Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Metamorphosis Divine Abilities

After drinking a few cups of Spirit Tea to calm his mind,

Lin Changheng took a deep breath and submerged his consciousness once more. The Sea of Consciousness Primordial Cauldron was still there, and the utterly terrifying images did not reappear.

But the Tripod Mouth was vastly different. In the spot where the Red Treasure Seed had been, an illusory Dao Fruit had taken its place, bobbing up and down.

[Fire Crow Treasure Seed·Fifth Layer]

[Spirit Stealing: 1/100]

[Metamorphosis: 0/10]

[Utility: A Mixed Grade Demon Beast Bloodline with an Innate Fire Attribute. After Perfect Spirit Stealing and Life Nurturing Dao, it can be refined into the True Intent of the Bloodline Ancestral Return Divine Ability, "Fire Manipulation."]

...

’The next thing to form is a Dao Fruit? Not a Treasure Seed?’

This was the first thing Lin Changheng noticed. The form of the object inside the cauldron was completely different.

Before, it was a "seed"; now, it was a "fruit." The distinction was clear as night and day.

With a thought, he continued to examine it. "Spirit Stealing" was as usual, something he naturally understood.

But the "Metamorphosis" that followed made his pupils shrink.

’It finally appeared...’

Lin Changheng thought.

But he was immediately plunged into confusion. ’If Spirit Stealing is for absorbing Fire Crow Essence Blood, then what does Metamorphosis require?’

It was the same old problem: there was no instruction manual, so Lin Changheng had to figure it out himself.

After pondering for a moment with no leads, Lin Changheng finally turned his attention to the last part, "Utility."

The first half was as usual, but the latter half made him both shocked and delighted.

’Bloodline Ancestral Return! The Divine Ability [Fire Manipulation]!’

’Could it be... that the Flaming Giant Bird I saw in my trance was the Fire Crow’s bloodline returning to its ancestor, tracing back to its most primal, ancient origin?’

’What kind of bloodline power was that? It was truly terrifying.’

Recalling it now, Lin Changheng still felt his heart tremble with fear. He had been so insignificant before it.

Then came the excitement! Utter excitement!

His current excitement was as intense as his previous fear.

’Can I, a mere Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator, really touch upon such a Divine Ability? Even if it’s only the Divine Power True Intent...’

Lin Changheng’s heart surged with emotion. He walked slowly around the courtyard, letting the night breeze soothe his mood.

After he had completely calmed down, Lin Changheng realized something wasn’t quite right.

It seemed he had gotten carried away.

If the [Primordial Cauldron] could truly grant him the Innate Divine Abilities of the Flaming Giant Bird through a Treasure Seed, that would naturally be wonderful.

But based on his understanding of the Primordial Cauldron over the years, you reaped what you sowed—one part Essence Blood for one part reward.

It couldn’t produce rewards that exceeded the input, let alone create something from nothing.

Its function was more akin to conversion or cultivation.

Therefore, it was basically impossible to obtain a truly earth-shattering, epoch-making Divine Ability from a Fire Crow with a Mixed Grade Bloodline.

Even if he did obtain it, how could he possibly activate it with the Magical Power and physique of the Qi Cultivation Stage?

It would be like an ant trying to wield the Golden Cudgel, or using a ladle to bail out an endless sea... It was completely unrealistic.

’However, it is still possible to awaken the deeply hidden power within this sliver of ancient, inherited bloodline. It’s possible to grasp a trace—or even a part—of the Divine Ability’s True Intent and Dao rhythm. That alone would be of infinite benefit to me.’

Once Lin Changheng figured this out, he felt a sense of clarity wash over his body and mind, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

Although he had always been down-to-earth and unwilling to aim too high, he couldn’t help but fantasize that in the future, he might truly be able to stand before that nameless Firebird, borrow its Essence Blood for his own use, and transform that Essence Blood into a Divine Ability!

Immediately after, he began to plan his next steps. Without a doubt, the most important task was to figure out what [Metamorphosis] required.

’Since ’Spirit Stealing’ extracts Essence Blood, ’Metamorphosis’ might follow the same principle. I should focus my experiments on Demon Beast Essence Blood.’

’Yes, and I’ll prioritize the Fire Element.’

After pondering for a long while, Lin Changheng had a preliminary idea.

If that didn’t work, he would have to resort to the slow but effective method of elimination.

He also mentally prepared himself. This process of exploration would be like fishing in muddy waters; a lucky person might see immediate results and succeed on the first try, while an unlucky one could take several years.

However, he had enough patience.

...

It was worth mentioning that Lin Changheng’s Wood Spirit Root had also regenerated a wisp of Spiritual Charm because his [Cyan Wood Snake Treasure Species] reached the Fourth Layer.

This meant that his Wood Spirit Root now possessed eleven wisps of Spiritual Charm, officially entering the category of a Lower Grade Spirit Root.

From now on, his cultivation of Wood Element Techniques and Magic would be far superior to before, allowing him to achieve twice the results with half the effort.

As for Lin Changheng’s Five Elements Spirit Root, two of its elements had now transformed into Lower Grade Spirit Roots. The other was his Fire Spirit Root, which already possessed fourteen wisps of Spiritual Charm!

This was nearly half the Spiritual Charm required for a Middle Grade Spirit Root.

His progress was remarkably fast.

...

During this past year, in the standoff outside the Wilderness Valley, the scales of balance had slowly begun to tip in the Xu Family’s favor.

The most crucial reason for breaking the stalemate was that the Xu Family’s upper echelon led effectively, and the Xu Clan Members were united from top to bottom. They fought desperately on the battlefield while those in the rear provided their full support.

After several grueling battles with victories and losses on both sides, their determination never wavered. The will of the Xu Family’s leaders permeated the entire clan, and no one questioned it.

The Chen Family, on the other hand, suffered a major defeat. Afterward, certain individuals within the clan—those who had previously failed in power struggles and had been lying low—saw an opportunity. Harboring thoughts of retaliation and eager to slander their rivals, they began to vie for power and profit.

They stirred up trouble, causing the leadership to fracture.

Although the Chen Family’s leadership came to their senses relatively quickly, cutting through the mess and unifying their stance in less than a month to suppress the power-grabbers, the negative impact was not so easily erased. As a result, their situation declined precipitously.

Now, the Xu Family’s advantage was quite large.

But at this moment, the Xu Family’s leaders were not as relaxed as one might imagine, nor did they have the calm composure of those who held victory in their grasp.

During the high-level meeting, every one of them was frowning.

According to reliable intercepted intelligence, the Chen Family had been secretly seeking patronage everywhere and had finally convinced a Foundation Establishment Clan from Feiyun Valley, the Qiu Family, who might intervene and apply pressure.

A long time ago, after receiving news from Mo Zhaoli, the Ink Alchemist had already warned the clan that the Chen Family was seeking support from Upper Sects and Noble Families everywhere.

However, the Chen Family had been met with rejection everywhere and had never succeeded, becoming something of a laughingstock. Thus, no one had paid it too much mind.

As it turned out, the Chen Family had lowered their standards all the way down from Sects to Noble Families, to veteran Foundation Establishment Clans, and now they had even approached a newly promoted Foundation Establishment clan.

From the Xu Family’s perspective, the Chen Family had simply lost their minds. When seeking a backer, one would always look for a much higher power. Choosing one that was only a single step above was like spinning a cocoon to trap oneself.

This was because the resource needs of the two families would largely overlap.

Their resources would likely be completely plundered, with not even scraps left slipping through the cracks.

It would severely stifle the Chen Family’s room for development.

But even so, the Chen Family had "braved it all" and jumped in.

The negative consequences of this move had yet to manifest for the Chen Family, but the Xu Family was already being roasted over the fire.

Facing a Foundation Establishment Clan, even a newly promoted one, was something the Xu Family would find difficult to handle.

If they handled it poorly, the advantage they had paid such a high price to gain over the years would all be for naught.

For the Xu Family, this was, under any circumstances, unacceptable.

...

Of course, these were matters for the higher-ups to consider. For the recruited "Immortal Seedlings" and ordinary Xu Clan Members, they only hoped for the war to end quickly.

In this year-long war of attrition, Lin Changheng and the others had lost two of their friends, fellow Immortal Seedlings, who had fallen in a Battle Array. Only their ashes were returned.

Facing two cold funeral urns, Fugui mourned, Fengxian sighed softly, and Lin Changheng remained silent. He could vaguely see:

Their first meeting, just stepping onto the path of Ascension, mere youths, full of spirit and ambition;

More than ten years later, they became close friends, drinking together and talking animatedly;

Now, all that remained were two cups of untouched wine, growing cold on the table, with no one left to drink them...