Nine Sheddings Three Ripenings

No one present was surprised by the Netherworld Prince's departure. In fact, they felt it was only natural.

After all, leaving aside Xiao Chen, who could kill Fang Yi, the number one on the Dragon Phoenix Ranking, even Xiao Qingyan, the beautiful young woman with close ties to the Flame Emperor, might not have been someone the Netherworld Prince could handle.

As for Mu Chen, everyone could do nothing but envy and resent him.

Following behind those two, even drinking their leftovers was enough to make countless people jealous.

Living off a woman like this really was the envy of everyone else.

After most of the people had left, Mu Chen cupped his fists toward Xiao Chen. Then, without further hesitation, his figure flashed, and amid countless envious gazes, he leaped into the immortal-energy-filled Dragon Phoenix Pool.

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Buzz!

Mu Chen's figure was swiftly concealed by the Dragon Phoenix Pool. Immediately afterward, waves of dense white mist surged into the sky. The mist spread out and enveloped the entire summit of White Bone Mountain. Within it, dragon and phoenix shadows seemed to flicker, while the Dragon's roar and Phoenix's cry rang out softly. A strange fragrance spread from the mountaintop.

Everyone who smelled that unusual fragrance felt the spiritual energy within their bodies begin to stir. It was a temptation from the deepest depths of their bloodlines, making them want to merge with it. Quite a few experts' eyes reddened, yet they did not dare rashly charge onto White Bone Mountain's summit. They knew that if they entered now, Xiao Chen or that beautiful young woman might kill them on the spot. They did not doubt in the slightest that Xiao Chen, who had killed Fang Yi without hesitation, would show them mercy.

While everyone stared greedily at the summit of White Bone Mountain, Mu Chen had already sat cross-legged at the deepest part of the Dragon Phoenix Pool. The clear pool water formed from Demon Ape blood wrapped around his body, and the warm sensation made him feel utterly comfortable.

Buzz, buzz. Deep within the Dragon Phoenix Pool, ancient light patterns flickered upon the pearly-white bones of the True Dragon and True Phoenix. In the end, they actually detached from the bones and swept out like swimming fish, continuously covering Mu Chen's body. Within those ancient light patterns, faint traces of dark-golden blood could be seen, containing astonishing vitality. Those blood traces were the Essence Blood left behind by the True Dragon and True Phoenix! Strands of light patterns covered Mu Chen's body, causing golden light to gradually bloom from his flesh.

Outside the Dragon Phoenix Pool, Xiao Qingyan watched the golden radiance shine from the bottom of the pool and lightly nodded. It seemed that the Dragon Phoenix Pool truly contained the Essence Blood of the True Dragon and True Phoenix.

"Still, it's a little too thin. At least five Dragon Phoenix Pools like this would be needed to reach Three Sheddings Three Ripenings."

"Three Sheddings Three Ripenings? What is that?"

Hearing this, Xiao Chen frowned.

"Thanks to someone, I possess not only the Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python Bloodline, but also the Dragon Phoenix Bloodline and the Dou Di Bloodline. These bloodlines mixed together have indeed given me limitless potential, but only if I completely fuse all four bloodlines into one. To succeed, I must undergo nine transformations, and each transformation has three stages—three ripenings."

"I am currently at Three Sheddings Two Ripenings. To reach the third ripening, I need a large amount of True Dragon and True Phoenix blood. With the resources of the Blood Axe Heavenly Domain and the Boundless Fire Domain, obtaining such blood would not be difficult. But I did not want to rely too heavily on them, so I came out to train. Then I met Mu Chen along the way, obtained several drops of Flame Dragon Essence Blood from him, and learned about Dragon Phoenix Heaven from him as well, so I came here."

Xiao Qingyan's tone was filled with particular resentment.

It made Xiao Chen's scalp tingle.

"You seem to know who I am?"

Xiao Chen let out a breath and asked solemnly.

"I thought you would never admit it!"

The moment Xiao Chen finished speaking, Xiao Qingyan turned to look at him.

Her beautiful eyes were reddened and misty, making her look pitiable.

Just as Xiao Chen could not help wanting to explain himself, his mind boomed as if it had exploded.

"Your new schoolbag when you started school, someone carried it for you.

Your umbrella in the rain, someone held it for you.

The three-delicacy dumplings you loved, someone bought them for you.

Your tears of grievance, someone wiped them away.

Ah, that person is Mother, ah, that person is Mom."

"Ah, wrong one! Change it."

"I hope time slows down and never lets you grow old again. I would trade everything I have for your years to remain long."

"Uh, that doesn't fit the scene!"

"Next song!"

"Shut up!"

Xiao Chen snapped in embarrassment and anger.

Since when had the system become so mischievous? The atmosphere had been completely ruined.

Dense white mist blanketed the summit of White Bone Mountain. Within the fog spread an intoxicatingly strange fragrance, while resounding Dragon's roars and Phoenix's cries continuously echoed between heaven and earth.

Anyone could sense the vast vitality gathering atop White Bone Mountain. The Dragon Phoenix Pool had stimulated the lingering Essence Blood of the True Dragon and True Phoenix, reactivating it and causing that vitality to erupt. If it could be integrated into one's bloodline, it would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to cultivation.

However, such an opportunity was clearly not something ordinary people could enjoy. Although the experts around White Bone Mountain knew they had no chance of touching the Dragon Phoenix Pool again, quite a few still lingered and refused to leave. Clearly, they remained unwilling to accept it. Yet unwillingness was one thing; they lacked the courage to fight for it. Thus, they could only watch with red eyes, powerless to do anything.

Time quietly passed, yet the mist atop White Bone Mountain grew denser and denser. This continued for nearly half an hour before the white fog atop the mountain suddenly began to howl.

Roar!

The Dragon's roar and Phoenix's cry suddenly rang out. Everyone shuddered and looked up, only to see a golden pillar of light shoot straight from the mountaintop into the heavens. It could be clearly seen from within a thousand miles.

Around that golden pillar of light, golden dragon and phoenix light patterns seemed to coil. Their long cries stirred wind and clouds across the world. Though the True Dragon and True Phoenix had long since fallen, the might of those super divine beasts was still fully displayed.

However, as those dragon and phoenix patterns coiled, they seemed incompatible as fire and water, devouring one another. The scene greatly resembled the life-and-death battle once fought here between the True Dragon and True Phoenix in ancient times.

It seemed that even after their deaths, their Essence Blood still found it difficult to fuse together.

The dragon and phoenix patterns eroded one another for a long while. In the end, the dragon patterns gained the upper hand and devoured all the phoenix patterns.

After the final phoenix pattern was swallowed by a dragon pattern, the dazzling golden pillar gradually shrank before finally vanishing at its source.

That source was the bottom of the Dragon Phoenix Pool. Yet the pool had long since dried up, as though all its power had been completely absorbed. At its bottom sat a figure quietly cross-legged.

That figure's entire body emitted dazzling golden radiance. Even his robes seemed to be forged from gold, glaringly bright. As the golden dragon patterns touched his body, they quietly drilled into him. His tightly shut eyes trembled slightly before slowly opening.

Roar! His originally black eyes were now filled with golden light. Deep within his pupils, the shadow of a giant dragon seemed to coil, appearing exceptionally mysterious. A powerful oppressive force suddenly spread outward from Mu Chen, even cracking the incomparably solid bottom of the Dragon Phoenix Pool with bone-like fissures. The golden radiance in Mu Chen's eyes lasted for a while before gradually fading. Then his figure moved, and he appeared directly outside the Dragon Phoenix Pool. He slightly closed his eyes and felt the power within his body surge like raging waves. That power rushed through his limbs and bones like a released beast, filled with terrifying destructive force. It was even more powerful than Mu Chen's Nine-Patterned Thunder Body! Mu Chen clenched his five fingers into a fist. He could feel his blood rushing violently, boiling as if it were about to break free of his body's restraints and erupt completely.

With a thought, golden light surged beneath his skin again. It gathered around his body, and golden dragon patterns danced through the air as dragon roars rang without end.

"Dragon patterns? It seems I obtained a Pseudo Dragon Body."

Although the Dragon Phoenix Pool had been formed from the bones of the True Dragon and True Phoenix and contained their Essence Blood, when the two powers came into contact, the stronger one would inevitably devour the weaker one. Their relative strength depended on whether the pool contained denser True Dragon Essence Blood or denser True Phoenix Essence Blood. Looking at these golden dragon patterns, the answer was obvious. The True Dragon Essence Blood in this Dragon Phoenix Pool had been stronger. Otherwise, it could not have eroded all the phoenix patterns.

"Only thirty-two dragon patterns."

Mu Chen stared at the golden patterns coiling around him, his brows faintly furrowing. As far as he knew, the strongest Pseudo Dragon Body should possess ninety-nine dragon patterns. Yet the Pseudo Dragon Body he had cultivated possessed only thirty-two. It seemed that the Essence Blood of the True Dragon and True Phoenix contained in this Dragon Phoenix Pool was not particularly powerful.

Mu Chen shook his head somewhat regretfully, but then felt that he was being too greedy. Although the Pseudo Dragon Body he had obtained had only thirty-two dragon patterns, its power was beyond doubt. The strength brought by those thirty-two dragon patterns alone was far greater than that of the Thunder God Body.

Besides, Dragon Phoenix Heaven had only just begun. He still had chances to obtain more True Dragon Essence Blood. At that time, he could make his Pseudo Dragon Body even stronger. Perhaps in the end, it could return to its true form and completely evolve from the Pseudo Dragon Body into the strongest True Dragon Body!

After all, he possessed the Dragon Phoenix True Scripture, something no one else had.

Thinking of this, Mu Chen's gratitude toward Xiao Chen deepened even further.

"All right. Qingyan has detected the location of the next Dragon Phoenix Pool. Hurry up."

Xiao Chen glanced at Mu Chen, who still looked reluctant to leave, and said solemnly.

"Got it, Brother Xiao."

Pfft!