Absolute Resonance

Cold, viscous corruption enveloped the empty streets and buildings. There was something akin to vines wriggling within the corruption, and if one were to look more closely, they would see that the vines were composed of flesh and blood.

They seemed to possess a life of their own, turning into bloody worms that constantly squirmed.

A sound echoed from deep within a ruined building. A distorted object flashed past in the dark.

The corruption in that area was so dense that rays of sunlight were unable to penetrate through it. It was like a warped purgatory come to life.

Xia City had turned into a playground for Others, and conversely a forbidden grounds for humanity. Even Dukes were unwilling to step foot into this place casually.

Focusing upon House Luolan\'s Headquarters.

It was now completely dilapidated as countless fleshy and bloody vines enveloped the structures, growing wantonly in every direction.

Currently, an immense amount of corruption had condensed in the underground palace, turning into a pitch-black lake that filled the place.

The Origin Reversion Institute\'s Xuan Chen was currently standing atop a raised platform, observing the black pool that was created from evil thoughts as he smiled. "Shen Jinxiao, you tried to gain an advantage but ended up worse off instead. You didn\'t get to consume the Heart of Light and all your Duke Bergfrieds were shattered. That\'s quite a hefty price you paid."

After Xuan Chen spoke, the pool created from corruption started to churn violently before a figure began to float up.

It was Shen Jinxiao.

He was garbed in black and seemed to have become one with the black liquid. The void behind him trembled as six indistinct and damaged Duke Bergfrieds took form. The surrounding black liquid continued to emit an air that was gradually being absorbed and assimilated into the destroyed Duke Bergfrieds.

Gradually, each and every Duke Bergfried began to be stained with black marks.

"Shen Jinxiao, you actually plan to borrow the power of corruption to restore your Duke Bergfrieds? It looks like that existence in the shadow world looks positively upon you," Xuan Chen said with a tinge of surprise as he watched Shen Jinxiao.

Corruption was like a poison to members of humanity. Even he, Xuan Chen, did not dare to absorb it into his body. On the other hand, Shen Jinxiao was clearly using it to restore his Duke Bergfrieds, and it must naturally have been something bestowed upon him by that existence in the shadow world.

The only question was whether the final result could still be considered a Duke Bergfried. Or maybe a Devil\'s Bergfried? That remained to be seen.

"I was originally a little hesitant to do this, but at this point, what other choice do I have?" Shen Jinxiao indifferently mused.

"Of course." Xuan Chen smiled.

What Shen Jinxiao had said was not wrong. Having all six of his Duke Bergfrieds destroyed was a crippling injury to his foundation. If things continued the way they were, it would be difficult to find a way to recover, and thus he had to look for alternatives.

However, this was a path of no return.

From a certain point of view, this was what the Origin Reversion Institute had always wanted to achieve. It was a different approach, but it worked out all the same.

"I came to inform you that Jiang Qing\'e and Li Luo have both left the Xia Kingdom. Jiang Qing\'e has left for the Hallowed Coruscation Ancient College to extinguish the burning Heart of Light, whilst the boy is headed to the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li. Hehe. These are superpowers that even we from the Origin Reversion Institute find troublesome to deal with. You have become irreconcilably hated enemies with them, and with their talent, they will inevitably come and kill you once they achieve a certain level of power," Xuan Chen commented.

Shen Jinxiao\'s gaze glinted and his expression remained indifferent without much change.

"These two brats might be talented, but catching up to me in the span of a few years is just a fool\'s dream. What I\'m truly worried about is Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan. The moment the two return to the Xia Kingdom, I\'m afraid even the Origin Reversion Institute\'s preparations might not be enough to stop them," Shen Jinxiao replied.

Xuan Chen smiled. "It won\'t be so easy for them to return. There are existences in the shadow world watching them closely."

Shen Jinxiao nodded.

"That\'s good. Pang Qianyuan temporarily sealed away the river of evil, but that can only keep the Ichythian King and the Cadaverous King away for a few years. Once it wears off, he will undoubtedly die. At that point in time, it doesn\'t matter if Jiang Qing\'e and Li Luo have yet to return. I will personally sweep House Luolan clean and maybe even turn them all into Others. It would be my gift to them." Shen Jinxiao\'s words were plain, but they were cold and cruel, his true intentions clear.

He had failed to steal away the Heart of Light and had even been forced into such a terrible situation. The man was furious.

After which, he no longer spoke. He closed his eyes and submerged himself back in the pool formed from corruption.

When Xuan Chen saw this, he glanced around and inspected the underground palace in House Luolan.

"This brat... he actually chose this location to absorb corruption... such perverse preferences..."

He smiled before his figure vanished.

……

The green flying ship flitted across the endless sky, piercing through the clouds like a comet, leaving behind a long trail of light.

After the initial bout of excitement, Li Luo gradually began to feel bored. This journey to the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent was the longest journey he had made thus far, and based on what Li Rouyun had said, it would still take almost a month to get there even with their current pace and the use of teleportation arrays.

Her words caused Li Luo to feel a little thankful in his heart. It was good that he was not bringing Jiang Qing\'e back to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li; otherwise, just the time lost from traveling would have caused him to burn with anxiety.

Although the Hallowed Coruscation Ancient College was similarly far, there was a concrete solution.

Li Rouyun was controlling the flying ship when she discovered that Li Luo was sitting around in boredom. Smiling wryly, she asked, "Li Luo, did Li Taixuan ever tell you anything about the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li?"

Li Luo shook his head. "Father rarely talked about it."

In fact, he had only learned of them through Principal Pang.

"You were unwilling to act that year, and no matter how patient Li Taixuan was, he is definitely filled with resentment. Why would he talk to Li Luo about this? If not for Li Luo activating the Heavenly Emperor\'s Write, you would not have received his message either," Ox Biaobiao commented

"Hmph! Ox Biaobiao! Stop running your mouth. Do you think I won\'t just throw you off this ship?" Li Rouyun angrily glared at him.

"Oh? This wench actually dares to talk back to me?" Ox Biaobiao\'s meaty face trembled as he viciously glared back.

Li Rouyun pouted. "You\'re just trying to demonstrate the prowess of a fourth-grade Duke. I have surpassed you, and you need to face reality. Things are not like in the past."

As the two bickered, Li Luo helplessly interjected and asked, "Aunt Yun, just what happened to my parents that year?"

To be fair, he was curious as to why his parents had run to the desolate Xia Kingdom. It had always been a question lingering in his heart.

Li Rouyun fell into silence before finally opening her mouth.

"Before we talk about all this, I need to explain to you the situation in the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li. It was created by the Ancestor, Li Jun, who reached the Heavenly Emperor Stage. He is an expert that truly stands at the pinnacle of humanity, an existence that is unrivaled in this world. The Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li, strictly speaking, has five lineages. You might know that most of us possess dragon resonances because our ancestor once formed a blood contract with a Heavenly Dragon ancestor of the Dragon Tribe. As a result, a trace of Heavenly Dragon spirit runs through our veins, leading to a large proportion of us possessing dragon resonances. Thus, all of the five lineages are related to the Heavenly Dragons, forming the Five Lineages of the Heavenly Dragon. Dragon\'s Blood, Dragon\'s Fang, Dragon\'s Scale, Dragon\'s Bone, and Dragon\'s Horn. Specifically, we are part of the Dragon\'s Fang Lineage."

With Li Rouyun\'s explanation, the mysterious lineage he belonged to gradually shed its veil and was truly revealed to him.