Chapter 145: Bloodline Awakening

I woke up early, just past five o’clock the next day. The autumn morning air was brisk, so I put on a thick coat.

After rising, I first practiced the Wing Shadow Blade technique and various finger styles before taking out the Baji Fist manual. I had already mastered several of its forms, and now I began tackling the most difficult ones. One particular move left a deep impression on me; it was said that if this strike landed, it would be fatal, or at the very least, leave the opponent crippled. I hadn't trained seriously for a long time, so this sudden burst of exertion left me struggling, and I broke into a sweat after just a few strikes. Still, this was something I had to practice; I couldn't let it slide.

"Not bad, quite diligent."

Because Nangong Xi had gone to bed early the night before, she was up early today as well.

"I’m like this every day," I replied. Nangong Xi gave a faint smile and headed inside to wash up.

I practiced for over an hour, mastering about five or six moves—each one a fierce and rapid strike. My Great Uncle soon woke up; seeing me in the middle of training, he didn't disturb me and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast instead. I sat on a stone bench, drenched in sweat, staring blankly at the sky.

After breakfast, I practiced for the rest of the morning until my back and waist ached. Suddenly, I felt the blood in my body churning again, but it didn't feel like the typical sensation of a breakthrough. I sat where I was, closed my eyes, and focused on the feeling. By now, the blood in my veins had turned completely chaotic, leaving me drenched in cold sweat. This had happened before, but I never understood why. With no other choice, I tried to force it to calm down. Fortunately, the White Flowered Spirit hidden deep within my body came to my aid at the critical moment, sending a stream of clear energy through me that offered some relief. Even so, the churning blood was incredibly painful, and I was at my wit's end. I tried to control it, but it wasn't a living creature; it only grew more violent.

At that moment, my Great Uncle stepped in and infused several strands of spiritual energy into my body, finally suppressing the unruly blood. I gasped for air, opened my eyes wide, and collapsed onto the ground.

"Ouch..."

My Great Uncle watched me from the side, looking entirely unsurprised. "The blood within you is meant to be this way. You just need to get used to it."

"That’s a painful way to get used to it," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"I told you before, the bloodline in your body is different from an ordinary person's. You must learn to control it."

Hearing his words, I began to doubt whether I was still a normal human being. If I possessed a special bloodline, did that mean one of my parents had it too? I shook my head, deciding not to dwell on that for now. The immediate task was to follow my Great Uncle’s advice and try to master it. But it was far easier said than done; I had just tried, and I couldn't exert the slightest influence over it.

"Controlling a bloodline is much harder than controlling other things, so take your time. Don't rush."

My Great Uncle stood up and returned to the house, leaving Nangong Xi and me alone in the courtyard. She hadn't noticed what had just happened and was still deep in her own meditation. As for me, with the blood in my veins finally settling, I decided to begin my own cultivation. I took a deep breath and sat cross-legged beside her. Gradually, spiritual energy began to flow into my fingertips and into my body—the sensation was incredibly comfortable. I finally understood why people loved the feeling of cultivation and began to absorb the energy continuously. However, my body couldn't just keep absorbing; I needed to consolidate my progress.

Just then, the blood in my body began to churn uncontrollably again, and I was instantly forced out of my meditative state.

"What the hell is going on now?" I cursed under my breath, looking at my palms, which had turned slightly red.

I had no choice but to follow my Great Uncle’s advice: slowly feel it, understand it, and eventually, control it. But this might be the most difficult challenge I had ever encountered. I tried to probe deep into my body, but the churning blood blocked me at every turn. I had no choice but to try and control it from the surface. I was being naive; how could such violent blood submit to me so easily? I tried many methods—infusing it with spiritual energy, trying to sense it—but nothing worked.

Finally, I tried surrounding the blood with my energy, and this time, I saw a glimmer of hope. It felt as if the blood was afraid of the spiritual energy, becoming even more violent in its resistance. This proved that the blood feared the energy, and its rage was merely a manifestation of that defense. A breakthrough at last! Ignoring my soaked clothes, I summoned more spiritual energy, slowly encircling the blood. As the blood pulsed more and more wildly, my body felt like it was about to burst.

Yet, the spiritual energy was having an effect. Slowly, the blood began to subside. My heart leaped with joy—had I succeeded? But the blood played a trick on me: just as it seemed to stop, it launched a sudden, fierce counter-attack. I was caught off guard, the sweat I had just wiped away returned, and my expression twisted in pain. At this critical juncture, the White Flowered Spirit saved me once again. It transformed into a massive wave of clear energy, dispersing the unruly blood, and my body instantly returned to normal.

The blood seemed to realize I wasn't to be trifled with and finally quieted down. I opened my eyes and tried to control it with my will. To my surprise, it worked! I could make it stir or stop at my command. The sense of achievement was immense! But even if I could control it, what was the point?

While sitting on the stone bench, I accidentally grazed my arm, leaving a cut. As I fumbled to bandage it, I felt a slight, subtle tremor in my blood again. Why would it stir? I looked at my wounded arm, and suddenly, something clicked. Every time I had been severely injured in the past, it was the white orb and my blood that had helped me recover rapidly and overcome danger. Since the white orb had disappeared, although it hadn't taken anything with it, I had always felt it was still there, fused into my blood.

If that was the case, could I use this control over my blood to heal my own wounds rapidly? I couldn't wait to test it. I focused my intent, and my blood slowly began to churn. My hypothesis was correct! The deep gash on my arm was closing at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaving not even a scar behind. I jumped up in excitement—did this mean I was invincible?

"Alright, kid, don't get too happy just yet," my Great Uncle said as he walked out of the house, holding a teapot.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Every bloodline grants its own abilities. Legend has it there are bloodlines that allow for invisibility, and others that grant immense strength—but they all come with a price."