Within the pool, Xiao Hua keenly sensed the change in his surroundings. The energy had grown denser, surging into his back and hastening the formation of the wings.
He did not need to know who had intervened or what had transpired—he understood this was an opportunity he had to seize before the Heavenly Lightning Bloodline devoured the remaining Dragon-Phoenix blood essence in its attempt to fill the void within itself.
Though the phoenix wings still formed slowly, their pace was markedly faster than before. The outlines grew sharper, and within a few breaths, the crystallized structure of the wings had taken shape.
Upon completion, a brilliant white light burst forth. Slowly, it condensed into white jade-like bones, weaving together into the skeletal frame of the wings. Purple-golden light traced along their surface, as if a dragon coiled and a phoenix danced across them.
After the time of an incense stick, the skeletal frame pulsed with life. Lines of purple-golden dragons and phoenixes shimmered across it before the wings quivered. In the next instant, flesh and skin began to grow over the bones, followed by feathers sprouting in a slow, graceful spread.
By the time another incense stick had burned away, a pair of ten-foot-long purple-golden wings had fully unfurled behind him, radiating a quiet majesty and an air of unshakable elegance.
Once the pair of wings had fully formed, the purple-golden pool was completely absorbed into Xiao Hua and his Heavenly Lightning Bloodline, leaving behind a vast, empty pit in the ground.
…
Outside the pit, Lady Azure and Xue Yue stood side by side, gazing at Xiao Hua's figure at its depths. Their eyes lingered on him, sweeping from head to toe, sensing the unique aura radiating from his body.
"The Heavenly Lightning Bloodline has undergone a complete transformation—it is no longer the same as before," Lady Azure remarked, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she detected the surging power within him.
Xue Yue stepped forward, her figure drifting lightly until she was behind Xiao Hua. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she examined the pair of wings. "Now, all that remains is for him to merge this final pair of wings with his soul, together with the new bloodline. Once that is done… he will stand as a new race within the Great Thousand World."
…
With his consciousness inside him, Xiao Hua could feel the unique spiritual aura and the unfamiliar bloodline strength flowing through his Heavenly Lightning Bloodline. The pair of wings pulsed with that same power, and the resonance between them left no doubt—his bloodline had been utterly reborn into something new.
It was then that he fully understood—his elder sister had been orchestrating this transformation from the start. While he felt no sense of betrayal, there was still a trace of discomfort in his heart.
Yet, he could not bring himself to blame her, nor harbor any anger. He understood well—everything she had done was for his sake, and nothing more.
"Anyway, I will have to guide this spiritual aura and merge it with my soul…"
Drawing in a deep breath, Xiao Hua crushed the discomfort feeling in his heart and focused entirely on the task before him.
Without delay, he began fusing the final pair of wings with his soul, channeling the spiritual aura radiating from them straight into the depths of his being. As the aura merged into his soul, the bloodline power within his body stirred, surging forth to intertwine with his soul as well.
In that moment, without his awareness, three pairs of wings unfurled in unison.
Immediately, three pair of wings began to unfurl themselves without Xiao Hua's knowledge.
The first pair shone with radiant energy, its vibrant feathers laced with the whisper of wind and faint arcs of lightning dancing along their surface. The second pair blazed with a majestic crimson-gold brilliance, exuding an unshakable dominance. The third pair glimmered softly with lavender hues, starlight specks tracing their edges and emanating an ethereal, dreamlike aura.
As the three pairs of wings emerged in full, a haze of drowsiness began to creep into Xiao Hua's mind. Gradually, all four pairs of wings folded inward, encasing him in a cocoon whose surface shimmered like layered feathers.
Having experienced this once before, he did not resist the pull of slumber. His eyes drifted shut, and in that final moment before darkness claimed him, an ancient voice resonated through every fiber of his being:
"Four soul-forged wings take flight, each birthing an undying echo—four selves, sovereign and eternal, roaming the worlds unbound by the source."
Under the watchful eyes of Lady Azure and Xue Yue, the cocoon sealed completely. Nothing about it seemed unusual save for its faint, steady glow—there was no trace of aura, no sign of lifeforce, only silent stillness.
…
The lightning-woven forest dreamed for seven and a half months, its arcs swaying gently like lantern light in a windless night. All the while, the cocoon's aura grew richer, until the last day, when the dream trembled on the verge of waking.
"It seems he is about to awaken…" Lady Azure's gaze fixed on the cocoon, her sharp eyes catching the subtle stirrings within. Though she understood their meaning, a shadow of unease flickered deep in her gaze.
"Rest assured—he understand the reason for what you did, and he will not bear any grudges against you." Xue Yue, sensing her sister's worries, spoke softly yet firmly, her words carrying quiet certainty.
She understood well the depth of her sister's concern for Xiao Hua. Throughout this entire period, her sister had kept a constant watch over him, studying the cocoon closely to ensure that nothing untoward befell their little brother.
Lady Azure could only smile helplessly in response, choosing to remain silent. Deep down, she simply prayed that Xiao Hua would emerge unscathed—and that, after learning of her manipulations, he would not greet her with cold indifference.
Kacha—!
As that thought crossed her mind, a sharp cracking sound rang out from the cocoon, drawing both women's attention instantly. Their gazes locked onto it, unwavering.
A thin fracture traced itself across the cocoon's surface, and from within surged a dense, overwhelming aura.
Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!
One after another, sharp cracks resounded, spiderwebbing rapidly over the cocoon as its surface began to break apart.
Bang!
A few breaths later, the cocoon burst apart, releasing a golden pillar of light that pierced the skies. From its heart unfurled four pairs of massive, differently-hued wings, each radiating a blend of splendour, strength, elegance, authority, ethereality, and regal nobility.
Moments later, four pairs of golden-white wings interlocked briefly before spreading wide, revealing the figure within—a young man, half-naked, his sculpted chest and well-defined abs bared to the air. His long, jet-black hair cascaded loosely down to his lower waist, swaying faintly as if stirred by an unseen wind.
His tightly closed eyes trembled. Slowly, they opened to reveal a pair of heterochromatic irises—crimson on the left, cyan on the right—gleaming with unfathomable depth.
Lifting his gaze toward Lady Azure and Xue Yue, he allowed a faint, gentle smile to form—a smile that could easily ensnare the hearts of countless beauties—as his eyes lingered upon them.
…
Within a vast darkness, a gentle radiance drifted in silence. Upon that soft glow, six pairs of delicate wings shimmered faintly as it floated onward—like a lone boat upon a boundless sea.
As the glow wandered aimlessly, a translucent blue screen suddenly appeared before it, carrying a single question:
[What kind of race do you want to call yourself?]
The glow gave no reply. It drifted onward, mind adrift, its consciousness blurred, unsure even of where it was.
[Please name your current race.]
A few moments later, another blue screen emerged before the drifting glow. Unlike the previous, it was not a question but a simple statement.
Once more, the soft glow did not respond. It continued to drift in silence, yet this time, there was a faint change—its presence seemed steeped in deep contemplation.
After what felt like an eternity in the dark void, a calm yet resolute young man's voice finally emerged from within the glow.
"Celestial Feather Race."
As the words echoed through the boundless darkness, a piercing light suddenly tore through the void, scattering the shadows and drawing the soft glow back toward the physical realm.
…
As consciousness returned to his body, Xiao Hua's eyes slowly opened. Unbothered by his current state, his heterochromatic gaze swept the surroundings before settling upon Lady Azure and Xue Yue.
Upon seeing them, a gentle smile curved upon his lips. The next moment, his figure vanished—only to reappear instantly before the two women, his smile now bright and warm.
As Xiao Hua appeared before them, he caught the faintest trace of unease in Lady Azure's eyes—so well hidden that others might have missed it. He could only smile helplessly.
"Sister Azure," he said gently, "I hold no grudges against you. It's not as though you've dictated my entire path, so how could I be angry with you?"
Lady Azure's eyes widened slightly before her lips curved into a bright, beautiful smile—relief washing over her. The joy in her heart was not because of his words alone, but because she knew there would be no coldness in his tone toward her.
Xue Yue's lips curved faintly as she asked with deep curiosity, "So, what race have you decided to call yourself? If you're unsure, perhaps we could decide together."
"Ke ke… Sister Azure, Sister Xue Yue," Xiao Hua rubbed his nose with a small smile, "I've already made my decision." His smile deepened, carrying a touch of excitement.
"Whether it's Sister Azure, Sister Xue Yue, or Sister Yu Ru Meng—you each hold something familiar with each other. Heavenly Genesis Flame, Celestial Ancient Frost, and Primordial Heaven Lightning. Though the nuances differ, they share a certain resonance. That's why I decided to name my race the Celestial Feather Race—because it is deeply tied to all of you."
Lady Azure and Xue Yue were briefly stunned, exchanging a glance of surprise before soft smiles bloomed upon their faces. Warm laughter spilled into the air.
"I never expected you to base it on us…" Lady Azure chuckled lightly, her voice tinged with joy.
"Nor did I," Xue Yue replied. Her tone remained cool and aloof, yet the faint curve of her lips—filled with affection and warmth—was plain for all to see.
"Anyway, how are you feeling?" Lady Azure asked, her gaze assessing Xiao Hua for any discomfort or imbalance in his new condition.
"It's not bad. In fact, it's astonishing how much my physical strength has increased…" Xiao Hua replied, sensing the terrifying power surging through his body.
He was certain he no longer needed to rely on his secret technique, the Heavenly Tribulation Body, to defeat his past self. Even if Hun Mie Sheng, the Hall of Souls' chief, struck him while he was in the third stage—the Heavenly Overlord Transformation—he would not suffer as miserably as before.
"Your bloodline was once incomplete," Xue Yue spoke softly, her beautiful eyes penetrating into Xiao Hua's body as she sensed the energy surging within him. "When the Lightning Beasts left behind their Heavenly Lightning Blood to forge a unique space within your spiritual sea, a subtle imperfection formed. That flaw prevented you from gaining the full benefits of your bloodline."
A faint glow shimmered across Xiao Hua's skin—a sign that his flesh had reached its peak, stepping into an extraordinary realm. His blood and flesh glistened like flawless jade, without the faintest blemish. He had surpassed the very limits of this level; in some respects, he was even more perfect than the most peerless fairies under the heavens.
"Now that your Heavenly Lightning Bloodline has been completed and transformed into something new, it's only natural that your body has undergone a metamorphosis—tremendously increasing both the strength and density of your physical form, inside and out."
Satisfied with her assessment of his refinement, Xue Yue nodded before continuing.
"That's not all. I believe even your soul has undergone a drastic change, am I right?" Lady Azure asked, a knowing, proud smile tugging at her lips.
Xiao Hua chuckled softly and nodded, acknowledging her accuracy. Within his inner vision, his soul—once a simple human form—now bore four pairs of radiant wings.
This transformation had also strengthened his soul tremendously. At this point, his spiritual strength had reached a depth several thousand times greater than that of an alchemist at the Perfect Heavenly State.
He turned around, his gaze falling upon the four pairs of wings on his back—beautiful and majestic, like something crafted by the heavens themselves. They were mesmerizing to behold, yet he could not deny they were also far too conspicuous.
With a faint thought, the eight wings quivered briefly before folding in on themselves and vanishing into his body.
After retracting his wings, he stretched lazily, his joints giving a slight crack as if they had grown stiff during his long seclusion. Turning toward Lady Azure and Xue Yue, he asked with a faint smile, "By the way, how long was I in retreat?"
"You have been asleep for seven and a half months, child. If my calculations are correct, you should now be twenty years old," Lady Azure replied casually.
"It is not surprising," Xue Yue added faintly, shaking her head. "A transformation of this scale—enough to alter even your race—would naturally require such time."
Lady Azure nodded in agreement before glancing back at Xiao Hua. "Will you now enter seclusion again, to refine the power of the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning and face the final trial?"
"Will it take long?" Xiao Hua asked, genuine curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Lady Azure raised a brow, her snow-white fingers lightly caressing her porcelain-like chin in thought. After a moment's silence, her gaze sharpened and she spoke.
"To absorb and refine the final three Heavenly Lightnings—Heavenly Extermination Lightning, Heavenly Retribution Lightning, and Heavenly Cataclysm Lightning—will not be a swift process. Even if one of them is consumed by the Lightning Beasts, it does not mean your body will instantly refine it."
She continued, her tone calm but carrying weight. "There is a high likelihood you will enter a deep slumber, similar to the state that little Dragon Empress entered when she failed to refine the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit. However, unlike her, whose body was encased in crystal, your body will instead work ceaselessly, refining the lightning's power at a rapid pace. This is because you have already endured the nine trials of the Heavenly Judgement Lightning."
"In other words," she concluded, "you will be in a slumber where your body focuses solely on refining the three Heavenly Lightnings. At the very least, you will not awaken for an entire year—no matter how loud or violent the world outside may become."
"Now that sounds very exciting…"
The corner of Xiao Hua's eye twitched slightly as he spoke, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. He had never imagined that, after finally awakening from the long slumber of his racial transformation, he would be told to sleep again for an even longer period.
"That cannot be helped…" Lady Azure smiled helplessly, understanding the frustration within his heart.
Xiao Hua could only shake his head, resigning himself to this peculiar fate where more of his cultivation seemed to be spent asleep than awake. He understood, however, that this was inevitable—absorbing three Heavenly Lightnings at once meant enduring an astronomical surge of power that no ordinary being could withstand.
Drawing in a deep breath, he turned toward Lady Azure and Xue Yue. With eyes brimming with unyielding determination, he said, "Then, I will enter seclusion and begin the final trial."
Lady Azure and Xue Yue nodded in quiet approval. They had no doubt in their hearts—Xiao Hua would not fail.
High above the Silvershroud Canopy Tree, Xiao Hua seated himself in midair and began steadying his mind. With a faint ripple of intent, nine Lightning Beasts emerged from his body, their auras fierce and domineering. One of them stepped forward, opening its maw to spit out a six-colored flame that gently descended onto his palm.
Within the flame lay a golden lightning glow in the shape of a dragon—this was the essence of the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning, an incomparably vital force for the trial ahead.
Seeing this, Lady Azure, Xue Yue, and the nine Lightning Beasts withdrew several tens of meters, ensuring they would not disturb him.
Xiao Hua opened his mouth and swallowed the golden lightning. Instantly, the long-dormant Heavenly Judgement Lightning within him—silent and unmoving no matter how he had tried to rouse it before—suddenly erupted into activity.
In the blink of an eye, it surged throughout his body, greedily drawing in the power of the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning.
To his surprise, not even the faintest pain arose. Instead, he could clearly sense the density of his bones, the vibrant lifeforce coursing through his blood, and the resilience of his organs and muscles—all accepting the violent force with ease.
It was obvious this was the result of his racial transformation. His physical body had grown unimaginably powerful and tyrannical, capable of enduring the ferocity of the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning without the slightest strain.
Of course, he could only withstand it because this was but a fraction of its true power. Still, it was more than enough to fulfill the final requirement for initiating the last trial.
Fortunately, the absorption of the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning's essence did not take long—lasting only a few minutes.
Once the Heavenly Judgement Lightning had completely devoured it, Xiao Hua did not rush to begin the final trial. Instead, his attention shifted to another matter—the System.
Since he would soon enter a state of slumber, he knew that by the time he awoke, the Gacha Event and Sign-in Function would be gone, for he had already ascended to the rank of Dou Sheng.
Glancing at his balance, he saw over four million ACP. Without hesitation, he drew from the Gacha more than a hundred times in quick succession. Though the results included countless more ACP, he didn't bother checking in detail, turning his focus to something else.
The accumulated draws had surpassed three hundred, triggering a Pity Draw. Naturally, he initiated it at once, eager to see what it would yield.
As if answering his anticipation, the System presented four options before his eyes, and he was to choose one.
His gaze swept across them—until it landed on a reward that made his decision instant: Two Primordial Heavenly Flame Tickets. Without the slightest hesitation, he chose it.
Afterward, he checked his remaining ACP—and was utterly stunned. Twenty-five million ACP!
A quick glance at the Gacha Draw rewards revealed the reason: he had hit the maximum ACP prize twice, each worth ten million ACP.
Without delay, he resumed drawing. This time, he went all out—over eight hundred draws in one go—bringing his total Gacha count to 905.
That number granted him three Pity Draws. He immediately activated them, and the System displayed twelve rewards before his eyes, from which he could only choose three.
Scanning through the list, his gaze quickly settled on two obvious choices: Three Primordial Heavenly Flame Tickets and Four Primordial Heavenly Flame Tickets. Those became his first two picks without hesitation.
For the final choice, he carefully reviewed the remaining options. Many were tempting, but one in particular rooted his gaze in place:
[Four Nine-Coloured Heaven Swallowing Python's Blood Essences: Rich and dense with the power of the Nine-Coloured Heaven Swallowing Python. Consuming all four grants a high chance of evolving into a Nine-Coloured Heaven Swallowing Python.]
As he read the description, Xiao Hua's vision grew misty. Sadness and longing welled up within him, for the words had awakened memories of a proud yet tender snake queen.
"Cai Lin…"
The name echoed softly in his heart. A heavy ache surged within him—he truly missed her and yearned to see her again. That yearning grew even stronger when he remembered the child they shared…
As those thoughts lingered, another figure surfaced in his mind—Ya Fei.
These two women had already done more than enough for him, tending to the Xiao Clan through these long years and ensuring they did not suffer grievously.
Though there had been no news from them, he knew well it was deliberate. They had kept silent to spare him from needless worry, shielding him from concerns about the clan—and about themselves.
"Once everything here is settled, I will return—and I will shoulder the weight you both have carried for so long. From then on, nothing will ever force me to leave your sides again!"
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