The Power of Bloodline

The lamplight gradually dimmed.

The evening breeze gently swept through the little courtyard, stirring ripples in the air.

Long Xingyu returned to his room to rest, while Long Haochen returned to his Thatched Cottage to meditate and cultivate.

Of the three Thatched Cottages, only Long Haoyu's room still held some light.

Long Haoyu's silhouette was cast upon the Paper Window. At only nine years old, he was not particularly tall, yet he stood straight as a pine.

A moment later, Long Haoyu blew out the candle and sat cross-legged on the Wooden Bed, but did not immediately begin meditating.

"No Edge!" Long Haoyu called softly.

"Master, I'm here!"

The pitch-black Little Coal Ball suddenly separated from the heavy sword.

The darkness was deep enough that Long Haoyu could not see where Little Coal Ball was at all.

Following the voice, the boy and the Sword Spirit could only barely be considered facing each other.

Long Haoyu did not speak, and neither did Little Coal Ball. The entire room was utterly silent.

"Keep an eye on the surroundings for me."

"There may be an accident during my cultivation tonight, just in case."

Long Haoyu took a deep breath, considering his thoughts before speaking in a low voice.

In the darkness, the Wu Feng Sword Spirit tilted its little head in thought before nodding frantically, though Long Haoyu could not see it.

In such pure darkness, the Wu Feng Sword Spirit was also a typical Black Coal Ball. He truly had no idea how something in this world could be so black; even if he wanted to see it, there was no way.

Using his neural senses, Long Haoyu made the arrangements with Black Coal Ball before finally sinking his consciousness into the Shadow Space with peace of mind.

Within the Shadow Space stood the same Stone Pillars as always, along with the Shadow Instructor.

The Shadow Instructor, holding a sword in one hand, seemed to carry many unfamiliar auras that Long Haoyu had never sensed before.

"You've come," said the Shadow Instructor.

Long Haoyu nodded. "Yes, Instructor!"

Without assuming a stance for an immediate spar, Long Haoyu simply watched the Shadow Instructor in silence.

The expression in his calm eyes gradually turned solemn.

"You have a question?" the Shadow Instructor asked again.

Long Haoyu drew a deep breath. "Yes. Today's cultivation gave me some new discoveries and insights, and a question naturally arose."

"What question?"

"Instructor, I remember that the rules of the Shadow Space are meant to temper me and allow me to surpass my most Perfect Self."

Long Haoyu answered, "But there is also bloodline within me that does not belong to humans. Can the Shadow Space simulate that as well?"

"It can!"

The Shadow Instructor's answer was crisp and concise.

He did not conceal anything. He simply spoke the truth.

Hearing this answer, Long Haoyu could not help narrowing his eyes. Just as I thought. I really overlooked this before.

"Then, Instructor, why have you never simulated such power?" Long Haoyu asked again. "Do you have some concerns?"

"The current you has no chance of victory against your Perfect Self in that state," the Shadow Instructor said indifferently.

Long Haoyu frowned and said in a low voice, "Please, Instructor, let me first see exactly what my Perfect Self in that state is like."

"Fine!"

The Shadow Instructor was as brief as ever.

Having agreed to Long Haoyu's request, his aura abruptly underwent a world-shaking change.

His eyes had already been cold enough, but now a layer of blood-red covered them. True indifference was revealed within those pupils.

His robes moved without wind.

An intensely oppressive power raged endlessly around him.

Merely standing there gave one a suffocating sensation, as though an iron hand were tightly clamped around one's throat.

As the Shadow Instructor simulated Long Haoyu's true Perfect Self, No Edge in his hand seemed to become wrapped in a layer of blood-red light, within which lurked an eerie aura.

Watching the Shadow Instructor's transformation, Long Haoyu sharply inhaled. "It feels exactly the same as when I dealt with the Scorpion Tail Lizard. Before now, I never made use of any advantage from my bloodline power!"

The Shadow Instructor did not deny it. His indifferent eyes met Long Haoyu's.

Then, he prepared to dispel the simulated state and withdraw that oppressive aura.

Seeing this, Long Haoyu hurriedly said, "Instructor, I remember you said the Shadow Space possesses methods for cultivating Internal Spiritual Power."

"You can't possibly have an Awakening Stone here, so you cannot help me complete Sacred Awakening. The Internal Spiritual Power cultivation method you mentioned before should be related to me in this state, right?"

The Shadow Instructor did not deny it. "You are very clever, but before your External Spiritual Power reaches 100 points, I will not teach you this cultivation method."

"The power in your bloodline is very strong. The current you cannot yet control such power. Coming into contact with it too early carries too great a risk for you!"

The definite answer landed firmly in Long Haoyu's ears.

Upon hearing it, excitement appeared in Long Haoyu's eyes.

Especially as he looked at the Shadow Instructor's simulated form, the form he would take after awakening his dormant bloodline power.

The violent aura permeating his entire body, along with the suffocating oppression he could create simply by standing there—

Every sensation relentlessly stimulated Long Haoyu's Five Senses Nerves.

"Instructor, I will not ask for the method to cultivate Internal Spiritual Power before meeting the requirements. But in the coming combat training, I hope you will fight in this state."

"I want to see just how terrifying my Perfect Self in this state truly is!"

Long Haoyu spoke excitedly.

At that moment, he felt every cell in his body trembling.

That trembling was a sign that his excitement had reached its peak.

He desperately wanted to fight the Shadow Instructor in this state.

"I said before that you have no chance of victory against your Perfect Self in its current state," the Shadow Instructor said coldly.

"How will I know the final result if I don't try? The purpose of the Shadow Space is to let me constantly surpass myself, with defeating my most Perfect Self as the goal."

"The Instructor as you are now is the most perfect version of me in my current state. If I cannot defeat such a self, then there must be flaws in my cultivation."

"If I cannot win once, then I will try ten times. If ten times are not enough, then a hundred times—until I truly defeat my Perfect Self!"

Long Haoyu's answer rang with resolve.

During his fight with the Scorpion Tail Lizard, he had felt the enhancement brought by this bloodline power.

Now that he had a place like the Shadow Space, he did not want to miss out on the power that should have been dormant within him.

In the end, he did not want to follow the same path as his little brother in the Original Work.

Developing himself to the utmost limit and standing at the true pinnacle—that was his ultimate goal!

The Shadow Instructor fell silent for a moment.

Then, No Edge in his hand, wrapped in surging blood-red light, slashed toward Long Haoyu.

At the same time, the Shadow Instructor's indifferent voice rang out.

"As you wish!"