Dragon Domination: The Ultimate Legacy.

Morning mist clung to the quiet rooftops of Qinghe as the dew clung to leaves, whispering of a calm that would not last.

Yun Long sat cross-legged beneath the crooked plum tree. The smell of crushed herbs and wet wood filled the air. In his hands, he held a warm bowl of dark-green liquid — thicker than tea, bitter as bile. It steamed faintly in the cold morning breeze.

Madam Su stood nearby, arms folded loosely over her chest, worry masked beneath a gentle smile. "Drink it all, dear. Slowly, if you must. But all of it."

Old Yun, crouched behind him by the mortar, said nothing. He had spoken already.

This was a marrow-burning brew, one of the few precious formulas handed down through the healer's lineage — known to cleanse impurities, harden the bones, and stir the blood. It was not cultivation in itself, but a foundation. A key to a locked gate, So the formulas said.

Yun Long took a breath.

And drank.

The moment the liquid touched his throat, his body jerked.

It was like swallowing fire wrapped in ice. His stomach twisted, and a heat surged down into his limbs. Every inch of his body felt wrong, as if his blood was boiling, then freezing again.

He didn't cry out — but sweat poured from his brow. His hands clenched tightly around the bowl as if it might anchor him.

Old Yun's voice cut through the pain, calm and steady.

"Good. Let the fire run. Breathe slow. Don't fight it."

Yun Long grit his teeth and obeyed.

Minutes passed like hours.

And then, it was over.

He collapsed onto the cool earth, gasping. His muscles trembled. His skin was pale and damp. And yet... his chest rose steady. There was a faint glow in his cheeks. A warmth that no longer hurt.

Old Yun touched his wrist, felt the pulse, and nodded. "Your blood flows stronger now. Your bones — listen close when you move. They'll speak to you."

Yun Long blinked, still catching his breath. "Is this... what cultivation feels like?"

Old Yun chuckled. "No. This is the pain before the path. You've taken the first real step — but only just."

He looked up toward the sky, shaded by the canopy. "In this world, there are nine stages to power. But only one that matters now: Body Tempering. Refining muscle, blood, and bone until they can hold Qi like a jar holds water."

"But how do I know... when I've succeeded?"

"You'll feel it," Old Yun said. "The first sign is simple: breath that follows your will. Qi that hums beneath your skin, like a river under stone."

Yun Long looked down at his trembling hands. For now, there was no such feeling. But the warmth inside him had not faded.

He nodded.

He would reach it.

---

That evening, Yun Long lay on his straw bed beneath the open window, staring at the starlight. His body still ached. But the ache was different. It felt earned.

Something had changed.

Not enough for the world to notice.

But enough for him to feel.

He clenched his fist quietly under the blanket. His bones no longer creaked. His arms felt heavier — not from burden, but strength.

Somewhere in the clinic, the stone on the shelf gave the faintest hum… then went quiet.

But Yun Long had already fallen asleep.

---