Following the fluctuations from the fighting, Lin Yinuo flickered several times through the spatial ripples and closed in on the scene. The sight before him sharpened his gaze.
On a relatively open stretch of rocky ground, Headmaster Harrington was locked in fierce combat with an enormous Saint-level undead creature formed from countless divine bones and resentful thoughts! The undead resembled a giant lizard, its bones translucent as jade and eerie green soul flames burning in its eye sockets. Every lunge carried corrosive death breath and space-rending power, forcing Headmaster Harrington to rely on intricate magic to hold his own, unable to secure a quick victory.
At the edge of the battlefield, Linley was in even greater danger! Three skeletal magical beasts, each roughly at the peak of rank eight, surrounded him. Seemingly controlled by the Saint-level undead, they attacked wildly, without fear of death. Holding a crude iron saber-originally meant only for practice-Linley barely held on through the basic movement techniques Lin Yinuo had taught him and the strength and speed his Dragonblood lineage granted him, far surpassing others of his rank. But several wounds already marked his body, blood stained his robes, and his small face was pale from exhaustion and intense pain. His eyes, however, remained stubborn and fierce.
Bebe became a nearly invisible gray blur, attacking frantically around him. His sharp claws left white marks across the bones, and his piercing squeaks brimmed with anxiety. But he was still young, and his limited strength could not turn the battle around.
So they encountered a powerful enemy after all, Lin Yinuo thought. Headmaster Harrington is tied up by the Saint-level undead and can't spare any attention elsewhere. Linley... is almost at his limit.
Rather than reveal himself immediately, he concealed himself behind a fold in space and watched calmly. He knew that crises often came with opportunities. In the original story, it was precisely at the brink of death that Linley had awakened his bloodline's potential.
"Roar!"
One skeletal magical beast seized an opening as Linley blocked. Its hideous bone claw tore through the air, driving straight for his heart! If it landed, he would surely die!
"Linley!" Catching sight of this, Headmaster Harrington was both shocked and furious, but the Saint-level undead kept him firmly occupied. He could not reach Linley in time.
The shadow of death descended! Linley's pupils contracted sharply. At that moment, the scorching blood that had been flowing slowly through his body erupted like a volcano set ablaze!
"Aaargh!"
He let out a low, inhuman roar. His eyes instantly became bloodshot, and beneath his exposed skin, pale blue veins bulged and writhed like coiling dragons! An ancient, domineering pressure, brimming with power, erupted violently from him!
Rip!
His suddenly swelling muscles tore apart the clothing on his upper body! Fine, illusory blue scales began to appear across his skin! He grew a little taller, and his aura surged wildly from the peak of rank six, breaking through the barrier to rank seven in an instant-and it was still rising!
Spurred by mortal danger, his Dragonblood Warrior bloodline began awakening early, and with even greater ferocity!
He caught the bone claw aimed at his heart in a swollen hand covered in faint, illusory blue scales, holding it fast! Then, as the soul flames flickered in shock within the skeletal magical beast's hollow eye sockets-
Crack!
With a furious roar, Linley crushed the bone claw, harder than refined iron, to pieces through sheer force!
The other two skeletal magical beasts' attacks arrived as well. Linley neither dodged nor ducked, swinging around to throw a punch!
Boom!
With a dragon-like howl of wind, his savage power blasted one skeletal magical beast's skull apart! The other's attack struck his back, where illusory scales had appeared. A metallic clang rang out, yet it left only a white mark!
In an instant, the battle was reversed!
A Dragonblood Warrior! The Baruch Clan's Ultimate Warrior bloodline! He actually awakened it at this moment! What a lad! Headmaster Harrington thought.
A trace of gratification also flashed through Lin Yinuo's eyes as he remained hidden. But he knew this was only the beginning. The forced awakening and rampaging energy placed an enormous burden on Linley's body and soul. Without someone to guide him, his foundation could very well be damaged, or his mind could even be affected by the savage consciousness within his bloodline.
Just as Linley used his newfound strength to attack the remaining skeletal magical beasts wildly, and uncontrollable frenzy began to show in his eyes-
Hum!
An invisible, intangible pulse of spiritual energy, carrying a soothing, guiding power, entered Linley's mind with precision. Gentle yet firm, it was like the most familiar of voices whispering beside his ear.
"Linley, hold on to yourself! Guide your bloodline's power and practice the method I taught you! It is your power, not you!"
It was his brother's voice! A moment of clarity instantly returned to Linley's frenzied eyes. He trusted Lin Yinuo unconditionally and immediately obeyed, struggling to focus his mind and guide the bloodline power galloping through him like wild horses according to the basic method his brother had previously taught him.
It was still difficult. That savage power rampaged through him, bringing tearing pain, but at least his consciousness remained clear. He had not lost himself completely.
At that moment, the Saint-level undead fighting Harrington seemed enraged by the pure Dragonblood aura emanating from Linley, which naturally suppressed the undead. Disregarding Harrington's attacks, it diverted one enormous bone claw, wrapped in dense power of the Ed of Death, and struck down at Linley from a distance! If this blow landed, Linley, whose awakening had only just occurred and had yet to stabilize, would absolutely be unable to withstand it!
Headmaster Harrington's expression changed drastically. It was already too late to stop it!
"Hmph!"
An icy snort seemed to ring out from the void.
Lin Yinuo, who had remained concealed all this time, finally acted! He did not choose to confront the Saint-level undead's furious blow head-on. That was beyond his current strength.
His target was the... space between that bone claw and Linley!
He raised both hands slightly, a silver gleam flashing in his eyes as he pushed his understanding of [Space Law Fragment · Ripple] to its limit! Like the most nimble fingers, his spiritual power plucked the inherent "strings" of that patch of space!
Hummm!
In front of the deathly bone claw descending toward Linley, space rippled violently like water and began to distort! Under the influence of those spatial ripples, its originally straight downward trajectory underwent an extremely slight yet crucial deviation!
Boom!
The enormous bone claw brushed past Linley's body and slammed into the empty ground beside him, leaving a bottomless crater. Corrosive death energy spread out, but it failed to harm Linley in the slightest!
This exquisitely precise spatial interference not only saved Linley, but also caused the Saint-level undead's attack to miss, leaving it wide open!
"A perfect opening!" With Headmaster Harrington's wealth of combat experience, how could he miss it? He immediately gathered all his magical power. A Holy Light Judgment Sword, condensed to the utmost, crashed down like heavenly punishment, striking precisely at the soul core the Saint-level undead had exposed when its attack missed!
"Aooo!"
The Saint-level undead let out an utterly agonized wail. Its enormous body shattered inch by inch, finally dissolving into a sky full of bone dust and dispersing resentment. Only a translucent soul crystal containing pure death energy remained.
The crisis was over.
Headmaster Harrington breathed a sigh of relief and looked toward Lin Yinuo's hiding place with a complicated gaze. Though he could see no one, he knew who had just intervened. That miraculous spatial interference had been no coincidence.
Linley, too, dropped to one knee as though drained of all strength, gasping for breath. The illusory scales on his body slowly faded, but his aura stabilized at the middle stage of a rank-seven warrior, carrying the distinctive dominance and weight of a Dragonblood Warrior. He looked toward where the bone claw had struck off course, his eyes filled with gratitude and lingering fear. He knew his brother had protected him at a critical moment once again.
Still without revealing himself, Lin Yinuo transmitted his voice to Headmaster Harrington. "Headmaster, Linley has just awakened and needs to stabilize himself. You shouldn't linger here. Leave first. I'll return shortly."
Headmaster Harrington nodded without asking further questions. He stepped forward to help the weakened Linley up, put away the Saint-level soul crystal, and quickly left the area.
Only after they had gone did Lin Yinuo emerge from hiding and approach the spot where the Saint-level undead had dissipated. He picked up several bone fragments giving off traces of the Ed of Death, then sensed the lingering spatial fluctuations and the chaotic aura from Gebados Prison.
Linley's Bloodline Awakening went smoothly-even earlier than in the original story, with a firmer foundation. Next, it's time to focus on my own goals. I already have Bluefire's coordinates. As for access privileges to the Planar Prison... I need to find a more suitable node.
He glanced in the direction Headmaster Harrington had left, then merged into the spatial fluctuations once more, slipping toward the next area indicated by the Plane Beacon, where the spatial structure was even more unusual.
The hidden hand was already in place, waiting only for the waves to rise again.
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