Chapter 117: Crimson Flying Dragon: Tracing the Source

"Shut up! You will not fail!"

Luo En abruptly interrupted the other's words, which had sounded almost like a final entrustment:

"Even if some accident occurs, I am here. I have prepared many potions to suppress distortion and can intervene at any time."

In reality, this was merely a comforting lie; once bloodline activation begins, external forces can rarely interfere.

If Andre were to truly undergo complete malformation, there would be very little Luo En could do—perhaps only make his departure easier.

But at this moment, the other needed confidence, not fear.

"I understand."

Andre took a deep breath; he was clearly aware of this himself: "Then, let us begin."

He raised the potion vial, nodded to Luo En, and drank it in one gulp.

The moment the potion entered his system, Andre's expression became extraordinarily complex—first surprise, then agony, and finally a trance bordering on ecstasy.

A golden radiance seemed to ignite from within, shining through his skin and flowing along the rune paths drawn upon his body, forming a complete energy network.

He slowly closed his eyes, his hands spreading out involuntarily, his body hovering about half a foot in the air as if supported by some invisible force.

The light of the magic array intensified, and the seven energy crystals hummed in unison, forming a harmonious tone—a sign that the energy was resonating.

Luo En stepped back a few paces, observing the entire process closely.

He knew the next few minutes would determine Andre's fate—either awaken as a Bloodline Knight or become a monster consumed by malformation.

Time ticked away second by second. Andre's state appeared stable, but Luo En could feel the energy flow within the array beginning to become uneven, as if encountering some obstruction.

Andre's expression began to twist, his muscles twitching irregularly as if battling some force within his body.

"Damn it." Alarm bells rang in Luo En's mind: "He is starting to reject the potion."

This was the most common danger during the bloodline activation process.

When the awakening ancient bloodline conflicts with the host's own spirit or flesh, it leads to chaotic energy flow, potentially triggering malformation or worse consequences.

Luo En quickly considered his options; he could attempt to intervene, but the risk was extremely high; or he could trust in Andre's willpower to pull through.

Andre's consciousness was currently trapped in a strange state of chaos.

In his mental world, a massive crimson dragon-like creature was diving toward him, its dragon head ferocious, eyes like burning lava, scales shimmering with metallic luster.

In this life-or-death moment, countless images flashed through Andre's mind:

The desperate faces of the expelled apprentice candidates he had seen while helping the Enforcement Squad;

The corpse of Karl, polluted by malformation;

Even the painful memories from his time in the kingdom, being mocked by his brothers and ignored by his father.

These images intertwined, forming an indescribable emotion—anger, sorrow, unwillingness, longing...

"I cannot end like this!" Andre roared in his heart: "I will not become another monster, nor another nameless corpse!"

The phantom of the Crimson Flying Dragon paused in mid-air, its golden vertical pupils staring directly at Andre, as if evaluating the value of this human.

After a long standoff, the dragon's posture softened, its massive body gradually shrinking until it turned into a ball of crimson energy hovering before Andre.

"I accept you as a part of my power."

Andre reached out and touched the ball of energy: "But I, Andre Faruke, remain the master of this body."

Following his declaration, the crimson energy flowed into his body like water, no longer eroding or occupying, but merging and coexisting.

In the real world, the light of the magic array began to stabilize, no longer surging violently as before.

Andre's body slowly descended from the air, his feet landing firmly on the ground.

The scales that had grown on his skin did not disappear, but they did not spread further either, extending from his neck to his arms like a meticulously designed suit of armor.

"Andre?" Luo En approached cautiously, unsure if the person before him still possessed his sanity, his hand already gripping his pocket watch and a sonic oscillation spell.

Andre slowly opened his eyes; those golden vertical pupils remained, but his gaze had regained human clarity.

"I succeeded, Luo En."

His voice was slightly hoarse but filled with joy beyond words: "I feel... it's hard to describe."

Luo En let out a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing.

"You almost made me think I needed to prepare for your funeral."

He said half-jokingly: "For a moment, I truly thought you would undergo complete malformation."

"I thought so too."

Andre looked at his own hands, the scales shimmering with a subtle luster under the candlelight:

"But at the last moment, I remembered many things... those memories gave me the strength to persist."

Luo En observed the changes in his friend.

Andre's appearance hadn't changed much aside from the localized scales, but the aura he exuded was entirely different.

It was an indescribable pressure, as if a sleeping beast were lurking within his body, ready to awaken at any moment.

"How do you feel now?" Luo En asked curiously: "What bloodline did you awaken?"

Andre closed his eyes, seemingly sensing the changes within:

"Crimson Flying Dragon." He said softly, "A subspecies branch of the Sunfire Dragon, though the awakening is incomplete. I only obtained a portion of the bloodline's power, but even so..."

He did not continue, instead reaching out toward an anvil in the corner of the workshop.

Luo En was wondering what he was doing when he saw Andre's palm suddenly covered in a layer of bright red scales, his fingertips deforming into sharp claws.

Then, he gave a light squeeze.

The anvil, weighing several hundred kilograms and requiring two or three strong men to move, was lifted by him with one hand as if it were merely a piece of wood.

Even more shocking, Andre's fingertips sank deep into the metal surface, leaving five clear claw marks on the anvil.

"This..." Luo En was dumbfounded: "Is this the power of a Bloodline Knight?"

Andre nodded, easily placing the anvil back in its original position:

"It's not just strength." He said in a low voice:

"My senses have also become extraordinarily sharp; I can hear sounds from afar and smell more scents. I can even perceive the flow of magic in the surrounding air."

Luo En noticed that as Andre spoke, his pupils contracted and expanded with his emotions, just like a true reptile.

"Are there any other abilities?" He asked.

Andre pondered for a moment, then took a deep breath.

With his breath, a ball of crimson flame suddenly condensed in his palm, golden patterns dancing within the fire, exuding astonishing heat.

"Affinity for the fire element has greatly increased." He said: "I can naturally manipulate fire with almost no need for magic guidance."

He clenched his fist, and the flames vanished.

Then he turned to Luo En, his eyes carrying complex emotions:

"This feeling of being filled with power... it's as if the previous me was merely a false existence, and only now have I truly awakened."

Luo En nodded silently; he could understand the shock brought by this metamorphosis.

The former Andre, though a prince, was merely an ordinary person in the Black Fog Jungle, barely surviving by relying on his family status.

And now, he had crossed the boundary of mortals, becoming a true extraordinary being.

Luo En walked to the magic array, carefully inspecting the runes and energy crystals that had lost their glow.

"Speaking of which, there were some problems during your awakening process."

He said thoughtfully: "That energy disorder and the near-loss of control might be because the potion formula and array design still have imperfections."

"No, it's not entirely the potion's fault; it's also that my own aptitude was insufficient." Andre shook his head:

"I can feel that it was mostly because my compatibility with the bloodline was insufficient. If not for your potion's guidance being precise enough, I fear I would have turned into a twisted lump of flesh long ago."

He walked to Luo En's side and said sincerely:

"To be honest, in royal records, people with my aptitude attempting to awaken such a high-level bloodline have a success rate of less than thirty percent. That I could succeed is largely due to your potion and array design."

Luo En frowned; he was more concerned with how to learn from this experience to better prepare for his own bloodline activation.

"I need to make some adjustments to the array."

He thought aloud: "Especially the layout of those seven energy pathways. Your energy flow interruption mainly occurred at the intersection of the third and fifth pathways; perhaps a buffer zone can be added there."

The two discussed the details for a while, and Luo En noted down many observations.

"I think I need to go back and have a huge meal."

Andre finally said, stretching his shoulders:

"Bloodline awakening consumed a lot of energy; I feel like I could eat an entire cow in one sitting."

Luo En laughed: "Then you'd better hurry back. A newly awakened bloodline requires a lot of energy to stabilize; hunger is a normal phenomenon."

Andre nodded, draped his outer robe over his shoulders, and prepared to leave.

But at the door, he suddenly stopped and turned to Luo En:

"Thank you, Luo En. Without you, I fear I would have died in Cynthia's bed long ago..."

The blond youth gathered his thoughts, seemingly prepared to continue with more moving words.

Before he could start, Luo En punched him in the back, with a force neither too light nor too heavy.

With a muffled "thud," Andre's words were choked in his throat.

He looked surprised; his newly awakened, reinforced body naturally wouldn't be injured by this force, but this sudden attack had indeed interrupted his long-prepared sentimental speech.

"Stop being so sentimental."

Luo En rolled his eyes and waved his hand impatiently:

"Hurry back and rest. Spend these next few days adapting to your bloodline abilities; there will be plenty of times for you to risk your life later."

Andre laughed despite himself; he knew Luo En had this kind of personality, always appearing heartless at the most critical moments to hide his true concern.

"By the way." Luo En suddenly added, his tone as casual as if discussing tomorrow's weather:

"In a while, you'll need to accompany me to Lizard Alley again to buy some things. Don't come up with any more emergency Enforcement Squad missions then."

Andre looked thoughtfully at his friend; the other didn't seem to need his help for the upcoming bloodline activation ritual.

"I understand." He nodded gently, a flash of realization in his eyes:

"I will never be late for our next appointment."

Although the details and procedures of the bloodline activation ritual were told to Luo En by him, the actual operation was completed entirely by Luo En.

Now it seemed the other clearly did not wish for him to observe the process of his ritual.

Everyone has their own privacy and secrets; Andre would not pry.

"Then I shall take my leave."

Andre draped his robe over his shoulders, his golden pupils shimmering slightly in the darkness:

"I'll come find you the day after tomorrow to discuss methods for controlling bloodline abilities."

Luo En nodded, watching Andre depart.

Closing the door, Luo En let out a long breath, his muscles finally relaxing.

Although Andre's bloodline awakening had some accidents, the final result was even better than expected.

He walked to the window, gazing at the silent Black Fog Jungle, his thoughts beginning to organize the next plan.

Because Eric and Lia were arranging for him to enter the third-phase courses, the schedule needed adjustment, so there were no classes next week; they would resume the week after.

And the alchemy and elemental affinity courses were also held every other day, meaning he now had ample time to prepare for his own bloodline activation ritual.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll process the recent potion orders."

Luo En muttered to himself, his fingers tapping lightly on the window frame: "In the afternoon, I can begin my own bloodline activation."

Through observing Andre's entire ritual process, he was certain that even if problems arose, there wouldn't be the massive risk of total collapse.

Previously, his biggest worry was that the ritual itself had fundamental flaws, potentially leading to total collapse that even ten points of energy from the pocket watch couldn't save.

But now, that worry had vanished.

If Andre could successfully complete the awakening, then he, possessing the "Tracing the Source" trait, would undoubtedly have a higher success rate.

"Still, I must be careful." Luo En reminded himself: "After all, everyone's situation is different."

He returned to the workbench and began preparing the materials needed for tomorrow.

The bloodline activation potion was already prepared, and the array design was perfected; now he only needed to carefully adjust some small details to ensure nothing went wrong.

Ailan suddenly used her vines to gently hook his arm, her green pupils revealing a look of concern.

Luo En turned around and smiled reluctantly: "It's nothing, just thinking about some things."

Ailan's vines swayed gently, seemingly expressing some understanding: "The metamorphosis of life is always accompanied by risks. But I believe the Master is strong enough to master any change."

Luo En looked at her with some surprise; such philosophical thinking, appearing in a creature that was originally just a semi-plant, seemed extraordinarily incredible.

"Thank you for your trust, Ailan." He said sincerely: "I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow."

The night grew deeper, and Luo En continued to refine the details of the ritual until he was exhausted and barely managed to go to bed.

The next morning, Luo En completed all potion orders with extraordinary efficiency.

He packed the last batch of finished products into exquisite crystal vials, sealed them carefully, and began preparing for the afternoon's bloodline activation ritual.

"Everything is ready." Luo En stood in the center of the ritual site, looking around.

Compared to Andre's ritual, the array he designed for himself was more complex and refined.

The basic structure still maintained a sun shape, but the main lines were increased to nine, and the runes on each line were denser, symbolizing stronger control and guidance capabilities.

Specially crafted energy crystals were placed on the ground, each carefully selected and tuned to guide the flow of specific types of energy.

Ailan stood in a distant corner, watching everything quietly.

Luo En had specifically instructed her not to approach or intervene in the ritual, no matter what happened.

"If I show abnormalities, do not attempt to help me."

Luo En instructed finally: "Just wait; I will handle it myself."

Ailan nodded, her leaf writing board swaying gently: "I will keep my promise, but please... be sure to be careful."

Luo En smiled slightly, then took a deep breath and began to activate the magic array.

He placed the energy crystals one by one on the key nodes of the array, reciting specific incantations as he placed each one, guiding the energy to flow into the correct pathways.

With the final energy crystal placed, the entire array lit up with golden light, much brighter and more stable than Andre's ritual.

Next, Luo En used special silver ink to draw runes on his own body, while the rune carving on his back was completed through some auxiliary tools.

Each rune landed precisely on key acupoints, forming a complete energy network.

The stinging sensation of the ink touching his skin was more intense than he had imagined; it was the sign that the runes were beginning to merge with his flesh and blood.

Everything was ready. Luo En stood in the center of the array and took out the bloodline activation potion specially prepared for himself.

Compared to the version prepared for Andre, the color of this potion was deeper, almost approaching dark red.

Golden and green light spots flickered within the potion; these were the guiding components designed for the Ralph family bloodline.

"It is time." Luo En whispered to himself, gripping the potion vial tightly.

Despite having the pocket watch to reset his state, his heart rate still accelerated involuntarily.

Bloodline activation was a true life-or-death gamble; no one could fully predict the outcome.

"Do not be afraid." He recited in his heart: "Fear will only lead to loss of control."

Taking a deep breath, Luo En drank it in one gulp.

The moment the potion entered his system, it felt as if thousands of streams of scalding lava were being injected into his blood vessels simultaneously; the pain was almost suffocating.

Luo En gritted his teeth, enduring it without making a sound.

As the potion spread through his body, the pain gradually transformed into a strange scorching heat, as if something was awakening in his flesh and blood, struggling to break out of its cocoon.

Luo En's consciousness began to blur, the physical world before him gradually disappearing, replaced by a vast swamp.

Thick fog shrouded the entire swamp, and low hissing sounds came from afar.

Luo En stood on a relatively dry piece of land, surrounded by black mud pits exuding a rotting stench.

Suddenly, a massive figure appeared in the fog.

It was a giant poisonous snake, or more accurately, a terrifying giant snake with multiple heads.

Each snake head was as large as an adult's torso, its scales shimmering with cold metallic light, eyes like burning yellow flames, filled with primitive wildness and cruelty.

This was the source of the Ralph family's bloodline—the Swamp Hydra, although far inferior to its divine-era ancestor, it was still a terrifying magical beast capable of contending with high-level apprentices.

"As expected." Luo En muttered to himself: "Is this the most primitive form?"

The Hydra seemed to sense Luo En's presence; all its heads turned toward him simultaneously, eyes flickering with vigilance and hostility.

Subsequently, it began to approach Luo En slowly, its body winding forward through the swamp, leaving a deep trail.

Luo En did not retreat, instead straightening his back and staring directly at this ancient magical beast.

He knew that in the mental world of bloodline activation, retreating would only lead to failure, potentially even triggering malformation.

Just as the Hydra was only a few meters away from Luo En, a strange change suddenly occurred.

【Tracing the Source trait activated!】

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 118 =====