Chapter 246 Body Refining with Fiendish Qi, Soul Refining with Dragon's Might
The blood moon in the sky rises and sets, sets and rises again.
There is no daytime in the Dragon Corpse Pit; only the blood moon alternates between light and shadow.
Chen Mo sat cross-legged below the fractured surface of the dragon corpse, motionless and silent.
The magical power within his body was circulating at an astonishing speed, and deep within his dantian, the crescent-shaped true seed was undergoing a dramatic change.
The true variety is shaped like a crescent moon, with a pale purple body and a soft purple halo flowing around the edge of the crescent.
This is the origin and condensation of the power of Taiyin.
At this moment, wisps of black dragon's malevolent energy gathered under the crescent moon, gradually outlining a dark cloud-like shape.
The dark clouds were irregularly shaped, with fine wisps of mist rolling around their edges, making them appear somewhat blurry.
It hovered quietly directly beneath the pale purple crescent moon, separated by a tiny distance, yet their energies were connected, forming a seamless whole.
A crescent moon hangs above, dark clouds lie below.
One purple and one black, one light and one dark.
The dark clouds were the manifestation of the Black Dragon Xuanming Sha in the dantian.
The pale purple crescent moon is the source of the power of Yin, and a delicate balance is formed between the two.
The crescent moon suppresses the dark clouds, preventing the evil energy from getting out of control.
Dark clouds nourish the crescent moon, imbuing its yin energy with the deathly aura of the black dragon.
This is his ominous appearance, the Purple Moon Suppressing Clouds Ominous Sign.
Chen Mo could sense that the Black Dragon Xuanming Sha had already begun to merge with the power of Taiyin.
The magical power was no longer simply the power of Taiyin, but the Xuanming Taiyin magical power imbued with the evil aura of a black dragon, cold and corrosive.
The color also changed from the previous light purple to a strange color that intertwines light purple and dark black.
The moment the last wisp of black dragon's malevolent energy merged into the dark cloud, a dragon's roar suddenly resounded deep within Chen Mo's sea of consciousness.
The voice seemed to come from the primordial era, carrying unparalleled dominance, piercing through the sea of consciousness and shaking the soul.
A miniature black dragon burst forth from the depths of the mind, its entire body as black as ink, with fine scales, prominent horns, and eyes burning with dark golden flames.
It was no bigger than the palm of my hand, yet it carried the unique aura of a true dragon, as if it were the most noble being in the world.
Chen Mo's consciousness was almost crushed by that oppressive force in that instant.
He gritted his teeth and held fast to his mental state.
This black dragon is not a dragon soul, but rather the will and might of the black dragon remaining in its malevolent aura.
The black dragon fell too long ago; its soul has long since vanished, and even its might has largely dissipated over the long years.
The lingering dragon's might within the malevolent aura is merely a remnant of its heyday, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
Even if only this last bit remains, it is still enough to annihilate the soul of an ordinary cultivator.
The true dragon is the supreme of all beasts, one of the highest-ranking beings in the world.
Chen Mo could feel the oppressive force exploding in his sea of consciousness, and an invisible mountain descending from the sky.
It was not a crushing force, but a suppression of status.
Just as ants look up at the sky, mortals kneel before gods, a submissive instinct etched deep in their blood.
The black dragon circled once in the sea of consciousness, then swooped down, heading straight for the spiritual platform formed by Chen Mo's consciousness.
At the critical moment, a white figure emerged from the depths of his consciousness, blocking the black dragon's path.
That paper figure was the paper figure Dharma form he had cultivated.
The Dharma image was only about a foot tall, but it had already solidified into a physical form. Its entire body was as white as snow, and its facial features were exactly the same as Chen Mo's.
Its appearance seemed to anger the black dragon, and the two collided violently in the sky above the sea of consciousness.
There was no earth-shattering roar, only invisible ripples spreading in all directions.
Chen Mo felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and the pain spread from the depths of his consciousness to his limbs and bones.
Although the black dragon only had a wisp of its remaining will left, it was still incredibly fierce.
The paper effigy was swatted away by the black dragon's claw, leaving three deep cracks on its pure white body.
Chen Mo groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The Dharma form is the outward manifestation of his soul; damage to the Dharma form means damage to his soul.
But the more pain he felt, the clearer his mind became.
Although the black dragon's remaining will was powerful, it was without foundation or basis, merely a wisp of unclaimed obsession.
Although the paper doll is weak, it has a living soul as its backing and is controlled by a complete consciousness.
One is water without a source, the other is a tree with roots.
Chen Mo bit his tongue, and the intense pain allowed him to completely suppress the instinctive fear brought on by the dragon's might.
"Cao, let's go for it!"
He cursed under his breath, his consciousness sinking into his sea of consciousness, merging with the paper figure.
In that instant, Chen Mo felt as if he had become that paper figure, about a foot tall.
It is pure white, with features as if carved.
The sea of consciousness is no longer the sea of consciousness, but a boundless void.
The black dragon hovered in the void, its dark golden eyes burning with a pure desire for destruction.
The two collided again.
This time, Chen Mo did not try to withstand it.
The paper effigy's arms, like two chains, tightly gripped the black dragon's neck, and with an almost frenzied manner, it bit down on the black dragon's neck.
Swallow.
He wanted to devour this wisp of dragon's might.
The black dragon let out a furious roar, and its dragon might swept outwards like a tangible wave.
Chen Mo bit down hard on the black dragon's neck and began frantically absorbing its power.
The opponent's remaining will resisted and struggled, and the dragon's might assaulted Chen Mo's soul wave after wave.
Each wave of impact felt like a knife being slashed into the soul, causing excruciating pain, followed by numbness.
But he didn't back down.
Strands of black energy were drawn from the black dragon's body and flowed into the paper figure through the mouth of the Dharma image.
The black dragon's body began to become ethereal, and its struggles grew weaker and weaker.
The dark golden flames in the dragon's eyes flickered erratically, as if they could go out at any moment.
Chen Mo's consciousness was already blurred; he didn't know whether he was devouring the black dragon or the black dragon was devouring him.
The boundaries between the two have become blurred; they are intertwined.
He was simply absorbing and devouring instinctively.
After an unknown amount of time, the black dragon let out a final mournful cry, its palm-sized body shattering completely, turning into countless tiny black specks of light that merged into the paper doll's body.
The Dharma Image's damaged body began to repair itself.
The cracks torn by the dragon's claws slowly healed, and the detached white fragments reformed.
Moreover, the body of this Dharma image became even more solid, with faint dark golden patterns emerging on its surface, resembling the patterns of dragon scales.
The paper figure slowly opened its eyes.
One is white, and the other is dark gold.
Chen Mo's consciousness and Dharma form separated again, returning to his spiritual center.
In that instant, he felt something new enter his soul.
It's hard to explain.
It was as if he was born to be above all things, regarding all living beings under the heavens as mere ants.
The unique status of a true dragon.
Although it was only a lingering echo of its heyday, weakened countless times, it was indeed integrated into Chen Mo's soul.
Unlike magic, which can be used at will, it is more like a kind of temperament, a mark engraved deep in the soul.
His mind became completely calm.
Chen Mo slowly opened his eyes.
Deep within his pupils, a thin, dark golden light flashed and disappeared.
Dragon's Might.
The integration was successful.
Although it was only a trace, it was enough to bring about a qualitative change in his status.
Chen Mo sensed the changes deep within his sea of consciousness.
At this moment, the dragon's might was no longer an external object, but had become his instinct, as natural as breathing.
He tried to evoke the dragon's might.
He didn't use any magic power; he merely released that oppressive aura.
The surrounding light black mist seemed to have a life of its own, dissipating outwards from him in all directions and retreating several feet away, forming a perfect vacuum zone.
Chen Mo nodded in satisfaction and withdrew the dragon's might.
This is the authority of the true dragon.
Even a trace of the dragon's might is enough to make all living beings bow down.
Chen Mo snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at his body.
The changes in the physical body at this time were equally astonishing.
During the refining process, the Black Dragon Xuanming Sha not only merged with magical power, but also underwent initial tempering of his physical body.
The muscle fibers become denser, several times the density of normal muscles.
A dark luster condensed on the surface of the bones, making them as hard as magical artifacts.
The skin has a warm, jade-like feel, smooth and resilient.
He scratched his arm hard with his fingernail, but didn't even leave a white mark.
Clench your fist and squeeze hard.
The air in the palm was compressed instantly, producing a dull popping sound.
This is not the effect of magic, but purely the power of the physical body.
His physical strength is now at least five times that before his breakthrough.
Strength, speed, reaction time, and resilience have all been significantly improved.
Even without using magic power, he can now fight against a Qi and Blood Master of the Copper Skin Realm with his bare hands.
Chen Mo stood up, his bones making a series of crisp, cracking sounds.
Eight bone spears protrude from both sides of the spine.
The bone spear turned dark black, with pale purple patterns flowing across its surface.
The tip of the bone spear was covered with a layer of fine black crystals, which were formed from the black dragon's malevolent energy in the dark clouds and were extremely corrosive.
With a thought, a bone spear silently pierced out and struck a stone.
A tiny black dot appeared on the surface of the stone, which quickly expanded and corroded a hole the thickness of a finger within a few breaths.
Chen Mo sheathed the bone spear and looked up at the blood moon in the sky.
The moon was already setting in the west, and it was almost dawn outside.
Chen Mo stood up, stretched his limbs, and his gaze fell on the black dragon skeleton lying at the bottom of the valley.
What truly caught his attention was the faintly visible black bead deep within the fractured surface of the dragon corpse.
That thing must be the Dragon Ball.
The essence of a true dragon is three parts in its bones, three parts in its blood, and four parts in its pearl.
Even if a true dragon falls millions of years ago, the dragon pearl will not decay; the power it contains is enough to reduce a city to ashes.
Chen Mo took a deep breath and extended his magical power, attempting to capture the Dragon Ball.
The moment the magic touched the surface of the Dragon Ball, an irresistible sense of heaviness traveled back through the magic.
The Dragon Ball remained completely still.
"Is it that heavy?"
He frowned, stood up, and went to the Dragon Ball, tightly gripping it with both hands.
Veins bulged on his forehead, and purplish-black magical power surged wildly across his body. The rocks beneath his feet could not withstand the pressure and began to crack and sink.
But the fist-sized black bead seemed to have taken root, firmly embedded in the broken surface of the dragon bone.
"......"
This time he had used 70% of his magic power, enough to lift a boulder weighing tens of thousands of pounds, but this fist-sized bead didn't even budge.
Unwilling to give up, he tried again, this time using all his magical power.
The dark clouds churned violently, the crescent moon shone brightly with purple light, and magical power, a mixture of pale purple and dark, surged forth like a tide.
The Dragon Ball finally reacted, trembling slightly and emitting a low hum.
The buzzing sound wasn't loud, but it caused Chen Mo's sea of consciousness to tremble violently, and the paper figure involuntarily began to shake.
"..."
He immediately withdrew his magic and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
It turns out that it wasn't that the Dragon Ball was too heavy, but that it was resisting.
Dragon Balls are the essence of true dragons and possess their own spirituality.
The trace of dragon power he refined was too weak; the dragon pearl didn't recognize him as its master at all.
Forcibly taking it would likely trigger the Dragon Ball's self-protective restrictions. In that case, let alone taking the ball, it would be questionable whether we could even leave the Dragon Corpse Pit alive.
Chen Mo decisively gave up and instead walked towards a rib in the middle of the skeleton.
The rib was stuck diagonally in the ground, with more than ten feet protruding from the ground, and its entire body was as black as ink jade.
Chen Mo gripped his ribs with both hands, his muscles tensing, trying to break them off and take them away.
The ribs remained completely still.
He then tried to disassemble it from the joints; the connections between the keels were so rotten that they looked like they would break at the slightest touch.
But when he actually tried to pry it open, he discovered that those seemingly fragile joints were actually stronger than the ribs themselves.
Chen Mo even activated the Bone Spear, using the corrosive power of the Corrosive Crystal at its tip to erode a tiny finger bone.
The corrosive crystal left a shallow grayish-white mark on the surface of the finger bone, and then could not penetrate any further.
Even a single finger bone from a true dragon is a thousand times harder than he had imagined.
With his current strength, he can't do anything to them at all.
"Forget it, it won't get lost. We can come back and collect it later."
Chen Mo stood there, glanced at the enormous skeleton lying across the bottom of the valley, and let out a long sigh.
The treasure was right in front of them, but they could only return empty-handed.
This feeling is even worse than losing a hard-fought battle.
But he is not someone who doesn't know when to advance or retreat.
The evil spirit has been formed, the dragon's might has been obtained, and the purpose of this trip has been exceeded.
Greed will only lead to your own downfall.
Chen Mo took one last deep look at the dragon ball and awakened all sixteen shadow puppets hidden in his own shadow.
The shadows spread out from beneath their feet, and human-shaped silhouettes rose from the shadows.
After the evil energy condensed, these shadow puppets also underwent subtle changes.
Its body, which was originally as black as ink, now faintly swirled with dark purple patterns, and its aura was much stronger than before.
"Go, collect all the evil crystals at the bottom of the pit."
Sixteen dark figures silently dispersed, moving among the dragon bones like a group of ghosts.
Chen Mo himself was not idle either. He leaped into the bottom of the pit and glanced at the black crystals scattered among the rubble.
The evil crystals vary in size, the smallest being only the size of a fingernail, while the largest is as big as a fist.
They emitted a faint, dark glow in the darkness, their surfaces covered with a layer of cold mist.
Chen Mo picked up a small, thumb-sized crystal. As soon as he touched it, a bone-chilling coldness emanated from his fingertips.
The black dragon Xuanming evil contained in this evil crystal is extremely pure. Although it cannot compare to the power that surged in when refining the dragon pearl, it is more than enough to replenish the evil energy consumed in daily cultivation.
He rummaged through his storage bag and pulled out an empty jade box, then put the evil crystals into it one by one.
The Shadow Puppet was far more efficient than him; sixteen black shadows moved swiftly at the bottom of the pit, sweeping away all the evil crystals in their wake.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, most of the evil crystals visible at the bottom of the pit had been collected.
.......