Chapter 37: Physical Talent — The True Dragon Physique
Time was short. Qi Tian immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and began cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
The inner energy refined through the Mysterious Heaven Skill—known as Mysterious Heaven Force—was unique, both gentle and forceful, capable of healing as well as combat.
In the future, Tang San would even use this same energy to mend Tang Hao's meridians and heal his hidden injuries.
Following the method recorded in the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Qi Tian guided his soul power along the prescribed circulation path.
"Hmm? It works?"
Qi Tian's eyes lit up. He noticed that when Liu Erlong's soul power followed the circulation route of Mysterious Heaven Skill, its explosive fire attribute became noticeably softer and more stable.
If Liu Erlong's body could cultivate it successfully, then surely his own body could as well.
"Erlong, did you memorize the route of my energy circulation?" Qi Tian asked.
"Yes, Benefactor, I've memorized it," Liu Erlong replied earnestly.
Her soul power had already reached the forty-eighth rank, and her spiritual strength was nearly sufficient to resist psychic backlash. Her memory and comprehension had improved immensely as a result.
Qi Tian then began explaining to her the core mental principles of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, as well as the methods for opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
Time passed quickly. Eventually, Qi Tian halted his cultivation—because Bibi Dong had returned.
When he saw her dressed entirely in black and without any visible injuries, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness, how did it go? Is Yu Xiaogang dead?" he asked.
Bibi Dong shook her head slightly, her voice cold.
"Yu Yuanzhen arrived in time. Without using my Martial Soul, I couldn't kill them."
She had been forced to retreat early—if she had stayed longer, even she might not have escaped from a Title Douluo alive.
Seemingly embarrassed by her own failure, Bibi Dong added curtly,
"Don't worry. I gave you my word, and I'll keep it. Yu Xiaogang won't live peacefully for long."
Qi Tian hurried to reassure her.
"You've already done enough, Your Highness. I doubt he'll have the courage to cause more trouble now."
According to his system's prompt, the mission was already complete—Yu Xiaogang could no longer pose any threat.
It was a pity he hadn't died, but forcing Bibi Dong to take further risks wasn't worth it.
Before Bibi Dong could respond, her gaze shifted sharply toward the courtyard entrance.
A middle-aged man stood outside—it was none other than Yu Luomian, Liu Erlong's biological father.
Yu Yuanzhen, unwilling to clash head-on with Spirit Hall, had only pursued the assassin briefly before parting ways with Yu Luomian. While he secretly watched over Yu Xiaogang, Yu Luomian had come here to visit his daughter.
"Qi Tian… that's Yu Luomian," Liu Erlong's voice echoed softly in his mind. "My… father."
Qi Tian's brows furrowed slightly. He worried for Bibi Dong's safety, yet didn't know how to deal with Yu Luomian. He chose to simply remain quiet, meeting the man's gaze with cool detachment.
Yu Luomian chuckled awkwardly.
"What's this? Erlong, you don't recognize your own father anymore?"
His eyes swept over the courtyard, searching for the woman with whom he'd shared that one fleeting night years ago—but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Erlong, where's your mother? Isn't she home?"
Yu Luomian had already noticed how much his daughter valued her mother. To win her heart, he had no choice but to at least pretend to show concern for that "fallen" woman.
It was the greatest compromise his pride would allow.
Qi Tian replied calmly,
"Mother went into the city to visit some friends at the music hall. She's also buying a few new music scores."
Yu Luomian gave a strained smile.
"Still as passionate about music as ever… I really miss her songs."
Then, suddenly, his expression stiffened.
He had noticed another presence within the courtyard.
That aura—icy and terrifying—was unmistakable.
"That… that energy—she's the assassin from earlier!" Yu Luomian's pupils shrank slightly.
"Erlong… she's actually connected with someone from Spirit Hall?"
Still, he didn't lash out. He was old enough to know better than to provoke Spirit Hall directly. Instead, he pretended not to notice.
After all, Spirit Hall's power was immense—and deep down, Yu Luomian had long envied his elder brother Yu Yuanzhen for holding a Pope's Decree.
'Big Brother, you're too stubborn,' he thought to himself. 'Aligning with Spirit Hall is the only way to ensure our clan's survival.'
Bibi Dong merely cast Yu Luomian a faint glance—then promptly looked away.
In her eyes, he wasn't even worth acknowledging.
After all, Yu Luomian was only at the Soul Saint level. If it came down to a fight, she was confident she could not only escape but even defeat him if necessary.
"Erlong, aren't you going to invite your father inside?" Yu Luomian asked with a strained smile.
Qi Tian turned around and entered the house without a word, and Yu Luomian followed eagerly after him.
"Your clan patriarch personally stepped in to stop Yu Xiaogang," Yu Luomian said, placing a golden soul coin card on the table. "He won't bother you again. This is your uncle's compensation for what happened."
Qi Tian didn't refuse. He simply took the card and stored it in his soul guide device.
Seeing that, Yu Luomian finally let out a relieved breath.
"Erlong," he continued, "aren't you going to introduce me to your… friend here?"
His tone carried a hint of forced casualness, but his eyes betrayed his true intent—he was desperate to make connections, to climb higher.
Qi Tian immediately saw through him and couldn't help but smile faintly.
If Yu Luomian wanted to tie himself to Spirit Hall, then Qi Tian could certainly use that ambition to his advantage.
However, it would be a long while yet before Bibi Dong officially returned to Spirit Hall.
---
By the next morning, Qi Tian awoke in his own body.
After sending Yu Luomian away the previous night, he had spent hours talking with Liu Erlong before finally drifting into the deep connection that pulled his soul back through time, returning to his true self nineteen years in the future.
The moment he opened his eyes, the system's voice rang out.
[Mission Reward: Physical Talent — True Dragon Physique — is now being distributed.]
[True Dragon Physique: A body of unmatched vitality and strength, blood surging like a dragon's! Current stage — Young Dragon!]
[The Young Dragon Physique will mature alongside the host. Upon reaching adulthood, it will evolve into the True Dragon Physique!]
[The Young Dragon, also called the Hidden Dragon, possesses limitless potential. Through cultivation, its latent power can be refined beyond all known limits.]
[After surpassing all limits, the Young Dragon Physique will transform into the Divine Dragon Physique, a body comparable to a True God!]
Qi Tian blinked, momentarily stunned.
When he first saw the term "Young Dragon Physique," he nearly cursed the system for giving him a "downgraded" reward.
But when he noticed the note about evolving into a Divine Dragon Physique, his irritation instantly vanished.
"A Divine Dragon Physique… a mortal body that can ascend to godhood?" He grinned. "Now that's more like it."
In the entire Douluo Continent, only Tang Chen and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King possessed physical bodies near the half-divine level.
And now, Qi Tian has the potential to reach—and surpass—them.
As the last notification faded, a strange power surged through his veins.
Qi Tian's expression twisted.
"Hiss—damn system! You could've warned me, this reward hurts!"
The pain struck like a hammer on his bones, as if every cell in his body were being torn apart and reforged by some primal, draconic force.
The agony far exceeded that of absorbing a high-age soul ring. Still, Qi Tian gritted his teeth and endured.
His flesh was shattered and rebuilt again and again—each time stronger, denser, more alive.
Gradually, his blood began to roar like a raging river. His body grew taller, his features sharpening into the outline of a maturing youth.
Inside his dantian, the miniature Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well responded to the transformation, its power merging seamlessly into his physique—completing the formation of his Ice and Fire Alchemy Body.
Time became meaningless. By the time the process finally slowed, Qi Tian's entire body shimmered faintly with golden light.
The Ice and Fire Alchemy Body had been perfected.
Qi Tian clenched his fist—and the air itself cracked with a resounding boom.
"Ha! As expected of the True Dragon Physique." He looked at his hand, feeling the surging power within. "Right now, my body alone could rival a ten-thousand-year soul beast of the draconic line."
A faint golden aura lingered around him, pulsating with primal vitality—the mark of a being walking the path toward true dragonhood.
—
End of Chapter