Spiritual energy churned within the secret chamber, forming a vortex visible to the naked eye around Lu Chen.
The amber patterns upon the Dragon-Pattern Spirit Bones began to spread slowly.
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
When the fifth Dragon Marrow Spirit Crystal crumbled into gray-white powder—
A clear hum, like a dragon's roar, rang out from within Lu Chen's body.
It was the resonance of his bones, flesh, true essence, and soul as their accumulated power reached the flawless threshold of completion.
He opened his eyes.
They were utterly calm, devoid of sorrow or joy.
He did not rise at once.
He merely lowered his gaze to the cold jade box before his knees, and to the Dragonblood Black Ginseng within it.
Then he raised a hand, condensing a drop of blood essence at his fingertip.
The blood droplet was crimson with a faint thread of pale gold running through it, containing the purest dragon essence and vitality within him at that moment.
He gently dripped that blood onto the ginseng body of the Dragonblood Black Ginseng, coiled like a dragon.
"Hummm—!"
A brilliant crimson-gold radiance suddenly erupted from the ginseng body!
Like blazing fire, the light raced along the ginseng's veins, completely engulfing and burning away the lingering dark-green rune mark at the tips of its roots—the mark that had been purified by the Azure Dragon's dragon essence, yet still remained!
At that same instant—
Deep within Lu Chen's sea of consciousness, the tightly shut Gate of Longevity burst open.
He had not pushed it open.
Rather, the true essence, soul, insights, and vital blood he had amassed over so long became an unstoppable tide at the very instant the final undead imprint within the Dragonblood Black Ginseng was completely purified, and that tide—
Smashed the gate open.