8: Long Ao came out and slapped someone from a distance!

Dragon Perch Residence.

This mansion, named after the Long Family's oldest totem, was less a villa and more a small, fully equipped independent kingdom. It was located in the core area of the Long Family Manor, where Spiritual Qi was most abundant, covering thousands of square meters. Pavilions, terraces, and winding streams abounded, with every brick and stone inscribed with Spirit Gathering Formations. The energy concentration in the air was more than three times that of the outside world.

This was the exclusive palace the Long Family had specially built for “number zero heir” Lin Tian.

At this moment, on the underground first floor of the palace, in a virtual reality (VR) Cultivation chamber comparable to the federal military's top laboratories, Lin Tian stood facing his new “Chief Life Assistant,” Long Ling'er.

The entire Cultivation chamber was pure white, with walls, ceiling, and floor made of memory metal. It could simulate any known Cultivation environment in the Universe according to the user's needs—from the terrifying water pressure of a ten-thousand-meter deep sea to the scorching magma inside a volcano, and even the vacuum and radiation of outer space.

“Watch closely.”

Lin Tian spoke indifferently, his tender voice forming a peculiar harmony with the futuristic environment. The First Transformation of his Nine Transformations of the Divine Dragon Cultivation Technique quietly circulated within him, and an ancient, primordial aura emanated from his small body.

Buzz!

A layer of faint golden, illusory Protective Aura, seemingly composed of countless miniature Dragon Scales finer than hair, instantly covered his entire body. The Protective Aura shimmered with flowing light, and faint Dragon roars echoed in the Void Realm, exuding a profound and majestic aura of invulnerability and indestructibility.

“This is the defensive Divine Ability derived from cultivating the First Transformation of the Nine Transformations of the Divine Dragon to Perfection—Dragon Scale Astral Energy,” Lin Tian explained to Long Ling'er, who was already mesmerized beside him, while maintaining the Protective Aura. His tone was as calm as if he were introducing an ordinary toy, rather than an S-Rank Cultivation Technique Divine Ability capable of driving outside Martial Artists mad.

“Theoretically, it is sufficient to withstand a full-force blow from a Martial Artist of the same Rank with three times the strength. Moreover, the Protective Aura can cover any part of the body at will, or be instantly projected outwards to form a defensive barrier.”

Long Ling'er nodded in shock. Her A-Rank talent allowed her to clearly perceive how precise and profound the energy structure contained within that seemingly thin Protective Aura was. Its defensive power was probably far more than what Lin Tian had simply stated.

“Then, what about the Second Transformation?” she couldn't help but ask curiously, her cool Phoenix eyes now filled with a yearning and curiosity for higher levels of power.

Lin Tian smiled slightly. With a thought, the Dragon Scale Astral Energy covering his entire body instantly dissipated into nothingness. Immediately after, the Qi and blood within him began to surge in an even more violent and primitive manner, like a dormant volcano about to erupt.

His skin glowed with a faint, blood-red hue, like a branding iron. Within his eyes, two golden divine fires seemed to burn fiercely, and an overwhelmingly domineering and Heaven-Defying aura soared into the sky, causing Long Ling'er beside him to feel a pang of trepidation and instinctively take half a step back.

“The Second Transformation is called ‘Dragon Blood Boiling’.”

His voice became deep and magnetic, each word seeming to carry immense weight, filled with explosive power.

“When activated, it can burn one's own Qi and blood for a short period, instantly boosting all Physical Body functions, including strength, speed, and reaction ability, by three times. However, this method consumes a great deal of Qi and blood. At my current Realm, I can only maintain it for a maximum of ten breaths, after which there will be a period of weakness.”

Upon hearing this, Long Ling'er's heart was once again stirred by a tempestuous shock.

Instantly boosting explosive power by three times! What a Heaven-Defying ability! In a life-and-death struggle, these short ten breaths would be enough to decide everything!

The defensive “Dragon Scale Astral Energy,” the explosive “Dragon Blood Boiling”... and these were only the first two Transformations of the Nine Transformations of the Divine Dragon! The power and comprehensiveness of this S-Rank Cultivation Technique had far exceeded her imagination.

And this number zero heir, in just a short incense stick's time before the combat power test, had cultivated the First Transformation to Perfection, and now had even begun to delve into the Second Transformation. To what unfathomable Realm had his strength truly reached?

After the demonstration, Lin Tian casually shut down the VR System, and the surrounding environment instantly returned to a pure white room. The domineering aura on him also receded, transforming him back into the innocent, exquisitely carved five-year-old child.

He walked towards the resting area. Long Ling'er immediately snapped back to attention and quickly stepped forward, taking out a soft, temperature-controlled towel woven from Tianshan snow silkworm silk from her storage ring to wipe the non-existent sweat from his forehead. Her movements were gentle and focused, as if she had fully entered the role of “Chief Life Assistant” and was enjoying it.

Lin Tian leaned comfortably on the sofa, which was covered with exotic beast fur, and opened his System panel.

In the mission bar, a new mission, glowing with the seven-colored light representing the highest Rank, quietly floated there.

[Long-term Sign-in Mission has been issued!]

[Mission Objective: Please complete the sign-in at the finals of the Global Youth Martial Arts Tournament seven years from now.]

[Mission Reward: SSS-Rank Mysterious Gene Armament!]

Global Youth Martial Arts Tournament?

Lin Tian had some impression of this name. It was the highest-spec grand event established by the Global Martial Arts Alliance to promote healthy competition among the younger generation of humanity and discover top Geniuses. It was held every ten years, with participants limited to under twenty years old. Those who could distinguish themselves there were invariably the future leaders of various major forces, a true “Prodigy's Battle.”

Seven years later, he would be twelve years old.

A faint smile curved Lin Tian's lips. This timing was just right. By then, his strength would probably have reached Minor Achievement, and it would be a good opportunity to witness the true Prodigies of this world and their demeanor.

A clear, long-term goal that would span his entire adolescence was thus established... Just as Lin Tian's life entered a calm and fulfilling daily rhythm centered on sign-ins and Cultivation, in another heavily guarded Cultivation base deep within the earth's pulse—the “Hidden Dragon Abyss”—a long-suppressed storm was brewing.

Boom!

The several-meter-thick basalt secret chamber stone door burst open with a grating mechanical sound. A tall figure, surrounded by a faint azure energy storm that seemed capable of tearing space, slowly walked out from within.

He had a face like jade, sword-like brows, and starry eyes. His waist-length black hair moved without wind, and every gesture exuded a powerful confidence and sharp aura of controlling everything.

It was none other than the acknowledged leader of the Long Family's younger generation, the S-Rank Wind Attribute talent holder, the number three heir—Long Ao!

“Congratulations, Third Young Master, on emerging from seclusion! Your Cultivation has advanced further, your Divine Ability has reached Major Achievement, and you have broken through to the ‘Martial Ancestor Rank’!”

Dozens of guards, who had long been waiting outside, knelt on one knee in unison, their expressions fervent and reverent.

Long Ao felt the surging power within him, which was several times stronger than before his seclusion and seemed capable of stirring the winds and clouds of Heaven and Earth. A disdainful smile appeared on his face.

Martial Ancestor Rank!

Looking across the entire younger generation of Huaxia, those who could reach this Realm at this age were few and far between.

He was still the most dazzling person standing at the top of the pyramid!

“During my seclusion, has anything major happened in the Family?” Long Ao asked indifferently, with an unquestionable authority in his tone.

A guard captain was about to step forward to report the recent event that had shaken the entire Family, but a shrill, desperate cry filled with endless resentment and grievance came from afar.

“Lord Long Ao! You've finally emerged from seclusion! You must uphold justice for me!”

Long Xiaoqian, whose Cultivation had been crippled, whose appearance was withered, and who seemed to have aged thirty years overnight, scrambled and crawled over, desperately clinging to Long Ao's calf, crying heartbrokenly.

Long Ao frowned, an invisible Qi blast shook her away. He recognized this collateral Family member who had once followed him and possessed a fair amount of beauty.

“What happened? Who hurt you like this?”

Long Xiaoqian seemed to have found her pillar of support and immediately began to wail, snot and tears flowing. She distorted the truth and exaggerated, portraying everything that had happened in the combat power testing hall as a premeditated humiliation orchestrated by Lin Tian, targeting him, Long Ao.

“...That little bastard named Lin Tian, he... he didn't put you in his eyes at all! He clearly could have tested normally, but he insisted on destroying that instrument in front of everyone! Your record of twenty thousand kilograms was still on that instrument! He was deliberately slapping your face, humiliating you!”

“He also took Long Ling'er away! Everyone says that this inexplicable ‘number zero heir’ was established just to snatch resources and status that rightfully belonged to you! Lord Long Ao, you are the true future of the Long Family, the leader destined to lead us to glory! You absolutely cannot let a five-year-old brat ride roughshshod over you!”

She cried with tears, her words highly inflammatory. The guards around her, who were already dissatisfied with the “number zero heir” being parachuted in, were also filled with righteous indignation. They all turned their gaze to Long Ao, waiting for their invincible Third Young Master to unleash his thunderous wrath and defend his honor!

Long Ao quietly listened to Long Xiaoqian's tearful complaint. The confident smile on his face had disappeared at some point, replaced by a chilling gloom that foreshadowed a coming storm.

He slowly rose from his throne. A terrifying pressure, belonging to a Martial Ancestor Rank expert, caused the surrounding air to solidify and the temperature to plummet.

Seeing this, Long Xiaoqian felt a morbid ecstasy in her heart. She knew her provocation had succeeded! Lord Long Ao was going to stand up for her, to explode in anger and strike!

However, what happened in the next second caused her smile to freeze permanently on her face.

Long Ao, with a gloomy expression, took a step in front of her. In his storm-filled eyes, there was no anger she had expected, only a cold, indifferent gaze, as if looking at a dead person.

Then, to everyone's horrified gazes, he raised his hand, veins bulging on his arm, and with all his might, delivered a backhand slap fiercely across Long Xiaoqian's face!

Slap!!!

A crisp, extreme slap, as if space itself had been shattered!

How could Long Xiaoqian's already frail body withstand a Martial Ancestor expert's angry blow? She was struck as if by lightning, sent flying seven or eight meters into the air by that slap.

The entire place was dead silent.

Everyone's minds went blank, and their bodies turned cold, completely stunned by Long Ao's shocking and ruthless reversal.

Long Ao slowly withdrew his hand, not even glancing at Long Xiaoqian. His gloomy eyes swept across the room, his voice as cold as the ice of the Nine Nether, containing a hint of... deep fear that even he himself had not noticed.

“Idiot!”

“Are you trying to kill me?! Or are you trying to kill our entire Third Sequence?!”

He roared at the Void Realm, as if also warning everyone present, each word like a heavy hammer, striking their hearts.

“He broke the ‘gaia record’ certified by the Global Martial Arts Alliance with a single punch!”

“He was personally bestowed the title of ‘Number Zero’ by the Third Ancestor, in front of all the Global Martial Gods!”

“You want me to provoke him?!”

Long Ao's voice suddenly rose, trembling with a hint of self-mockery and lingering fear.

“Are you worthy?!”

“Am I... worthy?!”