Nine Revolutions Heavenly Wind Sword Art Refines the Sword Dao, Burning Tail Rides the Clouds into the Dragon Gate

Fu Xiangfeng watched from the first floor as the young man ran down from upstairs. "Third Brother, why are you here? Returning books, or do you have some cultivation questions?"

"I'll return the books later. I plan to borrow another sword scripture."

The two walked into the library and sat down, one as host, the other as guest.

Heng Hua picked up the cold tea on the table and poured him a cup.

"A sword scripture, the Wind Riding Sword Art? I happen to have a copy prepared in advance—"

"So bitter!"

Heng Hua's words were interrupted by Xiang Feng, who stuck out his tongue and pointed at the tea on the table.

"What's going on? This tea today—cough, cough—why did you put in Five-Flavor Lotus and Bitter God Grass?"

Bitter God Grass, as the name suggests, is an extremely bitter medicinal herb. Adding it to tea doubles the bitterness.

"Good medicine tastes bitter. I've been having a hot temper lately, so I'm drinking some bitter tea to cool down." As he spoke, Heng Hua drank another cup.

The cool, bitter tea entered his mouth, suppressing the negative emotions brought on by the Mind Monkey.

"Hot temper?" Xiang Feng pondered, "Oh right, you seem to have gone to the Dragon Transformation Pool again. What, did Grandfather trouble you again with the dragon transformation opportunity?"

"Ten times, and none were successful."

"Then it's impossible to succeed, after all—"

"After all what?"

Heng Hua asked casually, but suddenly noticed the change in Xiang Feng's expression and sensed something was wrong.

"Is there a problem with the Dragon Transformation Pool?"

Xiang Feng's eyes darted around. "N-nothing. I just think that there haven't been many successful cases over the years, so you shouldn't waste your effort."

He had been accompanying Fu Danwei these past few days and naturally knew how Fu Danwei had been tormenting Heng Hua in the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Heng Hua stared straight at Xiang Feng. "Third Brother, you're not someone who lies. That Dragon Transformation Pool, did the old man tamper with it?"

Fu Xiangfeng was an honest gentleman. Seeing that he couldn't hide it, he frankly confessed Fu Danwei's targeting of Fu Henghua in the Dragon Transformation Pool.

"Is my dragon transformation trial different from everyone else's?"

"According to the old man, it seems he's taking the opportunity to increase the difficulty, so you can gain more experience fighting water creatures."

Fine!

An evil fire surged in Heng Hua's heart.

I'm honestly undergoing the trial, not resorting to crooked schemes or unorthodox methods. And you, old man, started first?

Heng Hua had repeatedly failed at the Dragon Gate. He had once considered: I'm good at deducing cultivation techniques. Why not re-calculate a suitable Dragon Transformation Secret Method in the Dragon Transformation Pool to gain an advantage and enter the Dragon Gate?

But Heng Hua felt that would be too much of a bully. Think about it, other trial-takers, including his father, defeated water creatures according to the Grand Profound Brocade Dragon Art and entered the Dragon Gate to obtain the True Dragon Qi.

How embarrassing would it be to cheat using a higher-level dragon transformation method?

But since Grandfather made the first move, he shouldn't blame me for making the second.

Seeing his expression shift between anger and uncertainty, Xiang Feng quickly said, "Don't think the old man is shortchanging your merit points. According to him, the merit points you spent on the trial were used by him for other purposes. They were meant to prepare for your cultivation."

His eyebrows twitched slightly, and Heng Hua smiled knowingly. "I'm afraid the old man helped me exchange them for cultivation supplies, intending to leave them as an inheritance for me after he dies."

Fu Danwei had invited the Grand Elder years ago to divide his posthumous estate. Fu Henghua's share was larger than that of his other siblings.

Heng Hua was well aware of this.

Thinking about it now, besides his father's grace, it was likely the old man had converted the wasted merit points into cultivation supplies, keeping them for him.

With that thought, Heng Hua mused: So, I've been using the Dragon Gate all along, and the old man was secretly going easy on me, not consuming any merit points at all?

However, Fu Danwei's painstaking efforts made Heng Hua even more eager.

He had to help and encourage the old man as soon as possible, lest he fall into despair.

"Third Brother, you're leaving the island in a few days, right?"

"Yes, I'm looking for another sword technique today. After studying it for a few days, I'll bid farewell to the family and go to Fengmen Island to stand guard."

"I'll go with you when you leave the island then."

"You? You're going out?"

"A friend invited me to go out and about. But I haven't left the island in ten years, so I'll need Third Brother to look after me on the way."

"No problem, no problem."

Fu Xiangfeng couldn't be happier that Heng Hua was going out for some fresh air.

But then he thought again, and became confused.

"A friend? Where did you get a friend, kid?"

Counting back from ten years of staying home, in the past thirty years, had he even gone out a handful of times?

"A pen pal, we exchange letters."

Is that so?

Fu Xiangfeng muttered to himself.

But his younger brother having friends was a joyous occasion worthy of celebration!

"I'll start preparing immediately after I get back. I'll also tell Mother to prepare the items you'll need to leave the island."

"No need to trouble you, Second Aunt," Heng Hua quickly stopped Xiang Feng, coaxing him into calming down.

His plan to leave the island was to bring Fu Heyi along, trick Fu Xiangfeng into being his bodyguard, and go to Buried Turtle Reef to complete his Foundation Establishment and deduce cultivation methods for his grandfather.

If his second aunt were alerted, his grandfather would know too, and Fu Heyi's matter wouldn't be kept secret.

Heng Hua thought: First, I'll trick Third Brother into leaving, and I'll explain on the way.

After stopping Xiang Feng, Heng Hua chose a sword art for him.

"This is the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Wind Sword Art. Hmm... it's a repaired, advanced incomplete sword art. It emphasizes refining sword qi through nine revolutions to manifest the form of heavenly wind. It's more than enough for you while cultivating in the True Fire Realm, Third Brother."

Fu Xiangfeng took the sword art and flipped through it carefully.

Besides a set of sword techniques and three spiritual art moves, it also contained a peculiar method of circulating qi called "Nine Revolutions Sword Chant".

"Based on my deductions, this was originally an Earth-grade sword scripture. Later, the scripture was damaged and obtained by the East Sea Sword Sect. They tried to repair it themselves but lost the most essential part, the 'Nine Revolutions Sword Chant Method'. After I got it, I dismantled the East Sea Sword Sect's sword art concepts and attempted to repair it. But unfortunately..."

Heng Hua shook his head.

Those people from the East Sea Sword Sect messed it up. It was clearly a sword scripture that interpreted the divine winds of the nine heavens through the way of the sword, but they turned it into a method of harmonizing wind and water, using strong winds to drive ocean currents.

Heng Hua spent several months just to restore a small part of its original form.

However, because of this, he understood the East Sea Sword Sect's sword cultivation philosophy like the back of his hand. He knew that the Wei Family's cultivation method and the East Sea Sword Sect's philosophy were polar opposites, which allowed him to trick the Wei Family's sword cultivation genius.

After explaining how to cultivate to Fu Xiangfeng, Fu Xiangfeng took his leave, and Heng Hua went straight to the study on the third floor. He took out a carved wooden dragon from a wooden box.

The dragon had all its acupoints and meridians depicted, revealing a peculiar Dragon Transformation Secret Method. He had analyzed and refined it based on the Grand Profound Brocade Dragon Art.

The reason he chose Koi in the Dragon Transformation Pool was that he had discovered the mysteries of the Grand Profound Brocade Dragon Art. The aquatic creature that created this Dragon Transformation Method should have been from the Koi lineage. Therefore, using the form of a Koi to cultivate the Dragon Transformation Method would grant an advantage over other fish.

Standing on the shoulders of giants, Heng Hua not only completed the deduction of the Grand Profound Brocade Dragon Art, a Profound-grade cultivation method, but also rectified several flaws within it.

"I used to think it was unethical to cheat using a high-level Dragon Transformation Art instead of following the rules of the Dragon Transformation Pool... But since Grandfather is deliberately obstructing me and trying to contend with me, I'll show him how I'll leap over the Dragon Gate."

After re-examining it, Heng Hua returned to the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Fu Danwei activated the difficult mode again upon seeing him return.

But this time, Fu Henghua's skill level was completely different.

The small fry, in its early stages of growth, quickly devoured the surrounding fry. It even defeated the young turtles and water snakes.

"How is this possible? It's impossible to defeat these two types of aquatic creatures at the fry stage. Wait, how is this Koi's dragon qi so pure?"

While Fu Danwei was astonished, the Koi had already consumed hundreds of aquatic creatures. Before the other aquatic creatures could grow, it successfully transformed into a Dragon Fish.

Without any evasion, the Dragon Fish charged forward, continuing to devour aquatic creatures to grow into a Fish Dragon, and then entered the Dragon Gate as a Flood Dragon.

The Dragon Gate was a damaged spiritual artifact that Fu Danwei had obtained in his youth. It was said to have been left behind by a great Demon cultivator who practiced immortal methods. Fu Danwei had slightly modified it to suppress the Dragon Transformation Pool.

In his previous trials, Heng Hua rarely entered the Dragon Gate. This time, entering with a new Dragon Transformation Method, he felt the Grand Xuan Brocade Dragon Qi within him resonating with the Dragon Gate.

There was an inheritance within the Dragon Gate!

RUMBLE--

Vast golden waves surged out from the Dragon Gate. Heng Hua's Flood Dragon consciousness was blocked by the Dragon Gate, and he could only struggle against it like a Koi swimming upstream.

After an unknown amount of time, this attempt to leap the Dragon Gate still failed.

But Heng Hua summarized his improved Dragon Transformation Method. He immediately started a new round of trials, transforming into a dragon again as a Koi.

Fu Danwei suppressed his stray thoughts and focused on observing the Koi's cultivation in the pool.

"Strange. Why does this kid's Koi Dragon Transformation Method differ from what the Dragon Gate teaches?"

It progressed faster than the Dragon Transformation of other aquatic creatures in the pool. While those turtles and water snakes were transforming into dragon species, Heng Hua's Koi had already molted into a Fish Dragon.

It wreaked havoc in the water, devouring the surrounding aquatic creatures before charging into the Dragon Gate again.

This time, Heng Hua focused on sensing the Dragon Gate with the dragon qi refined by his improved Dragon Art.

Finally, amidst layers of surging waves, he saw a colorful swimming route.

Inspired, Heng Hua followed that swimming route upstream. Although the giant waves surging from the Dragon Gate grew stronger, within that route, Heng Hua felt a peculiar dragon qi protecting him, guiding him towards the Dragon Gate.

"This must be a successful Dragon Transformation route. Was it left by the Dragon Gate's master? No, it's the route he used to successfully transform into a dragon in the past."

With a thought, Heng Hua leaped forward, his Flood Dragon body plunging into the Dragon Gate. Heavenly Thunder descended along with Divine Fire, igniting the Flood Dragon's tail.

Heng Hua endured immense pain, forcing himself through the agony of his burning tail as he entered the Dragon Gate.

Golden clouds spread out, shedding the Flood Dragon form and transforming into the aura of a True Dragon.

Seeing a burnt tail fall out of the Dragon Gate, Fu Danwei's expression changed.

"Did this kid really get in?"

Leaping the Dragon Gate, being struck by lightning and burning its tail during transformation, signifies becoming a True Dragon.

The burning tail is the final step in shedding the fish form and becoming a dragon species.

Seeing his grandson enter the Dragon Gate, Fu Danwei could no longer sit still and personally rushed to the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Heng Hua was seen sitting on a lotus leaf, cross-legged in meditation, his eyes tightly shut. A golden Dragon Gate appeared above his head, and within its hazy form, colorful Brocade Dragons weaved through misty auspicious clouds.

Brocade Dragons, one of the dragon species. However, they were not true Heavenly Dragons that swallowed clouds and soared through the nine heavens, but merely a wild, collateral branch of the dragon race.

Because they possessed Dragon Pearls, they were considered legitimate dragons. Yet, according to the dragon species' ranking, they were among the lowest twenty-eight types of wild dragons.

But for this Dragon Transformation Pool, becoming a Brocade Dragon at this moment meant completing the dragon transformation opportunity.

"Could this kid, like his father, be about to obtain that opportunity?"

In hundreds of years, very few Fu Family members had truly completed the dragon transformation opportunity. According to Fu Henghua's father back then, the Dragon Gate contained the inheritance of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Addendum:

The Dragon Rearing Scripture states: The dragon race has methods of evolution; lower-tier dragons can advance to higher tiers and possess the potential of a Dragon King.

It also states: Dragons in the world are divided into two tiers: upper and lower. Heavenly dragon species like the Azure Dragon, White Dragon, and Red Dragon are upper-tier, comprising twelve types, also known as the Twelve Heavenly Dragon Divisions. Those transformed from fish and snakes, formed from shrimp and crabs, or evolved from vipers and flood dragons are all lower-tier, comprising twenty-eight types.