If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

There were no lights on inside.

Bathed in the cool moonlight streaming through the window, Zhou Yang sat cross-legged on the somewhat hard bed. The cover of the "Blood Transformation Technique" in his hand was rough, but when he opened it, the handwriting inside was neat and careful, revealing the meticulousness of the copyist.

He didn't rush to cultivate, but instead took a sniff first.

The pages emitted a faint, sweet, and slightly metallic scent, like dried dates that had been left out for too long, or perhaps some kind of dried meat. This was the smell of the Heavenly Principle Sect's cultivation methods; no matter how exquisitely packaged they were, they always reeked of an unpleasant, bloody stench.

"Does anyone actually actually practice this?"

Zhou Yang casually flipped through two pages. The qi circulation route recorded on it was extremely domineering, completely disregarding whether the meridians could withstand it, only seeking to forcefully compress the inhaled foreign true qi into the dantian as quickly as possible.

If an ordinary martial artist were to practice this, at best their meridians would be shattered, and at worst they would suffer a qi deviation, explode, and die. But for those madmen of the Heavenly Principle Sect, this price seemed insignificant as long as they could gain temporary power.

He closed the book and gently ran his fingertips across the cover.

This technique is useless against him.

Or rather, to practice directly according to the instructions is suicidal.

However, the dragon-like corpse within him, along with its ability to devour and refine, offered him another avenue for thought. The dragon's aura was domineering, and the corpse was indestructible; if he could transform the life-stealing techniques of the *Blood Transformation Technique* into a means of devouring life essence…

Then his efficiency in killing and looting will at least double.

"system."

Zhou Yang silently recited it in his heart.

Instead of a dazzling light screen appearing immediately, a string of pale gold words appeared on my retina like a watermark, understated and quiet.

[It consumes lifespan, but can be used to deduce cultivation techniques.]

Current life expectancy: 212 years.

"I'll deduce the Blood Transformation Technique and integrate the characteristics of dragon energy." Zhou Yang calculated in his mind, then gritted his teeth and said, "I'll burn it for a year."

Trading a year of life for a more convenient killing technique is a worthwhile trade.

As soon as he finished speaking, the fragment of the dragon's spine on his chest felt slightly warm.

In that instant, Zhou Yang felt as if a lump of molten iron had been stuffed into his brain. Countless obscure and difficult-to-understand formulas and complex and chaotic meridian diagrams were forcibly dismantled, shattered, and then reassembled.

There is no process, only the result.

After about three breaths, the burning sensation quickly subsided.

A new line of text appeared before my eyes, and at the same time, a familiar memory forcibly entered my mind.

[Deduction complete.]

[New cultivation technique: Dragon Devouring Technique (incomplete)]

Zhou Yang opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

He looked down at his hands. The skin on his palms was pale with a bluish tinge, but in that instant, a faint dark red line seemed to move beneath the skin, so fast it was almost an illusion.

This is the "Dragon Devouring Technique".

It is no longer the crude plundering of "Blood Transformation Technique", but an extremely precise "filter".

Previously, when he devoured life force, he would often inhale impurities and corpse energy along with it, requiring time to refine and eliminate them. But with the completion of the "Dragon Devouring Technique," a natural furnace appeared within his body. The life force he absorbed was tempered by dragon energy, with the turbid energy sinking and being expelled from his body, while the pure energy rose and transformed into pure dragon essence.

Even more remarkably, this dragon essence can also nourish the damaged dragon spine.

"Raising dragons".

A playful smile appeared on Zhou Yang's lips.

His skills are all based on that fragment of the dragon's spine. The stronger the fragment, the stronger he is. Before, he could only absorb but not expel; now, with this technique, he has a kind of internal circulation.

"Next, it's time to put a lid on this furnace."

Zhou Yang reached into his clothes and his fingertips touched something cold and hard.

Earth Dragon Black Gold.

This thing is priceless on the market; ordinary weapons can cut through iron like mud if they contain even a piece the size of a fingernail. But the one in his hand was as big as a fist.

If you sell it, you could get several houses and live a worry-free life for the rest of your days.

"Unfortunately, life is more important than money."

He reached behind him and pulled out the heavy piece of dark gold, placing it on his lap. Under the moonlight, the surface of this dark gold metal was not smooth; it was covered with fine pits, marks left by the passage of time.

Zhou Yang mobilized the dragon energy that had just merged within his body and attempted to inject it into the Xuanjin.

Not moving.

The reason why Earth Dragon Black Gold is so precious is its sturdiness. It cannot be burned by ordinary fire, nor can it be shaken by internal force.

"It wasn't that easy after all."

Zhou Yang had anticipated this. He didn't plan to use fire to forge it; that was a blacksmith's job, too slow. He wanted to use his own body as a furnace and his newly mastered "Dragon Devouring Technique" as the fire.

He opened his mouth and bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the black metal.

The dragon energy within his body surged and erupted wildly along his arm.

"melt!"

He muttered a low shout to himself.

This time, the Xuanjin finally reacted. The originally cold and hard metal surface began to writhe as if it were alive. The dark golden luster gradually became viscous, like a lump of clay that had been broken and kneaded.

Zhou Yang dared not be careless. He formed hand seals and guided the liquid-like black gold to slowly approach his chest.

The moment my skin came into contact with the liquid, a bone-chilling cold shot straight to my head.

That was a chilling aura emanating from deep underground, enough to instantly shatter the meridians of an ordinary person. But Zhou Yang was a dragon-walking corpse, and most of his blood had already been transformed into corpse blood, giving him a natural resistance to cold and heat.

He stubbornly endured the chill and pressed the black gold bit by bit into his flesh.

"Sizzle—"

It's like raw meat being thrown into a pot of boiling oil.

The skin and flesh on his chest quickly charred and split open, the blood freezing as soon as it flowed out. The pain wasn't a sharp, stabbing pain, but a dull, tingling sensation, like a dull knife cutting into flesh, slowly drilling into his heart along his nerve endings.

The veins on Zhou Yang's forehead bulged, and cold sweat dripped down the tip of his nose.

He stared intently at the "wound" on his chest, his eyes showing no sign of retreat, but rather an almost frenzied excitement.

This is the price to pay.

To gain power, you must pay a price. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Even his system required trading lives for lives.

"Get in!"

He let out a low growl and exerted force with both hands, pressing the already melted black gold completely into his chest cavity.

In that instant, Zhou Yang heard the sound of bones shattering.

Those were his ribs, forcibly giving Xuan Jin Teng a place.

The entry of the mysterious metal into the body was like swallowing a red-hot iron, or a piece of ancient ice. Extreme cold and extreme heat intertwined in the chest, spreading throughout the body along the blood vessels.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and the veins on his neck bulged and throbbed like earthworms, turning an eerie purplish-black color.

If anyone were nearby at this moment, they would be terrified by the sight. Zhou Yang was trembling violently, but he remained seated cross-legged, his posture completely still.

He's gambling.

I'm betting that this dragon-like corpse's body can withstand the domineering power of this Earth Dragon Profound Gold. I'm betting that this "Dragon Devouring Technique" can suppress this alien power.

The excruciating pain in my chest lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Gradually, the tearing pain began to subside. In its place came a heavy sense of fulfillment.

Zhou Yang could clearly sense that the piece of Earth Dragon Profound Gold had not disappeared, but had instead attached itself to the fragment of the dragon's spine, as if it had coated that broken bone with an indestructible armor.

It became a "container".

A "Dragon Heart" that can hold more dragon energy and contain stronger power.

As the last trace of pain dissipated, Zhou Yang suddenly opened his eyes.

The room was still dark, but his eyesight was so good that he could clearly see the leg hairs of a spider spinning a web in the corner.

It became.

He slowly raised his hand, his five fingers loosely clenched.

No internal energy was released, but a slight popping sound was heard in the air.

That was the explosive sound of power compressed to its limit.

This is not just an increase in strength. The infusion of Earth Dragon Profound Gold into his body has elevated his physical strength to a new level. In the past, if he encountered a powerful enemy, he might have had to avoid their sharp edge.

But now, this body itself is the hardest weapon.

Zhou Yang lowered his head and pulled open his shirt.

The gruesome wound on his chest had healed, leaving only a faint dark gold pattern, shaped like a dragon scale growing backwards, covering the area around his heart.

He reached out and touched it; it felt cold and hard, like metal, yet it was embedded in his flesh.

"This is the 'Dragon's Heart'."

Zhou Yang let go and straightened his clothes.

This thing not only protects the heart meridian, but also serves as an excellent "safe." Any excess energy absorbed later can be stored here and used when needed without worrying about the body exploding.

Lifespan is precious, but it only becomes real skill when it is transformed into actual combat power.

If you keep them and don't use them, they're just numbers for dead people.

He stood up and stretched his arms and legs.

The joints crackled and popped, a sound of the bones adapting to the new force.

Although the ordeal of the night was painful, the results were immediate. Now, even without using his lifespan to burn, he could tear through ordinary protective qi with just the strength of his physical body.

"Commander Chen..."

Zhou Yang walked to the window and pushed open the somewhat stiff window.

The night breeze blew in, dispersing the faint smell of blood in the room.

The distant city of Anyang slept in the night, its lights dim. But deep within those lights, countless people were sharpening their knives, waiting for him to jump into that fiery pit.

"With this kind of physique, wading through these muddy waters will be even more interesting."

He took out a piece of silver from his pocket and casually tossed it into the air.

The silver coins tumbled down, and he flicked them with his finger in mid-air.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound of metal clashing together rang out.

The piece of silver was sent flying more than ten feet away by the force of that finger, hitting the large water vat in the courtyard with perfect accuracy.

"when!"

The water vat made a muffled thud, as the small piece of broken silver had smashed a hole in it.

Zhou Yang smiled, a smile that carried three parts indifference and seven parts calculation.

The "Dragon Devouring Technique" and the Earth Dragon Profound Gold marked a perfect end to my trip to Black Wind Mountain.

Next, it's time to collect the final payment.

As for how Commander Chen will respond, that's his business.

Zhou Yang closed the window, shutting out the last trace of the strange atmosphere in the room into the darkness.

He sat back down on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.

Whoever comes tomorrow, the price will have to be renegotiated. After all, he's "worth" more now.