Chapter 342 Challenge
"Do you want to know the real reason I denied your Dragon Bloodline?" Nuwa asked, hugging her gullible husband. "Although it's true that my Soul Arts would weaken slightly, it's not to the point of losing all my progress. I'm sure I could continue improving my Soul Realm just fine."
Nuwa sighed as she traced his fresh scales and revealed, "When you left for the Dragon Realm, I discovered that my Royal Elf Bloodline is actually more powerful than I initially thought. My Bloodline ability was relatively weak compared to my Soul Arts, but it grew exponentially stronger over the last month. Right now, I can freely move a mountain with my Soul Power alone, and I still have one more level to complete my refining."
"Well, it's natural for a Bloodline to grow in strength as one cultivates. I'm sure my Dragon Bloodline will also improve once I further refine my body," Xuefeng replied with a shrug. "I don't regret upgrading it into a pure Bloodline. It matches my fighting style, and it will help everyone else as well."
"This is why I don't blame you for your decision, and why I didn't mention anything yesterday. You seemed very proud of your achievement, so I didn't wish to ruin the mood," Nuwa explained calmly.
"You don't need to worry about that. I would be happy for you regardless," Xuefeng assured before a competitive glint flashed in his eyes. "Anyway, are you saying you didn't take my Bloodline because you think yours is superior?"
"I don't just think so, I know it is," Nuwa corrected with a confident smile. "Why don't you try carrying this mountain on your back and see for yourself?"
Xuefeng raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the challenge, "Alright, let's do this."
Nuwa only smiled as she allowed Xuefeng to brace himself for the oncoming weight before slowly lowering the rocks hovering just above them. As more and more weight was added, Xuefeng grunted under the pressure, his hands and feet digging deeper into the grass.
"Can you handle it?" Nuwa teased, watching as he struggled just ten seconds into the challenge. "You are already doing much better than I thought. It's around one-thousandth of the whole weight."
"I can do more," Xuefeng replied with a forced smile, acting like he wasn't bothered despite sweat dripping from his forehead.
Nuwa didn't doubt his words and doubled the weight, the separate stones forming into one big ceiling under pressure. Xuefeng sank deeper into the ground, his face inches from Nuwa's. He only winked at her and challenged Earth Qi to harden the ground and stabilize his stance.
"I know you are pretending. It's fine if you use your Qi to strengthen your body," Nuwa exposed while poking his nose, but he didn't fall for her tricks.
"We are only comparing the power of our Bloodlines, so I'm not going to use my Qi at all," Xuefeng said with a rigid breath. "Double it again."
Nuwa chuckled and added twice the weight once again, causing Xuefeng's body to tremble. He could no longer keep the proper form of a plank, and his knees gave in, sharing the weight as well.
"Cultivators are not supposed to be capable of carrying the weight of a mountain with their body alone. We have a powerful Soul for a reason," Nuwa cheered him up as she cradled his head. "You did great."
"I'm not done yet..." Xuefeng refused to give up unless his body was threatening to break. "Double it."
"Are you sure?" Nuwa asked, a little worried about his safety.
"Double it."
Nuwa frowned but did as he asked, the weight now reaching eight-thousandths of the whole mountain.
"Double it," He spoke again before she even managed to check on his condition.
"No, this is enough. I don't want to see you hurt," Nuwa refused, but Xuefeng leaned down to kiss her.
"I'm fine, so just do it. I am not even using my Bloodline yet," he insisted, his gaze filled with determination. This whole time he was only relying on his Ancient Body and Half-Dragon form, but that wasn't everything at his disposal.
Nuwa could only trust him and decided to increase the pressure until she noticed any signs of pain. The weight soon reached two hundredths, but contrary to her expectations, Xuefeng was grinning as if he was having the time of his life.
His body seemed to enjoy the pressure, with his bones and flesh absorbing the stress and converting it into strength.
"More," Xuefeng demanded, his gaze burning with passion.
As the weight doubled again, he finally channeled his Bloodline Essence through his body, his muscles bulging with power. The scales covering his body started to glow, and the ground beneath him cracked, his legs sinking through the solid ground.
"More," he repeated, his eyes turning red.
Nuwa was mesmerized by his transformation, her heart pounding in her chest. She increased the weight once again, the pressure now reaching one-tenth.
'Hold on tight like this. We can use this opportunity to advance the level of your Ancient Body,' Ling suggested in his mind. 'Don't force it. Slow and steady.'
The pressure now was unlike anything Xuefeng had ever felt. Every inch of his body felt as if it was under the press of a million tons. But rather than giving in, he thrived. It was as if his Dragon Bloodline reveled in the extreme pressure. He no longer felt human but rather like a pure Dragon, carrying the weight of his future on his shoulders. Pills could only do so much to strengthen the body; it was hardships that forged true strength.
'Fourth Level!'
'Fifth Level!'
Ling kept reporting as Xuefeng felt the scales on his back crack under pressure. His muscles were close to tearing, and his bones were on the verge of breaking, but he didn't stop.
'Sixth Level!'
Xuefeng felt his body approaching the limit and even Nuwa felt worried, watching him with a mix of amazement and concern. "You are reaching one-fourth of the weight! Do you want to continue?" she called out.
"Yes," Xuefeng's voice echoed, deep and resonant. "Bring it all!"
As he cried out, something in his body snapped. It wasn't a single muscle or a single bone; it felt like everything in Xuefeng's body began to unravel. A searing pain erupted through him, so intense that it dwarfed all the previous strains he had ever experienced. His vision blurred, and the strength in his arms gave out, his body collapsing under the weight.
Nuwa was about to stop the challenge as he began to lose consciousness when his body suddenly exploded with power. The pain was replaced by a euphoric sensation that spread through every fiber of his being. He felt as though he was a newborn, his body full of energy and vigor.
'Seventh Level!' Ling announced excitedly.
Xuefeng's eyes snapped open, his gaze filled with newfound power. The pressure that was threatening to crush him a moment ago now felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze. Unfortunately, this sensation was short-lived.
Pa!
Just as he braced himself to withstand the weight of half the mountain, his back gave way and his vision went dark. His body went limp, momentarily falling towards Nuwa who was poised to catch him. She quickly channeled her Soul Power, repelling the overhead weight with immense force. In mere moments, she recreated the cavern from before, and relaxed with Xuefeng in her arms.
Cradling Xuefeng close to her, she looked down at his unconscious form, the signs of immense strain evident on his face. She brushed a stray lock of hair away from his forehead and kissed it tenderly.
"You might be an overconfident dummy, but you are my dummy..."
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