Above The Sky

Ian needed power.

In this strange world, in a feudal society that offered no protection for children, relying on laws and morals wasn't ineffective, but they could be too late.

And that would defeat their greatest purpose.

In such a civilization that was not particularly sophisticated, only power from within oneself could guarantee one's safety... Spirit Energy and Sublimators represented just such power.

Ian had originally thought he needed to rely on his own Spirit Energy to gradually grow until the distant future when he could attempt to acquire this power.

After all, without bringing Spirit Energy into the equation, Sublimators undeniably belonged to the upper class, a heritage of skills owned by Nobles and great families.

But not anymore.

There was a teacher who was now imparting everything to him.

Revealing the channels to obtain power to him.

"Yes."

Hiliard nodded in agreement with Ian's contemplation, "My skin and external armor are derived from the Glintstone Armor Dragon; my eyes, from the Silverfrost Dragon; my muscles, from the Abaddon Dragon Ant."

"After consuming special Magic Potions and then using the corresponding methods to exercise and fine-tune, Humans can shape specific Sublimation Organs and obtain the specific abilities of certain Exobeasts, or even completely transform themselves into another more powerful life form... This is the advanced method of a Sublimator."

"Of course."

The old Knight raised his index finger, signaling Ian to listen carefully to the key points, "These Magical Potion Supplements cannot be absorbed at will, and the combination of each Sublimation Organ needs to be carefully considered."

He hinted, "You should be able to perceive the commonality in my power."

"All have dragon." Ian responded immediately, thoughtfully nodding, "Between Sublimation Organs, there must be a commonality, only then can these powers coordinate!"

"Yes." Hiliard lowered his finger, nodding, "A Flying Dragon's spine and skeletal system paired with the eyes of a Hawk Owl might not conflict; after all, both are predators that fly in the sky, and the nervous system can be suitably matched."

"But if you were to shape a Coastal Swordfish's respiratory system for yourself, in addition to other organs of a Flying Dragon, then how could you ensure an oxygen supply in the high-altitudes where the air is thin?"

Watching as Ian fell into contemplative silence, the old Knight said with a smile, "Think about it, the eyes of a certain shrimp species can see dozens of colors of electricity and light, and without the corresponding brain regions for processing colors, you would surely go mad."

"Recklessly consuming Magic Potions, the best outcome is a physical deformation similar to your uncle's, and the worst outcome is dissolving into a lump of decaying flesh and blood, still alive, but no longer able to think, to recognize the outside world."

"I understand."

Frowning and pondering in silence for a while, Ian raised his head, looking at Hiliard, "But teacher,"

He asked with some confusion, "If recklessly mixing the Sublimation Organs of supernatural creatures is so dangerous, then why don't Sublimators just completely imitate a certain type of supernatural creature?"

"Ha, good question."

The old Knight merely laughed in response.

He stood up and also signaled for Ian to do the same, "What you've described is exactly the most common lineage in the Ascender System, the 'Bloodline' series!"

Ian stood up following the other, and the old man's voice continued, "Humans are not perfect, and neither are supernatural creatures. Mimicking their powers is undoubtedly strong, but sometimes restructuring a system with different organs to coordinate can be better."

For instance, the spine of a Glintstone Armor Dragon is extremely solid and can support a powerful body, but due to years of burrowing underground, its eyes and limbs have degenerated, not suited for combat on the surface—that's where we can entirely forgo the eyes and limbs of a Glintstone Armor Dragon and instead adapt the keen dragon eyes of a Silverfrost Dragon that can see through storms to distances of several kilometers, along with the most powerful limbs of the Abaddon Dragon Ant."

——Got it, full set and individual pieces!

Raising his eyebrows, Ian understood.

Sublimating entirely with Glintstone Armor Dragon materials, becoming a humanoid Glintstone Armor Dragon naturally possessed extremely powerful underground battle abilities, but also shared the same weaknesses as the Glintstone Armor Dragon. This was the "full set effect".

However, if one simply wanted to focus on the Glintstone Armor Dragon's defensive capabilities and endurance as the core, creating a "Sublimation System" dedicated to defense, they could certainly couple it with other individual Sublimation Organs, avoiding conflicts while minimizing weaknesses.

Ian roughly shared his thoughts with Hiliard using the local Terra language, and as expected, the old Knight, surprised yet again, praised Ian's keenness.

"You're right, that's exactly it. The system that mimics the powers of transcendent beings is called 'Bloodline.' Like a Flame Dragon, it is a thoroughly sublimated creature, from its bones to its teeth, from its lungs to its stomach, even down to its scales and tail, all so incredibly powerful it defies belief—and the corresponding Sublimation System for ascenders is naturally the 'Flame Dragon Bloodline,' where all the transcendent organs can form a whole, achieving an effect greater than the sum of its parts."

"And for a particular aspect, by making suitable pairings and combining various different Bloodline Sublimation Organs, and forming a comprehensive system with inherited traditions, it can be called 'True Form'"

At this moment, Hiliard's voice was solemn as he gazed at his student, "Sublimation Bloodline and True Form Pathway are the two major advancement systems for Sublimators, and only those who cultivate according to the 'Bloodline True Form' are the true Sublimators."

"Those who awakened by accident or those who gained some fragmented inheritance through maps will never break through the Second Energy Level."

The old man's voice was firm and decisive.

To this, Ian nodded slightly, he understood the concept very well.

Sharp teeth, without strong jaw muscles and a sufficiently sturdy jawbone, cannot fully exert their strength.

And the powerful breath of the Flame Dragon, if not supported by strong lungs, a blood circulation system that provides ample energy, and a unique Sublimation Organ that stores the materials for Dragon Breath, it would not be possible for it to have such formidable power.

Acquiring the Flame Dragon's Tooth alone, obtaining the Flame Dragon's Claw alone, is certainly stronger than an ordinary person, but it would never be stronger than a Sublimator with a complete system—it would only be defective.

It's like a complete industrial system, composed of factories, departments, and research institutes with clear tasks. Lacking any one element would lead to the inability to advance, and even if it were possible, it would be highly flawed.

The principle of the Bloodline True Form is the same.

Only the former is about optimizing what has been successful in nature, while the latter is about assembling to create an entirely new system.

"So," he tried to summarize, "while cultivating out ten Sublimation Organs, a person who practices according to Bloodline True Form is often tens of times stronger than those who simply gather ten Sublimation Organs."

Ian lifted his head, looking at his mentor, the boy's mouth curling into a slight smile, "And the list of Sublimation Organs required for Bloodline True Form, specific training methods, and even the order of cultivation, required nutritional recipes and Magical Potion Supplements, are all highly confidential secrets."

"Exactly so."

Hiliard smiled as he locked eyes with his student.

Ian's understanding was much more thorough than he had imagined, which meant there was no need to laboriously explain in detail.

He said earnestly, "The most precious treasure of every family, of every school of thought, is not gold or silver treasures, but the advancement maps of Bloodline True Form and the formulas for related Magical Potion Supplements."

"And I,"

At that moment, the old Knight lifted his hand, the layers of crystalline scales reemerging on his arm, slowly pressing onto the center of Ian's chest, "was once a high-level Ascendant of the True Form lineage."

"The True Form I cultivated bears the name 'The Unyielding Fortress'."

"It is the True Form Heritage that reaches directly to the Fifth Energy Level, the highest level."