True Dragon Qi, Rebirth Through Blood Exchange

Xiao Cheng looked at Leng Yaozhu. Seeing that she too was brimming with fighting spirit, they exchanged a smile, each understanding the other's thoughts.

However, they both knew this would take time and accumulation. Yet neither lacked talent or perseverance. What they needed was simply time to grow.

So they chose to postpone entering the Spirit Ascension Platform and instead focus on cultivation to improve their strength.

That afternoon, Xiao Cheng was alone in the cultivation room. After a year of grueling training, the Soul Power within him had finally become like a brimming reservoir, reaching the peak of Level 19, just one step away from the threshold of Level 20. What excited him even more was that the first level of the Dragon Transformation Sutra had also reached the brink of completion!

"It's time." Xiao Cheng took a deep breath and calmed his surging emotions. He knew today would be an important turning point.

He sat cross-legged and took out a smooth jade bowl from his storage Soul Tool. Inside was Medicinal Cuisine carefully prepared by Mu Wan, brewed from various precious herbs. Its smell was fishy and astringent, but it was crucial for stimulating potential during Blood Exchange. It was a prescription from Xiao Cheng's memories of his previous life. Though the herbs of Douluo Continent differed somewhat from those of the Martial Dao world of his past life, Mu Wan was well versed in pharmacology, and Xiao Cheng, as a Martial Dao grandmaster in his previous life, knew a little about medicine and herbs as well. After understanding the properties of the ingredients, substituting herbs from Douluo Continent could achieve nearly the same effect.

He first summoned Lueqing. The little fellow seemed to sense that its master had reached a critical moment. It obediently coiled up nearby, its jade-green snake eyes silently watching him.

Xiao Cheng closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his body. Within his dantian, azure Soul Power drifted like mist, vast and pure. He fully activated the Dragon Transformation Sutra. The circulation route he had long mastered was driven to its limit, and Soul Power surged through his meridians like a rushing river, roaring with every pass. Each wash brought Xiao Cheng the exhilarating sensation of being reborn.

Boom—!

It was as though some invisible barrier had shattered. The Soul Power he had accumulated for so long finally broke through the Level 20 threshold! An even stronger energy fluctuation spread from his body, making the Soul Tool lamps in the cultivation room flicker faintly.

Almost at the same time, Lueqing, coiled nearby, let out a joyful cry as jade-green light burst forth from its body! Its aura rose sharply, and the azure wings on its back snapped open. Its body, originally just over three feet long, slowly stretched and expanded within the light!

When the light faded, Lueqing was no longer a slender little snake. It had become an azure python nearly two meters long, with imposing scales and a pair of wings growing from its belly! Though it had not yet left the category of "python," the ferocious yet lively aura it gave off was far beyond what it had been before!

Lueqing provided Xiao Cheng with his second Soul Ring—a gleaming purple Soul Ring that appeared out of thin air and settled around him. Xiao Cheng's Soul Power Level consequently broke through to Level 21! The Soul Grandmaster rank!

But this was not the end. It was only the beginning.

Xiao Cheng did not rush to experience his second soul skill. All his focus was concentrated on the final hurdle of the first level of the Dragon Transformation Sutra—condensing True Dragon Qi!

The "True Dragon Qi" here was not the dragon might emitted by those True Dragon Martial Souls on Douluo Continent. It was a concept from the Martial Dao world of his previous life, the product of a cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit being highly condensed—a manifestation of one's will and life energy.

Refine essence into qi, gather qi into a dragon! Xiao Cheng silently recited the formula. He guided the still-restless Soul Power from his recent breakthrough, along with the vast Bloodline Power cultivated through the Dragon Transformation Sutra, and began striking at specific meridians and acupoints.

The process was incomparably difficult, like performing delicate surgery inside his own body. Every collision between Soul Power and Bloodline Power brought tearing agony, but Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth and persevered. The will of a Martial Dao grandmaster from his previous life came into play at this moment.

Who knew how long passed? It felt as long as an entire century. Deep within the qi sea of his dantian, at the center of that misty Soul Power, a brilliant azure point of light suddenly ignited! This speck of azure light was tiny, yet it contained indescribable majesty and vitality! It was like a seed, and also like an embryo, slowly rotating as it emitted a faint yet incomparably pure and noble aura—True Dragon Qi!

I did it! Xiao Cheng was ecstatic. This wisp of True Dragon Qi was the key that would open the door to Martial Dao for him!

Next came the even more crucial, and even more painful, first Blood Exchange!

Blood Exchange was not truly draining and replacing blood, but a leap in the level of life itself. Xiao Cheng unhesitatingly picked up the bowl of Medicinal Cuisine and drained it in one gulp. The fishy, bitter, and spicy flavor instantly filled his mouth. Then, a vast and scorching medicinal force exploded in his stomach like a volcanic eruption, transforming into rolling warm currents that rushed toward his limbs and bones.

"Refine it for me!" Xiao Cheng shouted, fully operating the Dragon Transformation Sutra. The cultivation technique became like the most precise furnace, frantically refining the medicinal force and transforming it into the most fundamental Bloodline Power of his body.

At the same time, he used his thoughts to connect with the Azure Python Martial Soul and Lueqing, guiding them to participate in the process as well, allowing the power of his Martial Soul to perfectly fuse with this newborn strength.

Buzz—!

The blood within his body began to boil! His skin turned crimson at a visible rate, and the temperature within the cultivation room rose sharply, as if it had become a massive steam chamber. He could clearly feel his blood flowing ten, a hundred times faster! Every heartbeat struck like a war drum, powerful and vigorous, pumping blood filled with newborn strength into every corner of his body.

His Body Martial Soul also possessed him on its own at that moment, not for battle, but to better control and guide the force that could tear his body apart. The Body Martial Soul gave him extraordinary control over his own body, allowing him to retain the last trace of clarity amid that violent flood of blood and qi.

"Condense!" Xiao Cheng's thoughts raced as he began trying to control the vast Bloodline Power. Following the methods of the Dragon Transformation Sutra, he slowly gathered the Bloodline Power scattered throughout his body toward the qi sea in his dantian, as though commanding thousands of troops. This process required incredibly precise control. One careless mistake could cause the blood and qi to flow backward; at best, his meridians would be destroyed, and at worst, he would die on the spot.

Under the guidance of his immense spiritual power, the boiling blood and qi truly flowed back like a hundred rivers returning to the sea. They slowly condensed into a scorching, refined mass of Bloodline Power that floated within his dantian, echoing the wisp of True Dragon Qi. The two nourished one another in an endless cycle.

Huff—

Xiao Cheng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. It carried a faint fishy sweetness, but more than that, it brought a refreshing sense of clarity. He opened his eyes, and a sharp gleam flashed through them like lightning.

He clenched his fist, and an unprecedented sense of power filled his body. This was not merely an increase in strength, but a qualitative transformation in his control over his own body. He felt like a precision machine, every component brimming with vitality, able to mobilize every ounce of strength at will.

"So this is the power after Blood Exchange?" Xiao Cheng murmured. He casually threw a punch without using Soul Power, but the fist wind released a shrill howl as the compressed air exploded! The power of this punch was at least three times greater than before his Blood Exchange!

Moreover, he could feel that this power could be concentrated at will onto his fist, elbow, ankle... truly achieving the ability to unleash force from a single point and strike through the entire body.

This was similar to the Body Sect's secret blood and qi techniques, but fundamentally different. The Body Sect refined and specialized in a single force of blood and qi. Xiao Cheng's Blood Exchange, however, was an elevation of his entire life level. The transformation of blood and qi was only one outward manifestation. In the future, there would be Bone Tempering, Organ Refinement, Marrow Cleansing, Golden Body... until he reached the Martial Saint Realm, where his very life form would undergo a fundamental transformation.

"The path of Martial Dao has finally officially begun." A brilliant smile appeared on Xiao Cheng's lips. He looked at his hands, his eyes full of confidence and anticipation for the future. With this strength, if he entered the Junior Spirit Ascension Platform again, even if he encountered that hateful Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger, he might not be without the ability to fight it!

"Still, I need to be cautious." Xiao Cheng suppressed his eagerness to try. He stood up and stretched his body. His bones crackled explosively, brimming with strength. Next, he needed to properly familiarize himself with his newfound power and second soul skill.

The door to the cultivation room slid open softly, and sunlight from outside spilled in, illuminating the youth's upright figure. Xiao Cheng pushed open the door and immediately ran into Xiao Ran and Mu Wan, who had been waiting outside.

Xiao Ran's gaze was sharp as lightning as it swept over Xiao Cheng's body. Unconcealed delight and admiration appeared on his face. "Good! Good! Good! Your blood and qi are like mercury, your spirit complete and your qi abundant. Cheng'er, this first Blood Exchange of yours was even more perfect than your father expected!"

Mu Wan stepped forward as well, her gentle face filled with relief. She lightly touched Xiao Cheng's head and said softly, "It was hard, wasn't it? Your face is a little pale, but your eyes are clear and your breath steady. It seems the Blood Exchange went smoothly. Here, this is Spirit-Calming Soup prepared according to the prescription you gave me. Drink it quickly and replenish your vital energy."

Xiao Cheng took the warm bowl of soup from his mother, warmth filling his heart, and drank it in one gulp. A mild warm current flowed into his stomach, swiftly soothing the faint emptiness and fatigue brought by the Blood Exchange. He looked at his parents and said earnestly, "Father, Mother, I succeeded. The first level of the Dragon Transformation Sutra is complete, and True Dragon Qi has been born."

Xiao Ran burst into laughter and forcefully patted his son's shoulder. "I knew it! As expected of my son! Come on, tonight your mother will make you a good meal so we can celebrate!"

As the family of three spoke, hurried footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by Leng Yaozhu's clear but slightly anxious voice. "Xiao Cheng! Is Xiao Cheng here?"

Xiao Cheng opened the door and saw Leng Yaozhu standing there, panting. Her little face was flushed from running, and she tightly clutched a communication Soul Tool in her hand.

When she saw Xiao Cheng, she first looked him over from head to toe. Only after seeing that he was somewhat weak but still full of spirit did she relax. But then she pouted and said haughtily, "You finally came out! I heard from my father that you'd been in seclusion for several days. I thought something had happened to you! Hmph, remember to tell me in advance before you go into seclusion next time!"

Xiao Cheng found her contradictory manner amusing and deliberately teased her. "What, Sister Yaozhu, were you worried about me?"

"Who—who was worried about you!" Leng Yaozhu's face reddened as she hastily denied it, though her gaze involuntarily drifted to Xiao Cheng's hands. "You... you broke through Level 20?"

"Mm, I broke through yesterday. I'm Level 21 now." Xiao Cheng nodded and admitted it openly.

"Level 21..." Leng Yaozhu repeated softly. A barely noticeable trace of envy and fighting spirit flashed through her eyes. "I also just broke through to Level 24 a few days ago. But you seem... different." She wrinkled her little nose and carefully sensed Xiao Cheng's aura. "I can't explain it. It just feels... more solid, like refined steel that's been hammered again and again."

Xiao Cheng smiled but did not explain the Martial Dao Blood Exchange. He simply changed the subject. "By the way, Sister Yaozhu, I'm going to the Spirit Ascension Platform next month. My strength has improved greatly this time. I still can't possibly defeat that Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger, but I should be able to contend with it for a while and test its strength. Do you want to come with me?"

"Go! Of course I'm going!" Leng Yaozhu clenched her little fist, a fierce glint flashing through her eyes. "Before, we ran whenever we saw it. I want to see just how strong it really is."

Xiao Cheng smiled and nodded. "All right, it's a deal."

Leng Yaozhu nodded as well, then seemed to remember something. Her tone became slightly mysterious. "By the way, Xiao Cheng, I heard some news. My father said that Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger seems to be an Unyielding Soul Spirit recorded by the Spirit Pagoda. Soul Spirits like that are transformed from real soul beasts. And although that Dark Demon Scorpion Tiger has a terrible temper, it normally doesn't leave its territory. It probably didn't target us by accident."

Xiao Cheng's heart stirred. "An Unyielding Soul Spirit? Why did it target us?"

"I don't know." Leng Yaozhu shook her head. "Maybe it thinks we're easy to bully? Or maybe it just doesn't like the sight of us? Anyway, those Unyielding Soul Spirits all have wills of their own. Who knows what they're thinking? But my father said that Soul Spirits like that have never been absorbed by anyone, so they usually retain quite substantial origin power. If we defeat it, it might drop something good!"

Xiao Cheng: "..."

This girl's priorities were always so refreshingly unconventional. Still, an Unyielding Soul Spirit... something good... could it be... a Soul Bone? Xiao Cheng stroked his chin, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

Over the following days, Xiao Cheng consolidated his newly broken-through cultivation while beginning to familiarize himself with his second soul skill.