BOOM!
The mountain exploded.
Hundreds of cultivators descended like a black tide.
Sword lights.
Flame techniques.
Lightning.
Dark spiritual energy.
The entire sky became chaotic.
Ye Xuan stood at the front.
His white hair danced wildly in the storm.
Golden eyes swept across the approaching enemies.
For a brief moment—
he looked completely different from the playful young man who had been joking moments ago.
Cold.
Calm.
Dominating.
Luo Qinghan stood beside him.
Her crimson robes fluttered.
"How many can you handle?"
Ye Xuan glanced at the approaching army.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"How many beautiful women are watching."
Luo Qinghan stared at him.
"...You're shameless."
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Thank you."
"I wasn't complimenting you."
"I'll accept it anyway."
Behind them, Bai Yue covered her face.
"Why does he become like this during serious situations?"
Gu Yuexin smiled.
"Perhaps that's how he handles pressure."
Su Lian sighed.
"Or perhaps he's simply hopeless."
Ye Xuan looked back.
"I heard that."
"Good."
The First Wave
A black-robed cultivator appeared in front of Ye Xuan.
Spirit Sea Fifth Layer.
He raised his palm.
Dark spiritual energy gathered.
"Die."
A black palm descended.
Ye Xuan didn't move.
The attack was only a few meters away when—
BOOM!
A crimson sword beam cut through it.
Luo Qinghan appeared beside him.
"Don't steal all the enemies."
Ye Xuan looked at her.
"You saved me."
"I saved the alliance."
"Same thing."
"No."
Ye Xuan grinned.
"You're becoming shy."
Luo Qinghan's face twitched.
"Fight."
"Yes, ma'am."
He disappeared.
Ye Xuan's Battlefield
BOOM!
Ye Xuan appeared in front of three Black Heaven cultivators.
One Spirit Sea Third Layer.
Two Spirit Sea First Layer.
The three attacked simultaneously.
Ye Xuan stepped sideways.
A sword passed his face.
He grabbed the attacker's wrist.
Crack!
The bone broke.
Before the man could scream—
Ye Xuan's knee struck his chest.
BANG!
The man flew backward.
Another cultivator attacked from behind.
Ye Xuan ducked.
The fist passed above his head.
He turned.
Dragon Emperor Fist.
BOOM!
The second cultivator flew away.
The third tried to escape.
Ye Xuan appeared before him.
The man froze.
"Wait!"
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Too late."
BOOM!
He was sent crashing into the ground.
Ye Xuan looked around.
"Anyone else?"
Five cultivators immediately charged.
Ye Xuan's eyes brightened.
"Excellent."
The Moon Fox Appears
Five attacks descended simultaneously.
Ye Xuan's body blurred.
Moon Fox Illusion.
Nine silver figures appeared.
The enemies froze.
"Which one is real?"
"Attack all of them!"
"Don't let him escape!"
The five cultivators attacked wildly.
Illusions shattered one after another.
But every time one disappeared—
another appeared.
Ye Xuan moved silently between them.
His movements became increasingly difficult to track.
One cultivator suddenly screamed.
"Behind you!"
The others turned.
Too late.
Ye Xuan's fist had already arrived.
BOOM!
Another fell.
Then another.
Within moments—
all five were unconscious.
Ye Xuan landed gracefully.
He brushed dust from his sleeve.
"That was easy."
[The system agrees.]
Ye Xuan almost laughed.
Finally, something nice from you.
[The system merely stated a fact.]
I'll take it.
The Battlefield Changes
Suddenly—
the sky darkened.
A massive black formation appeared above the battlefield.
Luo Qinghan looked upward.
"Everyone, retreat!"
Ye Xuan looked at her.
"What's that?"
"Black Heaven Formation!"
Her expression was serious.
"It can suppress cultivation."
Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed.
The formation descended.
BOOM!
A strange pressure enveloped everyone.
Luo Qinghan's cultivation suddenly dropped.
From Spirit Sea Ninth Layer—
to Spirit Sea Seventh Layer.
Bai Yue's cultivation dropped even further.
Su Lian gritted her teeth.
"This formation..."
Ye Xuan felt his own cultivation being suppressed.
But—
something strange happened.
The pressure reached his body.
The Primordial Chaos Physique reacted.
A faint chaotic light appeared beneath his skin.
The suppression weakened.
Ye Xuan's eyes flashed.
Interesting.
The System appeared.
[The host's Primordial Chaos Physique is resisting the suppression.]
How much?
[Approximately eighty-seven percent.]
Ye Xuan smiled.
Then I'll use the remaining thirteen percent as training.
[The host has strange hobbies.]
You should know me by now.
[Unfortunately.]
The Masked Man
The masked man slowly descended.
His aura was terrifying.
Even Luo Qinghan's expression became serious.
He looked at Ye Xuan.
"You."
Ye Xuan pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Do I know you?"
"No."
"Then you're staring rather intensely."
The masked man's voice became cold.
"You carry the aura of the ancient bloodlines."
Ye Xuan's smile faded.
"Which bloodlines?"
The masked man didn't answer.
Instead—
he raised his hand.
Black chains appeared from the ground.
SHING!
They shot toward Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan used Spatial Step.
The chains followed.
He jumped.
More chains appeared.
He dodged.
The chains suddenly changed direction.
One wrapped around his ankle.
Ye Xuan's eyes widened.
"That's annoying."
He grabbed the chain.
Purple lightning surged through his arm.
BOOM!
The chain shattered.
The masked man's eyes narrowed.
"Thunder Spirit Bone..."
Ye Xuan froze.
He recognized it.
The masked man continued.
"And that physique..."
His voice became increasingly uncertain.
"Impossible."
Ye Xuan's expression became cold.
"You're very talkative."
He disappeared.
Close Combat
Ye Xuan appeared directly in front of the masked man.
His fist moved.
The masked man blocked with one palm.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted.
Ye Xuan was forced backward.
He landed.
The masked man didn't move.
Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes.
"You're strong."
"You're weaker than expected."
"That's rude."
The masked man attacked.
His palm contained terrifying black energy.
Ye Xuan crossed his arms.
BOOM!
His body flew backward.
He crashed through three ancient trees.
Su Lian's expression changed.
"Ye Xuan!"
Luo Qinghan immediately attacked the masked man.
CLANG!
Her sword collided with his palm.
The masked man retreated.
Luo Qinghan stood between him and Ye Xuan.
"Don't underestimate him."
The masked man looked at her.
"Spirit Sea Ninth Layer."
"Interesting."
Then—
Ye Xuan walked out from the destroyed trees.
His clothes were damaged.
Blood covered his shoulder.
But he was smiling.
Luo Qinghan looked at him.
"Are you okay?"
Ye Xuan nodded.
"Fine."
She sighed.
"You were sent flying through three trees."
"I've had worse."
"When?"
"Just now."
She stared at him.
"...You're impossible."
Ye Xuan laughed.
The Hidden Power
Ye Xuan looked at the masked man.
He knew he couldn't defeat this person through ordinary techniques.
The opponent was probably at least
Spirit Core Realm
.
Possibly higher.
Yet Ye Xuan's heart wasn't afraid.
Instead—
he felt excited.
His bloodlines were reacting.
His Primordial Chaos Physique was becoming active.
The Golden Azure Dragon Emperor Bloodline roared inside him.
The Moon Fox bloodline trembled.
And the Thunder Spirit Bone released an intense purple light.
Three powers.
Three different inheritances.
Ye Xuan suddenly remembered the System's previous reward.
Supreme Bloodline Fusion.
He hadn't been able to permanently fuse them.
But perhaps—
he could partially synchronize them.
System.
[Present.]
Can I combine their powers temporarily?
A pause.
[Possible.]
Ye Xuan's eyes brightened.
How long?
[Approximately three minutes.]
Side effects?
[Severe physical exhaustion.]
Anything worse?
[Potential bloodline instability.]
Ye Xuan's expression became serious.
Can I survive it?
[The probability is high.]
High isn't very reassuring.
[The system is not responsible for the host's reckless decisions.]
Ye Xuan smiled.
Do it.
[Beginning temporary bloodline synchronization.]
Three Bloodlines
BOOM!
Golden-blue light erupted.
Purple thunder exploded around Ye Xuan.
Silver moonlight spread across the battlefield.
The three energies began merging.
The air trembled.
Everyone stopped fighting.
Even the masked man stared.
"What..."
Ye Xuan's hair turned brighter.
His golden eyes developed a faint silver ring.
Nine silver tails appeared behind him.
But this time—
they were surrounded by purple lightning.
A golden-blue dragon phantom coiled around his body.
Thunder roared.
The battlefield fell silent.
Luo Qinghan stared.
"What kind of technique is that?"
Ye Xuan smiled.
"Something I recently learned."
He couldn't tell her the truth.
Nobody could know.
The masked man's voice became unusually tense.
"No..."
"That combination..."
He stepped backward.
For the first time—
fear appeared in his eyes.
"You shouldn't possess those bloodlines."
Ye Xuan noticed immediately.
He knows.
The masked man suddenly turned toward his subordinates.
"Withdraw!"
The Black Heaven cultivators froze.
"What?"
"Immediately!"
The masked man looked at Ye Xuan.
"Before he completely awakens..."
"We leave."
Ye Xuan's eyes narrowed.
"Awakens?"
Before he could ask—
the masked man tore open a spatial passage.
He entered.
The remaining Black Heaven cultivators immediately retreated.
Within moments—
they disappeared.
The battlefield became silent.
Aftermath
Ye Xuan's bloodline synchronization ended.
The golden-blue light faded.
The silver tails disappeared.
The purple lightning vanished.
Ye Xuan's body suddenly became weak.
His knees almost buckled.
Su Lian caught him.
"Ye Xuan!"
He leaned against her shoulder.
"I'm fine."
She frowned.
"You're clearly not fine."
"I'm just tired."
"You scared me."
Ye Xuan looked at her.
Her eyes were filled with genuine worry.
He smiled softly.
"Sorry."
Su Lian looked away.
"Don't do it again."
"I'll try."
"That's not an answer."
Ye Xuan chuckled.
"Then..."
He lowered his voice.
"I'll come back alive every time."
Su Lian looked at him.
For a moment—
neither spoke.
Then Bai Yue shouted:
"Are you two planning to flirt during a battlefield?"
Su Lian immediately turned red.
"We weren't flirting!"
Ye Xuan smiled.
"I wasn't."
Bai Yue pointed at him.
"You absolutely were!"
Gu Yuexin laughed softly.
Even Luo Qinghan couldn't hide her smile.
The tense atmosphere finally relaxed.
The Silver Ring
Ye Xuan suddenly felt something warm around his finger.
The silver ring Yue Li had given him.
It was glowing.
A tiny violet symbol appeared on its surface.
Then—
a voice only Ye Xuan could hear whispered:
"Upper Realm."
Ye Xuan's expression changed.
The voice continued.
"When you reach the Upper Realm..."
"Come to the Moon Palace."
The light disappeared.
Ye Xuan stared at the ring.
He didn't understand.
But one thing was certain.
The Ancient Thunder Palace wasn't simply an inheritance site.
And Yue Li wasn't simply an ancient remnant.
There was something much larger waiting beyond the Lower Realm.
But not yet.
He still had a long way to go.
[Special Check-In Opportunity Detected.]
Ye Xuan's eyes brightened.
Already?
[Ancient Thunder Palace successfully cleared.]
[Special Check-In available.]
Ye Xuan smiled.
Let's see what you've prepared for me.
[Special Check-In Reward:]
[Thirty Years of Cultivation.]
[Additional Reward: Thunder Dragon Blood Essence.]
[Additional Reward: Supreme Bloodline Fusion Talent.]
Ye Xuan's eyes shone.
His journey through the Ancient Thunder Palace—
had finally come to an end.
But the moment he turned toward the others—
a beautiful woman in a pale blue robe descended from the sky.
Her aura was calm.
Her eyes were cold.
She looked directly at Ye Xuan.
Then at Su Lian.
"Which one of you is Ye Xuan?"
Ye Xuan raised his hand.
"I am."
The woman looked at him.
Then said calmly—
"Your master is looking for you."
Ye Xuan blinked.
"My master?"
She nodded.
"She ordered you to return to the sect immediately."
Ye Xuan looked at the destroyed battlefield.
Then at the woman.
Then at Su Lian.
He sighed.
"Looks like my peaceful vacation is over."
Bai Yue laughed.
"You never had a peaceful vacation."
Ye Xuan nodded.
"Fair."
He looked toward the distant horizon.
The Ancient Thunder Palace slowly disappeared behind them.
His eyes became determined.
The first great adventure of his cultivation journey—
was coming to an end.
But before returning to the Heavenly Frost Sect...
Ye Xuan had no idea that the next phase of his life—
would completely change his position within the sect.