The faint fragrance of ancient parchment and spiritual ink wafted through the air as Bai Tianlong stepped into the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion. The Pavilion Elder, a thin old man with white hair tied into a neat topknot, personally led the way, his steps steady and quiet. With a wave of his hand, a jade seal glowed, unlocking the heavy bronze door of the second floor that only clan elders could open.
"Since you've come to seek a Star Transformation Technique, young master," the elder said slowly, his voice solemn yet faintly warm, "then you must choose carefully. This choice will follow you through your entire path of cultivation. Before you reach Foundation Establishment, you may only cultivate one technique. Only after you step into Foundation can another technique be learned."
As Bai Tianlong entered, his eyes widened. Scrolls, jade slips, and bamboo tomes floated in the air, revolving in gentle orbits around glowing crystal spheres. Each sphere radiated its own unique aura, like miniature stars shining in the dim hall.
The Elder pointed to them one by one.
"These are divided into four great categories of Star Transformation Techniques. Each leads to a different path of growth."
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The Four Paths
1. Blood Sun Techniques – also called the Essence Sun Techniques.
"They refine the body into a vessel of strength. With each breakthrough, the physical body will rival iron, and by Foundation Establishment, even blades will have trouble piercing your skin."
Example scrolls: Crimson Furnace Blood Sun, Iron Dragon Veins
2. Spiritual Sun Techniques – also known as Ethereal Sun Techniques.
"These strengthen the soul and spiritual power. With it, your divine sense and control over beasts will deepen, and you may even awaken soul-based abilities earlier than others."
Example scrolls: Moonshadow Soul Refining Art, Spirit Echo Sun Scripture
3. Spirit Sun Techniques – also called Elemental Sun Techniques.
"This path enhances Spirit Qi reserves and grants finer control over elemental powers. For those who walk with spell arts, elemental control, or beast-element fusion, this can be heaven's blessing."
Example scrolls: Five Elemental Spirit Sun Method, Azure Flame Spirit Scripture
4. Strange Star Transformation Techniques – unpredictable and unique.
"These… are wild cards. Some will grant transformations akin to beast talents, others awaken strange bloodline powers or bizarre divine abilities. Unstable, but their potential may surpass the orthodox three paths."
Example scrolls: Thousand Mirage Sun Transformation, Nine Serpent Shadow Art
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The Elder's tone grew serious.
"Remember, Tianlong. Each technique shapes your future. Once chosen, you cannot replace it until Foundation Establishment. Think carefully."
Bai Tianlong's gaze swept across the glowing spheres, his heart beating faster. Every technique seemed extraordinary. He clenched his fists slightly, thinking of his path as both cultivator and beast tamer, and silently considered which path would carry him the farthest.
Bai Tianlong's eyes lingered on the glowing spheres, his mind shifting between the four categories. Blood Sun for my body… Spiritual Sun for my soul… Spirit Sun for my elemental control… Strange techniques for the unknown…
He narrowed his eyes. Choosing blindly would be foolish. At that moment, a thought surfaced — a hidden card he had been saving.
"The Hint Module…" he whispered in his heart.
He willed the system interface open. A faint ripple of spiritual light appeared in his mind.
> Hint Module Activated.
Query: 'Which is the best Star Transformation Technique within the Bai Clan Scripture Pavilion for the host's current path?'
Immediately, a crisp chime followed, along with cold words.
> Cost:
• 1,000 Spiritual Stones
• or 100 System Coins
Bai Tianlong froze. His expression darkened slightly. "A thousand spiritual stones…? Right now, I barely have a few dozen. Where am I supposed to get that much?"
The system's indifferent tone echoed back.
> The Host may accept a loan. Current debt will be marked as –1000 spiritual stones. The next time the Host touches any spiritual stones, absorption will automatically occur until the debt is cleared.
Bai Tianlong stood silently, deep in thought. To owe a system debt wasn't something to take lightly. But… this decision could shape his future path. A single wrong step now might cripple his foundation forever.
After a long silence, he clenched his jaw and whispered firmly in his heart.
"Fine. I'll take the loan. Mark me –1000."
> Confirmed.
The Hint Module will now calculate the optimal choice for the host.
The glowing spheres around him seemed to blur as the system's cold, precise analysis began.
Bai Tianlong's heart tightened in anticipation. Somewhere among these dozens of scrolls and jade slips, one would be marked as his true path forward…
The system's calculation took longer than expected. For a few breaths, Bai Tianlong's heart pounded in his chest as countless fragments of light swirled in his sea of consciousness. Finally, the cold mechanical voice rang out again, calm but resolute:
> Optimal Choice Calculated.
Recommendation: Five Elemental Sun Transformation Technique.
Bai Tianlong's pupils constricted slightly.
> Reasoning:
• As the basis of the Elemental Sun Technique, the Five Elemental Sun Transformation Technique grants balanced growth in all elemental attributes.
• Host will gain the ability to share Five Elemental Spiritual Energy with contracted beasts.
• Control over Five Elemental Techniques will increase dramatically with cultivation.
• Since the Host has already contracted a Five Elemental Beast, the Fire Element will show accelerated growth as the bond deepens.
• In the future, should the Host contract four more beasts with elemental affinities, this technique has the potential to undergo a secondary evolution.
Bai Tianlong's breathing stilled, his eyes sharpening as he listened carefully. But the system wasn't finished.
> Additional Synergy Noted:
• The Host has already selected the Five Elemental Body Refining Technique and the Five Elemental Sword Technique for Qi cultivation.
• While the Body Refining Technique is not a full body-path art, it can be cultivated to Foundation Establishment, granting the user a physique of equivalent rank.
• Together, these selections form the foundation for the Heaven Rendering Dao-Devouring Collodion Technique.
The system's final words struck like a thunderclap:
> Conclusion: For maximum compatibility and growth, the Five Elemental Sun Transformation Technique is the optimal path. Any deviation may reduce long-term potential.
Bai Tianlong stood silently, staring at the glowing jade slips before him. His chest rose and fell slowly. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he whispered:
"So… the Five Elemental Sun Transformation Technique, huh? Seems like everything is falling into place."
His hand reached forward, and with steady determination, he pulled the glowing jade slip from the shelf.
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