166: Chapter 166: The Bloodline of an Ancient Emperor Has Emerged!

Northern Plains, Golden Family.

The Golden Family of the Northern Plains is the lineage left behind by the Golden Ancient Emperor. At this moment, the Clan Chief of the Golden Family stood before the ancestral hall, his face ashen.

He could sense that imperial prestige, and he could sense the power that erupted when the kirin staff awakened. That was an existence from the same era as their ancestors, the eternal rival of their Golden Family.

"The kirin staff... it has awakened."

His voice was low, like a roar squeezed from the depths of his throat.

Behind him, several Elders looked at each other, and they could all see the deep dread in each other's eyes.

Central Plains, major Imperial Dynasties.

The Imperial Lords of the major Imperial Dynasties in the Central Plains sensed that imperial prestige almost simultaneously, and they were all startled awake from their closed-door cultivation. They walked out of their imperial palaces, looked towards the direction of the Eastern Wasteland, and their faces were filled with shock.

What did the awakening of an imperial weapon of the extreme dao mean? Did it mean a Primordial Emperor Bloodline had manifested? Did it mean the imperial weapon was about to choose a new master? Or did it mean—that the legendary Golden Age was truly about to come?

Western Desert, Mount Sumeru.

On Mount Sumeru, in the Great Thunderclap Temple, golden Buddha light shone everywhere, and the sound of Sanskrit chanting echoed. An old monk sat cross-legged in the Mahavira Hall, with a roll of yellowed Buddhist scriptures placed before him.

Suddenly, he sensed that imperial prestige, and his withered fingers trembled slightly, causing a page of the Buddhist scripture to turn quietly. He slowly opened his eyes; those eyes were cloudy yet profound, as if they had looked through the ages. He pressed his palms together and softly chanted a Buddha name:

"Amitabha... the imperial weapon has emerged, the Golden Age is at hand."

The voice echoed in the great hall, lingering for a long time.

Southern Ridge, the various halls of the Yao Race.

The Southern Ridge is the gathering place of the Yao Race, where myriad clans stand and experts are as numerous as clouds. At this moment, countless Yao Race experts sensed that imperial prestige and walked out of their Immortal Caves one after another, looking towards the northern horizon.

That imperial prestige carried the majesty of a Primordial Emperor, making all the Yao Race feel an instinctive awe. That was the aura of the Kirin Clan, the mark left behind by their former emperor.

Some aged Yao Race experts even knelt on the ground, kowtowing towards the Northern Region, their faces covered in tears.

The entire Big Dipper Astral Region shook at this moment.

The Holy Lords of countless Holy Lands, the Old Ancestors of countless major sects, and countless reclusive old monsters were all startled awake by this imperial prestige.

Streams of Divine Thought soared into the sky, intertwining and colliding in the Void Realm; everyone wanted to know—what exactly had happened in the Fire Lin Cave?

Meanwhile, above the Fire Lin Cave, the Ancient Kirin Emperor still stood in the Void Realm, quietly watching the golden staff floating there.

He did not release any aura, nor did he display any pressure; he just stood there, like an ordinary father.

But the kirin staff sensed him; that sensing was not through aura or pressure, but through the Bloodline, through Karma, through that unseverable connection from countless tens of thousands of years ago.

The kirin staff trembled gently before him, and the Qilin patterns on the staff body flickered continuously, moving like a living thing. That old and majestic voice came from the staff, the voice very soft, audible only to the Ancient Kirin Emperor:

"Master... you have returned."

That voice carried endless yearning and uncontrollable excitement.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor looked at it, a trace of gentleness flashing in his eyes.

"Mm. I have returned."

He did not say much else, just took a look at the two children behind him, and then said to the kirin staff: "These are my children. Huo Linzi, Huo Liner. From today on, I entrust them to you."

His voice was very calm, so calm that it was as if he were explaining the most ordinary matter. But beneath that calmness was a father's concern for his children and an emperor's expectations for his descendants.

The kirin staff trembled gently, and the staff body slowly turned towards Huo Linzi and Huo Liner.

It lingered before the two children for a long time, the light on the staff body flickering, as if it were recognizing, confirming, and feeling that Bloodline belonging to the Kirin Clan.

That old voice sounded again, this time with endless joy:

"Master's Bloodline... Master's offspring..."

The Ancient Kirin Emperor nodded.

"Take good care of them."

The kirin staff trembled violently, and the staff body emitted a clear ringing sound, which carried a solemnity like an oath. It was promising its master that it would protect these two children and safeguard the Bloodline of the Kirin Clan.

Then, it slowly floated towards Huo Liner and stopped in front of her, the light on the staff body becoming gentle and warm.

Huo Liner looked at this legendary imperial weapon, her eyes full of curiosity. She could feel that this staff contained a power that resonated with her Bloodline.

That power was very warm and intimate, like the temperature of a father's palm. She reached out and touched the staff body gently. The staff body was warm, carrying a power that put one at ease.

The kirin staff trembled slightly at her fingertip, then transformed into a golden light, shrinking into a small bell.

The bell was entirely golden, with exquisite Qilin patterns carved on it; as it shook gently, it emitted a crisp sound. It slowly drifted down and hung at Huo Liner's waist.

Huo Liner looked down at the bell at her waist and reached out to touch it gently. The bell emitted a crisp sound, and a warm power surged out from the bell, flowing into her body along her fingertips.

"It will protect you." The Ancient Kirin Emperor's voice sounded in her ear.

Huo Liner looked up at her father, wanting to say something, but found that her father had already turned away.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor took one last look at the two children.

Huo Linzi stood to one side, looking at his father with a calm gaze. He did not speak, but in his eyes was a son's understanding of his father. He knew his father was leaving, and he knew that from today on, he and his sister would have to walk their own path.

The Ancient Kirin Emperor did not look back. He turned, stepped out, and vanished into the horizon.

No farewell, no looking back. He did not want the two children to see the reluctance in his eyes. He left, as silently as he had come.

Huo Linzi stood where he was, watching the direction in which his father had vanished, and did not move for a long time. His eyes were slightly red, but he did not cry. He just quietly watched that empty sky for a very, very long time.

Huo Liner stood beside him, the bell at her waist swaying gently in the wind, emitting a crisp sound. She did not cry either, only gently tugged at her brother's sleeve.

"Brother, Father has left."

"Mm."

"When will we be able to see him again?"

Huo Linzi was silent for a moment. He looked at the direction where his father had vanished, silent for a long time. Then, he spoke, his voice very soft, yet incomparably firm:

"When we are strong enough, we will be able to see him."

Huo Liner nodded and gripped her brother's sleeve even tighter.

In the Fire Lin Cave, those Elders and Disciples had all been startled.

They rushed out of their Immortal Caves, looked up at the sky, and saw that golden staff floating there, and saw those two young people standing in the Void Realm.

The imperial prestige erupted by the kirin staff had receded, but its awakened aura still lingered between heaven and earth, making everyone feel an instinctive awe.

The bell swayed gently in the wind, emitting a crisp sound.

It was an imperial weapon, a supreme treasure left behind by a Primordial Emperor, but at this moment, it was just a small bell, guarding a child who had just awakened.

Huo Linzi took a deep breath and withdrew his gaze. He took a look at his sister beside him, then took a step and walked towards the Fire Lin Cave.

Huo Liner followed behind him, the bell at her waist swaying gently with her footsteps.