Chapter 30

“Puff”

Wang Yu, holding the Iron Essence Blade in his mouth, leapt from the river’s surface like a giant fish and landed on the muddy shore, then staggered forward, nearly falling to the ground.

At this moment, the golden light on his skin had vanished, but his face was flushed crimson, his body burning hot, a blood-red pattern faintly visible between his brows, his spiritual sense dull and foggy, his head unnaturally heavy.

The bloodline has fully awakened!

This familiar sensation—Wang Yu didn’t need to guess to know what had happened.

He never expected that, under the river’s stimulation, the Iron-Eating Crocodile bloodline within him had suddenly entered a state of full awakening—no wonder he’d swam so swiftly through the water earlier.

Had he not forcibly maintained consciousness through the Overclock Synchronization mode, he would have fainted long ago; now he could only muster his remaining willpower and sprint toward a nearby patch of forest.

“Boom!”

Wang Yu turned back and saw a massive fireball erupting from the center of the Chishui River, then, amid swirling black mist, a colossal river barge slowly sinking beneath the water.

“Lanshan’s Four Fiends, Feng Mou will never let you succeed—wait for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s pursuit!”

“Feng, you’re asking for death!”

From the barge came the dwarf’s furious roar, then a massive crescent-shaped shadow flashed through the black mist, followed by Feng Lao’s scream—after that, no sound emerged from within.

Wang Yu’s heart seized in terror; forcing aside his physical discomfort, he ran without pause straight into the forest.

Faster, faster!

Wang Yu darted swiftly between the trees, relying on the Overclock Synchronization’s astonishing perception, and suddenly spotted his target: a hidden tree hollow concealed by dense shrubbery—more than enough space for two or three men like him.

“Rattle-rattle”

He nearly rolled and crawled through the shrubbery, diving headfirst into the hollow—luckily, no beasts or venomous creatures lurked inside, only a thick layer of dust.

With his last shred of clarity, Wang Yu swiftly restored the shrubbery over the entrance, sprinkled more dust atop it, then exited the Overclock Synchronization and collapsed, eyes rolling back in darkness.

This time, he dreamed again—a long dream.

In the dream, he became a green crocodile with four short limbs, born in a vast swamp, raised by a massive female crocodile until, grown, he left the pack to hunt alone.

After countless life-or-death battles and devouring countless swamp predators, his body grew larger each day; by adulthood, he was seven or eight times the size of any ordinary crocodile known on Blue Planet.

At some point, whenever he stored enough fat, he would seek a cold, damp place and sleep for many days.

Each time he awoke, he could sense distant, deeply buried hard stones—and he developed a fierce craving to gnaw and devour them, after which harder scales formed on his skin, granting him unmatched defense against other fierce predators.

Thus passed countless years, until one hunting expedition brought him into conflict with another giant crocodile.

That giant crocodile was even larger, its head crowned with a black horn; after a fierce battle, it bit down on his vital spot…

So dry… so thirsty!

After an unknown length of time, Wang Yu, parched and tongue-tied, felt a sweet liquid flow into his mouth, spreading into cool threads that stirred his entire body—as if every cell hungered for this sweetness.

He instinctively licked his lips, then jolted awake, snapping his eyes open and sitting up—but his body froze instantly.

For beside him sat a figure, cross-legged, gray-haired, a black wooden hairpin piercing her coiffure—it was Lady Yin.

Yet now, the old woman’s red-and-green robes were torn, her face haggard, and in her hand she held a small white bottle.

“Lady Yin, you…”

Wang Yu stared, uncertain, one hand instinctively gripping the nearby Iron Essence Blade—but before he could speak, Lady Yin waved him silent.

“Wang Yu, you’ve just completed your bloodline awakening—sit and meditate immediately. Only when your abnormalities vanish may you rise.”

Abnormalities?

Wang Yu froze, then instinctively looked down at himself—and gasped.

His exposed hands were covered in dense, pale green patterns.

He hastily rolled up the sleeve of one arm.

The entire arm bore the same pattern—utterly bizarre!

Alarmed, Wang Yu said nothing more, sat cross-legged at once, and began channeling the Yin Water Technique’s incantation; surrounding spiritual energy surged into his body.

Fifteen minutes later, when he opened his eyes again, the green patterns on his arms had vanished, his skin smooth and normal once more.

“Thank you, Elder, for guarding me.”

Wang Yu exhaled in relief, rose, and bowed to Lady Yin.

“Cough, cough… Wang Yu, you’ve got guts—awakening your bloodline without a guardian? That drains immense yuan energy; any disturbance could trigger bloodline backlash. Had I not given you a bottle of ‘Shi Yuan Ru,’ you’d still be sleeping days longer.” Lady Yin coughed lightly and smiled at Wang Yu.

“Thank you, Lady Yin, for your aid—I never expected my bloodline to awaken now. Is Shi Yuan the substance in this bottle? It’s truly potent. How did you find me here? And how long have I slept?” Wang Yu glanced at the bottle in her hand, licked his lips, still feeling his body’s desperate craving for it, and asked curiously.

“You slept only half a day. As for how I found you—naturally, it was thanks to my trained ghost hounds. They’re not powerful spirit beasts, but their noses are sharp enough for tracking.”

“I escaped using some tricks, saw the Iron Arrow sink from afar, and waited until Lanshan’s Four Fiends departed before returning to this forest to find you.”

“When I discovered you were awakening your bloodline, I happened to have Shi Yuan Ru on me—so naturally, I lent a hand.” Lady Yin replied simply, her expression gentle and kind.

“Lanshan’s Four Fiends have left—have any other companions escaped?” Wang Yu asked, his heart easing.

He had secretly checked his belongings—none had been touched; his soft sword remained—now he truly relaxed.

“I don’t know if others escaped. Even if some did, they’d dare not linger nearby. I returned here for another reason.”

“Though Lanshan’s Four Fiends are infamous among rogue cultivators, daring to attack a Hundred Treasures Pavilion vessel is audacious beyond measure. I’ve already sent a secret message to the Pavilion—our Guarding Elders are surely on their way. Hmph… when they arrive…” Lady Yin shook her head, then sneered with ruthless intent.

“Pavilion Elders?” Wang Yu caught something, paused.

“Heh, I forgot to tell you, Wang Yu—I’m an undercover agent of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, just like Feng Daoist, assigned to safeguard the Iron Arrow. Alas, old Feng had bad luck—he was ambushed by their Blood Demoness. Had he not been caught off-guard, his Qi Condensation late-stage cultivation would’ve let him escape.”

“Lady Yin is from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion? Then I’m at ease. By the way—who exactly are Lanshan’s Four Fiends? How could they be so vicious as to hijack an entire spiritual vessel?” Wang Yu exhaled, still startled by her identity, but asked a different question.

“Lanshan’s Four Fiends emerged only in the past three or four years—four powerful rogue cultivators, all Qi Condensation late-stage, practicing demonic arts, each wielding a formidable grade-1 artifact. They’ve always operated only in Yugu’s Xinglong Prefecture—why they’ve crossed into our Wu Kingdom now is strange…”

“Never mind. If there’s something odd, someone else will uncover it. But Wang Yu—you’ve awakened your bloodline—what talent did you gain?”

“Heh, I’m getting senile—how could I ask such a thing so casually? I congratulate you, Wang Yu, on awakening your bloodline. As long as your future spiritual root isn’t too poor, you’ll qualify to join a cultivation sect. This Shi Yuan Ru replenishes yuan energy and nourishes the flesh—there’s still half a bottle left. Consider it my congratulatory gift.”

Lady Yin praised him repeatedly, then tossed the small bottle directly to him.

“Elder, you guarded me—that’s more than enough gratitude. How could I possibly accept such a precious gift?” Wang Yu fumbled to catch the bottle, stunned.

“Don’t be modest, Wang Yu. It’s fate between us. The first time I saw you, I knew you’d be extraordinary—but I never expected your bloodline to awaken so soon.” Lady Yin sighed with emotion.

“Did you know back then that I’d awaken my bloodline?” Wang Yu tucked the bottle away, puzzled.

“You’d already partially awakened your flesh bloodline, but not fully—so your aura leaked slightly, which allowed my spirit hounds to sense it. Now that it’s fully awakened, that leakage is gone.” Lady Yin smiled warmly.

“So that’s it? Your spirit hounds can do that?” Wang Yu, astonished, recalled the two black dogs he’d seen on deck, and a look of envy crossed his face.

"Heh, it's just a basic Beast Taming technique... too bad I lack your flesh bloodline—otherwise, I wouldn't be restricted to taming these low-grade hounds. After all, those who awaken bloodlines are the most suited to become powerful Beast Tamers."

“Lady Yin, you mean…”

Wang Yu’s heart stirred—he was about to ask further—when suddenly, a thunderous crash above shattered the tree hollow, revealing blue sky, white clouds, and blinding sunlight.

Wang Yu gasped, snatched the Iron Essence Blade beside him, rolled to his feet, and raised his gaze, fully alert to the sky above.