“How did you manage to acquire so many tribulation crystals, Brother Xian?” Long Kui asked. He was still shaken by the sheer amount of tribulation crystals here, but he had finally managed to calm himself. They were in Flying Armor Pass, and both Long Xian and the Flying Armor Array were present. Even without those two, Long Kui would still be condemned by the clan if he attempted to seize this treasure from Long Xian.
Long Xian explained, “I unexpectedly received an inheritance from an elder, and this crystal pillar was a part of it.”
Long Kui knew that this was not the full truth, as not even the four ruling powers were able to gather that many tribulation crystals within a century. Just which elder had amassed such a hoard of crystals? Only a Progenitor could be capable of doing such a thing. However, if Long Xian had actually received an inheritance from a Progenitor, then he should be far stronger than what he currently was.
“The Fourteenth Gate might suspect that these tribulation crystals came from those monsters, so it isn’t surprising that they’re suspicious of me. Fortunately, I’m no traitor. If I were, I would never have allowed you to watch my son open his first meridian point.” Long Xian glanced at Guo Shan with evident delight on his face.
Guo Shan had no interest in listening to Long Xian. Instead, he was focused on Long Ding, who had already begun to refine the crystal pillar.
Long Ding spent two full days refining the crystal pillar. The pillar grew smaller and smaller, and eventually, Long Ding was absorbing nothing more than a glow supported by numerous threads.
The moment the threads appeared, everybody present—Guo Shan, Lu Yin, the members of the Flying Armor Troops, and even Long Kui and Long Xian—wanted to seize them. It was an instinct that ran through every cultivator.
“Can I grab that?” Lu Yin softly asked Guo Shan.
Guo Shan was startled. “You’re nuts! We’re in Flying Armor Pass, and the Flying Armor Array is even able to stop Envoys who’ve passed through their third or fourth tribulations. Even Elder Long Kui wouldn’t be able to pull that off, let alone you.”
The man then gave Lu Yin an odd look. What was this kid saying? Grab it? How could he even consider such a thing? Even if he succeeded, how would he explain himself to the White Dragon Clan?
Guo Shan suddenly felt that Lu Yin might not be as nice as he had previously believed; this was a shocking question to ask.
Lu Yin had only casually asked this question, as he did not have any real intention of fighting Long Ding for the threads. Since Long Xian was willing to allow his son to absorb the tribulation crystals in public, then he must have made ample preparations. Despite that, if Lu Yin actually went all out, then he might be able to pull it off, given his various treasures.
As the crystal threads entered Long Ding’s body, he felt an excruciating pain run through his body. He collapsed to his knees, and his face went pale. All five fingers of both hands pierced into the platform, shattering it with a bang and sending Long Ding crashing to the ground below.
Long Xian immediately stepped forward, but Long Ding stopped him. “Father, I’m fine.”
Long Xian clenched his fists tightly. He was even more nervous than Long Ding. “You have to succeed, Ding’er! You must!”
Long Ding roared from where he lay on the ground. His body constantly trembled, and even the sky shook. In pain, he raised a fist and slammed it down, leaving a massive dent in the ground. Then, he suddenly looked up and roared as dragon scales appeared on his skin. It was caused by the White Dragon Transformation.
Lu Yin walked forward and carefully observed Long Ding. The youth’s breathing had become very irregular, but Lu Yin had a strange feeling that some form of transformation was taking place.
“He’s opening his lower meridian point, which means that he’s going to have to suffer the incredible pain that comes from breaking past his body’s limits. His body will be changed to be more suitable for cultivation, but there’s a steep price to pay for that change. It’s about to start, and his struggle will begin then.” Guo Shan kept his eyes locked on Long Ding.
Lu Yin had never heard of this detail before. “A struggle?”
Guo Shan muttered, “A normal human body can’t withstand tribulation crystals, so the body has to be reformed and adjusted to the crystals. This is one part of the overall transformation, but the pain from this process is ten times worse than what he’s endured up to now.”
Lu Yin felt a chill. When Guo Shan had mentioned that a body needed to be reformed, it had reminded Lu Yin of formcast models. Whenever Lu Yin had broken through with one of those things, he had to endure the pain of his body being shattered and rebuilt. That transformation was what allowed his body to accommodate the increased power that he gained from breaking through. It looked like this process was similar as the body needed to adjust to the tribulation crystals.
Ah!
Long Ding vomited blood as cracks appeared on his body. Blood dripped to the ground, and a metallic scent filled the air.
Long Xian went pale, and he shouted, “Ding’er! You have to get through this! Your life will completely change after this! Keep going, Ding’er!”
Long Ding responded with a hoarse voice, “I’ll definitely get through this!”
Long Kui frowned as he watched the entire process. While he should be happy to see any member of the White Dragon Clan open a meridian point, he simply could not feel that satisfaction here. Long Xian was not completely loyal to the main family, and traitors had appeared within the White Dragon Clan before. If the decision were left to Long Kui, then he would much rather see Long Qi open his lower meridian point instead of Long Ding.
Where had Long Xian gotten all of these tribulation crystals?
The transformation and pain were different from when Long Ding had refined the crystal pillar, and it did not take as long. Still, it felt like eternity to Long Ding due to the extreme pain.
After a while, Long Ding was just about to pass out from the pain, but suddenly, his breathing stabilized. His sweat had long since mixed with his blood and pooled in a distant corner.
He panted heavily as he ripped off his shirt, revealing firm muscles and vanishing dragon scales.
Long Xian was elated; his son had succeeded.
To be fair, as long as there were enough tribulation crystals, it was perfectly normal to successfully open a meridian point. The only drawback was the pain caused by the process, and this was also just the lower meridian point. It took even more tribulation crystals to open the middle meridian point, and the pain was far worse as well.
Long Ding closed his eyes as he slowly stood up.
The red blood looked bright beneath his feet.
Lu Yin could feel that Long Ding’s aura had changed, and he felt like a completely different person. Was this the transformation that occurred from opening the first meridian point?
Guo Shan was envious. “No matter how painful it might be, everybody would be willing to try this. This is the only way to even have a hope of becoming a Progenitor. “This child will accomplish great things in the future.”
“Hahahaha! Ding’er, as long as you completely absorb the crystal threads, you’ll stabilize! Hahahaha!” Long Xian was ecstatic. Long Ding was definitely much more powerful after opening his meridian point.
Long Xian immediately contacted Long Tian.
Long Tian had not expected Long Xian to contact him, as the two rarely interacted. The only reason why Long Xian had contacted the Junior Progenitor earlier was because the Fourteenth Gate had sent people to investigate matters in Flying Armor Pass. Was Long Qi in trouble once again?
Everyone fell silent when they saw the image of Long Tian appear. Long Ding opened his eyes and proudly looked back at Long Tian.
Nobody dared to be rude when facing the White Dragon Clan’s heir. This person had the potential to eventually become a Progenitor. Even Long Kui stood a bit straighter, and Guo Shan also adjusted himself. Long Tian was the heir to one of the four ruling powers, and he also possessed a rather high position within Humility’s Gate.
“Commander Long Xian, why are you contacting me?” Long Tian was curious. He was a member of the main family while Long Xian had a strong rivalry with the main family. Thus, it was very strange for Long Xian to reach out to Long Tian.
Long Xian respectfully explained, “Young Master, I am sorry for disturbing you. You will soon be heading to the Dominion Realm. Might I ask if you have found any suitable companions?”
Long Tian smiled. “Commander Long Xian, do you have anyone you wish to recommend?”
“My son, Long Ding.”
Long Tian arched a brow. “Long Ding? I’ve never heard of him.”
Long Xian did not grow upset, and he simply continued. “My son has just opened his lower meridian point and is currently stabilizing his condition. Thus, it’s understandable for you not to have heard of him yet.”
Long Tian was shocked. “What did you say? He’s opened his lower meridian point?”
“Yes, he just finished.”
Long Xian waved Long Ding over. The youth walked over and bowed to Long Tian. “I am Long Ding. It’s my honor to meet you, Young Master.”
Long Tian looked from Long Ding to Long Xian. “How did you find enough tribulation crystals for him to open his meridian point?”
“I received them from an elder.”
Long Tian did not believe this excuse at all. He turned towards Long Ding. “What’s your power level?”
“I’m still a Hunter, but I will be an Enlighter within the month,” Long Ding confidently stated.
Long Tian was surprised. “You’ll be an Enlighter with an opened meridian point from the White Dragon Clan. You really do qualify to follow me to the Dominion Realm.”
Long Ding grinned. “Thank you for this opportunity, Young Master.”
Long Tian smiled. “You’ll be helping me as well. As long as you help me find some Origin Matter to open my upper meridian point, I’ll never let you down in the future.”
Long Ding bowed low. “It would be an honor to work for you, young master.”
Long Tian smiled. He actually did not care about any of the grudges between the main family and Long Xian at all, and nor was he concerned about where Long Xian had gotten the tribulation crystals. To Long Tian, the trip to the Dominion Realm was the most important thing. He had always been thinking about who to take with him, so he was thrilled that Long Ding qualified to go. Given that Long Xi would also be going, Long Tian only needed to invite two more people to his team.
Long Tian then saw Lu Yin out of the corner of his eye. He glared at Long Qi and rudely demanded, “What are you doing in Flying Armor Pass? Don’t make trouble for Commander Long Xian.”
Lu Yin’s gaze grew sharper. “They’ve been quite welcoming.”
Long Tian frowned. “Leave there and get back to White Mountain soon.”
He then turned towards Long Kui. “Elder, take Long Qi back to White Mountain. Don’t allow him to make any trouble.”
“Yes, Young Master,” Long Kui said.
Long Tian turned back to Long Ding and spoke in a kind voice. “You’ll need to work hard. As long as you become an Enlighter, you’ll be able to help me when I go to the Dominion Realm. I’ll be waiting for you on our Junior Progenitor Planet.”
“Yes, Young Master,” Long Ding loudly agreed.
Long Tian nodded at Long Xian, and his image disappeared.
Long Ding proudly raised his head high. Everything had been successful.
Long Xian sighed; everything had ended up as expected. He had gotten the tribulation crystals a long time ago, and thus, he had made sure that Long Ding remained a Hunter, as it would allow him to open his lower meridian point more easily. Also, he would be much more powerful after becoming an Enlighter, and he would become one of the top elites of his generation.
Guo Shan was jealous. “What a good life!”
Lu Yin was also envious. The cultivation system in the Perennial World was much more complete than the Fifth Mainland’s. After opening a meridian point, Long Ding could already compare to Enlighters like Unseen Light. Once Long Ding became an Enlighter himself, he might be just as strong as Wang Yi, which meant that he truly did qualify to travel to the Dominion Realm with Long Tian.
Everyone else felt flashes of envy while Long Ding felt excitement. He felt like he had reached the peak, and he needed a target to feel out his increased strength. Naturally, he turned towards Lu Yin. “Brother Long Qi, I heard that you received an inheritance from the Sword Monument and that you took even longer to receive it than that person from the Celestial Frost Sect. I’ve been feeling quite curious about it. Would you be willing to have a spar?”
