PHEW. Chen Ku sat cross-legged on the bed in his private courtyard, exhaling a long breath. He first looked at his five Transformation Diagrams.

Having spent half the day, he had preemptively transformed both the Flower Fox Mink and the Centipede Viper into Evil Qi and summoned them back. PHEW. Now, he had temporarily replaced all the transformations.

In their place were the first diagram's Second Realm Skinny Dog, the second diagram's Third Realm Nine-Colored Deer, the third diagram's Second Realm Nine-Faced Illusion Lion, and the fourth diagram's Second Realm Tiger-Headed Salamander.

Then came the fifth diagram.

He looked at the Wooden Ox and the Peacock Mantis Shrimp raised in the room and, after much deliberation, plucked a hair from his head.

He twisted his wrist. WHOOSH!

The hair, like Sword Qi, shot out like a streak of black lightning, directly into the green-cloaked Wooden Ox.

MOO!

This large green yak suddenly lost its breath and collapsed to the ground.

[Diagram Master has killed the Demon Wooden Ox, obtaining a stream of Second Realm Evil Qi]

Chen Ku looked at the Second Realm Evil Qi that the Flower Fox Mink had brought back not long ago; it was enough to elevate the Wooden Ox to the Transform level.

[Wooden Ox Transformation!]

[Consuming forty-five streams of Second Realm Evil Qi, the Wooden Ox Transformation has been cultivated to the 'Transform' level]

[Abilities: Second Realm Demon's power, horns (stone-piercing, beam-shattering), hide (tough and durable), flesh and blood (regenerates blood, grows flesh), fur...]

Chen Ku's eyes shone slightly.

He examined the innate gifts of the Wooden Ox's flesh and blood.

I've heard long ago that these 'Wooden Ox' demons are born like Tree Demons with astounding vitality. Possessing only Second Realm Cultivation, they yet have a flesh regeneration ability comparable to the Third Realm Jade Skin Realm. Could it really be true?

Immediately, Chen Ku, with the Wooden Ox Transformation active, gently scraped his skin with his fingernail, creating a small wound.

In an instant, he could feel flesh buds multiplying within his flesh and blood, his tissues regenerating.

In less than three breaths, the wound he had scraped with his fingernail had already returned to a perfectly unscathed state.

Chen Ku was astonished.

With this flesh regeneration transformation ability, by experiencing its changes, it's only a matter of time before I truly cultivate the 'Jade Skin' level.

This was undoubtedly like prematurely granting him a characteristic of a higher Realm.

Alright, I can choose to start refining the Hui Dragon now.

Chen Ku looked at the five Transformation Diagrams, each now displaying a Skinny Dog, Nine-Colored Deer, Nine-Faced Illusion Lion, Tiger-Headed Salamander, and Wooden Ox respectively.

Then, with a thought, he placed the Third Realm National Destiny Dragon Qi into the slot designated for [fetus transformation refining shape].

[Diagram Master chooses to use Third Realm National Destiny Dragon Qi as the embryo, infusing the Skinny Dog Transformation (Transform), Nine-Colored Deer Transformation (Shape-Shifted), Nine-Faced Illusion Lion (Transform), Tiger-Headed Salamander (Transform), and Wooden Ox (Transform) — beginning the fetus transformation refining shape process...]

[Calculating...]

[Calculation Successful]

[This fetus transformation refining shape has a 90% probability of successfully refining a Third Realm Supreme Quality Hui Dragon (Shape-Shifted)...]

Chen Ku was slightly startled.

A 90% probability isn't low at all. It's completely worth the gamble.

However, although this deduction resulted in a Hui Dragon, it was only at the 'Shape-Shifted' level. This meant the resulting creature wouldn't allow him to directly possess an Incarnation.

A few breaths later, he seemed to have found the source of the problem.

He looked at the Nine-Colored Deer Transformation, which was only at the 'Shape-Shifted' level. It was because the Nine-Colored Deer's transformation was only at the Shape-Shifted level and not yet perfected that the 'Hui Dragon' from the successful fetus transformation refining shape process would also only be at the Shape-Shifted level.

Shape-Shifted level it is, then. I'll see what kind of power my first dragon has! Chen Ku, his resolve firm as a mountain, commanded the Transformation Diagram to commence the fetus transformation refining shape process.

[This fetus transformation refining shape process will be based on the 'Nine-Colored Deer' Transformation...]

[Refining shape in progress...]

[Estimated 48 hours until Shape Refinement Success.]

Chen Ku hadn't expected this refining shape process to take so long and became somewhat restless.

Especially after removing transformations like the Flower Fox Mink and the Centipede Viper. It felt like he had stripped off heavy armor, leaving only his Mystic Barrier Peak Cultivation and some Great Achievement Level Ultimate Skills.

I've grown so accustomed to having transformations active all the time. Suddenly removing them so completely feels quite strange, Chen Ku mocked himself.

Fortunately, he hadn't planned on causing any disturbances in the next few days. He first went to Hongyan Tower for a meal and then headed towards Medicine King Hall.

As soon as he returned to Medicine King Hall, he encountered Kou Ming.

"Junior Brother Chen? Where have you been?" Kou Ming asked curiously upon seeing Chen Ku return. "I haven't seen you for most of the day. You probably don't know yet, do you? Shopkeeper Xie Wenyuan from the Firewood Iron Shop is dead—poisoned."

Such a major event, how could I not know! Chen Ku instantly picked up on the hidden curiosity and probing in Kou Ming's words. He responded with a serious expression, asking, "Did our Medicine King Hall do it?"

"No. We had similar ideas, but we weren't that fast!" Kou Ming replied lightly. "According to the information gathered by the county government office constables at the scene, it was done by a Blade-Handler with the codename 'Er Lang'."

Er Lang... who is this person? To have such skill? Chen Ku, maintaining his composure, feigned curiosity and asked, "Senior Brother, you mentioned earlier that we also had similar thoughts?"

"No one knows who this Er Lang is. Grey Clothes Tower might know something, but they won't divulge any private information," Kou Ming said slowly. "As for our Medicine King Hall's original plan, it did indeed involve poison. But now that Xie Wenyuan is dead—although it wasn't our doing—I must say it's a great boon for us. Many of our subsequent plans can now be implemented ahead of schedule."

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