As Bai Long finally snapped out of his daze, he decided it would be best to start practising immediately.
After sifting through his memories, Bai Long settled on using the Celestial Silver Flame Dao, a cultivation technique ranked as Divine Tier (techniques are ranked Mortal, Yellow, Earth, Heaven, Peerless, Supreme, Divine). Since he had created it himself, it would maximise his silver blood and golden body to their fullest effect.
Most dragons are born with red bodies and crimson blood, which grants increased power and durability. Occasionally, dragons are born with mutations, providing extraordinary advantages. The rarity of their blood, ranked crimson, purple, blue, green, grey, and silver, determined their damage output. The rarity of their body, ranked red, orange, yellow, and gold, dictated their damage resistance. It was precisely due to this mutation ( silver blood and a golden body ) that Bai Long had reached such heights in his previous life.
The Celestial Silver Flame Dao did more than accelerate his cultivation. Even at the lower levels, it amplified his offence and defence, purifying and strengthening his flames.
Since he could not yet transform into a human (requiring the Spirit Severing Realm), he decided to lie down and begin cultivating.
As a dragon, he already had a natural advantage in cultivation. Now, with all these additional benefits, it was unsurprising that he advanced from Body Tempering to Qi Refining in only seven hours (each realm is further divided into stages one through nine).
"Even in my previous life, I needed at least a month to enter Qi Refining."
Lying back down, he continued cultivating, rapidly rising through the ranks.
***
Six months later.
"One step away from reaching the Nascent Soul Realm."
In these six months, it took him only half a week to reach Foundation Establishment, successfully building a base to further his cultivation. After two months, he reached the Golden Core Realm, forming his core and becoming able to use techniques requiring Qi (until a cultivator reaches Golden Core, they can only use Qi to strengthen their attacks but cannot project it outwards). Another four months later, he finally reached the peak of Golden Core.
"In half a month, I'll be able to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm."
Standing, he walked to the cave entrance. There, several spirit beasts at Stage Three, resembling deer, grazed. He exhaled a fire breath, instantly killing seven beasts. Approaching the fallen, he devoured three before feeling full, then returned to the cave.
(Each beast stage corresponds to a cultivator realm: a Stage Three beast mirrors a Foundation Establishment cultivator. While the realms are comparable, multiple Stage Realm three cultivators would be required to challenge a single Stage Three beast.)
Bai Long lay back down for a short nap before resuming cultivation.
Half a month later.
A terrifying Qi radiated across the surroundings. At its centre hovered a golden dragon, partially levitating.
Opening his eyes, Bai Long retracted his aura and examined his consciousness. Within his dantian, he discovered a semi-independent spiritual infant.
"My progress is truly terrifying this time. In my previous life, it took me a year and six months to reach what I have now in only six months."
"I must reach the Spirit Severing Realm quickly to unlock my human form and join a sect. To progress faster, I cannot remain in this spiritually depleted cave. A sect will provide a richer spiritual environment, spirit stones, and resources to explore this world."
Having resolved his next steps, he closed his eyes and resumed cultivation.