The first step to evolution was to get Pearl's bloodline to a level where it was acceptable.
So, using blood he had prepared for years now, Alex started
transfusing blood into Pearl. The replacent was full of Life energy, allowing the bloodline elents within it to get absorbed by Pearl without it being wasted.
Pearl's Azure Dragon bloodline improved at a steady rate, growing by each second. Alex could already sense it being stronger, and it wouldn't be long before the ones without the bloodline could sense it as well.
Pearl himself could feel the power building within him. The bloodline that had always belonged to him was returning to him once again. Had tragedy not struck him and his family after he was born, he would've always had this bloodline.
Now, it was ti to reclaim it.
Pearl consud all the Bloodline Elents given to him, both the White Tiger's and the Azure Dragon's.
According to Alex, there was a balancing act one's body did when consuming so much bloodline elents at once. Because the White Tiger bloodline elents he absorbed would be of the sa
concentration as his regular blood, any changes that would co from it would be negligible.
The Azure Dragon's bloodline elents, however, were barely available in his bloodline, so his body rapidly grew as he absorbed it
all.
Pearl did not consider if any of that was dangerous in any way. He hadn't even had the thought to think of that. His mind was now one-tracked into improving his bloodline, and that was all he focused
on.
It was so ti later when the blood stopped flowing into him. Pearl looked up toward Alex, seeing what had changed.
Alex smiled. "We've reached the threshold. Let's take a short break, and then the real thing will start."
Pearl nodded and closed his eyes, resting.
Scarlet and Whisker sat in the corner of the room, neither making a single sound. They watched with their eyes focused wide as this was the first ti either had been around to witness an evolution process.
Bai Jingshen was worried, but he didn't let it show on his face. The White Tiger sat close by, his senses completely focused on Pearl. Back when Pearl had evolved to beco a White Tiger, the danger was already supposed to be astronomically high, and sohow the danger this ti was even higher.
Any minor hiccups could imdiately ruin everything. He was sowhat worried the rest weren't considering any of that at all. If only there was sothing in the earrings his master left for him to help Pearl.
A while passed, enough for Pearl's body and soul to reach an equilibrium. The mont it was settled, Pearl was ready to begin the next stage. The most important stage.
Pearl opened his eyes and turned toward Qing Tianchui. A somber feeling overca him at that mont. He knew what he was about to do. He knew what his father was about to do.
Qing Tianchui could feel a similar feeling. He took a few steps forward and placed his forehead on Pearl's. "Whatever happens now, just know that I will always love you. Your mother and I couldn't have been more proud of who our son has co to be."
Tears filled Pearl's face. He didn't want to say goodbye. He didn't want to believe that his father was going to die. But the chances that his father could live past what was going to happen today were very slim. That was already not considering his own fate.
If he didn't say goodbye now, then he would never get to.
"We'll get through this alive, father," he said in the end. He still didn't want to believe it. If his lack of farewell was what his father would need to survive, then so be it.
Pearl turned toward Alex and gave him a firm nod.
Alex brought out the rest of the blood and settled next to Pearl. He poured the blood into Pearl's body, slowly at first, letting him get used to absorbing it all, then depriving his body of it completely, letting it try and find an equivalency with the soul.
When it was about to reach it, Alex pushed in more concentrated blood.
The body imdiately improved, causing the soul to lag, which then prompted the soul to try and catch up. It was a constant cat and mouse chase, where every few seconds the mouse grew faster, forcing the cat to keep up the pace or stop entirely.
Pearl felt the tide of his bloodlines pushing and pulling on his body and soul, until a gradual pain developed in him. The pain seed to co to an end, only for Alex to increase the amount of blood he took in, causing him to hurt even more.
Pearl understood perfectly that what Alex was doing was making his soul flexible. He knew from the start that so pain would be involved, so he had been prepared for it.
Still, prepared as he was, it didn't an that he could easily handle the pain. Pearl gritted his teeth, claws gouging into the marble floor
as he did everything he could to take on the pain.
His body broke on every part, blood constantly leaking all over his side, as if a thousand thorns had lacerated his entire being.
The pain faded for a mont, lowering just enough where he felt a sense of relief. But then, the pain ca back stronger.
Alex turned toward Qing Tianchui imdiately the mont Pearl
squird with unbearable pain.
"Start it!"
The Azure Dragon nodded, stepping forward imdiately.
"No!"
Pearl's words ca as a hoarse growl. "Not yet. I can keep going."
"Pearl, you don't-"
"The more... I take it," Pearl said in between painful pauses, "the more flexible... my soul becos."
Alex remained silent as everyone there knew that to be the truth.
"It needs to be... more flexible."
Alex nodded. "Alright, but just one more batch. If you fall unconscious
from your pain, it will be all over."
Pearl said nothing and instead gave a single nod.
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