Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 395 Fundamental Fusion (1 words)

After dawn, the dragons summoned by Elder Dreamweaver gradually arrived at the Ancestral Spirit Land.

With the addition of those who came to join the fun, dozens of enormous creatures of various shapes and sizes gathered in total. The huge figures intertwined and circled in the sky, and the wind generated by the flapping of their wings gathered into a deep hum.

The ancestral land is hidden deep within an ancient basin surrounded by mountains. The basin's edge is a sheer cliff, its surface bearing deep marks of time. Judging from the degree of weathering on the cliff face, it must be a magnificent engineering feat dating back tens of thousands of years.

Stepping into the basin, one finds not soft soil beneath one's feet, but a solid bed of rock, inlaid with colorful crystals of varying sizes, which refract light under the sun like fragments of stars scattered across the earth.

The basin wasn't particularly large, but the number of dragons gathering there kept increasing. Soon, the edges of the basin, the rocky bed, and even the air were filled with enormous figures, almost completely surrounding the area. The air was thick with the unique aura of dragons, a mixture of various scents and powerful magic.

"Dragons... do they all enjoy watching a spectacle?" Su Ming asked Zi Jin beside him, gazing at the dozens of giant dragons still circling in the sky, searching for a foothold.

“No.” The scholar glanced at the sky, her tone flat. “On a sunny day like today, people would normally prefer to find a comfortable place to sleep. Ancestral spirit rituals are nothing new to them.”

"Then what are they..." Su Ming raised his finger and pointed to the sky, where more giant dragons were flapping their wings and flying in.

But Violet didn't answer him. A lithe, blue dragon roared loudly at Violet from mid-air.

Zijin's eyes narrowed, and she immediately took to the air to meet her opponent.

A black dragon landed beside Su Ming—it was Mo Yuan, the Black Dragon Clan elder he had met at yesterday's meeting. Su Ming paid special attention this time and found that the black dragon's scales were indeed different from others. A deep and restrained luster flowed across its surface, making it exceptionally bright, like finely polished obsidian.

“Dragons are still very curious.” Mo Yuan’s deep voice answered Su Ming’s question. “They came here specifically because they heard that Zi Jin had been awarded the title of ‘Honorary Elder’.”

"...Coming to watch, the 'Honorary Elder'?" Su Ming was still somewhat puzzled. Was it just for this?

Before Mo Yuan could explain in detail, the violet in the sky had already given her answer through her actions. The blue dragon and she rapidly approached, and without hesitation, she summoned the Divine Blessing Staff, her body surging with magic power, and with a wave of her hand, she scattered a vibrant green light.

In an instant, countless sharp wind blades condensed around her, emitting a sharp whistling sound. Like a swarm of bees controlled by an invisible hand, they swept towards the blue dragon through the gaps in the airflow!
"The wings of the wind are dancing!" 』

This relentless, all-pervasive whirlwind of wind blades severely disrupted the blue dragon's flight! Seeing the staff in Violet's hand glow even brighter, clearly preparing for another attack, he decisively chose to defend. With a dragon roar, azure magic surged forth, instantly condensing and freezing around his massive body, forming a huge, semi-transparent coffin phantom composed of flowing ice runes, firmly protecting him within.

"The Law Decree: Ice Coffin!"

The whistling wind blades crashed into the illusory ice coffin, like rain pattering on banana leaves, but were all neutralized by the ice barrier containing the power of laws.

"Wow!" Su Ming couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. To be able to unleash such a defensive spell involving the rules of the universe, this challenger's strength was clearly extraordinary!
Violet, however, had no intention of testing or holding back. She rippled with emotion, 'Natural Rhythm!'

Without any suspense, as the transparent, rhythmic domain suddenly unfolded and enveloped the surroundings, the solid ice coffin phantom around the blue dragon shattered instantly, disintegrating inch by inch, as if struck by an invisible heavy blow!

While suppressing the domain, Violet's figure approached like a purple lightning bolt. Taking advantage of the moment when the blue dragon's defense was broken and its body was unstable, her fair hand, wrapped in grayish magic light, pressed precisely on the dragon's broad back.

"Touch of Weakness!"

A strong sense of powerlessness instantly swept over the blue dragon's entire body. Immediately afterwards, Violet's movements were so fast that they were dazzling. She used her mage's hand to grab the base of the blue dragon's huge membranous wing and twisted it sharply at an extremely skilled angle—with a soft "click," the two hard bony protrusions at the base of the wing were cleverly jammed together!
She was well-prepared, deftly pulling out a strong rope from her waist and quickly wrapping it around the most difficult joint in her wing root bone. In a few swift movements, a sturdy knot was formed!
It was her signature move that once dominated Dragon Valley—the Wing Cross Joint Locking Technique!
The blue dragon was completely dumbfounded. Its wings were locked, and its massive body lost all posture, plummeting straight down from the sky like a heavy meteorite. On the ground, a burly golden dragon reacted extremely quickly. With a swing of its forepaw, a thick, earthy-yellow light flashed, creating a buffer field that caught the falling blue dragon steadily, only stirring up a large cloud of golden magical dust.

"She's still as mischievous as she was when she was a kid." Mo Yuan looked at the scene with a nostalgic sigh. "Her technique for locking dragon wings is fast and tricky. Back then, there were very few dragon cubs who were several years older than her who could beat her."

Before Mo Yuan could finish speaking, an even larger dragon, its scales ablaze with fiery red, roared and charged towards Zi Jin, pushing aside the other dragons with a scorching aura. She was clearly extremely displeased with the Blue Dragon's earlier "disgraceful" performance and had issued a challenge to Zi Jin.

However, only about twenty seconds later...

Another muffled thud, accompanied by a cloud of golden dust rising into the sky—a massive red dragon, its wings tightly bound by the same technique, roared in resentment as it crashed from mid-air, only to be caught once again by the Golden Dragon Elder's cushioning spell.

All around, deafening laughter, flapping wings, and unintelligible dragon roars erupted from the surrounding dragons, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.

“Don’t worry about it too much.” Mo Yuan turned to Su Ming, who was staring blankly, and his huge dragon head swayed slightly. His deep voice carried a calm indifference that was nothing new. “It’s in the nature of dragons. They greet each other with their claws, and they’re just a way of showing their curiosity and approval to others.”

****
A blue dragon, its body surging with howling wind magic, soared into the sky as if carrying a storm, issuing an invitation to battle.

This time, however, Violet did not accept the challenge. She lazily pointed to the other side, towards a blue dragon that was watching from a distance, "This time it's my turn to challenge—let him come."

The dragon that was called out was noticeably smaller, and its scales had a raw, youthful sheen, clearly indicating it had only recently reached adulthood. Even it was stunned, its massive head filled with confusion. "Me? A bellflower?"

“Yes!” Zi Jin replied readily. Then, she turned her fair finger slightly and pointed precisely at Su Ming, who was watching with great interest below, “He will fight in my place, I’ll take a break.”

"Is he your mate?" a dragon asked, puzzled. Not just anyone is qualified to fight for a dragon's life.

“He can be my knight,” Violet explained calmly.

"Knight? What does that mean?" Su Ming asked Mo Yuan, puzzled.

“Well,” the Black Dragon Elder’s deep voice rang out, “it’s an ancient oath forged between the warriors of the dragons and humans when they joined forces to fight against the Feathered Race a thousand years ago. It’s been so many years since anyone has mentioned it—but given your relationship, it’s not really a knightly oath.”

Because the title "knight" was so ancient, the dragons whispered among themselves for a while before finally reaching a consensus. Then, they all turned their massive heads, their gazes fixed on Su Ming on the ground.

"...So this means I'm going to go up and fight?" Su Ming sighed helplessly, and the dark wings of darkness behind him instantly unfolded.

"That's right!" Mo Yuan's loud voice carried encouragement, but more so a sense of schadenfreude. "Keep it up!"

Su Mingzeng flew to the central battlefield. The young azure dragon also flapped its wings and flew over with a hint of nervousness. The other dragons tacitly stepped back, making room for the duel.

Looking at the wind-elemental magic power swirling around the Azure Dragon, which, though somewhat thin, was still immense in quantity, Su Ming felt a slight unease, sensing a potential problem.

"Why do you fight the Blue Dragon and Red Dragon in aerial combat yourself, but make me fight the Azure Dragon in aerial combat?" He couldn't help but complain in the direction of Violet.

"It's alright, you should practice more too." Zi Jin's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

Su Ming keenly noticed that a thin layer of sweat had appeared on Zi Jin's smooth forehead. He was somewhat puzzled. She was clearly fighting two giant dragons with a significant difference in strength, and the battle hadn't lasted long. Why would she, a Saint-level cultivator, appear so tired?
The young Azure Dragon, Su Ming's opponent, gave a slight nod and a brief salute. Su Ming returned the salute respectfully. The battle officially began!
As the surrounding air currents surged violently, wind magic rapidly gathered, and the Azure Dragon's massive body suddenly accelerated, carrying with it a gale, crushing down like an overturning force!

Su Ming instantly calmed his mind and raised his hand to release an 'Elemental Fading' spell, attempting to dispel the magical aura surrounding the Azure Dragon that aided in its flight and acceleration. However, his spell's light only rippled slightly before vanishing silently into the air, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, as if it had never existed!

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately dodged to the side, simultaneously conjuring a magical shield with all his might. Almost the instant the shield formed, the azure dragon, accompanied by wind pressure, crashed into the shield with a deafening roar, creating violent energy ripples!

"Hehe!" Violet's chuckled voice echoed in Su Ming's mind. "Your previous spells were all designed for humans; they're no match for dragons!"

Su Ming instantly understood. The dragon's size far exceeded that of a human. [Do I need to drastically increase the amount of magic power I'm channeling?]

"Of course!" Violet said. "If you were cooking a rabbit and stewing a horse, would you put in the same amount of salt?"

Su Ming sighed silently, and a string of dark runes instantly appeared around him. They spun and combined rapidly, forming a superimposed three-dimensional magic array. Immediately afterward, an 'Elemental Fading' effect, dozens of times larger, was released again, its powerful dispelling force precisely targeting the Azure Dragon.

This time it finally worked! The aura of flight magic on the Azure Dragon and the layer of azure wind shield disappeared abruptly as if they had been wiped away.

Suddenly deprived of magical support, the Azure Dragon immediately lost its balance, swaying violently and plummeting through the air. The young Azure Dragon frantically flapped its wings in terror, stirring up chaotic air currents, trying desperately to break free from its loss of speed.

However, Su Ming's magic power consumed by this single attack was dozens of times greater than when he fought against humans!
No wonder Violet was sweating just now! And when she said she wanted to rest, she probably really needed to catch her breath!

Although Su Ming's magic power was far more solid than his opponent's, the quantity was still an important factor in his strength! If he continued to fight head-on like this, his magic power reserves might not be able to withstand the onslaught of this behemoth.

However, the image of Violet's swift and decisive battle flashed through his mind, and he instantly understood her intention. Violet had never chosen to directly confront her opponent's immense power during the battle; instead, she relied on her superior magical level and skill to avoid direct conflict and strike decisively at her opponent's weak point!
Zijin was using this opportunity to teach him how to fight against a powerful enemy whose antibody levels far exceeded his own! Su Ming suddenly understood.

****
The Azure Dragon finally managed to steady itself, and with a hint of annoyance, it turned its head towards the direction Su Mingxiang was dodging and spat out a series of dense azure wind blades!
Without hesitation, Su Ming's figure blurred suddenly, a shadow leaped, and he instantly appeared on the broad back of the Azure Dragon.

But before he could even stand firmly on his feet, the Azure Dragon's massive body suddenly trembled, and its magical power surged violently! In an instant, countless sharp wind blades materialized out of thin air, like a ring of storm, circling the dragon's body and cutting and flying at high speed!
Violet's mischievous laughter rang out again, "[This move is called "Storm Shield," and things like jumping on someone's back are obsolete now!]"

The dragon race has undergone countless generations of targeted training in the classic "jump-over" tactic used by human warriors. Any qualified dragon warrior possesses a deep-seated muscle memory and instinctive ability to counter it.

Su Ming gritted his teeth and withstood several wind blades, his shield flickering violently. Taking advantage of the fact that the Azure Dragon Shield had not yet recovered, he released a 'Disrupt Perception' spell towards the dragon's head, and then, using the impact of a wind blade, his body floated off the dragon's back like a falling leaf.

While maintaining its flight path, the Azure Dragon swiftly twisted its long neck, rapidly gathering azure light in its mouth. Once the power was fully charged, it unleashed a terrifying Azure Dragon Breath at Su Ming high in the sky!

A thick, pure torrent of cyan magic surged forth, tearing through the air and rushing straight towards Su Ming!

However, at that moment, a low gasp of surprise erupted from the surrounding dragons. The azure dragon, which was turning its head to spew air, suddenly froze, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall. To its horror, it found itself plunging headfirst into a thick, viscous, earth-yellow buffer magic field!
Boom——! ! !
The ground trembled violently, erupting once again into a cloud of yellow magical dust. It turned out that Su Ming's disruption spell had distorted the Azure Dragon's perception of gravity—it thought it was flying forward, but in reality, its body was plummeting straight down!
But then he turned and attacked Su Ming, resulting in a humiliating headfirst crash to the ground.

Just as Su Ming was about to dodge the oncoming breath, he received an anxious message from Zi Jin: "Stay where you are! Just activate your shield, no need to dodge!"

"Huh?! Is that alright?" Although Su Ming was full of doubts, he still did as he was told. He poured his magic power into the shield, and a deep shadow barrier condensed in front of him.

boom--! ! !
A torrent of azure magic slammed into the shadow shield, unleashing a blindingly bright azure-black light! A violent shockwave rippled outwards. Su Ming felt as if he'd been struck head-on by a battering ram; he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, or a pebble flung by immense force, tracing a long arc before crashing into the dense forest at the basin's edge!

Snap! Crash!
The violent impact was accompanied by the crisp sound of large branches and leaves breaking, and a green wave rippled through the forest.

Zijin covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling slightly, and giggled.

It took Su Ming a while to recover from the dizziness of the impact. He struggled to get up from a pile of broken branches and fallen leaves, covered in dust and dirt, his clothes torn in several places.

"【Violet!】" he roared.

"Sorry," Violet replied with a smile. "We won so decisively back and forth, it wouldn't be good to appear too forceful. So, you'll have to take the hit a little, so the little guys can save face."

"...You asked me to go up and substitute for you just for this purpose!" Su Ming said angrily.

【Yes, yes!】 Violet laughed even more happily, her silvery laughter echoing in the air.

She gracefully flew back to the center of the field, clapped her hands, and her clear voice echoed throughout the arena, "Hey, anyone else want to go up? Let's continue!"

****
Su Ming found a clear stream nearby and carefully washed off the mud and broken branches that had gotten on his body.

When he returned to the Ancestral Land, the challenge event had already ended, and the dragons were leaving one after another, leaving the once bustling basin much quieter.

However, Misella, whom I had seen yesterday, appeared. She was with the young dragon Zisu and was talking quietly with Zijin.

Judging from the situation, Misella seemed to be apologizing for what happened yesterday. Little Zisu clung tightly to her mother's strong hind legs, blinking her bright eyes and secretly observing this unfamiliar older sister with great curiosity.

Zijin's mood was noticeably calmer than yesterday. She spoke calmly with Misella for a few words, and even hesitated for a moment before reaching out to gently pat Zisu's round head.

Su Ming did not approach or disturb them, but simply stood at a distance and watched.

Stacy walked over and saw the mother and her two daughters interacting somewhat awkwardly yet peacefully, and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Su Ming and said, "We're almost ready, let's go to the central altar first."

"Okay." Su Ming nodded, then looked at Zi Jin with some concern, "Zi Jin has just been through several battles, she must be quite exhausted, right?"

“Don’t worry,” Stacy explained, “she’s deliberately expending her own magic power. That way, it will be relatively easier for the other dragons to suppress her power during the bloodline fusion ritual later.”

"I see," Su Ming said knowingly.

Mo Yuan, who was standing to the side, slowly followed in their footsteps.

Following the winding path, the terrain sloped slightly downwards. Soon, they arrived at the core area of ​​the Ancestral Spirit Land. A colossal cluster of magical crystals, over ten meters tall, rose from the ground like an icy wave, piercing the sky. Su Ming examined it closely and discovered that it was formed by countless crystal pillars of varying thicknesses and angles, intertwined and fused together.

“This is actually a miniature natural magic crystal vein,” Mo Yuan explained to Su Ming. “Unfortunately, the vein is of low grade, mostly consisting of fine crystal fragments, which have almost no value for mining and refining.”

Su Ming noticed this as he traveled. The entire Ancestral Spirit Land was itself a huge excavated mineral deposit. Most of the crystal particles exposed in the cracks of the rocks were small and scattered, but the central cluster of crystal pillars was exceptionally large and conspicuous.

However, whether it is this main crystal or the scattered crystals around it, their elemental properties are quite mixed and they contain a lot of impurities, so they do not have any practical value for mining.

However, the dragons made use of the local resources to construct a vast magic array system, slowly absorbing and purifying the natural magic contained within it. This approach of adapting to local conditions can be considered very wise.

The massive altar was covered with intricate and mysterious runes, which flowed down its edges like living veins, extending outwards along the terrain. Interspersed among these were numerous ancient and mysterious dragon scripts, which continued to the surrounding towering rock walls.

“These are runes specifically designed to regulate the power of one’s bloodline,” Stacy explained.

"Bloodline?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. "Is a case like Zi Jin's common? Is it necessary to build such a large-scale magic array specifically for this?"

Using a natural magical crystal vein, even if it's of inferior quality, comes at a price that is far from insignificant.

“Bloodline power can both merge and separate,” Stacy said. “Didn’t you see Violet’s dragon siblings yesterday? They were born from the union of Mysella and a blue dragon.” She guided Su Ming’s thoughts, “Did you notice anything special about them?”

Su Ming thought back for a moment, "Those two dragons... seemed to be a pure fairy dragon and a blue dragon?"

“That’s right! This is the result of intervening and purifying the bloodline during the gestation process using this bloodline array!” Stacy affirmed.

For any specific biological individual, cross-strain breeding is entirely detrimental.

The first and foremost consequence is hybridization depression. Through long-term natural selection, a population's genome has developed a highly coordinated and compatible "package combination".

For example, the Azure Dragon's proud high maneuverability is inseparable from its relatively light weight, streamlined scales with minimal drag during high-speed flight, natural affinity for wind elements, and thin yet powerful wings; none of these characteristics can be omitted.

The reassuring, robust defense of the golden dragon must also match its most sturdy physique among all dragons, its cushioned scales like layered armor, its strong endurance, and its deep affinity with the earth element.

Hybridization would brutally disrupt this harmony, making offspring highly likely to be defective in both aspects.

In addition, chromosomal incompatibility can also lead to unbalanced and defective gametes, leaving various physiological risks.

Only close hybridization has a low probability of producing superior offspring.

In scientific hybridization breeding, this strategy can certainly be adopted—as long as one useful and excellent variety can be selected and cultivated, the other ninety-nine failed varieties can be discarded.

But the reproduction of intelligent life cannot be done this way! Not to mention, the next generation of hybrid offspring will face even more intractable problems of trait segregation, making the situation even more complicated.

“When the dragon race migrated here, a multi-species coexistence pattern was formed, and this problem suddenly became prominent.” Stacy described the chaotic scene when the dragons first settled here. “The combination of dragons of different species could produce hundreds of possible combinations, and when these colorful, mixed-blood dragons were paired up with each other… even they themselves couldn’t say how to classify their offspring.”

That must be an even more indescribable "beautiful" scene than the legendary ninety-seven genders!
Su Ming finally understood completely, "That's why the Dragon Clan built this huge magic array. The purpose is to purify the bloodline when giving birth, so that only the pure characteristics of one lineage are passed down."

"exactly!"

****
Stacy led Su Ming to the core of the magic circle and got straight to the point, "Alright, let's start taking off our clothes."

"Do I want to take everything off?" Su Ming asked uncertainly.

“Of course!” Stacy nodded matter-of-factly. “During the bloodline fusion process, any clothing can act as an energy barrier, affecting the results.”

Su Ming subconsciously looked up and around. In the basin of the Ancestral Spirit Land, although many dragons had left, dozens of dragons still remained in various places.

"Relax, relax!" Stacy patted Su Ming's back vigorously. "There are dragons all around us, what's there to worry about? Besides, look at them, aren't they all naked too?"

Su Xiang recalled the similar experience of the unicorn Qi Luo and couldn't help but sigh. He began to unbutton his shirt and take it off. He glanced at Stacy beside him, who was showing great interest. "But... you're human, right?"

Su Ming was still damp from washing in the stream. Stacy reached out and poked his bare arm muscles with her finger, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Hey, little brother, I didn't realize you had a bit of muscle on you!"

"When I have some free time, I'll practice some strength training," Su Ming explained.

"Why would a mage like you train strength?" Stacy couldn't understand. "Using strength to attack won't provide any additional boosts."

“Of course!” Su Ming retorted, but did not elaborate. He tensed his arm slightly, a small bulge in his biceps, “Looks like my efforts weren’t in vain.”

Su Ming had a noticeable scar on his shoulder. Stacy examined it closely, then immediately frowned and cursed, "Which quack treated this wound?! To reset your fractured shoulder bone, they actually cut such a big gash!"

"Who else could it be but violet?" Su Ming shrugged helplessly.

"Oh, that's alright then!" Stacy immediately put on a relieved expression. "You should be grateful that you survived!"

Then, their eyes fell on Su Ming's pants at the same time.

"Hurry up, be more decisive, don't dawdle and waste time," Stacy urged. "Don't worry, as a doctor, touching a patient's body is a very normal thing."

Su Ming was helpless and was reaching to unbutton his pants when Zi Jin walked over gracefully.

She glanced at Su Ming and Stacy and instantly understood the situation.

“Su Ming,” Zi Jin immediately interjected, “Stacy has a resounding nickname, ‘The Naked Doctor.’” She mercilessly exposed her friend’s secret, “As long as a handsome guy who is even remotely attractive goes to her for a consultation, she can always find all sorts of high-sounding reasons to strip him naked.”

Su Ming stared in disbelief at Stacy, his mouth agape. "Are you lying to me?"

Stacy immediately tilted her head to one side, her eyes darting around, and even pretended to whistle off-key, "Oh dear, it's just a routine full-body check-up—it's all part of a doctor's compassion!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Su Ming angrily bent down to pick up his shirt from the ground and put it back on.

Dreamweaver and the selected dragons stood around the altar, each choosing a suitable position on the perimeter.

“Then, let’s start with the ‘Elemental Resonance’ part!” Violet said. She unbuttoned her coat and put it aside. Underneath, the girl wore a low-cut black short-sleeved shirt, revealing her beautifully sculpted white collarbone and a few faint purple scales on her chest.

A subtle sense of regret inexplicably swept through Su Ming's heart.

With nothing to do, he casually sat down cross-legged, pulled out a sharp knife from his waist, and began to trim his somewhat messy long hair.

Zijin lay down on the rune node in the center of the magic circle, placed her hands on her abdomen, and then slowly closed her eyes.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes again, arched her head slightly with her neck, and rolled her eyes upward to look at Su Ming, who was also looking at her not far above her head.

"You...did this on purpose?!" Violet reached out and pressed her hand against her collar.

"I had no idea you were going to lie down!" Su Ming explained helplessly.

Under Zi Jin's embarrassed and annoyed gaze, Su Ming had no choice but to get up regretfully, walk around to the side of the magic circle, sit down again, and continue his haircutting work.

Stacy was in charge of operating the magic circle. Clearly, this wasn't her first time manipulating this ancient magic circle; she appeared extremely skilled.

She began chanting an ancient and lengthy prayer, gradually awakening the dormant magic circle. Runes on the ground lit up one after another, like flowing rivers of liquid light, rapidly spreading outwards along the engravings until they covered the entire vast basin.

Gradually, the rich magic, like the awakening of the earth's veins, gathered and rose in wisps, becoming increasingly concentrated, and the air was filled with the hum of energy.

As the magic gathered, the unrelated dragons in the basin flapped their wings and flew away, making room for the magic array to work.

Six dragons, each representing a different element, simultaneously unleashed their claws. They released gentle powers of varying attributes, suppressing the elemental power within Violet's body.

The task of suppressing the dark element, which was originally expected to require the combined efforts of two black dragons, was now being undertaken by Elder Mo Yuan alone. Under his calm aura, the dark elemental power on Zi Jin's body rapidly dissipated.

The second phase proceeded smoothly. Dreamweaver also extended its dragon claws, and pale green magic rippled out like a thin mist, gently covering Violet's body, like the most tender comfort.

The magical energy that had been emanating from the girl was gradually suppressed back into the depths of her body.

Then, Stacy began the most crucial step. She focused intently on communicating with the magic circle, and the runes in the core area began to glow, converging towards Violet's pale chest as if they were alive. With repeated washing and cleansing, the scales on Violet's chest visibly faded and blurred in color and outline.

About fifteen minutes later, the rinsing finally ended. The purple color on the violet's chest had disappeared, leaving only a smooth and delicate white skin.

****
Su Ming had never tried trimming his hair with a razor before, and clumsily made a mess of his head, with hair of varying lengths and unevenness.

He didn't realize it was his turn until Stacy called out to him.

The dragons have completed their suppression mission. Except for Elder Dreamweaver, all the other dragons have retreated and vacated the core area.

Su Ming put down the knife, vigorously patted the stray hairs on his shoulders and head, and then stepped onto the altar.

“Um…where should I lie down?” he asked.

“No need to lie down.” Zi Jin said, slowly sitting up and reaching out to Su Ming, “Help me up.”

Su Ming immediately gripped Zi Jin's forearm and helped her up. The girl felt unsteady and leaned against Su Ming, resting some of her weight on him.

Clearly, the bloodline fusion process just now also took a huge toll on Zijin.

Su Ming noticed that the magical fluctuations on Zi Jin's body were weak and faint, indicating that she was still in a sealed state.

"How about we rest for a while?" Stacy suggested, looking at Violet's condition.

Zijin shook her head, her voice weary but resolute, "No need. The sooner we start and finish, the sooner I can rest."

"Alright then." Stacy stopped insisting and moved a rock over. Violet stood on it, then closed her eyes, lowered her head slightly, and gently pressed her forehead against Su Ming's forehead.

"Is that all?" Su Ming couldn't help but ask, his warm breath brushing against Zi Jin's cheek.

“Hmm!” Violet responded briefly.

So close that their breaths could hit each other's faces, they immediately shut their mouths in unison.

But what Su Ming saw was Zi Jin's small, straight nose, her rosy lips so close to his, and he could even feel the faint touch of her long eyelashes as they trembled.

Who can withstand this!

Su Ming had no choice but to close his eyes as well, trying to calm himself down. However, he found that closing his eyes seemed to make things worse, and his senses became more focused on the delicate and warm touch outside the scales on his forehead.

【Hehehe, little brother~】Stacy sent a message with a smile, 【Try to keep your emotions under control and calm down.】

"Don't you think this is right?" Su Ming sighed helplessly in his heart. "To demand perfect inner peace is completely contrary to biological instincts, isn't it?"

"Well, I'll teach you a trick—" Stacy said mischievously, "Imagine that instead of a beautiful woman, you're facing a huge, majestic dragon?"

Su Ming tried it out, [The dragon seems...not bad?]

"How about—" Stacy seemed to be seriously considering it, "I'll allow you to imagine that what's pressed against your forehead right now is me?"

【…】

Stacy's quip relaxed Su Ming a bit, and his emotions gradually calmed down.

She turned her attention, somewhat puzzled, towards Violet. "But you, you're really quite unmoved by being patted on the back!"

"The exertion just now has left my mind completely blank; I can't think of anything else," Violet replied calmly. "My only thought right now is to finish the ritual quickly and then go to sleep!"

"No wonder you wanted to do the 'Elemental Resonance' part first." Stacy realized. "How cunning!"

【Thank you for the compliment!】

This time, Elder Dream Weaver was in charge of the magic circle. Following the same procedure as Stacy had done, she chanted ancient incantations and reactivated the massive magic circle.

Then, Stacy stood behind Su Ming, closed her eyes, and focused her mind. Su Ming immediately felt a powerful spiritual force envelop him like an invisible cocoon.

As long as she doesn't have to fight herself, Stacy's mastery of magic and mental power is quite remarkable!

"Hey, what are you doing?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

"I need to suppress your mental realm," Stacy explained. "This will allow you to successfully receive the implantation of the 'Whispers of the Stars' essence."

Su Xiang recalled the Violet opposite him earlier, whose magic was also completely suppressed to undergo the fusion with the source of 'Elemental Resonance'. It seemed that he and Violet were treated the same way.

"I'm about to begin!" Stacy reminded her.

The next moment, the mental pressure on her suddenly increased! Su Ming immediately felt as if her head was being pierced by countless fine needles at the same time, with a sharp stinging sensation.

[Ouch... Why does it hurt so much!] Su Ming couldn't help but grit his teeth and cry out in pain in his mind.

"Isn't it normal for direct contact and collision of mental energy to cause pain?" Stacy responded matter-of-factly, while continuing to methodically increase the intensity of the mental suppression.

【No... why does it never hurt this much when Violet's mental energy comes into contact with me!】 Su Ming felt as if his mental energy was being squeezed like a sponge, shrinking inch by inch under the opponent's powerful pressure, forced to contract inward.

"This is the gentlest I can do!" Stacy's tone was tinged with innocence.

Then, Su Ming felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if his consciousness had been pushed away from the surface perception by a powerful force and sank into the deepest part of his body.

At the same time, several emerald green vines, like living snakes, had already silently spread over, gently and firmly wrapping around and securing the bodies of the two people on the altar.

"Are you ready?" Elder Weaver's calm voice rang out.

“All set!” Stacy replied confidently.

The light of the magic circle shone brightly once more, gently enveloping the two people whose foreheads were touching on the altar.

(End of this chapter)