Imperial Scepter

Gao Chun stood in the center of his own courtyard, his feet firmly planted on the ground, his spine straight as steel.

His eyes were bright as he gazed at the headless shepherd in the void, his pupils burning with barely suppressed excitement. Although his breathing was slightly rapid, he deliberately maintained a calm demeanor.

His father often taught him that in the face of important matters, one must first remain calm.

His fingertips curled slightly, his heart pounded violently in his chest, each beat in sync with his eager anticipation, and hot blood surged through his veins, filling him with an indescribable excitement.

"Come quickly, grant me a great opportunity!" This anticipation surged within me, almost impossible to contain.

In the void.

The headless man, wielding a soft whip, swung it gracefully, driving a flock of sheep as he strolled through the void.

With each step he took, a lotus flower appeared, leaving behind lotus-shaped traces that lingered in the void for a long time.

The headless man's "gaze" searched the void. Although he had no head, his invisible gaze seemed to be able to see into the depths of a person's soul.

Suddenly, the headless man locked onto his target.

With a flick of his wrist, a green heart the size of a fist appeared out of thin air in his palm.

This heart is like a living thing, containing vigorous vitality and exuding a rich ancient aura, as if it came from the ancient wilderness.

Its entire body is translucent and clear, with veins as clear as jade. Every pulse bursts with vigorous vitality, and the flowing green halo carries an unfathomable mysterious power.

The headless man tossed it casually!

The green heart instantly transformed into an extremely condensed, invisible stream of light, rushing straight towards Gao Chun like a shooting star chasing the moon.

This streak of light was faster than light and quicker than electricity, yet it left no ripples or sound in the void, as if it were invisible air, and instantly teleported to Gao Chun's heart.

This invisible stream of light was impossible to detect, and even with Gao Chun's focused attention, he could not sense it at all.

He felt a sudden warmth in his chest, as a mysterious force rushed into his heart and quietly merged with his vital energy.

The scene was somewhat similar to the last time, except that last time the mysterious power appeared in the dantian, while this time it landed in the heart and merged tightly with the heart.

"Buzz—"

The green heart and the pure heart made instant contact. There was no expected excruciating pain, only a warm current that swept over the whole body.

Gao Chunneng could clearly feel that the green heart was rapidly merging with his own heart, their veins intertwining and interweaving, eventually becoming completely integrated.

"Huh? This time there was no pain!" A hint of doubt flashed across Gao Chun's face.

He was already prepared to endure excruciating pain, after all, the pain he felt during the last fusion was unforgettable.

This time, however, there was no pain whatsoever; instead, there was an indescribable comfort. It seemed that the headless man had truly been kind to him, bestowing upon him such an extraordinary opportunity.

The next moment.

"Knock knock!"

Gao Chun's heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if it had come to life in an instant, leaping about as lively as a playful child, with such force that it made his whole body tremble.

Immediately afterwards, his heart, like a wild horse breaking free of all its shackles, began to beat wildly and erratically, sometimes as rapid as a war drum, sometimes as heavy as lead, completely out of his control.

"What?"

This sudden turn of events caught Gao Chun completely off guard.

He had never experienced such a bizarre situation before. His heart was beating in a way that defied all reason, each beat carrying an unfamiliar force that violently impacted his chest.

Gao Chun's heart skipped a beat. He dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately sat down cross-legged, held his breath and concentrated his mind, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and restless thoughts, focusing all his consciousness on his chest, trying to suppress his heartbeat.

But no matter how hard he tried, it was all in vain!

My heart is beating faster, more violently, and more irregularly.

At first, it was just a slight tightness in my chest, but in the blink of an eye, a sharp pain spread from my heart, as if countless fine needles were piercing me at the same time, and the pain became more and more intense, making it unbearable.

"Well……"

As time passed, Gao Chun could no longer maintain the cross-legged position, and a low, painful groan escaped from between his teeth.

His body curled up uncontrollably, his back hunched over like a shrimp, and he suddenly fell backward onto the cold bluestone slab of the courtyard, his hands tightly clutching his chest, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Hang in there! No matter how painful it is, you have to endure it!"

"Only through hardship can one rise above others!"

"This gift from the headless man is an immense opportunity; I must accept it!"

At this moment, his face was as pale as paper, without a trace of blood. His lips were bitten so hard that bright red blood had already seeped out, sliding down the corners of his lips and dripping onto the bluestone slab, spreading into dazzling blood flowers.

Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead like broken pearls, instantly soaking his hair and clothes, and his whole body trembled violently uncontrollably.

"Knock knock knock!"

Gao Chun's heartbeat grew louder and louder, like the booming of war drums or the violent pounding of a sledgehammer in his chest. Each beat made his whole body go numb, and all he could hear was the deafening sound.

"Boom boom boom!"

In the end, the sound of his heartbeat was like the creation of the world, containing a vast and primal power, as if something was about to break free from its cocoon.

Just when Gao Chun thought he was about to be torn apart by this extreme pain, a sudden change occurred!

The sharp pain in my chest began to subside slowly, receding like the tide, and was replaced by a warm current that was even more intense than before.

This warm current spread from the heart to every part of the body. Wherever it passed, the muscles that were tense from the intense pain gradually relaxed, the tearing pain turned into a tingling itch, and even the churning blood and qi became calm.

Gao Chun's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He could clearly feel that although his heart was still beating strongly, it was no longer wild. Instead, it had a mysterious rhythm, as if it were quietly resonating with some kind of law of heaven and earth.

He forced his eyes open, his consciousness sinking back into his chest. This time, he "saw" everything with perfect clarity.

Inside the heart, the brilliant light was rapidly gathering, with green life energy intertwining with its own blood and qi, the light growing brighter and brighter, and finally, surrounded by countless runes, it condensed into a crystal about the length of a middle finger.

This crystal is crystal clear, just like the finest mutton fat jade, but with a touch more liveliness. It is flawless, exquisitely beautiful, and makes people forget the mundane world when they see it.

It was not an inanimate object, but rather full of vitality and mysterious power, as if it possessed its own life. With each slight tremor, it would exhale streams of mysterious energy, nourishing the pure essence of the body.

The crystal was surrounded by a fresh and natural aura, as if it contained the mysteries of the universe. Mysterious and wonderful runes constantly emerged from the surface of the crystal, swirling and evolving inside the heart, only to vanish in an instant, repeating endlessly, enacting some unknown law.

"This...this could be the very source of my bloodline?!"

A thunderous explosion erupted in Gao Chun's mind, and an unbelievable surge of ecstasy instantly swept over his entire body, causing him to tremble slightly.

His study contained a vast collection of books, encompassing all kinds of classics, including many about the origins and supernatural powers of bloodlines.

The birth of a bloodline origin crystal means that at least one bloodline supernatural power will be awakened!

Bloodline supernatural powers are the ultimate amplification of magic. Magic is still limited to the five elements and four symbols such as metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, and darkness, while supernatural powers are bizarre and have endless wonderful uses.

He had no idea what his bloodline supernatural power would be, and Gao Chun's eyes shone brightly, his heart filled with boundless anticipation.

"I hope to awaken a heaven-defying divine power!" Gao Chun prayed greedily in his heart.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging joy and lingering doubts, and quickly concentrated all his consciousness, carefully immersing himself in the primordial crystal in his heart.

His consciousness, like a gentle stream, slowly enveloped the primordial crystal, carefully interpreting the power information it contained.

After a while.

"Hahaha...hahaha!"

A burst of exhilarating laughter, bursting from Gao Chun's chest, suddenly erupted from his mouth, echoing throughout the courtyard like thunder.

Fortunately, the courtyard was protected by an isolation array; otherwise, the laughter would have certainly alerted the entire Gao family village.

"My bloodline abilities are so heaven-defying! Am I truly a person favored by the heavens? Not only was I born with an unprecedented five-colored Dao Seed, but I also possess such powerful bloodline abilities!"

"My bloodline supernatural power has four wondrous uses!"

"The first wonderful use: as long as the energy of the bloodline origin space is filled, it can help a cultivator directly advance to the first star level of cultivation, or directly cultivate a technique. This power can be used on oneself, or it can also bless others."

"The second wonderful use: It takes 100 strands of energy to fill the entire bloodline origin space. Each strand of energy can be converted into profound energy at any time, continuously replenishing the dantian. From now on, my profound energy will never run dry!"

"The third wonderful use: as long as someone with malicious intent is watching me within a hundred-meter radius, this bloodline origin crystal will pulsate accordingly. The intensity of the pulsation depends on the degree of malice on the part of the person, making it an unparalleled divine power for judging others' intentions!"

"The fourth wonderful use: as long as it encounters a bloodline cultivator of the same realm or a bloodline origin or bloodline treasure within a kilometer range, this crystal will rotate slightly."

This function is relatively weaker among the four great uses, but for me, it helps me to better discover talent and find rare treasures from heaven and earth!

Upon learning that he possessed four supernatural powers, Gao Chun trembled with excitement, his fingertips even shaking slightly.

My heart was filled with ecstasy and anticipation, and for a moment I didn't know how to express it. My lips trembled uncontrollably with excitement.

"I'm so excited! So excited!"

Especially the first supernatural ability, which saved him a huge amount of cultivation time!

He is currently at the four-star Bronze Realm. If he wants to comprehend the fifth realm and advance to the five-star Bronze Realm, it will take him at least 27 months.

He is 12 and a half years old now, which means that even if he cultivates day and night, he will have to wait until he is 15 years old to reach the fifth level of the Bronze Realm; and the sixth level of the Bronze Realm requires 34 months of arduous training.

Behind them are the Bronze Realm Seven Stars, Eight Stars, and Nine Stars, and then Silver and Gold... The long path of cultivation will take countless years.

Without this bloodline supernatural power, he would spend most of his time cultivating and wouldn't dare to waste a single moment.

Does he really enjoy cultivation? Staying in his room all day, trying to comprehend the essence of things? He's still just a 12-year-old child!

It's not that he doesn't want to go out and play; it's not that he doesn't want to be like other children, having barbecues in the wild, gazing at the stars and the sea, playing freely, occasionally causing mischief, and experiencing the beauty of nature...

But reality wouldn't allow it! He had to cultivate relentlessly day after day.

He cultivated himself for the sake of his dreams: to become a high-ranking official and to protect his family.

Now that's great! With this bloodline supernatural power, he only needs to find the corresponding energy replenishment to level up directly!

"By the way, to upgrade, you need two special types of energy: one is the Bloodline Elixir, and the other is the Profound Vein Origin."

Gao Chun also has some knowledge of these two types of energy.

In their study, they kept a book called "The List of 360 Wonders of Heaven and Earth," which recorded 360 kinds of top-tier treasures in the world. These treasures did not contain the essence of heaven and earth and were not mystical objects, but they were a hundred or a thousand times more precious than mystical objects.

The list is ranked based on the effects, rarity, and applicable conditions of these 360 ​​kinds of rare and precious treasures.

The most coveted item is the Treasure Tree at the top of the list, which can gather the essence of heaven and earth and give birth to all kinds of treasures, each of which is magical.

The second-ranked Three Lights Divine Water is formed from the essence of the sun, moon, and stars. It is colorless and odorless, and can cleanse the marrow and revive withered bones.

The third-ranked item, Breath Soil, also known as Sky-Mending Stone, can fill spatial rifts between heaven and earth and can instantly nurture mysterious plants and herbs into useful materials, endlessly regenerating without end.

……

The book not only records the function, characteristics and forms of each rare treasure, but also includes lifelike illustrations.

As for the Bloodline Treasure Medicine and the Origin of the Profound Vein, Gao Chun had already memorized the relevant records thanks to his photographic memory.

He remembered that the Bloodline Elixir was ranked forty-ninth, the lowest among the three great elixirs—the Body Refining Elixir, the Soul Refining Elixir, and the Bloodline Elixir.

The Mysterious Vein Origin, also known as the Mysterious Vein Origin Pearl, is naturally formed within the Mysterious Vein.

Its main function is to upgrade the Xuanmai: a Xuanmai Pearl is needed to upgrade a first-grade Xuanmai to a second-grade Xuanmai; a Xuanmai Pearl is also needed to upgrade a second-grade Xuanmai to a third-grade Xuanmai, and so on.

The only way to upgrade the Mystic Vein is by using the Mystic Vein Bead.

This Mystic Vein Origin Pearl is ranked ninety-ninth. Logically speaking, as the only item for upgrading the Mystic Vein, it should be extremely precious. However, because its use is too singular and it has no other use besides upgrading the Mystic Vein, its ranking is relatively low.

Gao Chun slowly stood up, patted the dust off his body, and looked down at his chest, where the bloodline origin crystal was trembling slightly, emitting a faint warm light that resonated with his heartbeat.

The extreme pain he had just experienced was like a tempering process, grinding away some of the impetuousness in his youthful mind, leaving only a profound clarity and a burning obsession.

He was no longer the boy who could only endure the long years of hardship through daily toil.

This bloodline origin crystal and these four heaven-defying divine abilities are both an opportunity and a sharp blade.

A sharp blade that can cleave through the long path of cultivation, protect the health and safety of one's family, and unlock the gates of power.

The names of the rare treasures of heaven and earth surged in his mind: bloodline medicines, mystical vein origin pearls. Even though they were ranked low and difficult to find, there was no fear in his eyes, only a burning sharpness.

The twelve-and-a-half-year-old boy clenched his fists, his eyes reflecting the rosy clouds in the sky, his mind already set on the direction he would take.

From then on, the world lost a Bronze Realm cultivator who devoted himself to arduous training, and gained a young prodigy who wielded supernatural powers and aspired to the pinnacle.

[PS: This chapter has over 4000 words, and I'm only updating this chapter this morning.]

From now until it goes on sale, the schedule will be adjusted to one chapter in the morning and one in the evening.

If they continue to post 10,000 views per day, they'll meet the listing requirements before the first round of recommendations is even finished.

Should I choose to recommend it? Or should I choose to put it on the shelves?

I'd definitely choose the recommended option. Firstly, it will help me accumulate more readers, and secondly, it will give me more "explosive" content to release after the book is officially launched.