"Just a bit more essence blood and the True Dragon bloodline should reach perfection!" Lin Fei murmured softly, perched upon a rock on the island.
Lin Fei's cultivation took place right there, on the island, without the need for any secret chambers. After all, no one dared approach his vicinity. This vast area was deemed forbidden, off-limits to the members of the Azure Flood Dragon clan.
The King of the Azure Flood Dragons stood guard beside Lin Fei, carrying out any tasks he was assigned. This arrangement seemed to greatly please the Flood Dragon King, now relegated to a mere guardian.
And Green King? He was the laborer, ceaselessly busy, venturing into the vast ocean to devour exotic beasts and gather their essence blood. Each return saw him in a rather battered state, much to the Flood Dragon King's secret delight.
"Swish!" Green King returned once again.
The Flood Dragon King snorted coldly, "The Master is inside. I hope you've brought enough essence blood this time."
Green King, looking haggard, ignored the Flood Dragon King and hastened to Lin Fei, panic flickering across his face. "Master, I fear I've encountered great trouble," he said in a low voice.
"What kind of trouble?" Lin Fei glanced at Green King.
"Master, in my quest to gather True Dragon essence blood for you, I've been hunting the Kun clan deep in the sea. Their strength was mediocre at best. However, it seems I've awakened an ancient ancestor of the Kun clan in the deep sea. A terrifying entity has been roused. Sensing danger, I fled back here."
Lin Fei's eyebrows rose in intrigue. "The ancient ancestor of the Kun clan? What is that? Could it be the mythical Kun?"
Lin Fei looked at Green King in astonishment. This green carp seemed to have a knack for attracting formidable and fearsome enemies. In just this short period, he had invoked such a powerful adversary. Of course, Green King had still managed to escape back. And after all, he was serving Lin Fei's purposes.
Lin Fei did not reprimand him but simply nodded, "Bring forth the essence blood."
"Master, this time I've managed to condense about twenty drops of essence blood..."
Green King skillfully produced the twenty drops of essence blood. Despite the pain it caused him, he had no choice. He was now Lin Fei's servant, bound to do as commanded.
As for transforming into a dragon, Lin Fei had made no promises. But likely, only after Lin Fei ascended to the Martial Gods could Green King slowly accumulate his own essence blood and strive for his transformation.
"Good, do not venture out for now. Stay here with the Azure Flood Dragon King," Lin Fei instructed.
"Yes, Master."
With that, Green King retreated. After his departure, Lin Fei gazed at the twenty drops of essence blood before him. "This should be enough! Hopefully, this time the True Dragon bloodline will reach its full potential!" Lin Fei had been waiting for this moment far too long.
"Merge!"
The next moment, Lin Fei opened his mouth and swallowed. Instantly, all twenty drops of True Dragon essence blood were ingested. A thunderous rumble resonated within him, as a terrifying aura emanated from his body. Meanwhile, Lin Fei's True Dragon bloodline, already transcendent, was now hurtling toward completion.
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50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%...
With the absorption of the twenty drops of essence blood, Lin Fei's True Dragon bloodline cultivation finally reached 100%.
"Boom!"
In that instant, Lin Fei's True Dragon bloodline was perfected. Suddenly, his body uncontrollably transformed into a colossal figure, a manifestation of the awakened True Dragon bloodline.
Lin Fei's entire being radiated immense strength, and a phantom of a true dragon loomed behind him, overlooking all beings with a fearsome presence.
"Is it done?" The Azure Flood Dragon King and Green King abruptly looked up. They exchanged glances, both visibly shaken. As king-level exotic beasts with True Dragon bloodlines themselves, they were acutely sensitive to such transformations.
The overwhelming pressure emanating from Lin Fei was unmistakable – the True Dragon bloodline had reached its zenith. And, if they remembered correctly, this was Lin Fei's ninth bloodline.
Martial Kings, upon perfecting nine bloodlines, could attempt to break through to the realm of Martial Gods. The thought left the Azure Flood Dragon King and Green King with mixed feelings.
Deep down, they hoped Lin Fei wouldn't achieve Martial God status, for if he did, they would be bound to him for generations. Yet, they also didn't want him to perish, as their fates were tied to his. It was a dilemma.
Lin Fei's True Martial King Form, merely a hundred meters tall, hovered in the void.
"System," he called out, and the system panel appeared.
Host: Lin Fei
Martial Realm: Late Stage Martial King
Supreme Saber Dao Bloodline: Perfection
Grand Yin Wind Dao Bloodline: Perfection
Triple Yin True Fire Bloodline: Perfection
Supreme Yang Heavenly Thunder Bloodline: Perfection
Annihilation Frost Bloodline: Perfection
Earth Pulse Divine Mountain Spirit Communication Bloodline: Perfection
Endless Vitality Green Wood Bloodline: Perfection
Phoenix Bloodline: Perfection
True Dragon Bloodline: Perfection
Lin Fei observed the densely packed list of bloodlines on the system panel. Nine bloodlines, now all perfectly complete. This meant he had met the minimum criteria to challenge the Martial God realm.
However, this was just the beginning. To truly ascend to Martial Gods, a Martial King must not only perfect nine bloodlines but also possess a steadfast "Dao". But what was Lin Fei's "Dao"?
Without a "Dao," Lin Fei would find it immensely challenging to achieve the status of Martial Gods. Ascension to godhood is a process of "realizing the Dao," a qualitative transformation, even more significant than the leap from a master to a martial saint.
Regardless of Lin Fei's power, his essence remained human. But upon becoming a Martial God, his very essence would transform. No longer merely human, he would become a deity.
How can a mortal become a god? Even if a god's power were to be thrust upon a human, it would not be a blessing but a catastrophe. Mortals lack the conviction to wield such divine power. The "Dao" helps a Martial King bear the power of a god. This process is the realization of the Dao.
The journey from Martial King to Martial Gods is arduous and nearly impossible. Ninety-nine percent of Martial Kings fall, never reaching the realm of Martial Gods. The transformation from human to god is a metamorphosis coveted by all life forms, including exotic beasts. When a king-level beast transforms into a god-level entity, it becomes the stuff of myths and legends.
The same is true for Qi cultivators: the transition from Nascent Soul to Deity Transformation signifies immortality and an ability to manifest in myriad forms, a feat both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
But Lin Fei faced a dilemma: where was his "Dao," and how could he realize it?
As Lin Fei pondered, the sea suddenly churned into a massive whirlpool, with towering water spouts erupting skywards. The entire ocean seemed to go mad, roaring and raging.
Amidst the enormous whirlpool and water spouts, a colossal exotic beast began to emerge. Its appearance instantly exerted a fearsome life-force pressure. The Azure Flood Dragon King and Green King were utterly suppressed, an overwhelming dominance of life and bloodline.
Fear gripped Green King, who couldn't help but cry out, "Master, that... that is the awakened being of the Kun clan!"
"The awakened being of the Kun clan?" Lin Fei mused. "Could it be the real divine beast Kun?"
He gazed at the terrifying exotic beast. Below the waves, its massive body seemed to stretch for thousands of miles. Anyone witnessing this fearsome creature, possibly the legendary Kun, would be struck with awe.