Origin Fusion (10k)
After dawn, the dragons summoned by Elder Zhimeng gradually arrived at the Land of Ancestral Spirits.
With the addition of those who came to join the fun, dozens of enormous creatures of various shapes and sizes gathered in total. Their huge figures intertwined and circled in the sky, and the wind generated by the flapping of their dragon wings gathered into a deep hum.
The Land of Ancestral Spirits is hidden deep within an ancient basin surrounded by mountains. The basin's edge is a sheer cliff, its surface bearing deep marks of time. Judging from the degree of weathering on the cliff face, it must be a magnificent project with a history of tens of thousands of years.
Stepping into the basin, one finds not soft soil beneath one's feet, but a solid bed of rock, inlaid with colorful crystals of varying sizes, which refract sunlight into tiny fragments of light, like scattered Stars across the earth.
The basin wasn't particularly large to begin with, but the number of dragons gathering there kept increasing. Soon, the edges of the basin...
The rock bed and even the air were crowded with enormous figures, almost completely surrounding the area. The air was filled with the unique aura of Dragon Race, a mixture of various scents and powerful Magic Power.
"Dragons—do they all enjoy watching a spectacle?" Su Ming asked Zijin beside him, gazing at the dozens of giant dragons still circling in the sky, searching for a foothold.
"No." The scholar glanced at the sky, her tone flat. "On a sunny day like today, people would normally prefer to find a comfortable place to sleep. Ancestral spirit rituals are nothing new to them."
"Then what are they doing—" Su Ming raised his finger and pointed to the sky, where more giant dragons were flapping their wings and flying in.
But Zijin did not answer him. A lithe blue dragon, with a graceful form, let out a loud roar at Zijin in mid-air.
Zijin's eyes narrowed, and she immediately took to the air to meet her opponent.
A Black Dragon landed beside Su Ming —it was Mo Yuan, the Black Dragon elder he had met at yesterday's meeting. Su Ming paid special attention this time and found that the Black Dragon's scales were indeed different from others. A deep and restrained luster flowed across its surface, making it exceptionally bright, like a finely polished obsidian.
"Dragons are quite curious, aren't they?" Mo Yuan's deep voice answered Su Ming's question. "They came specifically because they heard that Zijin had been awarded the title of 'Honorary Grand Elder'."
"----The Honorary Elder has come to watch?" Su Ming was still somewhat puzzled. Just for this?
Before Mo Yuan could explain in detail, the Zijin in the sky had already given her answer through her actions. The Blue Dragon and she rapidly approached, and without hesitation, she summoned the Divine Favor Staff, her body surging with Magic Power, and with a wave of her hand, she scattered a vibrant green light.
In an instant, countless sharp wind blades condensed around her, emitting a sharp whistling sound. Like a swarm of bees controlled by an invisible hand, they swept towards the Blue Dragon through the gaps in the airflow!
"Wind Wing Wild Dance!"
This relentless, all-pervasive whirlwind of wind blades severely disrupted the Blue Dragon's flight! Seeing the staff in Zijin's hand glow even brighter, clearly preparing for another attack, he decisively chose to defend. With a dragon roar, azure Magic Power surged forth, instantly condensing and freezing around his massive body, forming a huge, semi-transparent coffin phantom composed of flowing ice runes, firmly protecting him within.
"The Edict Ice Coffin!"
The whistling wind blades crashed into the illusory ice coffin, like rain pattering on banana leaves, but were all neutralized by the ice barrier imbued with the power of laws.
"Wow!" Su Ming couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. To be able to unleash such a defensive spell involving the rules, this challenger's strength was clearly extraordinary!
Zijin, however, showed no intention of testing or holding back. She rippled with emotion, "Natural Rhythm!"
Without any suspense, as the transparent, rhythmic domain suddenly unfolded and enveloped the surroundings, the solid ice coffin phantom around the Blue Dragon shattered instantly, disintegrating inch by inch, as if struck by an invisible heavy blow!
While suppressing the dragon's domain, Zijin's figure approached like a purple lightning bolt. Taking advantage of the moment when the Blue Dragon's defense was broken and its body was unstable, her fair hand, wrapped in grayish Magic Power light, precisely pressed down on the dragon's broad back.
"Touch of Weakness!"
A strong sense of powerlessness instantly swept over the Blue Dragon's entire body. Immediately afterwards, Zijin's movements were so fast that they were dazzling. She used her Mage Hand to grab the base of the Blue Dragon's huge membranous wing and twisted it at an extremely skilled angle. With a soft "click," the two hard bony protrusions at the base of the wing were cleverly jammed together!
She was well-prepared, deftly pulling out a strong rope from her waist and quickly wrapping it around the most difficult joint in her wing root bone. In a few swift movements, a sturdy knot was formed!
It was her signature technique that once dominated Dragon Valley — the Wing Cross-Joint Binding Technique!
The Blue Dragon was completely dumbfounded. Its wings were locked, and its massive body lost all posture, plummeting straight down from the sky like a heavy meteorite. On the ground, a burly golden Gold Dragon reacted quickly. It swung its forepaws, and a thick, earthy-yellow light flashed, creating Cushioning Force Field that caught the falling Blue Dragon steadily, only stirring up a large cloud of golden magical dust.
"Still as mischievous as when she was a kid." Mo Yuan watched this scene with a nostalgic sigh. "Her technique for locking dragon wings is fast and tricky. Back then, few of the dragon cubs who were several years older than her could beat her."
Before Mo Yuan could finish speaking, an even larger dragon with fiery red scales, accompanied by scorching air currents, pushed through the other dragons and roared as it charged towards Zijin. She was clearly extremely dissatisfied with the Blue Dragon's "shameful" performance and had issued a challenge to Zijin.
However, only about twenty seconds later----
Another muffled thud, accompanied by a cloud of golden dust rising into the sky—a massive Red Dragon, its wings tightly bound by the same technique, roared in resentment as it crashed from mid-air, only to be caught once again by the Gold Dragon Elder's cushioning spell.
All around, deafening laughter, flapping wings, and unintelligible dragon roars erupted from the surrounding dragons, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.
"Don't worry about it too much." Mo Yuan turned to Su Ming, who was staring blankly, his massive dragon head swaying slightly. His deep voice carried a nonchalant air of nonchalance. "It's in the nature of Dragon Race. They greet each other with their claws," he said. "To observe or assess the other party is their way of expressing curiosity and approval."
****
A Green Dragon, its body surging with howling wind Magic Power, soared into the sky as if carrying a storm, issuing an invitation to battle.
This time, Zijin did not accept the challenge. She lazily pointed to the other side, towards a Green Dragon watching from a distance, "This time it's my turn to challenge—let him come."
The Green Dragon that was called out was noticeably smaller, and its scales had a raw, unripe sheen, clearly indicating it was only recently reached adulthood. Even it was stunned, its massive head filled with confusion, "Me? A Belladonna?"
"Yes!" Zijin answered readily. Then, she subtly twirled her fair finger, pointing precisely at Su Ming, who was watching with great interest below. "He will fight in my place; I'll take a break."
"Is he your mate?" a dragon asked, puzzled. Not just anyone is qualified to be a Dragon Race's substitute.
"He can be my knight," Zijin explained calmly.
"Knight? What does that mean?" Su Ming asked Mo Yuan, puzzled.
"Well," the Black Dragon Elder's deep voice rang out, "It's an ancient oath forged between warriors of both dragons and humans a thousand years ago when they joined forces against the Feather Race. It's been so many years since anyone mentioned it. But given your relationship, calling it a knightly oath isn't really anything special."
Because the title "knight" was so ancient, the dragons whispered among themselves for a while before finally reaching a consensus. Then, they all turned their huge heads, their gazes focusing on Su Ming on the ground.
"----So this means I have to go up and fight?" Su Ming sighed helplessly, Gossamer Wings of Darkness behind him instantly unfolded.
"That's right!" Mo Yuan's loud voice carried encouragement, but more so a sense of schadenfreude. "Keep it up!"
Su Ming flew to the central battlefield. The young Green Dragon also flapped its wings and flew over with a hint of nervousness. The other dragons tacitly stepped back, making room for the duel.
Looking at the wind magic Magic Power swirling around the Green Dragon before him, which, though somewhat thin, was still immense in quantity, Su Ming felt a slight unease, sensing a potential problem.
"Why do you fight the Blue Dragon and Red Dragon in the air yourself, but make me fight the Green Dragon in the air?" He couldn't help but complain in the direction of Zijin.
"It's alright, you should practice more too." Zijin's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
Su Ming keenly noticed a thin layer of sweat on Zijin's smooth forehead. He was puzzled. She had only been fighting two giant dragons of significantly different strength, and the battle hadn't lasted long. Why did she, a Saint Rank cultivator, appear so fatigued?
The young Green Dragon, the opponent, nodded slightly to Su Ming in a simple salute. Su Ming returned the salute solemnly. The battle officially began!
As the surrounding air currents surged violently, wind magic rapidly gathered, and the Green Dragon's massive body suddenly accelerated, carrying a gale-force wind, and crushed down like an overturning force!
Su Ming instantly calmed his mind and raised his hand to release an "Elemental Fade" spell, attempting to dispel the magical aura around the Green Dragon that was used for flight and acceleration. However, his spell's light only rippled slightly before disappearing silently into the air, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, as if it had never existed!
His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately dodged to the side, simultaneously conjuring up a Magic Power shield with all his might. Almost the instant the shield was formed, the Green Dragon, accompanied by wind pressure, crashed into the shield with a deafening roar, creating violent energy ripples!
[Hehe!] Zijin's chuckled voice echoed in Su Ming's mind, [Your previous spells were all designed for humans; they're no match for dragons!]
Su Ming instantly understood. The dragon's size far exceeded that of a human. [Do I need to significantly increase the amount of Magic Power power I'm using?]
"Of course!" Zijin said. "If you were cooking a rabbit and stewing a horse, would you put in the same amount of salt?"
Su Ming sighed silently, and a string of dark runes instantly appeared around him. They spun and combined rapidly, forming a superimposed three-dimensional magic array. Immediately afterwards, an "Elemental Fade" effect, dozens of times larger, was released again, and its powerful dispelling force precisely acted on the Green Dragon.
This time it finally worked! The aura of flight magic on the Green Dragon and the layer of cyan wind shield disappeared abruptly as if they had been wiped away.
Suddenly deprived of magical support, the Green Dragon immediately lost its balance, swaying violently in the air and plummeting.
The young Green Dragon frantically flapped its wings in terror, stirring up chaotic air currents, trying desperately to break free from its stalled state.
However, Su Ming's single strike consumed dozens of times more mana than when he fought humans!
No wonder Zijin was sweating just now! And when she said she wanted to rest, she probably really needed to catch her breath!
Although Su Ming's Magic Power power was far more solid than his opponent's, the sheer quantity was still a factor that could not be ignored! If they continued to fight head-on like this, his Magic Power reserves might not be able to withstand the onslaught of this behemoth before him.
However, the image of Zijin's swift and decisive battle flashed through his mind, and he instantly understood her intention.
In battle, Zijin never chose to confront the opponent's immense power head-on. Instead, she relied on her superior magical level and skills to avoid direct conflict and strike at the opponent's weak points to achieve victory!
Zijin was using this opportunity to teach him how to fight against a powerful enemy whose strength far exceeds his own! Su Ming suddenly understood.
****
The Green Dragon finally managed to steady itself, and with a hint of annoyance, it turned its head towards the direction Su Ming was dodging and spat out a series of dense cyan wind blades!
Without hesitation, Su Ming's figure blurred suddenly, and with a Shadow Jump, he instantly appeared on the broad back of the Green Dragon.
But before he could even stand firmly on his feet, the Green Dragon's massive body shuddered violently, and its Magic Power surged wildly! In an instant, countless sharp wind blades materialized out of thin air, like a ring of storm, circling the dragon's body and cutting and flying at high speed!
Zijin's mischievous laughter rang out again, "[This move is called " Storm Protection," and things like jumping back are obsolete now!]"
The dragon race has undergone countless generations of targeted training in the classic "jump-over" tactic used by human warriors. Any qualified Dragon Race warrior possesses a deep-seated muscle memory and instinct for this tactic.
Su Ming gritted his teeth and withstood several wind blades, his shield flashing violently. Taking advantage of the fact that the Green Dragon's shield had not yet recovered, he released a "Disrupt Perception" attack towards the dragon's head, and then, using the impact of a wind blade, his body floated off the dragon's back like a falling leaf.
While maintaining its flight path, the Green Dragon swiftly twisted its long neck, rapidly gathering azure light in its mouth. Once the energy was fully charged, it unleashed a terrifying Green Dragon breath at Su Ming high in the sky!
A thick, pure torrent of cyan Magic Power erupted forth, tearing through the air and rushing straight towards Su Ming!
However, at that moment, a low gasp of surprise erupted from the surrounding dragons. The Green Dragon, who was turning its head to breathe fire, suddenly froze, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall. To its horror, it found itself plunging headfirst into a thick, viscous, earth-yellow buffer magic field!
Boom--!!!
The ground trembled violently, and once again, a cloud of yellow magical dust erupted. It turned out that Su Ming's disruption spell had distorted the Green Dragon's perception of gravity—it thought it was flying forward, but in reality, its body was plummeting straight down!
But then he turned and attacked Su Ming, resulting in a humiliating headfirst crash to the ground.
Just as Su Ming was about to dodge the oncoming breath, he received an anxious message from Zijin: [Stay where you are!]
Just open your shield, no need to dodge!
[?! Is that alright?] Although Su Ming was full of doubts, he still did as he was told. He poured his Magic Power into the shield, and a deep shadow barrier condensed in front of him.
Boom-!!!
The torrent of azure Magic Power slammed into the shadow shield, unleashing a blindingly bright azure-black light! A violent energy shockwave spread outwards. Su Ming felt as if he had been struck head-on by a battering ram; his entire body flew backwards at high speed like a kite with a broken string, or a stone thrown by a tremendous force, tracing a long arc as he crashed into the dense forest on the outskirts of the basin!
Snap! Splash!
A violent impact, accompanied by the crisp sound of large branches and leaves snapping, shook the forest, sending up a green wave.
Zijin covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly, and she giggled.
It took Su Ming a while to recover from the dizziness of the impact. He struggled to get up from a pile of broken branches and fallen leaves, covered in dust and dirt, his clothes torn in several places.
"[Violet--!]" he roared.
"Sorry," Zijin replied with a smile. "We won so decisively back and forth, it wouldn't be good to appear too forceful. So, you'll have to take the hit a little, so the little guys can save face."
"[----You asked me to go up and substitute for you just for this purpose!]" Su Ming said angrily.
[Yes, yes!] Zijin laughed even more happily, her silvery laughter echoing in the air.
She gracefully flew back to the center of the field, clapped her hands, and her clear voice echoed throughout the arena, "Hey, anyone else want to go up? Let's continue!"
****
Su Ming found a clear stream nearby and carefully washed off the mud and broken branches that had gotten on his body.
When he returned to the Land of Ancestral Spirits, the challenge event had already ended, and the dragons were leaving one after another, leaving the once bustling basin much quieter.
However, Misaila, whom I had seen yesterday, appeared. She was with the young dragon Zisu and was talking quietly with Zijin.
Judging from the situation, Misaila seemed to be apologizing for what happened yesterday. Little Zisu clung tightly to her mother's strong hind legs, blinking her bright, sparkling eyes and secretly observing this unfamiliar older sister with great curiosity.
Zijin's mood was noticeably calmer than yesterday. She spoke calmly with Misaila for a few words, and even hesitated for a moment before reaching out to gently pat Zisu's round head.
Su Ming did not approach or disturb them, but simply stood at a distance and watched.
Stacy walked over and, seeing the slightly awkward yet peaceful interaction between the mother and her two daughters, breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Su Ming and said, "Preparations are almost complete. Let's head to the central altar first."
"Okay." Su Ming nodded, then looked at Zijin with some concern, "Zijin has just been through several battles, she must be quite exhausted, right?"
"Don't worry," Stacy explained, "She's deliberately expending her own magical power. That way, it will be relatively easier for the other dragons to suppress her power during the bloodline fusion ritual later."
"I see," Su Ming said, understanding dawning on him.
Mo Yuan, who was standing beside them, slowly followed in their footsteps.
Following the winding path, the terrain sloped slightly downwards. Soon, they arrived at the core area of Land of Ancestral Spirits. A huge cluster of magical crystals, over ten meters tall, rose from the ground like frozen waves, piercing the sky. Su Ming examined it closely and discovered that it was formed by countless crystal pillars of varying thicknesses and angles intertwining, fusing, and growing together.
"This is actually a miniature natural Magic Power crystal vein," Mo Yuan explained to Su Ming. "Unfortunately, the vein's grade is low; most of it consists of fine crystal fragments, making it almost worthless for mining and refining."
Su Ming noticed this as he traveled. The entire Land of Ancestral Spirits was itself a huge excavated mineral deposit. Most of the crystal particles exposed in the cracks of the rocks were small and scattered, but the central cluster of crystal pillars was exceptionally large and conspicuous.
However, both the main crystal cluster and the scattered crystals around it contain extremely mixed elemental properties and have many internal impurities, making them practically unsuitable for mining.
However, the Dragon Race made use of the local resources to construct a vast system of magic arrays, slowly absorbing and purifying the natural Magic Power contained within them. This approach of adapting to local conditions can be considered very wise.
The massive altar was covered with intricate and mysterious runes. These patterns flowed down the edges of the altar like living veins, extending outwards along the terrain. Interspersed among them were numerous ancient and mysterious Dragon Race scripts, which continued to spread to the surrounding towering rock walls.
"These are runes specifically designed to regulate the primal power of one's bloodline," Stacy explained.
"Bloodline?" Su Ming was somewhat puzzled. "Is a situation like Zijin's common? Is it necessary to build such a large-scale magic array specifically for this?"
Using a natural Magic Power crystal vein, even if it's of inferior quality, comes at a price that is far from insignificant.
"The power of bloodlines can both merge and separate," Stacy said. "Didn't you see Zijin's dragon siblings yesterday? They were born from the union of Misaila and a Green Dragon." She guided Su Ming's thoughts, "Did you notice anything special about them?"
Su Ming thought for a moment, "Those two dragons looked—they seemed to be a pure Faerie Dragon and Green Dragon?"
"That's right! This is the result of intervening and purifying the bloodline during the gestation process using this bloodline array!" Stacy affirmed.
For any specific biological individual, cross-strain breeding is entirely detrimental.
The first and foremost problem is hybridization depression.
Through long-term natural selection, a population's genome has developed a highly coordinated and compatible "package" of genes.
For example, the Green Dragon's proud high maneuverability is inseparable from its relatively light weight, streamlined scales with minimal drag during high-speed flight, natural affinity for wind elements, and thin yet powerful wings; none of these characteristics can be omitted.
The reassuring, robust defense of the Gold Dragon must also match its most sturdy physique among all dragons, its cushioned scales like layered armor, its strong endurance, and its deep affinity with the earth element.
Hybridization brutally disrupts this harmony, making offspring highly likely to be defective in both aspects.
In addition, chromosome incompatibility can also lead to unbalanced and defective gametes, leaving various potential physiological problems.
Only close hybridization has a low probability of producing superior offspring.
In scientific hybridization breeding, this strategy can certainly be adopted: as long as one useful and excellent variety can be selected and cultivated, the other ninety-nine failed varieties can be discarded.
But the reproduction of intelligent life cannot be done this way! Not to mention, the next generation of hybrid offspring will face even more intractable problems of trait segregation, making the situation even more complicated.
"When the Dragon Race migrated here, a multi-species coexistence pattern emerged, and this problem suddenly became apparent." Stacy described the chaotic scene when the Dragon Race first settled here. "The combination of dragons of different species could produce hundreds of possible combinations, and these colorful, mixed-blood dragons then paired up with each other—"
Even they themselves couldn't explain how their descendants should be classified.
That must be an even more indescribable "beautiful" scene than the legendary ninety-seven genders!
Su Ming finally understood completely, "That's why the Dragon Race built this enormous magic array—to purify their bloodline during reproduction, ensuring that only the pure characteristics of one of their lineages are passed down."
"That's exactly right!"
****
Stacy led Su Ming to the core of the magic circle and cut straight to the point, "Alright, let's start taking off our clothes."
"Do I... want to take everything off?" Su Ming asked uncertainly.
"Of course!" Stacy nodded matter-of-factly. "During the bloodline fusion process, any clothing could act as an energy barrier, affecting the results."
Su Ming subconsciously looked up and around. In the basin of the Land of Ancestral Spirits, although many dragons had left, dozens of dragons still remained in various places.
"Relax, relax!" Stacy patted Su Ming's back vigorously. "There are dragons all around us, what's there to worry about? Besides, look at them, aren't they all naked?"
Su Ming recalled the similar experience of the unicorn Qiluo and couldn't help but sigh. He began to unbutton his shirt and take it off. He glanced at Stacy beside him, who was showing great interest, "But—you're human, aren't you?"
Su Ming still carried the dampness from washing in the stream. Stacy reached out and poked his bare arm muscles with her finger, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Hey, little brother, I didn't realize you had a bit of muscle on you!"
"When I have some free time, I practice some strength training," Su Ming explained.
"Why would a mage like you train strength?" Stacy couldn't understand. "Using strength to attack won't provide any additional boosts."
"Of course!" Su Ming retorted, but didn't elaborate. He tensed his arm slightly, a small bulge in his biceps, "Looks like my efforts weren't in vain."
Su Ming had a noticeable scar on his shoulder. Stacy examined it closely, immediately frowned, and cursed, "Which quack treated this wound?! To reset your fractured shoulder bone, they actually cut such a big gash!"
"Who else could it be? Zijin, of course." Su Ming shrugged helplessly.
"Oh, that's alright then!" Stacy immediately put on a relieved expression. "You should be grateful that you survived!"
Then, their gazes simultaneously fell on Su Ming's trousers.
"Hurry up, be more forthcoming, don't dawdle and waste time," Stacy urged. "Don't worry, as a doctor, touching a patient's body is perfectly normal."
Su Ming was helpless and was reaching to unbutton his pants when Zijin walked over gracefully.
She glanced at Su Ming and Stacy and instantly understood the situation.
"Su Ming," Zijin immediately interjected, "Stacy has a rather infamous nickname: the Naked Doctor." She mercilessly exposed her friend's secret, "Whenever a handsome guy who's even remotely attractive goes to her for a consultation, she always finds some plausible excuse to strip him completely naked."
Su Ming stared in disbelief at Stacy, his mouth agape. "You're lying to me?"
Stacy immediately tilted her head to one side, her eyes darting around, and even pretended to whistle off-key, "Oh dear, it's just a routine full-body checkup—it's all part of a doctor's compassion!"
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Su Ming angrily bent down to pick up his shirt from the ground and put it back on.
Zhimeng and the selected dragons stood around the altar, each choosing a suitable position on the outer perimeter.
"Then, let's start with the ' Elemental Resonance ' part!" Zijin said. She unbuttoned her coat and put it aside. Underneath, the girl wore a low-cut black short-sleeved shirt, revealing her beautifully shaped white collarbone and a few faint purple scales on her chest.
A subtle sense of regret inexplicably swept through Su Ming's heart.
With nothing to do, he casually sat down cross-legged, pulled a sharp knife from his waist, and began trimming his somewhat messy long hair.
Zijin lay down on the rune node in the center of the magic circle, placed her hands on her abdomen, and then slowly closed her eyes.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes again, arched her head slightly with her neck, and rolled her eyes upward to look at Su Ming, who was also looking at her from a distance not far above her head.
[You did this on purpose?!] Zijin reached out and pressed her hand against her collar.
"I had no idea you were going to lie down!" Su Ming explained helplessly.
Under Zijin's embarrassed and annoyed gaze, Su Ming had no choice but to get up regretfully, walk around to the side of the magic circle, sit down again, and continue his haircutting work.
Stacy was in charge of operating the magic circle. Clearly, this was not her first time operating this ancient magic circle, and she appeared extremely skilled.
She began to chant an ancient and lengthy prayer, and the dormant magic circle was gradually awakened. The runes on the ground lit up one after another, like flowing liquid rivers of light, spreading rapidly outwards along the engravings until they covered the entire huge basin.
Gradually, the rich Magic Power, like the awakening of the earth's veins, gathered and rose in wisps, becoming increasingly concentrated, and the air was filled with the hum of energy.
As the Magic Power gathered, the unrelated dragons in the basin flapped their wings and flew away, making way for the magic array to work.
Six dragons, each representing a different element, simultaneously unleashed their claws. They released gentle powers of varying attributes, suppressing the elemental power within Zijin's body.
The task of suppressing the dark element, which was originally expected to require the combined efforts of two Black Dragon, was now being undertaken by Elder Mo Yuan alone. Under his calm aura, the dark elemental power on Zijin's body quickly dissipated.
The second phase proceeded smoothly. Zhimeng also extended its Dragon Claw, and pale green Magic Power rippled out like a thin mist, gently covering Zijin's body, like the most tender comfort.
The Magic Power that had been emanating from the girl was gradually suppressed back into the depths of her body.
Then, Stacy began the most crucial step. She focused intently on communicating with the magic circle, and the runes in the core area began to glow, converging towards Zijin's fair chest as if they were alive. With repeated washing and cleansing, the scales on Zijin's chest faded and blurred in color and outline at a speed visible to the naked eye.
About fifteen minutes later, the rinsing was finally over. The purple color on Zijin's chest had disappeared, leaving only a smooth and delicate expanse of fair skin.
****
Su Ming had never tried trimming her hair with a razor before, and clumsily made a mess of her head, with strands of hair of varying lengths and unevenness.
He didn't realize it was his turn until Stacy called out to him.
The dragons have completed their suppression mission. Except for Elder Zhimeng, all the other dragons have retreated and vacated the core area.
Su Ming put down the knife, vigorously patted the stray hairs on his shoulders and head, and then stepped onto the altar.
"Um—where should I lie down?" he asked.
"No need to lie down," Zijin said, slowly sitting up and extending her hand to Su Ming. "Help me up."
Su Ming immediately gripped Zijin's forearm and helped her up. The girl felt a little unsteady and leaned against Su Ming, resting some of her weight on him.
Clearly, the bloodline fusion process just now also took a huge toll on Zijin.
Su Ming noticed that the Magic Power fluctuations on Zijin's body were weak and faint, indicating that she was still in a sealed state.
"How about we rest for a bit?" Stacy suggested, observing Zijin's condition.
Zijin shook her head, her voice weary yet resolute, "No need. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, the sooner I can rest."
"Alright then." Stacy stopped insisting and moved a rock over. Zijin stood on it, then closed her eyes, lowered her head slightly, and gently pressed her forehead against Su Ming's forehead.
"Is that all?" Su Ming couldn't help but ask, his warm breath brushing against Zijin's cheek.
"Mm!" Zijin responded briefly.
So close, their breaths could almost touch each other's faces, that they both immediately shut their mouths in unison.
But what Su Ming saw was Zijin's small, straight nose, her rosy lips so close to his, and he could even feel the faint touch of her long eyelashes as they trembled.
Who could withstand this!
Su Ming had no choice but to close his eyes as well, trying to calm himself down. However, he found that closing his eyes seemed to make things worse, and his senses became more focused on the delicate, warm touch outside the scales on his forehead.
[Hehehe, little brother~] Stacy sent a message with a smile, [Try to keep your emotions in check and calm down.]
[Don't you think this is...] Su Ming sighed helplessly in his heart, [Demanding a completely calm mind goes against biological instincts?]
[Well, I'll teach you a way—] Stacy said mischievously, [Imagine that what's in front of you isn't a beautiful woman, but a huge, majestic dragon?]
Su Ming gave it a try, [and the dragon... seems pretty good too?]
"How about this?" Stacy seemed genuinely considering it. "[I'll allow you to imagine that what's pressed against your forehead right now is me?]"
[----]
Stacy's quip relaxed Su Ming a bit, and his emotions gradually calmed down.
She turned her attention, somewhat puzzled, to Zijin, [But you, you really are quite unmoved by being patted on the back!]
"[The exertion just now has left my mind completely blank; I can't think of anything else.]" Zijin replied calmly. "[My only thought right now is to finish the ritual quickly and then go to sleep!]"
[No wonder you wanted to do the "Elemental Resonance" part first.] Stacy realized. [How cunning!]
[Thank you for the compliment!]
This time, Elder Zhimeng Weaver was in charge of the magic circle. Following the same procedure as Stacy had just performed, she chanted ancient incantations and reactivated the massive magic circle.
Then, Stacy stood behind Su Ming, closed her eyes, and focused her mind. Su Ming immediately felt a powerful spiritual force envelop him like an invisible cocoon.
As long as she doesn't have to fight herself, Stacy's mastery of Magic Power and mental power is quite remarkable!
"Hey, what are you doing?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.
"I need to suppress your mental realm," Stacy explained, "So that you can successfully receive the implantation of the ' Whispers of the Stars ' source."
Su Ming recalled Zijin, who had just been facing him, and how all her Magic Power was completely suppressed to undergo the fusion with the origin of "Elemental Resonance." It seemed that he and Zijin were treated the same way.
"I'm about to begin!" Stacy reminded her.
The next moment, the mental pressure from her suddenly increased! Su Ming immediately felt as if his head was being pierced by countless fine needles at the same time, with a sharp stinging sensation.
[Ouch----Why does it hurt so much!] Su Ming couldn't help but grit his teeth and cry out in pain in his mind.
[Isn't it normal for direct contact and collision of mental energy to cause pain?] Stacy responded matter-of-factly, while continuing to methodically increase the intensity of the mental suppression.
[No way—why does it never hurt this much when Zijin's spiritual power comes into contact with me!] Su Ming felt as if his spiritual power was being squeezed like a sponge, shrinking inch by inch under the opponent's powerful pressure, forced to contract inward.
"[This is the gentlest I can do!]" Stacy's tone carried a hint of innocence.
Then, Su Ming felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if his consciousness had been pushed away from the surface of his senses by a powerful force and sank into the deepest part of his body.
At the same time, several emerald green vines, like living snakes, had already silently spread over, gently and firmly wrapping around and securing the two people's bodies on the altar.
"Are you ready?" Elder Zhimeng's calm voice rang out.
"All set!" Stacy replied confidently.
The light from the magic circle shone brightly once more, gently enveloping the two people whose foreheads were touching on the altar.