Xiao Yan's fingertips hovered over the Jade Slip of the Soaring Dragon Instant Shadow Body.
Then he suddenly turned and grabbed the bone slip beside it, which glimmered with a bronze sheen.
Gently unfolding it, Xiao Yan murmured:
"Seven Revolutions Dragon Scale Technique, also Earth Tier Low-grade?"
"Once cultivated to great completion, the physical body can far surpass Magical Beasts of the same realm."
"Dou Qi transforms into scales."
"Impervious to blades and spears, indestructible as diamond!"
The technique was divided into seven revolutions:
With every revolution cultivated, the body would undergo an enormous transformation.
The cultivator's skin would become as tough as a giant dragon's scales, vastly increasing their defense!
At the same time, the efficiency of Dou Qi circulation would improve, strengthening the power of their attacks!
Their physical strength would also surge geometrically.
Crushing Magical Beasts of the same realm with the physical body alone would be no problem at all.
Looking at the bone slip in Xiao Yan's hands,
Jia Xing Tian's eyelids twitched.
"Master, you should think this through."
"Although the Seven Revolutions Dragon Scale Technique is ranked Earth Tier Low-grade, its origins are unclear."
"It seemed that the Imperial Family had acquired it when it first established itself here."
"It has a long history, and its source can no longer be investigated..."
"Furthermore, it requires the constant use of high-tier Magical Beast blood essence to temper the body!"
Jia Xing Tian sighed.
"Among my Imperial Family, there were also gifted individuals who cultivated this technique."
"But none ever reached great completion. Not only does this technique consume enormous resources..."
"It is also extremely difficult to cultivate. One mistake can damage the meridians and leave behind Hidden Injuries!"
"It may even affect one's aptitude. Though such matters are not a problem for Master..."
"Still, the results hardly justify the effort!"
Xiao Yan said nothing, merely raising his hand to grip the fragile bone slip.
His Spiritual Power entered it, and his fingers tightened gently.
"Crack!"
The instant the bone slip shattered, countless Golden Runes spread along Xiao Yan's Spiritual Power!
They entered his mind and transformed into nine golden dragons entwined around mountains and rivers.
"Temper the body with demonic blood, forge the bones with heavenly lightning!"
"After seven revolutions, the physical body can shake mountains and suppress the four seas?"
He abruptly opened his eyes, fine dragon-shaped runes emerging across his palm.
"No wonder no one has cultivated it to great completion."
"The demands it places on talent and resources are simply too high!"
"But for me, resources are unlimited."
"Great completion? It is within reach!"
Jia Xing Tian sighed.
Master's talent was exceptional, but this body-tempering technique would likely cost him a great deal of time.
Of all things to cultivate, why did he have to choose this?
Sigh, what a pity!
After comprehending the runes in his mind, Xiao Yan directly raised his hand and summoned three reverse scales!
They were the Abyssal Sea Flood Dragon Beast's life-bound nameplates.
They contained incomparably pure water-attributed energy.
As well as the Abyssal Sea Flood Dragon Beast's blood essence and origin!
Using such materials to cultivate a body-tempering technique was a perfect fit!
Without wasting words on Jia Xing Tian, Xiao Yan immediately began cultivating on the spot.
"Boom!"
Crimson flames surged forth, and in the blink of an eye,
they melted the three scales into three masses of golden liquid!
Xiao Yan raised a hand and made a grasping motion, condensing the essence into runes!
They transformed into tiny streams of energy that circulated close to his skin!
Then they were slowly branded into it.
"Crack! Crack!"
Golden energy instantly seeped through his skin and rushed toward Xiao Yan's limbs and bones,
as well as his bones and meridians!
It penetrated inch by inch, turning into the purest nourishment.
Yet it did not nourish him like a gentle rain; instead, it descended with the force of thunder!
It crushed every inch of skin, meridians, and bones it passed through, then reassembled them anew!
Pain like Myriad Ants Devouring Heart swept through his entire body in an instant!
"Urgh..."
Xiao Yan's bones let out a series of crackles like frying beans, while golden Dragon Patterns surfaced across his muscles.
He gritted his teeth and endured the agonizing pain that pierced to the depths of his heart.
It was true that he cultivated quickly, and true that his talent surpassed all limits.
But he suffered not one bit less pain during cultivation!
His muscles tore apart and reformed, and each cycle made his body a little stronger!
In the blink of an eye, sustained by the energy of the three reverse scales, only a brief moment had passed.
The technique had reached the beginner stage!
"Boom!"
A violent wave of air exploded outward with him at its center, sweeping over Jia Xing Tian's robes!
It made his brocade robe flap loudly in the wind.
At that moment, Jia Xing Tian was utterly dumbfounded.
What the hell, brother?!
What the fuck was going on?!
Was this how one cultivated techniques?
Weren't body-tempering techniques supposed to improve bit by bit over time?
Absorbing all the energy in a blink and reaching the beginner stage in ten seconds—what kind of nonsense was that?!
Was Master really human?!
This, this...
Golden Dragon Patterns emerged across his body!
On his arms, threads of seemingly illusory golden scales appeared in overlapping rings!
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and clenched his fist.
The air exploded in his palm!
His physical strength had risen once more. At his current level,
he could crush a Sixth Tier Magical Beast with his body alone, pin it to the ground, and beat it to death.
There would be no problem whatsoever!
Watching Xiao Yan casually enter the beginner stage of an Earth Tier Low-grade body-tempering technique,
with strength seemingly still left to spare, Jia Xing Tian gritted his teeth.
"Master, take the Wandering Dragon movement technique as well!"
Jia Xing Tian closed his eyes in pain and flung out the Jade Slip.
"Leaving it in the Imperial Family would only let it gather dust anyway."
His gaze was full of determination. With Master's talent,
the heights he could reach in the future were absolutely beyond Jia Xing Tian's imagination.
It had outright shattered the worldview and composure he had built up over many years!
If he could use the entire nation's strength to forge even a sliver of goodwill now,
it would surely bring immense benefits to the Jia Ma Empire in the future.
He was going all in!
He would gamble on it!
Xiao Yan flicked his Storage Ring with a finger.
"The Sect Breaking Pill can give the Imperial Family another Dou Zong, while the Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill can save your guardian beast!"
He suddenly leaned close to Jia Xing Tian.
"You have merely given up two techniques that you cannot use."
"This deal is not a loss, is it?"
The old man gave a dry laugh and wiped away nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead.
"Master is absolutely right!"
"I will also present several high-tier medicinal herbs."
"We cannot let Master suffer a loss!"
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, taking Xiao Yi Xian's hand.
He left the treasure vault together with Jia Xing Tian.
Two days later:
"Boom!"
Wind and waves surged across the cold pool of the Forbidden Area. Xiao Yan stood bare-chested atop the waves!
Golden radiance floated around him, and every breath carried a faint dragon roar.
"Fifth Revolution, open!"
Dou Qi instantly flooded the major acupoints at his crown, chest, and elsewhere!
Dragon scales traveled across his body along golden patterns.
An overwhelming aura like that of an ancient ferocious beast swept across the surroundings in an instant!
His figure did not stop. Instead, it dragged a trail of golden light behind it!
"Dragon's Instant Shadow!"
His body vanished from its spot in an instant, before the afterimage had even faded.
Xiao Yan had already appeared a hundred zhang in the air.
The Dou Qi gathered beneath his feet transformed into phantom dragon claws!
Each step shattered the air, carrying him a thousand zhang in an instant!
"Boom!!"
When he turned back for the seventh time,
the surface of the cold pool suddenly exploded into a hundred-zhang waterspout.
It was an air current raised purely by speed!
Landing on the ground, Xiao Yan crushed the air with his bare hand.
He threw a punch that seemed to carry the force of ten thousand jun.
A phantom dragon claw flashed forth.
"Boom!"
The thunderous sound echoed throughout the surroundings!
Grass and soil were swept up and sent flying!
The raging airwave produced by his fist wind alone collapsed half a rockery!
Xiao Yan frowned slightly.
"A Five Star Dou Wang is still too slow!"
For the past two days, he had focused solely on practicing Dou Techniques, cultivating that Earth Tier movement technique to great completion.
As for cultivating the body-tempering technique, he had paid little attention to improving his cultivation.
How could that do!
With that thought, Xiao Yan directly grabbed a handful of pills from his Storage Ring!
He swallowed them all at once.
"Boom!!"
Old Yao's figure emerged, and he had only just opened his mouth.
"Wait..."
The surging medicinal power erupted in an instant...
Before you continue