The moment she saw the endless swarm of Monsters, she didn't hesitate. She chose to self-destruct. That overwhelming blast nearly swept through the entire Sky Rift, wiping out countless Monsters in its wake.
…
When her eyes opened again, Song Wanníng was drenched in sweat, her clothes soaked through. She stared blankly at the familiar reclining chair beneath her, then at the surroundings she knew so well. For a while, she couldn't react at all.
Two streams of memory collided and fused within her sea of consciousness. Only after a long time did she finally come back to herself. She… had just lived through the entire life of the Golden Dragon senior? In the blink of an eye, she felt as if she'd spent a hundred thousand years, so unreal that even now she couldn't shake the daze.
When she looked down, she realized the wetness on her clothes wasn't sweat, it was blood. Focusing inward, she found a single drop of blood resting quietly in her dantian. It wasn't absorbed into her internal world, instead it hovered there, aloof and serene. It was the Golden Dragon's final drop of heart's blood, left behind after that last desperate self-destruction. And now it was inside her body.
Song Wanníng couldn't believe it, but she could clearly feel the changes in her body. Even her aura had transformed. It was the bloodline's awakening. She had actually awakened the bloodline of the Golden Dragon clan!
Her emotions surged, her mind filled with the image of the Golden Dragon's final, resolute self-detonation. She'd seen it all with her own eyes.
Unlike the clash against the Demon God, the battle against those Monsters from beyond was long and torturous. Her kin fell one after another, her comrades perished in turn. Each loss stabbed into her heart like a blade, every cut more painful than the last.
It wasn't just physical torment, it was spiritual too. There wasn't even the satisfaction of a straightforward battle, only endless waves of Monsters that ground down the will bit by bit.
Yet the Golden Dragon senior endured it all, even sacrificing his own life for the sake of peace.
That kind of selfless devotion shook Song Wanníng to the core. Because she knew she was selfish. But she thought, if behind her stood her parents, her Master and Martial Uncles, her friends, the younger generation of the Song family…
Maybe she'd make the same choice too.
She lowered her gaze, regret and sorrow filling her eyes. But what happened after the Golden Dragon's death? Did the surviving comrades manage to wipe out those Monsters completely?
So many questions lingered in her heart.
Still, right now she had more pressing matters. Song Wanníng stood and walked toward the towering stone pillars. The patterns that had once baffled her were suddenly clear. She sat cross-legged before them, extending her Primordial Soul to explore the runes carved into the pillars.
At the same time, her blood burned hotter and hotter, as if it was scalding her from within. As her consciousness brushed over the runes, countless strange yet familiar insights poured into her mind.
…
In the Immortal Realm, Mo Yang Xiānzūn sat beneath a tree, still carrying wounds from his recent trip to the Sky Rift.
He stared at the great tree before him, but his mind kept drifting back to the Monsters lurking there. They were suppressed again for now, but as long as they weren't eradicated, they remained a threat. As he pondered, a bell suddenly rang out from within the sect.
Mo Yang Xiānzūn thought for a moment, then flashed toward the sect master's hall.
At the same time, other mighty cultivators of the Wuji Sect also rushed over, all eager to learn what had happened. By the time they arrived, the sect master was pacing back and forth with an excited expression.
"What's going on?"
Mu Zixu strode forward, curiosity written all over his face. The others who gathered wore the same doubtful looks. After all, the sect bell never rang without reason.
"It's the Golden Dragon bloodline! The Golden Dragon bloodline has responded!!"
The sect master spoke with trembling excitement, then produced a jade slip he'd received. In the Heroes' Mound lay the resting places of the seniors who once fought to annihilate the Monsters from beyond.
The Golden Dragon clan, the Phoenix clan, the Vermilion Bird clan…
To shield the world from destruction, they'd all been driven to extinction. Even the Phoenix clan, known for rebirth, couldn't escape that fate.
Yet shockingly, the Golden Dragon bloodline had stirred. The gravekeepers sensed it and immediately reported the news. Now every major sect knew the Golden Dragon bloodline had awakened, though no one knew who had awakened it or where they were.
"We must find the Golden Dragon bloodline first and bring them into the Wuji Sect!"
The sect master calmed himself, his voice firm. "Perhaps only their return can truly wipe out the Monsters once and for all."
"And if the Golden Dragon clan awakens, maybe the Phoenix and Vermilion Bird clans will too…"
"The Golden Dragon clan…"
Mu Zixu muttered in shock, his eyes wide.
The Golden Dragon clan had been annihilated tens of thousands of years ago, never to reappear. And now, someone had actually awakened that bloodline. Of course the entire Immortal Realm would be shaken.
"Then our Wuji Sect mustn't fall behind. We need to find this person as soon as possible."
Ambition lit Mu Zixu's eyes. If he could be the one to recruit this bloodline, his standing in the sect would surpass Dao Qing's disciples for sure. Then he'd see how Dao Qing dared act arrogant.
"Yes, that's why I gathered you all here," the sect master nodded with a faint smile. After giving a few more instructions, the group finally dispersed.
Dao Qing followed behind Mo Yang Xiānzūn. After some hesitation, he stepped forward.
"Xiānzūn, you've only just returned from the Sky Rift, your energy's depleted. This is a high-grade pill I refined. Please accept it."
Though Dao Qing was older, his cultivation was far beneath Mo Yang Xiānzūn's. He could only address him respectfully. But he admired Mo Yang deeply, so he'd specially prepared a high-tier elixir, hoping it would help him recover.
"Thanks."
Mo Yang Xiānzūn didn't refuse. He accepted the pill with polite gratitude before striding off.
Now that the Golden Dragon bloodline had awakened, he too wanted to find them quickly. Maybe there really was hope of ending the Monster threat once and for all.
This exchange didn't escape Mu Zixu's eyes.
He strode up with a sneer. "What, still trying to curry favor with Mo Yang Xiānzūn? Hate to break it to you, but he's not the type to play along."
Mo Yang Xiānzūn treated everyone with the same indifference. No matter what Dao Qing did, it wouldn't win him any special regard.
Dao Qing shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled. "In your eyes, everyone's just a tool for profit, huh?"
Did he really think everyone was as shallow as him?
"I'd suggest you spend more time on alchemy instead of running your mouth. Otherwise, you'll just lose to me again in the next competition."
Dao Qing laughed, ignoring Mu Zixu's dark expression, then walked away without looking back.