Chapter 212: Destiny Reversal

"Master, how exactly did you survive?" Lin Yu followed Yan Nanshan through the rugged mountain path, questions surging in his heart like a tide.

Yan Nanshan's pace was steady, as if he had never been seriously injured: "After the plane crash in Shennongjia back then, the Tongtian Pavilion did indeed capture me, but they underestimated my will to survive."

The four proceeded along the hidden mountain road, with Xuanyuan Qing and Xiao Chengzhou following closely behind. Although Xiao Chengzhou's injuries had not yet healed, his mental state had improved significantly.

"The Tongtian Pavilion's purpose in imprisoning me was to extract the energy of the Destiny mark within me." Yan Nanshan pointed to an inconspicuous cave ahead: "Right there, our temporary stronghold."

The cave entrance was covered by dense vines; if not for Yan Nanshan leading the way, no one would have discovered it. Lifting the vines, the view ahead opened up—the cave was brightly lit, and over a dozen people were busy organizing weapons and equipment.

"The last power of Destiny." Yan Nanshan said in a low voice.

Lin Yu looked around; these people were old and young, but all exuded an unyielding spirit.

"Master, you just said Xu Jianhua..."

"He is one of us." Yan Nanshan interrupted Lin Yu. "Always has been."

Lin Yu couldn't believe it: "But he clearly..."

"A double agent." Xiao Chengzhou interjected weakly. "I only learned the truth after I was captured. Xu Jianhua appeared to be loyal to the Tongtian Pavilion, but in reality, he has been collecting intelligence for Destiny for many years."

Yan Nanshan nodded: "This 'betrayal' was instructed by me, with the purpose of obtaining the Tongtian Pavilion's eighth token."

Lin Yu recalled Xu Jianhua's exquisite marksmanship and calm performance, finally understanding why a university professor would have such skills.

"Then he is now..."

"Should still be alive." Yan Nanshan walked toward the depths of the cave. "Xu Jianhua has a special tracking device on him; if everything goes smoothly, he will bring the eighth token and meet us at Kunlun Mountain."

In the depths of the cave, an old man was studying an ancient map. Seeing Yan Nanshan bring people in, he immediately stood up and saluted.

"This is Mo Lao, the only remaining member of the Destiny Council of Elders." Yan Nanshan introduced.

Mo Lao's face was old, but his eyes were bright and piercing: "Finally seeing this generation's Heaven-Chosen."

Lin Yu saluted respectfully: "Senior."

Mo Lao pointed to the map: "The Nine Stars Alignment will appear precisely at the Zi hour tomorrow night, and the Heavenly Ladder entrance will manifest at the northern foot of Kunlun Mountain. We must arrive before the Tongtian Pavilion."

"But we only have seven tokens." Lin Yu took out the jade pendant: "Still missing two."

"The eighth is in Xu Jianhua's hands." Yan Nanshan said. "As for the ninth..."

Xiao Chengzhou suddenly spoke: "The ninth token is in Qin Tianluo's hands."

Everyone looked at him in unison.

"During my imprisonment, I inadvertently overheard the high-level conversations of the Tongtian Pavilion." Xiao Chengzhou coughed a few times. "Qin Tianluo has already found the ninth token, but he cannot activate it."

"Why?" Xuanyuan Qing asked.

"Because the ninth token requires the bloodline of the Heaven-Chosen to activate." Mo Lao explained. "This is also why the Tongtian Pavilion is so obsessed with capturing Lin Yu."

Lin Yu thought thoughtfully: "So we must snatch back the ninth token before the Heavenly Ladder opens?"

"No," Yan Nanshan shook his head. "We need a bolder plan."

He unfolded another map, marked with secret routes to Kunlun Mountain.

"The Tongtian Pavilion will inevitably set up defenses on the main paths, we will take this ancient road—the Kunlun Secret Path."

Mo Lao added: "This route is steep and difficult to travel, but it leads directly to the vicinity of the Heavenly Ladder entrance, which can save a lot of time."

Lin Yu studied the map, calculating the time in his heart: "If we set off now..."

"It's too late." Yan Nanshan interrupted. "You need to complete the bloodline awakening ritual first."

Lin Yu was stunned: "What ritual?"

Yan Nanshan led Lin Yu to the deepest part of the cave, where there was a small stone chamber with an ancient stone basin placed in the center.

"The Heaven-Chosen must complete the bloodline awakening before the Nine Stars Alignment, otherwise, they cannot control the Tianyuan Sword." Yan Nanshan lit the fire basins at the four corners of the stone chamber. "This ritual will be very painful, but it must be completed."

Lin Yu took a deep breath: "I am ready."

Yan Nanshan took a primitive dagger from his bosom: "I need a drop of your heart blood."

Lin Yu unbuttoned his collar, revealing the mark on his chest. Yan Nanshan moved his hand and the knife fell, lightly cutting a slit in the center of the mark. The blood dripped into the stone basin, instantly turning into golden liquid.

"Drink it."

Lin Yu raised the stone basin without hesitation and drank the golden liquid in one gulp.

In an instant, it felt as if ten thousand flames were burning within his body! Lin Yu fell to the ground in pain, his whole body convulsing. The golden meridian patterns spread beneath his skin, moving across his entire body like living things.

"Hold on, guide the True Qi along the meridian path." Yan Nanshan's voice seemed to come from afar.

Lin Yu gritted his teeth and adjusted his breathing according to the instructions. Gradually, the excruciating pain subsided, replaced by a sense of power he had never felt before.

When he opened his eyes again, the world was different. He could see the energy flowing in the air and perceive the existence of life in the distance.

"Success." Yan Nanshan said with satisfaction. "The first stage of bloodline awakening is complete."

Lin Yu stood up, feeling the surging power within his body: "Is this the ability of the Heaven-Chosen?"

"Just the tip of the iceberg." Yan Nanshan handed Lin Yu a specially made robe: "Wear this, it can help you control the temporarily unstable power."

Returning to the main cave, Mo Lao had already organized the team, ready to set off.

"Lin Yu, there is one more thing you need to know." Xiao Chengzhou walked to Lin Yu's side, his voice low. "About your background..."

Lin Yu's heart raced: "Am I really a descendant of the Qin family?"

Xiao Chengzhou shook his head: "Not entirely. You have a dual bloodline flowing in your body—the bloodline of the Qin family and the founder of the Tongtian Pavilion."

Lin Yu was shocked: "How is this possible?"

"Three hundred years ago, when the Qin family and the Tongtian Pavilion split, one branch of the bloodline chose neutrality." Xiao Chengzhou explained. "Your ancestors belonged neither to the Qin family nor the Tongtian Pavilion, but were the founders of the third force—Destiny."

Lin Yu recalled Wang Jiu's dying words, finally understanding their meaning.

"So I can use both the Nine Cauldrons True Qi and wield the Tianyuan Sword?"

Xiao Chengzhou nodded: "Precisely because of this, you are the only one who can stop Qin Tianluo."

Yan Nanshan walked over: "Time is tight, we must set off immediately."

Everyone was ready and embarked on the journey to Kunlun Mountain.

Just at this moment, rapid footsteps came from the cave entrance. A blood-covered figure stumbled in—Xu Jianhua!

"The Tongtian Pavilion... all forces mobilized..." Xu Jianhua panted. "They already know our plan!"

Yan Nanshan's expression changed drastically: "How is that possible?"

Xu Jianhua took the eighth token from his bosom and handed it to Lin Yu: "I got it, but the price was..."

He turned around, revealing a shocking wound on his back.

"The traitor... is among us..." Before Xu Jianhua could finish, he fell to the ground.

Everyone looked at each other, and the air froze instantly.

Lin Yu gripped the eight tokens, feeling them resonate in his palm. A terrifying thought emerged in his mind—who is the traitor?

"No matter who it is," Yan Nanshan's voice was firm, "we must head to Kunlun Mountain immediately. The Nine Stars Alignment waits for no one, the Heavenly Ladder is about to open!"

Everyone filed out and stepped onto the Kunlun Secret Path. Waiting for them ahead would be a final decisive battle concerning the fate of humanity. ===== CHAPTER 213 =====