Dragon Blood

"Congratulations on passing Stage C of the Trial Tower's second floor. Your Trial Tower level is now 3.0!"

Chen Daolin stood in the desert, bloodstains clinging to him. Blood dripped steadily from the spear in his hand, and dozens of Iron-Armored Scorpion corpses lay scattered all around him.

"That'll do."

Chen Daolin smiled and left the Virtual Space.

His Trial Tower level of 3.0 multiplied by his punch-force output level of 4.0 gave him a Combat Power Amplitude of 12. He'd met the requirement in his contract!

It was December 25, the traditional Western holiday of Christmas.

"Xiao Han, I have a Christmas present for you, but you'll have to wait until we get back." Stepping out of the Nine-Layered Tower, Chen Daolin drew a deep breath and smiled with delight.

At last, he'd made it to this point.

All his hard work had paid off.

In his residence at Jiangnan Pavilion, Chen Daolin called the number on his contract with the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Once his Combat Power Amplitude met the requirement, he could call that number to claim his reward.

"Beep—beep—"

Chen Daolin placed the call.

"Hello." A deep voice answered.

"Hello, I'm Chen Daolin from the Elite Training Camp." Chen Daolin spoke calmly. "I previously signed a contract with the Hall. It has five reward clauses, and if I meet the requirements for any one of them, I can call this number and claim the corresponding reward from you. Is that right?"

"Yes," the deep voice replied.

"My Combat Power Amplitude has reached 12, meeting the first clause," Chen Daolin said.

"Please wait while I check." A moment later, the voice spoke again. "Ah, congratulations, Cadet Chen Daolin. Your Combat Power Amplitude is now 12, and since it's currently 2:25 p.m. on December 25, 2056, you've met the reward clause's deadline of January 1, 2057. Your reward is... a complete set of Series 9 Combat Suit and weapons, one manual of your choice, and a portion of Dragon Blood worth 80 billion."

Chen Daolin said, "By the way, Inspector Wang of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall and I had an agreement. I can exchange items of equivalent value from my reward for Water of Life."

"Oh? Is that so? Let me check..." The other party paused, then seemed to speak with someone else. A short while later, the voice came back. "That's right. I just confirmed that Inspector Wang agreed to let you exchange your reward for Water of Life. However, it'll take three more days to deliver it to you. Do you want to confirm the exchange?"

"Yes, I confirm," Chen Daolin replied firmly.

"Very well..."

The two spoke for a while longer. In the end, Chen Daolin exchanged the combat suit and weapons in his reward for a portion of Water of Life. The rest remained unchanged, and he chose World Destroyer as his complete set of manuals.

"The Elite Training Camp is in the headquarters' Base City. Apart from the Water of Life, the other rewards should arrive at the Training Camp's main gate within an hour. You can go there to collect them," the deep voice said.

After ending the call, Chen Daolin sat in his study, unable to keep the broad smile off his face. He clenched his fist, his excitement almost impossible to contain, then hurriedly picked up his teacup and took a sip. "They say Dragon Blood can double your strength. I wonder how much stronger it'll make me?" Chen Daolin was full of anticipation.

Fifty minutes later, Chen Daolin appeared at the Training Camp's main gate.

A guard force was stationed at the gate, but they all knew Chen Daolin, the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's rising star. Sensibly, they didn't ask why he was there.

"Beep!" A horn sounded as a large truck drove toward the Training Camp's gate.

"It's here." Chen Daolin's face lit up.

A short while later, Chen Daolin returned to his residence carrying a large combination-locked case and went straight down to the underground chamber. "It'll be safer to use the Dragon Blood here."

In the brightly lit chamber, Chen Daolin opened the case. Inside were two wooden boxes. He looked them over. "One should contain the Dragon Blood, and the other the manuals. The Water of Life isn't here. It won't arrive until the 28th, three days from now."

Chen Daolin opened the first wooden box. Inside lay a thick manual and a whole stack of discs. The two characters on the manual's cover read—World Destroyer. He then opened the second box. A test tube nestled in the foam inside, sealed with a stopper. It contained golden blood that filled more than a third of the tube.

"So this is the Dragon Blood worth 80 billion—the stuff that can double your strength." Chen Daolin couldn't help holding his breath. Under the light, the golden blood gleamed with a heart-stirring brilliance. There was also an instruction sheet beneath it. Chen Daolin picked it up and read, "So it's this simple to use. I just have to apply it externally." He rubbed his brow, though there was no sweat there. He'd almost wondered if he was supposed to drink it.

"My punching force is [missing], so if the Dragon Blood doubles it, it'll reach [missing]," Chen Daolin thought.

In reality, the stronger a person was, the less effective Dragon Blood became. The weaker they were, the more noticeable its effect. Since a Warrior Level martial artist was so weak to begin with, Dragon Blood could make them four times stronger! The saying that Dragon Blood doubled a person's strength was only a rough estimate.

Chen Daolin took off his clothes, leaving only his underwear, and lay on the cold floor. He applied the golden Dragon Blood from the test tube to his chest. He only needed to apply it in one spot; the Dragon Blood would seep in on its own.

Chen Daolin lay on the ground, quietly waiting to feel its effects.

Soon, waves of heat surged from the spot on his chest where he'd applied it, spreading through his body. His temperature kept rising.

Chen Daolin continued to silently observe the changes.

Pain.

Excruciating pain.

But the sensation was familiar to Chen Daolin. He often felt this way while training in King Kai Fist. It was just that his body wasn't usually this hot.

His muscles spasmed, his body burned, sweat poured down him, and his heart raced...

Aside from the occasional spasm, Chen Daolin remained calm.

Bring it on. I'm used to this by now.

Chen Daolin could feel his genes undergoing an astonishing transformation under the Dragon Blood's influence. His cells frantically absorbed the peculiar energy it carried and began to change again and again.

Every part of his body was undergoing incredible changes, at a pace far beyond anything his usual training could achieve.

His physical fitness continued to improve with every passing moment.

And with his powerful, resilient will, Chen Daolin remained fully conscious, feeling every change in his body.

He didn't know how long had passed before Chen Daolin opened his eyes and sat up. His entire body was coated in grime. He gave his body a shake, sending the black dirt flying and revealing bronze-colored skin. His firm, perfectly sculpted muscles seemed to be cast from steel. But Chen Daolin didn't dwell on that. He got up, took a shower, then headed to the training hall to test his strength. He was brimming with curiosity and anticipation. Just how much stronger had the Dragon Blood made him?