Chapter Fifty-Seven: Parting

A muffled thunderclap crashed down from the heavens—a vast ocean of spiritual energy from the world itself was being forcefully drawn by Long Yun and poured into his body. The nine apertures within him burst open with a roar; visible to the naked eye, torrents of spiritual energy surged madly into him.

Bì’an, who had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed, seemed to sense Long Yun’s transformation. He abruptly opened his eyes, and a look of profound astonishment flashed across his gaze.

Above Long Yun’s head, nine pillars of energy had formed into a wildly twisting vortex, countless streams of spiritual power flooding in to replenish his depleted true essence.

“Nine-Aperture Condensation?” Bì’an exclaimed in disbelief. “Nine-Aperture Condensation—only legendary prodigies possess such a talent. In the legends, only one person ever achieved this: the Demon God sealed by the Primordial Dragon Deity! This boy, he actually possesses Nine-Aperture Condensation… Inconceivable, truly inconceivable…”

As he spoke, a sharp light blazed in Bì’an’s eyes. How many years had it been, forced by Dragon Island into remote wilderness, suffering the agony of exile and displacement?

It wasn’t that they hadn’t dreamed of reclaiming all they had lost, but with only eight brothers, they were far from a match for the formidable experts of Dragon Island.

Now, however, Bì’an saw a glimmer of hope—his body began to tremble with excitement.

At this moment, under the infusion of the command flag, Qiu Niu’s skeletal remains had successfully merged into Long Yun’s body. A golden radiance burst forth from within him.

An unrivaled draconic might spread out, so potent that even Bì’an, of the direct bloodline of the Dragon Deity, felt a faint sense of oppression.

Long Yun was now bathed entirely in a golden glow, eyes tightly shut as the light continually washed over him.

“What a powerful bloodline… though, there’s a sense of incompleteness. If it were perfected, his bloodline strength would reach truly terrifying heights!” Bì’an muttered to himself.

Long Yun, oblivious to Bì’an’s astonishment, focused inward as the newly replaced dragon bones visibly fused with his flesh at an astonishing speed.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth went completely berserk. Above the entire mountain range, a sea of spiritual clouds formed, gathering all the energy within hundreds of miles toward this very spot.

Beasts in meditation all awoke abruptly, deep fear in their eyes.

Outside the Cloud Fortress, Du Yu, who had been pacing anxiously, was visibly shaken. Watching as the world’s spiritual energy was drawn away, his expression turned to utter shock.

“To cause such a phenomenon by stirring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth? Who could possibly do this?” Du Yu muttered in bewilderment.

Beyond the perilous peak, Chu Xuan gazed worriedly in the direction where Long Yun had vanished, his small face turning deathly pale as he felt the fluctuations of spiritual energy.

After his parents’ deaths, he had come to see Long Yun as his only family. Though he knew the Great Spirit’s father would not harm his brother, his worry grew ever more intense.

“Child, don’t be afraid. Your brother has encountered a great opportunity. If he emerges from this, he will soar to the heavens as a dragon!” the Black Jiao comforted Chu Xuan kindly.

The Little Black Jiao also approached, placing its large head before Chu Xuan, its heavy breath warming the boy’s face, as if offering comfort.

The Shadow Mink leapt onto Chu Xuan’s shoulder, gently combing his hair with its paws.

Time trickled by. After a full eight days, the violent spiritual energy finally calmed, the unnatural phenomena slowly faded, and tranquility returned to the world.

With a deep breath, Long Yun abruptly opened his eyes; a gentle warmth surged through his entire body, and the teeth he had shattered regrew during the transformation of his bones.

Clenching his fist, golden lightning danced visibly around it.

Peak Bone Transformation stage! Long Yun realized that, had he not replaced his spiritual bones, reaching this stage would have taken a far longer time.

But now, after absorbing Qiu Niu’s spiritual bones, his cultivation had soared to the pinnacle of Bone Transformation.

Though still in the same realm, the density of true essence within him was now more than ten times what it had been when he first entered this stage.

This was a qualitative leap. If he encountered the three elders of Jade Sword Sect now, he had absolute confidence he could defeat them in an instant.

With his current strength, Long Yun believed he could contend with even masters of the Returning Origin realm.

Especially after replacing his spiritual bones with Qiu Niu’s, the power of his bloodline had increased significantly—a cause for his deepest joy.

He understood that, as a descendant of the Dragon Deity, the potency of his bloodline determined the heights he could reach in the future. If he wished to compete with Long Xuan and make Dragon Island regret their choices, it would all depend on the strength of his bloodline.

Thus, although he had not broken through to the Rebirth stage this time, the benefits he had gained far surpassed what a mere advancement in realm could offer.

Leaping forward, Long Yun stood before Bì’an and bowed deeply. “Senior, your great kindness is a debt I will never forget. Should I ever achieve success, I will not fail to honor our pact!”

Bì’an opened his mouth, as if to speak, but suddenly fell silent. After a long sigh, he said, “I believe that day will not be far off. We shall wait for you here. Child, go now—within you is our eldest brother’s bone. From this day, you are one of our own. If you ever find yourself in danger, crush this, and I will come to your aid at once.”

With that, Bì’an produced a white pearl the size of an eyeball, swirling with ethereal light, clearly no ordinary object.

Long Yun accepted the pearl. With Bì’an’s unfathomable cultivation as his ally, it was a true talisman for his future safety.

“No more words of thanks, Senior. Let us leave now—Xuan’er and the others must be worried!” Long Yun said.

Bì’an nodded, and with a flash, the two vanished from sight.

Seeing Long Yun return, Chu Xuan was finally at ease. After exchanging a few words with the Great Spirit and Little Spirit, and prompted by Long Yun’s reminder, he bid farewell to Bì’an’s family alongside him.

Outside the Cloud Fortress, the old monk Du Yu’s expression grew ever more grave. Long Yun and Chu Xuan had been inside for nearly eight days, and even he was unsure whether Chu Xuan remained safe.

Though he had contacted the Zen Sect, no one had come to join him, leaving Du Yu puzzled by the elders’ unusual silence.

While he fretted, two figures—one tall, one small—emerged from the rainbow clouds and descended gracefully before him.

Recognizing their faces, Du Yu’s calm demeanor vanished, replaced by overwhelming joy.

“Master, the Buddha teaches neither joy nor sorrow. Surely your expression betrays the Buddhist heart!” Long Yun teased with a smile. That Du Yu had waited here nearly eight days proved his trustworthiness.

Du Yu looked momentarily embarrassed, pressing his palms together. “Amitabha. Even if the Buddha reproaches me, I accept it gladly.”

“Xuan’er, remember to heed Master’s words, cultivate diligently at the Zen Sect. When I have time, I’ll come visit you,” Long Yun said gently, squatting down to speak to Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan’s eyes reddened. “Brother, if I have the chance, may I come visit you?”

“Of course!” Long Yun patted his head fondly. “I’ll be at Jade Sword Sect. If you miss me, ask Master to bring you there—I trust he won’t refuse such a simple request.”

Long Yun glanced at Du Yu, seeking his agreement.

Du Yu nodded. “Rest assured, if the opportunity arises, I will bring him to visit you at Jade Sword Sect.”

“Go now, Xuan’er. Remember, you are the only man of the Chu family. Do not let your parents down, and do not let your brother down—do you understand?” Long Yun said softly.

Little Chu Xuan nodded vigorously, releasing Long Yun’s hand of his own accord and walking toward Du Yu.

“Should you ever need it, the Zen Sect will always be your friend. If you encounter trouble, come to us—I will never stand idly by,” Du Yu assured Long Yun, then departed with Chu Xuan.

Only when their figures had vanished did Long Yun wipe the tears from his eyes, sighing heavily. “Partings truly come thick and fast these days! It’s time I returned as well.”