Bloodline Resonance

The scent of sandalwood still lingered in the ancestral hall. Sunlight filtered through the lattice windows, casting scattered flecks of light across the bluestone slabs. Dust drifted slowly in the shafts of light, and the candle flames before the memorial tablets flickered quietly, without a breath of wind. Hogg stood before the ancestral tablets with Wharton in his arms, his palm resting firmly against his son's back. His voice was low and gentle, its guiding tone unmistakable. "Wharton, close your eyes. Don't think about anything. Try to feel that warm current inside your body. It isn't something from outside. It's power that has always been hidden in your bloodline."

Wharton obediently closed his eyes, his little brows drawing together and his chubby cheeks pulled taut with extraordinary seriousness. The disturbance triggered by the Dragonblood Needle had not yet fully subsided. A warm current was moving slowly through his meridians, spreading from his chest to his limbs. Wherever it passed, it felt as comfortable as soaking in warm water, with a faint itch that made him want to reach out and scratch.

"Follow that warm current. Trace its path and guide it slowly." Hogg spoke at an unhurried pace. Battle Qi flowed gently from his palm, carefully wrapping around the power of dragonblood like a thin veil, as though he feared that too much force would disturb this supremely pure bloodline power. "Don't rush. Relax. It's part of your body. It won't hurt you."

Hillman stood nearby, scarcely daring to breathe, his gaze fixed on Wharton and his hands unconsciously clenched. He saw a faint blue-gold glow gradually appear on Wharton's little face. Faint as it was, it carried an unmistakable dragon's might, identical to Hogg's aura, yet even purer.

Time ticked by. The ancestral hall was so quiet that only the breathing of the two could be heard. Wharton's breathing gradually quickened. At some point, the once-comfortable current had begun to grow searingly hot, as though a fire had ignited within his bloodline.

"Father..." A hint of a sob entered Wharton's voice. His little body trembled, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. "It's... it's getting hot. So hot..."

Hogg's heart leaped. He quickly eased the flow of his Battle Qi while raising the temperature of his palm a little, using his Dragonblood Battle Qi to soothe the restless power. "Don't be afraid. This is your bloodline awakening. A little heat is normal. Bear with it. Follow Father's Battle Qi. Press it down and make it obey you."

Wharton gritted his teeth and closed his eyes again, his little body trembling with the effort of enduring it. Following his father's instructions, he tried hard to sense the searing current and guide it with his own meager strength. But that power was far too overbearing. Like a wild horse that had broken its reins, it rampaged through his meridians, sending waves of sharp, prickling pain through every place it passed.

"Ah!" Wharton could bear it no longer. He let out an agonized scream, tears slipping uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes and falling onto the back of Hogg's hand, burning hot.

Just then, Hogg suddenly felt the dragonblood power within his own body grow restless as well. A familiar burning sensation rose from deep within his bloodline, answering the aura radiating from Wharton, like relatives reunited after a long separation, silently expressing their resonance. The veins in his arms bulged at once. Blue-gold dragon scales faintly emerged, only for him to force them back down.

"This is... bloodline resonance between father and son!" Hillman had noticed the unusual change too and could not help exclaiming softly, his eyes filled with shock. "I never imagined your bloodlines would be compatible to this degree! This resonance can help Wharton stabilize his bloodline power!"

The resonance grew stronger and stronger, and the blue-gold glow around Wharton deepened. Fine scales could faintly be seen emerging slowly beneath his skin, then quickly disappearing again, as though struggling to break free of his flesh. His body began to convulse violently. His little fists clenched tight, his knuckles whitening with the force, and he bit a shallow, bloody mark into his lip.

Hogg's heart ached terribly, but he did not stop guiding him. He knew this was a necessary part of a Dragonblood Warrior's awakening. No one could bear this pain for Wharton. Only by enduring this trial could Wharton truly control his bloodline power. He increased the flow of his Battle Qi while carefully controlling its force, letting his Dragonblood Battle Qi bind the restless power little by little like a gentle chain, guiding it to circulate slowly through Wharton's meridians along the route described in the Dragonblood Secret Manual.

"Now!" Feeling the power within Wharton gradually settle, Hogg abruptly gave a low shout and sharply withdrew the Battle Qi from his palm. "Wharton, concentrate! Shout with all your strength!"

Wharton's eyes flew open. He opened his little mouth and let out a clear roar imbued with dragon's might. His voice still had a strong babyish quality, yet it also carried a wild fierceness. It echoed through the ancestral hall, making the bronze incense burner on the offering table tremble slightly.

The blue-gold light surged. Fine blue-gold dragon scales spread rapidly from his fingertips, covering his limbs and torso, each scale gleaming with a soft luster as it fitted against his little body. Dragon horns slowly rose from his forehead in rounded curves, and a long, spiked tail swung out behind him. Its tip brushed lightly across the floor, stirring a faint whisper of wind. He grew taller, and his once-childish aura instantly turned fierce. A trace of a great dragon's sharpness flashed through his eyes.

The intense pain continued. Wharton's little face scrunched up, and tears kept flowing, but he gritted his teeth and did not cry out again. He looked down at his small, scale-covered hands, then swayed the tail behind him. His eyes widened with wonder, and even the pain seemed to ease a little.

"I... I've transformed!" Wharton's voice caught with a sob, yet it also held indescribable excitement. He tried raising his hand and giving it a gentle wave. A faint burst of Battle Qi, carrying dragon's might, actually swept a fallen leaf off the offering table and sent it drifting to the floor.

Hogg's eyes reddened slightly as he looked at his son's dragon-transformed appearance. He reached out and gently stroked the dragon horns on Wharton's forehead. They felt warm and smooth beneath his fingertips, and indescribable excitement and gratification welled up within him. This was the first child of the Baruch Clan to awaken dragon transformation on his own, without the aid of dragon blood and blue heart grass. The purity of his bloodline far surpassed that of the ancestors of every generation.

"Well done, my son." Hogg's voice choked as he gently wiped the tears from Wharton's face with his palm. "You did very well. Far better than Father did back then."

Wharton looked at his father, then suddenly broke into a broad grin, revealing two neat rows of little white teeth. He reached out with his dragon claws and carefully hugged Hogg around the neck. His scales brushed against Hogg's skin, faintly warm and slightly rough.

"Father, it doesn't hurt anymore," Wharton said softly. "I feel... like I could smash the wooden post in the courtyard with one punch!"

Hogg could not help laughing, his arms tightening around his son. "Of course you could. My Wharton will become the strongest Dragonblood Warrior."

Watching the scene before him, Hillman smiled with gratification. He stepped forward and examined the fine dragon scales covering Wharton, his eyes full of admiration. "Wharton's dragon transformation is very stable, and his bloodline power is very pure. With just a little training, he'll be able to control the timing of his transformations, and even switch forms at will."

Wharton curiously swayed the tail behind him. Its tip accidentally struck the edge of the offering table with a soft thump. Startled, he hurriedly tucked his tail away and glanced cautiously at the ancestral tablets, as though afraid of disturbing his ancestors' rest.

At the sight, neither Hogg nor Hillman could help laughing.

Sunlight fell over father and son, their blue-gold radiance shining together. The memorial tablets stood silently in the ancestral hall, as though witnessing the Baruch Clan's most dazzling new birth. The faint cries of cicadas drifted in from the courtyard, carrying the air of summer. Everything seemed so peaceful and full of hope.

Wharton's path as a Dragonblood Warrior had only just begun. And in the hands of this father and son, the glory of the Baruch Clan would shine with unprecedented brilliance.