Chapter 119: The Ancient City Trembles

Bai Jingjing's complexion brightened slightly in an instant. The return of the separated essence had revitalized her entire being.

"Am I free?" Lin Qiu was stunned, never expecting that Xu Bing’s essence would have been drawn out along with his.

Outside, Xu Bing, who had been investigating the registration of the exotic beasts, trembled, her face turning deathly pale, a trace of crimson bleeding from the corner of her mouth. Her steps faltered as she took a step back. If she hadn’t grasped the wall, she would have collapsed to the ground.

“The connection and sensing are gone. Do you truly hate me that much? Trying every way to break free from me? Now you’ve succeeded. Are you satisfied?” Xu Bing’s expression darkened, her eyes filled with a painful sorrow. She sensed the contract’s disappearance the moment it vanished—she knew it was Lin Qiu’s doing.

Yet, despite her heartache, there was a sharp sting, a bittersweet ache. Lin Qiu’s image surfaced in her mind, tears blurring her vision. She sniffed and forced a strained smile.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhan stared intensely at Lin Qiu, who floated in midair, his eyes burning ever fiercer. The chains of law had entered Lin Qiu’s limbs and bones, and Bai Zhan felt the overwhelming dominance of his bloodline—a rarity in the world.

“Jingjing, shield me! I’m going to extract his bloodline!” Bai Zhan’s voice was filled with fanatic zeal.

Bai Jingjing hesitated, her eyes softening as she looked at the floating Lin Qiu, a flicker of pity in her gaze. Yet in the next moment, that softness hardened into coldness. She nodded firmly, and a stream of light shimmered from her body, transforming into a luminous shield that enveloped the entire manor.

The brilliance flashed, and the entire estate vanished from the surface of the earth.

Within the manor, Bai Zhan’s sinister voice echoed: “Little one, your bloodline—I’m claiming it. Don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

A cruel gleam filled Bai Zhan’s eyes as he swiftly formed hand seals. Golden streams of light began to siphon from Lin Qiu’s body.

“It’s over!” Lin Qiu felt his bloodline being drained and plunged into despair.

Those golden currents extracted were his Dragon Veins—the strongest bloodline in existence, unmatched by any other.

With the Dragon Veins, he could rapidly cultivate his strength. But now, Bai Zhan was already pulling them away.

“System, is there any way to save me?” Lin Qiu’s voice trembled with despair.

After a moment of silence, the system responded in its unchanging tone, “Unfortunately, host, there is no solution. This system exists solely to provide cultivation methods and accurate guidance. All dangers the host encounters must be overcome through personal effort.”

“No room for negotiation?” Lin Qiu asked stubbornly.

The system fell silent again.

This time, no answer came.

A flicker of hopelessness flashed in Lin Qiu’s eyes as he helplessly watched Bai Zhan devour his Dragon Vein blood bit by bit.

“I won’t accept this!” he roared in his heart, furious and howling, yet powerless.

He was immobilized. Even if freed, could his third-tier strength contend with Bai Zhan? His ultimate trump card, the sixth-tier mech, had been smashed to pieces with a single blow.

Just as Lin Qiu sank into despair, a stone tablet within his body trembled lightly.

“The Ancient City Tablet?!” His eyes suddenly brightened.

“How could I have forgotten you?!”

A laugh burst from him.

The Ancient City Tablet was the core of the Other Shore Ancient City.

Even a tenth-tier powerhouse couldn’t break its defense.

He had been away for a time—from ocean to city—and had forgotten he was still the lord of the Other Shore Ancient City, one of the nine ancient cities of old.

Normally, the city would not respond to his commands, unable to protect him.

But when life was threatened, the city’s defense mechanism would activate automatically.

In an instant, the city would channel through the tablet’s core passage to his side, shielding him.

“Bai Zhan, you old swan, you cannot kill me.”

“A gentleman’s revenge is never too late.”

“As long as I survive this, I will erase the Bai family from the ancient wilds forever.”

A ruthless gleam flickered in Lin Qiu’s eyes—he had never been this enraged.

Bai Zhan had crossed him completely.

He felt the Ancient City Tablet pulsating stronger, the connection between the city and himself tightening.

At this moment, Bai Zhan narrowed his eyes, allowing golden radiance to pour into his body from the heavens.

A look of enjoyment spread across his face.

The golden light infused his body, and the demonic bloodline within rapidly evolved. The overwhelming demonic aura gradually disappeared, transforming toward a celestial spirit physique.

“So, your blood has a problem—it can evolve my tenth-tier bloodline.”

Bai Zhan’s eyes shimmered slightly, growing more fanatic by the moment.

Since this bloodline could purify his own, it meant it had surpassed his bloodline’s limits.

“This bloodline might have already reached ninth-tier, or perhaps even stronger!”

His heart trembled.

His own bloodline, evolved through countless stages, had reached the eighth tier. Further advancement was nearly impossible.

The natural laws of this world imposed limits that could not be broken.

But Lin Qiu’s bloodline offered hope.

He sensed that by absorbing this golden bloodline, he could shatter the eighth-tier bottleneck, advancing to ninth, even tenth tier.

At this thought, his eyes burned ever hotter.

If he reached ninth tier, he would be truly invincible in the mortal realm.

A tenth-tier bloodline would allow him to roam the vast cosmos at will.

“Kid, thank you. I’ll make sure you remain whole... as a corpse.”

Bai Zhan chuckled wickedly.

Sensing the change in his great-grandfather’s aura, Bai Jingjing’s eyes lit up as well.

Watching Lin Qiu’s blood being drained, no pity touched her gaze—only a cold sneer.

“Pathetic ant, daring to enslave this princess. This time, I will crush you to dust.”

Bai Jingjing’s nature was ruthless.

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