I Have Seven Dragon Souls In a cultivation world

With all these facts put together, Dante started to guess what type of place this was.

This was not just any set of stairs, it was instead a trial, a trial to test the qualification of Body refining but Dante wanted to take such a test without even the slightest hint of body refining training!

If Dante wanted to he could back down, and practice a gold-tier body refining technique before coming back here but he didn't want to, not only was that a waste of time but Dante's father had once told him something before he left.

Be careful when switching Body Refining techniques.'

Body refining techniques change your body on a fundamental level

It's because of this fact that each time you changed your body refining technique it would result in the subsequent body refining technique being considerably weaker. This effect could be reduced if you switched to a similar body refining technique but if you changed to one too drastically different too hastily  you could even end up making yourself weaker.

That's why Dante wanted to reduce the amount of body refining techniques he ended up using.

At the very least he would start with the absolute best body refining technique even if it meant he had to pass the ridiculous trial  without any help from a body refining technique.

Taking a step forward Dante grit his teeth as he continued ascending the stairs.

But Dante only walked a few more moments before the pressure became too much.

Dante's body bent over, nearly collapsing onto the floor but in between this, Danteanaged to mutter out one word

"Dragonification."

As soon as the word left his lips Dante could feel the skin on his back begin to wriggle as a pair of flaming crimson wings shot out his back. Dante's hands became clawed as scales began to crop up on his body and a pair of devilish red horns grew out his head.

"Roar!"

Feeling the strength surge through his body, Dante couldn't help but let out an empowered roar as he adjusted to his new strength.

With his newfound strength, Dante didn't just climb up the stairs he practically shot past them ascending several stairs at a time.

But Dante's  ridiculous pace could not last forever, gradually he began to slow down and by the time he had ascended roughly 2/3rds of the stairs he knew that his current body had reached its limits.

But Dante didn't fret and just murmured a familiar word

"Dragonification."

As soon as he said the words Dante felt a familiar sense of empowerment as the muscles in his back began to wriggle, it's just that ,unlike last time, the wings that shot out weren't wrapped in flames but instead a set of dazzling silver wings, wrapped in holy silver glow.

In addition to this a beautiful pair of Crystal horns alerted next to his nearly demonic red horns creating a strange contrast between the devilish and divine.

But Dante didn't care about his appearance, the only thing on his mind was the strength he had gained.

Flapping his wings, Dante's body shot forward climbing the stairs at a gradual speed.

Finally just as Dante was approaching the last 10 steps, he felt his bones creek.

'What..what is this?!' Thought Dante in alarm

The pressure of the last 10 steps had drastically increased to the point it was completely unrecognisable!

And since Dante was rushing he wasn't even prepared and just received the pressure completely unguarded!

In an instant, Dante felt his vision go black as his consciousness blurred.

'What the hell?' Thought Dante

'Am I really going  to fail here so pathetically? Just because of my arrogance and pride?'

As Dante felt his consciousness slipping away even further out his grasp something deep within in his subconscious seemed to stir.

Even without a solid consciousness, even without reason, there was something that would never give up, something that would never submit even if it meant he had to die.

It was his pride! His Dragon's pride! The same pride that beloved them to be greatest species in the multiverse wouldn't allow them to fail a mere trial.

"ROAR!"

Deep within Dante's subconscious a symphony of three Draconic roars seemed to ring out.

The desperate roars seemed to shake Dante's consciousness enough to wake for a brief second, but just that brief second was enough.

Gritting his teeth Dante muttered a word he was all to familiar with,

"Dragonification!"

Suddenly the ground began to shake as thick wave of miasma erupted around Dante and set of bone Spurs shot out of his back.

Unlike the gradual transformation before, this bloody and brutal transformation occurred within an instant as a eerie green netheric fire wrapped around the bone spurs until they started forming into something that resembled a pair of wings.

Now empowered with the 3 dragonifications, Dante grit his teeth as he ascended the last steps

Each step he took was under immense pressure as bones creaked and blood leaked out of his mouth

1 step… 2 steps… 3 steps... 4 steps..

By the foot step Dante couldn't even remain standing under the imssens pressure and was slammed into the ground.

He was at his limit.

There were no more dragonifications he could pull to save himself, no more abilities he could call on, but even despite knowing that, Dante refused to give in his dragon pride simply wouldn't allow it.

His eyes quickly turned bloodshot as Dante crawled on the ground, but even with that Dante took the next step.

6th step..

7th step..

With the 8th step Dante's creaking bones finally began to crack under the pressure with the wings on his back  becoming  crushed and twisted until they were nothing more than a deformed pile of flesh and bone.

The pain of his breaking wings sent pain searing across Dante's mind but whilst the pain was tremendous, it wasnt without purpose. The excruciating pain prevented Dante from losing his consciousness and in doing so only furthered his mad desperation to finish climbing the stairs