Long Yun’s face was white as paper, his teeth shattered from clenching, blood streaming from the corners of his mouth—a truly terrifying sight.
“Spirit bone replacement—” Enduring the excruciating pain, Long Yun suddenly roared. Under the rampaging force of his vital energy, his own bones were pulverized to dust.