123: Chapter 123 Bloodline Backlash

He flicked his robe sleeves, turned to face the Utility Disciples who were already pale with fear, and spoke with an unquestionable command in his voice: "Go, bring that little brat named Lin Haoyu from the Lin family's guest courtyard to this master, and 'invite' him over!"

Danxia Sect, Danyang Peak guest courtyard.

The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, and crystal-clear dew drops still hung on the grass in the courtyard.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged in the Meditation Room with his eyes closed, but his expression was far from peaceful.

He was combing through everything that had happened last night over and over again, trying to find a clear thread within that chaotic fog.

Grey Shadow, Senior Sister Mo Xuan, the bronze fragments, the Starfall Platform... and the "void crystal essence" that existed only in the secret archives of the Tianji Academy.

Behind every one of these terms lay a massive secret capable of overturning a region.

What unsettled him the most was still that stone ring.

The power it had displayed last night far exceeded his understanding.

That towering phantom and the words "It's it" that Grey Shadow had blurted out at the last moment all proved that this ring, polished by Su Qingyao herself, was by no means an ordinary object.

His right fingertips subconsciously rubbed the coarse stone ring on his thumb, the cold sensation helping his chaotic thoughts settle slightly.

This ring was the anchor of his Dao Heart, but now it seemed more like a key—a key that could open a forbidden door.

"Husband."

The door to the Meditation Room was gently pushed open, and Su Qingyao walked in carrying a bowl of clear porridge.

She had changed into a simple white dress, and while her complexion was still somewhat pale, her eyes had returned to their usual coldness.

She placed the porridge bowl on the low table in front of Lin Chen, her movements gentle and silent.

"Where are Senior Sister Mo Xuan and Qin Ruowei?" Lin Chen opened his eyes, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Senior Sister Mo Xuan said she needed to verify some things and left early this morning. Qin Ruowei's injuries have stabilized, and she is still asleep." Su Qingyao's gaze fell on Lin Chen's bandaged right hand, a flash of pity in her eyes.

She sat down beside Lin Chen, her gaze habitually avoiding his, landing on a spot of light on the floor as she said softly: "Regarding last night's events, thanks to you."

Lin Chen shook his head and reached out to hold her hand, but it pulled at the wound in his palm, causing him to gasp in pain.

Su Qingyao immediately snapped back to reality, grabbed his wrist nervously, and carefully unwound the bandages.

The mark branded by the bronze fragment had disappeared, replaced by a gruesome wound where the flesh and skin were rolled back, and white bone fragments were faintly visible.

Most eerily, the wound showed no signs of healing; instead, wisps of extremely faint black Qi lingered within it.

Su Qingyao pressed her fingertips hard against her lips until a stark white mark appeared.

She took a bottle of top-grade Flesh-Regenerating Jade Dew from her Storage Pouch and carefully treated Lin Chen's wound.

Just then, a noisy sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

"Is Lin Chen here? The Utility Hall has come to question him on the orders of Elder Master Xuefu!" A sharp and arrogant voice pierced through the walls of the Meditation Room.

Lin Chen and Su Qingyao exchanged a look, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.

They had come knocking so soon?

Lin Chen stood up slowly, and Su Qingyao immediately re-bandaged his wound.

He straightened his robes to cover the injury on his hand and walked out of the Meditation Room.

In the courtyard, several Disciples dressed in Utility Hall attire stood there, the leader having a hooked nose, triangular eyes, and an arrogant expression.

Lin Haoyu held a wooden sword, his small body stubbornly blocking their path, his face full of anger.

"Father, Mother." Seeing Lin Chen and Su Qingyao come out, Lin Haoyu put away his sword and stepped aside, though his eyes remained vigilantly fixed on the group.

"Fellow Senior Brothers, may I ask what instruction Elder Master Xuefu has?" Lin Chen's tone was neither humble nor pushy, his gaze sweeping calmly over the group.

The leading Disciple looked Lin Chen up and down and said with a fake smile: "Lin Chen, an intruder broke into the Sect's Forbidden Ground last night, and the Elder suspects you are involved. However, the Elder is merciful; considering you are new here, he won't hold it against you. It's just that your son, Lin Haoyu, has been reported for having an unknown Bloodline origin and is suspected of being a spy for the Demonic Path. The Elder has ordered us to take him back and test him with the 'tracing blood compass' to prove his innocence."

Before the words had even faded, Lin Chen's eyes turned cold.

They were coming for Haoyu!

He immediately understood that this was not a test at all, but revenge!

It was a move by Master Xuefu in a fit of rage after Grey Shadow failed!

Su Qingyao was trembling with anger, her left hand hidden in her sleeve, her thumb digging hard into her index finger joint, her nails almost embedding into her flesh.

"My son was born to my wife and me, his Bloodline is pure. What unknown origin are you talking about?" Lin Chen's voice was flat, but the chill it contained caused the surrounding air to drop by several degrees.

"Whether it is or not, a test will tell!" The Disciple clearly didn't want to waste any more words and waved a hand, "Take him!"

Two Disciples immediately stepped forward, reaching out to grab Lin Haoyu.

"Let's see who dares!" Lin Chen stepped forward, an Aura of the twelfth level of Qi Refining Perfection erupting, like an invisible mountain pressing the two Disciples firmly in place, unable to move.

"Lin Chen! Do you want to rebel?!" The leading Disciple was shocked and furious.

Just as the two sides were at daggers drawn, a gentle voice came from outside the courtyard.

"Haha, why is it so lively so early in the morning?"

The round figure of Master Yaochen appeared at the courtyard gate, still wearing his harmless, smiling face.

He glanced at the situation in the courtyard, stroked his beard, and said: "Junior Brother Xuefu is truly something; it's just a Bloodline test, why make such a big scene? Since I happen to be passing by, how about I serve as a witness and conduct the test here?"

The leading Disciple's expression changed, but facing this highly respected Head of the Pill Hall, he dared not be presumptuous and could only bow: "We will leave it to the Immortal Master's decision."

Master Yaochen walked smilingly to the stone table in the center of the courtyard and said: "Bring the compass here."

The Disciple didn't dare to delay and quickly took an exquisite blood-colored compass from his Storage Pouch.

The compass was only palm-sized, with a blood-red crystal embedded in the center, and the pointer was a silver needle as thin as an ox hair.

"Haoyu, come here." Master Yaochen beckoned kindly.

Lin Haoyu looked at his father, and seeing Lin Chen nod slightly, walked to the stone table.

"Take a drop of blood from your fingertip and drip it onto the crystal of the compass," the Disciple said coldly.

Lin Chen's gaze was locked on the compass, his spiritual sense quietly spreading out.

The scene of the blood-guiding profound crystal from last night was still fresh in his mind; he absolutely did not believe that Master Xuefu would use any legitimate methods.

Sure enough, under his spiritual sense, he discovered that the structure of this compass was completely different from ordinary Bloodline testing Magical Artifacts. Inside that blood-red crystal, it actually contained a trace of extremely evil and strange energy, somewhat similar to the "Spirit-Withering Powder" in Qin Ruowei's body, but even more subtle.

Lin Haoyu pricked his fingertip as instructed, and a drop of bright red blood fell onto the blood-red crystal.

Hum—!

The silver needle on the compass instantly began to vibrate violently, emitting a harsh buzzing sound.

The pointer spun wildly, sometimes pointing to the area representing the "Human Race," and sometimes suddenly veering toward the corner representing "Evil Spirits." Finally, it stopped on a scale marked "Impure," shaking violently as if it might collapse at any moment.

"Impure Bloodline! It really is the offspring of Demonic Path remnants!" The leading Disciple was overjoyed at the sight and immediately shouted loudly.

Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply.

What he saw was not the compass pointer, but the back of his son Lin Haoyu's neck, where three extremely faint golden patterns flashed and vanished the moment the compass moved!

That was the "Heavenly Dao Protection" granted to his offspring when the System last upgraded!

The evil power of this compass had triggered this layer of protection!

Just as the Disciple finished speaking, the silent Su Qingyao suddenly let out a low cry, her body swaying slightly as if she couldn't stand steady.

"Yao'er!" Lin Chen immediately stepped forward to support her.

At the moment he moved, a cyan-colored pill quietly slipped from Su Qingyao's wide sleeve, fell to the ground, and made a crisp shattering sound.

"Clatter!"

The pill shattered, and a pale cyan mist instantly permeated the air.

This mist was not dense, but it carried a peculiar, fresh herbal fragrance, and it happened to envelop the compass on the stone table.

The Disciple was about to scold her, but was horrified to find that the pointer of the compass enveloped by the mist was trembling even more violently, as if it had fallen into a quagmire, its movement becoming extremely sluggish.

"You... what did you do?!" He pointed at Su Qingyao, shocked and angry.

"I..." Su Qingyao held onto Lin Chen's arm, her cold face full of apology and panic, "I... I was just careless and dropped a Clear Heart Pill..."

She bowed to apologize, but her left thumb was pinching her index finger joint so hard that even her knuckles had turned white.

"Can a single Clear Heart Pill have such an effect? I think you have a guilty conscience!" The Disciple didn't believe it at all.

"Oh, it's just an accident, why be so aggressive." Master Yaochen spoke up at the right time. He walked to the stone table smilingly, pretending to examine the compass carefully, his wide sleeves sweeping gently over the compass as if unintentionally, "Let me see if there is any problem with this compass..."

His movements were extremely fast; he swept past and then stood up straight again.

But Lin Chen's gaze, which had been highly focused, keenly captured a detail—just after Master Yaochen's sleeve swept past, a fine crack that was almost impossible to notice had quietly appeared on the unknown back of the blood-red compass!

Master Yaochen still had a gentle smile on his face, as if nothing had happened, just twisting his beard and shaking his head as he said: "Hmm... the Spiritual Qi is a bit chaotic; it seems the morning mist in this Danxia Sect is indeed a bit too heavy. No matter, the result is already out: 'Impure Bloodline'."

He looked at Lin Haoyu, a meaningful light flashing in his eyes: "Child, do you accept this result?"

Everyone's gaze was focused on Lin Haoyu.

Lin Chen's heart tightened, and just as he was about to speak, he saw his son, the eight-year-old child, straighten his small chest.

He didn't cry or argue, but with a calm look that didn't match his age, he glanced at the compass, and then looked at the Utility Hall Disciple.

"I do not accept it."

Three words, spoken with weight.

"Whether you accept it or not, it doesn't matter!" The Disciple sneered.

Lin Haoyu didn't pay attention to him anymore, but slowly drew the wooden sword from his waist.

He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp, and with a turn of his wrist, he slashed his left arm without hesitation!

"Haoyu!" Su Qingyao gasped.

Ssh—!

The sharp Sword Qi sliced through his sleeve and flesh, a wound deep enough to see bone appeared instantly, and blood sprayed out.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene.

However, there was no pain on Lin Haoyu's face; he just stared at his wound with his clear and stubborn eyes, letting the warm blood splash onto the compass on the stone table.

The moment his blood, containing his Sword Intent, touched the compass crystal—

Hum— Clang!!!

A high-pitched sword hum erupted from Lin Haoyu's body without warning!

This sword hum was not an ordinary sound, but purely condensed from Sword Intent, carrying a sense of awe and determination to cut down all injustices in the world!

Crack!

In the eyes of everyone, terrified and stunned, the blood-red crystal, which was said to be indestructible, shattered from the center under the vibration of this sword hum, turning into a pile of powder!

The compass was ruined!

"My Dao, Lin Haoyu's, is in the sword, not in the blood!"

The young boy stood proudly with his blood-stained wooden sword, his voice clear and resonant, echoing throughout the courtyard.

Master Yaochen watched this scene, and the harmless smile on his chubby face slowly faded, replaced by genuine admiration and appreciation from the bottom of his heart.

The few Utility Hall Disciples were scared pale and retreated repeatedly.

Using one's own Sword Intent to shatter a tracing blood compass—such a thing was simply unheard of!

Lin Chen looked at his son, his heart full of mixed feelings; there was heartache, but even more, endless pride.

He walked forward, took off his outer robe, and gently draped it over his son's shoulders, covering the shocking wound.

"Let's go!" The leading Disciple knew he had lost all face today and that staying would only be self-humiliation, so he left a harsh threat and fled the guest courtyard in a sorry state with his men.

The disturbance temporarily subsided.

Master Yaochen walked to Lin Chen, patted his shoulder, and whispered: "Good son. However, that fellow Xuefu is vindictive, you still need to be careful."

After saying this, he turned around and left slowly, humming an off-key tune.

Lin Chen supported his son and wife back into the house, and Su Qingyao immediately took out the best hemostatic medicine to bandage Lin Haoyu's wound, her tears finally unable to be held back, falling drop by drop onto the gauze.

"Mother, it doesn't hurt." Lin Haoyu comforted her instead.

Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart and was just about to say something when the stone ring on his thumb suddenly became scorching hot!

A burning sensation came instantly, and he subconsciously opened his left palm.

He saw the coarse ring surface, as if it were a burning iron, branding four clear, charred-smelling characters onto the wound mark on his palm from last night—

7:45 PM.

Lin Chen's pupils contracted sharply.

7:45 PM, this time point... He quickly recalled various information about the Danxia Sect in his mind.

The Danxia Sect's Ancient Book Pavilion, every day at 7:45 PM, was the time for the day shift and night shift guard Disciples to change shifts, during which there would be a defense gap of about an incense stick's time!

Was the ring reminding him of something?

Just as his mind was shaken, his toe suddenly kicked something hard.

He looked down and saw that there seemed to be something under the carpet in the corner.

He walked over, lifted a corner of the carpet, and found a piece of broken Jade Slip there, only the size of a fingernail, as if it had been trampled and dropped in a hurry.

He picked up the half-piece of Jade Slip, which was cold to the touch.

The broken edge of the Jade Slip was new, and the writing on it was only a remnant of half a line.

"...True blood infusion... Gengzi number experimental subject... Spiritual Root collapse... record..."

Lin Chen's heart sank.

He immediately turned the half-piece of Jade Slip over. On the signature side on the back, there was only a blurry, incomplete character that had been stepped on.

It was the last stroke of the character "Bai", a diagonal stroke.

Bai Hong?

In Lin Chen's mind, the name Qin Ruowei mentioned last night instantly surfaced.

His gaze fell again on the four strange characters on his palm, and a bold idea sprouted wildly in his heart.

Just then, a slight sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Lin Chen immediately put the Jade Slip into his robe and looked up, only to see a Utility Disciple from the outer Sect holding a plant, standing respectfully at the door.

The potted plant had a strange shape, leaves like palms, flowers like hearts, and in the morning sun, the petals presented a flowing, magnificent golden color.

"Senior Brother Lin," the Utility Disciple bowed, "Senior Sister Qin is awake. She said she was physically inconvenienced and specially asked me to bring this pot of seven-heart begonia, as a... gift of apology."