Sacred Origin Inheritance

The patterns on the bronze door fit perfectly with the Dragon Soul Jade. The moment Ning Xiaochuan touched the door's surface, the ancient mechanism, silent for a thousand years, let out a dull roar. The heavy door slowly opened, and a gust of air carrying ancient dust rushed out.

"Be careful," Su Linger grabbed Ning Xiaochuan's arm, staring vigilantly into the darkness beyond the door. "There might be traps."

The little dragon's Source Soul emerged from Ning Xiaochuan's collar and let out an excited "gurgle," spitting out a puff of milky mist. The mist drifted into the door and was drawn forward by some force, outlining a glowing path in the darkness.

"It seems to be welcoming us," Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath and stepped inside.

As the two moved forward, the surroundings suddenly lit up with a soft glow. Ancient crystals on the walls awakened one by one, illuminating the entire space. When their eyes fully adjusted, the sight before them made them both hold their breath.

It was a massive underground hall with a ceiling that seemed to reach the heavens. The west wall was carved with countless lifelike dragon reliefs. The floor was paved with a translucent jade-like stone, beneath which flowed a milky white energy. In the center of the hall stood a circular altar, surrounded by twelve stone pillars. Atop each pillar floated a crystal emitting light of a different color.

"This... is the sacred land of the Sacred Origin Tribe?" Ning Xiaochuan's voice lowered involuntarily, as if afraid of disturbing the slumbering ancient power.

Su Linger nodded gently, her eyes filled with reverence. "It's even more magnificent than the oldest records in the Tianyuan Sect."

The two followed the glowing path towards the central altar. As they approached, the Dragon Soul Jade on Ning Xiaochuan's chest grew hotter, its dragon patterns almost leaping off the surface. The little dragon's Source Soul also became unusually active, constantly circling Ning Xiaochuan, its scales shimmering with ice-blue patterns.

The moment they stepped onto the altar's stairs, something extraordinary happened!

The twelve stone pillars lit up simultaneously. Beams of light shot from the crystals atop them, weaving into a three-dimensional projection above the altar. Within the projection, a woman in white slowly turned around – it was Ning Xiaochuan's mother, Bai Li, but more vivid and alive than in any portrait.

"Xiao Chuan..." The projected Bai Li smiled faintly, her eyes full of maternal love. "When you see this message, it means you have grown into an adult and found the Land of Origin."

Ning Xiaochuan trembled, taking an involuntary step forward. "Mother..."

"This is the message I left before I departed," the image of Bai Li continued. "Time is limited, and I must tell you the truth about the Sacred Origin Tribe and the mission you bear."

The image shifted, displaying an ancient map of the Open Source Continent. "The Sacred Origin Tribe are descendants of the Primal Dragon's bloodline, guarding the balance of Source Energy on the Open Source Continent for generations. Our people possess a special physique that resonates with Source Energy, allowing us to regulate the flow of celestial energy."

The screen turned dark, and a blurry figure appeared. "A thousand years ago, a peerless genius emerged from the Sacred Origin Tribe. He discovered a method to devour Source Energy and gain eternal life, but at the cost of shattering the continent's balance. When his kin tried to stop him, he had already fallen and founded the Dark Source Soul Hall."

The image changed again, showing Ning Xiaochuan as an infant. "Twenty years ago, he returned and nearly annihilated the entire Sacred Origin Tribe. I fled with you, barely born, entrusting you to Ning Zhantian to raise, because only an environment of ordinary people could conceal your bloodline's aura."

Ning Xiaochuan clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deeply into his palms. So, his father Ning Zhantian wasn't his biological father, but his adoptive father. Yet, he felt no sense of betrayal, only deeper gratitude – Ning Zhantian had treated him as his own, despite knowing he wasn't his biological son.

"Now, the Dark Hall Master is about to complete his final preparations," Bai Li's image became serious. "He plans to use the power of the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon during the Twin Moons in the Sky to forcibly open the Primal Gate and devour the life force of the entire Open Source Continent to achieve eternal life."

The image froze on Bai Li's sorrowful face. "You are the last of the Sacred Source Bloodline, Xiao Chuan. Only you can stop him. The inheritance ritual on the altar will awaken the Sacred Source power within you, but the process will be extremely painful... Are you willing to accept it?"

Ning Xiaochuan did not hesitate. "I am willing."

As if responding to his resolve, the twelve stone pillars hummed in unison, and a crystal pedestal slowly rose from the center of the altar. Hovering above the pedestal was a drop of golden liquid, radiating terrifying energy even from several meters away.

"Primal Blood..." Su Linger gasped, "The essence blood left by the Primal Dragon of legend!"

Bai Li's image showed a gratified smile. "My child has grown. Remember, no matter how painful the ritual becomes, you must remain conscious. If you faint, all will be in vain. After the ritual is complete, return to the Tianyuan Sect immediately and stop the sacrifice before the Twin Moons in the Sky!"

The image began to flicker, its energy seemingly depleted. "I am proud of you, Xiao Chuan. No matter the outcome... Mother will always love you."

After her final words, the image dissolved into specks of starlight. Ning Xiaochuan stood in place, his eyes stinging. This was the first time he had "seen" his mother in twenty years, only to bid farewell in such a manner.

"Ning Xiaochuan..." Su Linger softly called his name, unsure of what words of comfort to offer.

Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath, wiping the moisture from the corners of his eyes. "I'm fine. Now, it's time to fulfill my mission."

He walked towards the crystal pedestal. With each step closer, the Source Energy within him became more agitated. Standing before the pedestal, his blood felt as though it were boiling, and patterns similar to those on the Dragon Soul Jade appeared on his skin.

"What do I do?" Ning Xiaochuan turned to ask Su Linger.

Su Linger examined the ancient inscriptions around the pedestal. "According to the inscriptions, you need to place the Dragon Soul Jade in the slot on the pedestal, and then drink that drop of Primal Blood."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded, took the Dragon Soul Jade from his chest, and carefully placed it into the slot on the pedestal. It fit perfectly.

Instantly, the entire altar vibrated violently! The crystals on the twelve stone pillars shot out colored beams, weaving into a cocoon of light that enveloped Ning Xiaochuan. The drop of golden liquid automatically flew up, hovering before him.

"Remember, stay conscious no matter how much it hurts!" Su Linger shouted from outside the light cocoon.

Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath and swallowed the Primal Blood.

At first, it was warmth, like a cup of hot tea on a winter day, sliding down his throat into his stomach, then spreading to his limbs. But this warmth quickly turned into a burning heat, as if molten lava had been poured into his veins!

"Ah--!" Ning Xiaochuan fell to his knees, his muscles spasming. He could clearly feel the golden liquid transforming his body – bones being crushed and reformed, meridians being torn and reconnected, his blood almost evaporating!

Outside the light cocoon, Su Linger paced anxiously. She could see Ning Xiaochuan struggling in agony but was powerless to help. The little dragon's Source Soul was also blocked outside, anxiously bumping against the light cocoon, emitting desperate "gurgles."

The pain lasted for an unknown duration, and Ning Xiaochuan's consciousness began to blur. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, his mother's voice suddenly echoed in his ears: "Hold on, Xiao Chuan! Think of the people you love, think of the people you need to protect!"

Su Linger's face flashed in his mind, then his father Ning Zhantian, Lei Lie, Mu Qing... even the ordinary members of the Ning family in Qingyun City. He couldn't fall, or all these people would become sacrifices on the Dark Hall Master's path to eternal life!

"I... won't... give up!" Ning Xiaochuan bit his tongue, using the pain to force himself to stay awake.

At that moment, the light cocoon suddenly shattered! The crystals on the twelve stone pillars dimmed simultaneously, and the light enveloping Ning Xiaochuan surged into his body like a tide. In the final moment, the little dragon's Source Soul finally broke through the barrier and flew into the cocoon to reunite with its master.

An astonishing transformation occurred – upon contact with the transformed Ning Xiaochuan, the little dragon's Source Soul instantly grew to over two meters long! Its originally round and cute appearance became majestic and imposing, the ice-blue patterns on its scales expanded into ornate designs, and a pair of crystal-clear ice-crystal dragon wings sprouted from its back!

"Did... did it succeed?" Ning Xiaochuan weakly raised his head, his voice hoarse.

Su Linger rushed onto the altar and supported him as he swayed. "You did it!"

Ning Xiaochuan looked down at his hands. Faint golden patterns flowed across his skin before disappearing into his body. He could feel that the Source Energy within him was more than ten times what it had been before. His meridians were as wide as rivers, and the vortex of Source Energy in his dantian had condensed into liquid – the mark of a Source Master!

"I broke through..." he said in disbelief, "Skipping directly from Source Warrior to Source Master!"

Su Linger examined his condition and was shocked to find that not only had his realm improved, but Ning Xiaochuan's entire demeanor had subtly changed. A golden light flickered in the depths of his eyes, and his breathing carried an ancient rhythm, as if he had formed a deeper connection with the celestial Source Energy.

"This is the state of a fully awakened Sacred Source Bloodline," she whispered.

The little dragon's Source Soul – it should be called a Sacred Spirit Dragon now – affectionately nuzzled Ning Xiaochuan's cheek. Despite its increased size, its affection for its master remained undiminished.

Ning Xiaochuan stroked its scales, suddenly noticing the altar floor vibrating slightly. "What's going on?"

"The sacred land is closing!" Su Linger looked around, the crystals on the stone pillars extinguishing one by one. "The inheritance is complete, and the protective mechanism is activating. We have to leave immediately!"

The two of them rushed down the altar, the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon following closely behind. Just as they were about to rush out of the bronze gate, a dark shadow suddenly fell from above, blocking their path!

"I've been waiting for you for a long time." A familiar voice rang out. Han Li held a pitch-black longsword, a sinister smile on his gloomy face. "The Grand Elder guessed correctly, you would come to the Land of Origin."

Ning Xiaochuan shielded Su Linger behind him. "Han Li! So you've joined the Grand Elder!"

"A wise man knows when to submit to circumstances." Han Li sneered. "The Dark Hall Master is about to rule the world. I'm just choosing the winning side early." He pointed his sword at Ning Xiaochuan. "Hand over the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon, and I'll spare your corpses!"

"Dream on!" Su Linger drew her sword and stepped forward. "Ice Phoenix Sword Art!"

As her sword tip pointed, cold air condensed into dozens of ice cones that shot towards Han Li. The latter sneered, casually waving his black sword, and a dark sword energy swallowed all the ice cones!

"Source Sect realm?!" Su Linger's face changed drastically. The last time they fought, Han Li was only at the peak of Source Warrior. In just a few days, he had broken through a major realm!

Han Li proudly flicked his sword. "The power granted by the Hall Master is far beyond your imagination." He suddenly attacked, his black sword stabbing towards Ning Xiaochuan like a venomous snake. "Die!"

Ning Xiaochuan hastily circulated the power he had just gained, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Ice Crystal Dragon Armor!"

A layer of crystal-clear ice instantly covered his entire body, with milky white patterns flowing within the ice crystals. Han Li's black sword struck the armor, but only left a white dot!

"What?" Han Li retreated in shock. "You can block my attack just after entering the Source Warrior realm?"

Ning Xiaochuan was also surprised by the defensive power, but he quickly realized that maintaining the Dragon Armor consumed a lot of energy. With his current Source Qi reserves, he could only maintain it for at most ten breaths.

"Su Linger, let's work together!" he said in a low voice.

The two nodded in tacit understanding. Su Linger's sword tip turned, and her Mysterious Ice Phoenix Source Soul spread its wings and cried out; Ning Xiaochuan guided the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon to breathe out dragon's breath. The energies of the Ice Phoenix and the White Dragon intertwined in the air, forming a blue and white torrent of energy that charged straight at Han Li!

"Shadow Barrier!" Han Li defended hastily, but he was still blasted back several yards, crashing heavily against the bronze gate.

He spat out a mouthful of black blood, his face contorted. "You have some skill. But you forgot where we are!"

He suddenly took out a black talisman and crushed it. The entire underground space began to shake violently, and the ceiling started to collapse!

"This is bad! He's going to destroy this place!" Su Linger exclaimed.

Han Li retreated with a sinister laugh. "Let's die together!" With that, he turned and rushed out of the bronze gate.

Giant rocks rained down. Ning Xiaochuan grabbed Su Linger. "Let's go!"

The three of them and the dragon sprinted towards the exit. Just as they were about to reach the bronze gate, a giant rock fell from the top, hitting Su Linger directly on the head!

"Watch out!" Ning Xiaochuan tried to push her away, but saw Su Linger slap him away with her backhand, sending him out of the danger zone, while she herself was grazed on the back by the giant rock, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Su Linger!" Ning Xiaochuan's eyes widened in fury. The Sacred Spirit Young Dragon immediately flew over and used its body to block the subsequent falling rocks. He rushed back and picked up Su Linger, finding that she had fallen unconscious, her breath faint.

"Hold on..." Ning Xiaochuan's voice trembled as he held her and rushed towards the exit. The Sacred Spirit Young Dragon used its massive body to clear a path for them until they safely passed through the bronze gate.

Behind them came the earth-shattering sound of collapse, and the entire Land of Origin was completely buried. Han Li had long since disappeared, clearly convinced that they had perished within.

Ning Xiaochuan ignored the pursuit and immediately checked Su Linger's injuries. She had a large bruise on her back, and her spine might be injured. Worse, a trace of black energy was circulating around the wound—Han Li's sword was poisoned!

"Hold on..." Ning Xiaochuan fumbled, trying various methods, but ordinary Source Qi had no effect on the black energy.

In desperation, he remembered the healing effect of the Dragon Soul Jade and immediately took out the jade pendant, pressing it onto Su Linger's wound. But this time, the Dragon Soul Jade only glowed faintly, its effect far less than before.

"How can this be..." Cold sweat beaded on Ning Xiaochuan's forehead.

The Sacred Spirit Young Dragon nudged closer, nudging his hand with its nose, then pointed to its own forehead. Ning Xiaochuan then noticed that at the base of the newly grown dragon horn on the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon's forehead, there was a circle of golden patterns, exactly the same color as the Primal Blood.

"You mean... my blood?" he guessed.

The Sacred Spirit Young Dragon nodded. Ning Xiaochuan bit his finger without hesitation, dripping a drop of golden blood onto the Dragon Soul Jade. The jade pendant immediately shone brightly, emitting a warm white light that enveloped Su Linger.

The black energy dissolved rapidly like snow meeting a scorching sun. Su Linger's breathing gradually stabilized, but she still did not wake up.

"She needs time to recover..." Ning Xiaochuan breathed a sigh of relief and gently placed her on the relatively flat ground.

Night fell, and the temperature in the desert plummeted. Ning Xiaochuan used the milky mist sprayed by the Sacred Spirit Young Dragon to create a warm bubble, enveloping the two of them. He stayed up all night, watching over the unconscious Su Linger, treating her with the Dragon Soul Jade from time to time.

In the darkest hour before dawn, Su Linger suddenly grabbed his hand and murmured unconsciously, "Don't... leave..."

Ning Xiaochuan's heart trembled, and he said softly, "I won't leave, never."

As the sky turned a fish-belly white, Su Linger finally opened her eyes. She looked around weakly, her gaze finally landing on Ning Xiaochuan's tired face. "How... long was I unconscious?"

"All night." Ning Xiaochuan's voice was hoarse. "How do you feel?"

Su Linger tried to sit up, wincing as she moved her wound. "Much better." She noticed Ning Xiaochuan's bloodshot eyes. "You haven't slept?"

Ning Xiaochuan smiled. "It's a doctor's duty to care for the patient."

Su Linger was stunned, suddenly realizing her hand was still being held by him. Strangely, she had no urge to pull her hand away; instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of security.

"We should leave." After a moment of silence, Su Linger said softly, "Twin Moons in the Sky..."

Ning Xiaochuan then remembered to check the time. He took out the hourglass given by Zhou Buhui from his bag, and his expression changed drastically—the hourglass showed that there were only two days left until Twin Moons in the Sky!

"Impossible! We only stayed in the Land of Origin for half a day at most..." He suddenly understood. "The flow of time is different inside and outside the sacred land!"

Su Linger forced herself to stand up. "We must return to the Tianyuan Sect immediately. The Grand Elder could start the ritual at any moment!"

Ning Xiaochuan supported her. "Can you travel?"

"There's no other choice." Su Linger's eyes were resolute. "If the Dark Hall Master succeeds, the entire Open Source Continent will be plunged into darkness."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon lowered its body, signaling for the two to climb aboard. Its evolved form was large enough to carry two people, and its Ice Crystal Dragon wings could achieve short-distance flight, greatly increasing their travel speed.

Ning Xiaochuan first helped Su Linger onto the dragon's back, then climbed up himself, sitting behind her. The Sacred Spirit Dragon let out a long roar, flapped its wings, and took off, speeding towards the Tianyuan Sect.

In the strong wind, Ning Xiaochuan instinctively wrapped his arms around Su Linger's waist to maintain his balance. She didn't object; instead, she leaned back slightly, settling herself more securely.

"We will stop them," Ning Xiaochuan said into her ear, his voice firm.

Su Linger nodded gently and grasped the hand he had around her waist. "Together."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon soared across the desert sky, its shadow stabbing towards the distance like a sharp sword. There, a decisive battle concerning the fate of the entire continent was about to unfold