5: Under the moonlit celestial pool, bloodlines begin to awaken.

The atmosphere inside the cave was ambiguous and thick.

After Su Wanqing consumed the drop of moonlight essence, her face, which had been slightly pale from the intense battle, quickly developed a lustrous glow, like fine suet jade infused with moonlight. The cold Qi emanating from her body was no longer biting, but became warm and profound, as if she had formed some mysterious connection with the bright moon in the sky. Her clear and cold eyes, in the dim light, reflected Lin Xuan's figure, with a hint of bewilderment she herself hadn't noticed.

Lin Xuan understood the two words “fondness” from the System prompt. He knew that the drop of pure moonlight essence, returned by the System, was like timely rain after a long drought for Su Wanqing's Awakening Supreme Yin Youying Bloodline, creating an irresistible attraction.

"How do you feel?" Lin Xuan asked softly, breaking the silence.

Su Wanqing nodded slightly, her voice much softer than usual: "Very good... This Moonlight Dew has extraordinary effects." She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, "I feel... the Spiritual Qi in my body seems to be more intimate with the moonlit power in this Secret Realm."

She raised her hand, and a wisp of extremely pure ice-blue spiritual light lingered around her fingertips. The light was no longer just cold, but carried a vast, ancient, mysterious aura, like the night of primordial chaos.

Lin Xuan secretly praised, an SSS+ Bloodline is indeed formidable; just a little 'nutrition' caused such significant changes.

"It seems this item is indeed fated for Senior Sister," Lin Xuan chuckled. "Perhaps there are even more suitable Opportunities for Senior Sister within this Secret Realm."

Su Wanqing's beautiful eyes lit up as she looked at Lin Xuan: "You can sense it?"

"A slight, blurry sensation," Lin Xuan said ambiguously. In reality, on the System map, not far ahead of them, a glowing dot representing a high concentration of moonlit power was faintly flickering, its spiritual fluctuations subtly resonating with Su Wanqing's aura.

"Then we..." Su Wanqing was about to speak when she suddenly frowned. The Spiritual Qi in her body, which had just calmed down, rippled again, and a deeper longing came from the depths of her Bloodline, making her aura unstable and her cheeks flush with an unnatural redness.

The moonlight essence was like a key, opening the door to her Bloodline Awakening, but the power behind that door seemed to require even greater energy to stabilize and activate.

"Senior Sister?" Lin Xuan noticed her abnormality, stepped forward, and supported her arm. Her touch was icy cold, but beneath the ice, magma seemed to surge.

Su Wanqing's body softened, almost leaning against Lin Xuan. Her breathing became slightly rapid, and her clear voice carried a hint of weakness and impatience: "That sensation... it's stronger, calling to me... it's just ahead..."

Lin Xuan looked down and saw fine beads of sweat on her smooth forehead, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. The Fairy, usually cold and unapproachable, now revealed a fragile vulnerability that moved him. His heart stirred; he knew this was a critical moment.

"I'll help you over." Lin Xuan no longer hesitated, half-supporting, half-embracing Su Wanqing, and quickly traversed the dense jungle, following the System map's guidance.

The further they went, the surrounding mist seemed to take on a faint moonlight glow, and the Spiritual Qi in the air became increasingly icy and moist. Finally, the two pushed aside a large patch of glowing ferns, and the scene before them opened up dramatically.

It was a hidden valley surrounded by circular mountain walls. In the center of the valley was an Immortal Pond, only about a zhang in circumference. The pond water was not transparent, but a dreamy milky white, enveloped in a dense, almost tangible, moonlit spiritual mist. Above the pond's surface, faint illusory images of the moon even floated. The extremely pure Taiyin Power permeated the area, making Lin Xuan feel a sense of tranquility.

"This is it..." Su Wanqing looked at the Immortal Pond, her eyes bursting with astonishing brilliance. The Bloodline Power within her cheered, almost wanting to break free.

However, guarding the Immortal Pond was a giant wolf, entirely silver-white, elegant and agile, with a crescent moon pattern on its forehead—a Third-Tier Peak Yao Beast, the Moon Shadow Wolf! It clearly regarded this pond as its forbidden territory. Sensing the approach of strangers, it immediately bared its fangs and growled, its cold wolf eyes locking onto the two, emanating powerful pressure.

If Su Wanqing were at her Peak, she might have been able to fight, but at this moment, her Bloodline was restless and her Spiritual Qi unstable, making her utterly incapable of coping.

"Senior Sister, go into the pond to stabilize your Bloodline. Leave this beast to me." Lin Xuan gently pushed Su Wanqing towards the Immortal Pond, then stepped forward, blocking the Moon Shadow Wolf.

"You..." Su Wanqing looked at his not-so-broad but exceptionally firm back, and the softest part of her heart was deeply touched. She bit her lower lip, saying no more unnecessary words; she knew this was not the time for sentimentality. Turning, she stumbled towards the Moonlit Immortal Pond. The moment she stepped into the water, she couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh. The rich moonlit power, like a mother's hand, gently soothed the restless Bloodline within her.

"Roar!"

Seeing someone dare to covet its treasure, the Moon Shadow Wolf roared and transformed into a silver lightning bolt, pouncing towards Lin Xuan! Its speed was too fast for the naked eye to catch!

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed. His Qi Refining Third-Layer disguise instantly dropped, and his Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Spiritual Qi erupted! He did not use the terrifying frost silence immortal sword within his Dantian, but instead circulated the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art. His skin glowed with a faint golden luster as he unleashed a punch! The extremely Yang and rigid punch collided fiercely with the Moon Shadow Wolf's claws, which were condensed with Taiyin Power!

"Bang!"

A wave of Qi surged. Lin Xuan's body swayed, taking half a step back, while the Moon Shadow Wolf was also sent tumbling, a hint of surprise flashing in its wolf eyes. It clearly hadn't expected this seemingly weak human to possess such formidable Physical Body strength.

Lin Xuan, not letting up, stepped with profound footwork and launched an active assault. He used his fists, palms, fingers, and legs, displaying the close-quarters combat techniques of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art to their fullest. His extreme Yang Spiritual Qi continuously clashed with the Moon Shadow Wolf's Taiyin Power, emitting dull thuds. He deliberately used this Opportunity to hone his newly acquired Body Refining Cultivation Technique.

His Cultivation in the cave and the harmonization with the moonlight essence had made his Physical Body and Spiritual Qi more integrated. Now, fighting felt utterly exhilarating.

Meanwhile, Su Wanqing, immersed in the Moonlit Immortal Pond, was also undergoing rapid changes. The incredibly pure Taiyin Power, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, surged into her limbs and bones, nourishing the Awakening Supreme Yin Youying Bloodline. The Spiritual Qi in her body circulated, purified, and grew at an unprecedented speed. The Bottleneck of her initial Foundation Establishment Stage shattered, and she stepped into the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, continuing to steadily improve!

Her entire body emitted an increasingly bright moon-white glow, her skin becoming almost transparent, as if condensed from moonlight. Her cold countenance, enveloped by the moonlight, was breathtakingly beautiful, like a goddess from the Moon Palace descending upon the mortal realm. She involuntarily closed her eyes, immersing herself in the ancient Legacy and vast power surging from the depths of her Bloodline.

After an unknown amount of time, when Lin Xuan finally, relying on his formidable Physical Body and increasingly skilled combat techniques, found an Opportunity and, with a punch imbued with the full power of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art, shattered the Moon Shadow Wolf's skull, ending the battle, the anomaly by the Immortal Pond also reached its Peak.

"Buzz—"

A clear hum sounded, and Su Wanqing suddenly opened her eyes! Her pupils were no longer purely black, but had transformed into two miniature, cold and bright crescent moons! A powerful aura, far surpassing the Foundation Establishment Stage, surged from her body. Although it was only a fleeting moment, it made Lin Xuan, who had just finished fighting, feel a pang of trepidation!

She slowly rose from the Immortal Pond, the water sliding down her curvaceous body. Moon-white light flowed around her, condensing into a hazy gauze, concealing her graceful figure. She looked at Lin Xuan, her eyes incredibly complex, filled with gratitude, shock, bewilderment, and a trace of... an indescribable closeness and sense of belonging.

Under the moonlight, she stepped barefoot onto the smooth rocks by the pond, walking towards Lin Xuan step by step. With each step, the light gauze on her body solidified a bit more, finally transforming into a real, beautiful moon-white long dress.

She stopped in front of Lin Xuan, looking up at the man who had protected her at the critical moment and helped her Awaken her Bloodline. Her cold voice carried a hint of unprecedented softness and determination:

"Lin Xuan, from today onwards, my sword will sing for you."

"My Dao will walk with you."

[Ding! Target Su Wanqing's 'Supreme Yin Youying' Bloodline has initially Awakened!]

[Ding! Your bond with target Su Wanqing has been upgraded to 'Fated'!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for receiving Bloodline Resonance feedback! Cultivation has increased to Late Foundation Establishment Stage! Taiyin Power affinity has greatly increased!]

Lin Xuan looked at the Moonlit Fairy before him, whose temperament had undergone a drastic change, whose beauty surpassed her past self, and whose eyes held an undeniable affection. Feeling the surging increase in his Cultivation, a slight curve slowly appeared at the corner of his lips.

This investment was a huge profit!

However, at this moment, a charming voice, carrying a hint of playfulness and resentment, came from the shadows not far away:

"Oh my~ What a touching scene of a moonlit declaration of love~ Junior Martial Brother, you made this elder sister look for you so long..."

Qu Feiyan, dressed in fiery red, stood gracefully on an ancient vine, her smile as beautiful as a flower, but with a hint of icy sharpness. Her gaze swept over Su Wanqing's moonlit condensed long dress and Lin Xuan, finally settling on the almost tangible ambiguous atmosphere between the two.

A new storm seemed about to brew again in this moonlit Secret Realm.