A fierce wind suddenly swept through the once tranquil grove, rustling the leaves and sending birds scattering into the sky. By the edge of the woods was a clear pond, at its center a round stone shimmered faintly on the water's surface.
Li Yi, sitting cross-legged on the stone, only let out a faint breath as the wind passed. His breathing almost merged with the rhythm of the wind, indiscernible unless listened to closely.
"Three days already?" Li Yi slowly opened his eyes, murmuring to himself.
Since receiving the white bone fragment from Li Han, Li Yi had been sent to this so-called family forbidden area, deep within the mountains. Here, everything was so peaceful, perfect for secluded cultivation. Li Yi, accustomed to similar environments from special training in his previous life, found this mountain forest more comfortable than the still-mysterious Li family mansion.
After arriving, instead of hastily beginning his Qi cultivation, Li Yi chose this particular spot to calm his restless spirit. The breathing technique he used, learned from a centenarian monk during a mission in his past life, had no special effects other than keeping his mind clear – a valuable asset from his years as an assassin.
Finally, he slowly took out the white bone fragment and placed it before him. Up close, the palm-sized fragment seemed ordinary, occasionally reflecting silvery glints, but Li Yi's long study revealed nothing extraordinary about these glimmers.
Sighing lightly, he followed Li Han's instructions, pricking his fingertip to place a drop of blood on the bone fragment and another on his forehead.
As Li Yi acted, the previously unremarkable white bone fragment slowly levitated, settling at his chest. A greyish-white light emanated from it, with numerous characters dancing within, unfamiliar to Li Yi despite his knowledge of the characters of the Dou Shen Continent.
The characters' movement intensified until, with a sudden burst, the grey-white light enveloped the entire pond. Concurrently, the characters shot towards Li Yi's forehead like lightning.
Li Yi barely had time to react when his consciousness shook as if countless needles were piercing his mind.
The characters within Li Yi's mind finally subsided, seemingly responding to the blood on his forehead. After this intense experience, Li Yi let out a sigh and opened his eyes. Enduring such mental anguish would have been unbearable for most, but his training allowed him to withstand it. This endurance was not without its benefits.
The floating white bone fragment had turned to dust, but the characters seemed to be etched into Li Yi's mind. Though he could only clearly recall a portion of them, and the rest remained blurry, this did not discourage him. He recollected the characters he remembered, and four vivid characters appeared in his mind: "Demonic Nine Transformations."
These words seemed to emit an endless magical power within Li Yi's consciousness. Following these words was a flow of information about the Demonic Nine Transformations, including its introduction and cultivation methods.
"Mara, acting at will, harming others for self-benefit; only by devouring the strong can one achieve the Demonic Transformation..."
Muttering these words, Li Yi couldn't help but smile wryly, "What is this? Devour the strong? Eat people? Isn't this Demonic Nine Transformations a bit too exaggerated?"
However, Li Yi didn't have much choice in his current situation. Despite having a powerful adoptive father for protection, he didn't feel confident in surviving another targeted attack. Thus, becoming stronger was his priority. In the world of Dou Shen Mainland, where the strong prey on the weak and the powerful are revered, strength was everything.
With this in mind, Li Yi didn't dwell on it any longer. Demonic Nine Transformations seemed to be the highest-level technique he could access at the moment. Without knowing its exact level, he decided to start practicing it anyway.
Li Yi sat cross-legged, following the method described in the technique, and began drawing in the natural energy from the air with his breath. This was the first step in cultivating Dou Qi, common to all techniques.
To cultivate Dou Qi, one must first draw the natural energy from the environment into the body, gradually purifying the body's impurities, making it suitable for cultivating Dou Qi. This step was crucial, as a weak body could not withstand the impact of this energy, leading to devastating consequences.
As Li Yi drew the natural energy into his body, he felt a hot flow along his meridians, causing indescribable pain with each pulse. His body shivered, and cold sweat dripped down, but Li Yi remained silent, enduring the pain while carefully guiding the energy according to the Demonic Nine Transformations.
Time passed slowly. The natural energy around the water pond moved with Li Yi's breathing. Initially erratic, his breathing gradually became long and steady. Black sweat oozed from his pores, drying in the wind. His previously pale complexion, marred by indulgence, now gained a jade-like luster.
Anyone witnessing this transformation would be astonished. Li Yi had successfully overcome the first and most difficult hurdle in cultivating Dou Qi. His meridians had fully accepted the natural energy and were now undergoing refinement under the influence of Demonic Nine Transformations. Once this process was complete, he would be ready to officially start cultivating Dou Qi.
"Hiss—"
All the natural energy floating above the pond had been absorbed into Li Yi's body. His eyes snapped open, a strange luster flickering within his black pupils. After the glow faded, he let out a long sigh, feeling an unusual power spreading throughout his body...
"Is this the cultivation method of Dou Qi? Truly profound. Just the first phase of marrow cleansing through natural energy has transformed my constitution so significantly?"
Li Yi mumbled to himself, almost in disbelief. He slowly stood up and casually leapt towards the edge of the pond. With a splash, he fell into the water, emerging with a faint smile on his face. The simple process of marrow cleansing had already significantly improved his nearly waste-like body. What changes would proper cultivation bring?
Without dwelling on these thoughts, Li Yi swiftly returned to the stone, sat down cross-legged, formed a peculiar hand seal, and began to circulate the Demonic Nine Transformations technique once again...