Requesting Leave

"I heard you went to the Alchemist Trading Fair today with Xuan Kongzi's disciple?"

As soon as he returned to the Pill Tower, Ling Xi ran into Ling You, who was waiting in his room.

"That's right. It's good to broaden one's horizons outside."

"Master, I found something strange at the Alchemist Trading Fair today."

Ling Xi hesitated briefly but still handed the jade pendant to Ling You.

"The pattern on this jade pendant seems to be the Tree of Life of the Ling Clan..."

Before Ling Xi could finish, he felt a blur before his eyes, and the jade pendant in his hand had somehow already fallen into Ling You's grasp.

Ling You frowned slightly, turning it over and examining it for a moment before his expression gradually grew serious.

"You've got quite the luck, kid. This really is something from our Ling Clan."

Ling You let out a heavy breath, a hint of emotion creeping into his tone.

"Who would've thought you'd stumble upon something like this on your very first trip to the Alchemist Trading Fair."

"Master, what exactly is this?"

Ling Xi asked hurriedly.

"This is our Ling Clan's unique Jade Condensation Method."

Ling You toyed with the jade pendant in his hand, a faint, inexplicable melancholy on his face.

"When a clan member faces a crisis, they condense their Dou Qi into a Spirit Jade like this."

"It's usually used to store the most important things, but only another member of the Ling Clan can unlock the seal within."

Ling Xi was stunned at the words.

Though he was also a member of the Ling Clan, he was born a Descendant Citizen and knew very little about many of the clan's techniques.

"Master, so you mean there's something sealed inside by one of our Ling Clan ancestors?"

Ling Xi asked curiously.

"That's right, and I already know what's sealed inside."

Ling You nodded, looking as if he had everything figured out.

"What is it?"

Ling Xi blurted out instinctively.

"Xi'er, tell me—what's the most important thing to a member of an Ancient Race?"

Ling You didn't answer directly but instead posed this question to Ling Xi.

"The most important thing to a member of an Ancient Race?"

Ling Xi's eyes narrowed slightly as a thought took shape in his mind.

"Master, are you talking about... Bloodline Power?"

Aside from the Dou Di Bloodline, which all Ancient Races regarded as their foundation, Ling Xi couldn't think of anything else.

"That's right, it's the Dou Di Bloodline!"

Ling You nodded firmly, pointing to the blood-red stain on the jade pendant.

"This should be from some ancestor of our clan who, on the verge of falling, extracted their own bloodline and sealed it using the Jade Condensation Method, creating this pendant."

He paused, wiping the surface of the pendant before continuing.

"But judging by the technique, the senior who condensed this pendant was likely stronger than I am."

Ling Xi gasped sharply at that.

Though Ling You had never revealed his own cultivation level, the fact that he mingled with peak Dou Venerate experts like Xuan Kongzi and Yao Chen meant he was probably a high-level Dou Venerate himself.

Someone stronger than him could only be a Dou Saint!

"Master..."

Ling Xi's mouth suddenly felt dry.

"This is your possession, so the benefits within are naturally yours."

Ling You chuckled lightly.

"But to get you the bloodline power sealed inside, even I'll need to put in some effort."

"Here's the plan: go train in the Pill Realm for a while, and when the time is right, I'll help you refine the bloodline power from this pendant."

"Yes, Master!"

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Ling Xi immediately bowed to Ling You.

"Speaking of which, your luck really is something else—you've got some deep fortune on your side."

Ling You put the pendant away and reached out to tap Ling Xi's forehead.

"This Jade Condensation Method is actually quite rare even within our Ling Clan these days."

"After all, in recent years, very few core members have left the Ling Realm."

Among the Eight Ancient Clans, aside from the Soul Clan, the others rarely have any contact or dealings with the outside world.

They all hole up in spaces constructed by their own clans. Someone like Ling You, who spends his days out and about on the continent, is a rare exception among exceptions.

"By the way, I found this in the Pill Tower's treasure vault. Use it as your weapon from now on."

Before Ling Xi could react, Ling You had already tossed a spear his way.

Ling Xi instinctively reached out to catch it, but felt a sudden heaviness in his hands. He stumbled back several steps before finally absorbing the force from the spear.

"Found it in the Pill Tower's treasure vault..."

As the continent's largest Alchemist organization, the collection in the Pill Tower's treasure vault likely rivaled that of some ancient clans.

A weapon that caught Ling You's eye must have some hidden merit!

With that thought, Ling Xi's gaze fell upon the spear in his hands.

The entire spear was about two meters long—taller than Ling Xi himself at this point—and holding it gave off a slightly awkward impression.

No flashy decorations adorned it. The shaft was a dark gray, made of a material that seemed neither stone nor iron, but was quite heavy.

Only the spearhead stood out—a peculiar hexagonal shape with fine blood grooves carved into it.

"This spear was forged from the core of a fallen star in the Pill Tower Starry Sky. It's called the Star Splitting Spear."

At this point, Ling You suddenly cracked a smile.

"Try injecting some Dou Qi into the Star Splitting Spear and see what happens?"

Ling Xi couldn't shake the feeling that the smile on his teacher's face held some ill intent.

But trusting his master, he still channeled a thread of Dou Qi into the spear.

"Ugh!"

Ling Xi suddenly felt the weight in his hands increase sharply. If he hadn't been gripping it tightly, the spear might have slipped from his grasp.

"Does this spear get heavier whenever I inject Dou Qi into it?" Ling Xi asked in astonishment.

"Exactly. As soon as you pour Dou Qi into the Star Splitting Spear, its weight multiplies several times over."

"When you train in the newly opened space in the Pill Tower, you must always carry this spear on your back while channeling your Dou Qi into it."

Ling You's expression turned serious as he gave the instruction.

"Only then will your body eventually be able to withstand the Bloodline Power within the Spirit Jade."

Seeing Ling You's grave demeanor, Ling Xi dropped his smile and nodded slightly.

Come to think of it, this Star-Splitting Spear was somewhat similar to Xiao Yan's Black Heavy Ruler.

Except the Black Heavy Ruler suppressed the flow of Dou Qi within its user, while the Star Splitting Spear increased in weight during use.

Both could subtly enhance the user's physique and explosive power.

"Spend these days mastering the Ember Extinguishing Spear Art. Come to me anytime you have questions."

Ling You patted Ling Xi on the shoulder, a look of concern on his face.

"Once you enter the newly opened space in the Pill Tower, be careful at all times. I won't be giving you any life-saving tools—everything will depend on you."

"Rest assured, Teacher!"

Ling Xi nodded slightly, and at the same time, a system notification chimed in his mind.

[Ding, check-in location refreshed. Please proceed to the newly opened space in the Pill Tower to complete the check-in.]