Chapter 817 - 404: Comprehension; Second Life: Dragon Transformation (1)

Chapter 817: Chapter 404: Comprehension; Second Life: Dragon Transformation (1)

Refining was the act of effectively processing consumed matter to enhance one’s Physique and strength. A Refining Ability was enough to allow him to grow powerful in any environment and within any race. After all, life could not exist without eating!

In his "past life," he was eaten through Refining. In this life, he would use Refining to eat other creatures. It was a fitting Reincarnation. Eating his way to Power—that would be enough.

The Clone did not know what Ability the Ring Spirit had given him, nor did he know what race he would undergo Reincarnation into. The reason he asked for an Ability this time was to enhance his comprehension. Without sufficient strength, he had ended up being Refined and eaten last time. He felt that if his strength had been sufficient, the Divinity Transformation old man wouldn’t have been able to do anything to him. Then, he would have possessed greater strength to change the future of the Demon Race, and perhaps even gain more comprehension.

Following a bout of dizzying disorientation, the Clone vaguely felt as though he had fallen into water. It was icy cold. Stripped of his memories and completely unaware of his situation, he merely acted on instinct. He began searching for food in the water. Unable to see much of his surroundings, he simply relied on his basic instincts to survive.

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Zongyang gradually adapted to his surroundings.

His tiny body wiggled slightly in the water, keenly sensing the shifting currents around him. At first, he was just a petite larva no more than a few centimeters long. His slender limbs and tender tail trembled slightly in the water, looking like a fragile leaf that could be swept away by the current at any moment. His skin was translucent, faintly revealing his underdeveloped internal organs. His tiny eyes struggled to adapt to the dim underwater world, but he could only make out blurry silhouettes of light and shadow.

In this chaotic state of consciousness, only the instinct to forage remained dominant. He swung his tender tail, weaving through the aquatic plants. Occasionally, he caught tiny plankton, which served as his initial food source.

However, as he continued to feed, Cheng Zongyang vaguely felt a strange Power surging within his body. He discovered that he actually possessed a Refining Ability. Every time he swallowed food, he could completely Refine and absorb it without any waste. All the nutrients from the Refined food were converted into his own Energy, prompting his body to gradually grow. Likewise, he seemed to have an insatiable appetite, wasting nothing edible that crossed his path.

Initially, this growth was extremely slow, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. But as he ate continuously, he could feel his Power accumulating bit by bit, and his body grew increasingly agile.

As time passed, subtle changes began to appear in his physical form. His body slowly extended to five or six centimeters in length. His previously slender limbs became slightly thicker and sturdier, allowing him to paddle through the water more forcefully. His tail also gradually lengthened, swaying with greater Power, which slightly increased his swimming speed.

Yet, during this process of growth, danger shadowed him closely. Large fish frequently appeared in the water, eyeing him covetously. Their massive bodies glided through the water, churning up undercurrents. Relying on his perception of the subtle changes in the currents, Cheng Zongyang always managed to quickly dart into dense aquatic vegetation or hide in rock crevices whenever danger approached. He learned to use his surroundings for cover, blending his body color with the environment to make it difficult for predators to spot him.

As time went on, Cheng Zongyang’s body continued to grow, and his appetite increased by the day. By now, he had grown to over a dozen centimeters in length, and the contours of his body had become much more defined. Faint colored spots began to appear on his back. Not only were they a sign of his gradual maturation, but they also acted as natural camouflage, enabling him to better blend into his surroundings. His head grew broader, and his mouth widened, allowing him to hunt slightly larger prey.

No longer satisfied with plankton, he set his sights on small aquatic bugs and tiny crustaceans. When he swallowed a water flea, his internal Refining Ability activated, rapidly converting its nutrients into the substances needed for his body’s growth. He could feel that every digestible and absorbable part of the water flea was being broken down within him. It transformed into pure Energy that flowed into his muscles and bones, making his body tougher and his limbs stronger. It was as if his body were being meticulously tempered by an invisible Power.

Although Cheng Zongyang was still in his juvenile stage, he managed to survive the harsh realities of these waters through his tenacious will to live and his unique Ability. He cautiously explored the world around him, memorizing every safe hiding spot and familiarizing himself with the behavioral patterns of his various prey.

As the days went by, Cheng Zongyang entered a period of rapid growth where he required more Energy. It was the evolution from an "adolescent" to an "adult."

His body exhibited much more noticeable growth, his size now approaching twenty centimeters. At the same time, his mind began to process more complex thoughts. Because his vision was poor, he started intentionally enhancing it. Only with good eyesight could he better evade prowling large fish or snakes. Thus, as he continued to feed, it seemed as though all the quintessential Energy was being channeled into advancing and improving his vision.

Slowly, Cheng Zongyang realized his vision was indeed improving.

By the time his size exceeded twenty centimeters, his strength was not much different from that of other creatures, though his physical form closely resembled that of a lizard.