Ever since Lin Yinuo's casual words had opened his eyes that day, Hogg seemed to have found a purpose in life again. He no longer simply wallowed in past disappointments and lamentations, but devoted much of his energy to the clan's long-neglected library.
During the day, he handled town affairs and taught his two sons basic physical exercises. At night, he read by candlelight, tirelessly searching through fragile, yellowed pages for any clues that might relate to the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline.
Watching the light rekindle in her husband's eyes, Lina felt both reassured and a little worried. All she could do was quietly put even greater care into preparing his meals.
Lin Yinuo took it all in and felt at ease. He knew the seed had been planted; it only needed the right moment to sprout. As for him, he needed to keep building his strength.
Early that morning, dawn had barely broken. While his father napped after spending the entire night awake in the library, his mother prepared breakfast, and his younger brother Linley still slept soundly, Lin Yinuo slipped out of the ancestral manor and made his way to the old locust tree in the center of Wushan Town, which was said to be several hundred years old.
This was where the residents of Wushan Town usually gathered to chat, and it also served as the town's "information center." Lin Yinuo chose to perform today's sign-in here, vaguely hoping for a reward related to the outside world or broader knowledge.
Leaning against the rough trunk, he silently said to himself:
"Sign in."
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, on signing in beneath Wushan Town's landmark, the [Ancient Locust Tree]. Rewards obtained: [Elemental Affinity Testing Crystal (miniature)] and [Supreme Affinity for All Elements]!]
A surge of energy far greater and purer than any previous sign-in reward instantly flooded Lin Yinuo's body! Rather than concentrating in his flesh or soul, it spread gently through him, as though forging an incomparably intimate, harmonious connection with the world around him.
The wind seemed gentler, the fragrance of the earth clearer. Sunlight fell warmly on his skin, and even the distant murmur of the stream sounded especially pleasing... In his perception, the entire world became more vivid and welcoming than ever before!
All elements... supreme?! This...
Despite having prepared himself, Lin Yinuo was still left somewhat dazed by this enormous surprise. In the Coiling Dragon World, elemental affinity was the foundation of magical cultivation. Even supreme affinity was a one-in-ten-thousand rarity. Superb in All Elements... that was practically a talent found only in legends!
At the same time, a thumb-sized, translucent crystal, seemingly containing faint streams of rainbow light, quietly appeared in his inner pocket. It was the [Elemental Affinity Testing Crystal (miniature)].
Just then, a slightly hoarse voice, unable to conceal its excitement, sounded behind him:
"Yinuo? Why are you here all alone?"
Lin Yinuo turned to find that his father, Hogg, had come to stand behind him at some point. His face showed a trace of fatigue, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He held a tattered roll of hide parchment and looked as though he had just come from the library.
"Father," Lin Yinuo greeted him calmly, without panicking.
Hogg hurried forward and crouched down, checking his son over with concern. Only after finding nothing wrong did he breathe a sigh of relief. His gaze was then drawn to a small pebble Lin Yinuo was toying with-no, more precisely, to the indescribable air about Lin Yinuo, so perfectly in harmony with nature.
A moment earlier, when he had stepped outside and seen Lin Yinuo standing beside the Ancient Locust Tree in the morning sunlight, he had experienced the illusion that his son was about to merge into the light and wind.
"You..." Hogg hesitated. Thinking of the materials he had been searching through and all the unusual things about Lin Yinuo since his birth, an idea rose irresistibly in his mind. He took a deep breath and asked as evenly as he could, "Yinuo, lately... have you felt anything unusual about your body? For instance, does the wind around you, the earth beneath your feet, or water and fire feel different somehow?"
Something stirred in Lin Yinuo's heart. He knew the moment had arrived. Tilting his head, he pretended to think, then stretched out his small hand and pointed at a fallen leaf dancing through the air. Its path had been erratic, but now, as though guided by an invisible hand, it spun and settled gently and precisely into Lin Yinuo's open palm.
"It listens," Lin Yinuo said in his childish voice.
Hogg's pupils contracted sharply!
He stared fixedly at the leaf, then looked into his son's utterly clear eyes, which seemed to reflect the entire sky. This was no coincidence! This was... Elemental Sensitivity! And it was so clear, so natural!
Could it be... that besides the Ultimate Warrior bloodline, the Baruch Clan had also produced powerful magi? Or was this Yinuo's own unique talent?
Immense joy and a sense of "just as I thought" washed over Hogg. The hope for his clan's revival lay not only in Dragonblood Warriors, but perhaps in other things as well!
Forcing down his excitement, he drew the miniature testing crystal just obtained from the sign-in out of his clothing (in fact, Lin Yinuo had secretly guided him into touching the pocket). The crystal had a simple, ancient design; one glance was enough to tell it was no ordinary object.
"Yinuo, here, hold this." Hogg's voice trembled slightly as he placed the crystal in Lin Yinuo's hand.
Lin Yinuo held it as instructed.
The next instant-
"Hum!"
The testing crystal suddenly erupted with dazzling brilliance! Scarlet, ocher, deep blue, verdant green, milky white, pitch black... Colors representing earth, water, fire, wind, light, darkness, and even lightning lit up at once, their radiance mingling and turning the space beneath the Ancient Locust Tree into a dreamlike scene in the early morning! Moreover, every color was incomparably pure and rich, saturated to the utmost!
Superb! Superb in All Elements!
Hogg's mouth fell open. The hide scroll in his hand dropped to the ground with a clatter, but he did not even notice. He stared fixedly at the crystal with its shifting rainbow light, breathing rapidly, his chest heaving.
Although he had already sensed what might happen, witnessing this legendary talent revealed before his own eyes still shocked him beyond measure!
"Ha... hahaha!" Hogg abruptly swept Lin Yinuo into his arms, his eyes reddening with excitement. "Heaven has blessed our Baruch Clan! Heaven has blessed our Baruch Clan! Yinuo, my son! You actually have... Superb in All Elements affinity!"
What did this mean? It meant Lin Yinuo possessed the staggering potential to become a Saint-level Magus, or even a Deity-level powerhouse! The rise of the Baruch Clan would no longer depend solely on the elusive awakening of the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline!
"Father?" Lin Yinuo could feel Hogg trembling, a sign of his extreme excitement and rekindled hope.
"Good! Good! Yinuo, don't tell anyone about this for now, not even your mother or younger brother." Hogg soon calmed down and gave him this solemn instruction. He knew full well how much attention and trouble word of such talent would attract. "You need the finest instruction... the Ernst Institute! Yes, only the Ernst Institute, the best on the Yulan Continent, is worthy of teaching my son!"
He picked up the hide scroll from the ground and looked at the indistinct fragments describing an ancestor forming a contract with some powerful magical beast. Then he glanced at his extraordinarily gifted eldest son in his arms, feeling that the path ahead had suddenly opened wide.
He had to continue pursuing the secrets of the Dragonblood Warriors, and he had to nurture his eldest son's magical talent with even greater care!
The two wings of the Baruch Clan were quietly growing strong.
Holding Lin Yinuo, Hogg strode home with firm, powerful steps, his back seeming a little straighter in the morning light. He was already impatient to begin planning his two sons' futures.
Meanwhile, resting against his father's shoulder, Lin Yinuo watched the town awaken in the dawn light, his heart utterly peaceful.
The first step has been taken. The Ernst Institute... Linley, we'll be able to go there together soon. Our era is about to begin.
Before you continue