During the Qin Dynasty, he was in charge of the net.

If there's one thing Li Ji wants to do most right now, it's definitely to get some sleep.

Although this trip to South Korea was short, it was one of the most dangerous of his many previous missions.

Although he rarely feels tired due to his current physical condition, mental fatigue is unavoidable.

Back in his private stone chamber, Li Ji didn't take off his clothes and went to sleep fully clothed.

This sleep lasted for two days and one night.

When Li Ji woke up, he felt refreshed and his condition had returned to its peak.

After resting, Li Ji began to take stock of the gains and losses in his mission.

During his trip to South Korea, he encountered several dangerous situations. Although he tried his best to act cautiously, the lack of key intelligence led him to make several wrong judgments.

This also made Li Ji realize the importance of intelligence. In the future, he will gradually build up his own power, and he needs enough "weapons".

Besides this, the steel longsword that had always been with him was no longer usable.

Fine cracks have appeared on the sword, the edge of the blade is chipped, and the cold light is mottled with bloodstains.

If the third mission hadn't been related to the Eight Swords of Yue, he should have changed his sword.

However, since he was going to choose one of the Eight Swords of Yue King later, he didn't need to change swords again along the way.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Ji took off the black robe he was wearing, which was made of black fabric.

The black robe was covered in dust, mud, and bloodstains. The once neat spiderweb pattern on the inside was now covered in grime, and the fabric was torn in several places.

Li Ji changed into a brand new black robe and began to sit cross-legged on the stone bed to cultivate.

Keep your back straight, place your hands on your knees, and gradually lower your breathing until it is almost silent.

Deep within his dantian, the Seed of the Dark Water slowly rotated, and a wisp of dark blue Dark Water True Qi flowed slowly through his meridians.

According to the descriptions recorded in the Yue Snake Transformation Dragon Technique, Li Ji's current skill level is at the third stage.

This secret technique of the Baiyue royal family has three levels and nine stages.

The three barriers refer to the three obstacles one must overcome to master this secret technique.

Nine Revolutions means that this secret technique has nine levels.

Another strange aspect of this secret technique of the Baiyue royal family is the training time.

The Yue snake, also known as the water snake, transforms into a dragon after five hundred years and then into a jiao (a type of dragon) after another five hundred years.

This corresponds to the fact that the time required for each revolution in the Nine Revolutions Realm gradually doubles.

The snake takes three months to complete its transformation into a dormant state.

The second-stage casting process took six months.

The process of transcending the mortal realm through three transformations takes a year.

The process of transforming the water element into four stages took two years.

The five transformations of the dragon embryo took four years.

The six-turn Xuanjiao took eight years to complete.

The process of swallowing the river seven times took sixteen years.

It took eight cycles of submersion in the deep sea, a process that took thirty-two years.

The journey to the dragon's lair took nine cycles and sixty-four years.

In other words, even the most gifted individuals need approximately 127 years to achieve the so-called "dragon body".

Those with above-average talent, however, need 250 years to achieve success.

Those of inferior talent, however, do not require five hundred years.

It's simply because those with inferior talent are simply unable to even begin.

This method of transforming a snake into a dragon relies solely on bloodline talent and requires diligent practice; other external factors are essentially unnecessary.

But precisely because of this, almost no one has reached the ninth level of this secret technique of the Baiyue royal family.

Even if one begins cultivating immediately after birth, it would still take 127 years, and how many people have such a long lifespan?

Not to mention, life is not always smooth sailing; birth, aging, sickness, and death can occur at any time, causing one to pass away prematurely.

However, Li Ji was extremely talented in this technique. He had already reached the third level of Transcendent Realm after just mastering it, and was only one step away from the fourth level of Water Element.

The sign of reaching the third job advancement is the ability to freely conjure water arrows and water blades, making for extraordinary moves.

The sign of the fourth stage is the transformation of the body into water element. The physical body can condense into a clear, cold mist-like human form by relying on the true energy of the dark water. The muscles are formless, and the bones and flesh turn into water.

This step represents the transformation from the illusory to the real on the path to becoming a dragon.

Even so, he can only cultivate slowly at present, as there are no other better ways to speed up his cultivation.

After circulating the True Qi of the Dark Water through his meridians for three cycles, Li Ji stopped cultivating.

After completing three cycles, he felt a slight tearing sensation in his meridians, making it unsuitable to continue.

After finishing his cultivation, Li Ji left the stone bed, walked out of the stone chamber, and went to a nearby cell.

This cell houses a black tiger that once shared a cell with him.

Li Ji activated the mechanism, and the heavy iron door of the cell opened. He walked in calmly.

A giant tiger, entirely black, raised its head upon hearing the sound.

Here, he once forced Black Tiger to be wary and retreat step by step simply by making eye contact and exuding a chilling murderous aura.

But times have changed.

He showed no murderous intent, nor did he reveal any ferocity, but his body was surrounded by a faint mist of water vapor from the completed Yue Snake Transformation Dragon Technique.

He silently watched Black Tiger, but the viper was an ancient ferocious creature capable of transforming into a dragon. That bloodline suppression was more terrifying to Black Tiger than mere killing intent.

Black Tiger's fierce gaze instantly cleared, and the low growl he was about to unleash was abruptly cut off, turning into a sob.

Seeing Black Tiger like this, Li Ji shook his head slightly.

In the past, the black tiger could still grit its teeth and glare, barely managing to stand up to his murderous aura.

Now, he can't even look him in the eye. The huge tiger head lowers and stares at him directly, only glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

This black tiger could once hone his courage and cultivate his murderous intent, but it seems that he can no longer do so.

In that case, this black tiger is of little value.

If it's worthless, then kill it.

A net has no need for worthless things to exist.

Li Ji glanced at the black tiger indifferently, and was about to casually get rid of it.

Just then, Black Tiger seemed to sense something.

The next instant, the black tiger fell to its side, revealing the most vulnerable part of the beast—its chest and abdomen, which it rarely showed to others.

Its soft belly hair was fully exposed, its ribs were exposed, and its claws were all retracted, leaving all its vital organs completely exposed to Li Ji.

A hint of amusement flashed in Li Ji's eyes; this beast did indeed possess some intelligence.

They know they are afraid of death.

However, that alone is not enough.

Li Ji moved to the side and then walked towards the outside.

There were no unnecessary movements or words.

Black Tiger seemed to sense something and cautiously raised its head.

Although Li Ji did not turn around, he could roughly sense Black Tiger's movements.

He wanted to know what Black Tiger would do after he left.

Pouncing on him from behind? I doubt Black Tiger would dare do that; if he did, he'd just get rid of him easily.

It's highly likely that it will stay in this cell, since he seems to have spared its life, and this cell is the safest place for it.

To Li Ji's surprise, Black Tiger hesitated for only a few moments before walking out of the stone chamber.

The black tiger came to Li Ji's side, but dared not overtake him, instead staying half a step behind.

He kept his body low and followed slowly beside Li Ji.

interesting.

The black tiger seemed to recognize him as its master and wanted to follow him.

A passing assassin from the Luo Wang organization saw this strange scene and looked over. The black tiger bared its teeth and growled at the man.

When Li Ji looked down at him, Black Tiger immediately resumed his submissive demeanor.

Li Ji felt a little amused.

Very well, this black tiger is untamable if we don't kill it, so we'll keep it by his side from now on.