"UgHhh!"
Li Chen's roar ripped through the air, raw and distorted by agony. It felt as if a thousand invisible hammers were smashing every bone in his body into white powder, only for a searing, molten gold liquid to pour into the cracks and fuse them back together.
His breathing became a series of ragged, frantic gasps. His skin bubbled and shifted as his mortal muscles were torn apart and replaced by the dense, indestructible fibers of a Primordial Dragon.
"Dammit... not like this... I won't die... to a transformation!"
His eyes snapped open, turning a terrifying crimson red—the eyes of a furious beast that had crawled back from the abyss thirty times.
After what felt like an eternity in hell, the golden light finally faded. Li Chen stood up slowly, his joints popping like small explosions. He wasn't the scrawny cultivator from a few minutes ago. He was taller, his frame packed with lean, explosive muscle that rippled with every movement. He felt a weight to his own body now, as if he were made of divine iron rather than flesh.
He exhaled, and a faint puff of white steam—dragon breath—escaped his lips.
"This strength..." He clenched his fist, and the air in his palm shrieked under the pressure. "With this, even if those two Immortal Gods fight over Fried Rice again, I'll be the one eating the leftovers while they're exhausted!"
[Ding! True Dragon Physique Analysis Complete.]
[The Host has unlocked the ultimate physical foundation. However,The True Dragon Physique evolves in Five Major Stages. The Spirit Stage refines the mortal body into divine steel. The Earth Stage awakens dominion over natural forces. The Heaven Stage grants authority over celestial laws. The Divine Stage severs dependence on the universe itself. The Primordial Stage allows the Host to become a self-contained cosmos.]
[Each Stage consists of 9 Layers.]
[Current Status: Spirit Stage — 1st Layer.]
Li Chen looked at his hands. Even at just the 1st Layer of the very first stage, he felt like he could punch through a brick wall without feeling a vibration.
"Only the first layer of the Spirit Stage?" Li Chen muttered, a mix of shock and greed in his eyes. "If I'm this strong now, what happens when I reach the Primordial Stage? Will I be able to sneeze and destroy a galaxy?"
[Answer: At the Primordial Stage, the Host's body will be the Law itself."No force beneath your authority will be able to leave a mark upon your body.".]
Li Chen was still admiring his new, muscular frame when the System's cold voice splashed like a bucket of ice water over his excitement.
[Ding! Warning to Host...]
[Detection Complete: Host's current Cultivation Realm is insufficient to fully utilize the strength of the 'Spirit Stage: 1st Layer' True Dragon Physique.]
Li Chen's grin froze. "What? Insufficient? I just went through hell to get this body! You're telling me I can't use it?"
[Clarification: The True Dragon Physique is like an ocean of power, but the Host's current 'Mortal' cultivation is like a narrow straw. If you attempt to use 100% of your physical strength now, your current meridians will collapse under the pressure of your own power.]
[Current Usage Limit: 1% of True Dragon Strength.]
"One percent?!" Li Chen screamed, nearly tripping over his own feet. "I have the body of a Primordial Beast, and I can only use one percent? I'll be killed by a stray cat at this rate!"
Li Chen's mind drifted back to that 15th life. "Back then, I was a True Dragon in the Void Dao Realm. I thought I was at the absolute peak of existence. I never felt the need to cultivate because the stars themselves seemed to bow to me."
[Ding! Correcting Host's memory error...]
[In your 15th transmigration, your True Dragon Physique was only at the 'Divine Stage — 5th Layer.']
Li Chen froze, his eyes bulging in shock. "What?! Fifth layer into the divine Stage? And I was already that powerful? I could devour moons and drift through the void for eternity... and that wasn't even the limit?"
He swallowed hard, his heart racing. "System... if the divine Stage was that terrifying, then how strong would I be at the Primordial Stage?"
The System's voice remained cold, but the words it spoke shook Li Chen to his core.
[Answer: "At the Primordial Stage, your body will transcend universal structure. Each cell will contain a self-sustaining cosmos governed by your will.".]
Li Chen stood in stunned silence. A universe within himself?
"If I am the universe," he whispered, a mad, brilliant light shining in his eyes, "then I am the one who writes the laws. I control life. I control death. Within my own universe, no asteroid can hit me, no plague can touch me, and no 'Godzilla' can exist unless I allow it."
A cold, determined smile spread across his face. The fear of his past thirty deaths finally began to transform into a hunger for power.
A dark, predatory glint flickered in Li Chen's crimson eyes. The goal was no longer just survival; it was absolute, cosmic dominion.
"To reach the Primordial Stage... to hold entire universes within my own flesh," he whispered, the words tasting like nectar on his tongue.
A slow, twisted smile spread across his face—a smile born from thirty lifetimes of agony, betrayal, and humiliation. He thought of the female disciples who had plunged their blades into his heart just as he was about to ascend. He thought of the kings who had mocked him and the "beauties" who had poisoned his wine.
"My dear disciples from my past lives... my 'loyal' friends and lovers..." Li Chen let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated with the 1% power of a True Dragon. "Just wait for me. I'm coming back."
He clenched his fist, and the air hissed as if being crushed by an invisible force.
"In this 31st life, I won't be the one dying to your petty schemes. When I return, I won't just kill you. I'll make you realize that even the Heavens you worship will be nothing more than dust drifting within my flesh.."
[Ding! Host's 'Killing Intent' has reached a critical threshold.]
[System Recommendation: Begin Bloodline Selection.]
Li Chen took a deep breath, forcing his boiling killing intent back into the depths of his soul. His crimson eyes faded slightly, though the cold determination remained.
"System! Enough talk! Begin the Bloodline Awakening!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty space.
He glanced around nervously, his legendary "Trust Issues" flaring up again. "I better hurry up. In my 14th life, I was a peak genius, but I died because a tiny, spirit-sucking mosquito bit me while I was mid-breakthrough! I'm not letting some bug end my 31st run before it even starts!"