Two Choices

In the cultivation room of the Pill Tower, Ling Xi sat cross-legged on a cushion, his hands forming a seal, surrounded by dark red flames.

With each breath Ling Xi took, the flames around him transformed into different shapes of magical beasts.

At the same time, vast amounts of world energy mixed with spiritual qi surged into his body, refined by the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire into the purest energy that flowed through him.

In his dantian, the golden liquid representing Dou Qi grew more and more abundant, until it nearly filled Ling Xi's entire dantian.

Under the smelting of the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire, it further condensed into strange crystals.

"Whoosh!"

The moment all the golden liquid in Ling Xi's dantian turned into crystals, his entire aura suddenly surged explosively.

Ling Xi's foundation was incomparably deeper than that of an ordinary Dou Grandmaster, by an immeasurable margin.

Not to mention the Mysterious Origin Saint Sculpting Pill that had changed his aptitude, under the dual effects of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol and the Myriad Beast Spirit Fire, everything Ling Xi refined was the purest world energy and spiritual qi.

Even though he only cultivated the High Yellow Tier Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art, it could not conceal the talent he was gradually revealing.

At a certain moment, when Ling Xi's aura reached some kind of limit, the surrounding world energy suddenly came to a standstill.

This strange phenomenon lasted for several breaths before slowly dissipating as Ling Xi opened his eyes.

Ling Xi's pupils were also unusually eerie at this moment; within his eyes, dark red flames seemed to burn fiercely, and within those flames, a strange rune stone could faintly be seen.

"Nine-Star Dou Grandmaster."

Ling Xi clenched his fist, muttering to himself with a calm expression, neither happy nor sad.

"Not bad. In this one year, you've not only raised your Soul Power to the Late Spirit Realm, but your Dou Qi level has also reached Nine-Star Dou Grandmaster."

Ling You nodded slightly from the side, a look of relief on his face.

"Master."

Ling Xi stood up and bowed slightly to Ling You.

In just one year, Ling You had aged terribly, with wrinkles on his face so deep they could almost trap a fly.

"Now is about the right time."

Ling You reached out and patted Ling Xi on the shoulder.

"Come with me to meet someone."

With that, Ling You didn't wait for Ling Xi's reply, pushed open the door, and walked outside.

Ling Xi hesitated for a moment but quickly followed Ling You's steps.

One year was far too short for the Dou Qi Continent, so short that the entire Pill Tower remained the same as ever, without any change.

Ling You's steps didn't pause; he actually led Ling Xi out of the Pill Tower.

At the gate of Sacred Pill City, people came and went as usual, most of them alchemists dressed in white robes.

When it came to prosperity, Sacred Pill City, where the Pill Tower was located, ranked among the very top.

Ling You and Ling Xi walked in the opposite direction from these alchemists, heading instead toward the outskirts of Sacred Pill City.

"Seeing how old you've become, it's likely you really don't have much left."

With a sigh, the figure of an old man in a gray robe abruptly appeared in front of Ling You and Ling Xi.

"You... you... Elder Ling Yang?"

Looking at the somewhat familiar face, Ling Xi said in astonishment.

"Not bad. To reach Nine-Star Dou Practitioner at this age without the support of the Ling Clan's bloodline is quite rare."

The newcomer was none other than Ling Yang, the elder of the Ling Clan's East Ling City, whom Ling Xi hadn't seen for a long time.

Unlike Ling You, even though four or five years had passed, Ling Yang's appearance hadn't changed at all.

"I really don't have much left, otherwise I wouldn't have come to you for help."

Ling You sighed helplessly, seeming somewhat conflicted about asking Ling Yang for assistance.

"This isn't the place to talk. Come with me."

Ling Yang glanced around, then waved his hand.

Ling Xi felt his vision go dark, and the next moment, he had already moved from the gate of Sacred Pill City to a cave in some unknown location.

The cave appeared dry and tidy, but at its center stood a large cauldron.

"Elder Ling Yang, what is this?"

Ling Xi blinked, looking at Ling Yang with some confusion.

"Didn't you find a piece of our Ling Clan's Spirit Jade last time?"

Ling Yang didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly:

"That piece of Spirit Jade sealed the Bloodline Power of our Ling Clan's ancestors."

"Your master is on his last legs now, so he asked me to perform a Blood Exchange for you."

"Blood Exchange?!"

Ling Xi's gaze sharpened slightly.

The Dou Qi Continent, when it came down to it, was a world where bloodline determined everything.

Whether it was the Ancient Races or the so-called three great Magical Beast clans, what they relied on was the Bloodline Power within their bodies.

Just like the once-glorious Xiao Clan, after Xiao Xuan had completely exhausted their Bloodline Power, they vanished entirely from the Central Continent.

And the Soul Clan needed the Tunling Clan, transformed from the Nihility Devouring Flame, to plunder the bloodlines of other races and nourish their own Dou Di Bloodline.

Among Soul Beasts, the suppression of Bloodline Power was even more pronounced.

So it was no exaggeration to say that Bloodline Power was the most important thing on the Dou Qi Continent, especially the Dou Di Bloodline.

"Actually, by rights, I should hand over this Spirit Jade, which seals the Ling Clan's Bloodline Power, to the clan,"

Elder Ling Yang said, looking at the contemplative Ling Xi and couldn't help but curl his lip.

"But who says I don't owe your teacher a life-or-death debt?"

"Plus, since you found this Spirit Jade yourself, and you're a pretty outstanding kid, I wouldn't be doing this favor otherwise!"

The Ancient Races regarded their Bloodline Power as sacred, and Ling Yang was taking a huge risk by doing something like this.

"Thank you, Elder Ling Yang."

Ling Xi bowed solemnly to Ling Yang.

"Cut it out."

Ling Yang waved his hand repeatedly.

"The Blood Exchange Method isn't just about simply refining Bloodline Power—it's about actually replacing the blood in your body."

"This secret technique is passed down not only in our Ling Clan but also in other Ancient Races and even Magical Beast families."

He paused, his expression turning serious.

"This is a life-or-death matter. One mistake and you could die."

"If you truly fail, even if you're lucky enough to survive, you'll suffer severe damage from excessive blood loss."

"Not to mention, if the Bloodline Power is incompatible with you, you'll explode on the spot."

"So if you're willing to give up, I'll hand the Spirit Jade over to the clan and reward you with a High Earth Tier cultivation method."

Ling You, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but glare at Ling Yang.

"Don't scare him, you old fool."

He paused, then turned to Ling Xi and said in a deep voice:

"But while Ling Yang, this old bastard, is exaggerating a bit, he's telling the truth—the blood exchange process is indeed extremely dangerous."

"Honestly, with your talent, even if your Bloodline Power is thin, you could still achieve great things in the future."

"So, as your teacher, I'm asking—are you willing to take this risk?"

Ling Xi was silent for a long time, but both Ling Yang and Ling You waited patiently.

"Heh."

Ling Xi suddenly let out a laugh.

"Teacher, you've already prepared everything for me. If I still gave up, wouldn't all your efforts have been for nothing?"