Transformation into a Divine Dragon - Part 2

Nodding in acknowledgment, I placed the Dragon Soul Grass entirely into my mouth. Before I could even think of swallowing, it transformed into a stream of energy, flowing smoothly down my throat, settling in my abdomen, and then spreading throughout my meridians.

Quickly, I retracted my internal energy (true qi) into my dantian (the energy center in traditional Chinese medicine) to avoid obstructing the flow of the herb's potent energy. As Chief Kale had described, the energy circled through my body, then began to concentrate at the Baihui point at the crown of my head, intensifying as it gathered.

I felt a pulsing pressure building at the Baihui point, growing more frequent and severe. The sensation escalated until it felt as if my entire head would burst.

Just when I thought I could endure no more and that the Baihui point might explode, Chief Kale, having reverted to his human form, placed a finger on the Baihui point, introducing another stream of energy. The new energy, intensifying the pressure, caused sharp, needle-like pain.

The energy from Chief Kale's finger merged seamlessly with the Dragon Soul Grass's energy, guiding and concentrating it into a single needle-like stream that pierced deeper into the Baihui point with each thrust, each one more painful than the last.

One, two, three times...

Finally, as if breaking through a barrier, the dragon power from Chief Kale, combined with the energy of the Dragon Soul Grass, penetrated the point. In my internal vision, I could see a vast energy coiling quietly behind the Baihui point in a mysterious cavity.

Both the dragon power and the herb's energy were white, while the energy in the cavity was a vibrant cyan. When these energies collided, they formed a swirling vortex, continually intermingling and assimilating each other until the cyan energy finally prevailed.

As the white energy diminished, the vortex spun faster. When the white energy completely vanished, the vortex reached its peak speed, then suddenly contracted, absorbing all the cyan energy.

With the energy fully absorbed, the vortex disappeared, leaving behind a crystal-clear diamond surrounded by a cyan cloud slowly orbiting it.

I had never known there was a hidden dimension behind the Baihui point, nor had I imagined it could harbor such immense energy. Even my master back on Earth might be unaware of this power. Clearly, this energy was the source of my dragon aura, and the newly formed diamond was likely the Dragon Crystal.

I felt an overwhelming urge to transform into my dragon form immediately to see what kind of dragon I would become. Ignoring my near-exhaustion, I attempted to control the Dragon Crystal as I would with my internal energy, but it was unresponsive. This was an entirely different kind of energy, leaving me at a loss.

Even though I could manipulate all the energy within my meridians, I couldn't reach this strange cavity. I could only direct my qi to the Baihui point, unable to influence the Dragon Crystal.

Ceasing my internal vision, I turned to Chief Kale in confusion. He and the other elders were looking at me with intense excitement.

I anxiously asked, "Chief, my Dragon Crystal has formed, but I can't control it at all. What's going on?"

Chief Kale, slightly taken aback, asked, "Can you not mobilize it with magic power? We usually activate or suppress the Dragon Crystal using our magic, which allows us to transform."

I quickly tried, although I possessed no inherent magic power. I began absorbing magical elements from the environment, much like how I absorbed natural energy.

As the magical elements entered my body, I realized I was on the right track. The Dragon Crystal began to rotate slowly, emitting a strong suction force, drawing the magical elements toward the mysterious cavity. A bridge of sorts formed between the Baihui point and the cavity.

I attempted to control the Dragon Crystal again, finding a faint connection. However, since the magical elements were borrowed from the environment, the connection was weak.

An idea struck me: if I could establish this bridge using my internal qi instead, my control over the Dragon Crystal would be significantly stronger.

I cautiously directed a thin stream of qi to follow the path of the magical elements toward the Dragon Crystal. I dared not send too much at once, fearing a clash between the two energies could lead to a catastrophic explosion.

Fortunately, when the qi entered the Dragon Crystal, there was no adverse reaction. The magical elements were absorbed directly by the Dragon Crystal, but the qi circled inside it before returning to the Baihui point and continuing through my body back to the dantian, as if it had merely passed through an additional meridian.

Interestingly, the originally colorless qi emerged with a faint cyan hue after passing through the Dragon Crystal, becoming more potent. As it returned to the dantian, it reverted to its original color.

I was overjoyed. This meant I now had effectively two energy centers. If I could harness the Dragon Crystal's power, I would likely transform into a dragon. Moreover, with the ability to circulate qi between the dantian and the Dragon Crystal, my internal energy's potency nearly doubled.

The immediate task was to continue merging the two energies. Gradually, I directed more qi into the Dragon Crystal. Each time it returned, it carried a bit more of the Dragon Crystal's essence, and the qi in my dantian began to take on a noticeable cyan tint.

As the Dragon Crystal's essence continued to integrate with my qi, I had to compress the increasing amount of energy in my dantian. The growing qi began to surge uncontrollably, spreading through my body with an intensity greater than ever before.

With each surge, my meridians expanded and strengthened, and my organs felt as if they were being torn apart. Blood began to ooze from every pore in my skin.

Chief Kale and the elders looked on in alarm as my body endured this ordeal. Little Anna, tears in her eyes, cast a high-level light magic spell, "Divine Healing," towards me.

Chief Kale, experienced and wise, recognized that I couldn't withstand any external energy stimulus at this critical moment. He intercepted the spell, explaining to Anna, "He can't handle any magic or external interference right now."

I knew that this was a pivotal moment. If I could endure it, my body would be refined and my meridians expanded, yielding immense benefits. But if I failed, I would be destroyed from within.

Steeling myself, I continued channeling the Dragon Crystal's essence into my dantian, compressing the qi. Given the precedent of the Dragon Crystal's formation, I hoped my dantian might similarly crystallize.

As the qi in my dantian grew increasingly compressed, the force within my meridians intensified. When the last of the Dragon Crystal's essence flowed into the dantian, I could no longer control it.

A deafening roar echoed through my mind. Pain engulfed me as an overwhelming surge of qi burst outward, tearing through my meridians and internal organs, merging with my blood, and finally erupting from every pore.

In the spacious hall of the dragon clan, a fierce windstorm erupted as my qi exploded outwards, shaking the room violently. Even Chief Kale and the other powerful elders staggered under the force, while little Anna, fortunately shielded by the Chief, was spared.

With the dantian emptied of qi, it should have been void. Instead, it formed a violently rotating vortex, expanding its reach to absorb the scattered qi.

The returning qi began to repair my shattered meridians. As all the qi converged back into the dantian, it compressed into a small, golden core, surrounded by a faint cyan nebula.

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw Chief Kale standing before me. His powerful presence seemed momentarily startled by the sharp glint in my gaze.

I cautiously circulated my qi, discovering it flowed more smoothly than ever, even through the Dragon Crystal. My meridians had become tough and resilient, handling the doubled qi effortlessly, like a boat gliding on a river.

Standing up, I heard the crackling of my bones, my body stretching by several centimeters in an instant.

Summoning my full power, I noticed the qi was no longer golden but now a brilliant white, signaling I had surpassed the level of golden battle qi.