Chapter 173: The Unyielding Form—Dragon Defense
Su Tianhao stood amidst the ruins of the shattered bathtub, water pooling around his bare feet. The cave—once a sanctuary—now resembled the aftermath of a divine tribulation. Cracks spider-webbed across every surface. Dust still hung in the air like a veil of ash. Outside, the forest had gone silent. No birdsong. No beast calls. Only the hollow echo of devastation.
He raised his hand slowly, watching golden spiritual energy coil around his fingers like living serpents.
"So this is what ascension feels like..."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Exciting."
---
Three hours had passed since the awakening.
Su Tianhao now sat cross-legged in a different cave—smaller, damper, its entrance covered in moss. While not as conducive as the one he had wrecked, it served its purpose: a quiet space for reflection.
He was dressed in a fresh set of azure robes, his hair tied neatly into a sleek pony tail. Golden eyes gleaming with newfound strength and clarity. The dragon veins thrummed beneath his skin, eager to be tested. The Clear Stream Body channelled power with perfect efficiency. The spiritual-physical fusion had been perfected.
But power without control was merely destruction.
'Time to see what I've truly gained.'
---
A normal 1st level Martial Adept possessed exactly 10,000 pounds of physical strength—the Martial Mark, the supposed limit of the mortal body. When amplified with spiritual energy through twofold spiritual energy amplification, their total strength reached 20,000 pounds.
As they advanced, spiritual energy amplification grew progressively stronger. A 2nd level could achieve threefold. A 3rd level, fourfold. This progression continued until the Peak-stage—an impressive tenfold spiritual energy amplification, reaching a staggering 100,000 pounds of raw power.
But Su Tianhao was a different entity altogether. One who broke those laws entirely.
At the 9th level Martial Disciple Realm, his physical strength had already reached 20,000 pounds—surpassing the Martial Mark before even entering the Martial Adept Realm.
Upon reaching the 1st level Martial Adept and achieving twofold spiritual energy amplification, his base strength rose to 40,000 pounds—equivalent to a 3rd level Martial Adept.
When he rebuilt his foundation and awakened the dragon veins, achieving threefold spiritual energy amplification, his strength surged again to 60,000 pounds—comparable to a 5th level Martial Adept.
And now?
He had reached the 6th level. Five consecutive breakthroughs had naturally increased his amplification from threefold to eightfold. Combined with his monstrous base strength, his full power had reached an alarming 160,000 pounds of raw force—completely surpassing even Peak-stage Martial Adepts.
Su Tianhao's lips curved upward.
"Even without Shadow-Splitting Flash, I can be considered invincible within the Martial Adept Realm."
When he considered Dragon Defence and the benefits it promised, his confidence only grew.
According to the technique, Dragon Defence allowed the user to negate damage from opponents with equivalent strength—not judged by realm, but by total force output.
What did that mean?
It meant unless an opponent possessed strength surpassing 160,000 pounds, their attacks were essentially useless against him. For Peak-stage Martial Adepts capped at 100,000 pounds—even if a thousand came after him at once, they would still be nothing but lambs for the slaughter. Unless they managed to unify their attacks to create an ever greater output, which is itself easier said than done.
Su Tianhao's smile widened.
"I wonder what my true limit is when I go all out."
He paused, considering.
"1st level Martial Core Realm? 2nd level?"
Shadow-Splitting Flash's Ninefold Deathflash allowed him to slay opponents six minor realms above, and with the perfect ambush, even seven—but that advantage only existed within the same major realm. The Martial Core Realm was a different world entirely.
Though his current strength already surpassed the Martial Adept limit, he remained bound by the constraints of his realm. He could only fight through spiritual-physical fusion—meaning he had to physically land strikes to deal damage.
Martial Core Realm experts, however, could unleash devastating spiritual energy attacks from a distance. They didn't need to close the gap. Worse, their spiritual energy reserves and purity far exceeded his own, meaning their amplification and combat endurance vastly outstripped what he could currently sustain.
Even if a 1st level Martial Core Realm expert decided to amplify their physical strength with spiritual energy and fight him on even grounds without spiritual energy attacks, their total output alone could easily reach 200,000 pounds!
With the Shadow-Splitting Flash, that gap was easily crossed, as long as he got close enough to deliver a strike.
But if they chose to go all out, they could simply obliterate him from afar.
"It's useless to think about all this for now."
Su Tianhao shook his head, smiling bitterly.
"My main priority right now is mastering Dragon Defence and reaching Small Success."
With spiritual-physical fusion perfected, only Dragon Defence stood between him and the next stage of the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art.
---
Su Tianhao settled into perfect lotus position, expression calm, tranquil, detached.
Lost in comprehension.
The Ethereal Mind Crystal rested on his lap, casting purple light across the cave. Its presence calmed his mind and sharpened his focus, aiding his mastery of Dragon Defence.
Time drifted by unnoticed. Su Tianhao remained still—unmoving, like an ancient sculpture that had withstood the test of time.
Then—
His body began to glow.
Not spiritual energy manifestation. His very skin seemed to turn golden, radiant, as if forged from divine metal.
Ancient insights poured into his mind, flowing directly from his inherited memories.
---
When the gap between heaven and earth, body and essence, mind and soul—all cease to exist...
When the spiritual energy of heaven and earth becomes one with flesh and bone...
When the body becomes a living embodiment of spiritual energy itself...
That is when spiritual-physical fusion is perfected.
Power is not measured by realm alone.
It is measured by strength—physical and spiritual combined.
But to master Dragon Defence is to go beyond fusion.
It is to forge body and energy into an unbreakable shield—a defence so dense, so profound, that it can only be shattered by those who significantly surpass the wielder in both physical might and spiritual dominance.
Strength alone is not enough.
Spiritual prowess alone is not enough.
Only those who exceed both can pierce the dragon's scales.
---
Boom!
Su Tianhao's aura erupted like a volcano.
The shockwave sent stones and debris flying. Dust surged thick enough to swallow his figure entirely.
When it settled—
What stood within was no longer simply a man.
His skin pulsed with radiant light. His veins glowed like molten rivers beneath jade. Even individual strands of his hair seemed alive, shimmering with golden spiritual energy.
Ancient patterns etched themselves across every inch of his body—from scalp to sole—twisting, spiralling, pulsing as if breathing. They resembled dragon scales rendered in flowing script—mythical runes that spoke of primordial bloodlines and forgotten eras.
His azure robes fluttered gently despite the absence of wind.
Mysterious. Mythical. Otherworldly.
"So this is Dragon Defence..."
Su Tianhao's voice was quiet, contemplative.
"What a strange power."
His golden eyes—sharp, glowing, utterly inhuman—observed the ancient patterns pulsing across his skin with calm curiosity.
Small Success in the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art had been attained.
But with it came unanswered questions.
'What is Dragon Defence? An innate ability of the dragon clan? An ancient technique passed down through generations? Or a unique power that exists only within the Supreme Dragon Transformation Technique?'
Just then—
The Ethereal Mind Crystal flared with sudden intensity.
Its purple glow became blinding, pulsing rhythmically as if alive. Almost as if it were calling to him.
'Hmm?'
Su Tianhao turned to the crystal, intrigued.
"What a strange treasure..."
He reached out, fingertips brushing its smooth surface.
The moment contact was made—
Whoosh.
A rush of soul power flooded his consciousness, giving him an inexplicable sensation.
It was a feeling he had experienced before—when he first glimpsed the Ethereal Mind Crystal at the auction. Back then, his soul had felt drawn to it, as if it wanted to leave his body.
But this time was different.
Instead of vulnerability and attraction, his soul and spirit felt empowered. His mind churned inward—not pulled outward, but drawn deeper, piercing through layers of his own consciousness.
Memories surfaced. His own. His inherited ones. All the accumulated knowledge from both his parents.
Until it landed on one particular section.
One belonging to a certain technique.
"The Raging Dragon Fist!"
Upon seeing that name reflected in his mind's eye, Su Tianhao's heart shook.
Emotions surged.
The Raging Dragon Fist—his very first martial arts technique. The foundation of his martial arts. A technique that had won him countless victories and carved the path for all his future achievements.
While it held a deep place in his heart, its combat value had long since diminished—paling against techniques like Shadow-Splitting Flash and the Shrouded Dragon Veil.
"This—what is happening?"
He couldn't tell. Was his instinct drawing his attention to the technique? Or was this the doing of the Ethereal Mind Crystal?
"Maybe my instincts drew my attention to the technique, and the Ethereal Mind Crystal is simply helping my mind process things more clearly."
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
He nodded.
His instinct had never been wrong—or more precisely, the dragon instinct. Since it was drawing him to the technique, there was a reason.
"I've long reached Perfection in the Raging Dragon Fist... Could it be..."
Su Tianhao's eyes widened. He didn't finish the thought. The implication was clear.
If the Raging Dragon Fist showed signs of improvement, the only realm of mastery it could ascend to was Assimilation.
"Looks like I've finally fulfilled the requirements..."
His golden eyes glowed brighter. The ancient patterns across his skin pulsed with increasing intensity.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"I wonder what surprise it will bring me."