Golden Lotus Form Transformation

When his soul transmigrated and became the true spirit of the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus, the first thing he felt was a boundless, crushing weight.

This heaviness was not a physical burden, but a profound sense of density originating from his very essence, connecting him to the heavens and the earth.

He felt like an ancient existence that had slumbered for billions of years, his consciousness only now beginning to stir.

"What am I?"

This question echoed within his hazy consciousness.

Then, the answer emerged naturally, like a memory carved deep into his marrow.

Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus.

The golden lotus throne possessed twelve petals, each containing the supreme principles of the Great Dao, with warm Merit Golden Light circulating between them, radiating an aura of peace and tranquility.

Beneath the lotus throne were invisible roots, deeply embedded in the origin of this world, absorbing the purest Spiritual Energy.

Fragments of memory from a later age surged forth like a tidal wave.

Primordial World, Sages, Western Sect, Jieyin, Zhunti...

These terms collided and pieced themselves together within his consciousness, sketching out a blurry yet alarming picture.

The Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus, the treasure that would stabilize the fortune of the Western Sect.

His "original body" belonged to those two Sages in the future.

A chill rose from the deepest part of his consciousness, spreading rapidly.

If the legends in his memories were true, then his current situation was dire.

He was practically a lamb laid out beneath a butcher's knife, only the butcher had yet to arrive.

He attempted to perceive the outside world.

A warm and sturdy golden barrier completely enveloped him.

This barrier was not a physical object, yet it was more unbreakable than any physical substance.

This was an Innate Restriction, the protection bestowed by heaven and earth upon Innate Spiritual Roots.

Through the barrier, everything outside was blurred and indistinct, as if observing the world through frosted glass.

He could only vaguely sense the vast Spiritual Energy flowing outside, but he could not determine his specific location, let alone the passage of time.

"What time is it now?"

This question became his most pressing anxiety.

Had the Dragon-Han Initial Tribulation ended?

Had the Witch and Demon Clans already risen to power?

What realm were Jieyin and Zhunti in now? Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal? Quasi-Saint? Or had they already... become Sages?

He dared not contemplate the worst-case scenario.

If those two had already attained Sagehood, with their abilities, it was only a matter of time before they discovered him.

Once found, what would be the fate of his awakened intelligence?

Would his consciousness be wiped away, leaving him a mere magical artifact?

Or would he be forcibly converted into a protector of the Western Sect?

Every possibility made him shudder.

"I cannot sit here and wait for death."

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything else.

Since he was safe for the moment and the restriction had not been triggered, there was still time for Form Transformation.

In the legends of the Primordial World, all things with spirit could undergo Form Transformation.

Once he transformed, he would no longer be a magical artifact, but a living being—an Innate Divine Being recognized by heaven and earth.

At that point, even if Jieyin and Zhunti found him, they could not treat him as casually as an ownerless object.

At the very least, there would be more room for maneuver.

With his resolve set, he hesitated no longer.

He began to sink his entire consciousness into his original body, attempting to guide the Spiritual Energy permeating the restriction.

His initial attempts were clumsy and inefficient.

Although he possessed the instincts of the Golden Lotus, as a newly born true spirit, he knew almost nothing about how to cultivate actively or how to absorb energy efficiently.

He could only mimic the rhythmic breathing of the lotus, capturing and refining the golden specks of Spiritual Energy bit by bit.

The process was despairingly monotonous.

There was no sun or moon to mark the passage of time, and no sound to break the silence.

Only the faint, almost imperceptible resonance of Spiritual Energy circulating between the petals remained.

He was like a prisoner locked in a soundproof golden cell, able to breathe the outside air only through a tiny hole in the wall.

Time lost all meaning here. Perhaps a century had passed, perhaps a millennium.

Yet, he dared not stop.

Whenever his consciousness drifted due to the long, crushing solitude, the fear of his future fate would wash over him like cold water, snapping him back to wakefulness.

He imagined the Innate Restriction suddenly being shattered.

He imagined two figures with vast, boundless auras standing before him.

This imagination acted like a whip, lashing him into cultivating day and night.

Gradually, his mastery over Spiritual Energy became increasingly proficient.

From initially being able to guide only a few wispy threads of Spiritual Energy, he progressed to forming a small vortex of energy above the lotus platform;

From having only a superficial understanding of the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus, he reached a point where he could clearly "look inward" at the Dao Marks on every single petal.

Although those marks were profound and abstruse—making his consciousness dizzy after only a few glances—he still forced himself to memorize and comprehend them.

Because he knew that Form Transformation was not merely about accumulating enough spiritual power, but about understanding his own "Dao."

The Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus possessed two fundamental Great Dao:

The first was "Merit," bearing the merits of Heaven and Earth, rendering him immune to all myriad spells;

The second was "Golden Lotus," symbolizing purity and untainted nature, possessing peerless defense.

These two Great Dao complemented each other, forming the foundation of his existence.

He began to attempt to decipher those naturally formed patterns on the petals.

Some patterns resembled ancient scripts, others looked like the veins of mountains and rivers, and some were simply the condensation of Dao Rhyme.

With every bit he understood, his control over his own origin deepened, and the speed at which he absorbed Spiritual Energy accelerated accordingly.

The Spiritual Energy within the restriction thinned at a rate visible to the naked eye, only to be replenished by a constant stream from outside, drawn in by the fluctuations of his absorption and refinement.

The body of the Golden Lotus began to change; its originally gentle luster grew brighter, and the gold on the petals became increasingly pure.

At the center of the lotus platform, a radiance even began to condense, forming a hazy ball of light—the core of his true spirit.

Another long cycle passed.

The ball of light grew more solid, gradually taking on the outline of a human figure.

Limbs, torso, head... although still blurry, the general shape was already discernible.

The body of the Golden Lotus began to tremble.

It was not a tremor of fear, but the natural rhythm of energy reaching saturation.

The entire Innate Restriction resonated in response, causing ripples to spread across the golden barrier.

It is almost done...

Such a premonition echoed from the depths of his consciousness.

He did not grow excited; instead, he became even calmer, focusing all his mental energy on the final step.

The complete fusion of spirit and body.

Finally, at a moment that could not be measured by time, the accumulation reached a critical point.

BOOM—

It was not a roar of sound, but a vibration of the Great Dao.

The body of the Golden Lotus erupted with unprecedented, brilliant radiance.

All twelve petals unfurled simultaneously.

Each one shone with intense light, illuminating the entire space of the restriction like a golden ocean.

At the center of the lotus platform, the human-shaped ball of light contracted violently, then expanded outward.

The form of the Golden Lotus began to dissipate, turning into countless golden specks of light.

These specks did not drift in disorder; they followed a profound trajectory, recombining and condensing.

The petals transformed into the patterns on a robe, the lotus stem into a tall, upright body, the lotus heart into clear eyes, and the roots into veins connected to the earth...

When the final glimmer of light faded away.

In the center of the restricted space, a young Daoist stood silently.

He appeared to be in his early twenties, dressed in a simple white Daoist robe, with faint golden lotus patterns flickering at the hem and cuffs.

His face was handsome and gentle, and between his brows resided an innate air of tranquility, as if he could calm all restlessness.

His black hair, like a waterfall, was held up by a simple wooden hairpin.

His body was shrouded in a faint golden halo—the manifestation of the Merit Golden Light spontaneously protecting him.

The most unique feature was his eyes.

Clear as crystal yet deep as a pool, the depths of his pupils held the faint, slowly rotating phantom of a twelve-petaled lotus.

He lowered his head to look at his hands, his slender fingers flexing slightly to feel the tangible sensation of flesh and blood.

With a single thought, the vast, sea-like spiritual power within his body flowed in response, moving with ease as if it were an extension of his own limbs.

He had successfully completed his Form Transformation.

At that very instant, from the ethereal void, a supreme will—indifferent yet compassionate—descended.

That will was not a specific entity, but the embodiment of rules and the manifestation of the Great Dao.

It brushed gently over the newborn Daoist, as if inspecting him, or perhaps confirming his existence.

The Daoist bowed naturally, his gesture filled with profound respect.

The will lingered for a moment.

Then, two ancient and mysterious Dao Marks crossed endless time and space, branding themselves directly into the depths of his Primordial Spirit and resonating within his true soul.

Xuande.

"Xuan" signifies the deep, subtle, and mysterious, aligning with the formless and imageless nature of the Heavenly Dao;

"De" signifies the capacity to bear all things, corresponding to the virtue that bestows blessings upon all living beings.

This name was not merely a title, but a recognition, a blessing, and the bestowal of an identity.

From this moment on, he was an Innate Divine Being recognized by the Primordial World: Daoist Xuande.

Xuande slowly straightened his back, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

There was joy, there was reflection, but above all, there was gravity.

Completing the Form Transformation was only the first step.