After downing several cups of spirit tea to calm his mind,
Lin Changheng took a deep breath and sank his consciousness inward once more. The Origin Cauldron in his sea of consciousness remained unchanged, and the terrifying scene did not reappear.
But the inside of the cauldron had changed greatly. Where the red treasure seed had once been, a phantom Dao Fruit now bobbed up and down.
[Fire Crow Treasure Seed: Fifth Layer]
[Spirit Snatch: 1/100]
[Life Transformation: 0/10]
[Effect: Miscellaneous-grade demonic beast bloodline, naturally endowed with fire affinity. When Spirit Snatch is complete, Life Transformation contains the Dao. Can refine the true meaning of the bloodline's ancestral-returning divine ability, "Fire Control."]
"The next thing to take shape is a Dao Fruit? No longer a treasure seed?"
That was the first thing Lin Changheng noticed. The form of the object inside the cauldron was completely different.
Before, it had been a "seed." Now, it was a "fruit"—clear as day.
With a thought, he continued reading. "Spirit Snatch" was as usual, and he naturally understood it.
But the "Life Transformation" that followed made his pupils contract.
"It's finally appeared..."
Lin Changheng mused.
But then he was puzzled again. If Spirit Snatch takes the Fire Crow's essence blood, what does Life Transformation require?
It was the same problem as before. There was no instruction manual; Lin Changheng would have to figure it out himself.
He pondered for a while but came up with nothing, then turned his attention to the final line, "Effect."
The first half was as expected, but the second half filled him with both shock and delight.
"Ancestral bloodline! The divine ability, Fire Control!"
Could it be... that enormous flame-covered bird I'd glimpsed in a daze was the Fire Crow bloodline returning to its origin, tracing back to an ancient existence from the dawn of time?
What kind of bloodline power was that? Truly terrifying.
Thinking back on it now, Lin Changheng still felt his heart tremble. He had been so insignificant before it.
Then came exhilaration—utter exhilaration!
The more terrified he had been then, the more exhilarated he felt now.
"Could I, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, really touch a divine ability like this? Even if it's only its true meaning..."
Lin Changheng's emotions surged. He paced slowly around the courtyard, letting the night breeze soothe him.
Once he had calmed down completely, Lin Changheng also noticed something was off.
It seemed he had misunderstood.
If the Origin Cauldron could truly grant him the flame-covered bird's innate divine ability through a treasure seed, that would naturally be wonderful.
But based on what he had learned about the Origin Cauldron over the years, one portion of essence blood usually brought one portion of feedback.
It could not give rewards beyond that, much less create something out of nothing.
Its greater function was to transform or nurture.
So, gaining a genuine divine ability that shook the ages and stunned the world from the Fire Crow's miscellaneous-grade bloodline was basically impossible.
And even if he did gain one, how could he possibly wield it with the power and body of a Qi Refining cultivator?
It would be like an ant brandishing a golden cudgel, or trying to drain the endless sea with a soup ladle... utterly unrealistic.
"But it may still be possible to awaken the power hidden deep within the bloodline, passed down through this trace of ancient inheritance, and master a sliver—or even part—of the divine ability's true meaning and Dao resonance. That alone would benefit me immensely."
Once Lin Changheng had thought it through, his mind and body felt clear and refreshed.
Though he had always kept his feet on the ground and avoided reaching for the stars, he still couldn't help imagining that one day he might truly stand before that nameless firebird, draw upon its essence blood, and turn it into a divine ability of his own!
Then he began considering his plans going forward. Without a doubt, the most important thing was to find out what Life Transformation required.
"Since Spirit Snatch extracts essence blood, Life Transformation may follow the same principle. I should focus on trying the essence blood of demonic beasts."
"Hmm. Fire-type beasts first."
After pondering for a while, Lin Changheng had a rough plan.
If that didn't work, he could only use the clumsy method of elimination. It would be slow, but effective.
He was mentally prepared for the process to be like fishing in muddy water: it might work at once, or the search could take years.
But he had patience to spare.
It was worth mentioning that Lin Changheng's Wood Spirit Root had also gained another wisp of spiritual resonance when the Green Wood Snake Treasure Seed reached the fourth layer.
That meant his Wood Spirit Root now had eleven wisps of spiritual resonance, officially placing it among the Lower-Grade Spirit Roots.
From then on, his cultivation of Wood-type techniques and spells would far surpass before, achieving twice the results with half the effort.
As for Lin Changheng's five-element Spirit Roots, two had now transformed into Lower-Grade Spirit Roots. The other was his Fire Spirit Root, which already had fourteen wisps of spiritual resonance!
Nearly half the number required for a Mid-grade Spirit Root.
His progress was undeniably fast.
As for the standoff outside the Wilderness Valley over the past year, the balance had slowly begun to tip in the Xu Family's favor.
The key to breaking the deadlock was this:
The Xu Family's leadership was disciplined, its people united from top to bottom, fighting desperately on the battlefield and providing full support from the rear.
They had fought several fierce battles, with both sides winning and losing.
Yet none of that changed the Xu Family's resolve. The leadership's will was carried through the entire family, and no one questioned it.
But after the Chen Family suffered a major defeat, someone within its ranks—one who had lost a struggle for power in the past and had lain low ever since—seized the chance to make a comeback. He attacked his rivals and began scrambling for power and profit.
The family was thrown into turmoil, and its leadership fell apart.
Although the Chen Family's leaders came to their senses fairly quickly, swiftly crushing the power grabbers and uniting behind a common position in less than a month, the damage could not be undone so quickly. From there, their fortunes plummeted.
By now, the Xu Family had gained a considerable advantage.
But the Xu Family's leaders were not as relaxed as one might expect, nor did they show the composure of people certain of victory.
At the leadership meeting, every face was furrowed with concern.
According to reliable information they had intercepted, the Chen Family had secretly sought help in all directions and had finally persuaded the Qiu Family of Flying Cloud Valley, a Foundation Establishment family, to intervene and apply pressure.
Long ago, after receiving word from Mo Zhaoli, Alchemist Mo had already warned the family that the Chen Family was seeking support from upper sects and Aristocratic Clans.
But the Chen Family had run into obstacles everywhere and failed to secure any support, making itself a laughingstock. The Xu Family had therefore paid little attention to the matter.
The Chen Family had continued to fall, going from sects to Aristocratic Clans, then to established Foundation Establishment families. Now, it had even gone to a newly founded Foundation Establishment family.
From the Xu Family's perspective, the Chen Family had clearly lost its mind. Anyone looking for a backer would seek someone at a much higher level. Choosing a family only a little stronger instead was like trapping oneself in a cocoon.
After all, both families would have largely overlapping demands for resources.
The resources could easily be seized in their entirety, leaving not even a scrap to slip through their fingers.
This would severely stifle the Chen Family's room to grow.
And yet, the Chen Family had still thrown itself into the fray "without hesitation."
This move's negative effects had yet to show within the Chen Family, but it had put the Xu Family over a blazing fire.
Against a Foundation Establishment family, even a newly founded one, the Xu Family would struggle to cope.
One misstep, and the advantage it had paid dearly to secure over the years might vanish all at once.
That was something the Xu Family could not accept, no matter what.
Of course, these were matters for the leadership to consider.
As for the recruited immortal seedlings and ordinary members of the Xu Family, they only hoped the war would end soon.
Over the course of this drawn-out war, Lin Changheng had lost two friends among the immortal seedlings. They had perished in battle, and all that remained of them was their ashes.
Facing the two urns of cold ashes, Fugui grieved, Feng Xian sighed softly, and Lin Changheng remained silent. In his mind, he could still see them:
When they first met, they had just embarked on the path to immortality. Still young, they had been brimming with ambition;
More than ten years later, they had become confidants, clinking cups and speaking freely of lofty ideals;
Now, only two cups of unfinished wine remained, cold on the table, with no one left to share them...
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