Half-Saint Expert's Bloodline Power?

"The Blood Exchange process carries some risks. You must be extremely careful."

Ling You couldn't help but remind him one more time.

"Rest assured, Teacher. I'll be back shortly."

Ling Xi gave Ling You a slight bow, then hesitated no longer. With a flicker of his form, he shed all his clothes.

Plop!

The next moment, Ling Xi's body landed in the great cauldron, producing a muffled sound.

The moment Ling Xi entered the cauldron, the vivid red liquid within began to churn violently.

Strands of Bloodline Power seeped in like quicksilver, burrowing relentlessly into every pore of Ling Xi's body.

"Hiss..."

An intense, bone-deep ache mixed with searing pain made Ling Xi gasp sharply, his face turning pale.

"The so-called Blood Exchange washes away the waste blood of your Descendant Citizen status and infuses our clan's Bloodline Power into your body."

Seeing Ling Xi's pained expression, Ling You couldn't help but offer a reminder.

Ling Xi clenched his teeth tightly and gave a slight nod.

Having once consumed the Mysterious Origin Saint Sculpting Pill, Ling Xi had endured the agony of body forging and already possessed some immunity to this kind of pain.

But the problem was that the Blood Exchange process wasn't just about pain.

What was truly harder to bear was the gnawing, bone-piercing itch, as if thousands of ants were incessantly chewing on Ling Xi's bones—an utterly unbearable sensation.

Amid this torment of pain mixed with itch, Ling Xi could also feel his own blood draining away at an alarming speed.

Along with the blood loss came an overwhelming emptiness and a drowsiness that seemed to stem from the very depths of his soul.

Even with Ling Xi's formidable Soul Power, he couldn't help but let his head droop.

"Don't fall asleep!"

"If you pass out, the waste blood in your body won't be fully cleansed, and our clan's Bloodline Power won't fuse with you completely!"

Ling Yang's expression was stern, his sharp shout ringing in Ling Xi's ears like a thunderclap of awakening.

Ling Xi's body jolted, and his dormant Soul Power was reawakened.

Biting the tip of his tongue lightly, Ling Xi steadied his breath and focus, clinging to his consciousness amid the pain and itch.

"Blood Exchange techniques aren't uncommon among other Ancient Races and Magical Beast families. The most dangerous step is purging your own waste blood."

Seeing Ling Xi regain his clarity, Ling Yang let out a slight sigh of relief.

"He's stabilized his mind now. Barring accidents, he should make it through this stage."

After a pause, Ling Yang added with some emotion.

"But just the fact that he can steady his mind and stay awake means this disciple of yours has already surpassed most of our clan's members."

Ling You said nothing, only watching his disciple in the cauldron with a worried gaze.

Blood Exchange required expelling all waste blood from the body, so it naturally took a considerable amount of time.

In this unknown cave, time flew by swiftly, and dozens of days passed in the blink of an eye.

Throughout those dozens of days, Ling Xi sat motionless in the cauldron.

But his once well-proportioned frame had withered into a gaunt, skin-and-bones appearance, his face utterly drained of color.

If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, anyone would have taken him for a corpse.

"Almost there... It's just that he had too little Ling Clan Bloodline Power to begin with, or it wouldn't have come to this."

Inspecting Ling Xi's condition, Ling Yang couldn't help but remark.

"He's past the most dangerous part..."

Ling You was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but before he could finish, a sudden change erupted in the cauldron.

"Heh heh, it was worth this Old Man waiting so long. Finally, a decent junior shows up."

The Ling Clan Bloodline Power in the cauldron suddenly surged, and an aged voice echoed through the empty cave.

Ling You and Ling Yang's expressions changed simultaneously.

The Bloodline Power in the cauldron rose slowly, as if stirred, and coalesced into a blood-colored figure.

"A soul body?"

Ling You gritted out.

The Ling Clan had once been renowned across the continent for their formidable Soul Power.

But hiding a soul body within the Bloodline Power like this—even Ling You and Ling Xi had never seen such a thing.

"This Seat is Ling Huan Tian. You could say I'm your ancestor."

The blood-colored figure's gaze fell on Ling Yang and Ling You, its voice ringing in their ears.

"You two juniors aren't bad. Once this Old Man takes over this body, I'll reward you handsomely."

"Ling Huan Tian... you're the Ling Huan Tian who went missing a thousand years ago?"

Ling Yang's brow twitched slightly, a contemplative look crossing his face before he spoke in a low, heavy tone.

"Heh heh, I never thought anyone in this era would still recognize This Old Man."

The blood-colored figure laughed heartily, a hint of smugness in his voice.

"You know him?"

Ling You's face was ghastly pale, but he couldn't help asking Ling Yang anyway.

"Mm. A thousand years ago, while the Eight Ancient Clans were locked in battle over the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, this bastard snuck into the ancestral hall. Rumor has it he stole one of our clan's supreme treasures and vanished."

Ling Yang's expression was even more grim than Ling You's.

"I remember now. It's him!"

Ling You's gaze snapped toward the blood-colored figure formed from Bloodline Power.

"Back then, all the clan's experts were out fighting for the Tuoshe Ancient Jade, which let a mere One-Star Dou Saint slip into the ancestral hall!"

One-Star Dou Saint!

Not some Half-Saint half-measure, but a genuine, true Saint!

"We can't let him possess Ling Xi!"

In a flash, Ling Yang made his decision. With a sweep of his sleeve, a thick, formidable Dou Qi ribbon shot toward Ling Xi, who sat cross-legged inside the cauldron.

"How dare you, whelp!"

A surge of powerful Soul Power erupted from the soul body, materializing into a crimson barrier above the cauldron.

Ling Yang's Dou Qi ribbon slammed violently into the soul barrier condensed over the cauldron. Though it sent the barrier trembling, it ultimately failed to shatter it.

"If This Seat hadn't lost so much power, I could crush the two of you with a flick of my hand!"

Ling Huan Tian's blood-formed body flickered unsteadily, his tone turning frantic and furious.

"This bastard is nothing but a remnant soul left behind in Bloodline Power—his soul isn't even complete!"

Ling Yang saw through Ling Huan Tian's true state at a glance and immediately shouted to Ling You.

"You're an Eighth-grade Alchemist. Strike with me now—we must not let him take over Ling Xi's bo—!"

Before Ling Yang could finish, a torrent of Soul Power erupted from Ling You, also forming a spiritual body that slammed heavily into the soul barrier Ling Huan Tian had set up.