On a mountain in Xianyang, Shaanxi, Shen Long looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh. “Sigh…”

Shen Long was originally a young man from Shanxi, China. After graduating high school, he was unable to attend college due to his family's poor circumstances, so he set out to make a living on his own. The Shen family had been struggling for generations, with few connections. He worked various jobs, none of which were satisfying. On top of that, he faced constant mistreatment and exploitation by ruthless capitalists, making it impossible to even support a family, let alone marry and have children.

However, fate had its twists. Three years after graduation, both of his parents died in a car accident. While sorting through their belongings, he unexpectedly discovered a long-sealed chest, sealed with ancient wax.

Using a dagger, he broke the seal and opened the chest. Inside, he found a book, a compass, several ancient coins, a few yellow talismans, and some other items. The book was titled "Changing Fate."

Seeing these old items, Shen Long suspected they might be antiques. With excitement, he opened the book, and from the first page, his expression changed dramatically, turning from surprise to awe.

He firmly believed this was a turning point in his life. "Changing Fate" was a book on Feng Shui, detailing various phenomena and solutions, with the most comprehensive section about altering one’s destiny.

Determined, Shen Long decided to practice this extraordinary Feng Shui technique. In the realm of cultivation, the order of importance is: fate, luck, merit, Feng Shui, and study. Fate is paramount. After realizing his low destiny through practice, he resolved to change it using Feng Shui, specifically the forbidden technique of "Dragon Vein Absorption." This technique involved locating a dragon vein, cutting it off with Feng Shui, and absorbing it into his body to enhance his own destiny.

Historically, China has seen at least 24 dynasties, each believed to have its own dragon vein. The Yellow Emperor's dragon vein lay in the central Yellow River region; the dragon vein of Dayu was in today's Wenchuan, Sichuan; Shang Tang's vein was also in the Yellow River area; the Zhou dynasty's was in Qishan; Qin's was in Xianyang; Han's in Peixian; and so on. The specific locations of these veins are hard to determine as they often follow the terrain, shifting with the landscape.

Shen Long deduced that most dynasties fell due to their depleted fortune, yet the Qin dynasty was different. Qin Shihuang, the first emperor, was the progenitor of dragons. How could the dynasty fall so soon after his reign? Delving into historical records, he discovered that after unifying China, Qin Shihuang committed many tyrannical acts to solidify central authority, leading to widespread suffering among the populace. The people, fearing reprisal, remained silent. To enforce ideological unity, he persecuted prominent scholars, which incited a rebellion as the populace retaliated. At the time of his death, the capable heir, Fusu, was killed, and Qin Er Shi ascended the throne. In this moment of weakened national fortune, ninety-nine Feng Shui masters sacrificed their lives to seal the dragon vein of the Qin dynasty, leading to its demise.

Shen Long had come to Xianyang in search of the dragon vein. Standing atop the mountain, he held the compass in his hand.

“The various schools of thought are truly ruthless. Outside lies a formation of tigers trapping dragons, while inside, a formation of serpents devours them. Though damaged, remnants of the past are evident. No wonder the kings were so vigorous after Qin’s fall; they had absorbed its fortune.” Shen Long sighed, preparing his formation. “But if it weren’t for their consumption, how could I accommodate so many dragon veins on my own?”

With the Qin dynasty fallen, the two great formations were rendered useless, leaving only a dead dragon vein. It needed to be activated before he could absorb it.

Shen Long set up his flags and began to chant, “Heaven and Earth are boundless; the Qian and Kun borrow the dragon's way to emerge from the sea. Quickly, as the law commands!” He felt the surrounding spiritual energy slowly rising, realizing he had taken a crucial step.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Excited, he chanted again, “Heaven and Earth are boundless; the Qian and Kun borrow the law, open the celestial eye!” A glimmer appeared in his forehead, revealing a purple-golden divine dragon soaring through the heavens, regal, elegant, and mysterious. However, in his excitement, he failed to notice a faint red hue on the dragon's body.

“Ha ha ha... I’m finally going to succeed! Finally!” Overcome with joy, he could hardly contain his emotions.

But perhaps due to his excessive excitement, just as the divine dragon emerged from the dead vein, the weather abruptly changed. What was once sunny turned stormy, with dark clouds swirling ominously.

Looking up at the menacing sky, Shen Long cursed, “Damn it! This damn weather is as fickle as a woman! I need to get moving!” He knew he was being punished by heaven, but to lighten his mood, he made a joke to himself before serious determination took over as he recited the spell:

“Heaven and Earth are boundless; the Qian and Kun borrow the law, the divine dragon enters my body, all under heaven shall respect me, quickly, as the law commands!”

Upon finishing the incantation, the purple-golden divine dragon shot from the ground into his body. He took out the sealing talismans he had found in the chest and placed them on nine key points of his body, finally releasing a long breath.

“I’ve finally completed it.” Yet, as the saying goes, good things come with obstacles. Just then, the dark clouds loomed lower, and a lightning dragon as thick as the divine dragon descended toward him.

Shen Long froze, his cultivation experience being minimal, he had no idea what was happening. The book "Changing Fate" only described techniques and didn’t cover practical experience. All he knew was that he had invoked heavenly punishment and prepared a formation for defense, but now he realized he was vastly unprepared.

Just as he was about to chant another spell to activate the formation, he sensed a surge of malevolent energy rushing toward him. The faint red hue on the dragon indicated the murderous aura from the Qin dynasty’s conquests. It wasn’t just faint; it was deepening to a purplish red, with the malevolent energy backfiring as Shen Long lost consciousness.

“No wonder this dragon vein has been overlooked for millennia; it’s a cursed vein! I thought I was the smartest one here. Fate… oh, fate…” His consciousness was completely devoured.

Heaven’s wrath showed no mercy. As Shen Long lost consciousness, the thunder and lightning continued to strike him, while the divine dragon within him flew out to collide with the divine lightning. In an instant, the mountain shook, and the sun and moon lost their light.

As the divine lightning clashed with the divine dragon, Shen Long's body was obliterated, leaving behind a black hole. A quarter of an hour later, the hole vanished, revealing a valley.

The small peak had transformed into a valley, eerily calm as before.

An hour later, people began to arrive, pointing at the valley and whispering:

“Look, there’s a monster; the five thunders of heaven have struck.” An elderly farmer spoke with an air of expertise, while those around him nodded in agreement, seemingly convinced by this self-proclaimed expert.

Two hours later, reporters arrived, excitedly gathering firsthand information. Whether they could publish it depended on their editor’s decision.

Three hours later, the military arrived, solemnly sealing off the area.

That evening, the United States released their perspective: “According to images sent back by our space agency’s satellite, China has surpassed us in advanced weaponry. We urge citizens to support increasing military funding.”

Regardless of how this incident became a topic of gossip or how it became a new talking point for reporters and experts, or how it turned into a political leverage tool, one thing was certain: Shen Long, the initiator of the event, was forgotten.

Was this the end for Shen Long?

No! This was just the beginning!

...

Meanwhile, Shen Long’s essence hadn’t vanished into the black hole; instead, it transformed into a weak spirit, flickering like a flame about to extinguish. Surrounding it were two dragons: one, a malevolent dragon formed from the separated fate energy, and the other, a thunder dragon made from heavenly punishment. Together, they created a yin-yang symbol, tightly enclosing Shen Long’s spirit within. The fate energy slowly entered his body, nourishing and empowering his spirit.

In an undetermined time of chaos, after absorbing and digesting all the fate energy, Shen Long’s spirit transformed from a flickering light to a size comparable to a human, gradually solidifying—not as a human, but as a purple-golden dragon over a human's length.

Slowly, Shen Long awoke, blinking in confusion. “What happened? Did I not die? Where am I?” No one answered.

Soon, he noticed something was off. Upon seeing his body, he exclaimed, “Ah! What is this? Can anyone tell me what’s going on?” He nearly screamed, but still received no reply.

Gradually, he calmed down and began to realize the situation. He understood that facing reality was the only way out, and that true power was his safeguard against fear. He focused himself, beginning to meditate. Although he lacked a formal technique, he could still explore on his