Chapter Four: Awakening the Ancient Bloodline

Qin Tian’s hands moved like phantom shadows, continuously forming seals as he channeled wave after wave of spiritual energy. At the same time, he manipulated the runes inscribed upon the alchemy furnace with his power.

After an hour passed, the furnace ceased its trembling. With a grand sweep of his hand, Qin Tian sent the lid flying open, and an intoxicating aroma of herbs instantly filled the air. A tricolored pill rose from within the furnace, imbued with a sentient spirit. It fluttered about, attempting to escape, only to be snatched from the air by Qin Tian’s invisible grasp.

Beside him, An Miaoling recognized the pill immediately—it was the supreme-tier Demon Emperor Pill. Its greatest function was to cleanse the marrow and clear the meridians, capable of enhancing one’s innate talent and cultivation realm. Even a Half-Saint who consumed it would find great aid in breaking through to the Saint Realm.

Qin Tian handed the pill over. “I will help you refine its medicinal power shortly.”

An Miaoling accepted the pill with a complex expression; at this moment, she truly needed it. From the instant she took it, perhaps even unbeknownst to herself, she had come to acknowledge Qin Tian.

“Where did you get the Demon Emperor’s blood essence?” she couldn’t help but ask. While it was plausible to claim that the spiritual herbs came from the sect, she doubted the sect had the power to obtain various types of Demon Emperor blood essence.

“I have a few Demon Emperors who are on good terms with me; I simply asked them for it,” Qin Tian replied casually.

Lying to a child again! An Miaoling was speechless. She knew all too well the nature of Demon Emperors. She glanced at Qin Tian helplessly, silently vowing, “Someday, I will expose you.”

The two entered the main hall and sat facing each other upon meditation cushions. An Miaoling swallowed the Demon Emperor Pill and began to activate her internal spiritual energy to refine the pill, awakening her bloodline.

Because she possessed the ancient Ice Phoenix bloodline, once it stirred, her body began to grow cold. The surrounding temperature dropped as well. Frost formed on her skin, which became increasingly pale.

Qin Tian understood this was the process of her bloodline strengthening. He raised his hand, channeling his spiritual energy into her body to catalyze the pill’s power.

Ten minutes passed in this manner until suddenly An Miaoling’s expression grew strange. The frost on her eyelashes melted away, her snow-white skin flushed with a rosy hue, and her eyes clouded with a dreamy haze.

“Huh? What’s happening?”

The abnormal state caused her to lose control of the bloodline activation. Qin Tian quickly directed his spiritual energy to assist her; otherwise, this awakening would have failed.

An Miaoling herself sensed something was amiss—her entire body burned with heat, and she struggled to control herself. Then she recalled the Jiaolong blood essence contained within the Demon Emperor Pill.

The Jiaolong’s nature was rather licentious, and when combined with the Ice Phoenix bloodline, it could awaken such primal traits.

Understanding this, she cast a plaintive look at Qin Tian, wondering if he had done this deliberately.

Before she could fully grasp the situation, her last shred of reason was swallowed up. She clung to Qin Tian and kissed him passionately.

Qin Tian was stunned. He wanted to stop her but could not, as he was still channeling energy to activate her bloodline. His eyes widened as he looked at An Miaoling’s mischievous little face and the fair skin exposed to him. Such a scene stirred a restless turmoil within him.

“You… you dare offend your master!” he exclaimed.

“Stop touching me, master…” she murmured.

“Ah…”

“Forget it, I’ll just take the loss for master!”

In the end, Qin Tian could only let her have her way. He could not cease the energy flow, for doing so would doom the awakening.

Half an hour later, a piercing phoenix cry rang out. Above An Miaoling’s body, the spectral image of an ancient Ice Phoenix appeared. The oppressive aura it radiated spoke volumes of the bloodline’s extraordinary nature.

Ding!

[Host’s disciple has awakened the Imperial-grade Ancient Ice Phoenix bloodline, possessing exceptional talent. Reward: Host’s aptitude improved to sixth rank, and sign-in rewards increased by 50%.]

“Such good fortune?”

“Maybe I should take on more disciples,” Qin Tian mused.

This reward was a tremendous boon for him. For example, the fifty percent increase in sign-in rewards was substantial. These rewards could accumulate; previously, he might claim them only once every few months or even a year, which yielded better returns over time.

Now, with a 50% boost, his cultivation progress would accelerate significantly. Besides the increase in cultivation rewards, other benefits would also multiply. Raising his aptitude to sixth rank was no small matter either.

He recalled that he had initially possessed only second-rank aptitude. Usually, only those with third-rank aptitude could be accepted into the Kunlun Sword Sect—he had effectively slipped in through the back door.

Cultivation aptitude ranged from first to ninth rank; above ninth were the saint and imperial ranks. Sixth rank signified an elite disciple within the sect.

Still, compared to the sect’s peak disciples personally trained by sect leaders, there was a gap—one reason Qin Tian had once preferred to lie low. With second-rank aptitude, his cultivation efforts yielded little, so he relied on sign-in rewards, patiently waiting.

Now, with An Miaoling’s bloodline successfully awakened, she entered a mystical state, her realm surging forward.

Golden Body Realm – Second Layer.

Golden Body Realm – Third Layer.

Nirvana Realm – First Layer.

Ding!

[Congratulations! Host’s disciple has broken through a major realm. Reward: Host’s aptitude increased to seventh rank, sign-in rewards increased by 10%.]

Qin Tian was overjoyed; by continuously nurturing disciples, he too could become an unparalleled genius.

An Miaoling likewise gained greatly, breaking through three times in succession, including one major realm breakthrough.

If this news spread, it would surely shock the world.

Such achievements owed much to the immense medicinal power of the Demon Emperor Pill, forged from the blood essence of several Demon Emperors combined with precious spiritual herbs.

After the breakthroughs, An Miaoling realized she was still clinging to Qin Tian’s body.

“Ah!” she screamed and hurriedly backed away.

Recalling the earlier embarrassing incident, her face flushed deep red.

In her previous life as an Empress—pure, dignified, and awe-inspiring—she had never shared such intimate moments with a man. Now, even the thought of it made her blush.

“Ahem!”

“That was your initiative. As your master, I remained unmoved,” Qin Tian said earnestly, unflustered.

“From now on, be mindful—there must be boundaries between master and disciple.”

“Hmph!”

An Miaoling snorted coldly and left, showing no joy from awakening her ancient bloodline or breaking through her realm.

Outside, she encountered Mo Wentian, who had sensed the anomaly and arrived upon hearing the phoenix’s cry.

“You’ve awakened the Ancient Ice Phoenix bloodline?” Mo Wentian said excitedly.

Because An Miaoling’s aura was still unstable, he immediately detected the presence of the ancient Ice Phoenix.

“Mm,” An Miaoling nodded.

Upon confirmation, Mo Wentian’s face brimmed with joy.

“Excellent! This is saint-realm caliber talent. Kunlun is about to produce a second saint.”

Other elders from the sect’s peaks soon arrived.

“Blessings upon Kunlun.”

“Soon Kunlun will once again ascend as the foremost power in Eastern Continent.”

…

“Is all this fuss just over a bloodline awakening?” Qin Tian muttered quietly behind them.

Mo Wentian shot him a glare. “You don’t understand, brat.”

“Those with the Ancient Ice Phoenix bloodline, unless they fall prematurely, will inevitably break through to the saint realm.”

“I’m not going to waste words with a Spiritual Energy Realm nobody like you.”

At that moment, Lei Ba, master of the Thunder Summoning Peak, seized the opportunity to speak.

“Sect Master, I believe An Miaoling should no longer remain on the Hidden Sword Peak. Such a prodigy must not be held back by Qin Tian.”

His words were met with nods from all the other peak masters except Su Lan.

Hearing this, An Miaoling’s expression turned cold.

“My master is excellent. It is precisely because of him that I awakened so quickly.”

“Because of him?”

Lei Ba sneered. “What can a mere Spiritual Energy Realm cultivator do to help you?”

An Miaoling’s gaze chilled. “If you speak like that again, the Hidden Sword Peak won’t welcome you.”