Taking without asking was theft. Plundering another person's bloodline—how was that any different from blocking their Dao path?
Once Shen Yun's killing intent arose, he acted like thunder and lightning.
Spiritual energy swirled over the pool's surface, reducing visibility to less than a hundred meters. Like a silent ghost, he rapidly closed in on Ye Chen's location.
Su Yu'er was still cultivating foolishly, completely unaware that her bloodline was being stolen.
"Shen Yun just helped me, so that evens the score once. Once this auntie's Dao body reaches Greater Achievement, I'll only give him two bumps on the head."
A faint smile hung on her lips. As she imagined the splendid sight of defeating Shen Yun, even the pain of tempering her body eased by a few points.
"Why has circulating the Indestructible Wind and Thunder Body become sluggish? Could it be that something went wrong with my cultivation?"
Tantai Jing revealed a suspicious expression. Yet after inspecting himself, he found nothing at all and slowly dismissed his doubts.
Murong Xue's willow brows slightly furrowed, light flickering in her indifferent eyes.
"There's something wrong with this Dragon Blood Pool."
Her tone was incomparably certain. After investigating again, she became even more convinced of her judgment.
Then her body slowly rose, as though an invisible force had lifted her onto the water's surface.
Azure droplets fell softly, stirring several concentric circles across the tranquil surface and disrupting its reflection.
"Sure enough, once I leave the Dragon Blood Pool, that feeling disappears."
Murong Xue gazed into the distance and murmured softly, "There are absolutely no traces to follow. Just who is making a move?"
Ye Chen stood within the pool as an endless stream of bloodline essence merged into his physical body.
Centered on him, a powerful aura spread in every direction—majestic, vast, invincible... like a king descending.
"Flood Dragon Bloodline. I've finally reached this realm."
Ye Chen was brimming with pride. During this period, everything had gone smoothly for him, and his gains had been abundant.
Just as the saying went: when the time came, Heaven and Earth lent their strength; when fortune departed, even heroes could not act freely.
Ever since the day the Ye Family had been reduced to ashes, his good fortune had flowed without end. This trip to the Dragon Blood Pool had not only transformed his bloodline into Flood Dragon Bloodline, but also raised his cultivation to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. It could truly be called double happiness arriving at the door.
"Huh!? The Ice Mist Power in the bloodline essence has suddenly decreased. Could Murong Xue have discovered it?"
Ye Chen was slightly surprised, but his movements did not stop.
"The Nameless Technique steals the creation of Heaven and Earth. Even Golden Core experts failed to discover me before. Murong Xue probably only sensed something unusual. It is not worth mentioning."
Ye Chen began to speculate, and a slight sense of urgency rose within him.
"Tantai Jing's Power of Wind and Lightning is of great use to the Flood Dragon Bloodline. I absolutely cannot let such a Heaven-bestowed opportunity slip away."
His heart hardened, and he began burning spiritual energy to increase his absorption efficiency. Going all out, he vowed to squeeze every last drop of Tantai Jing's value dry.
Shen Yun took in the entire scene. Using the Qi Concealment Technique, he hid within the spiritual mist, and Ye Chen could not detect his presence at all.
Ruthless toward others and ruthless toward himself too. He truly is someone worth noting.
Shen Yun fixed his eyes on Ye Chen, suppressing his aura as he waited for Ye Chen to enter deep meditation...
What a pity that you offended me!
Terrifying spiritual sense turned into a heavenly blade, erupting with dazzling brilliance in an instant!
The naked eye could not possibly catch it. The instant the thought arose, the blade's edge had already arrived to kill.
Like a peerless assassin who had lain in ambush for three days, it struck with a heaven-shaking blow when its prey let down its guard.
He spared no effort, as if he intended to accomplish everything in a single battle, without holding back in the slightest.
Shen Yun's spiritual sense had broken through again. This strike had already crossed beyond the Qi Refining Realm and reached an entirely new level.
Why do I suddenly feel so uneasy? Could something have happened?
All of a sudden, alarm bells blared in Ye Chen's heart. This sixth sense had helped him escape danger several times before, even allowing him to kill his opponents in return.
But this time, he had encountered Shen Yun. The Spiritual Sense Heavenly Blade was even faster than his thoughts.
Ye Chen's Spiritual Platform was like butter meeting a hot knife, melting in an instant. Even his pain nerves could not keep up with such extreme speed.
By the time he screamed, another blade had already slashed across his heart.
His spiritual sense was like a wrecking ball, wreaking havoc through his bloodline. In but an instant, it severed all of the Flood Dragon Bloodline he had cultivated for so long.
His newly broken-through Qi Refining Seventh Layer also instantly fell due to his unstable foundation.
His spirit, bloodline, and realm—the three as one—were simultaneously struck hard. He was directly beaten into a half-cripple, his injuries several times worse than Shangguan Mo's.
"Who was it? Who destroyed my Dao path? I will not live under the same sky as you!"
Ye Chen let out a hysterical roar. His anger seemed to turn substantial, blazing fiercely above his head.
Such a huge disturbance also drew the attention of the others. An old man with white hair and beard appeared out of thin air, and his powerful aura instantly stilled the turmoil.
"Who is so outrageously bold as to dare make a move in the Dragon Blood Pool? Are they trying to make an enemy of Great Zhou?"
The old man's Astral Robe fluttered despite the absence of wind. His powerful spiritual sense radiated outward, yet even after half a minute, he still detected no clues.
The moment Shen Yun's strike landed, he left without hesitation, having no intention of lingering in battle. He hid his achievements and fame deep away.
Throughout the entire process, he had concealed his aura with the Qi Concealment Technique. The killing move unleashed through his spiritual sense was formless and intangible, making him even more professional than a gold-medal assassin.
Two days passed silently...
"I've finally cultivated the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body to a minor accomplishment. It's all thanks to the Dragon Blood Pool."
Shen Yun let out a long breath. With Ye Chen no longer causing trouble, his cultivation progress had advanced by a thousand miles each day.
Perhaps not even the Great Zhou Ancestor had imagined that one could temper the physical body with Five Elements Spiritual Power at the same time. Only Shen Yun's Divine Comprehension, combined with Fang Tianyi's peerless Dao technique, could create such a miracle.
He left the Dragon Blood Pool at an unhurried pace, only to find the outside world already in complete uproar.
The shore was surrounded layer upon layer by imperial guards clad in golden armor. At the very least, all of them were in the Late Qi Refining Stage, holding fine second-rank Flying Swords. Their solemn Killing Aura was enough to make people tremble at the mere sound of it.
The old man in the Astral Robe looked at Shen Yun with eyes like torches. After examining him for a moment, he said, "Not him."
At those words, everyone shifted their gazes and continued watching the entrance to the Dragon Blood Pool.
Shen Yun was not surprised in the slightest. Walking over to Zhou Ziyou, he asked, "What happened?"
Zhou Ziyou looked grave. "Someone carried out an assassination in the Dragon Blood Pool. Even Second Imperial Uncle has been alarmed."
The old man's identity was far from ordinary. He was the elder brother of the current Human Emperor. Having long ceased involving himself in worldly affairs, he had remained in the Dragon Blood Pool comprehending the Supreme Great Dao.
Shen Yun raised a brow, looking greatly surprised as he asked in a solemn tone, "Who was assassinated?"
"It was Ye Chen," Zhou Ziyou said slowly. "That assassin was truly vicious. He blew apart Ye Chen's Spiritual Platform, and his bloodline has been completely ruined. In the future, he will probably only be able to remain in the Qi Refining Realm."
"What a terrifying assassin. What kind of hatred was that?"
Shen Yun's expression changed slightly, as if he had been frightened. Yet inwardly, he sighed, As expected of someone carrying great fortune. He truly is hard to kill.
Second Imperial Uncle appeared calm and composed, but he had actually been secretly observing Shen Yun's reactions the entire time. Seeing this, all of his suspicions vanished.
"All four have come out, and none of them have any issues. It seems an assassin from outside infiltrated the Dragon Blood Pool."
Second Imperial Uncle made his judgment, though his heart felt chilled.
To infiltrate the Dragon Blood Pool without anyone noticing, such cultivation was surely enough to shake Heaven and make ghosts weep. The threat to Great Zhou was simply too great.
Afterward, all of Shuntian City was placed under martial law. Even a fly entering or leaving had to undergo strict inspection.
Ye Chen received emergency treatment at the Sacred Doctor's Workshop for three days before all of his external injuries were finally healed.
"Your bloodline has been crippled. There are four penetrating cracks in your Spiritual Platform. Even an Immortal Dao Great Power would likely be helpless."
"For the rest of your life, the most you can reach is the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Find a place and spend the remainder of your years well."
Hearing the physician's words, Ye Chen felt as though he had been struck by a bolt from a clear sky. He remained motionless for a long time.
Only when a woman of peerless elegance came to find him did focus return to his pupils.
"My apologies, Ninth Princess. I've let you see me in such a sorry state."
Ye Chen forced a smile, no longer possessing his former high spirits.
The Ninth Princess's gaze was incomparably deep. Looking at Ye Chen, she said gently, "Go to the Lone Swan Sword Sect. They may be able to help you there."
Seeing Ye Chen's somewhat dim expression, her tone grew stern. "In my heart, you are a genius who never admits defeat and repeatedly creates miracles. Could it be that this predicament has knocked you down?"
Ye Chen took a deep breath and said seriously, "I will not give up on the Sword Sect's assessment."
He rallied once more and gazed at the rising sun. That was the direction of the Lone Swan Sword Sect.
The Ninth Princess looked deeply at him, her thoughts churning. Just who is it that can actually damage Hidden Dragon Destiny? It seems Tianlan Prefecture's peaceful days will not last much longer.
Before you continue