The morning mist, dark as ink, enveloped the valley to the southeast.
Di Tian led his elite offspring across the decaying wooden sign at the entrance.
The four cinnabar characters "Xuanxiao Forbidden Land" oozed black venom under the Five Elements Power, but were shattered into dust by the broken jade in his claws.
Behind him, a System prompt sounded:
"Ding! The 888th offspring is born, Awakening a lightning Spiritual Root! Gained Dao cultivation x 50."
"Ding! The 889th offspring is born, triggering Bloodline Reversion (Candle Dragon Phantom)! Gained Dao cultivation x 300."
"Qing Mu, detect the Formation ahead," Di Tian signaled with a flick of his tail.
The tiger cub, bearing a wood-attribute Spiritual Mark on his back, stepped forward, and the Yi Wood Spiritual Power in his palm transformed into vines that probed into the mist.
In an instant, the vines carbonized wildly, even coiling back around Qing Mu's neck.
Di Tian's pupils constricted.
His Divine Travel Technique transformed into an afterimage, saving his offspring, only to see hundreds of bronze Puppets emerge from the mist, each with a Yao Race inner core embedded in its chest.
"Warning! Detecting a modified version of Xuanxiao Sect's Hundred Demon Soul Refining Formation!"
"Puppet Core: Candle Dragon Bloodline Remains x 17, Soul Devouring Sect Soul Worms x 300."
"It truly is a trap," a low growl escaped Di Tian's throat, and his Five Elements Ancestral Witch Body fully expanded.
The Puppet horde moved simultaneously, their Spiritual Artifacts spewing black flames, but upon touching his scales, they were repelled by the Five Elements Power, turning into fertilizer for Spiritual Plants.
The elite offspring scattered with tacit understanding: Jin Ya led the metal-attribute tiger pack to tear at the Puppets' joints, Chi Lin controlled fire Spiritual Power to incinerate the Soul Worms, and Qing Mu used healing techniques to restore the injured clan.
"Ding! Elite offspring 'Jin Ya' killed 7 bronze Puppets, gained Dao cultivation x 140."
"Ding! Host activated 'Soul Reversal' ability, purified 200 Soul Worms, converted into wood-attribute Spiritual Power."
As the battle raged, a resonant bell chime echoed from deep within the canyon.
Di Tian followed the sound, only to see a floating bronze altar with a stone coffin inscribed with Candle Dragon patterns standing upon it.
Surrounding the stone coffin were twelve Xuanxiao Sect Cultivators, the leader dressed in a Dao robe embroidered with cloud and lightning patterns, none other than the Senior Brother of the purple-gold Dao robe man who had once attacked his mother—Lei Qianjue of Xuanxiao Sect.
"Candle Dragon remnant, you truly took the bait," Lei Qianjue raised his hand to form a seal, and lightning pillars rose from the four corners of the altar.
"This modified Hundred Demon Soul Refining Formation is specifically prepared for a hybrid like you, with impure Bloodline!"
Di Tian felt his entire Spiritual Power being forcibly pulled, and the Puppets' attacks suddenly intensified tenfold.
He glimpsed Qing Mu being scorched by black flames and Jin Ya's sharp claws cracking, and anger surged in his heart.
"Ding! The 900th offspring is born! Triggered 'Myriad Demon Resonance' effect, all clan attack and defense +30%."
The System prompt was like timely rain, igniting hope in his eyes—the power of nine hundred offspring was converging!
"You think you can succeed by trapping me?" Di Tian roared to the sky, activating his Heaven Defying Dragon Roar talent.
The sound waves spread as multicolored ripples, the bronze Puppets disintegrated one after another, and the Soul Worm horde fled as if encountering a natural enemy.
Lei Qianjue watched in horror as his lightning power was absorbed by the Five Elements Domain, and the stone coffin on the altar slowly opened, revealing a Jade Slip radiating Dragon might.
"Detected Mother Clan Sacred Artifact 'candle dragon jade slip'! Bloodline Resonance 85%."
"Warning! 'Nine Heavens Lightning Radiance Formation' is hidden beneath the stone coffin, countdown: 10 seconds."
Di Tian had no time to think, fully activating his Divine Travel Technique, grabbing the Jade Slip at the last moment before the Formation activated.
Excruciating pain came from his feet, and only then did he realize that the patterns around the stone coffin were inlaid with the skeletons of his mother's clan.
"Ding! Host triggered 'Bloodline Rampage', strength temporarily increased to 5000 kilograms!"
He roared, tearing open the edge of the Formation, breaking through with his elite offspring.
The valley behind him collapsed in the lightning radiance, temporarily burying Xuanxiao Sect's conspiracy.
During the retreat, Di Tian examined the contents of the Jade Slip, but only saw incomplete characters: "Secret treasure is in… the extreme west… with blood as a guide…"
The System's red light suddenly flared:
"Ding! Xuanxiao Sect planted a tracking spell in the Jade Slip! Remaining clear time: 12 hours."
"Unlocked urgent mission: Refine the Jade Slip, counter-track."
"Mission Reward: Bloodline Awakening +5%, gained 'Candle Dragon Concealment Technique'."
In the twilight, Di Tian led his clan back to the nest.
Amidst the cheers of eight hundred offspring, he looked down at the newly born cub in his palm—the 900th offspring was covered in an un-shed fetal membrane, yet could already open half of a vertical eye, with tiny lightning bolts coiling around his claws.
"Offspring Aptitude evaluation: SSS-grade, Awakened Candle Dragon Lightning Tribulation Body."
The System's prompt warmed his heart, but he also knew that dangers lurked everywhere.
"Father, this is for you," Candle Shadow brought a Spiritual Fruit, its pulp containing condensed Five Elements Spiritual Liquid.
Di Tian licked the cub's forehead, looking towards the east—there, Xuanxiao Sect's main peak loomed in the night, like a sharp sword hanging over his head.
But at this moment, the Jade Slip in his palm was resonating with his Bloodline, and the heartbeats of nine hundred offspring were converging into a war drum that shook heaven and earth.