The Emperor, clad in robes of gold, fixed his luminous gaze upon the statue’s brow. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. Four drops of blood were not enough to impress him. Even Ye Mo, in his day, had been granted three.

Though most citizens of the ancient kingdom who braved the first tribulation of the Three Calamities received but a single drop, some few attained two or more. Aside from Ye Mo, all those of the Dao Ancient imperial line were granted two drops of Ancient Vein Celestial Blood.

Furthermore, the Emperor himself had once received six drops of blood from the Ancient Ancestor! He was hailed as the strongest of the Dao Ancient lineage, save only for Xuan Luo himself.

This feat had elevated him to the rank of Royal Sovereign within the Dao Ancient, a position of immense power, revered by countless souls. Yet, even so, Xuan Luo had not chosen him as a disciple, a slight that the Emperor could not voice aloud, though it gnawed at his heart.

Now, to hear that Grand Empyrean Xuan Luo intended to take Ye Mo’s successor as his own, a darkness gathered within the Emperor’s soul, though his countenance remained serene.

“Four drops of blood… such a thing has not occurred for ages.”

“But surely four drops are the limit. See how the statue’s light begins to fade.”

“Thirteen cycles of the day, for merely four drops… it is hardly remarkable.”

A murmur of voices rose around him. The eyes of nearly a million Dao Ancient citizens were fixed upon the crimson light fading from the statue’s brow. Slowly, the heavenly glow that had illuminated the sky waned, leaving only a dim spark.

At that moment, all knew that the trial was complete.

The Emperor’s face was impassive, but a cold smile played within his heart.

“A mere four drops of blood… how could such a one possess the right to safeguard the Dao Ancient, as my uncle claims? This day’s events are a trifling matter.

Even if my uncle desires a disciple, several within our Dao Ancient have received four drops of blood. Even I, who was granted six in my youth, found no favor in his eyes!

If he persists in taking this successor of Ye Mo, I will be the first to object!”

Keeping his thoughts hidden, the Emperor adopted an expression of regret. He shook his head, offering a wry smile as he addressed the black-haired Grand Empyrean Xuan Luo beside him.

“Uncle, four drops are substantial enough. This successor of Ye Mo can be considered a pride of our Dao Ancient.”

Grand Empyrean Xuan Luo remained impassive, as though he had not heard the Emperor’s words. He gazed at the brow of the towering Ancient Ancestor statue, watching the red glow weaken until it was but a sliver, on the verge of complete disappearance.

He watched as the four drops of blood, radiant and crystalline, shot skyward, seeming to pierce the void and vanish into the far reaches beyond his sight.

“Let us wait a while longer,” the black-haired youth said at last.

The Emperor nodded in agreement, though his heart seethed with scorn.

“None in the Dao Ancient possess my talent, save for my uncle himself. Ye Mo is not worthy, nor is his successor!”

Time flowed on in the Immortal Astral Continent. Meanwhile, within the Cloud Sea rift of the Inner Domain, in a strange space, Wang Lin’s split soul sat cross-legged at the edge of an altar. His eyes shone with an odd light as he beheld the drop of blood, once his original form, at the center of the altar.

The blood floated there, still and silent. But then, the strange space erupted in a howling wind. Layer upon layer of ripples appeared from the starry sky above, spreading in all directions. A powerful, ancient aura began to emanate.

This aura far surpassed anything in the Domain of the Caves. Even the Grand Empyreans paled in comparison. Yet, despite its terror, this aura went unnoticed by all save Wang Lin.

Above the altar, amidst the swirling ripples, a vast vortex formed. It turned with a deafening roar. Slowly, a bloody light spilled from the vortex, engulfing the altar. A savage force surged forth, driving Wang Lin’s split soul back hundreds of feet, forcing it from the altar.

This force sent tremors through Wang Lin’s soul. It surpassed all heavenly might, all the pressure he had ever known!

Not even Seven-Colored would have been able to resist being expelled from that altar!

In his soul, Wang Lin clearly sensed that the drop of blood that was his original form seemed to burn, radiating a bloody light that mirrored the glow of the vortex.

As the blood light spilled from the vortex, a drop of blood shot forth, hurtling towards Wang Lin’s former self. In an instant, the two drops merged, coalescing into one.

At that moment, Wang Lin staggered back and collapsed into a cross-legged posture. His soul was wracked with agony, so intense that he could not control his split soul. He was forced to wholly feel the will of his original form.

As he sat, his mind exploded. His consciousness dissolved from the split soul, becoming one with the blood.

Unspeakable pain coursed through his very being. Though without a body, he felt as if he were being consumed by fire. The fused blood seethed and writhed.

Then, a second drop of blood flew from the vortex, instantly merging with the blood that was once Wang Lin. The pain in his consciousness multiplied, but he could only endure it!

Before long, a third drop of Ancient Ancestor’s blood flashed from the vortex, merging with the others. With this fusion, Wang Lin’s blood exploded outward for three zhang. Within that space, the illusory image of a naked body began to form!

The body had white hair. It was Wang Lin!

His body was covered in strange, intricate runes. His eyes were tightly closed, and he moaned softly in pain. His body slowly solidified from its illusory state.

The fourth and final drop of blood flew from the vortex, a crimson beam that filled the surrounding stars. It struck Wang Lin’s brow.

With that touch, Wang Lin’s body shuddered violently. His eyes snapped open, pupils a blazing red. His body trembled as a vast power coursed through him, causing it to resound with cracks.

Having merged with the four drops of Ancient Ancestor’s blood, a bloodline was born within him. An Ancient bloodline. Its presence marked Wang Lin as a true descendant of the Ancient Ancestor. He was now a genuine citizen of the Ancient Kingdom!

As the fourth drop of blood vanished, the vortex above began to slow, showing signs of fading. Once it disappeared, the trial of the Ancient Vein Celestial Blood would be complete. Wang Lin had survived, but he would only receive four drops of blood, a mere one more than Ye Mo!

For him, it was a great boon. After all, he was only a successor of Ye Mo. Four drops already exceeded Ye Mo’s own. To reach this point was near his limit!

He was not a natural prodigy. He was not born on the Immortal Astral Continent. He was but a weakling born in the Domain of the Caves.

He could not compare to the Emperor, who had obtained six drops of blood and become a Royal of the Dao Ancient. What did Wang Lin have to rival such a talent?

Nor could he compare to Grand Empyrean Xuan Luo, one of the Nine Suns, one of the nine strongest beings in the Immortal Astral Continent, a legendary figure far above the masses. Such a being had received eight drops of the Ancient Ancestor’s blood. Wang Lin could not match him.

All he had was his own resilience, his refusal to submit, and his desire to control his own destiny. Through countless life-or-death crises, through desperate struggles, he had risen from a weak mortal to the being he was today. To look back on his journey was a terrifying thing.

While he had been facing death, the Emperor of the Immortal Astral Continent and many other cultivators of the Ancient Kingdoms had been living peaceful lives, protected by Grand Empyreans. They rarely faced death.

While Wang Lin had been risking his life to seize opportunities, the Emperor of the Immortal Astral Continent had been cultivating under the protection of countless clansmen. Whatever he desired, his clan would provide.

When Wang Lin had cradled Li Muwan’s corpse, weeping to the heavens, when he had desperately struggled to revive her, the Emperor of the Immortal Astral Continent had been toying with the treasures his clan had given him, selecting from the many women offered to him to become one of his many consorts.

“Four drops of blood… Is this my limit, Wang Lin?” As the power of his bloodline coalesced, he gazed at the fading vortex above. He was not content!

Though he knew nothing of the events unfolding on the Immortal Astral Continent, his very nature would not allow him to be satisfied. He desired more blood. He desired a stronger bloodline!

It was for no other reason than the rebellious spirit that burned within his soul!

“You acknowledge my Ancient bloodline, yet you grant me only four drops of blood? It is not enough!” Wang Lin’s eyes flashed with cold light. He leaped towards the fading vortex!

He was different from all the Dao Ancient of the Immortal Astral Continent. He was raised in the Domain of the Caves. He held no respect for the Ancient Ancestor. He believed only in his own strength!

On the Immortal Astral Continent, not even Grand Empyrean Xuan Luo could compare to this. Xuan Luo still held a deep respect for the ancestors that existed in the shadows.

But not Wang Lin!

He was the first of the Dao Ancient to be unsatisfied with the Ancient Vein Celestial Blood trial, and the first to charge towards the vortex after receiving his blood!