Jin Yue didn’t say anything more, as the giant roc in the sky folded its wings and its body began to shrink in circles within the azure light, quickly returning to its original size.
A bird’s cry came from the roc, and with a flash of dazzling spiritual light, a bare-chested man materialized. He formed a hand seal and slowly descended onto the jade platform, enveloped in a mist of azure radiance.
The young woman narrowed her eyes, her gaze settling on the man’s bare chest.
There, a strikingly vivid and eerie azure roc pattern shimmered faintly with spiritual light.
This man was none other than Han Li, who had fused the true blood of the Kun Peng and refined the relic.
**True Saint Dharma Form!** This was the mark of one who possessed the blood of a True Saint and had fully awakened its power. It was also an anomaly that most Saint Disciples would manifest.
With this Dharma Form present, even if other races knew this person was not a true Sky Roc, they would have no grounds to deny him participation in the trial.
Jin Yue sighed inwardly, consoling herself with these thoughts before calming her mind.
However, Elder Xu and the beautiful woman grew increasingly uneasy upon seeing the pattern on Han Li’s chest.
A foreigner displaying a True Saint Dharma Form—something even most of their high-ranking members lacked—naturally left them deeply frustrated.
With a flash of gold and silver light, a long robe of the same hues appeared on Han Li’s upper body. He then landed before the three of them, clasping his fists and saying, “Thank you, Seniors, for your assistance. I have mostly mastered the Sky Roc transformation technique. If there are any shortcomings, I hope you can offer guidance.”
His attitude was extremely sincere.
“Your transformation technique is already quite good. There’s nothing more we can teach you. You may return now. Two months from now, before I take you to the trial, I will summon the Sky Roc Oath’s supplementary scroll for you to inscribe your name. Until then, you may move freely within the Holy City—just do not leave it. Also, I should inform you: although I helped you refine the Kun Peng relic, the residual malice and other impurities within it have yet to be fully purged. They will lie dormant in your body but won’t manifest for some time. After the trial, I will help you expel them completely,” the young woman said nonchalantly.
Han Li’s expression flickered briefly before returning to normal.
“Rest assured, Senior. In two months, I will be present for the trial without fail.”
The young woman nodded.
Han Li promptly bowed once more to the three of them, then transformed into a streak of azure light and departed.
The three watched as Han Li vanished into the horizon, each wearing different expressions.
Jin Yue gazed at the sky, her face unreadable, while Elder Xu and the beautiful woman’s expressions shifted between dark and light, as if deep in thought.
Half a day later, Han Li was seated cross-legged on a wooden bed in a guest chamber atop the noble residence, his eyes lightly closed.
His hands formed a seal, and his body flickered with azure radiance.
A trace of pain crossed his face, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
With a long sigh, he relaxed his hand seal, the azure light dissipating as he opened his eyes.
“Interesting. I didn’t expect the residual spiritual energy of this Sky Roc elder, Hong Yun, to be so violent. If not for the Great Development Art’s potency, this could have caused endless trouble. Fortunately, it lacks autonomous will, so I can suppress it first and refine it bit by bit.” Han Li murmured to himself, his eyes glinting.
Even though it was only a fragment of a Soul Formation-level being’s divine sense, its spiritual power was terrifyingly strong. It might take centuries to fully refine. But once done, the benefits would be immense—his divine sense could expand by nearly half.
As for the residual malice in the relic, he paid it no mind. The Vajra Arts were the perfect counter to such things.
Han Li pondered for a moment before flicking his sleeve over his lightning robe.
With a crackle of thunder, the robe dissolved into countless arcs of gold and silver lightning, retracting into his body.
Lowering his head slightly, he saw the azure roc pattern on his chest.
“Hmph. Sky Roc Dharma Form? It should be called the **Awakening Dharma Form**.” A strange smile crossed his face as he lightly tapped the pattern with a finger.
An incredible scene unfolded.
The faint azure roc pattern shimmered with five-colored light, transforming into a fully spread five-colored peacock. Then, golden light flared, morphing it into a roaring golden ape. Finally, white light erupted, and the pattern vanished entirely.
Had Jin Yue and the other Sky Roc elders witnessed this, they would have been stunned speechless.
How could a True Saint Dharma Form shift between forms and then disappear?
Normally, once manifested, such patterns remained with their bearer for life, rarely changing.
Han Li stared at his chest, satisfaction in his eyes.
“Twelve transformations of the Awakening Art—I’ve mastered three incantations so far. Though I lack the true blood of the Five-Colored Peacock and the Mountain Giant Ape to fully transform, the power of this technique is astonishing.” He muttered to himself.
This technique, unexpectedly obtained after refining Hong Yun’s spiritual energy, theoretically allowed him to assume twelve different True Spirit forms. If he mastered all twelve, wielding the powers of multiple True Spirits, even celestial immortals might retreat before him.
Of course, this was mere fantasy. Even at its peak, the Awakening Art could only grant a fraction of each True Spirit’s abilities.
Regrettably, though the technique included transformations into the True Dragon and Heavenly Phoenix—legendary beings of the Spirit Realm—their incantations remained buried deep within Hong Yun’s unrefined spiritual energy. It might take ages to uncover them. Otherwise, with the trace of True Dragon and Heavenly Phoenix blood he possessed, he could have added two more transformations.
Han Li sighed ruefully.
The Kun Peng transformation was the foundation of the technique, the form Hong Yun had mastered best. Without it, even with his formidable physique, Han Li couldn’t have grasped the essence of the Sky Roc transformation so swiftly.
A mocking smile tugged at his lips as he recalled something.
Though he had only refined a sliver of Hong Yun’s spiritual energy with Jin Yue’s help, he had gleaned useful information.
This Sky Roc elder, Hong Yun, was a once-in-millennia genius. By studying the Sky Roc’s transformation techniques, he had conceived the Awakening Art—a fusion of multiple True Spirit transformations.
Yet, despite being a late-stage Soul Formation cultivator and painstakingly collecting True Spirit blood, he had only completed twelve transformations before his divine sense and physical strength failed him. The backlash of the True Spirit blood drove him to madness and death.
Oddly, before his descent into madness, Hong Yun had left no record of the technique for his clan.
Han Li found this puzzling.
Unbeknownst to him, during Hong Yun’s tenure, the Sky Roc Clan was at its zenith. Confident in his unparalleled talent, Hong Yun had dreamed of unifying the entire Winged Spirit Race with this technique, keeping its secrets tightly guarded.
His fellow elders knew only of the “Awakening Art” by name, nothing more.
When Hong Yun succumbed to the backlash and perished, the technique was lost.
Why his relic contained the Awakening Art was a mystery—perhaps a final act of madness or a fleeting moment of clarity before death.
Han Li didn’t dwell on it. Now that the technique was his, he had no intention of returning it to the Sky Roc Clan.
If he did, their elders’ first thought wouldn’t be gratitude—it would be silencing him to prevent its spread.
He had no interest in inviting such trouble.
A faint smile curved his lips as he considered his gains.
Beyond the Awakening Art, refining the Kun Peng blood and relic had brought another unexpected boon.
His cultivation bottleneck had inexplicably shattered under their influence.
He was now at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. With the True Toad Liquid’s aid, his path forward was clear.
The Sky Roc elders, preoccupied with his mastery of their transformation technique, had barely remarked on his sudden advancement—if they noticed at all.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed in thought before he retrieved a jade vial and swallowed a few pills.
Closing his eyes, he resumed meditation to stabilize his new realm.
A day later, refreshed, he left his quarters for the trading hall.
Today was his appointment with the Myriad Lightning Pavilion’s owner. Determined to secure the Green Luo Fruit, he wouldn’t miss it.
Without incident, he arrived at the ninth-floor shop. But upon seeing the gaunt middle-aged man, his expression darkened.
“What’s going on? Why are these people here? Did you invite others besides me?” The speaker wasn’t Han Li but a burly, bearded man in black armor.
Inside the shop, three others stood alongside Han Li.
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