Chapter 301: Fire Chi Transformation, Pig Transformation Method, Great Peace Year Three

Back in Daoyuanzhou, Zhao Xing didn't know if King Tianyan did it on purpose, but they actually took the ancient underground passage controlled by Kunyuan Academy.

"Passing the academy twice without entering, if Meng the young man knew, he'd die of anger," King Tianyan said cheerfully.

Zhao Xing felt somewhat helpless; after gaining a hundred years of life, King Tianyan's mindset seemed to have reverted to youth.

However, he truly had no time to write scriptures for the Dili Sect; learning the Heavenly Time Method next would require his full concentration.

He needed to cultivate top-tier spells from entry-level (lower three turns) to small mastery (middle three turns).

The process was already difficult; if he were distracted, he didn't know how many he could succeed in.

Besides, his focus this time was the Waiting for Change Method.

External cultivation was fine to discuss, but internal cultivation of the Waiting for Change Method carried some danger.

A slight carelessness could lead to qi deviation, causing the body to undergo abnormal transformation.

If he ended up with a pig's head and couldn't change back, that would be terrible; how could Zhao Xing afford to be distracted!

"Crack crack crack crack~"

The Silver Dragon Flying Boat's barrier shook continuously, emitting a sharp grinding sound, and a layer of flame flow appeared outside the barrier.

"The Silver Dragon Flying Boat still isn't quite good enough," King Tianyan glanced over, "It's only been flying for two quarters of an hour, yet the mechanism array has reached its limit, and the boat's protective escape barrier is making such loud noise."

"Ancient underground passages weren't meant for ordinary people to use; you insisted on taking this route," Zhao Xing opened the array box, pulled out a smoking formation disk, then stuffed another rectangular formation disk filled with seventh-grade spirit crystals inside.

The boat's protective barrier stabilized again, though the noise persisted.

Ancient underground passages weren't meant for seventh-grade flying boats to use.

At least a seventh-grade warship would be needed; even a tower ship level wouldn't quite work because the protection level couldn't keep up.

The Silver Dragon Flying Boat was still considered relatively good; after all, it was for a First-Rank Marquis, belonging to the combat-class among flying boats.

Shuttling through ancient underground passages requires enduring the pressure of top-tier earth veins and the friction caused by the ultra-high-speed flow of the earth veins.

Of course, the speed is truly fast.

Any ancient underground passage is dozens of times faster than Zhao Xing's current Great Roc Transformation speed.

The transport speed of the underground passages is slightly inferior to the Li Fire Divine Altar and Biyou Canghai, but their cargo capacity exceeds both.

The Li Fire Divine Altar cannot transport armies and supplies in the tens of millions; Biyou Canghai is limited to Ping Haizhou, but the carrying capacity of ancient underground passages is often in the tens of millions.

Three quarters of an hour later, the flying boat's speed dropped rapidly.

The noise from the barrier also slowly faded away.

"We have arrived at Qianqing Commandery."

King Tianyan stood up.

At this moment, the scene outside the flying boat was no longer blurry; three super-large cave openings appeared on the rock walls on both sides.

The openings were supported by outward-clamped large claw walls; from the outside, they looked like super-large iron buckets embedded into the rock walls.

Since Zhao Xing had a small flying boat, the diameter of the opening he turned into was only three hundred meters.

The diameters of the other two large openings were all over a thousand meters; those were for warships to pass through.

"Voom~"

The Silver Dragon Flying Boat passed through the barrier of the opening, then quickly floated upward, wrapped in two deep blue, almost solid liquid light pillars.

"This is the Water Element Channel, utilizing the power of water veins within the surging earth veins," King Tianyan introduced, thinking Zhao Xing certainly hadn't seen this before.

"Truly amazing!" Lord Zhao said with great cooperation.

In reality, Zhao Xing had not only seen it but had also cultivated it.

In his past life, after his rank went up, the Dili Sect missions he accepted most frequently were repairing and excavating ancient underground passages.

Especially during the Wu Di era when fighting the Southern Barbarians, they fought their way through while repairing along the way.

The mission rewards were high; many Dili-style players rushed toward this mission, truly burning with the soul of industry!

But this sigh was genuine.

Because reaching the Yan Guang Wang Ting in his past life was quite miserable.

The Babok Bugs were very destructive to underground passages.

Large numbers of mechanics and Dili Sect Agricultural Officials were buried alive several times, or else met their end in the bellies of bugs.

Once the Babok Bugs appeared, one couldn't even escape by tunneling underground.

This made Lord Zhao develop a shadow whenever he saw bugs later on, and everyone's enthusiasm for this mission dropped rapidly.

During the Jing Di era's Great Pacification of the Barbarians, contact with the Yan Guang Wang Ting wasn't very frequent because Jing Di didn't arrange so many routes, nor did he assign the Dili Sect to dig earth vein channels; thus, at this time, the strength of the Yan Guang Wang Ting had not yet fully manifested.

"Boom!"

The Silver Dragon Flying Boat shook and shot out from beneath the earth like a geyser.

The flying boat spun a few times before adjusting its direction.

"Whoosh~"

Having found the direction, Zhao Xing controlled the flying boat to fly toward the academy in Qianqing Commandery.

Qianqing Commandery is very large; even if you triple the combined area of Kunyuan Commandery and Shangluo Commandery, it would still be slightly smaller than Qianqing Commandery.

Xuantian Academy occupies only half of the commandery's territory, yet its scale remains the largest among the three sects.

No choice; the Heavenly Time Sect has many people, and their spells have a wide range, so they should occupy such a large territory, otherwise they can't spread out!

The gate towers of Xuantian Academy are also grand; there are eight gate towers in total around the academy in all four directions, all towering into the clouds.

Entering Xuantian Academy involves nine levels of roads, upper and lower.

Three cloud roads, three tree roads, and three earth roads.

Inside Xuantian Academy, there are departments such as the 【Lotus Department】, 【Gen Mountain Department】, and 【Earth Lake Department】.

There are also Dili and Benwo Sects for Agricultural Officials to study.

Actually, since the seventy-two departments joined the Great Zhou, all departments have been inclusive; even the Martial God Temple has branches for other professions like the Mechanics Department, Agricultural Officials Department, Rites Department, and Music Department.

Some branch academies, as they developed, became quite famous, even ranking first in the entire province.

The Profound Heaven Academy's Profound Heaven Liangshan Academy was quite renowned.

Not only did they create new top-tier Dili techniques, but they also had top-tier experts dedicated to studying mountain methods, attempting to create the ultimate mountain method for the Dili Sect.

The second most famous was the Hou Hou Bian Sect's Golden Body Academy, which used Hou Hou Bian methods to forge martial Golden Bodies, having created the Dragon Blood Golden Body, which ranks among the top-tier martial Golden Bodies.

Other vocational holy lands had similar achievements.

In short, the seventy-two academies shared one principle: first crush your peers, then crush those outside your field!

Of course, they could only compete to achieve top-tier results; ultimate techniques or ultimate-level matters were beyond their reach to compete over.

But that was more than enough for attracting students and funding.

"Oh, the Holy Son has arrived!"

"Quick, junior brother, go block the road, then bring out the honor guard to beat the gongs and drums."

As soon as he disembarked from the flying boat, he heard Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing teasing him.

Was Zhao Xing afraid of their teasing? He immediately retorted, "Bold! How come two elders haven't even arranged a beautiful carriage with fragrance? Not even a welcome banner, truly disrespectful!"

"Bring them here, drag them away and behead them!"

Who else was around besides them?

But King Tianyan joined the fun, immediately jumping off the flying boat, frowning as he produced a command arrow: "As ordered!"

Seeing King Tianyan appear, Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing were momentarily stunned.

A First-Rank Official! Are you serious?

The two quickly put away their playful expressions and bowed to King Tianyan: "We greet King Tianyan. We did not know you had also come."

"This subordinate has lost his composure."

King Tianyan waved cheerfully: "I am just here to accompany you; no need for excessive courtesy, pretend I do not exist."

King Tianyan had also interacted with Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing.

However, while King Tianyan could tease them, these two dared not joke with King Tianyan.

They immediately bowed seriously and led Zhao Xing and King Tianyan toward the Hou Hou Bian Academy.

"Is Ling Ling Tianchen in this academy?" King Tianyan asked.

"The Dean is busy with official duties and will not return for another day," Hu Yang replied.

"Hmm, then take us to rest for now," King Tianyan said.

Zhao Xing's training plan was not something he could discuss with Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing.

Whatever arrangements were needed, it was best to discuss them with Ling Ling Tianchen.

"Yes."

The style of the Hou Hou Bian Academy was completely different from the other Agricultural Academies.

The other branch academies were full of flowers, plants, and trees.

The Hou Hou Bian Academy, however, had beasts everywhere, while humans were rare.

"Many of them are not true beasts, but rather ones that have employed Hou Hou Bian methods."

"The place where Hou Hou Bian methods are most commonly seen is probably here," Zhao Xing said, looking at the beasts moving around.

Humans here seemed somewhat out of place.

King Tianyan frowned slightly: "Why does this place look just like the Creation Dao Academy?"

After spending a day there, King Tianyan and Zhao Xing looked around, yet their feelings were completely different.

Zhao Xing was somewhat excited because he saw numerous transformations.

In his eyes, this was magic, this was knowledge!

The prosperity of Hou Hou Bian methods truly lives up to the reputation of a holy land!

However, what King Tianyan saw was danger.

He summoned Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing: "Does your Hou Hou Bian Academy have any unreported, dangerous cultivation or research plans?"

Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing exchanged glances, then shook their heads: "No."

"Be absolutely sure not to create any freaks," King Tianyan warned, before entering the room.

Zhao Xing knew this was his way of ignoring the problem, because many cultivation and research practices of the Hou Hou Bian Sect dangerously tested the boundaries of the law.

Even if not illegal, people of high moral standing could not bear to look.

Of course, King Tianyan's reason was not that.

He was reminded of the group of old perverts from the Creation Dao Academy and worried about loss of control.

One day after Zhao Xing's arrival, Ling Ling Tianchen appeared as promised.

A Qilin descended from the sky, transforming into a human upon landing.

"We greet the Dean," Zhao Xing bowed.

Legend has it that the Qilin is one of the nine sons of the True Dragon, with a dragon head and fish body, fond of peering around in dangerous places, liking to swallow fire, and capable of spewing waves and summoning rain.

The Qilin form assumed by Ling Ling Tianchen could easily swallow and spit out Weak Water; it was he who once led people to slay the Purple Feather King and the Profound King,

seizing the Weak Water passage.

"Zhao Xing, you have arrived," Ling Ling Tianchen said with a faint smile.

His joy bones protruded, his skeleton was unlike ordinary humans, and his life force was immensely abundant.

His aura was similar to the momentum Shi Wenxuan displayed when casting the Dragon Curse, but Ling Ling Tianchen possessed this immense aura in his normal state, as if his very essence of life was inherently superior to others.

"King Tianyan," Ling Ling Tianchen saw King Tianyan and merely nodded faintly.

He then turned his gaze to Zhao Xing:

"Zhao Xing, you wish to cultivate Hou Hou Bian methods. Fortunately, I have time, so I shall teach you."

"Come with me."

"Wait," said King Tianyan. "Grandmaster Ling, shouldn't we discuss this first?"

"Discuss?" Ling Ling Tianchen turned his head; his pupils were pale purple, and even in a normal tone, he radiated pressure: "Discuss what?"

"Zhao Xing's cultivation plan," said King Tianyan.

"No discussion needed. I've already decided."

King Tianyan bowed his hands. "Then allow me to accompany you and observe."

"No," said Ling Ling Tianchen, shaking his head. "It involves classified matters."

King Tianyan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Zhao Xing's cultivation also involves classified matters. How can I not be informed of such a major matter?"

"I said no."

King Tianyan's temper rose: "What if I insist on seeing it?"

Ling Ling Tianchen's gaze turned icy; a voice like that of a tiger or wolf emerged from his throat: "Tianyan, is the royal house seeking to interfere with this academy's internal lineage?"

"Even our Founding Emperor never interfered. Who are you to demand it?!"

A storm seemed to gather between the two.

Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing, now utterly silent, dared not even breathe.

Zhao Xing also felt the pressure; as the strongest branch of the Tian Shi Sect, Grandmaster Ling's status was equal to King Tianyan's.

Even superior to King Tianyan's.

For the royal clan had many members, and even first-rank officials could number in the dozens.

But the leader of the Hou Bian Sect? Only one!

Why would he refuse to let King Tianyan know?

Ordinary matters would be one thing.

But this concerns internal lineage.

And "knowing" is the beginning of interference.

So Ling Ling Tianchen would never yield.

Seeing the tension mounting, Zhao Xing, caught between them, bowed: "Grandmaster, the Prince only worries for my safety—he does not intend to violate protocol."

"Your Highness, with the Grandmaster teaching me, please rest assured—nothing will happen."

The atmosphere eased slightly.

Ling Ling Tianchen offered a way out: "Tianyan, I guarantee he will suffer not the slightest harm."

King Tianyan snorted: "If anything happens, you'll be waiting for the Emperor's Sword to descend."

Though he said so, he ultimately allowed Ling Ling Tianchen to take Zhao Xing away.

King Tianyan stepped back; Ling Ling Tianchen said no more, seized Zhao Xing, and soared into the sky.

His speed was extreme—he flew through clouds, rain, and lightning, and Zhao Xing could not make out any surroundings, even losing all sense of time.

After an unknown length of time, Zhao Xing felt himself descending, his speed slowing.

The scenery stabilized as he descended from the clouds.

He saw the grasslands below, and distant, endless palaces.

"Swoosh~"

Ling Ling Tianchen's body underwent a startling transformation: his hard claws rapidly softened into gentle palms; when he landed, he reverted fully to human form.

"We've arrived," Ling Ling Tianchen said gravely. "This is the heritage site of the Hou Bian Sect."

"Grandmaster, is this a miniature world?" Zhao Xing surveyed his surroundings; he clearly sensed differences in the Five Phases and Yin-Yang Dao compared to the outside.

"Correct. It is called the Wan Hua Cave Heaven, and does not appear in any Dazhou records." Ling Ling Tianchen walked forward with Zhao Xing.

"Wan Hua Cave Heaven is exceptionally suited for cultivating the Hou Bian Method."

"Tian Shi here has been specially refined—ten-year Hou Bian events occur everywhere, and over three hundred zones host century-scale Hou Bian."

"Additionally, Wan Hua Cave Heaven has five locations where millennium-scale Hou Bian occur at fixed intervals."

Ling Ling Tianchen said: "Of course, millennium-scale Hou Bian locations require long accumulation. Currently, all five are storing power. The next occurrence will be one hundred and forty-three years from now."

Zhao Xing's heart trembled.

A controllable Hou Bian site!

What did that mean? It was equivalent to being able to mass-produce high-grade anomalous beasts.

Cultivators of the Hou Bian Method could also train within controllable Hou Bian sites.

Originally, Zhao Xing had used the Zhan Hou Method to locate numerous Hou Bian sites in the Eastern Sea—but few were usable.

Those he did use allowed the Niu Dao Yang and Cang Quan to complete their transformations.

Millennium-scale Hou Bian was even rarer.

Zhao Xing had spent years divining, yet could never determine the timing—until he accidentally discovered the Xuantian Sect's outpost.

Only then did he realize it matched the location he had divined.

It was no coincidence.

The Xuantian Sect and the Xuantian Academy were one and the same lineage!

Yet the outpost in the Eastern Sea differed greatly from this Wan Hua Cave Heaven.

Because the Eastern Sea site was an uncontrollable Hou Bian point.

Many years have passed since then; the three underwater mountains still lie beneath the sea—when will the millennium-scale Hou Bian emerge?

Zhao Xing did not know. He could not calculate it.

But here, there were five millennium-scale Hou Bian locations—and they were controllable.

Time could be shortened, power precisely calibrated, and the type and range approximated.

"The Hou Bian Sect is indeed the strongest force in the Xuantian Academy," Zhao Xing couldn't help but remark.

Ling Ling Tianchen smiled at this: "What? Do people really think the Hou Bian Sect's strength is just talk?"

"In ancient times, the heir to the ruler of the Xuantianshen Sect came only from the Hou Bian Sect."

"There are more than sixteen recorded ultimate methods of Hou Bian!"

"In that era, even if the leader of the Benwo Sect had cultivated the Ten Thousand Methods Grass Man, he still couldn't defeat the leader of the Hou Bian Sect."

"More than sixteen?" Zhao Xing expressed appropriate shock.

"Of course more than sixteen—the seventy-two solar terms should theoretically yield seventy-two Hou Bian methods."

"But that's only theory; in the Qi Era of ancient times, there weren't that many."

Ling Ling Tianchen's words didn't sound like boasting, since the Shenzongde Sect's ruler always came from the Hou Bian Sect.

"In the Qi Era, when all things flourished and divine beasts were common."

"Simply put, the Ten Thousand Methods Grass Man couldn't match the Hou Bian Method."

"Of course, if you count the divine trees grown in Pure Yuan soil, that adds another condition."

"With a divine tree guarding them, the Benwo Sect's Sinong could stand invincible."

"You might kill my projections, but my true body is nearly impossible to harm."

"In terms of single methods alone, in that era, the Hou Bian Method surpassed the Ten Thousand Methods Grass Man."

"A hero doesn't boast of past glory—let's not speak of these ancient legends."

Ling Ling Tianchen said: "Heaven and earth change; seas become mulberry fields. With the end of the ancient era, the divine and extraordinary beasts of the world greatly diminished, and the Hou Bian Method declined with them."

"We can hardly collect the true blood of divine beasts to aid our cultivation."

Zhao Xing nodded. Compared to the Qi Era, the Hou Bian Method in the Yuan Qi Era was indeed much weaker.

"Because divine beasts are extinct; most are now mixed bloodlines, insufficiently pure."

"Today's Qing Luan, Fire Phoenix, Qing Long, Xuan Wu, Zhu Que, Qilin—all are merely bearers of their bloodlines."

"Since no one has seen the originals, and they resemble the surviving illustrations, they're naturally called by those names."

"In truth, their power is nowhere near that of true divine beasts."

"Besides having an environment suited for cultivating the Hou Bian Method, the Wanhua Cavity"

"also preserves many precious divine beast bloodlines."

"Bloodlines extremely close to those of that ancient era."

Ling Ling Tianchen led Zhao Xing to a palace complex, where the gate plaque read 【Treasure Beasts Palace】

"Sss~"

"Roar~"

"~~"

Roars of giant beasts came from the palaces on either side.

Zhao Xing noticed that the palaces here were generally taller and grander than the Spring Palace outside.

"Many rare species kept here don't exist outside."

"Such as the Unicorn, Yinming Moon Elephant, Purple Phoenix, Tian Gang Divine Fire Ant, Golden Divine Toad——"

"Many species extinct outside are preserved here in the Wanhua Cavity."

"Even those not yet extinct have purer bloodlines than those outside."

Zhao Xing followed Ling Ling Tianchen, taking in the sights; many of these divine beasts he'd never seen in his past life.

Here, he truly had his eyes opened.

The Treasure Beasts Palace of the Wanhua Cavity was undeniably a true rare-animal zoo.

"Do you wonder why I didn't let Tian Yan Wang enter here?" Ling Ling Tianchen asked.

"Your student does not know," Zhao Xing replied respectfully. "But I believe you have a necessary reason for this."

Ling Ling Tianchen said: "Though these treasure beasts are rare, they are not the most important."

"Nor are they the foundation of my Hou Bian Method."

"The truly important ones are those bloodlines extremely close to legendary divine beasts."

"For example, the Kunpeng Transformation you cultivate—where did Grand Sinong get the Kunpeng essence blood he gave you? It was taken from the Kunpeng here in the Wanhua Cavity."

"Wu Long's Ji Meng Transformation, Shang He's Tian Wu Transformation, my own Wen Transformation——"

"All originate from here."

"Look, there's a Ji Meng right here."

Ling Ling Tianchen pointed to a deep pool ahead.

The cold pool resembled a vast mirror of ink-black water; its waters were icy and piercing, with wisps of frost rising continuously from the surface, crystallizing into delicate frost flowers on the surrounding rocks and trees.

The water was clear to the bottom, yet shimmered with a mysterious deep blue.

In the pool sat a Ji Meng, its dragon head raised high, its dragon horns gleaming with a cold, icy luster, as if carved from ice crystals.

Its eyes were closed; beneath them, its scales, lit by the faint glow of the pool, resembled flowing blue flames.

The human torso of the Ji Meng sat cross-legged atop a massive rock, its muscular contours sharp, radiating an ancient, powerful aura.

Its bird-like feet gripped the rock tightly, claws deeply embedded in the crevices, firm and resolute.

The feathers on its arms trembled slightly in the cold wind, yet remained orderly, as if bound by an invisible force.

"Human body, dragon head, eternally roaming the Zhangyuan abyss; its comings and goings bring gales and storms," Zhao Xing recalled the description of Ji Meng.

"There are nine Ji Meng here?"

Yes—the Ji Meng in the cold pool were not one, but nine!

Zhao Xing looked closely; one older Ji Meng lifted its head, gazing back, then gave a slight nod. As he followed Ling Ling Tianchen forward, Zhao Xing saw another—Tian Wu with eight heads and eight faces.

There are even more here—there are thirty-six of them!

Ling Ling Tianchen did not stop walking.

Zhao Xing then passed through the Teng She Palace, which housed seventy-two Teng She.

The Bai Hu Palace, which housed thirty-six Bai Hu.

He even saw creatures resembling Tian Ming Xuan Niao, Qilin, Zhu Que, and five-clawed golden dragons—

Most of them were equivalent to the top rank of human cultivators, and even slightly surpassed them in aura.

The key point is the sheer number.

As divine beasts, there are far too many here—dozens at a time, without warning.

Every time they passed, the divine beasts would lift their heads to look at Ling Ling Tianchen and Zhao Xing, halting all their actions.

Zhao Xing always felt these divine beasts' gazes were too sentient, brimming with emotion.

A thought surfaced in his mind.

"Dean, divine beasts are so rare to breed—could it be that here—"

Ling Ling Tianchen nodded without expression: "Yes. Exactly as you think."

Zhao Xing's expression changed involuntarily. Even though he had anticipated it, actually seeing it now filled him with awe—because all these divine beasts here were once human.

If divine beasts had long gone extinct, where did the Kun Peng essence blood come from?

The answer is: through Hou Bian Fa, they transformed into those legendary divine beasts—and never transformed back.

Once Hou Bian Fa exceeds a certain time limit, the transformation becomes permanent.

In Wan Hua Dong Tian, there is a group of people who cultivate Hou Bian Fa—not for battle, but for heritage.

They cultivate Hou Bian Fa with the sole purpose of never transforming back.

"The sect's historical records trace the origin of Hou Bian Fa back a million years."

"Faced with great cosmic upheaval, a group of Hou Bian sect elders absorbed pure divine beast essence blood—and chose never to revert."

"They spent their entire lives striving to preserve the purity of their bloodline."

"They trained ceaselessly, consuming vast quantities of herbs and resources at regular intervals."

"Generation after generation passed it down. The divine beasts now residing in Zhen Shou Palace retain the overwhelming power of ancient divine beast bloodlines to a great extent."

"Other disciples of the sect who possess the talent to cultivate Hou Bian Fa may extract essence blood from here as an aid."

"For the sect's continuity, they willingly sacrifice themselves."

Ling Ling Tianchen looked at Zhao Xing: "I refused to let Tian Yan Wang enter—not out of stubbornness, but because if the imperial court takes control of Wan Hua Dong Tian—"

"Whether they wish it or not, it will no longer be up to us."

Zhao Xing nodded.

Divine beast essence blood is not only useful for cultivating Hou Bian Fa—its applications are vast: warriors, sorcerers, ritual cultivators, mechanism masters—all can use it.

If a monarch obsessed with grandeur seized control here, the Hou Bian Sect's Si Nong would surely swell with a new batch of "volunteers."

The Hou Bian Sect's Si Nong would inevitably see countless individuals reduced to tools.

Throughout the land, only the Ji royal house possesses the power to force them—so when faced with Tian Yan Wang's demand, Ling Ling Tianchen became extremely sensitive and resolute.

Ling Ling Tianchen stood before a palace gate, gazing upward: "Sometimes I wonder—even if done willingly—"

"This is still a cruel practice."

"Should we abolish it? Destroy this method entirely?"

"Zhao Xing, what do you think?"

Hearing Ling Ling Tianchen ask this, Zhao Xing knew he was not truly uncertain—he was testing him.

How could a sect leader casually reveal inner weakness to others?

He did not answer directly, but told a story:

"I heard that in the north, the banded gazelle, cornered by predators, was driven to a cliff."

"To ensure the survival of their species, the old gazelles leapt without hesitation into the abyss, becoming stepping stones for the young—allowing the young to leap across the cliff and escape certain death."

"I also heard of a school of physicians called 'Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles'—where the master would have the disciple stab him with the final needle before graduation."

"Among mechanism masters, the Blood Forging school serves the sword with their own bodies."

"The survival of a species, the legacy of a sect—survival comes first."

Ling Ling Tianchen, seeing Zhao Xing did not answer directly, pressed further: "If you were in charge of the Hou Bian Academy, what would you do?" Zhao Xing replied without hesitation: "If I were in charge, I would strive to find an alternative. If survival demanded its continuation, I would still maintain strict limits—never allowing anyone to become a tool."

Ling Ling Tianchen nodded, remaining silent for a long while.

"Bow three times here."

Ling Ling Tianchen stepped aside.

Only then did Zhao Xing realize the place he faced was called Wu Gong.

Inside stood an aged Wu, also gazing outward.

Zhao Xing bowed three times at the foot of the steps toward that Wu.

No reaction occurred. Nothing happened. The Wu seemed to be asleep.

Zhao Xing's Kun Peng Bian came from Grand Si Nong Li Baiqian, reaching only the fourth transformation of the top-tier method—Ling Ling Tianchen could teach it too.

But Zhao Xing is going to Long Ting, so learning the Dragon Clan's Hou Bian Fa is most suitable.

"There are three lineages of Ultimate Hou Bian Fa."

"First is the 'Lie Tian Zhou'—it grows divine horns and bears divine inscriptions; its back is etched with arcane script containing the mysteries of heaven and earth."

"Second is the 'Zhu Luo Fa'—a purely external cultivation method created by Grand Si Nong Wu Cheng of the founding era."

"Third is 'Wu'—the Dragon Clan Hou Bian Fa I now cultivate."

Zhao Xing had no choice—Wu was the only Ultimate Hou Bian Fa connected to the Dragon Clan.

Two internal cultivation methods, one of which is purely an external cultivation method.

Among them, the "Pig Luo Method" is the most special, because normal Transformation Methods all have a distinction between internal and external cultivation, yet the "Pig Luo Method" created by Wu Cheng, when taken to the extreme of external cultivation, also reaches the power of the Ultimate tier.

Just imagine, how formidable is the physical constitution of a First-Rank powerhouse?

Under the effect of the "Pig Method," it is weakened into a pig that anyone can slaughter.

How vast is the gap between life tiers?

It can truly be called a Divine Technique, naturally ranking in the Ultimate Method tier.

"If you only cultivate top-tier Transformation Methods, your choices are numerous."

Ling Ling Tianchen introduced: "There is the 'Fire', the 'Heavenly Dragon', the 'Thunder Dragon', the 'Ba Xia', the 'Kuang Ci'———"

If you want quick results, cultivate the top-tier method first.

If you want great power, choose the Ultimate Method; this can also avoid taking detours in the future.

Of course, only Zhao Xing can choose.

As for the others, how could they choose? They cultivate whichever one they can master.

However, Zhao Xing did not rush to choose, but asked: "Dean, isn't the Grand Minister of Agriculture's supreme art, the 'Kun Peng Transformation', an Ultimate Method?"

The Kun Peng eats dragons; logically, it should be incredibly awesome.

But in Zhao Xing's past life, he had never heard of anyone listing this method as Ultimate tier.

The Ultimate Transformation Methods of the Yuan Qi Era are just these three.

Ling Ling Tianchen said: "The Grand Minister of Agriculture's Kun Peng Transformation, logically, should also be an Ultimate Method, but after several generations of cultivation,

no one has been able to cultivate it to the Ultimate."

"If one cannot cultivate to the Ultimate, naturally it cannot be called an Ultimate Method."

Zhao Xing nodded; just as Ling said, if no one can cultivate to the Ultimate, how can it still be called an Ultimate Method?

The Ten Thousand Methods Straw Man is different; even though it is only top-tier, its power is enough to rival the Ultimate power of other schools.

If we count them all, the Ultimate Transformation Methods recorded in the Profound Heaven Academy total sixteen, but they are missing this and that, so one cannot cultivate them upward.

Talking about past glories holds no meaning.

Ling Ling Tianchen waved his hand, and a bamboo box flew over from a distance.

"'Fire' is a top-tier stage technique extended from 'Kiss'."

"Fire Transformation is based on comprehending the true meaning of fire to understand Fire Transformation."

Ling Ling Tianchen opened the bamboo box:

"You have three drops of 'Fire' Essence Blood available each month."

"Additionally, we will arrange for you to bathe in dragon blood once every three days."

"When your Fire Transformation reaches the First Turn, you can go to a controllable Transformation Zone to experience deeper levels of change."

"Yes." Zhao Xing listened obediently.

All good things, good benefits.

The Holy Son of the Transformation School spoken of by Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing is no empty title.

At least this treatment is solid!

"I will personally conduct special training for you."

How will Ling Ling Tianchen teach?

Zhao Xing also looked forward to it in his heart.

"Huff—" Ling Ling Tianchen suddenly spat out a stream of flame, and the entire valley began to burn.

"This is a small Transformation Zone."

"I will perform external Fire Transformation on you in coordination with the environment."

"Carefully feel the changes in your body."

"Yes."

Zhao Xing focused all his attention.

Transformation Methods are divided into external and internal cultivation.

External cultivation can cause uncontrollable changes in an enemy's flesh and bone structure, used to kill enemies.

But there are also controllable ones; for example, the Thunder Shock Transformation comprehended by Zhao Xing belongs to controllable external Transformation Methods to a certain extent, and can assist the evolution of battle pets.

Of course, the probability of accidents still exists; this is the point King Tianyan worries about.

At Ling Ling Tianchen's tier, when he performs 'Fire Transformation' external cultivation on Zhao Xing, he can let Zhao Xing completely transform into the 'Fire' form, and afterward restore him.

The process in between is the moment for Zhao Xing to comprehend and cultivate.

The emphasis on inheritance in Transformation Methods is reflected here; ordinary people without a master cannot cultivate in this way at all.

Practicing on one's own is not only slow, but accidents are prone to occur.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready."

"Transform!"

Ling Ling Tianchen pointed with his finger, and a wisp of crimson light immediately coiled around Zhao Xing's right hand.

For the first time, Ling Ling Tianchen was also relatively cautious, only causing a partial transformation of Zhao Xing's right hand.

Even if an accident occurred, this hand could be chopped off and grow back.

"Sizzle~"

Zhao Xing's right hand began to spasm; the skin cracked, flesh churned, and scales rapidly grew out.

The bones also extended at this moment; after a brief moment, Zhao Xing discovered his right hand had turned into a claw, with webbing existing between the claws.

Pain, a sharp sting surged from his hand; this was because his body had undergone a violent transformation in an instant.

Ling Ling Tianchen deliberately slowed this process so that Zhao Xing could feel the pain clearly eroding his nerves.

Focusing his mind, Zhao Xing discovered a wisp of red light encircling the junction between his arm and the claw.

It locked the local transformation, preventing it from spreading to the rest of his body.

This way, Zhao Xing could clearly compare the differences between the two areas.

"Flesh, bones, and meridians have completely transformed."

"Primordial Qi has undergone a wonderful fusion with the flesh and bones."

"But I cannot feel the existence of the scales and claws; it is as if I have lost sensation."

Zhao Xing felt carefully.

After a quarter of an hour, Ling Ling Tianchen said again, "You may move your hand; feel the changes through motion."

"Yes." Zhao Xing attempted to control it with his will.

At first, it was very stiff, and he could feel no existence at all.

But gradually, in Zhao Xing's perception, a rough outline appeared.

"In motion and stillness, feel the difference between the human body and the transformed body."

"Especially in this place." Ling Ling Tianchen pointed to the junction of Zhao Xing's transformation, "Here, the transformation I control is gradual; your divine sense can follow the meridians and flesh here to observe."

"Feel the existence of the scales and claws, as well as the flow of Primordial Qi."

Zhao Xing did as instructed.

Quickly, his claw began to move.

Ling Ling Tianchen raised an eyebrow.

The transformed part could move in less than a quarter of an hour; this was an extremely fast speed of comprehension.

When he was taught by his master back then, his first attempt ended in failure.

He simply could not move it!

"My scales, my claws—" Zhao Xing closed his eyes, and his martial soul dispersed into over forty thousand strands of divine sense, spreading toward his arm.

In the cultivation of martial artists, there is a single principle regarding the integration of physical strength.

It is precise control over the body; only thus can one achieve free command over strength.

Divine sense plays a very significant role in this control.

When a person is drowsy, control over the body is weak; when one is fully alert, the efficiency of doing things naturally increases. Why is it high? Because the body's mobility has strengthened.

Zhao Xing's divine sense was like 49,999 scouts, running to this battlefield on his right hand to scout the enemy situation.

Now, his Yin-Yang Original Self Sutra had reached the third layer.

In his vision, the Five Elements Qi did not exist like threads, but in a particle state.

The terrifying level of control was far beyond what a Minister of Agriculture who cultivated only the Heavenly Time Method could compare to.

The benefits of cultivating three schools simultaneously manifested at this moment.

"Rip~"

Zhao Xing suddenly swung his right hand; the claw slicing through the air tore out a sonic boom.

Ling Ling Tianchen was stunned; he mastered it too quickly!

How was this done?

Zhao Xing moved it a couple of times, looked at his arm, and muttered to himself, "What a Dragon Arm—"

Ling Ling Tianchen was somewhat lost in thought; he felt he had slightly underestimated Zhao Xing's talent.

How could anyone learn the Transformation Method this fast?

"Does such a genius truly exist in the world? What secret technique can be learned upon first touch?"

Ling Ling Tianchen knew Zhao Xing in great detail; back then, at the Tianyuan Branch of the Profound Heaven Academy and the Kunyuan Academy, he had learned top-tier techniques with only a projection, mastering them in a short time.

Now, having broken through to Third Rank, his true body came to learn, and the cultivation speed seemed even more terrifying.

"Zhao Xing, it seems I underestimated you." Ling Ling Tianchen had a strange light in his eyes, "The intensity of the special training must be increased for you."

"Dean, just come at me!" Zhao Xing was also somewhat excited. "Don't be afraid of killing me."

Early January, the second year of the Great Zhi reign.

Zhao Xing spent only about ten days to successfully master the First Turn of the "Fire Transformation" and enter the realm.

On the fifteenth of January, Zhao Xing mastered the innate secret technique "Dragon Flame Explosion" within the "Fire Transformation."

He was a top-tier Ten Thousand Dao Body; the Fire Transformation coordinated the entire body's changes with the true intent of the Fire Element, allowing Zhao Xing to easily master one of Fire's innate secret techniques.

By the end of January, Zhao Xing's "Fire Transformation" entered the Second Turn.

The casting of Dragon Flame Explosion became further proficient.

The tenth of February, the Spring Society Day.

The Fire Transformation entered the Third Turn; Dragon Flame Explosion was now completely under his control.

Zhao Xing attempted to cast the Dragon Language Spell using his fire body.

He discovered the power had indeed increased significantly, and the pronunciation and exertion of force became much smoother and easier.

"--I, in the dignity of the Upper Dragon Clan, decree the guards of the Ice Dragon, open—!"

A fiery red dragon head opened its wide mouth, and the syllables spewing from it were like three-dimensional patterns.

Zhao Xing was practicing the decree spell against a stone, but he quickly emitted a stopping sound, preventing the Dragon Language spell from forming.

He felt there was a flaw in his casting just now.

Mid-February of the second year of the Great Zhi reign, Zhao Xing's Fire Transformation reached the level of a top-tier Third Turn.

Every day, he would set aside a portion of time to cultivate the Dragon Language spells.

Reviewing the knowledge he learned from Shi Wenzhuan, Zhao Xing continuously adjusted himself.

Because of his studies back then, Zhao Xing had not unlocked his past-life memories.

Some small techniques, upon reflection, he now applied alongside, seeking to merge them with techniques from his past-life memories.

Now he was again in dragon form, perfect for cultivation.

March, April, May.

Zhao Xing hit a bottleneck.

Advanced techniques truly are difficult to advance from beginner to minor completion.

Zhao Xing reached Triple Transformation of the Advanced Technique by mid-February, but three months passed and he remained stuck at Triple Transformation.

"Go down, take a bath." A larger flame appeared, and Ling Tianchen's voice surfaced. "Don't rush—Hou Hou Bian Fa cannot be forced."

"Impatience doesn't just risk physical harm—it also corrupts your mindset."

"Yes." The small flame obeyed instantly, diving through the clouds, transforming into human form, and sinking into a Dragon Blood medicinal bath.

Daily Dragon Blood baths caused natural changes in Zhao Xing's body.

First, his height increased by two centimeters; second, his physique grew slightly larger.

Yet his body became somewhat slimmer. "Gulong~" Scorching energy eroded his entire skin as Zhao Xing lay within, gradually calming his mind.

"The life-soul takes root; Hou Hou Bian Fa uses a human soul to control a giant beast's body, easily influencing the mind. With powerful weapons, murderous intent arises; with immense strength, one naturally develops stronger desires than in human form."

"Destructive urges, sensual desires, the thirst for knowledge—I can feel changes compared to three months ago."

A great bell surfaced in Zhao Xing's mind.

Dang-dang-dang~

The bell's resonance calmed his emotions.

At the same time, Zhao Xing recited the Dragon Language Mind-Clearing Mantra Shi Wenzhuan taught him.

"Ang~"

Clear dragon tones washed over his soul.

After being forcibly rested for three days by Ling Tianchen, Zhao Xing broke through.

On the third day of June, Zhao Xing flew out of the pool, transforming back into a dragon.

This time, his body was far larger, growing instantly to five thousand meters—from merely a thousand meters before.

"Wu~" Zhao Xing let out a joyous, wild cry.

Ling Tianchen chuckled beside him: "Still just a young man."

Breaking through into Fourth Transformation at the start of June, Zhao Xing's cultivation speed quickened again.

By the end of June, he had reached Sixth Transformation of the Advanced Technique.

And he mastered his second innate secret technique—Fire Eye.

On July 1st, Zhao Xing felt the bottleneck was unbreakable, so he stopped forcing it.

Instead, he requested Ling Tianchen to teach him the External Cultivation technique, Zhu Luo Fa.

Simultaneously, the seven main souls split off a clone, leaving Wan Hua Cave Heaven.

Hou Hou Bian Fa can only be learned by the original body, but the other Tian Shi Fa clones may learn it.

With still one year left until Da Zhi Year Three, Zhao Xing naturally would not waste time.

The original body continued studying Zhu Fa under Ling Tianchen; the main soul clones went to learn other Tian Shi Fa.

"Zhao Xing, you're out? How do you feel?" King Tianyan immediately asked upon seeing Zhao Xing. "My Lord, I feel excellent," Zhao Xing replied.

The moment he spoke, King Tianyan knew this was a clone—the original was still inside.

"Not finished yet?"

"Yes. I plan to continue training under the Dean in another Ultimate Technique, but my clones can't sit idle."

"Thunder Finger is Yang Thunder Technique, not yet at minor completion."

"I haven't learned the Yin Thunder Technique from Xuantian Thunder Art—I must study the Three Yin Lei Yin."

"Also, Cloud Technique, Rain Technique, Wind Technique—I'll learn as much as I can within a year."

In the short term, he couldn't compete with the strong in depth of Advanced Techniques.

So he'd have to seek breadth instead.

He had Ten Thousand Techniques clones; the more Advanced Techniques he learned, the greater the amplified power each small step produced through the clones.

Of course, Hou Hou Bian Fa couldn't have its power amplified through Ten Thousand Techniques clones.

"Since you have a plan, I won't say more," said King Tianyan. "But don't train so intensely—you must reserve one month for preparation."

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded.

As Zhao Xing trained within the Xuantian Academy, the opening of the Longting Ancient Land drew nearer.

Forces from Nanman, sects, Nihon, Water Tribes, and Dazhou all prepared urgently for the opening of the Longting Ancient Land.

Within the Xuantian Academy, Zhao Xing sought out three more experts for specialized training in Wind, Rain, Cloud, and Thunder Techniques.

He was like a growing tree, rooted in the Xuantian Academy, this sacred land of agriculture, frantically absorbing nourishment. Time soon arrived at April 20th of Da Zhi Year Three.