It had to be said that all four options offered extremely generous rewards. None would be a losing choice, but for Qi Ling, the fourth was one he had to choose, all because of this Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art!
Although Qi Ling had practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill for six years, he had always felt that, miraculous as it was, it might not suit him!
That was because the Mysterious Heaven Skill was a cultivation technique specifically prepared for Tang Sect disciples, and what Tang Sect disciples excelled at was not frontal assault, but hidden weapons!
Qi Ling's personality meant that what he liked best was facing his enemies head-on to see who was stronger. This could be said to run directly counter to the guiding principles of the Mysterious Heaven Skill!
So Qi Ling had been searching for a cultivation technique that suited him! And now, this Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art was practically tailor-made for him!
Thus, Qi Ling chose the fourth option without hesitation.
[Ding-dong! Congratulations, host, on choosing option four: join Shrek Academy. System rewards obtained: Shrek Academy favorability +10%, divine-grade cultivation technique: Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art]
The others soon made their choices as well. After all, everyone who had come here had prepared themselves mentally, so naturally, no one would back down.
Seeing that no one chose to withdraw, Flender was quite pleased. "Very good. In a little while, each of you will hand over one hundred Gold Soul Coins to Teacher Li, and your enrollment will be complete! Mubai!"
"Here!" Dai Mubai stepped forward at the call. He seemed to hold Flender in great respect, even with a trace of admiration.
"Today's lessons will begin tonight. Take the others to rest first and get yourselves into good condition!" Flender said. "Ning Rongrong, Oscar, you two stay!"
As Ning Rongrong and Oscar were support-type Soul Masters, Flender had kept them behind because he had special training for them. This was also within Qi Ling's expectations.
After returning from the large training ground, Qi Ling did not rest like the others. Instead, he devoted himself to studying the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art. As a divine-grade cultivation technique, it was not something he could master through casual practice.
The foundation of all cultivation in the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art revolved around the word "nine"! Like the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art had nine levels, corresponding to the nine realms of Soul Masters.
With each rise in realm, the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art would thoroughly temper the host's body once, purging impurities and refining the body itself!
After completing nine rounds of tempering, the host could obtain a perfect "true dragon body," standing shoulder to shoulder with gods in a mortal body and yielding to no existence in the world in physical toughness.
Internally, with every level gained in the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art, a true dragon formed of True Qi would take shape within the body, circulating throughout it, constantly widening the meridians and increasing cultivation.
It could be said that, when it came to consolidating one's foundation and accelerating cultivation, no technique was more overbearing than the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art.
Naturally, such a miraculous technique was extraordinarily difficult to cultivate. It demanded exceptionally high innate talent, as well as utterly unwavering endurance.
Fortunately, Qi Ling already possessed both.
And so, that afternoon, Qi Ling officially began cultivating the first level of the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art. The first step was the first thorough tempering of his body.
This was an excruciatingly painful and immensely lengthy process. Qi Ling had to put his muscles, bones, meridians, and organs through a baptism and rebirth before he could complete this first physical tempering.
Even with Qi Ling's willpower, he passed out from the pain a full nineteen times. Only by enduring this hellish first tempering could he truly begin cultivating this technique.
From morning to night, Qi Ling spent a full ten hours before finally completing his first physical tempering.
When he awoke, his body was covered in black and bloody grime-the impurities that had been extracted from within him.
Yet at that moment, Qi Ling felt that his body was in better condition than ever before! His physical attributes had risen by more than a single realm; compared with a day ago, he was practically a different person.
"The Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art truly is incredibly miraculous!" Qi Ling said as he examined his perfect physique. "If I keep cultivating it, I should be able to become a god!"
Naturally, completing the first physical tempering was only the beginning. Now, Qi Ling could sense a vague presence moving through the meridians all over his body.
This was the embryonic form of the first true dragon. As Qi Ling cultivated this technique, the dragon's form would become increasingly distinct, and his mastery of the technique would advance along with it.
What Qi Ling needed to do was train this dragon at all times, allowing it to keep growing stronger. The more diligent he was, the more evident his progress would be.
After getting out of bed, Qi Ling looked at the grime covering him and could not help frowning. He hurried to the bathroom to wash himself off.
Once he had washed up, Qi Ling arrived at the academy's dining hall. It was mealtime, and all the academy's students were eating there.
"Ah! Brother Qi, you're here!" Seeing Qi Ling approach, Xiao Wu immediately threw herself onto him. "You haven't shown up all day. Where did you go?"
"Nothing much. I was just cultivating in my room. What about you? Have your injuries healed?" Qi Ling asked.
"They healed ages ago. My constitution is really good!" As Xiao Wu spoke, she suddenly studied Qi Ling's face closely. "Brother Qi, I haven't seen you for a day, and you seem to have gotten even more handsome!"
"Pfft!" Ma Hongjun, who had been eating, suddenly spat out a mouthful. "Xiao Wu, we know your Brother Qi is the most handsome, but could you stop being such a fangirl?"
"It's true! Brother Qi looks completely different from this morning! Look for yourselves if you don't believe me!" Xiao Wu declared earnestly.
The Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art tempered the body in every respect, so naturally, it would also slightly alter a person's appearance, developing it toward greater perfection.
This sort of change was difficult to notice without paying attention, yet Xiao Wu had spotted it at a glance. It could only be said that she was far too familiar with everything about Qi Ling; not even the slightest change escaped her eyes.
With Xiao Wu's prompting, everyone really did notice the changes in Qi Ling. Dai Mubai said thoughtfully, "I can't sense any of Qi Ling's other changes, but his bearing has become sharper. That's certainly true!"
"If I had to fight you again now, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have the courage to stand before you!"
Tang San, meanwhile, examined Qi Ling's body and said, "Big Brother's body seems to have changed too! It's like raw iron becoming refined iron after being tempered. How miraculous!"
Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, you've gotten even more handsome! Is there any room left for me to live? It's so unfair!"
As for Zhu Zhuqing, she merely said coldly, "Very strong."
"Stop! I didn't come here to be put on display. If you want to study the human body, go find a teacher!" Qi Ling said helplessly.
"Let's hurry up and finish eating, then gather at the large training ground. It's almost the time Headmaster Flender mentioned."