"Dragonblood Warrior Family?" Lin Lei's head suddenly buzzed.
In Lin Lei's mind, his own family was just an ancient and declining family. How could it be connected to the legendary Four Ultimate Warriors?
"You don't believe it?" Hogg's face showed a hint of pride. "Lin Lei, you can come forward and carefully look at those spirit tablets. You can read now, and on the back of each tablet is engraved the deeds of our ancestors. The top three tablets represent ancestors who were all Dragonblood Warriors!"
Hogg took Lin Lei's hand and said, "Follow me."
Hogg led Lin Lei to the side of the many spirit tablets. At the very back, he lifted Lin Lei up and said, "Take a closer look at the inscriptions behind those tablets."
Lin Lei widened his eyes and looked—
The inscription on the back of the top tablet was deeply carved and very clear. In the ancient, time-worn characters from five thousand years ago were recorded earth-shattering deeds!
"Baruk, the first Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan Continent, in the year 4560 of the Yulan calendar. Baruk confronted and defeated the Frost Giant Dragon and the Black Dragon at the 'City of Lin Nan,' ultimately killing them and making a name for himself. In the year 4579 of the Yulan calendar, Baruk confronted the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor on the coastline of the Northern Sea. Amid constant tsunamis and crumbling cities, after a fierce battle lasting a day and a night, Baruk finally slew the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor... thus establishing the Baruk family, with Baruk as the first patriarch!"
"Ryan Baruk. The second Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan Continent. In the year 4690 of the Yulan calendar, he defeated and tamed a Sacred Golden Dragon in the Monster Mountain Range, becoming the Golden Dragon Paladin. In the year 4697 of the Yulan calendar..."
"Hazid Baruk, the third Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan Continent, born in the year 5360 of the Yulan calendar, first battled the Sacred Domain Monster 'Blood-Eyed Maned Lion' in the Sunset Mountains. He defeated the Blood-Eyed Maned Lion, causing it to flee in defeat, making a name for himself..."
...
Great names. Earth-shattering deeds. Lin Lei's blood boiled with excitement.
"Our family, is actually a Dragonblood Warrior family?" Lin Lei was thrilled.
Hogg, beside him, said in a low voice, "Our Baruk family's first three generations were all Dragonblood Warriors. Once one becomes a Dragonblood Warrior, their lifespan will be greatly extended. The second patriarch, Ryan Baruk, did not marry and have children until he was over seven hundred years old."
"What about afterwards?" Lin Lei asked in confusion, "Father, how come there are no more Dragonblood Warriors in our family now?"
Hogg nodded and said, "To become a Dragonblood Warrior, the main factor is the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in the body, the higher the concentration, the better. As it is passed down through generations, the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in the descendants of the Baruk family will become increasingly diluted. However... this is not absolute, because with each generation, there are sometimes certain descendants whose bloodline concentration is higher."
"Following Hazid Baruk, after approximately a thousand years, the fourth Dragonblood Warrior appeared in our Baruk family. Then, after about fifteen hundred years and dozens of generations later, the fifth Dragonblood Warrior appeared in our family. However, since then, for over a thousand years until now, there has been no Dragonblood Warrior."
Hogg shook his head and sighed, "The fifth Dragonblood Warrior only existed on the Yulan Continent for over two hundred years. After that, it disappeared, and over a thousand years, our Baruk family completely declined."
Over a thousand years of time, even a once glorious family, may decline.
"However, our family still has hope. Maybe in a certain generation, the bloodline concentration of a descendant will meet the conditions to become a Dragonblood Warrior. As long as they meet that condition, they can undergo years of hard work to become a true Dragonblood Warrior, and our Baruk family can once again restore the glory of being the 'Dragonblood Warrior Family'!" Hogg's eyes lit up. "Lin Lei, you are already six and a half years old, according to the rules, the accuracy of detecting the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline is quite reliable at the age of six. Today, I will test it for you."
Lin Lei's heart shook, "Testing the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline? Testing me?"
Lin Lei clearly understood the meaning behind his father's actions. This test would determine if he had the potential to become a Dragonblood Warrior.
"Lin Lei, wait here, I'll go fetch the 'Dragonblood Needle.'" Hogg said with excitement, then walked towards the secret chamber behind the main hall.
"Dragonblood Warrior? Will I become a Dragonblood Warrior?" Lin Lei felt anxious.
Standing there, Lin Lei felt a mix of anticipation and fear, fearing that his bloodline concentration might not meet the criteria.
"If I fail, Father would probably be disappointed." Lin Lei couldn't help but think. Since childhood, he had been dependent on his father and younger brother. Lin Lei didn't want to disappoint his father. However, the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in his body was not something he could control.
In just a moment, Hogg returned with a slender, transparent needle, nearly twenty centimeters long, from the secret chamber behind the main hall.
"Dragonblood Needle?" Lin Lei guessed the name as he looked at the needle in his father's hand.
"Alright, Lin Lei, this needle will only lightly pierce your skin, it won't hurt, please extend your hand." Hogg smiled and said. Lin Lei nodded, then took a deep breath and nervously extended his right hand, which was trembling in anticipation.
Not only Lin Lei, but even Hogg himself was quite nervous.
"Hold on." Hogg's transparent Dragonblood Needle lightly pricked Lin Lei's right index finger, easily breaking the skin. Lin Lei felt a piercing pain, as the Dragonblood Needle changed from transparent to crimson.
Hogg oscillated the Dragonblood Needle and observed it carefully.
Lin Lei looked up, his eyes fixed on his father, feeling anxious. "Is the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in me enough? Why is Father looking at the Dragonblood Needle for so long?" Lin Lei had a bad feeling in his heart.
"Ah..." a sigh escaped Hogg's lips as he set the Dragonblood Needle down.
Upon hearing his father's sigh, Lin Lei, who had been nervous for a long time, knew that the concentration of Dragonblood Warrior bloodline in his body didn't meet the requirement. Tears started flowing uncontrollably.
"Lin Lei, why are you crying? Don't cry, my good boy, don't cry." Hogg immediately embraced Lin Lei, looking at his weeping child with a heart full of pain. After all, Lin Lei was only six and a half years old, still a child.
"Don't cry, um, don't cry." Lin Lei choked back his tears. "Father, I'm sorry, I have disappointed you."
Hogg heard Lin Lei's words and felt a warm sensation in his heart. He hugged Lin Lei tightly, "Lin Lei, don't be sad. Father didn't have high hopes. For over a thousand years, dozens of generations have passed without a single Dragonblood Warrior. If you didn't meet the criteria, it's okay, Father doesn't blame you."
Feeling the warmth of his father's chest, Lin Lei gradually relaxed.
At this moment, two-and-a-half-year-old Walton had already fallen asleep in the arms of the steward Kiri.
"Lin Lei, now our Baruk family only has me, you, and your younger brother. I don't have big goals in life anymore. Becoming a Dragonblood Warrior, I dare not hope for it." Hogg self-deprecatingly smiled. Becoming a Dragonblood Warrior was not that easy.
Lin Lei looked up at his father.
Lin Lei rarely heard his father speak to him like this. His father was usually so strong and strict.
Hogg looked at the row of spirit tablets, with a wistful look in his eyes, softly saying, "My true goal is to reclaim the treasured inheritance of our Baruk family."
"The treasured inheritance, what is it? Why haven't I heard of it?" Lin Lei asked curiously.
Hogg proudly said, "The treasured inheritance of our family - the battle knife 'Slaughter.' It was the weapon of Baruk, the first generation patriarch of our Baruk family and the first Dragonblood Warrior of the Yulan Continent. Alas... due to the family's decline over six hundred years ago, that generation's patriarch, for his own luxurious enjoyment, actually sold our family's treasured inheritance."
Speaking of this, Hogg's body trembled with anger.
"Selling the treasured inheritance?" Lin Lei was also somewhat angry, despite being only six and a half years old. After reading some books, he understood that no matter how difficult it was, the treasured inheritance should not be sold. Moreover, based on his father's words, that generation's patriarch sold it for his own luxurious enjoyment.
Hogg shook his head helplessly, "Every patriarch after that wanted to retrieve the battle knife 'Slaughter,' but this goal, our descendants have strived for six hundred years without success. After all, the 'Slaughter' was sold for eighteen thousand gold coins. Eighteen thousand gold coins? We can't even come up with that sum, and even if we could, others would not sell it to us."
As an ancient Dragonblood Warrior family, yet the treasured inheritance was sold.
This was a disgrace!
A disgrace to the ancient Dragonblood Warrior family!
Each generation wanted to bring back the 'Slaughter,' but despite six hundred years of effort, it eluded them.
As the current patriarch of the family, Hogg also hoped for it, but the economic situation of the entire family was very poor now. Eighteen thousand gold coins? Even if they sold the ancestral home, they probably wouldn't be able to gather such a huge fortune.
The treasured inheritance was gone. This shame often made Hogg feel heartache and ashamed. He couldn't face his ancestors.
Upon seeing his father's expression, Lin Lei comforted him, "Father, don't worry, someday I will bring back our family's treasured inheritance."
"Are you sure?" Hogg smiled, stroking Lin Lei's head affectionately.
However, in his heart, Hogg secretly thought, "Lin Lei, how do you know... I said this to your grandfather back then." After more than six hundred years and many generations of disciples, they still hadn't succeeded. It wasn't as easy as it seemed, after all. People who could possess the 'Slaughter' wouldn't sell it, and even if they did, could the declining Baruk family afford it?
"Father, do you not believe in me?" Lin Lei raised his head, looking at his father with a puzzled expression.
"I believe in you, I believe in you." Hogg smiled.
Father and son leaned on each other. With only these three members left in the ancient Dragonblood Warrior family, how long would it take for this family, which had been declining for over a thousand years, to once again shine with its past glory? And at this moment, Lin Lei, lying in his father's arms, clenched his fists tightly!