"But whether it's Level Nine Dragonblood or Saint Realm Dragonblood, without Blue Heart Grass, I can't guarantee that you'll successfully awaken your bloodline!"
"So I need Blue Heart Grass, too!"
"This concerns whether I can become a true Dragonblood Warrior!"
Doehring had told him about Blue Heart Grass, but Lin Lei wasn't about to tell Lei Lin the truth about Doehring.
At that, Lei Lin folded his arms and idly tapped his left elbow with his right index finger. After a moment's thought, he said, "Lin Lei, to put it simply, whether you awaken your bloodline doesn't actually depend on Blue Heart Grass. It depends on the dragon's blood."
"With your talent for magic, if you manage to grow stronger, you might even be able to get your hands on Level Nine Dragonblood someday, never mind Saint Realm Dragonblood."
"But who knows when that'll happen?"
"So let's make a deal!"
Lin Lei asked, "A deal? What kind of deal?"
Lei Lin said, "After spending this time together, I've gotten to know your talent and character well enough. I admire you. Would you be willing to join the Zi'ao Family?"
"In exchange, I won't just provide Blue Heart Grass—I can also guarantee that I'll help you obtain at least one dose of Level Nine Dragonblood within two years, so you can awaken your bloodline!"
"On top of that, I can provide the resources and wealth you need to help restore the Baruch Family!"
Lin Lei fell silent. During their time in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, he'd come to respect Lei Lin. He also knew a fair amount about the Zi'ao Family. It was a family that was rapidly rising—or, more precisely, making a comeback.
Especially after producing a once-in-history genius like Lei Lin, the Zi'ao Family's resurgence was unstoppable. Before long, they were sure to become one of the kingdom's top great noble families.
Countless small and medium-sized powers and noble families wanted to curry favor with them!
Given the Baruch Family's current situation, hitching a ride on the Zi'ao Family's success would bring enormous benefits.
But Lin Lei had been self-reliant since childhood. More than anything, he wanted to restore his family through his own efforts. He felt an inexplicable resistance to joining another power. Otherwise, the Baruch Family would have already gotten in with the Dawson Chamber of Commerce.
For a moment, Lin Lei's thoughts were tangled.
Seeing his expression, Lei Lin sighed inwardly. Did I push too hard? The invitation felt natural enough, but I have to admit, it was a bit much.
In that case, I'll lower the stakes.
He smiled. "You sure are proud, little guy. You don't even think the Zi'ao Family is good enough for you?"
Lin Lei said, "No, that's not it, Big Brother Lei Lin. The Zi'ao Family is thriving in the kingdom. How could I possibly think—"
Lei Lin waved a hand. "No need to explain. A man shouldn't dither over what he wants to do. I'm not the sort to force anyone. Since you're hesitating, I'll offer you a different deal."
"After all, each stalk of Blue Heart Grass is worth tens of thousands of gold coins. More importantly, it's so rare that you can hardly buy it at any price. Just because I like you, little guy, doesn't mean I'll hand it over for free."
Lin Lei asked, "Big Brother Lei Lin, what's the deal?"
Lei Lin nodded. "I need Blue Heart Grass because I'm studying the mysteries of bloodlines. But when it comes to bloodlines, what in this world could be nobler or more powerful than those of the Four Ultimate Warriors?!"
"How about helping with my research? If I make a breakthrough in my studies of bloodlines, I might even find a way around the Dragonblood Warriors' limitation—the fact that they can't cultivate battle aura unless their bloodline concentration is high enough!"
Lin Lei's brow twitched. Isn't that just making me an experimental subject? He agreed without hesitation. Being called an experimental subject didn't sound great, but if Lei Lin truly managed to figure something out, it would be a tremendous boon to the entire family!
Seeing Lin Lei agree, Lei Lin laughed and immediately flew off toward the cliff where the Blue Heart Grass grew, taking Lin Lei and Beibei with him.
As for the magical beasts they disturbed...
Heh.
They were nothing but a bunch of Level Six and Seven trash. So what if there were a lot of them? He didn't care in the slightest.
Lin Lei finally saw just how powerful Lei Lin was when he went all out. Level Six Winged Dragons, Level Seven Green-Striped Water Pythons, and all sorts of other magical beasts—even when they appeared in packs, Lei Lin dealt with them in a single slash.
Lei Lin even had enough energy to collect their Magic Cores!
It didn't take long for them to find eight stalks of Blue Heart Grass. Lei Lin also gathered some other precious and rare herbs along the way, and soon they had entered the valley.
"Roar!" "Roar!"
But once they entered the valley, they ran into a real challenge: two Velociraptors!
Level Eight!!!
Lin Lei, who was carrying their spoils, exclaimed, "Huh? Aren't Velociraptors all Level Seven? These two are actually Level Eight!"
"Whoosh~~~"
Before he could finish expressing his surprise, a shrill whoosh tore through the air and nearly burst his eardrums. By the time he recovered, one of the Velociraptors had already had its head blown apart. It was well and truly dead!
An Level Eight Magic Core shot through the air and flew into Lei Lin's hand!
"There are Level Eight magical beasts here, too. This valley must be hiding a secret!"
The Black Gold Straight Blade, Judgment, which had been used like a projectile to blow apart the Velociraptor's head, flew back from afar and was caught by Lei Lin.
Looking at the remaining Velociraptor, stunned by its companion's instant death, Lei Lin said, "Too bad it's not Level Nine. Otherwise, I could've tried to awaken your bloodline, Lin Lei."
Hearing Lei Lin, Lin Lei came back to his senses from the shock of seeing a Level Eight Velociraptor killed instantly. He exclaimed, "The Level Eight Velociraptor just died like that?!"
Lei Lin laughed. "The power I'd built up since the fighting started all burst out at once. Dealing with this one will take a bit more effort."
"Fortunately, I've scattered the magical beasts around us. Lin Lei, you and Beibei go stand off to the side while I deal with this Veloci—"
As he spoke, Lei Lin's expression suddenly tightened. He grabbed Lin Lei and turned into a streak of lightning, fleeing the valley. Beibei was fine, but Lin Lei, swept up and carried along, felt the powerful wind pressure from their incredible speed press down on his whole body until he couldn't even speak!
They flew at that speed for quite a while before finally stopping!
"Big Brother Lei Lin, what happened just now?"
Lei Lin silently looked back for a moment before replying, "Nothing. I just didn't expect there to be a Level Nine magical beast in there, too. I almost got myself killed!"
Lin Lei froze. "A Level Nine magical beast!!!"
At the same time, he instinctively glanced at Doehring beside him, seemingly wanting to get confirmation from his grandfather.
But Doehring was staring at Lei Lin in a daze, silent and still!
Lin Lei asked him telepathically, "Grandpa Doehring, what's wrong?"
Before you continue