The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 253 Twelve Years

Ding Lin felt as if his heart was floating in mid-air, drifting and sinking, unable to settle down. Over the years, after experiencing so much, he thought he should have been assimilated by his surroundings, his demonic blood cold and his heart as hard as iron.

But it turns out that she still has feelings.

"Granddaughter," Ding Lin began, his tone strange, his voice hoarse and strained, "were these two supernatural transformations truly bestowed by the Queen Mother of the West?"

Once the words were spoken, my restless heart finally settled down and found its place.

I can't quite describe my emotions. There's not much relief, just some guilt, and even more regret. That fleeting sentimentality was just a momentary impulse. Over the years, my character has changed beyond recognition.

Selfish and egotistical.

But since the words have already been spoken, it's too late to regret them. From now on, we can only deal with things as they were said.

Without the agonizing decision-making process, I actually felt a bit more relaxed.

Ding Lin pulled his foot back inside the door, landed, and then turned around. The Seven Fairies were also looking at him, their eyes filled with some complicated emotions.

“Of course…” the Seventh Fairy paused for a moment before speaking, but then stopped herself. She smiled and said, “Brother Jin, it seems your cultivation has yielded remarkable results this year, your senses have become so sharp. I thought I had kept it well hidden.” She paused again, “This supernatural power was naturally bestowed upon me by my maternal grandmother, but,” the Seventh Fairy’s smile faded, “it was given to me by my maternal grandmother.”

Ding Lin remained silent for a while.

"As expected, I should have thought of it long ago. The Seventy-Two Transformations are one thing, but the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang, as my granddaughter said before, directly points to the laws. With it, one can even cultivate to the Great Luo. Such a divine power, even if it is almost impossible to cultivate, will not affect its preciousness in the slightest. How could it be bestowed so casually?"

"Therefore, when my granddaughter returned to Yaochi this time, she first raised her cultivation to the third step of the Nascent Soul stage before asking the Queen Mother for further supernatural powers," Ding Lin said.

"Brother Jin, you noticed it all!" the Seven Fairies exclaimed.

"Granddaughter, aren't you afraid of doing this..." Ding Lin didn't finish his sentence.

“Brother Jin, although my cultivation is not high, I have met many of the great gods of the Heavenly Court through my connections. I remember the first time I met Marshal Tianpeng, it was at a private banquet. When he learned that my sister and I were also cultivating the ‘Great Celestial Immortal Technique’, the topic changed for a while. In the end, he said with self-deprecation that he was probably the least talented among the practitioners of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang.”

"My previous impression of you was that you had absolutely no chance of mastering the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang. So, even if I were to grant you these supernatural powers, it would only be for a brief glimpse."

“But this time when I came back, Brother Jin, you started to resemble Marshal Tianpeng a little bit. Perhaps you really have a chance to master the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang.”

“In that case, I should give you this supernatural power even more,” said the Seventh Fairy.

Ding Lin's eyes flashed. These members of the imperial family, though not highly skilled in cultivation, all possessed exceptional insight.

“But if I am lucky enough to master it, then this matter will be impossible to keep secret. At that time, the crime of deceiving the emperor will be committed by my granddaughter…” Ding Lin slowly began.

"Isn't this the best possible scenario?" the Seventh Fairy asked in return. "Once you have accumulated enough magical power and mastered the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang, you will immediately become a Golden Immortal and achieve the goal we set at the beginning."

"As for my maternal grandmother, if she punishes me, I will accept it. She can't really follow the law and kill me. By then, Brother Jin, you will have achieved cultivation, and with Fifth Sister's connection, my maternal grandmother won't do anything to you. It will just be a minor punishment as a warning."

"If you want to succeed, why be afraid of paying the price?"

The Seven Fairies remained calm and composed as they made their decision, their tone resolute and decisive, which even made Ding Lin feel somewhat intimidated.

This was completely different from what Ding Lin had imagined. For a moment, he was speechless and remained silent for a short while.

“Brother Jin, the fact that you were able to say it shows that my fifth sister’s judgment was correct. But there’s no need to worry. Just continue as before, pretending not to know anything,” said the Seventh Fairy.

……

Ding Lin didn't know how he got back to the pavilion. His head was a little fuzzy, but a gust of wind cleared his mind. He shook his head, exhaled, and a spiritual light shone in his palm, revealing a row of six jade pots lined up in front of him. Ding Lin then looked at his right hand, where he saw two jade slips, one yellow and one green. Since he obtained them, he had held them tightly in his hand, never letting go for a moment.

At this moment, his eyes changed.

for a long time.

From daytime until nighttime.

Ding Lin finally resisted the temptation. His right hand flashed with spiritual light, and he put away the two jade slips.

There are priorities, and the most urgent matter is not this jade slip. My lifespan is already running out, so the priority is to first reach the pinnacle of my cultivation and ascend to the Immortal Realm. After that, there will naturally be plenty of time and energy to comprehend this supernatural power.

Ding Lin looked at the six jade pots in front of him again. He probed them with his divine sense and found that they were full, just like before. His expression became excited again.

In any case, the supernatural powers and resources that come into your hands are real.

Practice!

With this thought in mind, Ding Lin closed his eyes and began cultivating. The elixir transformed into a vast amount of spiritual energy, flowing through his meridians like a surging tide...

……

With sufficient resources, life returned to normal.

Before the Seven Fairies returned, Ding Lin spent three years refining a pot of fine nectar, extending his cultivation from nine thousand years to nine thousand three hundred and thirty-six years.

Now that he has transformed from a dragon into a serpent, his aptitude has improved, and with the enhancement of his foundation, it took him less time to cultivate for another three hundred years. In just two years, he transformed and drank one and a half of the six jugs of immortal wine that the Seven Fairies had given him.

Then, the third three hundred years passed, and the time slowed down. Two jugs of immortal wine were drunk, and four years were spent.

Ding Lin thought he was about to achieve it, but the last few decades of cultivation were indeed so difficult. The closer his cultivation got to that boundary, the more viscous the demonic energy became, almost liquid, making it difficult to circulate.

This final step took Ding Lin a full six years to exhaust all the remaining immortal wine.

……

Time flies like water, and twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After another night of cultivation, Ding Lin opened his eyes.

At dawn, sunlight bathed the earth. Facing the rising sun, a natural and harmonious feeling emanated from him. The air around him subtly distorted. At this stage, even the Breath Concealing Technique could not hide the aura emanating from him, making him as terrifying as a prehistoric beast.

Ding Lin felt the power within his body.

His cultivation has reached 9,999 years!
Twelve years of arduous training.

After that night, everything finally came to a perfect end.

From now on, if I don't break through to the next level, my cultivation will not be able to increase by even a fraction.

It is the true limit of the mortal realm.

(End of this chapter)