24: The bloody life story, the secret behind Jun Lingxiao

Jun Lingxiao's main courses currently are swordsmanship and physical techniques, followed by various other subjects.

These include etiquette, basic Alchemy, talisman usage, Cultivation Technique deduction, and the art of employing people.

But only these are acceptable.

If Jun Lingxiao's swordsmanship was exceptional due to his Innate talent, then his other abilities couldn't be explained; where did he get so many methods from?

On one hand, it was for Jun Lingxiao's safety, fearing he might go astray; on the other hand, it was also out of concern that he might have learned something impure.

After all, in this world, residual souls appearing in dreams are not unheard of.

Jun Lingxiao pondered for a moment, listening. In truth, he hadn't intended to hide anything, because if he hid things now, then the more rewards he received from the System in the future, the more he would have to hide, making it impossible to conceal.

Of course, directly stating that he got them from the System was out of the question.

But from Jun Lingxiao's observations, he somewhat understood that the things the System provided were not fabricated out of thin air. For example, the Supreme Dao Heart, with the phrase 'I am the Dao, and my heart is the Dao Heart,' suggests that in the long river of history, someone truly used this heart to achieve Dao.

The things he obtained from the System were very likely items that someone in the Three Thousand Dao Provinces had used but were lost due to some reason.

"Old Ancestor, have you heard of the Supreme Dao Heart?" Jun Lingxiao asked directly, having thought of this.

"Supreme Dao Heart? ... Ah, the Supreme Dao Heart..."

"Oh, that's right! That's right! If this exists, then everything can be explained!"

"You possess an Innate Dao Embryo, inherently close to the Dao, and you consumed the heart of an Undying Thunder Dragon. It's not surprising that you could Awaken the Supreme Dao Heart."

The Old Ancestor's gaze towards Jun Lingxiao was somewhat complex as he spoke, but he continued, "The Supreme Dao Heart is a type of Innate Divine Ability that only a few people in the Upper Thousand Provinces Awaken. It's not apparent in childhood but gradually reveals its dominance with age."

"However, the probability of Awakening this Innate Divine Ability is extremely, extremely small. Even among us who Ascended from the Upper Thousand Provinces to this Ten Directions Immortal Court, I haven't seen a second one. Favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony are all indispensable. This is also your opportunity."

"What else?"

The Old Ancestor's few sentences stuffed back all the explanations Jun Lingxiao had on the tip of his tongue. If you've already explained everything for me, what else is there for me to explain?

Thinking this, Jun Lingxiao no longer dwelled on the matter. After a moment of thought, he continued, "Also, someone called me the Human Race Tinder..."

He wasn't making it up. At his first birthday 'grasping ceremony,' he truly heard someone say that the Human Race Tinder of his generation was entrusted to him, but he didn't understand what that meant.

"Wait, you mean, Human Race Tinder?" the Old Ancestor interrupted, his eyes suddenly wide.

He seemed to understand this concept better than Jun Lingxiao.

"Lingxiao, you were born in an era of peace, so you might not know how great our ancestors were before."

The Old Ancestor stood up, turning his back to Jun Lingxiao, seemingly unsure how to begin speaking, and also contemplating whether he should tell Jun Lingxiao.

However, after a moment of hesitation, he turned around, his expression serious, and said, "In truth, the Ten Directions Immortal Court was not originally a Human Race Domain, but belonged to foreign races."

"On that day, foreign races invaded, and countless Human Race members died. So, our Jun Family, together with other families, launched a counterattack. We not only drove the foreign races out of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces but also seized this Dao Province, naming it: Ten Directions Immortal Court. This place became the first line of defense against the foreign races."

"I was still young then, and there were no Great Emperors or Heavenly Emperors in this world. I clearly remember the tragic sight of countless Jun Family members leaving with smiles, only for one to return alive. At that time, our Human Race almost suffered defeat."

"Legend has it that our ancestors relied on a secret technique of self-immolation, burning one Supreme after another. After Supremes, they burned Saints; after Saints, they burned Quasi-Emperors and those in the Emperor Realm. In any case, that victory was undoubtedly tragic, and that secret technique has been passed down through generations by everyone."

"The world calls it: Human Race Tinder. As long as the Tinder doesn't die, the Human Race will endure forever."

"But the Human Race Tinder should be something from ten thousand years ago, something no one should know about... No, is it the will of our ancestors? Or a premonition of another foreign race invasion?"

The Old Ancestor stood in place, muttering to himself. After a long while, he realized that he shouldn't show such an expression in front of a child.

Thinking this, the Old Ancestor looked at Jun Lingxiao, then suddenly smiled, crouched down, and stroked his head.

"Lingxiao, this secret technique is very dangerous, but since it's the will of our ancestors, I have nothing more to say. However, you must promise me not to use it unless it's a matter of life and death."

"If your Divine Soul is completely burned, there's no way to revive. This is truly fatal..."

Then, the Old Ancestor's tone shifted, becoming relaxed: "Of course, this isn't like before. I am a Heavenly Emperor; if anything happens, just stand behind me. This old man will definitely protect you, and you won't need this thing."

"It's just, Lingxiao, in the future..."

His responsibilities are immense... The Old Ancestor looked at the child in front of him, who was staring at him innocently, feeling a bit hesitant. He was a Heavenly God-child by birth, already the hope of the Jun Family, and now he had Awakened the Human Race Tinder. He couldn't even imagine what he would experience in the future.

Such a small child, yet he was invisibly burdened with countless heavy responsibilities.

Thinking this, the old man sighed deeply.

'Forget it, forget it. I'll protect him for as long as I can.'

"With the Supreme Dao Heart paired with the Innate Dao Embryo, and you possessing the Tinder secret technique, plus your Comprehension Ability, it indeed seems not surprising that you could unleash the Heavenly Sword."

"Incredible, truly incredible."

"However, unleashing the Heavenly Sword must put a burden on your body. Don't use it again in the future. Tomorrow, I'll have your grandfather send over a few sets of Cultivation Techniques; you can practice those from now on."

"Also, you should already know An Luoxin's Physique, but I told you to take her in not just because of her Physique, but also because she is a great talent. To hide her Physique and still reach such a Realm, she will definitely become an important figure in the future. All great talents are like wild horses, difficult to tame. Whether through punishment or reward, keeping her by your side will be beneficial. Not just her, but others you deem worthy can also be taken as subordinates. This way, you won't have to do everything yourself, which will also benefit your focus on Cultivation. However, you must be careful not to misjudge people."

The Old Ancestor was unusually talkative that day. He spoke a great deal, from interesting anecdotes of his travels to the Lower Realm disguised as a cattle herder, to some secrets of the Upper Realm. He also said that he would no longer interfere with what he Cultivated in the future.

Even as he left, he reminded Jun Lingxiao to visit his mother more often, calling her a pitiful person.

However, Jun Lingxiao slightly lowered his eyebrows upon hearing this.

He had actually visited her more than once.

He remembered their first meeting as mother and son; she looked at him indifferently, propping her head, and her first words were: "Jun Lingxiao, my son, you are the product of a political marriage, and your father loves someone else."

He had thought his background might be dramatic, but he never imagined it would be *that* dramatic!