The enormous head emerged completely from the clouds.
Ye Xuan stood frozen.
For the first time since entering the Azure Ancient Secret Realm, he didn't feel excitement.
He felt pressure.
Pure, overwhelming pressure.
Even breathing had become difficult.
Su Lian's face had turned pale.
"Junior Brother..."
Ye Xuan looked at her.
"Run."
She stared at him.
"What?"
"Take Little Snow and run."
"What about you?"
Ye Xuan smiled.
"I'll follow."
Su Lian immediately shook her head.
"No."
Her voice was firm.
"I'm not leaving you."
Ye Xuan's expression softened.
"Senior Sister, this isn't the time to be stubborn."
"I'm not being stubborn."
She tightened her grip around her sword.
"I'm your senior sister."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"If something happens, I'll protect you."
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"You're really troublesome."
"So are you."
Little Snow suddenly poked its head out.
"Run?"
Ye Xuan nodded.
"Yes."
"Good idea."
The Black Horned Bear immediately stood.
Even the enormous beast seemed frightened.
That alone told Ye Xuan how terrifying their opponent was.
The creature descended.
The clouds split apart.
Its enormous body finally became visible.
It looked like a dragon—
but not quite.
Its body was covered in dark-golden scales.
Four enormous horns grew from its head.
Its wings stretched across the sky.
Every movement caused thunder to rumble.
Yet its aura was strange.
Not purely demonic.
Not purely draconic.
Something ancient.
Something that didn't belong in the Lower Realm.
Ye Xuan's system suddenly appeared.
[Scanning...]
[Scanning...]
[Error.]
Ye Xuan's expression changed.
"Again."
[Scanning...]
[Error.]
[The system cannot determine the creature's cultivation.]
Ye Xuan's face became serious.
This was the first time the system had failed to analyze an opponent completely.
The creature looked down at him.
Its enormous golden eyes narrowed.
"You..."
The voice echoed directly inside Ye Xuan's mind.
"You carry two ancient bloodline auras."
Ye Xuan remained silent.
The creature continued.
"One is familiar."
Its gaze became sharper.
"The other should not exist."
Ye Xuan frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The creature ignored the question.
Instead, its gaze moved toward the sky.
Then back to Ye Xuan.
"Who gave you that blood?"
Ye Xuan smiled bitterly.
"I honestly don't know."
The creature stared.
For several seconds—
Nothing happened.
Then it laughed.
"Interesting."
The sound shook the entire mountain range.
Suddenly—
The creature raised one claw.
Su Lian immediately shouted,
"Junior Brother!"
Ye Xuan's Battle Instinct activated.
His body moved before his mind could react.
Spatial Step!
He grabbed Su Lian's waist.
"Hold on."
Her eyes widened.
"Y-Ye Xuan?"
"Sorry."
Before she could respond—
BOOM!
The claw descended.
The mountain exploded.
A gigantic crater appeared where they had been standing.
Ye Xuan reappeared hundreds of meters away.
He released Su Lian.
She immediately steadied herself.
Her face was slightly red.
"You..."
Ye Xuan smiled.
"You're welcome."
"I wasn't thanking you."
"Still sounded grateful."
She glared at him.
"Now isn't the time for jokes!"
Ye Xuan looked at the enormous crater.
The smile disappeared.
"You're right."
His golden eyes became cold.
"That attack..."
He clenched his fist.
"If it had hit us directly, we'd be dead."
Su Lian nodded.
"We have to escape."
Ye Xuan looked around.
The entire valley was sealed by an invisible pressure.
"We can't."
"What?"
He pointed toward the sky.
"Look."
A dark-golden barrier had appeared around the area.
The creature had sealed the entire region.
Su Lian's expression became grim.
"Then..."
Ye Xuan looked at the beast.
"We negotiate."
Ye Xuan stepped forward.
The pressure nearly forced him to his knees.
His Golden Azure Dragon Emperor Bloodline immediately activated.
Golden-blue energy circulated through his body.
The pressure weakened slightly.
The beast noticed.
Its eyes narrowed.
"You can resist my pressure?"
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Apparently."
"Interesting."
The creature lowered its head.
"Tell me your name."
"Ye Xuan."
The beast repeated it.
"Ye Xuan..."
Then it asked,
"Which clan?"
"None."
"Which ancient family?"
"None."
"Which inheritance?"
Ye Xuan hesitated.
"The Nine-Tailed Moon Fox."
The beast suddenly became silent.
Its enormous pupils contracted.
"Moon Fox?"
Ye Xuan nodded.
The creature stared at him.
Then its expression changed.
For the first time—
It looked genuinely shocked.
"Impossible."
Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
The beast slowly lowered its head.
"The Moon Fox bloodline vanished countless years ago."
Ye Xuan's expression changed.
"Vanished?"
"Yes."
The creature looked at the faint silver light beneath Ye Xuan's skin.
"And yet it is sleeping within you."
Ye Xuan immediately remembered the silver-haired woman.
Yue Li.
Her strange expression.
How can you possess...
He hadn't understood what she meant.
Now—
he was beginning to suspect that the Moon Fox bloodline wasn't an ordinary inheritance.
The creature suddenly asked,
"Have you met her?"
Ye Xuan froze.
"Who?"
The beast's gaze became terrifying.
"Yue Li."
Ye Xuan's heart skipped.
"You know her?"
The creature remained silent.
Then—
"So she really chose you."
Ye Xuan's expression became serious.
"What does that mean?"
The beast slowly closed its eyes.
"Nothing you need to know yet."
Ye Xuan almost laughed.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
The creature opened one eye.
"Because you are too weak."
"..."
Ye Xuan's face twitched.
He didn't like hearing that.
Especially from a giant monster.
He crossed his arms.
"Then tell me how to become stronger."
The creature stared at him.
Then laughed.
"Bold."
It lowered its enormous head.
"Very well."
Ye Xuan's eyes brightened.
But the creature continued—
"Survive."
Ye Xuan blinked.
"That's it?"
"If you cannot survive the Lower Realm, there is no point speaking of anything beyond it."
Ye Xuan became silent.
The creature's gaze became deeper.
"The path ahead will become much more dangerous."
"You will encounter beings stronger than yourself."
"You will lose."
"You will suffer."
"And sometimes..."
The creature paused.
"...you will have to choose who survives."
Ye Xuan's smile disappeared.
The words were heavier than he expected.
He nodded.
"I understand."
The creature looked satisfied.
"Good."
Then it raised its claw.
A small golden scale detached from its body.
The scale floated toward Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan caught it.
[Ding!]
[Unknown Ancient Scale detected.]
[Unable to identify.]
Ye Xuan looked at the scale.
"What is this?"
The creature answered.
"A protection."
"How strong?"
"It can protect you once."
Ye Xuan's eyes widened.
"From what?"
The creature's golden eyes flashed.
"An attack from a Saint Realm cultivator."
Ye Xuan immediately stored it.
"Thank you."
The creature smiled.
"Don't thank me."
"You will repay it someday."
Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed.
"What do you want?"
The creature turned away.
"When you reach the Upper Realm..."
Its voice became faint.
"...you'll understand."
Ye Xuan sighed.
"Again with the Upper Realm."
The creature laughed.
Then—
its enormous body began disappearing into the clouds.
Before leaving, it looked back.
"Ye Xuan."
"Yes?"
"Do not reveal the Moon Fox bloodline."
Ye Xuan's expression changed.
"Why?"
The creature's eyes became cold.
"Because there are people who have been searching for it for a very long time."
The next moment—
The creature disappeared.
The dark-golden barrier vanished.
Silence returned.
Ye Xuan stood motionless.
Su Lian walked toward him.
"Junior Brother."
"Hm?"
"What did that creature tell you?"
Ye Xuan looked at her.
He hesitated.
Then smiled.
"Nothing important."
Su Lian stared at him.
"You don't look like someone who heard nothing important."
Ye Xuan laughed.
"You're observant."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
He looked toward the sky.
"There are simply some things I need to figure out myself."
Su Lian was silent.
Then she nodded.
"Fine."
She didn't press him.
Instead, she gently said,
"But don't carry everything alone."
Ye Xuan looked at her.
She smiled.
"You have senior brothers and sisters."
"And Master."
Her voice softened.
"So if you're in trouble..."
She paused.
"Tell us."
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Thank you."
Su Lian nodded.
Then—
Little Snow suddenly jumped onto Ye Xuan's shoulder.
"Carrot."
Ye Xuan's expression became blank.
"You ruined the moment."
Su Lian burst out laughing.
Several Hours Later
The secret realm had become chaotic.
The ancient beast's appearance had triggered a massive disturbance.
Countless spirit beasts had fled from their territories.
Several ancient ruins had opened.
And many disciples had begun fighting over newly exposed treasures.
Ye Xuan and Su Lian eventually reunited with the other Heavenly Frost Sect disciples.
Bai Yue immediately ran toward him.
"Ye Xuan!"
She grabbed his shoulders.
"Are you injured?"
"I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
She examined him from head to toe.
Then sighed.
"Good."
Ye Xuan smiled.
"You were worried about me too?"
Bai Yue froze.
"I..."
Her face turned red.
"Of course I was!"
Then she realized what she had said.
She quickly turned away.
"I mean, you're a fellow disciple!"
Ye Xuan grinned.
"Of course."
Bai Yue narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing."
"You are definitely thinking something."
"No."
"You're lying."
"Maybe."
Bai Yue punched his shoulder.
"Annoying!"
Ye Xuan laughed.
Gu Yuexin arrived shortly afterward.
She looked at Ye Xuan.
"You survived."
Ye Xuan nodded.
"Disappointed?"
She smiled.
"Quite the opposite."
She stepped closer.
"I heard that an unknown ancient beast appeared."
"Yes."
"You encountered it?"
Ye Xuan hesitated.
"Briefly."
Gu Yuexin's purple eyes studied him.
"You changed."
Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"Your aura."
She looked at his golden eyes.
"It's different."
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Maybe I'm becoming more handsome."
Gu Yuexin laughed.
"You were already arrogant."
"Was?"
"Still are."
Their eyes met.
For a moment—
Neither spoke.
Then Bai Yue suddenly stepped between them.
"Enough."
Ye Xuan looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Gu Yuexin smiled.
"Interesting."
Bai Yue glared at her.
Ye Xuan looked between them.
Then quietly whispered—
"This feels dangerous."
The system appeared.
[The system agrees.]
That night, Ye Xuan sat alone beside a campfire.
Everyone else had gone to sleep.
Little Snow was curled up beside him.
The Black Horned Bear rested nearby.
Ye Xuan looked at the golden scale in his hand.
Then at the system interface.
Cultivation: Body Tempering Seventh Layer
Physique: Primordial Chaos Physique
Bloodline: Golden Azure Dragon Emperor Bloodline
Secondary Bloodline: Nine-Tailed Moon Fox Fragment
Talent: Supreme Talent
Skills:
Spatial Step
Heavenly Alchemy Eye
Moon Fox Illusion
Bloodline Fusion
Ye Xuan smiled.
He had come into this world with nothing.
Now—
He had a powerful master.
A growing cultivation.
A powerful physique.
A mysterious bloodline.
A strange system.
Spirit beasts.
Friends.
And perhaps...
A few girls who were becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
He leaned back.
"Not bad."
The system appeared.
[Daily Check-In available.]
Ye Xuan's eyes immediately lit up.
"It's midnight already?"
[Yes.]
"Check in."
DING!
The system interface flashed.
[Daily Check-In Successful.]
[Reward: 10,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.]
Ye Xuan nodded.
"Nice."
Then another notification appeared.
[Special Reward Detected.]
Ye Xuan sat upright.
"Again?"
[Yes.]
[Reward: Unknown Egg.]
A small black-and-gold egg appeared in his inventory.
Ye Xuan stared at it.
"What is this?"
[Unknown.]
Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed.
"You don't know?"
[Correct.]
He smiled.
"Fine."
He looked at the mysterious egg.
"Let's see what hatches."
The egg suddenly trembled.
Tap.
Ye Xuan froze.
Tap.
Little Snow woke up.
"Food?"
"Not food."
Crack.
A tiny golden crack appeared across the egg.
Ye Xuan's expression became serious.
Something was inside.
Something alive.
And whatever it was—
The system couldn't identify it.
For the first time since arriving in this world...
Ye Xuan felt genuinely curious.
Then—
A tiny voice came from inside the egg.
"Hungry..."
Ye Xuan stared.
Little Snow stared.
The system went silent.
Ye Xuan slowly covered his face.
"...Not another one."
Crack.
The egg trembled again.
And somewhere in the darkness of the Azure Ancient Secret Realm—
Something ancient opened its eyes.