Astonishing the Entire Crowd!

"What's going on?"

Yan Lin casually swiped a hand through the air before him, and his personal attribute panel above his head moved before him at his will.

[Host: Yan Lin]

[Age: 11]

[Strength: One-Star Dou Zhe]

[Cultivation Talent: Top Tier]

[Bloodline: Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python—can activate and merge with the bloodline at any time (Special reminder: an anomaly will occur after activation...)]

[Technique: Not cultivated]

[Dou Skills: Shadow Snake Hand, Snake Shadow Entanglement...]

Yan Lin could check his attribute panel at any time, and it was more detailed than those of other people.

Only after looking at the newly added bloodline entry did Yan Lin let out a sigh of relief. There had been no mistake with the entry he copied; he simply had yet to completely merge with the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python bloodline.

"An anomaly will occur, along with special changes... My Golden Finger is pretty considerate."

Seeing the special reminder on the bloodline entry, Yan Lin felt that his Golden Finger deserved some praise.

If he merged directly with the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python bloodline and suddenly caused an anomaly, leading to something uncontrollable, it would be hard for Yan Lin to clean up the mess. More importantly, it would be difficult to explain and might arouse others' suspicions.

No one was a fool.

The Snake People Clan's experts knew more or less about the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python. If an anomaly suddenly appeared without warning, it would inevitably cause a stir. The Snake People Clan's experts would surely notice something unusual, and trouble would be unavoidable.

But if it happened during the Awakening Ceremony, there would be no problem at all.

The anomaly would be because he had awakened his Snake Spirit. Not only would it avoid suspicion, but he could put on a show too!

Having thought it through, Yan Lin no longer hurried to merge with the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python bloodline.

He wanted to reveal his greatness before everyone and astonish them all in one stroke!

By then, Queen Medusa had already descended onto the throne at the front of the viewing platform, followed by the Eight Great Commanders.

Only three of the Four Great Elders took their seats. The Great Elder stood at the very front of the viewing platform, pressing a hand down to signal the clansmen to quiet down. After announcing several rules for the Awakening Ceremony, she formally declared in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"The Awakening Ceremony officially begins!"

After the Snake People Clan's Great Elder made the announcement, she handed things over to the Priestess in charge of the Awakening Ceremony. The Priestess began proceeding according to the roster of participants, while the Great Elder herself sat in the first seat to Queen Medusa's left.

The Snake People Priestess quickly settled into her role. Standing atop the Black Altar with a solemn expression, she announced loudly, "This Awakening Ceremony will begin with the Mobaas Tribe. Those whose names are called, step onto the Sacrificial Altar..."

"Wu Chou!"

After flipping through the roster in her hand and announcing the first participant's name, a Snake Person who looked eleven or twelve years old swayed his snake tail out of Sha Bi's squad and slithered toward the Black Altar.

Arriving before the enormous Snake Spirit Tablet, the Snake Person formed a hand blade from Dou Qi and sliced across his palm. He then pressed his bleeding palm against the black Snake Spirit Tablet.

Bzzzz!

As the Snake Spirit Tablet trembled, it burst forth with dazzling light. A line of words appeared on the black stele: Fifth Stage Dou Power.

At the same time, the Snake Spirit Tablet released a strange energy that flowed back into Wu Chou. It slipped into the deepest part of his body through his bleeding palm and drew out his Companion Soul.

"Hisss—"

A snake-type magical beast soul appeared above Wu Chou's head. The Snake People Priestess looked at it, and without the slightest change in her indifferent expression, publicly announced, "Wu Chou, Fifth Stage Dou Qi, ordinary Snake Spirit."

Seeing that he had failed to awaken a powerful Snake Soul, Wu Chou descended from the altar somewhat disappointed.

The other Snake People did not react much either.

Wu Chou had never stood out in the Mobaas Tribe, nor was he especially outstanding among this group of Snake People undergoing awakening. His clansmen were not surprised that he had failed to awaken a mutated Snake Soul.

They had not expected anything in the first place, so naturally, they did not react strongly.

After all, not everyone had the potential to be a dark horse.

"Next, Zi Ling... Seventh Stage Dou Qi, peak First Order Snake Spirit."

"Next, Chong Lou..."

The underage Snake People of the Mobaas Tribe underwent the Awakening Ceremony one after another. Disappointingly, no dark horses emerged.

Still, the Mobaas Tribe had several promising youngsters, among them Cauliflower Snake.

Though his talent could not compare to Yan Lin's or Sha Bi's, he had broken through to the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi at only twelve years old. Such talent was considered exceptionally good even in the Jia Ma Empire.

In a small city like Wutan City, Cauliflower Snake would have been hailed as a genius. But in the Snake People Empire, he could only be considered above average.

"Sha Bi!"

Upon hearing the Priestess call his name, Sha Bi, who had long wanted to take the stage and show off, immediately became eager to try.

But after slithering one step forward, he suddenly remembered something. He turned to glance at Yan Lin beside him and gave him a confident sneer. "Yan Lin, watch carefully. Starting today, I'll surpass you in every way. I'll let you see just how vast the gap between us is!"

Faced with Sha Bi's provocation, Yan Lin said nothing. He merely watched Sha Bi's departing back with an amused smile.

The fiercer Sha Bi bragged now, the harder the slap to his face would be later.

Thinking of what was about to happen, Yan Lin could hardly wait.

Bzzzz...

Sha Bi carried out the awakening ritual step by step. As the Snake Spirit Tablet once again shone and revealed his strength, his Companion Snake Spirit awakened as well. The Soul Body of a Fourth Order Snake Magical Beast coiled above Sha Bi's head, hissing toward the sky with formidable ferocity.

Upon seeing Sha Bi's Companion Soul, even the Snake People Priestess's expressionless face showed a trace of approval. She announced loudly, "Sha Bi, Ninth Stage Dou Qi, Fourth Order Snake Spirit!"

The square instantly erupted into commotion.

Many Snake People gasped and cheered. None were happier for Sha Bi than his parents.

As the first Snake Person to awaken a Fourth Order Snake Spirit, Sha Bi also drew the attention of many Snake People Clan experts and made the Snake People from the eight major tribes view him differently.

Basking in the attention of the crowd, Sha Bi stepped down from the Sacrificial Altar with a radiant face. The Snake People Priestess then called out the name of the Mobaas Tribe's final participant.

"Yan Lin!"

The moment the Snake People Priestess called that name, Sha Bi's limelight was immediately stolen. Everyone in the square turned their eyes toward Yan Lin.

Even Queen Medusa, seated on the throne atop the viewing platform, glanced his way.

Yan Lin possessed the greatest Cultivation Talent among the rising talents of the Snake People Clan's eight major tribes in recent years, so he naturally received special attention from the Snake People Clan's experts.

They all wanted to know whether this genius from the Mobaas Tribe would be the greatest dark horse of today's Awakening Ceremony.

"Hmph, I refuse to believe that someone injected with a low-order Snake Spirit since childhood can awaken any powerful Snake Spirit!"

Watching Yan Lin walk toward the Black Altar, Sha Bi felt even more resentful at having his limelight stolen. He snorted inwardly, eagerly awaiting Yan Lin's humiliation.

As long as Yan Lin's Companion Soul did not mutate, there was no way he could awaken a Snake Soul stronger than Sha Bi's. Then Sha Bi could finally shed the title of perennial runner-up and stomp beneath his feet that detestable fellow who always stole his thunder.

But fantasies were beautiful, while reality was cruel!

The moment Yan Lin's bloody palm pressed against the Snake Spirit Tablet, the enormous Snake Spirit Tablet suddenly began to shake violently, causing a far greater disturbance than during any previous awakening.

At once, every Snake Person in the square was drawn in, staring intently.

Whoosh—

As blinding light shone from the Snake Spirit Tablet, the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python bloodline within Yan Lin was stimulated. His soul trembled, and his blood surged through his body.

If anyone examined Yan Lin's body at that moment, they would see a mass of Seven-Colored Energy within him. As though it had been born perfectly compatible with him, it rapidly fused with his organs, blood, bones, cells, and everything else, causing some strange and special mutation within his body.

The Dou Qi Vortex in his Dantian seemed to be drawn by this powerful force and began spinning rapidly. Milky-white Dou Qi flowed through his limbs and bones before finally returning to his Dantian.

The Dou Qi Vortex changed as well, and his Dou Qi surged wildly. The process continued, cycling over and over...

Boom!

Within one or two breaths, Yan Lin's aura suddenly soared. He directly broke through the barrier to become a Two-Star Dou Zhe, and it continued to rise.

Before long, Yan Lin had broken through from a One-Star Dou Zhe to a Nine-Star Dou Zhe.

Soon after, he broke through the Dou Zhe barrier and reached One-Star Dou Master!

At the very instant his strength broke through to Dou Master, the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python bloodline within him completely fused with his body and awakened. Seven-Colored Rosy Clouds burst from his body and soared into the sky, while a strange fragrance spread through the air.

Seven-Colored Rosy Clouds illuminated the nine heavens, and soaring fragrance permeated the Holy City!

As the light receded, the massive Snake Soul of the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python appeared. It coiled above Yan Lin's head and roared toward the sky.

"Hiss-roar~~"

The moment the Python Roar rang out, terrifying pressure spread across the area. In an instant, tens of thousands of ordinary Snake People in the square, their faces filled with shock, involuntarily fell to their knees.

Even the Snake People Clan's commanders and the Four Great Elders felt an urge to submit rise from the depths of their hearts. It was as though ministers had encountered their King and wanted to bow their heads in allegiance.

Had their strength not been great enough to resist that pressure, they likely would have knelt like the ordinary Snake People.

It was instinct.

More precisely, it came from their bloodlines.

This astonishing discovery left every Snake Person in the square utterly stunned.