Su Xiaobai's Sea of Consciousness buzzed with activity.
In cultivation, the "Sea of Consciousness" was the inner realm of a person's mind, where thoughts, spiritual energy, and mental projections took form. It was where he could visualize his spiritual state and connect with the energies within him.
Right now, his sea held not one but 'three bloodlines'—an unusual occurrence even in the world of cultivation.
His first bloodline had always been a mystery. It had never fully awakened, but when it did, it saved his life, bringing him back from the brink of death.
This 'dark and cold bloodline' gave him passive regenerative healing. It was slow but steady—capable of repairing damage over time, though not powerful enough to heal crippled meridians and veins.
Yet it granted him the 'Invincible Body', toughening his form like stone. However, activating this ability drained too much spiritual energy, so he could only use it for brief moments.
His second bloodline, awakened during the second 'Bloodline Awakening Ceremony', was tied to 'thunder' and 'wind'.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, he saw a 'majestic serpent', coiled in a storm.
This bloodline gave him powers related to controlling the storm, but its true abilities were still unclear.
But then, there was the third bloodline—one that shouldn't have existed.
It was the dormant 'Azure Dragon Bloodline', belonging only to the descendants of the Azure Dragon Clan.
The signature ability of this bloodline, 'Heavenly Dragon Breath', unleashed a devastating wave of spiritual energy, obliterating anything in its path.
How did he acquire this?
Su Xiaobai grimaced, recalling his encounter with 'Long Lifen', a member of the Azure Dragon Clan.
After their intimate moment, he had somehow absorbed her bloodline. It had never happened with anyone else, which led him to wonder—could his second bloodline 'devour' the bloodlines of others?
To test this theory, he had been sleeping with Xiao Lu for days, hoping to extract something from her.
But nothing happened.
Only disappointment greeted him.
Maybe it was because she didn't have a bloodline, or perhaps the success rate was just too low.
Regardless, Su Xiaobai had named his second bloodline the 'Devouring Sky Serpent Bloodline'.
He suspected it was tied to his father, who had a similar ability to consume things around him.
But this bloodline seemed mutated, stronger.
In White Cloud Star, where Su Xiaobai grew up, every cultivator could touch the 'Immortal Tianlong Spirit' during the 'Bloodline Awakening Ceremony' and receive a single bloodline.
Yet, Su Xiaobai had done it twice.
After hearing Ning Gufan's explanation, it all made sense—he wasn't fully human.
One of his parents was a demon, and that's why he had two bloodlines.
But which parent was the demon?
He was fairly certain it was his 'mother'.
Her distant nature and awkward behavior suddenly made sense.
Had she been hiding this secret all along?
In White Cloud Star, demons were hunted and killed because demonic energy was linked to the 'hunters'—beings who brought death and corruption.
Was that why they had tried to kill him? Why his father, Hua Sheng, was murdered?
In Immortal Rain Valley, demons and humans coexisted, but White Cloud Star was isolated and ignorant. Su Xiaobai had been raised to fear and hate demons, but now, with his broader understanding of the world, he realized how small-minded his home truly was.
It no longer mattered if his mother was a demon.
If she was, so be it.
He would bring his family to Immortal Rain Valley, where they wouldn't be persecuted.
But before that, he would return and make those who had tried to kill them pay.
Whether they were human or demon, they had no right to take his family's life.
If they believed being a demon justified their actions, then it also justified his vengeance.
___
"What are you doing?" Xiao Lu, who had been quietly observing Su Xiaobai from behind, finally spoke up, her tone tinged with subtle hesitation.
She took a few cautious steps toward him, clearly aware that cultivators valued their secrets.
For cultivators like Su Xiaobai, trump cards could be a matter of life and death.
Su Xiaobai liked this woman for a reason. Xiao Lu's ambitions weren't like those of most women seeking to climb the ranks through men. She just wanted a good life—not too extravagant, but comfortable. She wasn't looking to use others for power.
"Just organizing some things," Su Xiaobai replied, distracted as he continued sifting through the items in his spatial ring. The ring was a storage tool many cultivators used, capable of holding vast amounts of treasures, herbs, and tools within a small, accessible space.
But right now, his ring was a complete mess, overflowing with spiritual herbs, materials, and random cultivation techniques.
Most of it had belonged to the Infernal Emperor, but as the man's successor, Su Xiaobai considered it all his now.
Xiao Lu hugged him from behind, her soft body pressing against his back. A faint fragrance filled the air, causing Su Xiaobai to stiffen in discomfort.
He could feel her breasts pressing against him, making the situation far more uncomfortable than he intended.
He hadn't even noticed she wasn't wearing anything beneath her gown.
Before Su Xiaobai could react to the situation, something caught both of their attention.
Whoosh!
From within his spatial ring, Su Xiaobai suddenly pulled out an enormous beast-flower, spanning a full meter in width.
Its petals, a deep, otherworldly green, shimmered under the light, casting eerie reflections around the room. Sharp, jade-like thorns ran along its stem, exuding a sense of hidden danger.
The center of the flower pulsed with a glowing emerald light, as if it had a life of its own.
Snake-like tendrils coiled and uncoiled at its base, moving like serpents ready to trap anything that wandered too close.
"What's this?" Xiao Lu asked, eyes wide with curiosity as she reached out to touch one of the petals. The moment she got too close, the plant shifted, making her retract her hand in fear.
"Don't touch what you don't understand," Su Xiaobai warned sternly, shooting her a sharp glance.
"Ah, I'm sorry..." Xiao Lu immediately apologized, stepping back.
Her curiosity remained, but she knew better than to press further.
Su Xiaobai, however, wasn't angry.
He was just as confused as she was. When he had infiltrated the Institute of Science to undergo his second bloodline awakening ceremony, he had stolen nearly everything in sight—scrolls, potions, artifacts—anything that seemed valuable.
Among the stolen items was this strange plant-beast.
He had no idea what it did.
While rummaging through his spatial ring, he had come across the creature for the first time since the robbery.
The flower-like beast had been sitting dormant among the other stolen treasures.
Unlike the aphrodisiac potion he had used on Long Lifen, which had an immediate and obvious effect, this mutated flower remained a mystery.
Su Xiaobai sighed, watching the tendrils twitch subtly, still uncertain of its purpose.
'Whatever it is, it's definitely not normal,' he muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing, 'I'll need to figure out how it works... eventually.'
"Hm?"
"...Is something special going on today? There's so much noise outside," Su Xiaobai asked, ignoring the flower beast for the moment and turning toward the window.
The commotion in the streets was growing louder.
"Ah, yes, today—" Xiao Lu began, but before she could finish, Su Xiaobai's eyes caught something behind her.
HISSSSSS!
The flower beast, with its eerie glow, had unfurled its tendrils, which now crept silently toward her back, its mouth yawning wide, revealing rows of jagged small white teeths.
Su Xiaobai lunged forward in a blur, grabbing her wrist and yanking her out of the way just as one of the tendrils struck.
"Careful!" he warned.