The Corruption Dragon God: Lust System Chapter 504 - I will be something greater than that

[Your cultivation has been improved! Second stage of the immortal emperor realm -> third stage of the immortal emperor realm.]

A prolonged, weary exhale slipped from Qingyi's mouth while his gaze landed on the

status screen.

Advancing to the Ancestral Emperor realm now demanded more than two hundred and fifty trillion.

Yet, having Khaedryss beside him made that figure feel far less outrageous.

Muttering under his breath, he simply directed his attention there.

Spiritual roots, mana heart, bloodline, and constitution.

Upgrading all of them would leave him with two hundred trillion remaining for his affinities.

Excitement surged through him unavoidably.

With another sigh, Qingyi selected the upgrades for his spiritual roots and mana heart, clenching his jaw against the familiar agonizing torment that hit him.

[Starting improvement...]

Suddenly, his dantian, once serene, began to churn. A shudder coursed through his body, joined by a scorching heat like flowing lava that swept over his meridians.

"Damn... what the hell is this?"

Qingyi snarled, slamming his fist into the ground. The solid black concrete underfoot caved in, creating a deep pit.

This agony wasn't typical.

Not even during his toughest breakthroughs, back when he was unused to such trials, had it ever been this severe.

"No... do you think you can beat me?"

A grim, blood-streaked grin crossed his face as he chose to enhance his bloodline and constitution.

A powerful dragon's bellow resounded across the temple, and cracks started forming on the cultivation room's walls where Qingyi positioned himself, the surrounding heat climbing to hazardous levels.

The torment burst forth, amplified dozens of times beyond the prior intensity, yet Qingyi paid it no mind.

Blood seeped from his gums, fissures appeared on his skin. Every part of him was disintegrating and reforming anew.

Such was the cultivation path. This was the penalty for bypassing countless vital stages, ones that might confine others for ages or eons.

Struggling with his own form, Qingyi assumed a cross-legged position.

His garments started dissolving against his flesh, while an odd feeling stirred in his mind, like something hammering at his cranium, desperate to burst free.

His palms pressed to the ground. From the shadow cast on the scorched floor, an entity appeared to rise, though its form remained indistinct.

Crimson liquid dripped from his brow, clouding his striking eyes.

"System..."

Qingyi struck the floor once more, with greater force this time. The environment seemed to crumble around him, the protective arrays struggling to mend the cultivation chamber swiftly enough against the havoc.

"What's happening to me?"

Clutching at his torso, a profound unease flooded him.

His very tissue appeared to transform as his pulse thundered at an insane rate, almost as if it had ceased entirely.

[Don't resist.]

Came the system's curt, icy response, drawing a wry smirk from Qingyi.

As though he truly had any option, did he?

In truth, like it or not, he remained bound to the system's will.

Even though the system served merely as an instrument.

Upon that realization, a sour sensation lingered in Qingyi's throat.

Still, he concealed his frustration. For now.

Shutting his eyes, he steadied his breath, then simply withstood it.

It took many drawn-out minutes before he could finally lift his lids again.

[Your spiritual root has been upgraded! Ancestral-level Primordial Creation Seed -> Astral-level Primordial Creation Seed]

[Your mana heart has been upgraded! Ancestral-level Primordial Creation Seed -> Astral-level Primordial Creation Seed]

[Your "Primordial Dragon Body" constitution has been upgraded! Immortal grade -> Ancestral Grade]

[Your Blood of the Corruption Dragon God bloodline has been upgraded! Immortal grade -> Ancestral Grade]

[Your charm has increased! 1,500 -> 6,000]

Tranquility settled over Qingyi's thoughts, and his mental acuity

skyrocketed as serenity at last enveloped him.

He balled his hand into a fist, sensing the power in his sinews.

Far more robust than previously. Immensely so.

Throughout his existence, this marked perhaps the initial occasion where his frame had surged so dramatically in one advancement, his muscular compactness reaching ridiculous heights.

Delivering a strike without channeling effort, yet allowing his energy to surge unchecked.

Dust billowed aloft in a flash. The space nearby appeared on the verge of ruin as the blast from his raw bodily might expanded outward.

"Even my bones have changed..." Long Qingyi murmured, employing his Qi to cleanse the blood staining his body.

In a smooth gesture, he acquired a mirror via the system store, examining his image.

"System... how much of me is still human?" He inquired, grinding his

teeth.

[Part of your blood, part of your Qi, your meridians, and part of your

brain.]

The system answered in its frigid tone.

Qingyi regarded his reflection a bit longer, summoning his draconic Qi and letting it infuse his eyes.

Normally, a shift would occur, but nothing like this.

His white sclera shifted hue to a profound black. His purple

pupils narrowed into slits, a fierce radiance overtaking them, bright enough to light up the blackest evening.

Set against the dark sclera, they resembled twin beacons in a vast void, fine fissures etching across his facial skin.

He brushed his cheek, sensing the fractures gradually extending until they touched his jawline.

Amid his flowing ebony locks, a duo of horns protruded. Pitch-black like midnight, tipped sharply, their obsidian sheen catching the faint glow

of the chamber.

Could that really be him?

As Qingyi ceased the Qi flow, his eyes reverted to their usual state. Still violet and captivating, yet no longer orbs of luminescence amid boundless shadow.

"Can I hide these things?" Qingyi uttered, fingering his horn.

[Yes, freely.] The system responded. [But I must remind you that this is

the path you have chosen to walk. You are destined to become the new Dragon God of Corruption. I am nothing more than a tool to fulfill the ultimate wish of the ancient priestesses.]

"The new Dragon God of Corruption. Hm?" Qingyi chuckled, "No... I won't limit myself that much. I will be something greater than that." His training was not over yet, and he still had a lot to improve. Nt: I think it's time to update Qingyi's art, isn't it?