287: Chapter 287 The Wheel of Bloodline

Back at the villa dormitory.

The lights in the living room were off, and an open suitcase stood near the entrance—clearly left behind by Li Jinhao as he unpacked.

Knowing Brother Hao's habits, he had likely gone back to his room to catch up on sleep.

Shen Xingchen put down his luggage and went to take a hot shower first.

By the time he walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Li Jinhao had just finished his nap and came out looking for food.

Li Jinhao hadn't changed much. He asked casually, "When did you get back? How come I didn't hear a sound?"

Shen Xingchen replied, "Not too long ago. I figured you probably stayed up late again, so I didn't disturb you."

Li Jinhao chuckled. "I thought when I saw you back at school this time, you'd already be at Tier 7. I didn't expect you to still be stuck at Tier 5 Level 5."

Shen Xingchen gave a strange smile.

After reaching the Grandmaster level in the Breath-Concealing Technique, it no longer required constant conscious effort. Thus, even while sleeping, he could maintain the facade of Tier 5 Level 5.

This was precisely Shen Xingchen's intention.

His identity as Shen Xingchen, the prodigy of Shangjing Academy, had to be strictly separated from his identity as the Young Marshal of Snowfield Dragon City. That way, those coveting the Time Authority would have no way to trace his whereabouts.

He would only reveal it when he needed to use his identity as the Young Marshal.

Shen Xingchen offered a casual explanation, "I don't train diligently all the time either. You saw how hard I pushed before the Dragon Transformation Pool, locking myself in the cultivation room every day. Now that it's break, of course I should relax a bit."

Li Jinhao quickly accepted this explanation. "Fair enough."

Just then, Shen Xingchen was surprised.

Li Jinhao had seemingly intentionally or unintentionally released an aura—he was already at Tier 3! Hadn't he only been Tier 2 Level 6 when they left school?

This cultivation speed... was unreasonable.

Shen Xingchen asked, "What's going on with you?"

Li Jinhao smiled slightly. "Well, I've been cultivating pretty diligently lately."

Realization suddenly dawned on Shen Xingchen, and he asked, "Were you not sleeping just now, but practicing in the cultivation room?"

Li Jinhao didn't hide it either. "Yeah, I cultivate fourteen hours a day now."

Shen Xingchen was completely stunned.

How the hell did a total workaholic suddenly spawn in his dormitory?!

Was it Senior Zhou's death that triggered this guy?

Li Jinhao laughed. "My aptitude isn't half bad, so you better watch out. In the near future, I might just beat you, the number one on the prodigy ranking."

Shen Xingchen looked thoughtful. "You... keep it up!"

To jump four levels over a single winter break, Li Jinhao's aptitude certainly couldn't be described as merely "not half bad"—it was at least on par with Yan Chen's.

Li Jinhao's sudden shift away from his usual sluggishness and laziness was truly a bit hard to get used to.

Shen Xingchen asked, "How did you suddenly have such a change of heart?"

"I have my own choices." Li Jinhao didn't dwell on the question and shifted the topic, asking, "Where's Lady Qiyuan?"

Shen Xingchen's voice suddenly faltered. "She... fell into a deep slumber again."

Noticing the sorrow in Shen Xingchen's eyes, Li Jinhao asked in confusion, "Is it because of the nanorobots? If she needs them, I can provide even more now to ensure she returns to her mature form."

Shen Xingchen shook his head. "It's a problem with her soul."

Li Jinhao patted his chest. "That's still a minor issue. I'll call home and ask if we have any spiritual herbs or items related to the soul."

Shen Xingchen looked at Li Jinhao in surprise.

Li Jinhao said in dissatisfaction, "Lady Qiyuan lived here with us for over a month. Even if she was lukewarm toward me, she's still a friend we've spent a long time with. How could I just stand by and do nothing?"

Shen Xingchen patted his shoulder. "Thanks. Actually, I found herbs to repair the soul a long time ago. After taking them, although Qiyuan's soul strength remains very weak, it should be enough for her to wake up. But for some reason, she still hasn't."

Li Jinhao pondered. "Then maybe an expert who specializes in the soul or dreams needs to take a look."

Shen Xingchen continued, "I asked a King-tier expert about this. The hypothesis given by the King-tier expert was that Qiyuan herself simply doesn't want to wake up."

Although this era was wonderful, the people and things in Qiyuan's memories had long vanished. She was like a wandering soul, drifting in a world that didn't belong to her. How lonely... must such an existence be?

He had been too selfish, never paying attention to Qiyuan's feelings.

Li Jinhao sighed. "Sometimes when a patient's brain suffers severe trauma, similar things happen. It will get better."

...

Early the next morning.

Shen Xingchen headed to Xue Hezai's second-floor study.

Apart from various martial arts manuals, this study contained plenty of secret intelligence, which was why his senior martial brothers and sisters often came here to hunt for treasures.

Shen Xingchen had too few enlightenment points right now and needed to accumulate them for a while, so his main objective this time was confidential texts.

A few days ago, inside the abandoned church on the outskirts of Beizhou City, that mysterious and ancient bronze statue had given him a strange sense of familiarity.

This was definitely not normal!

Shen Xingchen pulled out several ancient-looking booklets and flipped through them casually.

The world's structure, the secret history of the Crimson Church, the origins of Snowfield Dragon City... He was curious about all of these things.

At that moment, Senior Brother Li Zhixing walked over. "Junior Brother, I've read the ancient text in your hands before. It records the deeds of Senior Zhou Xinghe, and there isn't much useful information in it."

"Oh, Senior Brother, when did you get back to school?" Shen Xingchen asked.

"Just arrived, so I came here first to look around." Li Zhixing reached out and picked up the text in front of Shen Xingchen. "Something very interesting is recorded here regarding Senior Zhou Xinghe. Senior Zhou Xinghe's Talent Divine Ability was called [Wheel of Bloodline]."

Shen Xingchen asked curiously, "Is it very high tier? S-rank or SS-rank?"

Li Zhixing smiled mysteriously. "Among all known Talent Divine Abilities, only the [Wheel of Bloodline] has no rank."

Shen Xingchen asked, "Why?"

Li Zhixing explained, "The [Wheel of Bloodline] is the only inheritable Talent Divine Ability. When the previous user of the [Wheel of Bloodline] dies, their direct blood relatives within four generations all have a chance to inherit this power. With the accumulation of generations of inheritance, just how terrifying the power of the [Wheel of Bloodline] becomes is something we cannot know."

"Huh?" Shen Xingchen let out a long, drawn-out groan.

How brokenly overpowered is this?! If they don't nerf this, how can anyone else play?

Li Zhixing pushed up his glasses. "That's how it is. I have to say, it's not that we aren't working hard, but how can we compete against cheaters?"

Shen Xingchen asked, "Do you know who inherited the [Wheel of Bloodline]?"

Li Zhixing shook his head. "That will definitely be kept secret. Unless that person has completely mastered the power of the [Wheel of Bloodline], it's impossible to let outsiders know."