Chapter 209: Bloodline Awakening, The War of the Heaven-Chosen

"Fatal naivety." The Pavilion Master quickly formed seals with both hands, and the walls suddenly collapsed, with countless giant boulders raining down from above.

Lin Yu grabbed Xuanyuan Qing and leaped toward the cave entrance with all his might. Behind him came the Pavilion Master's sinister laughter: "Want to escape? It won't be that easy!"

He raised a True Qi shield, struggling to fend off the falling rocks. At this moment, the jade pendant erupted with unprecedented radiance, guiding them to a hidden passage.

"This way!" Lin Yu pulled Xuanyuan Qing into the passage. Behind them, the cavern collapsed completely, trapping the Pavilion Master amidst the rubble.

The passage was winding and dark, and the two proceeded with caution. After about ten minutes, it suddenly opened up—before them was a circular mountain cave, with an ancient stone stele standing in the center.

"Lin Shu, the characters on this are so strange." Xuanyuan Qing leaned closer to the stele.

Lin Yu approached to examine it; the stele was covered in twisted runes that were dizzying to look at. Strangely, he could actually understand their meaning.

"This records a ritual, prepared specifically for the Heaven-Chosen," Lin Yu recited. "On the day of the Nine Stars Alignment, the Heaven-Chosen must stand at the entrance of the Heavenly Ladder and use blood to resonate with the Nine Cauldrons Order, only then can the opening and closing of the Tianyuan be controlled."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the mark on his chest felt a sudden, searing pain, as if burning with fire. Lin Yu tore open his collar and was horrified to find golden meridian patterns faintly emerging beneath his skin, spreading across his entire body like tree roots.

"Ah!" The excruciating pain forced him to his knees.

"Lin Shu!" Xuanyuan Qing hurriedly supported him.

"Move aside!" Wang Jiu's voice suddenly rang out. Covered in blood, Wang Jiu stumbled into the cave and quickly arrived at Lin Yu's side.

"The bloodline has awakened." Wang Jiu pressed his hands onto Lin Yu's chest. "Stay calm, do not resist, guide the flow of True Qi along the meridians."

Lin Yu endured the pain and adjusted his breathing according to the instructions. The golden meridian patterns gradually stabilized, and the pain subsided.

"What is going on?" Lin Yu asked, gasping for air.

"The bloodline of the Heaven-Chosen is awakening." Wang Jiu took out a water bag and handed it to him. "Every generation of the Heaven-Chosen experiences this process; the closer it gets to the Nine Stars Alignment, the more intense the reaction."

Xuanyuan Qing looked at Lin Yu with concern: "Is this dangerous?"

"Dangerous and necessary," Wang Jiu replied. "Only when the bloodline is fully awakened can one control the Tianyuan during the Nine Stars Alignment."

Lin Yu was about to ask more when footsteps suddenly came from the cave entrance. Wang Jiu's expression changed drastically: "The Tongtian Pavilion has caught up!"

Yan Xiao led over a dozen black-clad elites filing in, each holding strange weapons, their faces twisted in savage grins.

"Run, keep running!" Yan Xiao laughed wildly. "Heaven-Chosen, you cannot escape the palm of the Tongtian Pavilion!"

Wang Jiu drew his long sword: "Lin Yu, take Xuanyuan Qing and leave through the rear cave, I will cover the retreat!"

"We can't leave," Lin Yu gripped his silver needles tightly. "We fight together!"

Xuanyuan Qing took out her silver bell, and the three stood back-to-back, preparing to meet the enemy.

Yan Xiao waved his hand, and the black-clad men swarmed forward. Wang Jiu's swordsmanship was fierce, taking down three men in succession. Lin Yu unleashed his silver needles, precisely sealing the acupoints of two enemies. Xuanyuan Qing's Soul-Absorbing Bell disrupted the enemy's mind, buying space for the other two.

However, they were outnumbered, and the three gradually fell into a disadvantage. Wang Jiu was stabbed in the left arm, Xuanyuan Qing's temple was grazed by a flying dart, and Lin Yu took a heavy palm strike to the chest, retreating several steps.

"Lin Shu, watch out!" Xuanyuan Qing screamed. Three black-clad men combined their strength to throw a specially made chain blade, aiming straight for Lin Yu's throat.

At the critical moment, the mark on Lin Yu's chest suddenly burst into golden light! A golden barrier appeared out of thin air, blocking all attacks. The moment the chain blades touched the barrier, they shattered, turning into dust.

Yan Xiao was shocked: "The Ancient Heavenly Shield? Impossible!"

Lin Yu was also stunned; he was completely out of control as the golden True Qi within him circulated on its own, forming a perfect defense.

"The Heaven-Chosen's instinctive shield!" Wang Jiu exclaimed. "Quick, take the chance!" He suddenly erupted, stabbing his sword through the chest of the nearest black-clad man, snatching the talisman from his hand and throwing it toward the cave ceiling.

Instantly, the cave ceiling collapsed, blocking the path of the pursuers. Wang Jiu grabbed Lin Yu and Xuanyuan Qing: "The rear cave! Go!"

The three escaped into the rear cave in a sorry state, and the pursuers were temporarily blocked. The golden shield gradually faded, and Lin Yu slumped to the ground, sweating profusely.

"What was that just now?"

"The initial sign of the Heaven-Chosen's bloodline awakening." Wang Jiu checked his wounds. "Your power is awakening, but it is far from mature."

"You're hurt!" Xuanyuan Qing looked at Wang Jiu's left arm.

"A small matter." Wang Jiu waved his hand, then his expression turned serious. "Listen well, what I say next is of utmost importance."

Wang Jiu took a yellowed piece of sheepskin parchment from his bosom: "The Tongtian Pavilion Master, Qin Tianluo, was originally a member of the Qin family, but betrayed the family three hundred years ago."

"I know this." Lin Yu nodded.

"But what you don't know is the fundamental reason for his betrayal." Wang Jiu panted. "Qin Tianluo discovered that the Tianyuan leads to an existence in an otherworldly space known as the 'Void Monarch,' which is said to be able to grant people eternal life."

"He practiced forbidden arts, sacrificing the essence and blood of living people to trade for three hundred years of life, all to wait for the Nine Stars Alignment, open the Tianyuan, and release the Void Monarch."

Lin Yu's heart jolted: "And what if he succeeds?"

"Disaster." Wang Jiu gritted his teeth. "Once the Void Monarch descends, the entire world will fall into nothingness. Qin Tianluo is delusional in thinking he can control it; in reality, he is a moth flying into a flame."

The three continued forward, exiting the rear cave and arriving at a hidden mountain hollow. Wang Jiu suddenly knelt on one knee, clutching his chest, and vomited a large mouthful of blood.

"Wang Jiu!" Lin Yu supported him.

"The injury is worse than it looks." Wang Jiu smiled bitterly. "Don't worry about me."

He struggled to pull the last jade pendant from his bosom: "This is the sixth Nine Cauldrons Order I have been keeping; I am giving it to you now."

Lin Yu took the jade pendant, and the six tokens immediately resonated in his palm.

"Lin Yu, remember, you must find the remaining tokens before the Nine Stars Alignment." Wang Jiu's breath grew weaker. "Otherwise, everything will be beyond saving."

"There are three more, where are they?" Lin Yu asked urgently.

Wang Jiu grabbed Lin Yu's arm: "Find Yan Nanshan, he is not dead."

"What?" Lin Yu's heart shook violently.

"Yan Nanshan knows who your biological father is." Wang Jiu's voice was faint. "And in your father's hands, he holds the most critical ninth token."

"My father?" Lin Yu's mind roared.

Wang Jiu vomited blood again, his voice barely audible: "The mission of disguising as Wang Jiu is complete. Now, it is time to return."

He smiled and closed his eyes, his body slowly dissipating into specks of golden light. His final words drifted in the mountain wind:

"Lin Yu, remember, your bloodline does not determine who you are; your choices determine everything."

Lin Yu looked at the spot where Wang Jiu had disappeared, speechless for a long time.

Xuanyuan Qing gripped Lin Yu's palm: "Lin Shu, what should we do next?"

Lin Yu stood up, gripping the six jade pendants: "Find Yan Nanshan, then go to the Kunlun Mountain Heavenly Ladder. The Nine Stars Alignment is near; we must stop the Tongtian Pavilion's conspiracy."

As the sunset sank, two figures stepped firmly onto their journey. ===== CHAPTER 210 =====