Chapter 102: Finally, Wind Element
Xiang Yu stared in astonishment at the bloodlines within his body. They weren’t just subdued—they were trembling in fear, cowering away from his Abyssal Void Flame as if facing their natural predator. The sight perplexed him deeply. This flame had already proven extraordinary when it had effortlessly cleared his mental demons during meditation, but to witness it intimidating bloodlines of mythical creatures considered apex beings in the cultivation world? That was truly remarkable.
Even if these were merely essence extracts rather than the actual creatures themselves, their reaction spoke volumes about the flame’s true nature. What kind of power did he actually possess?
Taking advantage of the bloodlines’ terrified state, Xiang Yu focused his concentration on refining them properly. The process proved surprisingly simple—with the essences subdued by the flame’s presence, they offered no resistance. Within minutes, his system displayed a new entry:
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: Thin Blood (10/1000)]
Xiang Yu released a long, steady breath, calming his racing heart. Curiously, he found himself less impressed by the legendary bloodlines he’d just acquired than by the Abyssal Void Flame’s unexpected power. A frown creased his forehead as he considered the implications.
If the flame possessed such extraordinary capabilities, didn’t that suggest it might have an extraordinary background? Or belong to some ancient, powerful being? Would some terrifying immortal eventually come knocking at his door, demanding the return of their treasure? If that happened, he’d be utterly doomed.
Deciding not to dwell on that troubling possibility, Xiang Yu carefully guided the flame back to his spiritual sea. If his theory was correct, now that the bloodlines had been registered in his system, they should remain stable. Just as he predicted, even after withdrawing the flame’s presence, the dragon and phoenix essences remained peacefully in their respective territories, no longer battling for dominance.
With the immediate danger past, Xiang Yu turned his attention to the wealth of information flooding his mind. As soon as the bloodlines had registered, his system had provided comprehensive details about bloodline classifications. They followed their own hierarchical ranking: lesser, common, gifted, noble, legendary, mythical, divine, and primordial.
Humans possessed merely common bloodlines, while dragons and phoenixes ranked among the mythical tier—five levels higher. The gap was staggering, but what truly stunned Xiang Yu was discovering two rankings beyond even mythical. What inconceivable beings possessed divine or primordial bloodlines? The very thought sent a shiver down his spine.
Despite their mythical status, the dragon and phoenix bloodlines wouldn’t instantly make him OP. Bloodlines also had their own internal subdivisions: thin blood, common blood, half blood, true blood, high blood, noble blood, pure blood, and progenitor (first blood). Having refined only a small amount of essence, Xiang Yu occupied the lowest tier—thin blood.
Nevertheless, even this minimal connection offered substantial benefits. The phoenix bloodline provided enhanced fire affinity, poison resistance, increased comprehension, and accelerated healing. The dragon bloodline proved even more impressive, strengthening his bones and toughening his skin, significantly boosting his physical power. At the same Body Refining level, he would now consistently outperform others in raw physical strength.
Most importantly to Xiang Yu, the dragon bloodline offered something he had desperately sought—an understanding of the wind element. Unlike phoenixes, which specialized solely in fire, dragons came in numerous varieties, including wind dragons. This connection finally gave him insight into the wind element.
He was a little disappointed that he hadn’t gained any affinity with light or dark elements, but Xiang Yu reminded himself to be patient. One step at a time—he was already progressing far beyond what someone with his initial limitations should have achieved. As long as he continued at this pace, he’d eventually get there.
...
As Xiang Yu basked in the restorative waters of the spirit spring, a sense of accomplishment washed over him. The dragon bloodline had granted him what he’d sought for so long—an understanding of wind qi. With his experience in creating elemental palm techniques, it took mere minutes to develop his wind palm technique and acquire some experience points for it.
The phoenix bloodline proved equally valuable, its enhanced healing properties already mending the internal damage from the earlier bloodline conflict. His body felt invigorated, tissues knitting together at an accelerated rate that exceeded even his Transcendent Dao Physique’s natural recovery.
He wondered what he would become when the two bloodlines finally reached progenitor level? The thought was thrilling. With the help of his system, he would eventually get there.
He suddenly had a bold idea. He’d noticed how the dragon and phoenix essences behaved. They seemed to be opposites. Not opposites in the traditional sense, but opposites in that they didn’t get along at all.
They behaved as though they were ancient adversaries with a primal hatred so deeply ingrained that even their diluted essences instinctively battled upon contact. Their conflict wasn’t necessarily detrimental, though. It could be harnessed.
Deliberately loosening his control over the bloodlines, Xiang Yu watched as they immediately resumed their struggle, each fighting for dominance within his body. Rather than panicking, he observed with calculated interest. This conflict could be useful—a constant stimulus forcing both bloodlines to strengthen themselves against their rival.
Before allowing this internal war to continue, however, he took time to fully heal. Between the spirit spring’s energy, his Transcendent Dao Physique, and the phoenix bloodline’s regenerative properties, his body restored itself completely within minutes.
"I can’t just let them fight unrestricted," he reasoned. If he did that, he’d only be harming himself. If his healing couldn’t keep up, the result wouldn’t be worth it at all.
But a solution was already forming in his mind. His lips curved into a calculating smile that gradually transformed into an evil grin.
"If I study pill refining, I could create thousands of healing pills," he thought. "Combined with my physique and the phoenix bloodline’s recovery abilities, I could rapidly regenerate while allowing the bloodlines to battle continuously."
His body would become a battlefield—and a crucible. Each skirmish between dragon and phoenix would strengthen both, and his physical form would adapt, growing more resilient through repeated recovery.
Although his body would be a little hurt, it was a necessary sacrifice. His expression darkened with determination. To gain power, some sacrifices had to be made. He hoped his body would forgive him.
Catching his reflection in the spring’s shimmering surface, Xiang Yu paused, startled by the maniacal grin that had overtaken his features. He quickly composed himself, smoothing his expression into something more neutral.
He remembered that it was almost lunchtime. His carefully structured daily schedule had been thoroughly disrupted; he would need to create a new one to accommodate these developments.
More urgently, however, he needed to properly conceal the spirit vein. In his desperate rush to reach the spirit spring, he had completely neglected to hide the entrance.
...
Author’s Corner:
Why is he hiding it? It’s a treasure, and he wants it for himself, it’s not that deep.
Mostly it’s because I want him to have a garden for his pill refining here. If it’s revealed, it’ll become a sect treasure, with the sect in crisis, it’ll be used to improve the power of disciples and even if he was allowed to plant some herbs, the people will absorb so much qi that the herbs won’t get much.
Just think of it that Xiang Yu is selfish.