Chapter 4….. Bloodline Suppression
It wasn’t mere momentum.
Someone muttered under their breath.
“…What kind of technique is that?”
A method with no name, no known origin.
None of the people gathered there had ever seen such a thing before.
But that didn’t necessarily mean Tianshanhang hadn’t taught it.
“…I don’t know either.”
Tianshanhang quietly shook his head.
There was no bewilderment, nor was there any trace of self-satisfaction on his face.
The moment his words fell, a strange silence passed among the elders.
His words were clear, yet it was that very composure that only deepened their suspicion.
A secret art of the clan.
If it wasn’t that, then how could such a bizarre technique be explained?
The elders exchanged glances.
Before understanding could spread, doubt had already taken root.
Cheonui narrowed his eyes, watching the retreating backs of the Wang family’s party.
“The pain must be heavier than death itself for it to have meaning.”
He wanted to return to Wang Yun the exact suffering he had endured, without even the slightest deviation.
The technique Cheonui used was Bloodline Suppression (血脉鎭壓).
It was a unique art that drew on the energy of the Blood Spirit Pearl to suppress bloodlines.
While dodging Wang Yun’s fists three times, the Blood Spirit Pearl within Cheonui’s body fully absorbed the Venomous Insect’s blood essence, and at that moment, the first seal was broken.
“The Venomous Insect… is only the beginning.”
The Blood Spirit Pearl was a rare treasure imbued with a strange power.
The six layered seals entangled within it had to be undone one by one, each by different means.
When the first seal broke, a transformation began within Cheonui’s body.
Through the Blood Spirit Pearl, countless pieces of bloodline information from spiritual beasts were sensed.
Those who carried the blood of spiritual beasts could wield the abilities contained within that blood.
The Venomous Insect was no exception.
Its blood carried a strange energy, no weaker than that of a spiritual beast.
The “Bloodline Suppression” that Cheonui unleashed was an ability born from the blood of the Venomous Insect.
This power acted like a curse upon lifeforms whose bloodline rank fell below a certain threshold.
The first rank was the strongest, the ninth the weakest.
Any creature with a bloodline of rank six or lower would suffer under its mental and physical pressure.
Wang Yun’s bloodline… did not exceed that threshold.
“I will make you suffer worse than I ever did, Wang Yun!”
Cheonui intended to return not just the same pain, but even more than that.
Even after the Wang family had left, the banquet continued smoothly.
Yet everyone’s eyes were no longer on the wine tables, but on Cheonui.
The once-silent young master of the Cheon clan—
He had defeated the Wang family’s prodigy.
From that moment, the star of the banquet had changed.
In particular, the gazes of several young ladies grew noticeably heated.
At sixteen, he was of age to be wed.
Rumors of his lack of a betrothal quickly spread, making Cheonui an extremely desirable match overnight.
But none of those gazes reached him.
Cheonui had only one concern—
To become stronger.
Wang Yun’s strike had left him injured. Small, but undeniable—a tangible wall of reality.
Cheonui realized then that reincarnation alone could not change anything.
“I must grow stronger, as quickly as possible. If my memory is right, the Cheon clan will be annihilated just a few years from now.”
The Venomous Insect was no longer a threat, but the fate of the Cheon clan still hung at the cliff’s edge.
Because the Blood Spirit Pearl was in his possession.
In his past life, the clan had not been destroyed because of the Venomous Insect.
That was only the spark.
The true cause began the moment the Cheon clan acquired the Blood Spirit Pearl.
Searching for medicine to strengthen Cheonui, they stumbled upon it.
When word spread, powerhouses from all sides descended upon the clan, desperate to seize the pearl.
Cheonui and Cheonwol had survived only because they happened to be absent that day.
After that, not a single day of peace remained.
For three hundred years, he lived on the run, hiding, fighting, relying solely on the Blood Spirit Pearl to keep both himself and the young Cheonwol alive.
Even when they finally reached the Holy Heaven Realm, fate could not be defied.
“…But this life is different.”
Even after reincarnation, the Blood Spirit Pearl was still with him.
That was no coincidence, but a sign—
That fate itself was changing.
“…I must be prepared for everything.”
Right now, there was only one thing that mattered: becoming stronger.
Strength was the only shield that could ward off every danger.
People whispered endlessly about him.
And as they did, the banquet slowly drew to a close.
When most of the guests had departed, Cheonui was summoned by Tianshanhang to the study.
Inside the study.
Tianshanhang and Cheonui sat in silence across from each other.
“I thought he’d ask about Wang Yun first…”
Cheonui lowered his gaze, steadying his breath.
But when Tianshanhang finally spoke, his words were completely unexpected.
“Yi-ya. Tomorrow, let’s go together to the Nanfeng Auction House.”
“…The Nanfeng Auction House?”
Caught off guard, Cheonui paused in thought.
“Of all places, Nanfeng…”
His past life’s memory resurfaced.
Indeed, the day after Tianshanhang’s banquet, an auction had been held there.
But back then, he had been bedridden for days after his defeat by Wang Yun.
This time was different.
Which meant, this time, he could go himself.
“Yes, Father.”
Cheonui nodded quietly.
That place held resources that could rapidly accelerate his growth.
Especially those like the blood of spiritual beasts—vital for breaking the seals of the Blood Spirit Pearl.
What he had undone so far was only the outermost, the first seal.
All the abilities he had once obtained in his past life were gone.
The first seal had required only the Venomous Insect. But the second… was on an entirely different level.
A massive amount of spiritual beast blood would be needed, and to maintain it, at least one hundred drops every seven days had to be supplied.
If the supply ever ceased, the Blood Spirit Pearl would fall dormant once more.
But more critical than maintenance were the conditions for release:
1,000 drops of 8th-rank blood, 100 drops of 7th-rank blood, and…
The blood of seven cultivators with special constitutions.
The pearl would accept the blood of any cultivator—it was not picky.
But the conditions were strict: only cultivators born with innate elemental attributes would qualify.
In this world, cultivators refined qi, gradually developing elemental attributes.
But some children were born already possessing elemental spiritual qi.
If they practiced compatible techniques, their training efficiency would multiply severalfold.
To break the second seal, Cheonui needed the blood of seven such special-bodied cultivators.
But that was not difficult.
He already knew, from his past life, exactly where they were.
“Unlocking the second seal of the Blood Spirit Pearl… that will be my first true milestone!”
Cheonui clenched his fist tightly.
Once the second seal was undone, the Blood Spirit Pearl’s power would once again accelerate his growth.
It was thanks to that very power that he had reached the Holy Heaven Realm in his past life.
“Good. That’s enough. You may go now.”
Seeing his son lost in thought, Tianshanhang waved a hand.
He already knew.
Cheonui was hiding something.
The technique he used against Wang Yun was far from ordinary.
But he did not ask.
For in his son’s eyes, he saw sincerity, and he believed that when the time came, the boy would speak of it himself.
“Yes, Father.”
Cheonui bowed and quietly withdrew.
The reason he hadn’t explained was simple—
To tell the truth, he would have to speak of reincarnation and regression.
“…To return from death and live again. Even I find it too preposterous.”
For now, it was a secret only he could bear.
“When the time comes, I will reveal everything. And once more, I will stand atop the ruins of the Holy Heaven Realm.”
The next dawn, in front of the Cheon estate.
Amid the faint fog, three figures emerged.
Cheonui, Tianshanhang, and an old man in silk robes with snow-white hair.
The elder was Cheon Gil, the clan’s Grand Elder.
He managed the family’s finances, and wherever great sums were concerned, he was always present.
Today, with a trip to the Nanfeng Auction House, was no exception.
The three climbed into a prepared carriage.
It rolled quietly toward the auction house.
The Nanfeng Auction House was a vast trading guild directly overseen by the imperial court.
With countless branches across the empire, it dominated more than half the auction market.
And among them, the Mokgun Fortress branch stood out in both scale and influence.
The auction house was located at the heart of the commercial district.
When they arrived, a massive golden pavilion pierced through the fog, revealing its imposing form.
The building, which swallowed nearly a third of the district, radiated grandeur even from its outer walls.
Anyone seeing it for the first time would surely be overwhelmed.
But not Cheonui.
In his past life, he had been a sovereign of the Holy Heaven Realm.
He had seen fortresses rising above the skies of Mount Penglai, floating palaces drifting across the seas, and the secret realms of the Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion.
Compared to those, this so-called grand auction house was nothing more than a gilded marketplace.
When the carriage stopped, the three descended slowly.
Those who recognized them immediately stood and bowed deeply.
Whether the gestures were born of respect, fear, or mere courtesy, it was unclear.
Cheonui paid no mind.
He only gazed silently beyond the auction hall.
The Cheon clan was one of the two great powers of Mokgun Fortress, their influence unmatched within the city.
None could rival them, save the Wang family.
The Nanfeng Auction House knew this well.
Thus, the seats reserved for the Cheon clan were in the very front, at the center of the hall.
The other belonged to the Wang family.
Not long after the Cheon party sat, the Wang family arrived as well.
At the front was their patriarch, Wang Seong, followed by their Grand Elder, Wang Hak.
But Wang Yun was nowhere to be seen.
The crowd thought nothing of it.
After all, it was never required for the young masters to attend.
But Cheonui knew the truth.
Wang Yun hadn’t chosen not to come—he simply couldn’t.
“By now, the curse of Bloodline Suppression should be taking effect.”
The technique began manifesting after three shichen (six hours).
Plenty of time had passed since yesterday.
At this very moment, Wang Yun’s limbs would be powerless, unable even to rise from his bed.
“Of course, the curse will fade after a year. But that year… he will know what true torment is.”
While Cheonui thought this, both Wang Seong and Wang Hak’s eyes fell upon him.
In that instant, tension crackled through the air like sparks.
The people nearby held their breath.
“Hmph.”
Wang Seong glared at Cheonui, then snorted coldly.
His voice was sharp, his eyes filled with fury.
He had not once considered that Wang Yun’s collapse had anything to do with the Venomous Insect or Bloodline Suppression.
He believed it was simply the result of being struck down by Cheonui’s attack.
Which only made him more incensed at the boy standing before him.
Soon, a great bell resounded across the entire auction hall.
Dong—Dong—Dong—
At last, the Nanfeng Auction had begun.
All eyes turned to the center of the stage.
A woman in a richly embroidered silk dress ascended gracefully to the platform.
Her name was Nam Yeongwol.
She was the chief auctioneer of the Nanfeng Auction House, and famed throughout Mokgun Fortress as a beauty of the highest order.
