Adam sensed an almost imperceptible high-level energy emanating from Lina, something beyond her capabilities given her strength. It was clear that she couldn't possibly absorb elements within Adam's elemental vacuum. The energy refined by the Refinement Art was something beyond mere elements.
Adam even felt that it might be as powerful as magic.
This was abnormal. If any race within the Dragon Slayer Guild or the Dragon Plane could cultivate energy of such a high level, even if slowly, it wouldn't be limited by the bottleneck of the transcendent power.
Unless, this energy wasn't meant for cultivation at all. Lina's so-called bloodline enhancement might just be a minor side effect, perhaps even an illusion caused by the rapid functioning of her blood.
Lina was in pain, not just from the physical cutting but also from the agony coming with the practice of Refinement Art. Without Adam's command, she dared not stop.
Adam watched Lina intently, sensing the energy. After numerous comparisons, he arrived at a conclusion that even he found hard to believe.
The Refinement Art wasn't about refining bloodlines, but the very essence of the Dragon Plane.
"Terrifying knowledge, astonishing methods!"
Adam was shocked. He hadn't expected that there would be methods to subtly weaken the essence of the Plane. The shrinking of the world's boundaries and the fluctuations in the crystal wall system were now explained---the essence of the Dragon Plane was being eroded!
On the other side of the laboratory, Sofia had woken up. She seemed to have forgotten her recent fear, standing at a distance, watching Adam with curiosity.
She remained silent, not interrupting Adam's work, and he didn't shoo her away. After all, since Sofia fell into his hands, Adam had no intention of letting her go, even if she learned what he was doing, she wouldn't have the chance to tell anyone else.
An hour passed, and the continuous practice of Refinement Art put an incredible strain on Lina's body. Her body and blood vessels began to show signs of collapse. Having recorded the operational route, Adam finally told Lina, "You can stop now."
Lina breathed a sigh of relief. As her will relaxed, the pain hit her like a tidal wave. She had never attempted to practice the Refinement Art for such a long time in one go. Usually, she would only run it once a day, stopping due to pain and weakness.
After temporarily cutting off her pain receptors, Adam asked, "After the practice, are you sure you felt your bloodline being purified?"
Lina, too weak to speak, blinked her eyes in affirmation.
"But in my observation, you haven't grown stronger. In fact, the practice of Refinement Art has consumed a great deal of your vitality."
Adam suddenly paused, realizing the reason behind the phenomena. The Refinement Art might be a secret technique that consumes life force to erode the essence. Lina hadn't improved because her life was too fragile; she couldn't reap the benefits before it threatened her life.
Adam asked, "After practicing, did you feel extremely tired, as if you were absorbing energy but still inexplicably exhausted?"
Lina blinked in affirmation.
"And after the practice, did you feel weak, needing a long rest or a lot of food to recover?"
She blinked again.
"After practice, did your burst strength in combat increase, but your stamina decreased?"
These terms were somewhat unfamiliar to Lina, but she understood and blinked in response.
"Indeed," Adam thought to himself.
In the last invasion, the Dragon Plane's warriors closed the dimensional rift at the cost of their lives, ceasing the invasion. The invader's failure was not without cost; it no longer had enough power to reopen the rift. So, the remnants chose another way to erode the Dragon Plane's essence, perhaps aiming to invade again when the essence weakened to a critical point.
This invasion method differed from the plane wars in Adam's world. It seemed to merge the two planes, or rather, the beings from the invader's plane wanted to occupy and merge with the Dragon Plane, replacing its essence with theirs.
"Such an unnecessary effort, unless a disaster in the *u0026 amp;#? Plane had forced the invaders to abandon it, making it uninhabitable. They must be seeking a new world," Adam muttered, feeling closer to the truth. If so, he could try accelerating this process, forcing an early convergence of the two planes. He might even find a way to stealthily enter the invader's plane.
Lately, Adam had been feeling that the Dragon Plane wasn't as valuable as he thought, finding the knowledge in the other plane more attractive.
He didn't know why the Dragon Slayer Guild, despite knowing how to erode the essence, didn't widely spread this method, instead choosing to plot in secret. It was likely due to two reasons: fear of retaliation from allied races, and the invader's plane not being ready for a second war.
However, Adam had no such concerns. He could spread the Refinement Art. If it incited retaliation and chaos among the allied races, he could stir the pot more easily. If an invasion occurred sooner, he could infiltrate, completing his exploration mission amidst the war. The Tower would undoubtedly find this phenomenon intriguing.
The risks existed, but they weren't hard to avoid. More importantly, the benefits of such actions were too tempting to refuse.
"Big dragon, are you going to eat this bad person?" Sofia couldn't help but whisper. "She's very bad, always giving me things that aren't tasty."
"Sofia, do you recognize this?" Adam pointed to the energy circuit of the Refinement Art in Lina's body and the subtle essence of energy around her.
"Yes, I know it. I can do it too." As she spoke, an amount of essence energy far surpassing Lina's gathered around her.
Adam's eyes sparkled with keen interest.
"Do you know what it is?"
Sofia nodded seriously. "I know. Our heritage knowledge says it's a way for dragons to become stronger. But I don't like it. After practicing, I always feel tired, hungry, and sleepy. Ever since I left my mother, I've never been full. I'm so pitiful."
"Did your mother do the same?"
"Yes, mother ate more and slept longer. But she said that when I grow up, I can practice while sleeping. It won't be uncomfortable then but rather pleasant. But when will I grow up?"
As she spoke, Sofia cautiously glanced at Adam. "No, no, no, I'll grow up soon. So, could you please not send me away?"
Lina's eyes blinked.
Adam waved his claw, putting Sofia back into unconsciousness. He felt he had discovered the secret behind the dragons' continuous betrayal and their extreme laziness."
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