Chapter 302: Fire Chi Transformation, Boar Spell, Third Year of Da Zhi

Upon returning to Daoyuan Continent, it was unclear if King Tianyan intentionally chose the ancient underground passage controlled by Kunyuan Academy.

"Passing by the academy twice without entering? If young Meng knew, he'd be furious," King Tianyan chuckled.

Zhao Xing felt a bit helpless. After gaining a hundred years of life, King Tianyan's demeanor seemed to have become youthful again. However, he truly had no time to write treatises for the Geographical School. His upcoming study of Astrological Arts required his full concentration. He needed to cultivate his top-tier spells from the introductory stage (lower three turns) to the minor mastery stage (middle three turns). The process itself was already difficult; if he were to be distracted, he wouldn't know how many he could master.

Furthermore, his main focus this time was the Transmutation Art. External cultivation was fine, but internal cultivation of the Transmutation Art carried some risks. A slight mishap could lead to qi deviation and physical mutation. If he ended up with a pig's head that he couldn't change back, it would be disastrous. How could Zhao Xing dare to be distracted?

"Crack, crack, crack, crack!"

The Silver Dragon Airship's barrier constantly shook, emitting a sharp grinding sound, and a layer of flame appeared around its exterior. "The Silver Dragon Airship still isn't quite up to par," King Tianyan remarked, glancing around. "It's only been flying for two *ke* (quarters of an hour), and the mechanical formations are already operating at their limit, making such a loud noise with the protective barrier."

"The ancient underground passage wasn't meant for ordinary use, yet you insisted on taking it," Zhao Xing said, opening a formation box. He pulled out a smoking magic disk, then inserted another rectangular disk filled with seventh-tier elemental crystals. The protective barrier stabilized again, but the noise persisted.

The ancient underground passage was simply not designed for seventh-tier airships. At minimum, a seventh-tier battleship was required; even tower ships weren't quite enough as their protective capabilities couldn't keep up. The Silver Dragon Airship was considered quite good, as it was designed for a first-rank marquis and was a combat-class airship. Traversing the ancient underground passage meant enduring the pressure of top-tier earth veins and the friction caused by their ultra-high-speed flow.

Of course, it was truly fast. Any ancient underground passage was dozens of times faster than Zhao Xing's current Great Peng Transformation speed. The passage's transport speed was slightly lower than that of the Lihuo Divine Altar and Biyou Canghai, but its carrying capacity exceeded both. The Lihuo Divine Altar couldn't transport millions of troops and supplies, and Biyou Canghai was limited to Pinghai Province, but many ancient underground passages had capacities in the tens of millions.

Three *ke* (quarters of an hour) later, the airship's speed rapidly decreased. The barrier's noise gradually faded. "Qianqing Commandery has arrived." King Tianyan stood up.

At this point, the scene outside the airship was no longer blurry. Three colossal openings appeared in the rock walls on both sides. The openings were supported by external claw-like walls, appearing like giant iron barrels embedded into the rock face. Zhao Xing's was a small airship, so the opening he entered had a diameter of only three hundred meters. The other two large openings were over a thousand meters in diameter, meant for battleships.

"Buzz~"

The Silver Dragon Airship passed through the opening's barrier, then swiftly floated upwards, enveloped by two deep blue, almost solid, liquid light pillars. "This is a Water-Element Passage, utilizing the power of water veins within the surging earth脉," King Tianyan explained, assuming Zhao Xing had never seen such a thing.

"Truly impressive!" Old Master Zhao exclaimed cooperatively. In reality, Zhao Xing had not only seen it but had also cultivated similar techniques. In his previous life, once his rank was high enough, the most common tasks he undertook for the Geographical School were repairing and excavating ancient underground passages. Especially during Emperor Wu's campaign against the Southern Barbarians, they practically built and repaired as they fought. The task rewards were high, so many Geographical-style players rushed to complete this mission, their "industrial souls" burning brightly!

However, his current exclamation was genuine. This was because the battles against the Yan Guang Royal Court in his previous life were quite tragic. The Babcock Worms were highly destructive to the passages. Large numbers of mechanical engineers and Geographical School agronomists were buried alive multiple times, or ended up in the worms' bellies. Once the Babcock Worms appeared, even burrowing into the ground was impossible. This left Old Master Zhao with a phobia of worms later on, and everyone's enthusiasm for this task rapidly declined. During Emperor Jing's campaign to pacify the barbarians, there wasn't much contact with the Yan Guang Royal Court because Emperor Jing didn't arrange for as many routes, nor were the Geographical School members tasked with excavating earth vein passages. Therefore, the Yan Guang Royal Court's full strength had not yet been revealed at this time.

"Boom!"

The Silver Dragon Airship shook as it erupted from beneath the earth. The airship spun a few times before it could adjust its direction. "Whoosh~" Finding its bearings, Zhao Xing steered the airship towards the academy in Qianqing Commandery.

Qianqing Commandery was vast; the combined area of Kunyuan Commandery and Shangluo Commandery, even tripled, would still be slightly smaller than Qianqing Commandery. Xuan Tian Academy only occupied half of the commandery's territory, yet its scale remained the largest among the three schools. There was no alternative; the Astrological School had many members and wide-ranging spells, so it needed to occupy such a large territory, or else it wouldn't have enough space to operate!

Xuan Tian Academy's gatehouses were also grand. There were a total of eight gatehouses on all sides of the academy, all towering into the clouds. To enter Xuan Tian Academy, there were nine layers of paths, both upward and downward: three cloud paths, three tree paths, and three earth paths. Inside Xuan Tian Academy, there were various institutes such as the Lotus Institute, the Gen Mountain Institute, and the Dize Institute. There were also branches for the Geographical and Self-Cultivation Schools for agronomists to study. In fact, ever since the Seventy-Two Daoist Academies joined the Great Zhou, all academies had become inclusive. Even the Martial God Hall had branches for mechanical engineering, agronomy, rites, music, and other professions. Some branches, over time, became quite famous, even achieving the top rank in their respective provinces.

Xuan Tian Academy's Xuan Tian Liangshan Institute was quite renowned. Not only had it created new top-tier Geographical Arts, but it also had top-tier experts specifically researching mountain arts, attempting to create the ultimate mountain art for the Geographical School. Next in renown was the Transmutation School's Golden Body Institute, which utilized the Transmutation Art to forge martial golden bodies, having researched and developed the Dragon Blood Golden Body, ranking among the top-tier martial golden bodies. Sacred lands of other professions also had similar achievements. In short, the Seventy-Two Daoist Academies had one consistent motto: first, crush the competition in their own field, then crush those outside their field! Of course, they could only compete fiercely up to the top-tier achievements; ultimate arts or ultimate-level things were beyond their competitive reach. But for attracting students and investments, it was more than sufficient.

"Oh, the Saint Son is here!" "Quick, junior brother, go block the road, then bring out the honor guard to beat drums and gongs!"

The moment he disembarked from the airship, he heard Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing teasing him. Did Zhao Xing care about their teasing? He immediately retorted, "How audacious! How could you two elders not even arrange beautiful women and fragrant carriages? There's not even a welcome banner! Truly disrespectful!"

"Guards! Drag them away and chop them!"

Besides themselves, who else was around? But King Tianyan joined in the fun, immediately leaping from the airship, and with a straight face, produced a command arrow: "As you command!"

Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing were immediately dumbfounded upon seeing King Tianyan appear. A first-rank official! Are you serious? The two quickly dropped their jovial expressions and bowed to King Tianyan: "Greetings, King Tianyan. We didn't know you would also be here. This humble subordinate has been disrespectful."

King Tianyan cheerfully waved his hand, "I'm just here as an escort. You don't need to be so formal, just pretend I'm not here." King Tianyan had also interacted with Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing before. However, while King Tianyan could tease them, these two dared not joke with him. They immediately bowed respectfully and led Zhao Xing and King Tianyan towards the Transmutation Institute.

"Is Ling Tianchen in this institute?" King Tianyan asked. "The director is busy with official duties and will return in another day," Hu Yang replied. "Alright, then take us to rest," King Tianyan said. Zhao Xing's training plan was not something he could discuss with Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing. Any arrangements would best be discussed with Ling Tianchen.

"Yes."

The style of the Transmutation Institute was completely different from other Agronomist Institutes. Other branches had many flowers, plants, and trees. In the Transmutation Institute, beasts were seen everywhere, while humans were rarely encountered. "Many of them aren't true beasts, but rather practitioners of the Transmutation Art." "The most common place for the Transmutation Art is probably right here," Zhao Xing observed, watching the beasts moving around. Humans, in this place, seemed somewhat out of place. King Tianyan, however, frowned slightly: "Why is this place like the Creation Daoist Academy?"

After spending a day exploring, King Tianyan and Zhao Xing had completely different impressions. Zhao Xing was somewhat excited, as he witnessed numerous transformations. In his eyes, this was magic, this was knowledge! The flourishing of the Transmutation Art truly made this a sacred land! King Tianyan, however, saw danger. He summoned Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing: "Does your Transmutation Institute have any unreported, dangerous cultivation or research plans?"

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

"Just make sure you don't create any monstrosities," King Tianyan admonished before re-entering his room. Zhao Xing knew King Tianyan's attitude was "out of sight, out of mind," because many of the Transmutation School's cultivation and research methods pushed the boundaries of legality. Even if not illegal, those with high moral standards would find them unacceptable. Of course, King Tianyan's concern wasn't about that. He was reminded of the old eccentrics from the Creation Daoist Academy and worried about things getting out of control.

One day after Zhao Xing's arrival, Ling Tianchen appeared as scheduled. A *wen* (mythical beast) descended from the sky, transforming into a human upon landing. "Greetings, Director," Zhao Xing bowed. Legend has it that the *wen* is one of the true dragon's nine sons, with a dragon head and fish body. It enjoys looking around from perilous places, swallowing fire, and can spray waves and bring rain. The *wen* transformed by Ling Tianchen could easily swallow and spit out 'weak water'. It was also he who led the people to slay King Ziyu and King Xuan, and seized the Weak Water Channel.

"Zhao Xing, you've arrived," Ling Tianchen offered a faint smile. His distinctive bones were prominent, his skeleton was unusual, and his life force was incredibly vast. His aura was similar to Shi Wenxuan's when he cast dragon curses, but Ling Tianchen naturally exuded this vast aura, as if his life essence was inherently superior to others.

"King Tianyan," Ling Tianchen said, merely giving a slight nod upon seeing King Tianyan. Then he looked back at Zhao Xing: "Zhao Xing, since you wish to cultivate the Transmutation Art, and I happen to have time, I will personally teach you. Follow me."

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

"Discuss?" Ling Tianchen turned his head. His pupils were light purple, and even his normal tone conveyed a sense of oppressive force: "Discuss what?"

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

"No need to discuss; I have already decided."

King Tianyan cupped his hands: "Then please allow me to observe as well."

"No," Ling Tianchen shook his head. "It involves confidential matters."

King Tianyan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Zhao Xing's cultivation also involves confidential matters. How can I not be informed of such an important issue?"

"I said no."

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

Ling Tianchen's gaze turned cold, and a guttural, wolf-like voice emerged from his throat: "Tianyan, is the royal family attempting to interfere with this institute's internal heritage? Even the Great Ancestor never interfered. Who do you think you are?!"

A storm seemed to gather between the two of them. Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing, at this moment, stopped their jovial manner and dared not even breathe loudly. Zhao Xing also felt the pressure. As the strongest branch of the Astrological School, the Transmutation School's director, Ling Tianchen, held a status no less than King Tianyan. He even surpassed King Tianyan. This was because there were many members of the imperial clan, and even first-rank officials could be numerous. But there was only one leader of the Transmutation School!

Why was he unwilling to let King Tianyan know? Ordinary matters would have been fine. But this concerned internal heritage. And "knowing" was the beginning of interference. Therefore, Ling Tianchen absolutely could not back down.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Zhao Xing, caught in the middle, cupped his hands and said, "Director, the Prince is merely concerned for my safety, not intentionally interfering against regulations. Your Royal Highness, with the Director teaching me, please rest assured, nothing will go wrong."

The atmosphere eased slightly. Ling Tianchen offered a way out: "Tianyan, I guarantee he won't suffer even the slightest mishap."

King Tianyan snorted: "If anything goes wrong, then prepare for the Human Emperor's Sword to descend upon you." Despite saying that, he ultimately agreed to let Ling Tianchen take Zhao Xing. With King Tianyan conceding, Ling Tianchen said no more. He grabbed Zhao Xing and ascended into the air.

The *wen* moved incredibly fast, carrying Zhao Xing through clouds, rain, and lightning. Zhao Xing couldn't see the surroundings clearly at all; his sense of time was even muddled. After an unknown period, Zhao Xing felt himself descending, and his speed also decreased. The scenery before him stabilized as the *wen* descended from the clouds. He saw grasslands below and continuous palaces in the distance.

"Whoosh~"

Ling Tianchen's body underwent an astonishing transformation. His hard claws rapidly turned into soft palms, and by the time he landed, he had reverted to human form. "We've arrived," Ling Tianchen said solemnly. "This is the legacy ground of the Transmutation School."

"Director, is this a minor realm?" Zhao Xing surveyed his surroundings. He clearly felt that the principles of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang here differed somewhat from the outside world.

"Correct. It's called the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven, and it doesn't exist in the Great Zhou's archives," Ling Tianchen said, leading Zhao Xing forward. "The Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven is exceptionally suitable for cultivating the Transmutation Art. The temporal energies here have been specially modulated, allowing for decade-long transmutations to be seen everywhere, and there are over three hundred areas for century-long transmutations."

"Additionally, the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven also has five locations where millennium-long transmutations regularly occur." Ling Tianchen said, "Of course, millennium-long transmutation sites also take a longer time. Currently, all five locations are accumulating power. The next occurrence will be in one hundred and forty-three years."

Zhao Xing's heart trembled. Controllable transmutation sites! What did this concept mean? It was equivalent to being able to mass-produce high-tier exotic beasts. Practitioners of the Transmutation Art could also cultivate in these controllable transmutation sites. Back then, Zhao Xing had used Divination Arts to find many transmutation sites in the East Sea, but very few were usable. Those he did utilize allowed the Upside-Down Sheep and the Azure Hound to complete their transformations. Millennium-long transmutations were even rarer. Zhao Xing had divined for a long time but ultimately didn't know the exact timing. It was only by chance that he discovered the Xuan Tian Sect's stronghold, and then realized it was the very location he had divined. That was no coincidence at all. The Xuan Tian Sect and Xuan Tian Academy were originally of the same lineage! However, that stronghold in the East Sea was still very different from the current Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven, because the one in the East Sea was an uncontrollable transmutation point. Many years had passed, and the three underwater mountains were still at the bottom of the sea. When would a millennium-level transmutation occur there? Zhao Xing didn't know and couldn't calculate it.

However, here, there were five locations for millennium-long transmutations, and they were controllable. They could shorten the time, precisely control the power, and generally influence the type and range. "The Transmutation School truly is the strongest force in Xuan Tian Academy, not just an empty boast," Zhao Xing couldn't help but exclaim.

Ling Tianchen smiled upon hearing this: "What? Is there still someone who thinks the Transmutation School's strength is just a bluff? In ancient times, the sect master's successor of the Xuan Tian Divine Sect came only from the Transmutation School lineage. There are over sixteen documented ultimate Transmutation Arts! If it were in that era, even if the leader of the Self-Cultivation School had mastered the Myriad Arts Straw Effigy, they still couldn't defeat the leader of the Transmutation School."

"Over sixteen types?" Zhao Xing appropriately expressed his shock. Of course, there were more than sixteen. According to the seventy-two seasonal divisions of the lunar calendar, there should theoretically be seventy-two types of Astrological Transmutation Arts. But this was only theoretical. In reality, during the Spirit Qi Era of ancient times, there weren't that many either. Ling Tianchen's words didn't sound like bragging, because the sect master of the Divine Sect came only from the Transmutation School. If it were in the Spirit Qi Era, when all things flourished and divine beasts were common, simply put, the Myriad Arts Straw Effigy couldn't defeat the Transmutation Art. Of course, if one included the divine trees cultivated in Pure Yuan soil, that would add another condition. With divine trees guarding them, agronomists of the Self-Cultivation School could stand in an invincible position. At most, you could kill my clones, but my true body would be very difficult to harm. In terms of single arts alone, in that era, the Transmutation Art was stronger than the Myriad Arts Straw Effigy.

"A hero doesn't boast of past glories; let's not dwell on these ancient legends." Ling Tianchen said, "Heaven and earth change; time works wonders. With the end of the ancient era, the wondrous giant beasts between heaven and earth greatly diminished, and the Transmutation Art subsequently declined. It became very difficult for us to collect true blood of exotic beasts that could aid cultivation."

Zhao Xing nodded. Compared to the Spirit Qi Era, the Transmutation Art in the Yuan Qi Era was indeed much weaker. Because divine beasts had become extinct, most bloodlines were mixed and not pure enough. What are now called Azure Luan, Fire Phoenix, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, Qilin—they only possess their bloodlines. Since they hadn't been seen before, and resembled the circulating illustrations, they were naturally named as such. In reality, their power was nowhere near that of true divine beasts.

"Aside from the environment being suitable for cultivating the Transmutation Art in the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven, we also preserve many valuable exotic beast bloodlines, bloodlines very close to those of that era." Ling Tianchen led Zhao Xing to a complex of palaces. The gatehouse sign read "Palace of Rare Beasts."

"Hiss~" "Roar"

The roars of giant beasts came from the palaces on both sides. Zhao Xing noticed that the palaces here were generally taller and grander than the Spring Palaces outside. "Many rare species not found outside are bred here, such as unicorns, Nethermoon Elephants, Purple Phoenixes, Heavenly Star Divine Fire Ants, Golden Divine Toads... Many that have become extinct outside are preserved in the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven. Even those not extinct have purer bloodlines than those outside."

Zhao Xing followed Ling Tianchen on a cursory tour. Many of the exotic beasts he saw, he hadn't even encountered in his previous life. It truly was an eye-opener here. The Palace of Rare Beasts in the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven was undoubtedly a rare animal zoo.

"Are you wondering why I didn't allow King Tianyan to enter here?" Ling Tianchen asked.

"This student does not know," Zhao Xing respectfully replied, "but this student believes you must have a compelling reason for doing so."

Ling Tianchen said, "Although the rare beasts here are precious, they are still not the most important thing. Nor are they the true foundation of my Transmutation Art. What's truly important are the divine beast bloodlines that are extremely close to legend. For instance, the 'Kun Peng Transformation' you cultivate: where did the Kun Peng essence blood given to you by the Grand Minister come from? It was taken from the Kun Peng within the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven. The *Jì Méng* Transformation cultivated by Wu Long, the *Tiān Wú* Transformation cultivated by Shang He, and the *Wen* Transformation I cultivate—all originate from here. Look, there's a *Jì Méng* here."

Ling Tianchen pointed to a deep pool ahead. The cold pool was like a giant ink-black mirror. Its water was bone-chillingly cold, with wisps of chill continuously rising from the surface, condensing into sparkling frost on the surrounding rocks and trees. The pool water was crystal clear to the bottom, yet it exuded a mysterious, deep blue hue. In the pool was a *Jì Méng*, its dragon head held high, its dragon horns shimmering with a cold, ghostly luster, as if carved from ice crystals. Its eyes were tightly closed, and the scales beneath them, reflecting the faint light of the cold pool, resembled flowing blue flames. The human-bodied part of the *Jì Méng* sat cross-legged on a large rock in the cold pool, its muscles clearly defined, exuding a sense of ancient yet powerful strength. Its bird-claw-like feet gripped the boulder tightly, talons deeply embedded in the rock crevices, stable and resolute. The feathers on its arms trembled gently in the cold wind, yet they were not disarrayed, as if restrained by an unseen force.

"Human body with a dragon head, perpetually roaming the Zhangyuan abyss, bringing gusting winds and torrential rain with its appearance," Zhao Xing recalled the description of *Jì Méng*. "There are actually nine *Jì Méng* here?"

Yes, there was more than one *Jì Méng* in the cold pool; there were nine! Zhao Xing looked closely. One of the older *Jì Méng* also raised its head, met his gaze, and then nodded slightly. Continuing to follow Ling Tianchen forward, Zhao Xing then saw the eight-headed, eight-faced *Tiān Wú*. There were even more of these here, actually thirty-six of them! Ling Tianchen's steps did not falter. Zhao Xing then successively passed the Palace of Tengshe, which housed seventy-two *Tengshe* (winged serpents), and the White Tiger Palace, housing thirty-six white tigers. He even saw creatures resembling the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird, Qilin, Vermilion Bird, Five-Clawed Golden Dragon—the vast majority were equivalent to, or even slightly surpassed, a first-rank human in terms of aura. The key was that there were many of them. As divine beasts, their numbers here were excessive, often appearing in dozens. Each time they passed by, the divine beasts would raise their heads to look at Ling Tianchen and Zhao Xing, ceasing all their actions. Zhao Xing always felt that the eyes of these divine beasts were too intelligent and full of emotion.

A thought emerged in his mind. "Director, how rare is the reproduction of divine beasts? Could it be that here—"

Ling Tianchen nodded expressionlessly: "Yes, it's exactly as you're thinking."

Zhao Xing's expression couldn't help but change. Even with prior suspicion, seeing it now filled him with awe and deep reflection, because the divine beasts here were all transformed humans. If divine beasts had long been extinct, then where did the Kun Peng essence blood come from? The answer was: through cultivating the Transmutation Art, they transformed into those legendary divine beasts, and then never changed back. If the Transmutation Art was maintained beyond a certain time limit, one would permanently be unable to revert.

In the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven, there was such a group of people. They cultivated the Transmutation Art not for combat, but solely for preservation of heritage. They cultivated the Transmutation Art with the intention of never changing back. "According to sectarian history, the legacy of the Transmutation Art can be traced back as far as a million years ago. Facing great changes in heaven and earth, a group of Transmutation School experts, after absorbing pure divine beast essence blood, chose not to revert to human form. Their entire lives would be dedicated to preserving the purity of the bloodline, cultivating day and night, and consuming large amounts of medicinal herbs and resources at regular intervals. Passed down from generation to generation, the divine beasts currently residing in the Palace of Rare Beasts have largely retained the bloodline power of ancient divine beasts. If other disciples of the sect possess the talent to cultivate the Transmutation Art, they can draw essence blood from here as an aid. For the continuation of the sect, they are willing to sacrifice."

Ling Tianchen looked at Zhao Xing: "I am unwilling to let King Tianyan enter, not because I am stubborn or corrupt. It's because once the imperial court takes control of the Myriad Transformations Cave Heaven, whether it's voluntary or not will no longer be up to us."

Zhao Xing nodded. Divine beast essence blood isn't only for cultivating the Transmutation Art; its uses are incredibly vast. Warriors, mages, ritual cultivators, mechanical engineers—anyone can use it. If an ambitious and vainglorious emperor were to control this place, then the Transmutation School agronomists would certainly see an increase in 'voluntary' participants. Large numbers of Transmutation School agronomists would inevitably be reduced to mere tools. Under heaven, only the Ji royal family possessed the power to coerce them. That's why Ling Tianchen became very sensitive and resolute when faced with King Tianyan's demand.

Ling Tianchen stood before a palace gate, looking up: "Sometimes I also wonder, even if it's done voluntarily, this matter is still very cruel. Should we perhaps abolish this practice and completely destroy this method? Zhao Xing, what do you think?"

Zhao Xing, hearing Ling Tianchen's question, knew he wasn't genuinely hesitant but was testing him. How could a sect leader casually reveal their inner weakness to others? He didn't answer directly but instead told a story: "I've heard that the chamois in the north, when pursued by natural predators, were forced onto a cliff. For the survival of their species, the old chamois unhesitatingly leaped off the cliff, becoming stepping stones for the younger chamois. This ultimately allowed the young chamois to leap across the cliff and escape their predicament."

"I also heard of a school of physicians, called the 'Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate,' where masters would have their disciples practice the final needle on themselves before becoming fully qualified. Among mechanical engineers, the Blood Forging lineage would offer their own bodies to temper swords. The continuation of a species, the legacy of a sect, survival is the first priority."

Ling Tianchen saw that Zhao Xing didn't answer directly and pressed further: "Suppose you were in charge of the Transmutation Institute, what would you do?"

Zhao Xing replied without hesitation: "If this student were in charge, I would strive to find alternative methods. If it concerned survival and had to be continued, I would also maintain proper limits, absolutely never allowing people to be reduced to mere tools."

Ling Tianchen nodded, remaining silent for a long time. "Bow three times here." Ling Tianchen stepped aside. Only then did Zhao Xing realize that the place Ling Tianchen was facing was called the Wen Palace. Inside, an aged *wen* was also looking out. Zhao Xing bowed three times to this *wen* from the foot of the stairs. There was no reaction, nothing happened; the *wen* seemed to be asleep.

Zhao Xing's Kun Peng Transformation, inherited from Grand Minister Li Boqian, was only at the fourth turn of the top-tier art, and Ling Tianchen could certainly teach it. However, Zhao Xing was going to the Dragon Court, so learning a Dragon Clan Transmutation Art was most suitable.

"There are three legacies of the ultimate Transmutation Art. First is the 'Sky-Rending Charm,' which grows divine horns and bears divine script. Its back has spell runes containing the mysteries of heaven and earth. Second is the 'Pig Demon Art,' a pure external cultivation method created by Wu Cheng, the founding Grand Minister. Third is the 'Wen Art,' which is the Dragon Clan Transmutation Art I am currently cultivating." Of these, two are internal cultivation methods, and one is a pure external cultivation method.

Among them, the 'Pig Demon Art' was the most unique, because while normal Transmutation Arts had a distinction between internal and external cultivation, Wu Cheng's 'Pig Demon Art', when externally cultivated to its extreme, also achieved ultimate-tier power. Imagine, how formidable is the physical prowess of a first-rank expert? Under the effects of the 'Pig Art,' they would weaken into a pig that anyone could slaughter. How vast was the gap between these levels of life? It could certainly be called a divine technique, naturally ranking at the ultimate art level.

"If you only cultivate top-tier Transmutation Arts, you'll have many more choices," Ling Tianchen introduced: "There's 'Fire,' 'Heavenly Dragon,' 'Thunder Dragon,' 'Baxia,' 'Kuang Ci'—If you want quick results, cultivate top-tier arts first. If you want great power, choose an ultimate art, which can also prevent taking detours in the future." Of course, only Zhao Xing had the luxury of choosing. Others had no such choice; they cultivated whatever they could successfully master.

However, Zhao Xing wasn't in a hurry to choose and instead asked, "Director, isn't the Grand Minister's ultimate skill, the 'Kun Peng Transformation,' an ultimate art?" The Kun Peng feeds on dragons; logically, it should be very powerful. But Zhao Xing had never heard of anyone categorizing this art as an ultimate tier in his previous life. In the Yuan Qi Era, there were only these three ultimate Transmutation Arts.

Ling Tianchen said, "The Grand Minister's Kun Peng Transformation should logically also be an ultimate art, but after several generations of cultivation, no one has been able to cultivate it to the ultimate level. If it cannot be cultivated to the ultimate level, then naturally it cannot be called an ultimate art." Zhao Xing nodded. Just as Ling Tianchen said, if no one could cultivate it to the ultimate level, how could it still be called an ultimate art? The Myriad Arts Straw Effigy was different; even at its top-tier level, it was already powerful enough to rival the ultimate power of other schools. If all were counted, there were sixteen ultimate Transmutation Arts recorded within Xuan Tian Academy, but due to various deficiencies, none could be cultivated to that level. Talking about past glories was meaningless.

Ling Tianchen waved his hand, and a bamboo chest flew from a distance. "'Fire' is a top-tier stage art extended from the 'Wen Art.' 'Fire Transmutation' is based on the true meaning of fire to comprehend fire transformation." Ling Tianchen opened the bamboo chest: "You have three drops of 'Fire' essence blood available each month. Additionally, you will have dragon blood baths, once every three days. Once your Fire Transmutation reaches the first turn, you can go to a controllable transmutation site to experience deeper transformations."

"Yes," Zhao Xing listened obediently. All good stuff, great benefits. The Transmutation School's Saint Son, as mentioned by Hu Yang and Zhang Tianxing, was no empty title. At least this treatment was absolutely top-notch!

"I will personally conduct your special training." How would Ling Tianchen teach him? Zhao Xing felt a sense of anticipation.

"Whoosh!" Ling Tianchen suddenly exhaled a stream of fire, and the entire valley began to burn. "This is a small transmutation site. I will use the environment to assist in applying the external cultivation of Fire Transmutation on you. Carefully perceive the changes in your body."

"Yes." Zhao Xing was fully concentrated. The Transmutation Art is divided into external and internal cultivation. External cultivation can cause uncontrollable changes in an enemy's physical structure, used to inflict harm. But there are also controllable ones, such as the Startling Thunder Transmutation Zhao Xing comprehended, which to some extent belongs to controllable external Transmutation Arts, capable of assisting battle pets in evolution. Of course, there was still a chance of accidents, which was King Tianyan's concern. At Ling Tianchen'