The moonlit sky above Cang Yue City remained frozen in silence.
Moments earlier, dozens of Immortal Seed experts had surrounded a single Meridian Tracer youth.
Moments earlier, greed had nearly turned the city into a battlefield.
Yet now—
nobody dared move.
Han Qing Li stood beneath the moonlight.
Silver-white robes fluttered softly in the cold wind.
Her icy aura covered the heavens like an endless ocean.
Behind her stood one young Immortal Seed after another.
Every one of them possessed astonishing talent.
Every one of them was powerful enough to dominate their generation.
And yet—
they had all chosen to stand beside Lin Shuan.
Far away, Lin Mo silently observed everything.
The old sword cultivator's heart was far from calm.
His eyes swept across Han Qing Li.
Then Lei Yun Hua.
Then Yan Feng Luo.
Then Han Xue Long.
Then Tai Gu Chen.
The more he looked—
the more shocked he became.
Immortal Seeds.
All of them.
Young Immortal Seeds.
Any one of these youths would be considered a genius within the Da Cang Empire.
Yet all of them had gathered around a single person.
Lin Shuan.
Or rather—
Shuan Hao.
A complicated smile appeared on Lin Mo's face.
"So Young Master truly has walked farther than I imagined..."
"Even without the Lin Clan..."
"He has gathered people willing to stand beside him."
For the first time since seeing Lin Shuan again—
genuine pride appeared within his heart.
Meanwhile—
Mo Canghai's expression had become unusually solemn.
His gaze remained fixed upon Han Qing Li.
The more he observed—
the heavier his heart became.
A Seven-Star Immortal Seed.
Fourth Stage Consciousness Realm.
Such cultivation...
Such spiritual power...
And most importantly—
such age.
His instincts screamed danger.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't something a wandering cultivator could achieve.
Nor something a small sect could nurture.
"No..."
Mo Canghai thought.
"There must be a terrifying force behind her."
"A hidden empire."
"An ancient clan."
"Perhaps even something beyond the Da Cang Empire."
His eyes narrowed.
If he continued pushing forward—
victory was uncertain.
Defeat was possible.
Death...
was also possible.
Slowly—
he sighed.
Then he looked toward Han Qing Li.
"I believe..."
"I misunderstood this situation."
His calm voice spread throughout the sky.
The crowd became stunned.
Even the surrounding Immortal Seeds stared at him.
The notorious Mo Canghai—
retreating?
But Yan Feng Luo's face became sad again —
-"Hey..., will I ever get a chance to fight or not...?"
The old monster continued calmly.
"This old man has no intention of becoming your enemy."
"Perhaps..."
"We shall meet again."
The moment his words fell—
his figure turned into a streak of light.
Then vanished.
Gone.
The crowd exploded into disbelief.
"He retreated?!"
"Mo Canghai retreated?"
"Impossible!"
Many cultivators rubbed their eyes.
They had expected a battle.
A clash between monsters.
Instead—
one of the strongest independent Immortal Seeds within the empire had chosen to leave.
Fear slowly spread through the crowd.
Just how terrifying was Han Qing Li?
The answer frightened everyone.
Nearby—
the two Six-Star Immortal Seeds exchanged glances.
Both saw hesitation within each other's eyes.
If even Mo Canghai had withdrawn—
what reason did they have to continue?
One of them cupped his fists.
"Young Lady."
"We have no intention of becoming enemies."
The other nodded.
"Hopefully..."
"We meet again under better circumstances."
Soon—
both figures disappeared.
One after another—
the surrounding experts began leaving.
Nobody was foolish.
Nobody wished to gamble their lives.
When so many Immortal Seeds could suddenly appear to support Lin Shuan—
nobody knew what kind of terrifying force stood behind him.
Within moments—
the oppressive atmosphere vanished.
The battle never came.
The storm dispersed.
Yet before anyone could relax—
Han Qing Li's eyes suddenly narrowed.
Far away.
Inside a small shop.
A hidden figure smiled faintly.
Then disappeared.
The movement was nearly impossible to detect.
Almost nobody noticed.
But Han Qing Li did.
Her consciousness had already reached terrifying heights.
A cold light flashed across her eyes.
"Yue Sha Empire..."
She softly murmured.
The figure's aura had vanished instantly.
Yet she remembered it.
Very clearly.
Far away—
inside the Merchant Organization headquarters—
Yun Ruoxi stood beside a large crystal window.
Her beautiful eyes reflected the distant scene.
Everything she had witnessed today exceeded her expectations.
A mysterious youth.
Ancient treasures.
Young Immortal Seeds.
And Han Qing Li.
After several moments—
she spoke quietly.
"Elder Wu."
The old man behind her bowed respectfully.
"Miss."
Yun Ruoxi smiled slightly.
"I don't think Shuan Hao should be allowed to leave so easily."
Elder Wu looked surprised.
"Oh?"
Yun Ruoxi's eyes shone brightly.
"A person capable of gathering such people around him..."
"A person capable of obtaining such treasures..."
"If he stands with the Merchant Organization..."
"It would be beneficial for everyone."
Elder Wu nodded slowly.
Though the Merchant Organization stood outside imperial authority—
they still existed within the empire.
Power was always necessary.
Connections were always valuable.
And Shuan Hao—
was undoubtedly valuable.
Very valuable.
Soon—
the city gradually returned to normal.
One expert after another departed.
The crowd dispersed.
The excitement slowly faded.
Then—
an entirely different pressure descended.
BOOOOOM!
The heavens trembled.
A crimson authority swept across Cang Yue City.
It wasn't merely spiritual pressure.
It was authority.
A pressure that seemed born to rule.
A pressure that seemed above all living beings.
The crowd instinctively lowered their heads.
Then—
a beautiful woman descended from the sky.
Red robes.
Crimson eyes.
Elegant beyond description.
The moment she appeared—
every expert bowed.
"Greetings, Empire Protector!"
"Greetings, Empire Protector!"
"Greetings, Empire Protector!"
Protector Yi had arrived.
At that exact moment—
Lin Shuan's body suddenly shook violently.
Pain.
An unimaginable pain.
It erupted from deep within his blood.
Within the deepest parts of his veins—
a crimson-golden bloodline suddenly awakened.
BOOOOOOM!
A divine cry exploded across heaven and earth.
A majestic bird call.
Ancient.
Noble.
Terrifying.
Countless cultivators instantly turned pale.
Some weaker experts collapsed directly.
Others vomited blood.
The mere sound alone nearly shattered their souls.
Then—
a second roar erupted.
ROOOOOOAR!
A golden dragon's roar echoed throughout the city.
Dominating.
Imperial.
Supreme.
Lin Shuan's entire body trembled.
Blood burst from his mouth.
Inside him—
his Frost Bloodline awakened.
The Golden Dragon Bloodline awakened.
Both immediately began resisting the newly awakened crimson-golden bloodline.
Yet—
they were losing.
Badly.
It was like two children attempting to challenge a king.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
His mask shattered.
Fragments scattered through the air.
For the first time—
his true face became visible.
Yet nobody cared.
Because everyone could see his condition worsening.
His face became pale.
Blood continuously flowed from his lips.
Han Qing Li immediately rushed forward.
Fear appeared within her usually calm eyes.
"Lin Shuan!"
"Are you alright?!"
Protector Yi silently observed him.
Then sighed softly.
"He needs isolation."
"He must stabilize his bloodline."
Though nobody knew—
she understood exactly what had happened.
Part of her bloodline had merged into him.
And now—
the reaction had begun.
Without hesitation—
Han Qing Li supported Lin Shuan.
Together with Yan Feng Luo and the others—
they immediately left Cang Yue City.
Soon—
they arrived within a nearby forest.
A quiet place.
Far from outsiders.
Lin Shuan sat cross-legged upon the ground.
His breathing became increasingly unstable.
Heat surged through every vein.
His body felt as if it were burning alive.
Around him—
Han Qing Li.
Yan Feng Luo.
Lei Yun Hua.
Han Xue Long.
And the others spread their consciousness throughout the forest.
No beast.
No cultivator.
No disturbance would be allowed near him.
Inside the pendant—
Tian Wuchen's expression had become serious.
Very serious.
"What bloodline is this...?"
Even he couldn't immediately identify it.
It resembled ancient divine beast bloodlines.
Yet it was different.
Completely different.
And far stronger than expected.
"There shouldn't be such a bloodline within Wan Xing Shen Universe..."
The ancient dragon muttered.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan's body continued changing.
His skin cracked.
His robes burned into ashes.
Fire covered his body.
His white eyes gradually became crimson.
Like burning flames.
His veins bulged violently.
Every second felt like torture.
Then—
Tian Wuchen suddenly remembered something.
"Lin Shuan!"
"The Azure Dragon Blood!"
"Use it!"
"The combined power of my bloodline and the Azure Dragon may suppress it!"
Without hesitation—
Lin Shuan grabbed the blood essence obtained from the auction.
Then swallowed it.
BOOM!
The result was immediate.
And completely unexpected.
The Azure Dragon Bloodline awakened.
But instead of helping—
it joined the Crimson Golden Bird's
Bloodline.
Together—
they suppressed both Lin Shuan's Frost Bloodline and the Golden Dragon Bloodline.
Tian Wuchen nearly cursed aloud.
"What?!"
Lin Shuan groaned in agony.
The pain multiplied.
His body seemed ready to explode.
Outside—
Han Qing Li heard his painful voice.
Her hands unconsciously clenched.
Yan Feng Luo paced anxiously.
Everyone could feel it.
Lin Shuan's condition was worsening.
Then—
something changed.
His right eye suddenly transformed.
The crimson color disappeared.
Replaced by brilliant gold.
A terrifying imperial aura erupted.
An aura older than mountains.
Older than history.
Inside his body—
the battlefield changed.
The Azure Dragon and Crimson Golden Bird stood together.
Opposing them—
the Golden Dragon.
Lin Shuan's Frost Bloodline.
And a mysterious ancient imperial will.
The Golden Dragon roared.
The heavens trembled.
Though Azure Dragon possessed unmatched physical strength—
the Golden Dragon was ruler of all dragonkind.
Its authority was absolute.
Its roar shook existence itself.
Slowly—
the Azure Dragon began lowering its head.
The moment the opportunity appeared—
Lin Shuan moved.
His consciousness wrapped around the Azure Dragon Bloodline.
Suppressing it.
Refining it.
Integrating it.
The Azure Dragon resisted violently.
Again and again.
Yet eventually—
it surrendered.
A brilliant azure light erupted throughout Lin Shuan's body.
His broken flesh began stabilizing.
The cracks stopped spreading.
His body slowly recovered.
But the battle wasn't over.
The Crimson Golden Bird's Bloodline still fought the ancient imperial will.
The conflict continued endlessly.
Then—
suddenly—
everything became silent.
Absolute silence.
Lin Shuan felt his consciousness fading.
The world darkened.
Before losing consciousness—
he heard a voice.
Ancient.
Majestic.
Filled with endless authority.
"Golden Dragon..."
"Come with me..."
Then—
darkness.
Complete darkness.
Outside.
Yan Feng Luo suddenly became alarmed.
"Brother Lin's consciousness is weakening!"
Han Qing Li's face turned pale.
For perhaps the first time in many years—
fear appeared in her heart.
"Lin Shuan..."
"You must endure..."
"Your people are waiting for you..."
At that moment—
within the darkness—
a blurry memory appeared.
A small child.
A familiar courtyard.
A warm smile.
"Mother!"
"When I become powerful..."
"I'll make our clan even stronger!"
A gentle laugh followed.
"My child..."
"You're already amazing enough to make your mother proud."
The little boy scratched his head.
"Everyone asks why I improve so quickly..."
"I never know how to answer."
His mother smiled softly.
"Because your ancestors bless you."
"One day..."
"You'll inherit everything."
The child barely listened.
Instead—
he pointed toward the sky.
"Mother!"
"Look!"
"So many birds!"
The beautiful woman followed his gaze.
Then smiled warmly.
"Shuan'er..."
"One day..."
"You'll fly alongside them."
The memory slowly faded.
Leaving only warmth behind.
Just then, Elder Lin Mo arrives.
"How is young master now...?"
Yan Feng Luo.
"He's doing well... He'll succeed in a while..."
On the other hand, in a dark room in Black Swamp City.
A mysterious man dressed in black appears and slowly removes his mask.
The hidden commander of the Yue Sha empire was Mo Chen.
Mo Chen greets Yu Long Wei and Hei Wu.
And recounts the events that happened in Cang Yue City.
Ten days passed.
Like the blink of an eye.
Deep inside the forest—
Lin Shuan finally opened his eyes.
The burning pain was gone.
The destructive fire had disappeared.
For the first time in days—
he felt peace.
Then—
Luo Essence began gathering.
From every direction.
The surrounding energy rushed toward him like a tidal wave.
Han Qing Li immediately sensed it.
Her eyes brightened.
"He's breaking through."
Everyone became excited.
The storm intensified.
More Luo Essence gathered.
More.
More.
More.
BOOOOOOM!
A powerful explosion shook the forest.
Three-Star Meridian Tracer.
Four-Star Meridian Tracer.
Five-Star Meridian Tracer.
Peak Five-Star Meridian Tracer.
The breakthrough completed.
The entire forest trembled.
Birds scattered into the sky.
Trees swayed violently.
And ancient marks began to appear within his bones—
Crimson, Gold, and Azure.
These marks were etched into the bones of his body.
Now his physical strength was no less than that of a Soul Spark-ranked warrior.
A single punch from him was enough to injure a Soul Spark.
Moments later—
Lin Shuan slowly walked out.
Sunlight shone through the forest canopy.
The birds sang happily.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Everyone immediately turned toward him.
Then froze.
"Five-Star Meridian Tracer?!"
"What?!"
Han Xue Long stared blankly.
Yan Feng Luo nearly jumped.
"Brother!"
"You advanced two stars at once?!"
Nobody knew what to say.
Advancing multiple stars in a single breakthrough was nearly unheard of.
Yet Lin Shuan had done it again.
Only Tian Wuchen's mouth twitched inside the pendant.
The old monster sighed.
"...This little monster."
At this point—
even he had begun getting used to it.
Yet one thing remained certain.
The storm surrounding Lin Shuan had not ended.
In truth—
it had only just begun.