"Puff..." Jiang Hai took a mouthful of clear mountain spring water and gently spat it out into the distance. Then, using the water, he wiped the oil off his face and frowned as he gazed toward the distant mountains. Standing up, he picked up a mirror to check his lower back—it still hadn't fully scaled, missing just one patch.
"Huh, looks about right here..." Jiang Hai muttered softly, glancing around.
He surveyed the natural surroundings and nodded to himself. This was his third day since leaving. On the first day, he stayed overnight at Xia Yuan's place. On the second, he ventured deep into the mountains, spending a day and a night in a completely uninhabited area. These were true wilderness—very remote indeed. Along the way, his speed averaged about ten miles per hour, sometimes twenty, and only rarely hitting forty. It took him nearly thirty hours to reach this pristine landscape.
According to his GPS, the nearest road was nearly three hundred kilometers away.
Don't underestimate those three hundred kilometers. Three hundred kilometers is genuinely far. In China, that distance crosses provinces. For example, from Bingcheng, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, to Chunshi, the capital of Jilin Province, is just over two hundred seventy kilometers—and that's not even a straight line.
Jiang Hai was now three hundred kilometers deep into the mountains, utterly devoid of human presence.
Here, evolving felt peaceful and secure. He walked around, confirming no signs of human life, dismissing the possibility of any local tribes nearby. After some thought, he decided this spot would be perfect for his upgrade.
But before he could upgrade, many preparations remained—starting with finding an open area. Fortunately, that wasn't difficult.
Rising from the stream, Jiang Hai spotted a nearby clearing with few trees.
Since it was close by, he didn't need to look further—he could evolve at any moment.
After selecting the spot, he drove his car there, then got out and used his multi-purpose shovel to clear weeds around the site, keeping insects at bay. He sprinkled insect repellent powder as an extra measure.
Next, he dug small trenches near the tires to prevent flooding or other issues—the tires would be slightly elevated, helping them withstand the elements longer.
Using iron ropes he had prepared, he anchored the car firmly to the ground. Then he searched nearby for large rocks to secure the tires further.
After more than two hours of work, Jiang Hai finally finished preparing the upgrade site. He ate high-calorie foods like chocolate, drank plenty of water, and used the restroom.
Unnoticed, the sky darkened. This wilderness was unlike Jiang Hai's estate—his own land brimmed with spiritual energy, which replenished his power quickly. Here, despite the forest's richness in species, his scales weren't growing rapidly.
Once ready, Jiang Hai climbed into the back seat of his car and hung a "Please Do Not Disturb" sign on the windshield, hoping to deter passersby. He locked the doors and seats but left the windows slightly open.
Fearing suffocation, he reclined the seat, adjusted his breathing, and lay down.
"Just wait quietly," Jiang Hai whispered to himself, calming his body to the most tranquil state.
He slowly slowed his breath, awaiting the upgrade's arrival. As the last sunlight faded behind the trees, his mind suddenly buzzed, and his consciousness returned to his body.
This time, Jiang Hai wasn't worried; he knew this meant the upgrade was imminent.
When Jiang Hai regained consciousness, he found himself in that other world again. Unlike previous times, when dark clouds gathered and thunder roared, this world was utterly silent.
The sky was blue, clouds white, and the sea calm. Jiang Hai lowered his head and gazed into the water, seeing his reflection—not as himself but as a giant, shimmering golden dragon.
He didn't know what he'd become after this upgrade, but judging by his appearance, it wouldn't be as terrifying as when he transformed from a Jiao into a dragon.
As if sensing Jiang Hai's presence, though he couldn't control the dragon, it gracefully slid its body and plunged into the deep sea.
Since Jiang Hai himself had an attribute avoiding water, he wasn't bothered by this.
Diving deeper, Jiang Hai found a monotonous water world. Completely barren—no fish, no living creatures, no seaweed, no coral. Only pure water, rocks, and sand on the seabed.
He was baffled.
What did this mean?
Just then, the golden dragon swam down, grabbed a clump of mud, and blew a breath of rich spiritual energy into it—so strong Jiang Hai could feel it. The mud seemed to come alive.
Before his eyes, it slowly transformed into a dragon—a smaller creature resembling the golden dragon.
The little dragon let out a childish cry and settled before Jiang Hai in submission.
The giant golden dragon seemed pleased by this.
Next, it grabbed another clump of mud, exhaled spiritual energy again, and another dragon appeared.
In Jiang Hai's mind, the golden dragon kept creating small dragons by grabbing mud and breathing spiritual energy. After eighty-one mud dragons, it grabbed some stones and breathed on them.
Stones lacked the mud's flexibility, but nourished by spiritual energy, they transformed into plumper dragons with a single horn on their heads.
These dragons felt stronger than the mud dragons—better defenses and greater physical strength.
"Horned dragon!" a voice inside Jiang Hai's mind named the new species.
"Heroosaurus?" Jiang Hai frowned at the ethereal voice giving the creature a nickname.
Since obtaining the Dragon Ball, Jiang Hai had studied dragon evolution: a snake cultivates a hundred years to become a Jiao, a Jiao cultivates a thousand years to become a dragon, a dragon cultivates five hundred more years to become a Horosaurus, and ten million years more to become a Yinglong.
He knew Horosaurus was an advanced dragon, so why was it equated to the previous level?
Before he could ponder more, the golden dragon scattered nearby stones, transforming them into seventy-seven horned dragons.
Its claws then grasped nearby sand. Spiritual energy flowed from its mouth, instantly transforming the sand into a dragon with wings sprouting from its back—like sand drifting underwater.
With a flap, the dragon soared from the sea, roaring mightily, announcing its presence.
"Yinglong! Yinglong!" the voice echoed, naming the new species.
Watching the golden dragon summon three Yinglongs, Jiang Hai's heart surged with excitement.
It was the first time he understood that dragons, horned dragons, and Yinglongs weren't simply ranked superior or inferior.
After summoning eight more Yinglongs, nine Yinglongs danced in the sky, while eighty-one dragons and forty-nine horned dragons swam in the sea.
"My clan—the dragons!" the golden dragon said peacefully.
To Jiang Hai's surprise, the voice was almost identical to his own.
As the golden dragon finished speaking, a golden aura descended from the sky, enveloping Jiang Hai completely.
He somehow understood the golden light's source: merit, the virtue founding his clan.
Feeling this immense, otherworldly power of thought, Jiang Hai closed his eyes and began carefully contemplating the supreme ideals contained within.
Perhaps because Jiang Hai had never practiced cultivation or aspired for saintly greatness, he could sense nothing beyond the immense power within the light. He was merely a spectator—closing his eyes, immersed in this different world.
Unnoticed, the golden dragon's horn thickened and branched, growing a new fleshy horn.
This was the golden dragon's evolution, though Jiang Hai had no idea what benefits it would bring.
He was mentally evolving unaware that three days had passed since the golden dragon created the little dragon.
By the time the golden light enveloped him, another day passed. On the fifth day, the new fleshy horns had grown.
Back in the forest, if a cultivator could see—though none existed here—spiritual energy poured frantically into Jiang Hai's car and body.
Spiritually sensitive animals appeared beside the car: snakes, bears, deer, foxes, mountain lions, rabbits, squirrels, and even wolves, long thought extinct.
All were larger than their typical kind and looked ancient.
Humans over a hundred years become demons; in the animal kingdom, some species gain intelligence and power beyond genes.
These creatures sensed Jiang Hai's presence.
But Jiang Hai wasn't a fearful human to them—just an odd, metal object.
Yet, facing this iron lump, they hesitated.
The waves of pressure from Jiang Hai also frightened them.
So for now, they stood still, not daring to approach.
Jiang Hai remained oblivious, immersed in his own world—feeling the power of merit wash over him, strengthening his dragon form and elongating his horns.
As the last golden light faded into the sky, a majestic voice echoed from the darkness:
"All things are one family, educating the world."
The resounding voice woke Jiang Hai from his hazy thoughts.
He opened his dragon eyes—and then his real eyes—knowing his evolution was complete.
The creatures that had waited so long suddenly charged at him, roaring.
Although Jiang Hai's spiritual energy hadn't leaked, they sensed its richness.
This aura attracted animals, who were determined to claim it.
When Jiang Hai returned to human form, the golden dragon's pressure vanished, and the creatures chose that moment to attack.
Before Jiang Hai could react, a huge brown bear slammed its claws on the car roof—but then...
Nothing.
The car was a war shield, impervious to even a bear's paw.
The attack was deflected...
(To be continued.)