Bloodline Protection

Bloodline Protection . . .

Qin Wentian couldn't help but notice the constellation's sudden appearance, and with it, the chilling aura it carried. When he shifted his gaze back to the Greencloud Sovereign, he detected a dangerous glint in the man's eyes.

It was clear that the Greencloud Sovereign had an alliance with an immensely potent expert. This person possessed the extraordinary ability to mask both their strength and aura, an art surpassing any ordinary means of concealment. Qin Wentian's acute perception couldn't even detect him. The question echoed in his mind—just how formidable was this seemingly unassuming old man?

The Greencloud Sovereign's cold smile conveyed a deep mockery, as though he regarded Qin Wentian as a mere puppet, a source of entertainment.

Killing Greencloud Pavilion members? Disregarding the Greencloud Sovereign entirely?

Very well, he had sealed his fate. Even though Qin Wentian was renowned throughout Grand Xia, capable of slaying Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants, today would undoubtedly be the end of his life.

"Brother-in-law!" Ling Yue shrieked in shock, her face drained of color. The ambush waiting for Qin Wentian here was staggeringly powerful, and Ling Yue believed she bore the responsibility for it. However, she was mistaken in her assumptions. Qin Wentian would have had to confront the Greencloud Sovereign upon his arrival in Chu, with or without Ling Yue's involvement. The Greencloud Sovereign was well aware of this. By using such a method, he could keep his intentions concealed, preventing Qin Wentian from recklessly acting before falling into the trap.

"Don't blame yourself; this isn't your fault," Qin Wentian reassured Ling Yue. The inn trembled as the ancient vines exerted tremendous pressure. Soon, vine-like appendages punctured the inn, and torrents of fresh blood sprayed in all directions.

"ARGH~"

"SAVE ME!"

From the lower floors, the horrified wails of the inn's patrons echoed endlessly. The merciless tentacles showed no mercy, snuffing out lives with ruthless efficiency. Swiftly, they extended towards Qin Wentian with the speed of a striking serpent, aiming to swallow him whole. The web of writhing tendrils left no escape.

Qin Wentian's expression darkened as he witnessed the senseless slaughter of innocent people. The razor-sharp vines impaled countless victims, transforming the inn into a horrific scene of death. To the old man, these common lives were nothing but cheap and expendable pawns.

A resounding "Bzz!" reverberated as the crimson demon halberd materialized in Qin Wentian's grip. He swung it with incredible force, infusing it with the Illusory Demonforce he had mastered. The energy surged toward the gaping maw of the encroaching vines. With an explosive crash, the tendrils shattered, but the Greencloud Sovereign and the old man had vanished. Within the inn, Qin Wentian was the lone survivor, ensnared by the constellation's binding force.

"Who are you?" Qin Wentian's voice was icy as he demanded answers. Such an individual didn't belong among Grand Xia's transcendent powers.

Above in the sky, starlight spiraled. Beneath the vine-like constellation, another constellation materialized.

"Dual Constellations Manifestation?" Qin Wentian's eyes narrowed. He observed the constellations, noticing the silhouette of the old man flying toward them before vanishing as countless apparitions appeared in the vicinity.

The two constellations gradually merged into one. Qin Wentian felt an impending sense of danger. The adversary before him far surpassed Ouyang Mutian and the ascendants of the Pill Emperor Hall. His perception reached its limits, yet he still couldn't discern the old man's true location. This opponent had condensed two constellations, granting him the power of absolute concealment. Qin Wentian couldn't sense the old man's presence, and that terrified him.

The sinister vine-like tendrils surged forth with renewed vigor, striking with blinding speed. They created an eerie whistling symphony as they converged, leaving Qin Wentian besieged by an onslaught he couldn't hope to withstand. It was a relentless torrent of attacks, overwhelming in their sheer number.

"RUMBLE!"

Qin Wentian ascended into the air, surrounded by an aura of demonic energy. His form expanded, morphing into a fiendish god. Brilliant particles of Illusory Demonforce encased him, forming a formidable protective armor.

"Incarnation Burst!" Qin Wentian's thunderous roar summoned multiple illusory versions of himself. Each wielded a halberd, striking in unison to counter the voracious maw of the vine-like menace. The vine constellation exploded into a thousand fragments. Yet, the vines regenerated instantly, surging back toward Qin Wentian. His earlier attack had only afforded him a brief respite.

Qin Wentian's Yuanfu resonated, a surge of astral energy coursing through him. He unleashed a towering sword qi in all directions, colliding with the razor-sharp tendrils once more. Still, his defenses couldn't hold against the relentless assault. His opponent, an ascendant leagues beyond Ouyang Mutian's level, would certainly crush him if any of their attacks landed.

"I must escape." Qin Wentian's eyes locked onto a specific direction as he soared, his sword intent radiating boundless sword power. With a thought, the demon sword materialized, its blade glowing red from his own blood. An eerie crimson light filled the air as the demon sword's hum resonated, obliterating everything in its path.

"KILL!" Qin Wentian's battle cry pierced the heavens. He wielded the demon sword in his left hand and the scarlet demon halberd in his right. A murderous aura enveloped him as his entire being became one with his sword qi. Only in this state did he have a chance to break free from the suffocating web of vines.

Above, the ancient vines seemed ceaseless, launching a relentless barrage of attacks. Without the demon sword's sword might cleaving through obstructions, escaping would be nigh impossible.

The adversary was overwhelmingly potent, capable of instantaneously annihilating Pill Emperor level experts.

"Bzz!" Suddenly, Qin Wentian spotted a pair of ominous eyes in the sky, sending chills coursing through his veins. Slashing out with the demon sword, he managed to create an opening in the vine net. However, those eerie eyes vanished in an instant.

From the right, the terrifying vines converged, lashing out at Qin Wentian. With the scarlet demon halberd, he shattered them. But as he prepared to exploit the opening, those ice-cold eyes reappeared, their gaze freezing his soul.

"Bzzz!"

Out of nowhere, a figure wielding a black-energized long spear lunged forward with uncanny swiftness. The assailant seemed to materialize and vanish at will within the confines of his constellation. This perfectly timed strike coincided with Qin Wentian's halberd swing. He had no time to defend.

In that moment, Qin Wentian felt his consciousness slow to a crawl, the insidious influence of those eyes impairing his thoughts. His blood flowed lethargically through his veins as an icy numbness crept across his body. He couldn't move a muscle, and the spear, imbued with the power of darkness, loomed dangerously close.

It all transpired too swiftly for him to react. The assassin's terrifying prowess left Qin Wentian with nothing but despair in his heart.

In a heartbeat, an eruption of blood-red light engulfed Qin Wentian. His very essence thrummed with the power of his bloodline, summoning forth a fearsome demon phantom. This spectral entity took on a grotesque, human-demonic form, forcibly detaching itself from Qin Wentian. With raised palms, it unleashed a retaliatory strike.

"Puchi..."

The long spear, radiating sinister, black-tinged currents of darkness, pierced directly through the demon phantom's palms and into its body. Astonishingly, the phantom remained undeterred, its blood-red palms continuing their relentless advance. They executed the Star-Seizing Palm technique, a force capable of seizing the very constellations themselves. Upon impact, the gray-robed old man was sent hurtling through the air, coughing up a spurt of blood. Clearly, he hadn't anticipated Qin Wentian's capacity for counterattack under such dire circumstances.

"What is that?" The old man stared at the enigmatic demon phantom. It bore an uncanny resemblance to Qin Wentian, albeit an untamed, ferocious version. Its cold, emotionless eyes defied all damage, as the earlier spear thrust had done nothing to obliterate it.

"Bloodline Protection!" The old man's eyes flickered with surprise, his heart pounding in shock. The brat possessed a bloodline of incredible potency, capable of invoking Bloodline Protection.

"Bloodline Protection?" Qin Wentian himself was taken aback; he'd never encountered this concept before. The demon phantom that had manifested earlier was a product of his bloodline's power. During his recent enlightenment of the Demons' true intent, he'd sensed his blood surging with newfound vigor, unlocking another facet of his bloodline's capabilities. This marked the second ability it had revealed, following the initial one that boosted his aura and cultivation. Regrettably, his bloodline's primary ability had hit a bottleneck, blocked by the Celestial Phenomenon Realm's barrier.

The gray-robed elder couldn't contain his amazement. Bloodline Protection was a closely guarded secret among bloodlines. Those who could manifest this ability were known to possess extraordinary bloodlines. In Qin Wentian's case, it hinted at a formidable ancestor, one whose bloodline was exceptionally dominant.

To the broader Royal Sacred Region, individuals like Qin Wentian were exceedingly rare. As of now, he appeared to be the sole possessor of this unique ability. If it weren't for the elder's extensive knowledge and countless years of perusing ancient texts, he wouldn't have grasped the phenomenon unfolding before him.

"Who is this brat, anyway? I must eliminate him." The elder's heart grew icy cold as his eyes, like pools of bottomless darkness, brimmed with intensified murderous intent.

"You must be one of those hired by the transcendent powers to kill me, am I right?" Qin Wentian's voice cut through the tension, ice-cold and unwavering. This adversary stood as the most perilous he had ever encountered in his lifetime.