Nangong Mingyue stepped out of her cultivation chamber without hesitation.
She headed straight to where Sect Master Bei Qing was resting.
She was eager to grow stronger—every second wasted was a chance lost.
At that moment, Nangong Clan's Great Elder and several others were hosting a feast for Bei Qing. When they sensed Mingyue approaching, they instinctively turned to look.
But when they caught her current cultivation level...
Body Tempering Stage Five?!
She reforged her constitution?!
A collective gasp echoed through the hall. Their minds blanked in disbelief.
What the hell?
That fast?!
Even Sect Master Bei Qing, who had just raised a wine cup, froze mid-motion. His hand trembled slightly, and a storm of shock surged through his heart.
"Jiang Clan's Young Lord… can remotely reshape someone's body constitution?"
That was something even he—a near-Respect level powerhouse—couldn't achieve without mythical-level treasures.
Just what kind of divine power is that?!
But then… realization dawned. A wide smile crept across his face.
"Hahaha… That's my disciple!"
His little treasure… was engaged to a monster like Jiang Xuan?
He could practically see himself clinging to the thigh of a future Dao Lord.
Three days passed.
Jiang Xuan had been in closed-door training for a total of five.
Ever since he refused to break off his engagement and publicly rejected a political marriage with the Sacred Daughter of the Archaic Heaven Sect, the atmosphere within the Jiang Clan had turned... strange.
Now that the rejection had reached Archaic Heaven's ears, pressure had begun to mount.
The elders of Jiang Xuan's bloodline were on edge—afraid the sect's wrath would cripple their Young Lord's chances of inheriting the position of successor.
Meanwhile, factions aligned with the other three Young Lords—especially Jiang Minghao—were sitting back, enjoying the show.
Let's see how they deal with the Archaic Heaven Sect's fury now.
But the center of the storm—Jiang Xuan himself—remained wholly unfazed.
He had no time for court politics.
Because two days ago, his bloodline hit 80%.
And with it… came the inheritance of the Seven-Star Divine Technique, passed down by the legendary Ancestor of Stars.
It was a divine art that manipulated the heavenly constellations. With the seven stars of the Northern Dipper as anchors, it allowed the user to peer into fate itself.
When mastered, it could even predict the future, avoid misfortune, and reverse cause and effect.
Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged in his private chamber, veins glowing with crimson divine light. His blood surged like a tidal wave of molten gold.
Surrounded by Dao runes and celestial energy, he looked less like a human and more like a newborn god.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"Already at 85%?"
A wry smile crept across his face.
With each increase in bloodline purity came a tremendous influx of power. If he didn't suppress it, he'd break through to the next realm immediately.
But he didn't want that.
Cultivation wasn't just about speed.
It was about foundation.
A solid Dao foundation determined your future ceiling.
Even at lower realms, a cultivator with a perfect foundation could slay those far above them.
Many of Jiang Clan's top talents had already reached the Spirit Transformation Realm, but Jiang Xuan?
He was still at Peak Soul Merging—and yet he could crush them all.
For the past five days, aside from cultivating the Seven-Star Art, he had been burning through all the incoming energy, reinforcing his flesh and bones, forging his core.
And just when he thought the flood of energy was stabilized—
His bloodline increased again.
Now at 85%, his body once again surged with power, his meridians nearly bursting from the intensity.
"Damn… too much power again."
His radiant, crystal-clear skin cracked open from the force—then healed again.
And again.
And again.
Over and over, his body exploded and repaired itself, wrapped in golden light and divine blood mist.
He looked like a god being reborn.
"No choice… I've reached the limit of physical reinforcement."
"Anymore, and I'll hurt myself."
He exhaled and let go.
Time to break through.
BOOM—
His soul surged as divine radiance burst outward like magma. His blood howled, thick as molten iron.
In a flash—
He broke into Peak Soul Merging Realm.
His spiritual soul hovered at the center of his sea of consciousness, solidified like divine jade. Ancient power radiated from his being.
It was then that something truly heaven-shaking occurred.
The density of his divine blood had surpassed 85%—a threshold few in Jiang Clan history had ever reached.
And the heavens responded.
The skies cracked open.
Clouds twisted, winds howled in reverse. A celestial altar emerged from the void.
Endless divine light poured down like rain, bathing the entire clan in sacred glow.
It was…
The Ancestral Shrine.
An echo left behind by the first Jiang Patriarch, containing the Dao brand of a forgotten era.
Only when a descendant's bloodline reached a certain threshold could this shrine appear and bestow its blessing.
All across the Jiang Clan's divine mountain, tens of thousands of clan members dropped to their knees.
Their bloodline trembled. Their spirits shook.
They bowed with utmost reverence.
"The Ancestor's Shrine has manifested!"
"A peerless prodigy has been born!"
Far below the mountain, deep within secluded chambers—
A number of terrifying auras stirred from ancient slumber.
Eyes as old as the stars opened slowly.
"This… this is…"
"Bloodline over 85%?!"
"Another freak… another invincible heir?"
From within the darkness, ancient voices echoed.
"Quick, investigate! We must not let such a talent go unrecognized."
"Someone has awakened the Sword Ancestor's legacy!"
Above the clouds, the ancestral shrine trembled.
And from within it—
A phantom stepped out.
A divine figure formed of stars and sword energy. He looked across space and locked eyes on Jiang Xuan.
He smiled approvingly.
Then…
He raised his hand.
Thousands of sword lights erupted behind him.
They cut through space.
Each beam of light was forged from pure law, capable of slashing through time and destiny.
The entire world held its breath.
The Sword Ancestor had returned.