Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Dance of Fish and Dragon Metamorphosis

When Xu Chen first chose these blood-and-essence foundation methods, he selected them step by step, from weaker to stronger.

The power of blood and essence was meant to grow gradually, and among the methods he was now cultivating, Fish-Dragon Transformation Dance was the one he valued most.

It was also one of the few blood-and-essence foundation methods of the Great Creek Sect that could raise his strength instantly, and it was among the easiest to cultivate.

In the days that followed, Xu Chen trained methodically.

In just one month, Fish-Dragon Transformation Dance had already reached entry level.

“Although my aptitude is poor, I have accumulated so much understanding and experience from cultivating these foundation methods that my pace is no slower than those so-called geniuses.”

Inside the Sacred White Space, Xu Chen pushed open a bronze door carved with exquisite patterns.

Beyond it, on a lake smooth as a mirror, a clone stood at the center of the water.

“So, what is it? Will you let me pass or not?” Xu Chen asked as he closed the bronze door and looked at the clone.

“You may pass, but I have no intention of letting you through.”

“If I do not let you truly feel what the transformation of fish and dragon means, then would my trip here not have been for nothing?”

As soon as the clone finished speaking, its figure vanished.

Bang!

Xu Chen spun and struck out with all his strength, meeting the afterimage head-on.

Violent waves of force exploded outward, and both Xu Chen and the clone were sent back dozens of steps.

“Interesting. You nearly broke through my protective force,” Xu Chen said, shaking out his hand.

“You do have ability. With a gap of four tiger strengths, you are still able to fight me to a standstill,” the clone said, its eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

“You are not bad either. If your combat power were just a little weaker, I might have taken you down in a single blow.”

With a sharp crack, a powerful force burst from the clone’s arm, though it did not cause much damage.

“Again. Let me see where your limit lies!” The clone charged at Xu Chen once more.

The roar of rapid movement and violent collisions echoed ceaselessly across the battlefield.

Boom!

Xu Chen’s uncanny force repeatedly caught the clone off guard.

The moment a flaw appeared, Xu Chen seized it and unleashed a full-strength palm strike.

Bang!

The clone was blasted away like a cannonball and crashed down dozens of zhang away.

Xu Chen stood still, silently watching the clone lying in the distance.

“Looks like I need to show something real.”

The clone slowly rose, vast blood and essence power surging within it.

A long, red carp phantom appeared behind the clone, drifting through the void.

Above the carp hung a dragon gate.

The red carp seemed to leap from the water and soar straight over that gate.

Fish becomes dragon. Carp turns into a true dragon.

A true-dragon phantom appeared behind the clone, and the clone’s blood and essence power surged sharply.

“Let me see how you deal with this next!”

A dragon roar thundered out, and the clone shot toward Xu Chen at a speed too great to see.

The battle erupted anew, and this time Xu Chen found his guard growing strained.

“That secret art actually increased your strength by five tiger strengths. Impressive.”

“And all of this will belong to me eventually.”

In the battles that followed, Xu Chen changed tactics and began to circle with the clone.

Yet the clone’s attacks only grew fiercer, bearing down with brute force to crush finesse.

At such a moment, Xu Chen took out a dose of Seven Wounds Ointment and a Blood-Scorching Pill and swallowed them.

Instantly, Xu Chen’s strength increased by three tiger strengths.

At the same time, he smeared Rotblood Extract over his palms. Protected by the force of Ninefold Vajra Reversal, the Rotblood Extract could not harm him.

The battle became balanced once more, and both sides attacked with ever greater ferocity.

“Refreshing!”

“To fight a battle this thoroughly is worth the journey here.”

The stalemate continued, and both sides’ power boosts were limited in duration.

By then, the clone’s face had begun to pale, and its blood and essence no longer surged as violently as before.

Xu Chen himself was no better off. His blood and essence circulated like blades cutting flesh, and his heart, meridians, and internal organs throbbed with pain as though countless worms were gnawing at them.

Even so, thanks to the vital force nourished by the Three Chan Transformations, Xu Chen felt he could still endure a little longer.

Bang!

Xu Chen struck with full force, and his power, mixed with Rotblood Extract, seeped into the clone’s heart meridians.

Puff!

The clone spat out a mouthful of blood, its gaze dimming.

“You are very strong.” The clone gave a thumbs-up, then fell.

The world shattered, and his soul drifted into some unknown place once more.

This time, Xu Chen possessed the body of a youth from the Dragon Carp Clan.

Though dragon came first in their name, the clan possessed only a trace of true-dragon bloodline.

Relying on that sliver of dragon blood, the Dragon Carp Clan dominated a vast continent a thousand miles across and built a brilliant cultivation civilization.

The youth Xu Chen inhabited was born into a great family, and from childhood he had only one goal: to cultivate to a certain realm, awaken his dragon bloodline, and transform into a true dragon.

This was also one of the lifelong wishes shared by every member of the Dragon Carp Clan. Yet after tens of thousands of years of cultivation, only a handful had ever managed to become dragons.

From childhood to adulthood, the youth had cultivated only one Fish-Dragon Transformation Dance method. By the time Xu Chen possessed him, he had already reached the stage of transformation of intent, and was but one step away from the unity of form and intent.

“That is odd. Why am I starting from this level?”

Xu Chen, now within the Dragon Carp Clan youth’s body, felt puzzled.

But not long after, his confusion was cleared up.

To break through the final stage, the youth directly forgot all memories and cultivation related to Fish-Dragon Transformation Dance and began cultivating anew.

This was a unique talent of the Dragon Carp Clan: the power to forget anything one wished to forget.

Thus, the youth started over, and in only half a year he broke through to the final stage, with the phantoms of a carp and dragon gate appearing behind him.

The world shattered, and Xu Chen returned, a flood of insights pouring into his mind.

“Not bad. Once I absorb all these insights and strengthen my blood and essence, I should have at least two dragon and five tiger strengths.”

“At that point, if I activate the secret art directly, could I not clash head-on with that madman for a while?”

At the thought, Xu Chen could not help feeling a surge of excitement.

“First, digest the insights.”

Three days later, a red carp and the phantom of a dragon gate appeared behind Xu Chen.

“Two dragon and seven tiger strengths!”

Sensing the vast blood and essence within him, on the verge of overflowing, Xu Chen showed an excited expression.

The satisfaction of power continuing to grow made him increasingly enthralled.

“Once Fish-Dragon Transformation Dance is activated, it consumes several times the usual amount of blood and essence, and can even overdraw the power of the heart, meridians, and internal organs.”

“Use it too often, and it will consume one’s potential.”

“But I have the Three Chan Transformations. The life force within me is several times greater than that of others at the same level.”

“Even if I activate it in the real world, as long as I do not exhaust the life force stored in my heart, meridians, and organs, I can use the secret art without harm.”

At this moment, Xu Chen wanted only to shout: at the same level, who could stand against me?

“This cheat may have been a bit cruel at the beginning, but after getting through the hardest part, things are finally improving.”

“And even though it is improving, there is one drawback.”

With his hands behind his back, Xu Chen looked up at the sky, the very picture of a grand master.

“That is, one can become lonely at the top.”

“At the same level, who else can possibly be my match?”

Just as Xu Chen was putting on airs and brooding, his disciple token began to vibrate.