“What is Zimeng talking about?”
Qingfen Marquis frowned.
“She said I’m hiding a Great Sovereign? Inside the city?”
If it weren’t for the genuine look in Zimeng Marquis’s eyes just before she faded, Qingfen Marquis would’ve dismissed her words as complete nonsense.
“Great Sovereign?”
He once again activated the city’s grand formation, carefully scanning every corner.
Qingfen City had long been outfitted with formations specifically designed to detect the depth and weight of lifeforms.
If someone at the level of Great Sovereign had infiltrated, he, Qingfen Marquis, would have sensed it instantly.
“The puppets?”
He glanced toward the numerous peak Dominance puppets wreaking havoc in the city and, with a thought, recalled them all.
These puppets had been deployed by Zimeng Domain to create chaos and distract from their real objective. Since Qingfen Marquis had seen through it, he dealt with them in passing.
“Seems like a lot must have happened in the hundred breaths I was trapped in that dream.”
His gaze deepened as he looked upon Qingfen City, beginning to ‘rewind’ time.
As a being of the Great Sovereign level, he had profound mastery over time, easily able to trace back events within a city.
Of course, this was only tracing—not altering.
Whoosh.
Time reversed.
In a flash, he returned to a hundred breaths ago.
At that moment, everything in Qingfen City appeared calm.
Until Zimeng Marquis descended with an avatar.
The moment Qingfen Marquis fell into the beautiful dream she had painstakingly woven, the city was instantly flooded with a swarm of peak Dominance-level puppets.
“These puppets?”
Qingfen Marquis paid them no mind, his eyes locking instead on a group hiding in the shadows—led by a violet-haired woman.
Puppets at the peak of Dominance weren’t terribly destructive, and before falling into the dream, he had already instructed his disciples to guard the core of the grand formation.
So he wasn’t concerned.
Indeed, once he awakened, the damage those puppets caused was negligible.
All bark, no bite.
“Was Zimeng’s plan carried out by them?”
He mused. The puppets were merely a diversion.
The real scheme likely lay with that group.
He continued watching.
Soon, he saw the violet-haired woman and her companions wander through various formation nodes in Qingfen City.
But strangely, they did nothing—even when nearing the formation’s core.
They lingered for a few breaths, then quietly left.
“What are they trying to do?”
Qingfen Marquis sensed something was off.
Zimeng Marquis had sacrificed an avatar imbued with her true essence and spent tens of thousands of years crafting the dream—just to have her subordinates take a walk through the city?
“Unless...”
A suspicion began to form in his mind.
Just then, the violet-haired woman’s group arrived outside the Burning Heaven Courtyard.
This time, unlike before, they didn’t leave.
Instead, they launched an attack on the institute.
“Hmph.”
“A bunch of Dominance-levels, and they want to harm my disciples?”
Qingfen Marquis sneered.
He had specifically reinforced the formation around Burning Heaven Courtyard.
It was one of the most fortified places in all of Qingfen City.
Just ten-some peak Dominance-levels?
He wasn’t worried in the slightest.
And sure enough, upon seeing the strength of the defenses, the group immediately gave up.
Then something happened that shocked Qingfen Marquis to his core.
Lin Yuan, who had been staying quietly inside the Burning Heaven Courtyard, suddenly walked out on his own.
“What…”
Qingfen Marquis was puzzled.
But what happened next utterly stunned him.
Lin Yuan casually slapped a few times, killing the group of peak Dominance-level powerhouses.
Even Zimeng Marquis’s avatar—personally descended—was swatted dead by him in a single blow.
That was Zimeng Marquis! A Great Sovereign!
Even if it was just an avatar, no Dominance-level should be able to take it down.
A Great Sovereign’s avatar might not crush powerful Dominance-levels—but to be crushed by one?
Time resumed its normal flow.
Qingfen Marquis fell silent.
“My disciple… is a Great Sovereign?”
He found it incomprehensible. Zimeng Marquis and the others had clearly believed he’d hidden a Great Sovereign within the city.
But he knew the truth.
Qingfen Marquis hadn’t done such a thing.
And Lin Yuan was a disciple he had only just taken in.
All of this was real.
There was no reason for him to lie.
“No.”
“My disciple is not a Great Sovereign.”
Qingfen Marquis suddenly realized: the life-detection formations had issued no warning.
If Lin Yuan truly were Great Sovereign, he would’ve noticed.
“Not a Great Sovereign, but with such power…”
He fell into deep thought, replaying everything once more.
“Blazing Sun Divine Body?”
“He’s already awakened it?”
His expression shifted. “Could it be his bloodline—the Blazing Sun Bloodline?”
In the Liyang Ancient Kingdom, any being capable of forming a Seed possessed at least a trace of this royal bloodline.
The royal lineage of the ancient nation.
Normally, however, the bloodline was so diluted it was barely noticeable.
The royal family’s power stemmed from maintaining a consistent, high concentration of the Blazing Sun Bloodline.
But exceptions always existed.
Even among commoners, there were rare cases of atavism.
When this happened, the bloodline would thicken drastically, enabling them to more easily form Seeds, endure the Blazing Sun’s brilliance, and skyrocket their power to the Dominance level.
Additionally, their Divine Body awakening would occur at a terrifying speed—completely unreasonable compared to ordinary cultivators.
And once awakened, their Divine Body would be even stronger than those awakened through normal means.
On top of that, their combat power would be extreme—invincible among peers, maybe even capable of leaping ranks.
“Could my disciple have undergone an atavism, causing his Blazing Sun Bloodline to become incredibly rich?”
Qingfen Marquis pondered.
That would explain why Lin Yuan had formed so many Seeds.
For someone with such potent Blazing Sun Blood, it would be far easier.
As for why no Great Sovereign-level life signature was detected?
Because Lin Yuan wasn’t a Great Sovereign—just a Dominance-level lifeform with potent Blazing Sun Blood.
“But to display near-Great Sovereign power as a Dominance-level… my disciple’s bloodline must rival that of the core royals.”
Qingfen Marquis thought privately.
Leaping ranks in battle depended on what realm you were in.
But a Dominance fighting a Great Sovereign? Nearly impossible.
Even the royal family of Blazing Sun—very few could pull it off.
“Never imagined I, Qingfen, would take in a disciple with blood as rich as the royal core?”
He sighed with emotion.
Compared to a Great Sovereign, the core royals of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom were far more significant.
Each possessed terrifying strength, and their growth was practically unimpeded.
Even if they didn’t train, simply basking under the Blazing Sun would carry them to the Dominance level.
As for reaching Great Sovereign? That took effort—but it was achievable.
To reach Great Sovereign himself, Qingfen Marquis had spent countless resources and energy. But for the royal core?
Of course, their insane talent did have a ceiling: Great Sovereign.
As for Heavenly Sovereign?
Bloodline alone wouldn’t be enough.
That said, a core royal who reached Great Sovereign would be terrifyingly powerful—perhaps even challenge a Heavenly Sovereign.
“My luck…”
Qingfen Marquis’s emotions were complex. Finding a disciple destined to be an invincible Great Sovereign, he almost thought he was dreaming.
Outside the Burning Heaven Courtyard—
After Lin Yuan slapped apart Zimeng Marquis’s avatar, he saw Feng Wanxing arriving.
“Senior Brother Feng.”
Lin Yuan stepped forward. During his time training at Burning Heaven Courtyard, he had gotten along well with this eldest senior brother.
“Junior Brother?”
Feng Wanxing only dared respond after hearing Lin Yuan call him that. The scene he’d just witnessed was too shocking.
Zimeng Marquis, a Great Sovereign, was casually shattered?
He figured it was only an avatar—her true self probably didn’t dare enter Qingfen City.
Still, even a Great Sovereign’s avatar shouldn’t be that easily destroyed.
“Junior Brother, just now…” Feng Wanxing cautiously asked, “What happened…”
“Oh, that,” Lin Yuan casually replied, “Some Dominance from Zimeng Domain sneaked in, tried to attack me. The ruckus in the city was caused by them, so I handled it.”
“Some Dominance from Zimeng Domain?”
Feng Wanxing looked around.
He wasn’t sure which ones they had sent, but to dare infiltrate now—they had to be peak Dominance at least.
“Then Zimeng Marquis descended with an avatar, threatened me, made demands. She was that bold with just an avatar? So I dealt with her too.”
Lin Yuan said plainly.
“Zimeng Marquis?”
“That bold?”
Feng Wanxing felt his junior brother was suddenly a stranger.
Who would have guessed this normally quiet, low-key brother had such strength?
“Junior Brother, your power…”
Feng Wanxing swallowed hard.
“I just had a breakthrough,” Lin Yuan didn’t intend to hide it.
After awakening the Blazing Sun Divine Body, the resources he’d need were astronomical.
Even if he tried to conceal his strength, his resource demands would give him away.
So better to just reveal it openly.
From what he’d seen since arriving in this source world, Great Sovereign-level beings could rule regions with ease.
As long as he avoided the royal factions of the ancient nations, he’d live comfortably.
And his current overall strength had already reached the threshold of Great Sovereign.
In some ways, even stronger.
Feng Wanxing had many questions but didn’t know how to ask.
Just broke through… and can crush a Great Sovereign avatar?
Just then—a figure in a crimson robe appeared nearby.
“Lord Marquis.”
Feng Wanxing bowed immediately.
“You may leave.”
Qingfen Marquis glanced at him.
From the time-trace, he’d seen how this disciple cared for Lin Yuan.
So he didn’t hold it against him for leaving the formation core without permission.
“Master.”
Lin Yuan addressed him respectfully.
He did feel gratitude toward Qingfen Marquis.
If not for the peaceful cultivation at Burning Heaven Courtyard, it would’ve taken him several times longer to reach this level—and who knows what might’ve happened in the meantime.
“Mm. Let’s speak inside.”
Qingfen Marquis nodded and entered the institute with Lin Yuan.
“I didn’t expect your Blazing Sun Blood to be this potent…”
Inside, Qingfen Marquis looked at him with emotion.
“Blazing Sun Blood?”
Lin Yuan’s heart stirred. He realized Qingfen Marquis had attributed his strength to the bloodline.
He’d learned a lot about it from the institute’s many records.
Which meant—no need to explain anything further.
Everything could be blamed on the bloodline.
“I’m not entirely sure myself. I just feel like cultivation keeps getting easier.”
He said calmly.
“Your atavism is different from those core royals raised from birth.”
Qingfen Marquis shook his head.
Even among royals, bloodline concentration at the core level was rare.
And Lin Yuan had achieved that through atavism—something that had happened only a few times since the founding of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom.
“Yes.”
Lin Yuan followed his lead.
“What are your plans?”
Qingfen Marquis asked.
“What does Master suggest?”
Lin Yuan threw the question back.
“With blood as strong as the core royals, you should head to the capital and join the royal clan.”
Qingfen Marquis paused.
“But you have no foundation there. Rushing in might not end well.”
“Not end well?”
Lin Yuan immediately understood.
Even among the royal family, there were rivalries and factions.
Though his bloodline matched core royals, he wasn’t born of any major branch. His sudden appearance would stir things up.
Like a peasant prince suddenly claiming the throne—it wouldn’t be smooth.
“So I suggest you stay in Qingfen City. Wait until you become Great Sovereign, then return to the capital.”
Qingfen Marquis advised.
A Great Sovereign-level core royal would be terrifyingly powerful. Only then would he have the power to protect himself.
“Then I’ll listen to Master.”
Lin Yuan agreed.
Truthfully, he had no intention of joining the royals—because his strength didn’t come from the Blazing Sun Bloodline.
Returning would likely require testing.
And then the truth would come out.
So—if Qingfen Marquis insisted on sending him back, he’d simply “vanish” en route and retreat to train elsewhere.
With his current strength, he could move freely across neighboring regions and ancient nations.
“As for your identity…”
Qingfen Marquis pondered.
“It mustn’t be revealed that you’re core royalty.”
A core royal with such potent blood, wandering outside the capital, would attract assassins from neighboring nations—perhaps even Heavenly Sovereign-level threats.
“I’ll claim you were a disciple I took years ago and left to train outside. Now that you’ve reached Great Sovereign, I’ve brought you back.”
He said.
A solid excuse. He could’ve met Lin Yuan while roaming, seen his talent, and secretly accepted him.
As for timeline inconsistencies—Yu Yan is under five hundred?
A Great Sovereign could easily create a small world where time flows faster, mimicking external laws.
Or train in places where time was naturally accelerated.
“Yes.”
Lin Yuan nodded.
Since he’d displayed Great Sovereign-level power, even if Qingfen Marquis tried to hide it, Zimeng Domain would investigate.
Better to craft an identity himself.
After a few more instructions, Qingfen Marquis left.
Inside the Burning Heaven Courtyard, Lin Yuan fell deep into thought.
“Core royal of the Liyang Ancient Kingdom?”
He mused.
Supposedly, beings with such blood could perform the impossible—Dominance defeating Great Sovereign.
This was why Qingfen Marquis was convinced of his bloodline’s strength.
Outside the core royals, who else could possess such power without being a Great Sovereign?
“This is the thirteenth-rank bloodline?”
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly, amazed.
A Dominance defeating Great Sovereign was akin to a Dominance rivaling a Chaos Venerable in the Chaos Void.
He’d never heard of such a feat.
But in this source world—it was plausible.
“Though I’m no Dominance.”
Lin Yuan thought. His real realm was Path-Clearing.
For someone in Path-Clearing to defeat a Great Sovereign? Not even a thirteenth-rank bloodline could manage that.
As Qingfen City gradually calmed down—news of Lin Yuan spread quickly.
Outside the Burning Heaven Courtyard, he’d unleashed Great Sovereign-level power, slain infiltrators from Zimeng Domain, unraveled their plot, and even destroyed Zimeng Marquis’s avatar.
The shockwave across Qingfen Domain’s factions was enormous.
“What, what, what—”
Qingfen Marquis’s disciples were stunned.
Their junior brother… a Great Sovereign?
“Senior Brother, is this true?”
One of them went straight to Feng Wanxing to confirm.
“Of course. I saw it myself,” he nodded.
He had doubts at first, but after Qingfen Marquis’s explanation, it all made sense.
No wonder he had personally brought Lin Yuan back—he’d accepted him as a disciple long ago.
“From now on, don’t call me Senior Brother.”
Feng Wanxing thought for a moment and then instructed.
Among Qingfen Marquis’s disciples, strength was status. They hadn’t known before, but now?
No way would he keep calling himself the senior.
...
20 chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
51