Chapter 4 (2) A Glance Between Past and Present Lives

Li Chen stepped slowly and cautiously onto the mysterious altar, which measured fifty feet wide and a hundred feet tall. No sooner had he approached the center, where runes swirled in constant motion, than a brilliant, five-colored radiance surged into the space between his brows. Instantly, a piercing agony tore through his soul, and his sea of consciousness swelled as an infinite deluge of information crashed into his mind. "Boom, boom, boom!" Unable to withstand the overwhelming force, Li Chen collapsed, unconscious.

Time lost its meaning. When Li Chen finally opened his dazed eyes, he murmured to himself, "What just happened to me?" He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and after a long moment, stood up. "It was my ancestral bloodline inheritance and the memories of my past life!"

In that past life, he had been the Supreme Being of the Immortal Realm, reaching the very pinnacle of cultivation. Little did he know that a moment of negligence would lead to his demise, orchestrated by the brother closest to him in collusion with his most trusted confidant. It was a cruel irony beyond measure.

Everything that had occurred here was a contingency he had meticulously prepared at the height of his power. Having foreseen his own calamity and downfall, he knew he would be reincarnated into this realm and would eventually find his way to the Library of the Kunlun Immortal Sect.

Thus, the mysterious altar and the golden tome were merely tools: the divine golden tome served to verify the master, while the divine altar acted as a vessel for his bloodline inheritance and the memories of his past existence. The depth and mystery of his former self’s cultivation techniques were truly unfathomable.

He sat down once more to absorb the soul-etched bloodline inheritance and the inherited memories. After a long while, he finished and stood up. He first retrieved the Sumeru Divine Ring stored within the altar and claimed it as his own, then used a specific incantation to shrink and store the altar, before finally commanding the golden tome to return to its original place.

Li Chen returned to the cultivation chamber of his residence, which he shared with Lin Ying. He began to compare the techniques of the Kunlun Immortal Sect with his bloodline inheritance. The Kunlun techniques could only guide a cultivator to the Tribulation Stage, the highest level in this world.

In contrast, the path of his bloodline inheritance reached all the way to the pinnacle of the Supreme Realm.

The two were simply incomparable.

From that day forward, Li Chen devoted himself exclusively to the "Heaven-Refining Art" contained in his bloodline inheritance, abandoning the Kunlun techniques. He would utilize the Kunlun Immortal Sect only for its cultivation resources and its environment rich in spiritual energy.

Although the bloodline techniques were sealed layer by layer—to prevent a hollow foundation that might lead to demonic obsession, and to ensure the secrets were not leaked—they were locked in such a way that no one but he could ever unseal them.

...

In the next room, Lin Ying was cultivating the "Nine Revolutions of the Dragon's Roar" and had reached the peak of the Inner Pellet stage. Li Chen, meanwhile, had just broken through to the initial level of the Inner Pellet stage.

Just as Li Chen was immersed in the profound mysteries of his inheritance, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded outside. Lin Ying pushed the door open, his expression tense. "Brother Chen, it's bad! An urgent message has come from the sect. They've discovered traces of an ancient beast near the forbidden grounds, and it seems to be on the verge of breaking its seal. The entire sect is on high alert, and all disciples are required to provide immediate support!" Lin Ying’s voice carried a hint of unease. Li Chen frowned; he knew well the terror of an ancient beast, yet a strange surge of excitement and anticipation stirred within him—the dormant combat instincts of his bloodline were quietly awakening.

Lacking suitable weapons, Li Chen and Lin Ying rushed to the Immortal Armory to procure blades. Both favored the long saber for its unrestrained, ferocious power.

They selected two mid-grade magical long sabers, reasoning that since the ancient beast was likely far beyond their current cultivation level, high-grade weapons would be less prone to breaking and might prove crucial in a moment of life and death.

When they arrived at the training grounds at the foot of the mountain, they found the area packed with bustling, chattering disciples, seemingly unaware of the deadly peril they might face. Even the two elders leading the mission showed no signs of anxiety or concern, as if they intended this to be nothing more than a practical combat exercise for the lower-level disciples.