Long Chen sat in the spring, water lapping against his chest, as knowledge poured into his mind.
His martial spirit—the dragon—had evolved. And with that evolution came gifts.
Images. Sensations. Understanding.
But before he could process any of it, he felt something else. A fullness in his dantian. The liquid qi inside had reached capacity, pressing against the walls, straining.
Peak Qi Gathering Realm.
One more breakthrough and he'd reach Foundation Establishment.
Long Chen's eyes snapped open.
The garden was silent. The disciples who'd been cultivating on the far side of the spring were gone. Probably ran when the dragon started screaming.
Smart.
The spring itself looked different now. The water glowed faintly golden where the dragon's blood had mixed with it. The spiritual energy didn't feel thinner like it had been depleted from six days of constant absorption; it felt more powerful, a little ancient.
And somewhere in the distance, Long Chen heard voices approaching fast.
Elders.
'Time to go.'
He stood quickly, water streaming off his body. His legs felt solid. Steady. The exhaustion from six days of non-stop cultivation should've left him barely able to walk.
Instead, he felt stronger than ever.
Long Chen waded toward the pool's edge, grabbed his clothes, and started dressing. His fingers moved fast, tying his robe, strapping on his boots. Demon Dweller went to his waist. Dragonfang to his back.
The voices grew louder.
"—pressure came from the Spirit Spring—"
"—what kind of breakthrough causes that much—"
"—check for damage to the formations—"
Long Chen didn't wait to hear more. He slipped out of the garden through a side path, moving fast but not running. Running drew attention.
Behind him, he heard the elders arrive at the spring. Heard their shocked exclamations as they saw the golden water, the depleted energy, the cracks in some of the formations.
But he was already gone.
Long Chen's quarters felt smaller than he remembered.
He pushed the door shut behind him and stood there for a moment, breathing slowly. His body hummed with energy. Peak Qi Gathering Realm. Three full stages gained in six days.
It was insane.
But more than that, the knowledge the dragon had transmitted still sat in his mind, waiting to be examined.
"System," Long Chen said quietly. "What the hell just happened?"
The familiar notification appeared.
[Oh, so now you want to talk to me?]
[After ignoring me for six days straight?]
Long Chen's eye twitched. "Just explain."
[Fine let me educate your feeble mind]
[Your martial spirit evolved.]
[Members of the Dragon Clan—and yes, that includes you too undergo evolution when they absorb large quantities of spiritual energy.]
[Now your martial spirit is your representation of your bloodline, think of it like molting with blood and all]
"That's disgusting."
[That's dragons.]
[Each evolution unlocks new inheritances tied to your bloodline.]
[The information your spirit transmitted contains three techniques.]
Long Chen sat down on his straw mat, crossing his legs. "Show me."
The system complied. Text appeared in his mind, organized and clear.
---
**TECHNIQUE ONE: DRAGON ROAR**
Type: Soul Bloodline Technique
Rank: King
Description: Channel your dragon bloodline through your voice to release a devastating roar. Targets struck by the roar suffer soul damage proportional to the difference in cultivation and bloodline purity. Lower-ranked bloodlines may be suppressed entirely. Spirit beasts are especially vulnerable.
Requirements: Qi Gathering Realm (Peak) or higher
Mastery Levels: Initial → Small Success → Large Success → Peak → Perfection
---
**TECHNIQUE TWO: CELESTIAL DRAGON TRAMPLES THE NINE HEAVENS**
Type: Martial Bloodline Technique
Rank: Sage
Description: A devastating combat technique that channels the full might of the Celestial Dragon bloodline through physical strikes. Each level of mastery unlocks additional forms, culminating in a technique capable of shattering mountains and splitting skies.
Requirements: Foundation Establishment Realm (Minimum)
Warning: Attempting to practice this technique below Foundation Establishment will result in severe meridian damage or death.
Mastery Levels: Initial → Small Success → Large Success → Peak → Perfection
Forms: Nine total (Unlocks progressively with mastery and cultivation)
---
**TECHNIQUE THREE: DRAGON PRESSURE**
Type: Special Aura (Passive)
Rank: Bloodline Inherent
Description: Your ancestors' Immortal bloodline aura flows through you . This aura can be consciously controlled—suppressed to hide your presence or unleashed to dominate lesser beings. Effectiveness scales with cultivation level and bloodline purity.
Requirements: None (Always active)
Control Levels: Unconscious → Basic → Intermediate → Advanced → Perfect
---
Long Chen read through all three techniques twice.
Then he stared at the requirements for Celestial Dragon Tramples the Nine Heavens with wide eyes .
Foundation Establishment minimum.
He was at peak Qi Gathering. One realm away. But attempting it now would shred his meridians or kill him outright. But a sage technique was to die for.
'So that's useless for now.'
Dragon Pressure was passive. Already active, apparently, though he hadn't noticed it yet. Probably because he'd never tried to consciously control it.
That left Dragon Roar.
A soul technique. King-ranked. And he met the requirements.
"Can I practice Dragon Roar now?" Long Chen asked.
[Technically, yes.]
[You're at peak Qi Gathering, which meets the minimum requirement.]
[But I'd recommend caution.]
[Soul techniques are dangerous. Mess up the circulation and you could damage your own consciousness.]
"Noted."
Long Chen closed his eyes and focused inward. The knowledge the dragon had transmitted included more than just descriptions. It included the technique itself—the circulation pattern, the breathing method, the way to channel bloodline power through his throat and voice.
He started slowly. Drew qi from his dantian and guided it up through specific meridians toward his chest, his throat, his vocal cords.
The energy felt different this time. Heavier. More primal. It carried the weight of his dragon bloodline, ancient and powerful.
Long Chen let it build. Let the pressure grow in his throat until it felt like he might choke.
Then he released it.
"Roar!"
The sound that came out wasn't human.
It was deep, guttural, resonant. It carried weight—not just sound, but pressure. The air in the room vibrated. Dust shook loose from the ceiling. The wooden walls creaked.
And Long Chen felt something in his soul shift. Like a muscle he'd never used before had just flexed.
He stopped immediately, breathing hard.
That was just the initial stage. Barely a whisper compared to what the technique could become.
But even at this level, he'd felt its power. If he used that in combat against someone with a weaker soul or bloodline...
'It'd hit them like a hammer to the head.'
Long Chen practiced for another hour. Each attempt refined the technique slightly. The circulation became smoother. The sound, more controlled. The pressure, more focused.
By the end, he'd reached what the system classified as Initial Mastery.
[Not bad.]
[For a first attempt, anyway.]
[You didn't fry your soul, so that's a win.]
Long Chen ignored the sarcasm and stood up. His throat felt raw, like he'd been shouting for hours. But the technique worked. He had a soul attack now. Something that could bypass physical defenses entirely. If he used it as a surprise attack the result could be devastating.
That would be useful in the sect examination.
But as he stood there, thinking about what else to practice, something occurred to him.
The Martial Pavilion's third floor. He still had access to it. The king-ranked techniques waiting. Movement arts, sword techniques, defensive methods.
All of it could make him stronger.
But...
Long Chen looked down at his hands. Felt the qi circulating through his body. Peak Qi Gathering Realm. His foundation was solid, yes. Six days in the Spirit Spring had refined it thoroughly.
But was it solid enough?
Cultivation realms weren't just about accumulation. They were about foundation. Stability. The stronger your base, the higher you could build without collapse.
He'd rushed from Stage 5 to Stage 8 in six days. That was fast. Too fast, by normal standards.
And now he was at the peak, one breakthrough away from Foundation Establishment.
If he rushed that breakthrough...
'The cracks won't show until it's too late.'
New techniques wouldn't help if his foundation crumbled under pressure. And Foundation Establishment was the most important breakthrough a cultivator would ever make. It determined everything that came after.
Long Chen sat back down on his mat.
The sect examination was in one day. He could spend that day learning a new sword technique from the Martial Pavilion. Something flashy. Something impressive.
Or he could spend it consolidating.
Making sure every drop of qi in his dantian was compressed perfectly. Making sure every meridian was clear, strong, ready for the next stage. Making sure his foundation could support the weight of Foundation Establishment when the time came.
The choice was obvious.
Long Chen closed his eyes and activated the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Technique trying to increase his mastery of the cultivation technique and learn all it had to offer.
He wasn't going to the Martial Pavilion.