Chapter 358 - 345: Dragonification

Chapter 358: Chapter 345: Dragonification

Rift Rock Pass, true to its name, was a natural chokepoint that looked as if a Giant Axe had cleaved it between two steep mountain ridges.

It was the last major gateway to the fertile heartland of the Golden Valley Kingdom from the East, a strategically vital pass that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

In stark contrast to the poorly guarded strongholds along the eastern border, the pass’s walls were now a forest of banners. Armored soldiers, weapons in hand, stood shoulder to shoulder, their grim presence filling the air.

More alarmingly, a potent Extraordinary aura emanated from their ranks, indicating that a significant number of Professionals were stationed there.

Not far from the pass, on the flat plains before it, stood another massive military camp belonging to the joint army of Gloria and Duke.

The camp and the pass faced each other from a distance, locked in the fragile, temporary calm before a storm.

Inside his personal tent, Roland was sitting in quiet cultivation.

His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, his breaths long and deep. The aura around him was completely at odds with the grim, killing intent emanating from the distant pass.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within his eyes, the phantom image of a vertical, gilded-gold pupil flashed and vanished, and they returned to their usual profound depths.

Roland slowly exhaled a breath of impure air, carefully sensing the changes within his body.

Power receded like a tide, settling into his limbs and bones. A tangible sense of growth lingered in his mind.

’That battle with Anno wasn’t for nothing, after all,’ he assessed calmly.

The direct clash with the Abyssal Power had greatly stimulated his body’s vitality, significantly advancing his progress with the [Nameless Breathing Technique]. He could now clearly feel the threshold of the Sixth Level.

He could sense a brand-new barrier of Power right before him, a breakthrough imminent.

At the same time, he had also invested a great deal of energy into mastering [Dragon’s Breath], the core Skill of his [Dragon Descendant] Profession.

The fully integrated [Giant Dragon Bloodline] in his body gave him an astonishing affinity, allowing him to learn this Skill far faster than an ordinary person.

By simply focusing his will, he could instantly feel a scorching, violent Energy surging deep in his throat and chest, like a dormant ember being ignited.

Of course, when it came to truly controlling this destructive Power, he was still somewhat clumsy, far from the point where he could wield it at will.

But at the very least, he could now guide it preliminarily.

His goal for this journey was clear, even desperate.

He had to completely eliminate the Abyssal Demon parasitizing Duke Anno’s body.

According to ancient texts, once a Demon left the environment of the Abyss, its Power would be greatly weakened, even if it attached itself to a host in the Main Material World as a Spirit Body. Moreover, it would be difficult for it to return to its lair in a short period.

Although he didn’t know what this Demon’s objective was, this was undoubtedly his best—and possibly only—chance.

But Roland would not let his guard down because of this.

A being that could inflict a Curse with mere eye contact had to be treated with the utmost caution, for its danger and Cunning were off the charts.

When facing such an enemy, every slight increase in strength was crucial.

’My practice with the Breathing Technique and Dragon’s Breath has reached its limit for now...’ Roland analyzed the situation rationally.

’If I want to increase my strength further in the short term, it seems I can only rely on this.’

With that thought, Roland pulled out the Scroll Graham had given him from his pouch—the second half of the [Nameless Breathing Technique].

Inscribed upon it was a Secret Technique that could further tap into the potential of his Dragon Blood.

The reason Roland hadn’t rushed to study this Bloodline Secret Technique until now was due to extreme caution.

Although he had already used a special Potion to successfully achieve his Awakening and acquire the [Giant Dragon Bloodline], avoiding the fatal danger of being assimilated or consumed by it, this new, powerful Power was still like an untamed wild horse to him.

He could command it, but he was far from the state of perfect mastery where it would be an extension of his will.

The principle behind the Secret Technique Graham had given him was to violently stimulate the deepest potential of the bloodline through a special method, exchanging it for a surge of Power in a short period.

Its effects were undoubtedly powerful, but the price...

The image of Graham’s weather-beaten face appeared in Roland’s mind.

The firm lines of his face were eroded by dense wrinkles, and his signature hair had long since turned gray.

Each activation of the Power seemed to rapidly drain his life force, leaving behind irreversible marks.

A chill ran down Roland’s spine at the thought of it.

Even an expert as unfathomably strong as Graham couldn’t completely resist the backlash of the Secret Technique, let alone his current self.

He was absolutely unwilling to take such a great risk without being fully prepared.

However, things were different now. The tempering from several intense battles and his mastery of [Dragon’s Breath] had elevated his understanding and control over his own bloodline to a new level.

It could be said that at this moment, Roland was, at the very root of his bloodline, closer to a member of the true Dragon Race than a mere human.

This fundamental transformation was the key to safely cultivating that Secret Technique.

’Since my bloodline has been purified, the backlash from cultivating this Secret Technique, which targets Dragon Blood, should be significantly weaker.’

Roland analyzed calmly, his gaze growing firm. He then closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his body.

First, he activated the [Shadow Veil] Secret Technique.

The active aura around him was swiftly contained and silenced, as if shrouded by an invisible dusk, until it merged with the shadows in the tent, not the slightest fluctuation leaking out.

Only after confirming that his aura was completely concealed did he focus his entire mind on the contents recorded in the ancient Scroll.

The Secret Technique began by guiding the dormant Dragon Blood in his body to circulate along an unprecedentedly complex path.

This path did not follow the conventional meridians of a human body. Instead, it was more like tracing the outline of a coiled Giant Dragon, with the heart as its source, the spine its pillar, and the limbs its extensions.

Roland took a deep breath and tried to drive the scorching, immense Power deep within his bloodline with his will.

At first, his blood flowed like a gentle stream, accelerating with his will.

But soon, when it reached the new, more aggressive and violent circulatory path, the resistance suddenly increased.

"Ugh..."

On his first attempt, as the Bloodline Power struck the position of his shoulder blades, it was as if it had slammed into an invisible barrier. It shuddered violently and then abruptly dispersed.

The backlash made his chest tighten, and a coppery taste rose in his throat.

A failure.

The Secret Technique’s requirements for bloodline purity and control far exceeded his estimates.

He didn’t grow impatient. Instead, he closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and carefully re-examined the sensation from the moment of failure.

The barrier was not entirely external; it stemmed more from his own lack of control over his Power and the untamed wildness still within his bloodline.

A moment later, he began his second attempt.

This time, he was even more cautious, his will like the finest carving knife, trying to guide the torrent bit by bit rather than forcing it.

However, the Power of Dragon Blood was simply too ferocious. As it passed several key nodes, it spun out of control once again.

The scorching Energy rampaged through his body like a runaway horse. An unnatural flush faintly appeared on the surface of his skin, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

He forcibly suppressed the churning in his qi and blood and once again halted his cultivation.

The tent was deathly silent, save for the sound of his own ragged breathing.

Roland realized that he seemingly couldn’t fully command this primal Power of a Giant Dragon by relying on fine control alone.

This Secret Technique perhaps required not just "guidance," but also "resonance" and "command."

He recalled the feeling of his bloodline Awakening, the feeling of guiding his Dragon’s Breath—that will that stood above Power, as if he himself were a higher-level existence.

On his third try, Roland changed his strategy.

He no longer tried to "micromanage" every ounce of Power. Instead, he elevated his will to a more macro-level plane.

He visualized himself transforming into a True Dragon soaring through the highest heavens, looking down upon the world. His will was the will of the Dragon.

His bloodline ought to obey this supreme command.

This time, when his will drove the Dragon Blood again, the scorching Power, though still violent, had lost much of its previous sluggishness and resistance.

It was as if it recognized this will—one that originated from the depths of his soul, of the same source yet more authoritative—and began to truly surge along the profound path depicted on the Scroll.

BOOM!

Like a dam bursting, the turbulent Power instantly broke through the previously blocked nodes. It shot up his spine to the crown of his head, then cascaded down through his limbs and bones like a waterfall.

An unprecedented sense of might filled his every cell. His Power was growing and transforming madly.

He gritted his teeth, doing everything in his power to maintain his clarity of mind as he guided the torrent to complete its final cycle.

When the Power finally returned to his heart along the complex path, forming a perfect closed loop...

VMMMM!

A low hum, as if from primordial antiquity, resounded from within his body.

The aura around Roland suddenly surged, and the very air inside the tent seemed to grow thick and scorching.

He snapped his eyes open.

His pupils had completely transformed into cold, vertical slits like molten gold, devoid of any human emotion—only pure majesty and Power.

He looked down at his hands and saw fine, hard Scales with a dark-gold metallic sheen quietly emerging on the backs of his hands and even his forearms.

His fingernails had also become sharp and curved, glinting with a cold light.

An indescribable pressure, one belonging to an apex predator, began to emanate uncontrollably from his body.

But this was not the end...

The Dragonification had begun.