LOST CULTIVATION METHODS

Jin stood in the strange realm of floating islands and glowing rivers—a world unbound by mortal laws.

The air shimmered with ancient pressure. Raw, invisible, and heavy with judgment.

Above him, translucent dragons soared in spirals, their forms fading in and out of reality like echoes of a time long lost.

Each beat of their wings rippled through the realm, causing islands to quake and rivers to flare with starlight.

Then, a voice descended like thunder laced with reverence.

"First Trial: Combat."

A pillar of radiant light exploded in front of him, condensing into a humanoid figure clad in silver draconic armor.

Its face was hidden behind a scaled helm, but its eyes—like molten gold—pierced through Jin's soul.

"You who carry the fragmented blood of the dragon. Let your body prove your worth."

There was no warning.

The warrior lunged.

Jin had only a heartbeat to react. His Tyrant Body activated with a metallic thrum, skin hardening, muscles reinforcing, blood surging.

But it wasn't enough.

The warrior's blade collided with his side like a meteor strike. Jin was flung across the sky, crashing through a floating boulder.

He coughed blood, vision spinning, ribs fractured.

The projection didn't wait.

It followed with godlike speed, blade glowing with ancient energy.

Jin gritted his teeth.

"Wind Surge!" he shouted, wind exploding beneath his feet. He twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the next strike.

The energy from the blade clipped his arm, slicing it open.

His blood sizzled in the air.

And he snapped.

His rage, the pressure of expectations, the burden of his bloodlines—all ignited.

Fury activated.

His cultivation surged. Blood qi burned through his veins like molten lava. His eyes turned a fiery red, irises slit like a dragon's.

His very breath crackled with volatile force.

He met the projection head-on.

A fist imbued with blood qi and elemental wind smashed into the warrior's torso. It staggered—barely—but it staggered.

Their battle lit up the skies. Blow for blow. Strike for strike. Floating islands shattered beneath their force.

The rivers turned violent, flashing white as sparks and shockwaves burst in every direction.

Jin gave everything.

With a final roar, he launched himself upward, arms crossed with qi until they flared with draconic scales.

He slammed both fists into the warrior's chest in a thunderous double strike.

Cracks spread across the armor.

The projection froze. Then bowed.

And disintegrated into particles of silver light.

"You pass."

"Second Trial: Loyalty."

The realm crumbled like paper, folding into itself.

Jin stood alone. His power was gone. His body human. Mortal.

He blinked—and found himself watching a scene unfold like a terrible memory.

Lana knelt on cracked stone, blood pooling beneath her.

Arielle was shackled to iron chains, eyes filled with grief.

Sarah lay motionless on the ground.

And seated on a towering throne above them… was Jin.

Or something wearing his face.

Older. Eyes hollow. Aura vast but twisted.

A tyrant.

He raised a hand, apathetic. The skies turned red. Lightning struck. His enemies burned—and so did his loved ones.

"To gain everything, you must lose everything," the whispers echoed. "You must sacrifice love for power."

"No," Jin said, voice low but certain.

He stepped forward.

Each step tore at him. The illusion resisted, sending waves of guilt and temptation crashing down.

"I won't be that man," he growled. "Not again."

He walked through fire and ash, never looking away from Lana's fading eyes.

When he reached her, she smiled—faint and pained—and vanished in a cascade of light. So did Arielle. So did Sarah.

"You chose love over conquest. Loyalty over dominion."

"Final Trial: Vision."

Jin found himself in a crystal temple, vast and echoing, with no ceiling—only stars.

Carvings of dragons, ancient and forgotten, danced across the crystalline walls.

A floating mirror stood in the center. From it emerged a dragon of starlight, titanic and majestic.

Its voice thundered across existence.

"What future do you seek, descendant?"

Visions flooded Jin's mind.

One where he stood as a king—feared, alone, surrounded by corpses.

Another where he was weak, always running, his loved ones forever in danger.

A third, where he died—his body shattered, the women weeping over him.

But then came one final vision.

Him, not on a throne, but standing tall beside Lana, Arielle, and Sarah.

Behind him, people stood—not bowed, but protected. A guardian. A protector. A pillar.

"I choose them," Jin whispered, hand to his chest.

"I choose to protect. Not to rule."

The dragon's eyes gleamed.

"Then walk your path, Guardian of the Dragon Flame."

Light exploded around him.

Runes of ancient power carved themselves across his skin before vanishing into his blood.

[Dragon Bloodline Resonance: 35% Achieved]

[Elemental Insight: Ice, Wind, Fire, Earth – Gained]

[New Skill: Dragon Soul Resonance (Incomplete)]

[Tyrant Body Progress: Increased]

[Level Up +2]

[Magic Power +200 | Strength +10 | Vitality +5 | Agility +6]

[Blood Demon Bloodline: 5% → 8%]

When Jin opened his eyes again, he was back in the dragon cavern.

The pedestal beneath him pulsed with light.

Lana, Arielle, and Sarah stared, wide-eyed and breathless.

His body was battered—clothes torn, blood staining his side—but his aura… was unrecognizable.

It pressed down like the heavens.

The air around him shimmered unnaturally.

Even a small movement of his hand left ripples in space, like reality itself had to bend to accommodate him.

Jin took a step forward—and the ground cracked.

He stumbled.

It was only then that he noticed: his body had changed.

Power dense as a mountain filled his limbs. Every motion felt… heavy. His own strength weighed him down.

His spine creaked with pressure. Even breathing took conscious control.

His skin buzzed with sealed power, dragon and demon bloodlines pulsing within like sleeping storms.

"Jin!" Lana cried, rushing forward—but stopped when she got close.

The air around him was hot, cold, dense, and sharp—like walking into a storm.

"Are you… alright?" Arielle asked, brows drawn.

"I… think so," Jin said, voice deeper than before. He clenched his fist—and even that made the pedestal behind him hum.

He reached out slowly. Sarah took his hand, eyes wide. "You've… changed."

Jin nodded. "I've inherited a fragment of the dragon clan's legacy. But…"

He tried to walk again. His muscles resisted, like dragging chains of iron inside his bones.

"…this power is too dense. My body isn't ready to move freely with it. Not yet."

Lana's eyes welled up. "Then we'll help you adapt. Together."

Arielle smiled. "It's not a burden. It's just… too much greatness at once."

Sarah grinned faintly. "So, we're really traveling with a dragon now."

Jin gave a tired laugh. "Not a dragon. Just someone who remembers what it means to protect."

Outside, the cavern began to quake. The inheritance had run its course. The ruins started closing in behind them.

As they walked out—Jin slow, deliberate—they looked back one last time at the sacred place that had changed everything.

Above the exit, faint words shimmered in draconic script.

"To protect is to carry the heavens upon one's back."

And Jin understood.

This power would not make life easier.

It would make each step heavier.

Each breath more dangerous.

But it was his to carry.

Not because he sought it.

But because he had chosen it.