Chapter 91: Long Scales Grow Horns, Seeking to Transform into a Dragon (Great Chapter, Combined)

Ye Qin had the animals dig a big pit, piled dry twigs and fallen leaves at the bottom, along with some easily flammable items.

Finally, he directed them to place the large vat on top of the firewood pile, then put the medicinal herbs inside.

After doing all that, it actually looked a bit like an alchemy setup; if you ignored the surrounding animals, someone unaware might really think a reclusive master was here.

What needs to be done now is to light the fire; Ye Qin had already prepared for that.

He visualized lightning; the power of lightning can generate sparks, so lighting a fire was not difficult for him.

Ye Qin calmed his mind and steadied his breath; soon the purple scales on his forehead emitted a faint glow.

"Boom—"

A deep, muffled sound suddenly rang out; the nearby small animals were startled, involuntarily looking up at the sky, panic flashing in their beastly pupils.

To this sound, the forest animals were not strangers; it was clearly thunder.

However, the weather was clear at the moment, with no sign of lightning.

Ye Qin's serpent eyes shone like torches; on his forehead, the special purple serpent scale flickered with lightning, constantly intertwining.

Finally, they actually formed a ball of electricity in front of Ye Qin's forehead, crackling with sound!

"Go!"

Following Ye Qin's command, the purple lightning on his forehead traced an arc in midair and fiercely struck beneath the large vat.

The area covered by the lightning was not large, yet it seemed to contain the force of a thunderbolt.

Even the surrounding animals felt some fear; although they knew they wouldn't be harmed, they instinctively stepped back a few paces, some even having their fur stand on end, yet they dared not flee.

Ye Qin was actually also using this visualized Divine Ability for the first time; unexpectedly it was quite convenient, at least far more powerful than an electric eel's discharge.

His gaze fell upon the area beneath the large vat.

He saw the purple lightning land among the dry twigs and fallen leaves, instantly spitting out tiny sparks.

Soon a wisp of white smoke slowly rose, accompanied by crackling sounds, and a scent of something burnt drifted over.

Faint firelight could be seen, then quickly spread outward; the flames swiftly devoured the dry twigs and leaves, blazing fiercely.

Some small animals, still afraid of fire, instinctively retreated a few steps.

But because of this big pit, plus the large vat weighing down on it, the flames could not spill outward,

"The Collection of Neutrality" says: "External yin and yang interacting makes the external elixir; internal kan and li converging makes the internal elixir."

"The Orthodox Principles of the Celestial Immortal" also records that internal and external elixirs are both innate ancestral qi, and this ancestral qi is precisely the primordial qi.

The so-called external elixir refers to the ancestral qi that, although hidden in the dantian at birth, can manifest outward; taking that outward manifestation and returning it inward, since it arises from within yet comes from without, it is called the external elixir.

The so-called internal elixir refers to refining the external elixir into the great pill of returning to the elixir, not adhering to the outside, only acting at the place of occurrence; because it does not leave the interior, it is called the internal elixir.

Ye Qin needed to extract the life essence from the medicinal herbs, condense it into postnatal qi, and then, through this postnatal qi, condense it into a Qi pill.

It sounds simple, but in practice it is extremely difficult.

Ye Qin dispersed part of his mental power, covering these medicinal herbs, aiming to monitor their condition in real time.

If the fire became too strong, Ye Qin would increase his mental power, forming a transparent protective barrier around the herbs to prevent damage from excessive heat; otherwise he would reduce his mental power.

He could sense a faint wisp of life essence emerging from within the large vat.

Under the roasting of the great fire, the leaves quickly wilted, oozing green juice; water vapor continually evaporated, sending out wisps of white smoke.

Soon the life essence he had previously sensed vanished without a trace.

The flames gradually diminished, the herbs inside were completely baked dry, leaving only a withered appearance; Ye Qin sensed no presence of qi.

"Looks like it failed."

Ye Qin was not discouraged; such a result was also within his expectations.

After all, this was his first attempt at alchemy; all methods were arrived at through trial and error, so it was impossible to succeed on the first try.

If alchemy were this easy, who knows how many miraculous elixirs would have been produced throughout history.

Moreover, if we speak strictly, his tools are still rather crude, and each step lacks refinement.

The only advantage might be that he possesses sufficient mental power to control the changes in the herbs.

Fortunately he had gathered many herbs; wasting a vat didn't bother Ye Qin, so after a brief rest he continued.

With prior experience, this time Ye Qin allocated more mental power, covering the herbs above, yet the result remained unchanged.

Third attempt

Fourth attempt

He didn't expect this round of alchemy to take most of the day; as night fell, the sunset dragged its long tail down from the mountain, leaving only a dim afterglow still struggling.

At this moment the sky was not yet completely shrouded in darkness; some parts still let light through, giving a feeling of being at the boundary between light and dark.

After several failures, Ye Qin gradually grew irritable; at this point the discarded herb remnants around him were almost piled into a small hill, leaving only a small portion.

The loss rate was truly too high; unnoticed, the remaining herbs were enough for only one more refinement.

If this attempt also fails, he may have to go gather herbs again.

This time Ye Qin did not rush to refine; instead he settled his mind to think carefully.

Being greedy for achievement and rashly advancing is a major taboo; sometimes the more one desires success, the more it leads oneself into a mistaken path.

"Just where is the problem, why does it keep failing?"

Ye Qin pondered over it to no avail; logically his process should have no flaws, being able to reach this step shows his talent is extraordinary.

Just that alchemy has never succeeded, inevitably making him feel some regret.

Nothing goes smoothly; if it were really that simple, there would be no need for such elaborate effort.

Cultivation is inherently not easy; if it were as simple as eating and drinking, the heavenly way would surely fall into chaos.

Ye Qin dismissed distracting thoughts, carefully recalling each step, repeatedly rehearsing them in his mind.

Alchemy divides into internal alchemy and external alchemy, and he adopted the second kind.

External alchemy refers to Daoists using various secret methods to bake and refine elixirs for consumption, or directly ingesting certain medicinal grasses, to stimulate their own yin nature, transforming it into yang qi.

Since we need to refine our own yin quality, we must have a medium, just like the medicine guide in herbs, which can make the original decoction work twice as effectively.

"I know where the problem lies!"

A flash of inspiration crossed Ye Qin's mind, as if a blocked passage had suddenly cleared.

"All previous failures were due to lacking this medium, i. e., the medicine guide, which prevented fully extracting the life essence from the herbs and merging them together."

"What is suitable to serve as the medicine guide?"

Ye Qin thought of the earlier imperial flow liquid; perhaps it is this best medium.

First, the imperial flow liquid is extremely mild; ancient texts record that it can make plants and trees become spirits, so it does not clash with the herbs.

Ye Qin quickly regained his momentum; the process was not much different from before, the key being within this imperial flow liquid.

After he sensed the existence of that trace of green life essence, a white bone slowly appeared beside him, projecting near Ye Qin.

Only to see countless golden threads surrounding the white bone, surging as if alive, filled with indescribable mystery.

Earlier Ye Qin had stored some imperial flow liquid inside the Origin Contemplation Object white bone; in retrospect, that was indeed a wise move.

At some point, a faint silver radiance climbed the treetops, shedding a soft glow.

The small animals in the mountains also did not leave, scattered nearby silently observing Ye Qin's every move, and they stayed with him from day to night.

They could not see the white bone's existence, but they could sense that subtle aura in the air, and their gazes unanimously turned toward that large vat.

The golden threads surrounding the white bone, as if pulled by an unknown force, drifted into the vat, thin and olive‑shaped, then gathered together with the herbs.

The imperial flow liquid contains the essence of sun and moon, and is extremely rare and precious; the key is its mild efficacy, making it most suitable as a medicine guide to draw out the life essence.

Ye Qin carefully controlled the imperial flow liquid with his mental power; a few specks of pale green light floated out in the vat, like fireflies, as if attracted, converging toward the golden threads.

More and more green light points were attracted; this must be where the herbs' essence resides.

Those small animals could obviously see them too, their beast eyes widening in curiosity as they watched the green specks like fireflies.

Since these green essences had been refined and then neutralized by the imperial flow liquid, forming a certain substance, they could also perceive these entities.

The golden threads acted like a bridge, spanning across the vat, attracting the green light points to attach to them.

Soon, something resembling a vortex coalesced in the vat, the golden and green lights mixing together, after which the color grew ever fainter.

Ye Qin faintly smelled a refreshing fragrance; his breathing became somewhat hurried, and the frequency of his snake's tongue flickering increased.

Other animals also smelled the fragrance, each stretching its neck, noses twitching incessantly.

During previous refinings, Ye Qin had never smelled this fragrance; he faintly felt a premonition that perhaps this time he could truly succeed.

As the critical moment approached, Ye Qin dared not be careless, increasing his mental power output, which clung to the herbs and even enveloped the outside of the vat.

Soon the colors grew ever paler, finally turning transparent and slowly dissipating in the air.

Ye Qin panicked, thinking something had gone wrong, but he discovered that the life essence still existed and was growing stronger.

"It seems the imperial flow liquid has completely neutralized the herbs' essence, hence no color."

After realizing this, Ye Qin relaxed.

This refinement took longer than before, and Ye Qin had great patience.

Soon the moon rose high, silver radiance showered over the mountains and rivers, like a veil of mist, making all scenery hazy.

All sounds ceased; insect chirps and bird calls grew much fainter, as if everything had fallen into a dream.

Yet the small animals around Ye Qin did not decrease but increased, each spirited, staring unblinkingly at the vat's interior.

By then the fire beneath had lost its former vigor; small red tongues of flame merely lightly coated the bottom layer.

Only the crackling of burning could be heard, like fireworks and firecrackers.

After an unknown time, a strange fragrance drifted over; the previously quiet animals, sensing something, became restless.

The chattering noises rang incessantly, breaking the formerly tranquil night sky.

"Success!"

Ye Qin was also thrilled.

A pale green pill floated in midair, its surface bearing several golden rings; Ye Qin could sense abundant life force within.

"It probably won't be poisonous, right?"

Ye Qin also had no hesitation; although mixing these herbs easily yields chaotic medicinal effects, they have now been refined, and together with the divine imperial flow liquid, all toxicity has vanished, leaving only pure acquired qi.

Thus, he eagerly swallowed it.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entry, like sweet green juice bursting in the snake's cavity; the taste was not bitter, sweet followed by a refreshing sensation that cleared the mind.

This sweet, refreshing liquid wandered through the snake's body, invisibly forming a thin film that gathered something together.

Ye Qin felt extremely comfortable; the entire snake stretched out fully, each scale flashing with an unusual luster.

He could sense a gas slowly growing within his body, like a tender green shoot that had finally taken root in the earth.

"Finally succeeded."

Previously Ye Qin tried to condense qi within his body; with great difficulty he managed to gather it, but it soon dissipated. Now after taking the elixir, the thread of qi that arose actually persisted.

This also shows that condensing acquired qi into an elixir is feasible!

Since this thread of qi was formed by postnatal condensation, it should properly be called acquired qi.

Putting it vividly, acquired qi is like mixed grains, unlike innate qi, which is naturally cultivated and contains the essence of heaven and earth.

Acquired qi is formed postnatally, contained within all postnatal things—grains, grasses, trees—all possess it. Though not as potent as innate qi, its benefit is that it can be absorbed and stored by the flesh, also serving as a source of energy for all things.

For example, humans and animals must ingest acquired qi to survive.

That is what is commonly called eating.

However, the food ordinary people eat contains too many impurities, its quality naturally inferior, not as pure as refined acquired qi.

This elixir is like condensing a special kind of mixed grains; it has no other effects, nor is it a miraculous pill; its sole purpose is to act as a medium, allowing acquired qi to be retained and condensed within the body.

……

Now the qi accumulated in Ye Qin's body is scant, insufficient to form a qi pellet, yet the so‑called quantitative change leading to qualitative change applies.

As long as this qi does not dissipate, he continuously absorbs and condenses it, forming a virtuous cycle, and in the end he can compress it into an Elixir.

For Ye Qin, this counts as a major step forward; the biggest difficulties have been overcome, and what remains is naturally just a matter of time.

"Sure enough, all those days of hard work were not in vain."

Ye Qin has completely consumed that Elixir; what he needs to do next is to have these animals continue gathering herbs, and then have them refine Elixir for him.

During these days, the mountain animals, besides their usual eating and drinking, have also taken on an important task: gathering herbs.

They also know they can't just graze on this mountain; some animals even run to the neighboring peaks.

Around here the green mountains stretch endlessly; besides the peak where Ye Qin is, the two neighboring peaks were burned down by fire and have not yet recovered, and there are several other peaks as well.

Although the route is a bit far, for certain animals adept at climbing, such as monkeys, these are not a problem.

Moreover, they are very spiritual; they know not to pull up all the herbs, leaving a small portion, after all they need to let them continue growing later.

Just Wu Yuan, however, is somewhat unlucky.

Recently he can't find any herbs on this mountain peak, and he doesn't dare go deeper for fear of disturbing the Mountain God, so he can only trek over mountains and rivers, running to more distant places to gather medicinal plants.

After great effort he crossed several mountains, but the reality left him dumbfounded: the herbs were still that scarce.

After toiling for most of the day, his Medicine Basket contained only a little; if it were the past, the Medicine Basket would surely have been full by now.

Wu Yuan was both angry and exhausted; he plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, sweat pouring down his face.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a few gulps of water, and said, "Lately it's really uncanny—where have all the herbs around here gone? Did they grow legs and run off?"

A glance out of the corner of his eye finally revealed a patch of plantain nearby; Wu Yuan became so excited he was about to tear up.

"May the Mountain God bless me—I have finally found it."

Just as he was about to reach out to pick it, a black shadow suddenly darted out from the tree.

Before he could react, the patch of plantain was left with only a few scattered stalks.

Wu Yuan stared, dumbfounded, and only then realized what the black shadow was—a monkey!

"Give my plantain back!"

Wu Yuan stamped his foot in anger; as the saying goes, the duck that was about to reach his mouth flew away—actually snatched by a monkey.

A faint rustling came from behind him.

He turned his head and saw that his Medicine Basket was actually starting to move.

More precisely, several monkeys were grabbing his Medicine Basket and sprinting away at high speed; seeing Wu Yuan notice, they sped up even more.

Well, well—turns out it's a gang operation.

Wu Yuan stared, dumbfounded, suspecting that this troop of monkeys had become spirits.

The monkeys learn quickly; after noticing the two straps on the Medicine Basket, they fiddled a bit and, just like Wu Yuan before, hoisted the Medicine Basket onto their backs.

The key is that the monkey carrying his Medicine Basket even grinned, turned around and showed a bright smile, as if mocking something, then quickly vanished into the forest.

It looked almost human.

"If you've got the guts, don't run."

Wu Yuan, furious and flustered, hurried after them; if they got away with his Medicine Basket, wouldn't his trip have been for nothing?

Tangled, knotted plants intertwined, as if he had entered an ancient forest; broad leaves blocked most of the light, with occasional shafts slipping through gaps between the leaves.

A few monkey calls came from not far away, faint and intermittent, making the dense woods seem even deeper and more mysterious, irresistibly inviting one to venture in.

Wu Yuan walked through it, occasionally pushing aside branches in front of him, "Speaking of which, what are these monkeys doing picking herbs and taking my Medicine Basket?"

Ordinary monkeys are more interested in wild fruit and rarely touch herbs.

Studies show that some animals can recognize herbs, and even when wounded they can chew herbs and apply them to wounds for treatment.

Especially monkeys, which are relatively intelligent creatures, but judging from the earlier actions of those few, they all seemed healthy—perhaps some monkey in the troop was injured and needed herbs to heal.

After thinking it over, this seems the most likely possibility.

Wu Yuan recalled how those small animals had come to his home before and taken away many herbs, and he felt there must be some mysterious connection between the two.

Could it be that these monkeys are also being driven by the Mountain God?

But that seems unlikely, after all they've crossed several mountains.

Not far off, the squeaky chattering grew louder, as if many monkeys were gathering together; Wu Yuan lightened his steps so as not to disturb them.

He carefully pushed aside the branches blocking his view, and upon seeing the scene before him, he was utterly astonished, unable to speak.

Countless monkeys swung on the trees; Wu Yuan's Medicine Basket was among them, and with this tool the monkeys quickly placed the plants they held into it.

"White Atractylodes, Sichuan Lovage, Schisandra, Wild Mint, Honeysuckle"

"All of them are herbs!"

Wu Yuan instinctively covered his mouth; as a barefoot doctor, he deals with many herbs every day and knows these plants so well that a single glance tells him what they are.

Not a single weed among them—everything was herbs—and soon the monkeys filled the Medicine Basket to the brim, their division of labor crystal clear.

Even the herb bits that were worm-eaten were picked out by them, as if they disdained them.

Even if the monkeys are relatively smart and can recognize some herbs, it's impossible for them to know such a complete variety.

It's truly strange to the extreme.

The Medicine Basket was full of herbs; trying to lift it again was a bit difficult, so a few monkeys gestured, standing upright like humans and hoisting the Medicine Basket away.

The remaining monkeys continued to disperse around, beginning to search; every move they made was full of spirituality, truly awe‑inspiring.

Wu Yuan finally understood why, after climbing mountains and wading through water and crossing several peaks, he had seen no herbs—those monkeys had harvested them all.

So then, were the herbs originally on this peak also gathered by other animals?

Wu Yuan felt with emotion that only the Mountain God could possibly achieve such a feat.

Beforehand he still wanted to retrieve his Medicine Basket, but now he has completely abandoned that idea; indeed he feels somewhat fortunate that a little Medicine Basket could be used by the Mountain God—a great honor.

Wu Yuan bowed devoutly toward the front, then prepared to head home.

Seeing him return with empty hands, not even a Medicine Basket in sight, the villagers found it rather odd.

Doctor Wu, you didn't say you were going up the mountain to pick medicinal herbs? What's going on? How come even the medicine basket is gone?

You just don't understand, this is the Mountain God's will.

The villagers listened and scratched their heads, "What does this have to do with the Mountain God?"

Wu Yuan wore a mysterious inscrutable expression as he recounted what he had seen and heard.

That villager was also full of astonishment: "There's actually such a thing? I originally thought those animals taking your herbs was just an accident."

How could I deceive you? In short, lately we should also go up the mountain less, lest we disturb the Mountain God.

This matter spread from ten to a hundred, and soon all the villagers knew.

Although no one knew what the Mountain God intended to do, these days the villagers tried to reduce their time on the mountain as much as possible, sometimes even taking detours to avoid disturbing the Mountain God's great work.

Recently, Ye Qin was either refining elixir or in the process of consuming elixir; previously it was merely a wisp of qi-body existence, and soon those qi-bodies kept accumulating.

If Ye Qin could practice inner vision, he would discover that this qi seemed to be everywhere, already reaching a prosperous state.

These white qi-bodies wandered through his meridians, as if they had their own life, having merged with his blood and flesh, mutually nourishing.

Ye Qin lay upon a great stone; at this moment he had just finished swallowing a green elixir, and this feeling differed from before.

Those qi-bodies suddenly became lively, as if attracted by something, all rushing toward the same direction.

He felt a sense of his whole body swelling; as those qi-bodies surged, his entire body seemed like an inflated balloon, becoming much more swollen.

In fact, Ye Qin's outward appearance remained unchanged; only the scales on his snake body were slightly opened, absorbing all the qi of heaven and earth.

Sometime ago, a thin layer of mist gradually gathered around, encircling Ye Qin.

Meanwhile, the qi inside his body were like countless tiny fish, swimming throughout his body, finally converging in one place; probably because there was too much, they became restless, continually expanding outward, seeking to seize more territory.

Ye Qin continually compressed them with his mental power, keeping them within a range, lest his body truly be burst by those qi.

The opening of his serpent scales grew wider, somewhat like an animal's fur-raising phenomenon, dispersing the excess power within his body outward.

This process was not easy; it consumed a great deal of mental power, a major trial for him, even more troublesome than exercising divine abilities.

Fortunately, Ye Qin possessed vast mental power, like a continual trickle guiding those qi; otherwise, if they were allowed to run wild, they could easily harm his body.

Soon the heavy qi-bodies gradually became thinner, more precisely condensed; although their shape shrank considerably, the energy they contained increased.

Through the extraction and tempering of mental power, the essence of some qi had been absorbed and diffused into the five viscera, while the remaining portion slowly sank, forming something like a qi cluster.

This qi cluster resembled a small cloud, located some distance from Ye Qin's heart and lungs, its energy extremely gentle, causing no mutual effect.

Moreover, this qi cluster was well-behaved, just staying there without causing any other disturbance; its internal force had already stabilized.

Upon close inspection, the qi inside circulated, seeming to hold the mystery of endless transformations, like a self-contained world, truly awe-inspiring.

Ye Qin slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath, and his serpent pupils flickered with a hint of joy.

"The fourth realm has finally been achieved."

Cultivation has never been something achieved overnight, and there are no shortcuts to take.

Just like Ye Qin now, through external elixir technique he refined elixir, using it as a medium, finally condensing a wisp of qi within his body.

During this period he also failed many times, tried other methods, and only after consuming many herbs did he achieve the present effect; the most difficult barrier has already been broken, and the remaining path is much easier.

Now quantitative change has given rise to qualitative change.

Continually condensing and absorbing postnatal qi, thereby forming something like a qi cluster; the next step for him is to condense the qi cluster into a qi elixir.

And this is the manifestation of the fifth realm.

The treatise 'Profound Gate Revealed Secrets' once recorded: 'Those who cultivate this principle should first refine the body; the wonder of refining the body lies in concentrating the spirit; when the spirit concentrates, qi gathers; when qi gathers, the elixir forms.'

According to Ye Qin's deduction, as long as he continually refines and compresses this qi cluster, he will eventually form a qi elixir, which is the fifth realm.

That is, the second realm of the second stage of cultivation.

If the qi elixir condenses, then further transmuted until finally forming a monster elixir, the golden core would then be considered accomplished.

And this is the third realm of the second stage.

After Ye Qin had explored for so long, the final result proved that the path he took was correct.

Now the formation of the qi cluster does not betray his prior cultivation; what remains is to continue condensing, ultimately forming a qi elixir.

He struck while the iron was hot, continuing to refine the qi of heaven and earth.

Vague mist swirled around Ye Qin, with most of his snake body submerged in it, appearing somewhat divine; at first glance it looked as if he were swallowing clouds and exhaling mist.

Within the mist, Ye Qin's figure seemed magnified many times, with no discernible head or tail, like the ancient creatures of legend.

Plants near the mist also seemed nourished, blessed by all things, able to grow; one ordinary plant had almost reached half a person's height.

The surrounding small animals continued to gather near Ye Qin as before, yet kept their distance so as not to disturb him.

Occasionally a few wisps of mist would drift over; these animals treasured it like a precious find, their pupils flashing with a human-like luster, and even their fur grew ever brighter.

Naturally, these changes occurred invisibly, as the saying goes, 'moistening things silently.'

It seemed only a tiny bit, not conspicuous, and because they were together day and night, it also went unnoticed.

But with the passage of time, perhaps in the future these plants, and the animals that constantly follow Ye Qin, will also undergo some strange change.

Time passed little by little, and soon the sky was suffused with a hint of azure; a few strands of glow drifted across the sky, awakening the sleeping night.

A faint red outline could be seen, falling into the sea of clouds, gently lifted by the morning glow; the light it emitted stained the heavens, and even the entire mountains and rivers were shrouded in a faint halo.

At this moment, the moon had not yet fully withdrawn from the sky; the white crescent resembled a hook, catching a corner of the sky and reluctant to leave.

At the transition of day and night, it is also when the qi of heaven and earth is at its most vigorous.

The place where Ye Qin stands is the highest point on the mountain, as if the sea of clouds brushes past, and together with the mist, it seems like an existence akin to a fairyland.

Clouds and mist swirl, and the morning light stretches boundlessly.

The first strand of morning glow and the last trace of moonlight fell upon Ye Qin at the same time; each Serpent Scale was bathed in the light, continually cleansed by the qi of heaven and earth, emitting a unique color.

These lights have even covered the original color of Ye Qin's scales.

He personally witnessed how that red sun rose.

At this moment, the silver radiance finally withdrew, leaving the sky entirely to that ray of sunlight.

Ye Qin seemed to sense something; he felt an itch in his abdomen, a sensation that spread from inside out, as if something were struggling to burst forth.

Soon the itch in his abdomen spread throughout his body, even his head began to feel it, unbearable, as if countless ants were crawling over his scales.

But Ye Qin had no limbs, so he could only scratch with the tip of his tail.

But doing so had no effect; the itch would not subside, instead it intensified, even threatening to disturb his cultivation, leaving him unable to calm his mind.

"How could it suddenly become this itchy? Could it be some skin disease?"

But upon further thought, that seemed unlikely.

Having entered cultivation, his body had been strengthened in every way, not to mention the protection of heaven and earth's qi; ordinary ailments could not affect him at all.

Therefore, he couldn't help suspecting that his body had undergone some change, but he didn't know exactly what, since no signs had yet appeared.

But Ye Qin couldn't help forming an astonishing guess:

"Could it be that he's about to grow scales and horns?!"

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(End of chapter)