TL: GoldenLung

Huang Daoqi’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied his eager son. After a long pause, he sighed softly.

“Do not force it. Let things take their natural course. If fate grants you the opportunity, it’s not a bad thing — but the premise is this: do not disturb their cultivation. The Ink Dinosaur Knight asked again yesterday about their progress, and from what I can tell, it’s proceeding exactly as expected. The Dragon Soul Fruit has had an obvious effect on Xiuxiu, but less so on Lan — which only further proves how powerful Lan’s bloodline is.”

Huang Yuanlang’s eyes brightened. “Then, Father, you must give me some opportunities!”

Huang Daoqi cast him a sidelong glance and scolded, “Useless boy! You’ll lead our team in the Rising Dragon Contest.”

“Yes, Father! Thank you!” Huang Yuanlang exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement.

“You will also participate personally,” Huang Daoqi continued gravely. “This time, our Fenglong City will send only three contestants — the three of you. If you want to win Lan’s admiration, you’d better perform well. You know what happens if you embarrass yourself. Time is short — train hard before we leave. If you can make it to the finals, your chances will be far better.”

“I understand,” Huang Yuanlang said, brimming with enthusiasm. “Since Xiuxiu has left the Dragon Force Hall, I’ll go train there right now.”

“Go,” his father replied curtly.

As he watched his son stride away, Huang Daoqi couldn’t help shaking his head with a wry smile. In truth, he understood perfectly why Yuanlang was so captivated by Lan. Whether in appearance, temperament, or ability, Lan was unmatched within all of Fenglong City. Compared to her, even Xiuxiu seemed a bit more innocent and straightforward, while Lan carried herself with calm restraint — poised and inwardly composed.

Even when the Ink Dinosaur Knight praised her so highly that day, she didn’t show the slightest trace of arrogance. If such a woman were to become the matriarch of Fenglong City one day — assisting Yuanlang and managing the family’s affairs — it would be a blessing. And if she ascended to the rank of Dragon Knight herself, it would be nothing short of perfection.

When he had first accepted Xiuxiu as his adopted daughter, Huang Daoqi’s plan had been clear: if she became a Dragon Knight, she could forge alliances through marriage with other Dragon Knights, thereby securing greater influence and support for Fenglong City. After all, although Xiuxiu’s talent was remarkable, she wasn’t of true Dragon Clan descent — even if she reached the Dragon Knight rank, she would likely be among the lower seats.

Lan, however, was a different story entirely.

Even the Ink Dinosaur Knight had spoken of her with such rare approval, remarking that her situation mirrored only that of his elder brother — and that brother was second only to one person in all of Celestial Dragon Planet. It was enough to reveal how extraordinary Lan’s potential truly was.

If she could one day become one of the top ten Dragon Knights, it would completely change Fenglong City’s status. And if she married into their family… that would be ideal beyond words.

Night fell over the outskirts of Fenglong City.

Qian Lei sat cross-legged on the ground, golden light flickering faintly around him. At his side stood Lan Xuanyu and Lan Mengqin.

Before them loomed Elder Shu, his towering form rooted in the earth, radiating an ocean of dense life energy that rippled outward like mist under the moonlight.

“Let’s begin,” said Lan Xuanyu quietly.

Lan Mengqin tensed slightly beside him, her fingers brushing the strings of her zither in nervous anticipation.

Bai Xiuxiu remained at their residence to stabilize her recent advancement; the others had gone about their own tasks. Only the three of them were here tonight — Lan Xuanyu to guide, Lan Mengqin to heal, and Qian Lei to test the new method.

They had already explained their idea to Elder Shu, who had offered no objections — only his full support.

“All right,” Qian Lei said, nodding. He drew in a deep breath, and a brilliant golden glow erupted around him. In the next instant, his body swelled and expanded, transforming into his Golden Behemoth form.

Now over twelve meters tall even in a seated position, he looked like a living mountain of muscle and power. The golden fur covering his frame shimmered dazzlingly beneath the night sky, and the immense surge of blood energy rolling from his body made the air itself quiver with heat.

His eyes, tinged faintly red, locked onto Lan Xuanyu.

“Keep your mind steady,” Lan Xuanyu warned in a low voice. “When you feel your consciousness starting to waver, I’ll step in. But remember — this must rely on your own control. Otherwise, you’ll never truly master the power of the Golden Behemoth.”

“Yes, boss,” Qian Lei rumbled, his deep voice echoing like thunder.

“Start.”

Qian Lei exhaled sharply. His aura shifted instantly. In his Golden Behemoth form, his bloodline and soul power fused as one — the perfect state for unleashing his full strength. Now, under deliberate control, he began to ignite that bloodline.

Golden flames burst forth, blazing upward from his massive frame as his aura skyrocketed, multiplying at a terrifying rate.

“Focus your mind!” Lan Xuanyu commanded.

Thick, ancient roots erupted from the ground, coiling around Qian Lei’s body. Streams of pure, vital energy surged through them, pouring into him under Elder Shu’s control.

Qian Lei’s massive frame trembled violently. He struggled to suppress the burning within his veins, directing it instead to temper his flesh as Lan Xuanyu had instructed.

The golden flames flickered erratically — sometimes bright as day, sometimes faint as candlelight. Gradually, the light concentrated toward his right arm.

That arm began to swell, its glow intensifying. Qian Lei’s face twisted in agony, his teeth grinding as he endured the searing pain.

Then —

Lan Xuanyu’s expression changed. He leapt into the air, landing above Qian Lei’s head, and pressed his palm down on the giant’s shoulder.

With a soft boom, the golden flames were forcibly suppressed — crushed under the might of Lan Xuanyu’s own Golden Dragon King bloodline.

Qian Lei’s immense body shuddered. His right arm went limp, and he coughed up a mouthful of golden-red blood, his massive chest heaving. The light dimmed around him, and he seemed to shrink slightly.

Lan Mengqin didn’t hesitate. The soothing melody of her zither filled the air, and waves of emerald light surged from her hands, flooding into Qian Lei’s battered form. His wounds began to mend under the gentle nourishment of pure life energy.

Lan Xuanyu landed softly, his brow furrowed. “It doesn’t work.”

Indeed, something had gone wrong.

Throughout the process, Lan Xuanyu had been using his spiritual sense to monitor Qian Lei’s internal changes. He discovered that when Qian Lei used his bloodline power to temper his body, the external life energy entering from Elder Shu wasn’t aiding the refinement at all — it merely replenished the blood he was burning. In other words, the life energy allowed him to burn for longer, but it never reached the target — his right arm.

As a result, the meridians in that arm had been severely damaged.

In that brief instant, Qian Lei had indeed unleashed a burst of power far beyond his usual limit — but his arm hadn’t become stronger from the experience. Instead, it was scorched from within.

Why did it fail?

Fortunately, the Golden Behemoth’s body was absurdly tough. Though badly injured, the damage wasn’t permanent, and under Lan Mengqin’s healing, he gradually recovered.

When he finally reverted to human form, his face was still pale.

Lan Xuanyu looked at him. “How do you feel? You all right?”

Qian Lei gave a wry smile. “It hurts like hell, boss. That wasn’t just physical pain — it felt like my very soul was on fire. The life energy Elder Shu gave me kept me alive, sure, but it didn’t ease the pain — and it couldn’t repair the damage caused by the burn. It’s totally different from what you described about your dragon-force tempering.”

When Lan Xuanyu cultivated with the Dragon Force Body-Tempering Method, the process was painful, yes — but it also carried a subtle harmony between destruction and creation. The Dragon Soul Fruit’s power would ignite his bloodline, while the surrounding Dragon Force would nourish and rebuild him. The agony came with a strange, transformative balance — a sense of breaking down and being reborn.

This attempt, however, had none of that balance — only relentless burning and destruction.

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