Chapter 172: The Devouring Dragon's Ascension
Su Tianhao slowly rose from the depths of the water, steam curling around him like serpents. His dragon eyes swept the cave with primal authority.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
His bones resounded with audible pops as his body adjusted to its newfound power.
Those golden, slitted eyes fell upon his hand. His fist clenched—a rush of energy surging through his veins.
The stone beneath the bathtub cracked.
'So much power.'
It wasn't just strength. His body density, his defence, even the fundamental structure of his flesh and bone had been elevated to another level entirely.
At that moment, the knowledge from the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art crystallised in his mind with perfect clarity.
Beyond laying the foundation for greater spiritual energy amplification, the Dragon Veins enhanced resilience—forming an innate spiritual-physical defence known as Dragon Defence, a hidden shield capable of negating damage from those at the same level of strength.
More importantly, the technique laid groundwork for something unprecedented: it set the stage for forming not just one, but potentially multiple Martial Cores upon advancing to the Martial Core Realm.
At Peak Mastery, spiritual energy would flow through the body like surging draconic blood—granting unmatched power, heightened control, and the unshakable aura of a dragon in mortal flesh.
"This is it..."
Steam poured from his mouth like a dragon's breath, dissolving into the cave's shadows.
'Now that I've successfully begun cultivating the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art, the next step is to master Dragon Defence.'
According to the insights he had gained, rebuilding the foundation, achieving threefold spiritual energy amplification, and awakening the dragon veins represented only Initial Mastery.
To reach Small Success, one had to deepen their understanding, achieve perfect spiritual-physical fusion, and master Dragon Defence.
To reach Great Success, the practitioner had to cultivate to the point of birthing multiple core seeds in their dantian—laying the foundation for awakening multiple cores upon breakthrough to the Martial Core Realm.
And to reach Perfection, the practitioner had to master Dragon Aura. Though it sounded simpler than the other requirements, Dragon Aura was undoubtedly the most profound and difficult to achieve.
Su Tianhao sat still in the bathtub, gazing at the multicoloured elixir. A strong, vigorous energy still radiated from its surface, shimmering like liquid starlight.
He couldn't help but smile.
'So much leftover energy... as expected of grade 5 medicines.'
Resources capable of greatly benefiting Martial Soul Realm experts were no small matter.
An idea formed.
'If I can absorb and refine all this energy with my current cultivation base... how far could I go?'
'8th level? 9th level Martial Adept?'
Normally, for a treasure that benefited Martial Soul experts, a 1st level Martial Adept attempting to absorb it would be no different from suicide. And if they somehow survived and fully refined it, breaking through to the 1st level Martial Core Realm in one go wouldn't be an exaggeration.
But such dreams were fantasy for ordinary cultivators.
Not for Su Tianhao.
His existence defied the heavens—but he didn't get his hopes up. The Heavenly Devouring Dragon Physique was simply too greedy. What granted others an instant breakthrough might only slightly increase his cultivation base. That was the price of perfection.
Fortunately, his talent had already surpassed mortal limits, and his physique allowed him to devour all kinds of energy and refine them flawlessly—making his cultivation speed absurdly fast. The flaw was almost nonexistent.
Seated in the bathtub, Su Tianhao settled into perfect lotus position. His dragon eyes slowly closed. His breathing steadied.
When they opened again, they had returned to their usual golden hue.
"Time to ascend."
His voice echoed through the cave, illuminated now by vivid purple light pouring from the Ethereal Mind Crystal resting in his lap.
"While I'm at it—I might as well reach Small Success in one go."
One of his self-created rogue laws: Always take advantage of your surrounding resources. Never miss out on any opportunity.
Though he was no longer the opportunist he once was, Su Tianhao still held to that rule when it mattered.
And right now, it mattered.
'Strike the iron while it's hot!'
Whoosh!
A whirlwind of fresh air blew into the cave, disturbing the water and sending Su Tianhao's hair flying backward like writhing serpents.
The Devouring Ability activated.
The swirling vortex within his dantian roared to life—like a celestial dragon asserting dominance over the moon and stars. This time, it didn't devour desperately. It absorbed with total dominance, allowing no resistance whatsoever.
Su Tianhao also discovered that his devouring range had increased by fifty percent—from thirty metres to forty-five metres.
Though excited, he remained grounded, mind focused on absorbing the remaining medicinal essence to increase his cultivation by at least a few minor realms.
With the help of the Ethereal Mind Crystal, staying focused was effortless. While the devouring vortex rapidly absorbed the elixir's essence, Su Tianhao turned his full attention to the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art, deepening his mastery with every passing moment.
Just then—
Boom!
An explosive sound resounded within his dantian, sending ripples through the bathtub and shaking the cave walls.
2nd level Martial Adept Realm!
He had broken through. But his cultivation only continued to surge.
Splosh!
The water became chaotic, thrashing as if his physique was hungry for more. As soon as it achieved one breakthrough, it wanted another.
Whoosh!
Medicinal essence flooded his body from every direction, surging through his meridians with unprecedented purity and potency—but instead of overwhelming him or causing pain, it flowed without restraint, drawn to his dantian like iron fillings to a magnet.
Su Tianhao's lips curved with quiet satisfaction.
He understood why.
His body and organs had undergone rebirth, making his physique sturdier, more enduring, and more powerful than ever before—likely contributing to his increased devouring range as well.
Beyond that, the Clear Stream Body allowed spiritual energy to pass through wider pathways with greater potency. Combined with the Untainted Body—no impurities, no limitations—only pure, boundless potential remained.
Su Tianhao's body devoured the medicinal essence like a black hole, refining it into flawless spiritual energy that rushed toward his dantian in a raging torrent.
The water around him began to glow—faint at first, then brighter, shifting through hues of gold, crimson, emerald, and azure. The colours swirled faster, tighter, condensing into a luminous spiral that wrapped around him like a cocoon of living light.
His skin began to shimmer—not with sweat, but with pure, crystallised spiritual energy seeping through his pores like morning dew on jade. Each droplet caught the cave's purple light, refracting it into countless prismatic fragments that danced across the stone walls.
The bathtub itself trembled. Hairline cracks spider-webbed across its surface, glowing faintly with residual energy as if the material itself could no longer contain what was happening within.
Boom!
3rd level Martial Adept Realm!
He broke through again. His cultivation continued to surge without pause. With the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Physique coupled with his own remarkable talent, he didn't need to worry about bottlenecks or an unstable foundation.
The multicoloured elixir swirled faster now, its once-vibrant hues bleeding into pale translucence as the last of its potent essence was stripped away.
Boom!
4th level Martial Adept Realm!
After reaching the 4th level, the pace slowed considerably. The potent medicinal essence had diminished greatly, and the once-vibrant elixir had begun to clear—giving off only a pale glow.
Fifteen minutes later—
Boom!
5th level Martial Adept Realm!
Upon reaching the 5th level, Su Tianhao felt a rush of energy wash over him, accompanied by a profound sense of achievement.
'Ahh...'
He drew in a deep breath, face slightly flushed. The feeling was intoxicating. Almost addictive.
"5th level Martial Adept Realm..."
His words were quiet, yet carried weight.
To Su Tianhao, the 5th level Martial Adept Realm was a milestone—one he had always wanted to reach. And surpass.
Blood Grin. His greatest enemy and threat. The person who had almost succeeded in killing him. The monster who had become his Heart Demon. The one who had forced his hand, dragging him into killing for the first time—and whose death had caused his bloodline to spiral out of control and devour the corpse to sate its rage.
That adversary had been a 5th level Martial Adept. A realm that once felt distant and completely out of reach.
Beyond Blood Grin, Wang Bing—the beautiful young woman who had become his friend—was also a 5th level Martial Adept. While she was no match for him in actual combat, her cultivation base had previously outmatched him entirely.
As someone who had always carried a spirit of rivalry, Su Tianhao felt the compulsion to reach and surpass that realm. After all, all his friends were his rivals too—Su Lei, Lu Ruyi. They were all people he intended to surpass.
As those thoughts settled over him, he couldn't help but smile.
'Lu Ruyi... I wonder how she's doing.'
'What's her current realm? 8th level? Peak Martial Adept?'
'I'm still not good enough!'
With that, Su Tianhao returned his focus to cultivation. While the devouring vortex worked subconsciously, he turned his full attention to the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art.
Time passed. The potency of the medicinal essence continued to dim. The water turned clearer, paler—until it was nearly transparent.
Su Tianhao's brow furrowed.
'With how things are going... is this not enough?'
Theoretically, a potent elixir of this calibre should have been sufficient to bring an ordinary 1st level Martial Adept to the 1st level Martial Core Realm in one go. The gap between those two major realms was a huge chasm. And yet after absorbing it all, he had only risen four minor realms.
"Unacceptable!"
His voice thundered through the cave. His aura surged.
As if in agreement, the devouring vortex exploded with renewed ferocity—spinning faster, hungrier. A powerful, primal roar erupted from the depths of his being, reverberating through the cave like thunder splitting the sky.
"ROOOOOOAARRR!!!"
The cave shook violently. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling. The earth itself seemed ready to crack apart.
Su Tianhao released the leash on his devouring ability entirely. Before, he had controlled it through his mastery of the Devouring Dragon Tactic. Now he held nothing back.
"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!!!"
Another roar—louder, more powerful—reverberated through the forest. Birds scattered. Beasts fled in panic.
A monstrous suction force spread across a forty-five-metre radius, devouring everything within its range with relentless force—spiritual energy, plants, trees, animals, everything!
Life essence and spiritual energy rushed toward him from all sides, shaking the earth and shattering rocks. The surge resembled an ancient tide, and even the cave itself was pushed to the edge of collapse by the sheer weight of the pressure.
Su Tianhao remained seated in the bathtub—now worn and covered in cracks—his expression tranquil, detached from the chaos. Multicoloured energy swirled around him in a vortex of elemental force, pouring into his body that absorbed everything ceaselessly like a black hole.
Within minutes, the entire forty-five-metre radius had turned desolate—devoid of life, stripped of nature, save for the massive cave at the centre that seemed ready to collapse at any second.
Then—
Boom!
A massive explosion resounded through the cave, shattering the bathtub completely. Water burst outward like a dam breaking, crashing into the stone walls with tremendous force.
Su Tianhao slowly rose.
His clothes were gone.
His body—refined, sculpted, radiating faint golden light—had been forged into something that looked less like a mortal and more like a work of heaven. Steam rose from his skin in curling wisps. His muscles, though not bulky, were dense and perfectly proportioned. Every line, every contour spoke of power compressed to perfection.
Even his figure seemed to have grown by a few inches. And the flaw from the Untainted body was completely gone.
He no longer looked like a sixteen year old, but a remarkable young adult.
His golden eyes opened—calm, deep, unfathomable.
"6th level Martial Adept Realm..."
His voice was soft.
But it carried the weight of inevitability.