Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 1032 - 440: Body Refining Breaks Through to Fourth Rank Upper Grade; Soaring Dragon Art Transforms (3)

With a sharp crack, the hardened cocoon of blood disintegrated, scattering into countless ruby-hued light particles. These fragments surged back like a hundred rivers flowing into the mighty sea, converging upon the imposing figure standing at the heart of the chamber.

Xu Ping’s eyes slowly unsealed, a potent, blood-gold luminescence flashing within his pupils before rapidly receding.

Though he made no conscious effort to channel his Qi, the potent blood energy emanating from his form was now indistinguishable from that of a true Fourth Rank Upper Grade pure-blooded True Dragon making its presence known. The vitality coursing through him was nearly boundless; beneath his skin, luminous pale-gold runes had achieved perfect stability, circulating endlessly and imbued with formidable power.

"Not bad."

A genuine smile touched the corners of Xu Ping’s lips. He had attained a true Fourth Rank Upper Grade physique, coupled with a perfected Fourth Rank Upper Grade Dragon Might.

This represented the pinnacle achievement possible after a grueling year of cultivation utilizing the Dragon Essence Blood Tempering Pill, exactly the flawless outcome he had ardently desired.

A profound sense of elation surged within him as he felt the inexhaustible torrent of blood energy within his body, akin to mighty rivers, and the inherent majesty of the high-order Dragon Race resonating from the depths of his bloodline.

"Let's test out the Soaring Dragon Art!"

A flicker of intense anticipation ignited in Xu Ping’s gaze. Now that his physique and Dragon Might had undergone such a fundamental transformation, he wondered what spectacular power the Secret Technique could unleash.

His mind stirred subtly. Without any overt movements, he simply took a single step forward.

"Hum!"

The Qi within his Dantian and the newly revitalized, ocean-like surge of blood energy instantly synchronized and resonated with each other.

"Aoo~!"

In the very next instant, Xu Ping’s entire being became a streak of crimson light. This was no longer a mere vague Escape Light; its manifestation was now far more akin to the agile and magnificent phantom of a True Dragon.

This blood-colored dragon shadow, like a crimson bolt of lightning rending the heavens, streaked with incredible swiftness across the expansive secret chamber. Its speed exceeded the limits of what even a Nascent Soul Cultivator’s Divine Sense could track.

One could only perceive a scarlet line flashing and twisting repeatedly through the void, leaving behind trails of lingering afterimages that refused to fade. And this was merely the commencement!

Xu Ping’s thoughts shifted once more. The Dragon Might that already resided within him, astonishing as it was, erupted with its full, unreserved force, perfectly integrating with the operational flow of the Soaring Dragon Art. The draconic roar escalated into a piercing crescendo.

The darting, blood-colored dragon shadow instantaneously condensed multiple times over; its scales, claws, and fangs became vividly distinct, appearing almost tangible. An overbearing, tyrannical, world-shattering aura permeated the entire cave abode.

At this moment, Xu Ping’s transformed state transcended a simple beam of light; he was now an actual blood-colored True Dragon. Such was its might that it faintly carried an echo of the presence displayed by Ao Guang, the Dragon King, when he revealed his true form years ago.

Were a Nascent Soul Perfection stage Cultivator to stand in its path at this juncture, it would scarcely be an exaggeration to state that a single strike could inflict grievous injury, perhaps even causing their physical body to disintegrate on the spot.

"Hu."

The crimson light abruptly retracted, drawing back into his body like a colossal whale ingesting water. Xu Ping’s form solidified, and he once again stood quiescently in the center of the secret chamber, gradually drawing back his imposing aura.

The volatile energy that had surrounded him, potent enough to tear the void asunder, vanished instantly without a trace, as if the world-shattering blood-colored True Dragon of moments prior had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion. Yet, Xu Ping’s expression was alight with unrestrained ecstasy.

"My blood energy has reached new heights, my Dragon Might has amplified tremendously—this Soaring Dragon Art... it has undergone a qualitative metamorphosis." He could keenly sense that the Soaring Dragon Art, in its current state, had fundamentally surpassed the scope of Nascent Soul Level Escape Techniques and body-tempering close-combat arts.

Even if he were to confront the Hehuan Old Devil directly, bolstered by this technique, he might truly be able to contend with him for a period, rather than solely focusing on evasion. This undoubtedly represented another method at his disposal capable of steadily reaching the Divinity Transformation Level.

More critically, this was an ultimate close-quarters combat technique. If he could manage to approach a Divinity Transformation Cultivator and unleash it unexpectedly, the instantaneous explosive power it generated would be sufficient to inflict devastating damage upon the Divinity Transformation Cultivator’s physical body, potentially altering the very outcome of the battle.

"Moreover, this power is far from its peak."

Xu Ping's gaze intensified. "If I can find the Nine Heavens Gang Wind Essence and master the 'Nirvana Golden Body'... then the might of this Soaring Dragon Art will undoubtedly ascend once more!"

However, this thought caused his brows to furrow slightly.

"But by then, my Mana will likely become the bottleneck."

He turned his attention inward. Within the purple mansion of his Dantian, the Nascent Soul cradled the Canghua Divine Wood Sword. The Mana surrounding it was indeed pure and immense, far surpassing that of others in the same realm.

Yet when contrasted with a genuine Fifth Rank physique, a considerable disparity remained.

"If my Mana could advance another stage, reaching the Nascent Soul Perfection Level—if both its purity and total volume could increase by another tier, better supporting and propelling this body..."

"Then, with the Soaring Dragon Art, even confronting the Star Palace Saints directly to test our might might not be entirely out of the question."

A tantalizing possibility arose in his mind but was swiftly quelled.

"Currently, even the 'Nine Heavens Gang Wind Essence' remains elusive; contemplating this is perhaps too premature."

Xu Ping shook his head. "The immediate priority remains focusing on the Sword Dao."

"Steady progress in the Sword Dao holds greater potential and allows my enhanced comprehension to manifest more fully."

Time continued its relentless march. While conflict raged beyond, within Blood Bone Island, years flowed in tranquil serenity, and an additional three years elapsed.

The war between the Star Palace and the Outer Sea Alliance, following that earth-shattering Divinity Transformation battle, did not abate. Instead, it devolved into an even more brutal and protracted war of attrition.

The two factions clashed ceaselessly along the vast frontier, engaging in skirmishes and raids. Minor conflicts, akin to festering wounds, spread throughout the Outer Sea.

Innumerable low-level Cultivators and Demon Beasts perished, their blood staining the azure waves.

Fortunately, if the Outer Sea Demon Race lacked anything, it was not Demon Beasts; they possessed them in overwhelming numbers, and their rapid reproduction allowed them to barely withstand such relentless attrition for the time being.

As for individuals like Xu Ping, who had already demonstrated combat strength at the Divinity Transformation level, they would refrain from intervening unless a decisive battle loomed.

This also afforded Xu Ping precious, peaceful moments for his cultivation.

On this particular day, within the subterranean cave abode.

Xu Ping was not performing any world-shattering Sword Technique. He simply held the Canghua Divine Wood Sword and moved it slowly within a few feet of space.

The sword movements were simple and unembellished, even somewhat measured, yet with every arc he traced, the void near the sword's tip subtly wavered, as if countless fine, unseen Sword Qi were spontaneously forming and dissipating, gathering and scattering.