Chapter 104: Wings of Immortality

For a whole day and night, Zhao Ming sat cross-legged, refining the Undying Blood. As time passed, his body underwent a drastic transformation.

Through his inner vision, Zhao Ming could see that all his organs were now tinged with a faint black hue, emanating a vitality that transcended his previous state. His blood, which was once bright red, had now turned a deep crimson, clearly showing signs of evolution.

Every organ and cell in Zhao Ming's body was gradually strengthening, hiding explosive physical power within.

It could be said that Zhao Ming's physical strength alone was now comparable to that of a Soul Emperor-level expert. This was the tremendous enhancement the Undying Blood had brought him.

Although the Undying Blood didn't significantly increase Zhao Ming's soul power, most of its energy had been used to enhance his physical body.

Even so, Zhao Ming still easily broke through to the thirty-seventh rank of the Soul Elder level.

He remained silent, still immersed in his meditative state.

Clearly, it wasn't over yet.

"What is this?" Zhao Ming murmured.

As soon as he spoke, his entire body felt like it had turned into a furnace, and he felt as though his flesh and blood were burning.

A sharp pain erupted from his back, as if something was trying to burst out from behind. The excruciating pain made Zhao Ming feel uncomfortable.

"Ah!" Zhao Ming couldn't help but let out a roar.

"Teacher Zhao, is Zhao Ming alright?" Zhu Zhuqing asked anxiously. Ever since Zhao Ming started absorbing the Undying Blood yesterday, Zhu Zhuqing and the others had been taking turns watching over him, worried that something might go wrong.

The three of them had long been aware of each other's feelings for Zhao Ming.

Xiao Wu had noticed the concerned expressions of Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing and, upon returning, took the opportunity to speak openly with them.

At first, they thought Xiao Wu was angry. After all, Xiao Wu was Zhao Ming's first girlfriend. Ning Rongrong had just confirmed her relationship with Zhao Ming and hadn't yet had the chance to explain to Xiao Wu, while Zhu Zhuqing felt even more awkward.

In fact, they had always felt a strong sense of guilt towards Xiao Wu. They had been close friends, and after falling for Zhao Ming, they had been worried about how Xiao Wu would react if she found out. They feared that she would be angry and that their friendship might be ruined.

But to their surprise, Xiao Wu didn't react as they had expected. Instead, she accepted them, much to their relief. They silently noted this gesture of goodwill from Xiao Wu.

"I'm not entirely sure. But look at his back," Zhao Wuji, as a Soul Saint, immediately noticed something unusual.

"His back?"

Zhu Zhuqing focused her beautiful eyes on Zhao Ming's back. With no distracting thoughts, she observed intently.

To her astonishment, she saw two small protrusions forming on Zhao Ming's back, and they were rapidly growing.

Under her shocked gaze,

something black emerged from those two protrusions.

Suddenly, a pair of wings engulfed in black flames burst out, unfurling gracefully like a large umbrella. The wings were covered in jet-black feathers, each one burning with black flames.

As the Black Flame Wings emerged, the searing pain in Zhao Ming's body completely vanished.

Instead, he felt a sensation of renewal, as if he had been reborn.

Zhao Ming felt as though every cell in his body was cheering,

"Hmmm…" Zhao Ming couldn't help but let out a soft, comfortable sigh.

He suddenly opened his eyes and grasped his Black Flame Wings.

"System, what's going on?" Zhao Ming asked, his eyes wide with shock and delight.

"I didn't expect you to experience such a mutation. Just a few drops of Undying Blood managed to activate the Immortal Bloodline within you."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Ming asked curiously.

"If we refer to the bloodline of the ancient Undying Phoenix as the Immortal Bloodline, then you now possess a trace of that bloodline. If you examine your body closely, you'll see that your blood is no longer that of an ordinary human; it now carries the aura of the Undying Blood."

"You already had the ancient Undying Phoenix martial spirit, and with the stimulation from the Undying Blood, an Immortal Bloodline formed within you. With this dual transformation, your body underwent such a dramatic mutation. And now, with the ancient Undying Phoenix's blood running through your veins and the formation of the Immortal Wings, you're no longer an ordinary human. It would be more accurate to describe you as a humanoid soul beast."

A humanoid soul beast?

Zhao Ming was taken aback.

It made sense when he thought about it.

After all, which ordinary human would have wings growing from their back?

Of course, it wasn't impossible. For example, someone with an external winged soul bone or a martial spirit like Qian Renxue's Angel Spirit could also manifest wings.

But Zhao Ming's wings were different. They were generated from his Immortal Bloodline and were an integral part of his body, connected to his flesh and blood.

"Can I retract these wings?"

"There shouldn't be any problem. These wings are now a part of your body. Focus your mind and see if you can retract them."

Zhao Ming remained silent, concentrating on the wings.

With a thought, the Immortal Wings folded and transformed into a black wing-shaped pattern that attached itself to Zhao Ming's back.

With another thought, the black wing pattern quickly unfolded again.

Flapping his wings, Zhao Ming shot into the air. After circling twice, he smiled and flew towards Zhu Zhuqing and Zhao Wuji.

He hovered steadily beside them.

"Zhao Ming, what's going on?" Zhao Wuji stared at Zhao Ming in a daze, utterly shocked.

"It's because my martial spirit underwent a second awakening, which caused these wings to grow," Zhao Ming explained with a smile, having already prepared his explanation.

"A second awakening?" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened.

"This is one of the unique traits of my family's martial spirit. A second awakening allows us to become more in tune with our martial spirit and unlock more of its potential power," Zhao Ming fabricated a story. Although he was improvising, the concept of a second martial spirit awakening did exist. In the Douluo universe, the Body Sect prospered by mastering such awakenings.

"Can our martial spirits undergo a second awakening too?" Zhao Wuji asked, surprised.

"That, I'm not sure. It might be possible, but it would require generations of exploration. Our family's awakening method has been refined over thousands of years."

With a few words, Zhao Ming portrayed himself as a member of a powerful hidden family, and Zhao Wuji believed him completely. Otherwise, there would be no other explanation for the events surrounding Zhao Ming.

Moreover, Shrek Academy had several students from influential families, such as Dai Mubai's family, Zhu Zhuqing's family, and Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Zhao Ming's mysterious background and the possibility of him having a powerful family behind him seemed entirely plausible.