Ao Sheng, who had been enchanted by the night view and starlight, started at the mention of his name. The name Ao Sheng now sounded foreign yet strangely natural to his ears. He responded immediately, standing straighter behind his Senior. The spiritual wind brushed against his tattered robes, making him feel as if the fabric had been transformed into celestial silk.

  "Senior," Ao Sheng replied, his voice now steady and no longer filled with tremors of fear. He gazed at Zhi Xuan’s upright back, a silhouette adorned with white jade that defied the darkness of the night.

  He took a deep breath; the scent of spiritual spices from the Zhao State was replaced by the thin, cold aroma of mountain air. "My Father and Mother... they were not killed by the Shi Clan. They fled from the Shi Clan because they were treated like servants, and they sealed my Bloodline when I was still a child."

  Ao Sheng continued, his voice gradually filling with a cold bitterness, an old story he now dared to voice before a figure who radiated true authority. "The Shi Clan is a clan dominated by the Water Snake bloodline. They despise the purity of the Dragon. My Father was a very powerful Dragon, but my mother was an ordinary human from the Shi Clan."

  "They forbade the Dragon Bloodline from leading the Shi Clan and placed Blood Seals across my entire body, making me unable to step further than the Divine Wheel realm. They wanted me to live under oppression and function as a guardian of the Black Dragon Tomb. They believed the dignity of the Dragon would defile their Water Snake bloodline."

  Zhi Xuan opened his sapphire eyes, a flash of cold calculation crossing them. He did not turn around, but the aura around him became denser, as if he were digesting the foolishness he had just heard.

  "A Water Snake bloodline claiming to be defiled by the Golden Dragon Bloodline," Zhi Xuan murmured, his tone flat yet full of mockery. "They suppress a lineage that could carry them to the heavens for the sake of mortal arrogance. A classic stupidity."

  Ao Sheng nodded vaguely before exhaling a heavy sigh. "In the past, I did not know I possessed the Golden Dragon bloodline. I was born in the form of a Dragon, not a Human. However, my Father had already sealed me and turned me into a Human. And my horns..."

  Ao Sheng cut off his voice, unable to continue the painful memory of the Shi Clan members cutting his horns and then placing an illusion there to make him appear like an ordinary human. He clenched his fists tightly and bowed his head deeply.

  "Your horns," Zhi Xuan murmured. His tone remained indifferent, yet the subtle vibration in his voice showed he understood the brutality of the act, committed even when Ao Sheng was just a toddler. Cutting a dragon's horns was equivalent to uprooting its spiritual foundation, an insult that transcended death.

  "The Shi Clan cut them when I was only three years old, when they knew I was starting to show signs of Bloodline awakening," Ao Sheng continued. Now he was able to lift his head, his eyes filled with a suppressed fire of anger. "They planted the Thousand Blood Snake Seal inside the severed horns, a seal that restricts my cultivation, allowing me only to cultivate up to the Divine Wheel realm and ensuring I cannot step into the First Ember. They wanted me to remain the guardian of the Black Dragon Tomb forever."

  "So, the Black Dragon Tomb is for those snakes who wish to become Dragons?" Zhi Xuan concluded, his tone turning sharp, like a sword strike cleaving through ignorance. He finally turned, looking at Ao Sheng and seeing the embers burning in the youth's eyes.

  Ao Sheng nodded firmly, the fire of anger burning behind his eyes. The spiritual wind from the Seven Star Boat that split the sky hit his face, but he did not flinch.

  "Correct, Senior. It is the tomb of the ancestors of the Black Dragon Clan," Ao Sheng replied, his voice filled with deep disgust as he tightly held the ancient wooden box in his arms. "The Shi Clan, as I have said, uses me as a key to awaken the bloodline of their own descendants. They intend to take over the Black Dragon Tomb entirely using me."

  Zhi Xuan stared at Ao Sheng for a moment. He saw the determination now burning in Ao Sheng's eyes—a determination far more valuable than a thousand Spiritual Stones. He saw a perfect pawn who had now been enlightened regarding his Destiny.

  "Bloodline awakening," Zhi Xuan murmured. He glanced briefly toward the Heaven Mirror Lake, which was beginning to appear as a shimmering dark disc in the distance, surrounded by silent mountains. "We will do it. How old are you now?"

  Ao Sheng was startled by the question. He was not used to being asked about his age, as his life had been a series of painful years under the shackles of the Shi Clan. However, before the Senior who gave him a new name and a promise of restoration, he answered honestly.

  "Fifteen years old, Senior," Ao Sheng replied, his tone slightly shy. This age, for a cultivator of the Divine Wheel realm, was not extraordinary, but it was not young either. "I was once sealed for a period of time, causing my age to stop at that point."

  Zhi Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly and then smiled thinly. "Fifteen years old, quite good. I reached the Divine Wheel when I was seventeen. You are more of a genius than I was."

  Zhi Xuan turned to face the Heaven Mirror Lake, which was now clearly visible, like a black jewel set in the middle of a velvet carpet. The surface of the lake was calm, reflecting the distant starlight with perfect fidelity. However, Zhi Xuan knew that the tranquility was merely a thin layer hiding ancient seals and the rotting ambitions of the Shi Clan.

  The Seven Star Boat, at a speed that challenged the heavens, slowed down and began to glide down from the heights, moving like a bird of prey about to land on the water's surface. Zhi Xuan moved his finger, and the Seven Star Boat immediately emitted a finer aura of spiritual essence, masking its presence in the air to ensure the divine sense of the cultivators guarding the lake did not detect their arrival.

  Ao Sheng, now standing more stably, looked down. Although the lake seemed calm, he could feel the faint fluctuations of Dragon blood, a silent call from his ancestors beneath the surface. Disgust and determination mingled within him; disgust toward the oppression of the Shi Clan, and determination to reclaim the Dragon heritage.

  Zhi Xuan waved his hand and directed the Seven Star Boat to the edge of the lake, stopping right above a mound of earth. He and Ao Sheng immediately stepped onto the ground. Zhi Xuan waved his hand, and the Seven Star Boat vanished back into his storage bag.

  "Do not move too far from me," Zhi Xuan whispered. He moved his finger, and the Four-Directional Blood Shield that masked divine sense immediately enveloped Ao Sheng and himself. "Tell me, are there cultivators guarding this place?"

  Ao Sheng nodded, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, moving with a vigilance tempered by years of living as an oppressed fugitive.

  "Yes, Senior. The Shi Clan will not leave the Black Dragon Tomb without guards," Ao Sheng whispered, his voice now more confident thanks to the spiritual shield created by Zhi Xuan. "On a small island in the middle of the lake, there is a hidden Cloud-Edge Water Pavilion. That is where the Consciousness Transformation realm cultivators usually hide to monitor the area."

  Zhi Xuan nodded vaguely. Mere Consciousness Transformation experts meant the Shi Clan overestimated themselves if they did not guard the tomb heritage more heavily. However, Zhi Xuan did not immediately ignore the possibility that there might be a Five Element level cultivator on guard.

  He sharpened his divine sense and searched for points assumed to be Illusion Formations. It took a while for Zhi Xuan to find formation points that he felt could trigger the guarding cultivators to come out. Then, his eyes caught five interconnected points, appearing to use formation flags. Zhi Xuan only gave a sideways smile and whispered low.

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  "Blood Thunder."

  Zhi Xuan moved his hand, and five Devil Blood Swords immediately emerged from his fingers, now with Zhi Xuan integrating the Thunder Law from the Third Heavenly Thunder Slash Technique. The swords were already capable of triggering a formation or alerting guards who sensed a threat. With a soft flick of his fingers, the five Devil Blood Swords were directed toward the small island quite far from the shore.

  The five Devil Blood Swords shot through the air at a speed surpassing the ability of the mortal eye to follow. They resembled five arrows made of thick blood essence and pure thunder, radiating a suppressed yet deadly aura of destruction. The swords did not head for the small island in the middle of the lake but instead pierced five specific points around the Heaven Mirror Lake—a strange pattern, as if Zhi Xuan were not attacking an enemy, but a Formation.

  Ao Sheng was startled. He recognized that five-point pattern—the pattern used by the Shi Clan to mask the Sentry Formations and Spiritual Seals they had placed around the lake. Zhi Xuan was not attacking the guards; he was cutting the roots of their Formation directly.

  Just as the Devil Blood Swords struck the ground at the five hidden points, a strange vibration occurred. The surface of the Heaven Mirror Lake, which had perfectly reflected the stars, now rippled wildly. A bluish-purple spiritual light exploded from the Cloud-Edge Water Pavilion on the small island.

  "Who is it?!" a furious roar echoed, the voice containing panic and the dense spiritual essence of the Consciousness Transformation realm. From the Water Pavilion, six figures shot out, flying toward the sky, their eyes radiating sharp Divine Sense, trying to find the intruder who dared to disturb their Formation. They were all Consciousness Transformation cultivators from the Shi Clan, wearing identical dark gray robes, and their faces were now filled with burning anger.

  "Noisy," Zhi Xuan hissed. He flicked his fingers again, and Devil Blood Swords enveloped in the Thunder Law reappeared, carrying a destructive Thunder aura. "Go."

  Three Devil Blood Swords, now carrying the cold aura of Destructive Thunder, shot into the air, pursuing the six Shi Clan cultivators who were hovering in panic. The swords did not move in a straight line but twisted like spiritual snakes, leaving trails of dark purple thunder along their path.

  The six Shi Clan cultivators, who were pillars of Consciousness Transformation, reacted immediately. They had been tempered to face sudden attacks at the lake, but the dense thunder aura and the vile blood essence made them feel horrified.

  "Sky-Reversing Water Seal!" roared the leader of the group, a middle-aged man with a thin face. He channeled his spiritual essence, and the six of them immediately formed the complex Spiritual Seal of the Shi Clan.

  The water from the calm Heaven Mirror Lake responded instantly, leaping into the air to form three rapidly rotating circular shields, radiating the pure aura of the Water Law. It was a strong sect defense, designed to dampen the power of external attacks.

  The three Devil Blood Swords struck the water shields with a deafening boom. The Thunder essence fused with the Devil blood exploded, piercing through the first and second layers of the water shield. Splashes of water and thunder scattered in the air, creating a scene of brutal chaos. However, the final water shield, maintained by the six Consciousness Transformation cultivators simultaneously, managed to withstand the attack.

  The three Devil Blood Swords, losing their momentum, vibrated in the air for a moment before finally crumbling into dust of blood essence and purple thunder, vanishing into the air. The six Shi Clan cultivators staggered back, their faces turning pale. What was most disturbing was the alien aura of the attack—pure blood and thunder that was extremely brutal and deadly, unlike any technique of any cultivator they knew in the Zhao State.

  "Who dares to disturb the Black Dragon Tomb?!" the leader roared again, his voice filled with anger mixed with fear. They spread their Divine Sense, scanning every inch around the Heaven Mirror Lake. However, their Divine Sense only found a dead silence at the lake's edge.

  "They managed to withstand your attack, Senior," Ao Sheng whispered, his sparkling eyes staring at the six figures still hovering in the air, searching for an invisible enemy. He felt a hint of pride seeing the defense seals of the clan that oppressed him manage to hold his Senior’s attack.

  "They would. I am only waiting for the big rat to arrive." Zhi Xuan snorted softly. He held Ao Sheng's hand, then carved cosmic step runes to shift their location to a farther edge of the lake, intending to lure them with the spiritual vibrations of the cosmic step runes. "We move."

  Ao Sheng felt a subtle pressure on his wrist. Before he could react, a quick dizziness passed, and the scenery before him changed completely. Zhi Xuan had carved simple yet efficient cosmic step runes, bringing them both to a location hundreds of zhang away from their original spot.

  They were now at a more hidden edge of the lake, behind a row of towering willow trees. This sudden shift, though fast, left hidden spiritual ripples at the mound of earth where they had previously stood—a deliberate bait to attract attention.

  "Watch," Zhi Xuan whispered, his sapphire eyes now radiating a cold light, scanning the lake. The Four-Directional Blood Shield masking their aura immediately enveloped this new location. "If you want to catch a rat, start by luring the big rat out first."

  The six Consciousness Transformation cultivators, still hovering over the lake, suddenly felt a faint spiritual ripple at the place where the blood thunder attack had originated. It was an incredibly fast fluctuation, almost undetectable, as if something had shifted locations with a speed that defied common sense.

  "Over there!" shouted the leader of the group, his thin face now filled with greater caution than anger. "Someone has used a Distance Shifting Technique! Quick, find the spiritual trace!"

  They immediately shot toward the mound where Zhi Xuan and Ao Sheng had previously stood. They spread their divine sense, but all they found were traces of very fine spiritual essence dust, which quickly vanished in the night wind.

  "Scatter! Find whoever it is!" roared the leader, rushing forward with spatial steps to trace the spiritual footprints.

  Ao Sheng watched as the six Shi Clan cultivators scattered in haste, a chill running down his spine. Although they were Consciousness Transformation experts, they looked like panicked flies, disturbed by his Senior's subtle provocation. He now realized how vast the distance was between the arrogant Shi Clan cultivators and the brutality of Zhi Xuan’s calculation.

  "They are looking for my tracks, Senior," Ao Sheng whispered, his voice filled with tension. He clutched the ancient wooden box in his arms, his heart pounding. He feared that their concealment formation would fail.

  "Let them look," Zhi Xuan replied coldly, a sinister smile blooming at the corner of his lips. He channeled a bit of his spiritual essence into the Four-Directional Blood Shield, strengthening their concealment. The aura around them became as cold as jade and as thick as clotted blood. "The big rat has not appeared yet; let us wait."

  Suddenly, a stronger and heavier ripple swept across the Heaven Mirror Lake. This fluctuation far surpassed Consciousness Transformation; it was the aura of a mature Five Elements Law, carrying a weight like a mountain newly awakened from its slumber. That aura, though quickly hidden, felt clear like thunder breaking the silence.

  From within the Cloud-Edge Water Pavilion that had previously appeared calm, a figure shot out, not flying, but walking on the surface of the lake as if the water's surface were a solid jade floor. The figure was a middle-aged man, wearing a silver brocade robe decorated with patterns of slithering water snakes. His face was thin and long, with narrow eyes radiating a faint purple light—a sign of deep cultivation in the Water Law and Poison Law.

  He radiated an aura of the Five Elements realm at its peak, only a step away from the Soul Transformation realm. The man stood in the middle of the lake, ignoring the six panicked Consciousness Transformation cultivators. He channeled his dense spiritual essence into the lake, and the water's surface immediately formed a slow but terrifying vortex, as if he were a newly awakened Water King.

  "The big rat has arrived." Zhi Xuan hissed flatly, as if the appearance of the Peak Five Elements cultivator were merely the confirmation of a boring calculation. He was not surprised, but satisfied. The middle-aged man in the silver brocade robe, walking on the surface of the lake, radiated an aura far more dangerous than the Five Elements cultivator he had humiliated at the auction.

  Ao Sheng, feeling the pressure of the mature Five Elements Law, immediately felt goosebumps. He knew that aura. It was Shi Yue, the Elder Guardian of the Tomb, one of the most dangerous cultivators in the Shi Clan, known for his Water Poison Technique and his cruelty.

  "Senior, that is Shi Yue," Ao Sheng whispered, his voice caught. "He is at the Peak of the Five Elements. He is the strongest among the guardians."

  Zhi Xuan ignored him. His sapphire eyes now radiated an excited cold light. He did not see a dangerous enemy, but a perfect fertilizer that he had lured out of its nest. A power at the Peak of the Five Elements was a worthy target for his Heavenly-Blood Body Law.

  Shi Yue stood in the center of the lake vortex. His narrow, purple eyes scanned the surroundings, his Divine Sense far sharper and more oppressive than that of his six panicked subordinates. He did not focus on shallow spiritual tracks; he looked for irregularities in the Laws around him.

  "Whoever disturbs the peace of the Shi Clan at the Black Dragon Tomb," Shi Yue’s voice echoed over the lake, his tone cold and laden with threat, as if every word were a poison seeping into the air. "Come out now, and I will let you die quickly."

  The Peak Five Elements aura condensed further, pressing in all directions, trying to force the intruder out of hiding. The six Consciousness Transformation cultivators who had scattered earlier immediately returned and stood behind Shi Yue, their faces filled with shame and caution.

  "Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan called calmly, feeling the Thousand Feathered Silk Bracelet on his hand, which was connected to Xiao Die. "Come out and face that Five Elements expert; absorb him if you can extend your threads. I will handle those six small rats."