Golden Dragon Skin Transformation

"I'll level the ground first. We can't let anyone detect that this was a phenomenon caused by the Qi Gathering Realm."

Nantian Xiu formed hand seals and unleashed the Earth Flattening Art, filling in the massive pits created by the Heavenly Tribulation. He then approached the corpse of the Purple Flame Fire Dragon.

Only a snake's shed skin and a severed dragon horn remained. The Purple Flame Fire Dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"I didn't expect that sword strike wouldn't kill this beast."

Nantian Xiu picked up the dragon horn and snake skin from the ground and tossed them to Lu Chen.

"Materials from the Qi Descending Realm. These are good stuff. We'll craft you something nice with them once we're out."

"Thank you, Grandpa Xiu."

Lu Chen quickly gathered the dragon horn and snake skin.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Sounds of air being torn apart came from the distance. Cultivators were already approaching the area.

"Young man, let's go. Someone's coming."

Nantian Xiu waved his palm, clearing the traces of their presence, and left the Heavenly Tribulation site with Lu Chen and Nantian Wan'er.

"Big Brother, it's here. The Heavenly Tribulation came from this spot."

Just as Lu Chen and the other two left, two cultivators arrived at the site of the Heavenly Tribulation, their swords cutting down trees.

"Huh? Little Black's sense of smell said it was here, so why is no one around?"

The black dog the cultivator was holding was sniffing around everywhere.

"It's here. My Lightning Spirit is reacting."

A stout cultivator turned and scanned his surroundings before speaking slowly.

If Lu Chen were still here, he would have recognized this cultivator as the leader of the group that annihilated his village years ago.

After nearly a year, the cultivator leader's cultivation was already showing faint signs of the Qi Descending Realm.

Cultivator's subordinate: "Big Brother, I can sense that a Heavenly Tribulation occurred here. It must be the place, but I don't know why they escaped."

"Isn't the first step after a cultivator transcends mortal form and becomes an immortal to manifest in heaven and earth and begin preaching?"

"I'm not sure about that."

The cultivator leader thought for a moment before speaking again, "The Heavenly Tribulation was so powerful just now, they must be severely injured. Send a signal to the leader first. We can't handle the Chongtian Realm."

"Yes, Big Brother."

Cultivator's subordinate: "Big Brother, should we continue forward or wait here for the leader to arrive?"

"We'll hurry to the Fire Prison to seize the Fire Essence. The Chongtian Realm cultivator leader will handle it."

The cultivator leader's eyes were fixed on the direction Lu Chen had left. He took out a fiery red pill from his storage bag.

"If we follow the path ahead for another two hours, we'll reach the center of the Fire Prison. With the Fire Repelling Pill bestowed by the leader, we'll definitely obtain the Fire Essence."

"I think we might even have some unexpected gains."

Lu Chen and the other two were on their way to the center of the Fire Prison.

Lu Chen's upper body was bare, his muscles flowing with extreme fluidity, and faint golden light flickered within them.

A Flame Leopard, which had just entered the Breath Regulation Realm, attacked with surging ferocity.

Its claws struck Lu Chen's chest, leaving only a white mark.

Lu Chen struck back, sending the Flame Leopard flying into a cliff. It cried out twice before turning and fleeing.

"Grandpa Xiu, quickly see how strong my body has become."

Lu Chen let the Flame Leopard escape.

"Golden Dragon Skin Transformation. This is likely comparable to the physical strength of an ordinary Qi Descending Realm cultivator."

Nantian Xiu looked at Lu Chen's body and placed his hands on his arms.

"Grandpa Xiu, can you tell me about body refinement? I've never heard of 'Golden Dragon Skin Transformation' before."

Lu Chen had memories from Feng Tiancheng within him, but he wasn't sure if they were still consistent with the current cultivation system.

Nantian Xiu released Spiritual Energy from his hands, conjuring a diagram of human anatomy in front of Lu Chen.

As the image unfolded, Nantian Xiu began to explain the secrets of body refinement to Lu Chen.

Body refinement had four stages: Body Refinement Initial Success, Body Refinement Minor Success, Body Refinement Major Success, and Body Refinement Golden Body Great Perfection.

The initial stage of body refinement involved using Spiritual Energy to repeatedly cleanse impurities from the body and continuously strengthen muscles and bones during the Qi Gathering Realm.

The mark of Body Refinement Initial Success was the ability to withstand ten waves of Heavenly Tribulation from the Qi Gathering Realm.

Only when a body refinement cultivator reached Body Refinement Initial Success could they truly embark on cultivation.

It's like when a Cultivator enters the Breath Regulation Realm; only then do they truly begin Body Refinement.

Body Refinement first trains the skin, continuously purging impurities within it.

When the skin is perfectly refined and emits golden light, it's called Golden Dragon Skin Transformation, signifying Minor Body Refinement Success.

Next are the human body's bones, muscles, and internal organs.

Only when all of these are perfectly refined and emit golden light can it be called Major Body Refinement Success.

Following that is entering the human body to purge the impurities of the soul.

Once the human soul begins to emit golden light.

The soul will then connect with the other human organs to form a Golden Body.

Half an hour later, Nantian Xiu finished his demonstration.

"Young boy, did you understand? These are the major keys to Body Refinement."

Nantian Xiu retracted his Spiritual Power and turned to look at Lu Chen.

"I understand, Grandpa Xiu. Then, Grandpa Xiu, what level have you cultivated to now?"

Lu Chen was curious about Nantian Xiu's cultivation level and wanted to use it to verify his own Body Refinement progress.

"I've just reached Minor Body Refinement Success, Golden Dragon Bone Transformation."

Nantian Xiu waved his hand, and his skin began to emit golden light, with faint golden dragons appearing.

"Grandpa Xiu, is your physical body's strength this low? I thought your cultivation should be higher than this."

Lu Chen looked at the light emanating from Nantian Xiu's body, a little confused.

Nantian Xiu: "There are thousands of cultivation methods in the world. My primary focus isn't the physical body; improving my cultivation alone can also withstand Heavenly Tribulation."

"Grandpa Xiu, I don't understand. Didn't you just say that cultivating the physical body is necessary to withstand Heavenly Tribulation? Why do you say improving cultivation can also do it now?"

Listening to Nantian Xiu's explanation, Lu Chen became even more confused.

In the memories from Feng Tiancheng, there weren't so many cultivation methods in that era.

Cultivators in that era mainly practiced through bloodlines and never deliberately trained their bodies.

"What I just demonstrated are the rules set by an ancient mighty figure who achieved enlightenment through his physical body."

"At that time, he couldn't cultivate Qi Gathering, but he refused to believe he was doomed. He practiced Body Refinement with high intensity every day, eventually succeeding by using his thirty-six Golden Bodies to tear open an extraterrestrial passage and ascend."

Nantian Xiu, sensing Lu Chen's confusion, retracted the Golden Body's radiance and explained.

"Then what happens if Body Refinement and Spiritual Energy are cultivated simultaneously?"

Lu Chen felt that he had already achieved Golden Dragon Skin Transformation in the Qi Gathering Realm, and perhaps he could develop his cultivation and Body Refinement synchronously.

"Absolutely do not think that way. There was once a woman with extremely high Talent who chose to develop Body Refinement and Spiritual Energy synchronously."

"Although she ultimately succeeded, she also wasted a great deal of time due to simultaneous cultivation. Her life was exhausted, and she couldn't break through the final hurdle."

Nantian Xiu looked at Lu Chen's current state, formed hand seals, and spoke to him.

"Young boy, I know your Talent is very high, and I don't want to pry into your secrets."

"But you must also know how vast the Eastern Pole Continent is, and how many geniuses have appeared. Yet, how many can you name now?"

"Before you possess powerful strength, any attempt to create a new path of cultivation is self-destructive."

"Moreover, without the strength to back it up, genius often signifies an early demise. Do you understand, Lu Chen?"

Nantian Xiu didn't want to say much, but seeing Lu Chen's appearance, he was already becoming obsessed.

He immediately delivered a "wake-up call" that startled Lu Chen.

"Little Lu thanks Grandpa Xiu for his teachings."

Lu Chen was instantly jolted awake from his fantasies by the "wake-up call." Cold sweat covered his body, and he felt a sense of lingering fear about what had just happened.

After all, Lu Chen was only 18 years old, a time when young people are full of vigor and prone to fantasy.

While others took ten years to enter Qi Gathering, Lu Chen did it in less than half a year.

When the speed of mental growth cannot keep up with the speed of cultivation advancement, it's easy to become obsessed.

"Sigh... My cultivation time is still a bit short."

"Last time, Grandpa Feng said he would help me temper my state of mind, but before we could start, Grandpa Feng fell into a deep sleep. It seems I need to find a way to improve my state of mind as soon as possible."

"Brother Lu, I know a place that can help you improve your state of mind."

At this moment, Nantian Wan'er's voice echoed in Lu Chen's mind.

Hearing Nantian Wan'er's voice, Lu Chen felt that she was his lucky star; whatever he needed, Nantian Wan'er could bring it to him.

"Wan'er, quickly tell me, where is that place?"

Lu Chen excitedly hugged Nantian Wan'er.

"Brother Lu, let go of me first, you're hurting me."

Nantian Wan'er tried to push Lu Chen away, but she was no match for his strength and couldn't break free.

"Ah..., okay, I'll let go first."

Lu Chen quickly released Nantian Wan'er and turned his head to see Nantian Xiu looking at them with a smile.

"You two continue, don't mind this old man."

Lu Chen rubbed his head.

"Hahaha, Grandpa Xiu, Wan'er just told me she has a way to temper my state of mind, that's why I lost my composure."

"Oh? Wan'er has a way to improve her state of mind? I'd like to hear about it too."

Nantian Xiu stroked his beard and walked towards Nantian Wan'er.

"Grandpa, you're always teasing me, I won't tell you. I'll only tell Brother Lu."

Nantian Wan'er whispered into Lu Chen's ear, telling him about the changes within the Twin Fish Plate.

Lu Chen had been examining the changes in his body all along and hadn't realized that the changes in the Twin Fish Plate were complete.

"Grandpa Xiu, I already know how to temper my state of mind and I want to try it. But I'll have to trouble you to protect me."

Lu Chen prepared to enter the Twin Fish Plate's small world with his consciousness to see what methods there were to temper his state of mind.

"Alright, young man, go ahead and do it. Now I'm also a bit curious about what this mysterious method of tempering one's state of mind that Wan'er mentioned is."

Nantian Xiu watched as Lu Chen sat down, circulated his energy, and entered a meditative state. He waved his hand and set up a barrier in front of Lu Chen.

Lu Chen's consciousness entered the Twin Fish Plate's small world.

"Hiss..."

Looking at everything before him, Lu Chen gasped.

"How did the world within the Twin Fish Plate become like this?"