Lin Clan – Upper Realm, Sacred Flame Pavilion
A thick fog of incense wafted through the crystalline chamber as seven elders of the Lin Clan sat cross-legged around a floating mirror glowing with flickering runes. The ancient stone floor vibrated with faint pulses of celestial energy, remnants of a signal that had crossed planes.
"Another celestial pulse…" murmured Elder Lin Qingshan, his eyes narrowed, lips barely parting.
"It emerged from the Lower Realm. Its rhythm—familiar."
The matriarch, Lin Xuemei, adorned in
flame-embroidered robes, tightened her grip on her jade scepter. Her features remained elegant, but her brows were furrowed in troubled thought.
"It's faint, but unmistakable. The fluctuation bears resemblance to our ancient bloodline."
"The girl—Lin Yue," another elder added, "she severed all connections before departing. No scrolls, no tokens, no imprints. As if she vanished from the annals of our family."
Lin Xuemei's expression darkened. "Even if she vanished, her blood echoes across realms. That child… could very well carry the Saint King's line."
"Then we must ask the Immortal Ancestors to divine the truth," another elder spoke solemnly. "Only their gaze, from the Immortal Realm, can pierce through what we cannot see."
Lin Xuemei nodded. "Send offerings to the Celestial Incense Furnace. Summon the ancestral flames. We must know what fate hides in the Lower Realm."
The chamber dimmed as golden embers rose from the mirror, the mark of ancestral communion prepared. The path to truth would not be instant—but it had been set in motion.
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Dark Room – Frost Cloud Pavilion
A solitary candle flickered in the abyss of a sealed chamber deep within the Jade Soul Sect. Chu Yao stood in silence, her robes trailing behind her like an echo of her deadly presence.
Her cold, calculating gaze was fixed on two kneeling figures before her. Both wore cloaks of midnight shade, their faces hidden behind masks—each carved with a terrifying dichotomy: half demon, half god.
These two assassin were from largest Assassination Hall — The Shadow Piercing Sect. Their sect leader even has connection in upper realm. Some people still believes that their founding Ancestor was an immortal.
"Report," she said without turning.
One of the masked men bowed lower. "The celestial ripple has yet to be traced. But activity in Liang Village suggests a practitioner has awakened an unidentifiable bloodline."
During these few months they had already found and reported how Su Lingxue was able to protect herself."
Chu Yao's lips twitched. "Not good enough."
She stepped forward, her voice barely above a whisper but sharp enough to chill bone. "You two. A new task."
She handed over a scroll sealed with black wax.
"Your target… is Su Lingxue."
The masked men stirred in confusion but dared not question.
"She must not be allowed to awaken her full potential or bind herself further to Li Chen. Eliminate her—silently, completely."
The assassins nodded in unison and vanished into the shadows, like wraiths of a forgotten prophecy.
Chu Yao turned to face a weathered painting on the wall—an ancient depiction of a goddess split between light and shadow. "Before the prophecy unfolds… I must remove all obstacles."
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Liang Village – Li Chen's Courtyard, Several Months Later
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the freshly built residence in golden warmth. Birds chirped outside, flitting around plum blossoms in bloom.
Inside, Su Lingxue sat on a cushioned bench, her robes loosely draped over her shoulders. She gazed down at the child in her arms—a baby boy with jet-black hair and eyes that sparkled like twin stars.
"My little Xuan'er…" she whispered, brushing her lips against his soft cheeks. He giggled and grabbed her finger tightly.
She leaned down, drawing him closer, and began nursing him, her heart swelling with love. His tiny hands pressed gently against her skin as he looked up, cooing with affection. And started feeding milk from her delicate well rounded peaches.
Footsteps echoed softly.
After finishing some woodwork ,Li Chen entered in room, wiping sweat from his brow. He paused in the doorway, watching the mother and child scene with pride in his eyes.
"Oi, little brat," he teased, walking over and giving the baby's bottom a gentle slap. "Leave some for your father, will you?"
Lingxue snorted, rolling her eyes. "Husband… so shameless." She reached over and pinched his waist, making him grunt.
"You're always so impatient," she added with a chuckle. "With how powerful you're becoming, I may not be enough for you. You need to find someone else to help… endure your 'passion.'"
Li Chen laughed heartily and leaned in, kissing her forehead. "Then help me find someone who can keep up with you, Xue'er. If she exists."
Lingxue's smile faltered slightly. Her gaze dropped to the baby, then returned to Li Chen, serious.
"Let's put that aside for now," she said, shifting Xuan gently to rest in the cradle. "There's something important we must discuss."
Li Chen sat beside her, attentive.
"I've checked again and again," Lingxue began. "Our son… he's not ordinary. His blood is divine."
Li Chen blinked. "You're sure?" He knew from system and to awaken this bloodline requires a ritual.
"Yes. The pulse within him—it's dormant, but powerful. I felt it once before, in a ruin rumored to have housed Celestial Spirit Bloodline cultivators. Xuan has that same resonance."
Li Chen exhaled slowly. "Then we have to awaken it."
Lingxue nodded. "But it's not simple. There's a ritual. It requires rare herbs, purified spirit stones, beast cores, and one critical element—the Celestial Lotus Pool. We must perform the ritual under the full spirit moon. Otherwise, the bloodline may stay sealed… or worse, fade."
Li Chen stood, fire in his eyes. "Then I'll get everything. I'll bring down mountains if I must."
He knew how precious these herbs are from the very birth of their child. To avoid awkwardness after revealing these things, he never mentioned to her.
Lingxue looked at him with pride. "That's why I chose you… husband."
He took her hand, and together they looked at their son, whose tiny fingers twitched in his sleep.
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End of Chapter
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