Dragon Transformation Fruit

"Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School?" Liu Qiaolian's expression turned complicated upon hearing this.

"What's wrong?" Xia Daoming asked.

"Actually, Liu Zhong and I often travel north and south as traveling merchants to earn money. Besides providing the supplements Liu Zhong needs for his martial arts training, a major goal is to save enough silver for him to apprentice at the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School," Liu Qiaolian replied, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a crystalline light in the firelight.

"I almost forgot, you two also practice the Dragon Serpent Art! But is the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School very expensive?" Xia Daoming was first greatly surprised, but he quickly recalled the moves and Blood Essence fluctuations when Liu Qiaolian made her move earlier, and he understood. He was just surprised by the school's fees.

"If it's just the Minor Martial Master realm, it's only a little over ten taels of silver a year. The biggest expense is buying the secret medicine the martial arts school uses for Qi Refining and Blood Essence.

But the tuition fee for advancing from a Fourth-Rank Minor Martial Master to a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master is extremely high because it involves the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram.

The Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagrams are secret arts that are not passed down. In martial arts sects, only inner disciples have the chance to observe and comprehend them. In martial arts families, generally only direct descendants have the opportunity to observe and comprehend them.

The martial arts school teaches externally to earn money, so outsiders can also observe and comprehend the school's Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagrams, but the cost is extremely expensive, and many martial arts schools also have numerous conditions.

For example, the age of a Fourth-Rank Martial Master cannot exceed twenty-five years old. Observing and comprehending requires additional payment based on time and frequency. Moreover, the martial arts school often requires a Pledge of Allegiance."

"Age cannot exceed twenty-five years old?" Xia Daoming couldn't help but frown upon hearing this.

He was twenty-four this year, and in a few months, he would be twenty-five. Wouldn't that mean he was just at the threshold?

"That's right. It's said that by the age of twenty-five, Blood Essence has already reached its peak. If one hasn't become a Fourth-Rank Martial Master by this age, it's generally very difficult to have hope of breaking through to become a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master," Liu Qiaolian explained.

She now understood that her master's strength was terrifying, but his knowledge was indeed limited.

"By the way, how much is the fee?" Xia Daoming asked.

"Five thousand taels! And for every hour of observation, an additional hundred taels of silver are required, or one must help the martial arts school complete a task," Liu Qiaolian replied.

"Five thousand taels!" Xia Daoming gasped at the number.

He had only managed to extort a little over five thousand taels of silver after ransacking the entire Blood Wolf Hall.

He had thought it was a huge sum, enough for him to settle in Li City, apprentice, and even cover his expenses for some time to come. To his surprise, it was only enough for the apprenticeship fee.

Fortunately, he had stumbled upon two windfalls along the way, obtaining over two thousand taels of silver. Otherwise, with his extravagant spending, he wouldn't even be able to afford the tuition fee by the time he reached Li City.

"Master, you don't need to worry. When Liu Zhong and I escaped from Liu Family Village, we brought some valuables. Over the years, we've also accumulated some wealth from our adventures traveling between north and south. When converted, gathering five thousand taels of silver won't be a problem," Liu Qiaolian said.

Listening to Liu Qiaolian's considerate and understanding words, Xia Daoming looked at her beautiful, fair face and voluptuous figure in the firelight. He recalled how she had busied herself serving him not long ago, while he acted like a master, expecting everything to be handed to him. He also remembered the formidable beauty Ji Wenyue in the desert, who always required him to arrange everything. His heart was filled with emotion.

"Youth doesn't know the value of a mature woman, mistaking young girls for treasures. Youth doesn't know the sweetness of living off others, mistaking youth for planting rice shoots! I, Xia Daoming, have lived two lives, and now I finally understand this profound and cautionary saying!"

As Xia Daoming was lost in thought, he suddenly saw Liu Qiaolian undoing her sash behind the firelight.

"Whoa, this... How am I supposed to react to this!" Xia Daoming was stunned.

Although in his past life, he wasn't a chaste man when it came to romantic matters. Sometimes, when he was alone at a bar or in business settings, he couldn't avoid playing along.

However, he was far from being so casual as to get intimate with a respectable woman upon their first meeting.

Moreover, in this life, he truly wasn't mentally prepared for the "sword and gunplay" of romantic affairs.

At the very least, Xia Daoming believed he needed to achieve success in his martial arts cultivation and establish himself in this world before he would consider matters of that nature.

"Lian'er..." Xia Daoming soon made a decision.

However, before Xia Daoming could utter the rest of his words, Liu Qiaolian pulled out a tattered, yellowed map from inside her undergarment, made of some unknown material.

"Ahem!" Xia Daoming choked on his saliva upon seeing this.

"Master, did you have something to tell this servant just now?" Liu Qiaolian quickly got up, walked behind Xia Daoming, and gently patted his back as she asked.

"Uh, no. I was just curious what personal item you were going to take out," Xia Daoming said.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiaolian handed the tattered map to Xia Daoming, a hint of sadness and reminiscence in her eyes.

"My father was once the village chief of Liu Family Village and the patriarch of the Liu clan. This map is said to have been passed down from our ancestors. It is said that the place marked on this map hides a Dragon Transformation Fruit."

"Dragon Transformation Fruit?" Xia Daoming looked confused.

"Snakes are small dragons, and flood dragons are half-dragons. Therefore, the first four layers of the Dragon Serpent Art are also called the Python Art, layers five to eight are called the Hidden Dragon Art, and layers nine to twelve are called the Dragon Transformation Art.

When the Python Art is cultivated to perfection, one can comprehend the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram and cultivate the Hidden Dragon Art, thus advancing to become a Hidden Dragon. A Hidden Dragon is not yet a true dragon; it hides in the abyss, concealed and not yet revealed, constantly accumulating and strengthening its dragon nature and dragon power.

Only when the Hidden Dragon Art is cultivated to perfection can one transform into a true dragon, capable of being large or small, visible or hidden, with infinite transformations. At that point, it is the Dragon Transformation realm of our cultivation method, which is also the Grandmaster realm.

Grandmasters can inscribe and paint Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagrams that contain the method for cultivating Hidden Strength for their disciples to observe and comprehend. However, Grandmasters cannot inscribe and paint the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagrams of the Transforming Strength realm. Only Great Grandmasters can inscribe and paint them."

Xia Daoming's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he blurted out, "Does the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School have the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram for the Dragon Transformation realm?"

"Legend has it that dragons are one of the most powerful divine beasts, possessing immense divine abilities and infinite transformations. For a martial artist to perform the dragon-snake transformation, once a true dragon is manifested, its power is far greater than that of other cultivation methods, though the difficulty is also much greater.

Therefore, the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram for the Transforming Strength realm of this cultivation method is not only unlikely to be found in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School, but perhaps not even in the entire Mangzhou Prefecture. As for the Great Liang Kingdom, my knowledge is limited, so I don't know," Liu Qiaolian said.

Xia Daoming's face turned grim and unsightly upon hearing this.

His goal was not merely to be a Great Martial Master, but a Great Grandmaster.

However, it now seemed that the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram for the Transforming Strength realm of this cultivation method was extremely difficult to find, and it was even uncertain if it existed in the Great Liang Kingdom.

"How do you know so much?" Xia Daoming's mood was gloomy, but he was also very curious about Liu Qiaolian's knowledge.

"One of my ancestors was a Grandmaster of the Transforming Strength realm!" Liu Qiaolian said, a hint of pride on her face, but her expression quickly turned somber again.

"Could it be that the Dragon Transformation Fruit can help one comprehend the Dragon Transformation realm?" Xia Daoming's heart stirred upon hearing this, and his gaze fell intensely on the tattered map.

It was a pity that the map was severely damaged. Xia Daoming could tell that it depicted the Vast Mountain Range, but the specific location within the Vast Mountain Range of the mountain marked on the map, with three peaks soaring straight into the sky and a waterfall and valley below, could no longer be determined.

"My lord is wise. This Dragon Transformation Fruit is said to have grown in a place soaked by dragon blood. After consuming it, one can intuitively comprehend the true dragon transformations of Blood Essence and strength without a teacher.

Legend has it that our ancestor was pursued by enemies into the Vast Mountain Range, got lost, and by sheer luck obtained a Dragon Transformation Fruit, eventually becoming a Martial Dao Grandmaster.

Before his death, he left behind a map and a Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram of Hidden Strength. Unfortunately, the Vast Mountain Range is incredibly dangerous. After our ancestor passed away, disciples from the family successively entered the Vast Mountain Range to search for the Dragon Transformation Fruit, but none ever returned.

Those were the most outstanding disciples of the family. Their loss led to the family's rapid decline. By my great-grandfather's generation, the divine rhyme in the Mysterious Divine Rhyme Diagram had completely vanished, and the Liu Family Village had not produced a Great Martial Master since.

As for this map, by the time it reached my father, it was already very tattered. Now, the Liu family has no male heirs, and I am already your servant, my lord. This map naturally belongs in your safekeeping.

However, the Vast Mountain Range is extremely perilous, and this map is severely damaged. It is very difficult to find the original location using this map alone. My lord, if you have not cultivated to the Eighth-Rank Great Martial Master realm, do not even think about entering the Vast Mountain Range," Liu Qiaolian said.

"Don't worry, I won't go down this path unless absolutely necessary," Xia Daoming nodded, then carefully put away the tattered map in his hand.

No matter what, this was a potential path for him to become a Grandmaster in the future, so he had to keep it safe.

Just as Xia Daoming finished putting away the tattered map, he saw Liu Qiaolian reach into her undergarments again.

"No way, could it be that I can't escape this fate?" Xia Daoming's mood was conflicted.

To his surprise, Liu Qiaolian pulled out a yellowed but intact piece of paper made of an unknown material.

"This is a medicinal recipe passed down from my ancestors, called the Earth Treasury Blood-Returning Pill. It is said to be a pill suitable for Grandmasters to consume. I don't know if it's true or not, but please keep it safe as well, my lord," Liu Qiaolian handed the medicinal recipe to Xia Daoming.

Xia Daoming took the medicinal recipe and glanced over it. Most of the listed ingredients were unfamiliar to him, but there was one he recognized: at least a hundred-year-old Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng.

"It requires Dragon-Patterned Purple Blood Ginseng. It seems the claims about the Earth Treasury Blood-Returning Pill are very likely true!" Xia Daoming felt a surge of joy and carefully put away the medicinal recipe.

As Xia Daoming put away the medicinal recipe, Liu Qiaolian readjusted her clothes, which inexplicably brought a hint of melancholy to Xia Daoming's heart.

That night, the master and servant stayed at the Taoist temple.

Liu Qiaolian had experienced great upheaval and was physically and mentally exhausted. Now, without any other concerns, she only wished to follow Xia Daoming to repay his kindness and live out the rest of her life. Thus, she fell asleep soundly.

Xia Daoming, on the other hand, tossed and turned for a long time. He thought about the tattered map and the medicinal recipe, then about going to Li City to seek apprenticeship, and sometimes he would think of the beautiful maid lying not far from him.

After a long while, Xia Daoming finally drifted off to sleep in a daze.

The next day, as soon as Xia Daoming woke up, he noticed Liu Qiaolian's busy figure.

Not only had she prepared washing water for him in advance, but as soon as she saw him awake, she immediately brought it to him. She had also prepared breakfast.

After a simple breakfast, they each shouldered a bag and left the Taoist temple.