Years passed differently in the Shrouded Vale.
Time seemed almost irrelevant—days, months, and even years blended into the endless flow of spiritual qi, streams of light, and whispering leaves.
Lin Yu grew, not in the usual ways of mortal children, but in perception, intelligence, and subtle control of the spiritual energies surrounding him.
Mei Ruyue would carry him through the glowing forests and along luminous rivers, teaching him how to sense the currents of qi, to feel the life force in every plant, every stone, every creature.
She would demonstrate the motions of simple techniques, guiding his tiny hands, though he could not yet imitate them.
Still, his mind absorbed every lesson, tracing patterns, recognizing cause and effect, and silently forming strategies that a child of his age should never comprehend.
[ The next day... ]
While Lin Yu observed the currents of the Vale, Mei Ruyue herself trained in quiet seclusion.
Her Phantom Gale Steps allowed her to move with near-invisibility and strike with perfect timing, but it was only a fraction of her power.
Her true mastery lay in formation arts, a discipline she had spent centuries perfecting, one that had earned her recognition as second only to the greatest masters of the Immortal Realm.
She extended her hands, tracing sigils in the air, while the spiritual qi of the Shrouded Vale responded almost instinctively.
Lines of energy shimmered across the ground, converging into geometric patterns that could amplify attacks, trap intruders, or shield an area entirely.
Each formation she practiced required precision, understanding of natural flows, and timing so perfect that a single misstep could render it useless.
Even here, I must not stagnate, she thought.
The child's future depends on me remaining capable, unpredictable, and strong.
With Lin Yu watching silently, she built a temporary formation circle, drawing energy from the Vale itself.
She stepped through it, the Phantom Gale Steps weaving in and out of the pattern, testing timing and synergy.
Every motion was a lesson, every breath a calculation.
Though Lin Yu could not yet speak or act, he observed carefully, storing patterns in his mind, tracing flows of energy and learning the logic behind each formation.
The Vale stretched endlessly, a world of vibrant qi that shifted with every step.
Lin Yu's small feet padded across the glowing moss, his eyes catching the shimmer of herbs hidden among roots, stones, and streams.
Mei Ruyue watched from a distance, allowing him freedom, yet remaining close enough to intervene if danger arose.
At first, he focused on collecting herbs.
Luminous Spirit Fern, Moonshadow Grass, and Sunpetal Bloom were scattered along the hills and valleys.
Lin Yu knelt beside each, observing the pulsing aura, memorizing how the energy flowed through their leaves, stems, and roots.
Though he could not yet speak, his mind recorded every detail, connecting patterns in the qi that even some early-stage cultivators would struggle to sense.
Hunting came next.
Mei Ruyue guided him to Crimsonleaf Deer, its qi-filled antlers glowing faintly.
"Observe first, Lin Yu. Watch its steps, its breathing, the rhythm of its energy," she instructed.
Lin Yu crouched behind a cluster of violet shrubs, tracking the deer's spiritual aura, noting where its qi was strongest and how it moved when sensing danger.
They moved deeper into the Vale.
A Glintfang Boar emerged from the undergrowth, bristling with power.
Its eyes flicked toward him but did not attack.
The Vale allowed observation, not harm.
Lin Yu's heartbeat raced—not with fear, but with focus.
He watched carefully as Mei Ruyue demonstrated the subtle approach, showing him how to read qi disturbances in the environment.
Occasionally, they stumbled upon Silvermane Lynx perched high in the Celestwood branches.
The lynx exhaled, and its aura brushed Lin Yu like a whisper, teaching him awareness and agility.
Each encounter honed his senses, strengthening muscles and qi perception simultaneously.
Beyond hunting, the Vale gifted them treasures.
In hidden hollows, Crimson Lotus pulsed with vitality, Golden Essence Root strengthened his core even in infancy, and Frostbloom Herb balanced his qi in cold zones.
Each herb was extinct in the mortal and immortal realms, making the Vale a treasure trove unmatched anywhere else.
Lin Yu absorbed these lessons silently, his tiny hands mimicking Mei Ruyue's precise gathering techniques, his mind analyzing each herb's energy, its flow, and how it could enhance his body.
And then there were the silent observers—Saint King-level beasts, occasionally appearing in human form, eerily resembling human.
They did not intervene.
They simply watched, radiating supreme qi, teaching through presence alone.
Lin Yu's young mind cataloged their aura shifts, body posture, and energy control.
Even without speaking, he understood that these beings were the pinnacle of power, and the Vale allowed him to study them in secret.
Years passed like this.
Lin Yu explored every grove, every stream, every hidden cave near their Celestwood house.
He learned to hunt, to gather, to sense, and to survive.
His body strengthened with each herb he consumed.
His awareness sharpened with every semi-god beast encounter.
By the age of ten, he had mastered basic observation of qi, learned the rhythm of the Vale's beasts, and absorbed the energy of the land itself, preparing him for the moment his ancient bloodline would awaken.
Mei Ruyue observed quietly, her eyes softening with pride.
"Lin Yu… the time has come," she murmured.
The Vale pulsed with a quiet resonance, as though acknowledging the boy's coming transformation.
[ The next day... ]
The Shrouded Vale lay quiet beneath the soft morning sun, its qi shimmering faintly along the Celestwood groves.
At the center of the clearing outside their Celestwood house, a circular tripod of Celestwood and iron—known as the Spirit Convergence Cauldron—had been prepared.
Lin Yu's small frame was submerged inside it, surrounded by a carefully mixed concoction of perfect-grade herbs- Golden Essence Root, Sunfire Lotus, Phoenix Bloom, and Celestial Dewleaf.
The mixture radiated stabilizing energy, soaking into his skin, lungs, and bloodstream, preparing his body for the immense power it would soon receive.
From the mountaintop, Mei Ruyue's figure flickered like a shadow.
She moved with purpose, her Phantom Gale Steps leaving afterimages as she pursued the target- the Dracowyrm, a mountain dragon whose scales shimmered in gold and violet.
Its cultivation approached the threshold of Saint King, a perfect source for awakening Lin Yu's dormant bloodline.
Drawing a deep breath, Mei Ruyue unleashed the Lightning Fang Strike, a technique peculiar to the Lin Family.
Among all who had attempted it, she was the only one to perfect it.
Though inferior in destructive power compared to the Heavenstrike Thunder used by Lin Yue during their pursuit, its precision rivaled that of even the deadliest lightning strikes.
The golden bolt streaked across the mountainside, hitting the Dracowyrm with surgical accuracy, forcing it to expend energy while avoiding unnecessary damage to the environment.
The battle was fierce.
Claws tore through air and rock, dragon qi surged like storms, yet Mei Ruyue's movements were fluid, precise, flawless.
She drew the Dracowyrm into exhaustion, her superior technique ensuring every strike counted while keeping herself safe.
After a final leap and a calculated strike to its chest, the dragon's roar pierced the Vale, and its core—the concentrated essence of its lifetime cultivation—glimmered in her hands.
Only then did she return home, weary but triumphant.
Lin Yu's tiny form remained in the Spirit Convergence Cauldron, still submerged in the herbal mixture.
Mei Ruyue carefully poured the Dracowyrm's core essence into the mixture, and the air trembled as the ancient qi flowed toward him.
His small body trembled as the dragon's power flowed into his veins, reshaping bones, muscles, and blood to accommodate the half-dragon heritage.
The herbs simmered around Lin Yu in the Spirit Convergence Cauldron, the mixture glowing faintly as Mei Ruyue adjusted the formation.
Golden-violet qi from the Dracowyrm's core surged into his body, flooding every vein, every cell.
At first, it was intoxicating—a warm, powerful energy that promised strength beyond imagination.
But almost immediately, Lin Yu felt it - a presence within his mind.
The Dracowyrm essence had not simply merged with his body.
It had awakened in his consciousness, a sentient, predatory force.
Its voice was thunderous, cruel, and mocking.
"Weakling… you are not worthy of this power. Your mind will be mine. Your soul… I will consume it."
Lin Yu's vision of the world around him blurred, replaced by an endless battlefield of shadow and flame.
He saw himself surrounded by golden-violet storms, clawed hands reaching for him, teeth snapping with ancestral might.
The Dracowyrm's consciousness surged, attempting to dominate, to devour his essence and make him a puppet for its power.
His small fists clenched, but even his sharp mind felt the pull of oblivion.
Every attempt to resist was met with overwhelming force.
Every defensive thought shredded by the ancient will of the dragon.
No… I cannot lose… I will not…
And then—a spark deep inside, faint at first, but growing with blinding intensity.
Lin Yu's dormant bloodline stirred, the primordial dragon within him awakening for the first time.
Its aura was immense, infinite, ancient—a force untouched by time itself.
"Shenlongra," the name resonated in his mind, a voice like rolling storms and flowing rivers.
The blood of the primordial dragon, his ancestor, surged through him, igniting his consciousness.
His body trembled violently as golden-violet scales rippled across his small frame, marking the awakening of the full half-dragon essence.
The Dracowyrm's consciousness roared, sensing its fate.
"No… impossible…" it bellowed.
But Lin Yu's awakened bloodline was absolute.
A wave of ancient, draconic power erupted from his mind, sucking the Dracowyrm essence dry, reducing it to a faint echo of energy before shattering it entirely.
Silence followed.
The battlefield of his mind dissolved into light.
Lin Yu's breathing was steady, his eyes glowing with golden-violet light.
Scales shimmered across his irises, a visible mark of the primordial dragon bloodline—Shenlongra—flowing within him.
He could feel it: a power eternal, a consciousness vast, a heritage that dwarfed the mortal and immortal alike.
Mei Ruyue watched from outside the formation, her eyes wide but unwavering.
She could sense it even from afar: the child before her was no longer merely Lin Yu.
He is the only remaining descendant of Shenlongra, the Primordial Dragon Emperor, and his potential is now fully awakened.
Lin Yu opened his eyes fully, a subtle roar echoing in his mind as he flexed his newfound senses.
Streams of ancient dragon qi flowed outward, mingling with the herbs' energy and the formation, stabilizing his body. The awakening was complete.
Finally, his eyes opened. A shimmer of scales traced the surface of his irises, a visible mark of the half-dragon bloodline fused with his own.
His gaze was sharp, alive, already sensing the immense surge of power within him.
Mei Ruyue knelt nearby, brushing a strand of hair from her face, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride, relief, and anticipation.
"Lin Yu… your bloodline has successfully awakened."
The Vale seemed to acknowledge the transformation.
Trees shimmered, herbs glowed, and the air vibrated faintly, as if the land itself recognized the rise of a new force within its borders.
Lin Yu's fists clenched instinctively, the dragon's essence pulsing with potential.
The Shrouded Vale had been silent for centuries.
Yet now… it trembled.
A pulse of ancient dragon qi spread outward from the clearing outside the Celestwood house, rippling across forests, rivers, and mountains like an unseen tide.
Trees shuddered.
Spirit herbs glowed faintly.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Lin Yu had awakened.
Inside the fading formation, the boy slowly opened his eyes.
Within his irises shimmered faint golden-violet dragon scales, a quiet mark of the primordial bloodline of Shenlongra, the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Beasts.
The moment his aura stabilized, the entire Vale responded.
Far beyond the Celestwood forest, deep presences stirred—ancient beings who had slumbered for centuries.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then more.
Seven terrifying auras began moving toward the clearing.
Mei Ruyue felt them immediately.
Her eyes sharpened as seven overwhelming presences approached from different directions.
Each aura was ancient, deep, and terrifyingly stable.
Saint Kings.
Her hand slowly tightened.
If they came to eliminate Lin Yu… she would fight them all.
Even if it meant death.
Lightning qi quietly gathered around her fingertips.
The familiar current of her perfected Lightning Fang Strike flickered along her arm like a living serpent.
Seven Saint Kings…
Even for her, the odds were terrible.
But retreat was not an option.
She stepped forward, placing herself between Lin Yu and the approaching auras.
The forest fell completely silent.
Then the first figure appeared.
A tall man in jade robes stepped from the shadows of the trees, his presence calm yet immeasurably deep.
Verdant Crown Monarch — Yu Canghai
Species: Celestial Wood Kirin
His eyes glowed with ancient wisdom.
Behind him arrived the second.
A pale woman with silver hair and moonlit eyes descended from the sky.
Lunara the Pale Huntress
Species: Moonshadow Celestial Wolf
Then a massive figure emerged from the earth itself.
Gorath the Worldbreaker
Species: Titanback Earth Tortoise
Soon the clearing was filled.
Seven Saint Kings stood before the small house.
The remaining arrivals revealed themselves.
Ignivar Flame Sovereign
Species: Blazing Solar Phoenix
Seraphae the Mist Empress
Species: Heavenly Mirage Serpent
Thalrion Storm Tyrant
Species: Tempest Sky Roc
Varkul the Abyssal Fang
Species: Netherfang Shadow Panther
Each of them had taken human form.
Yet their presence weighed upon the world like mountains.
Seven rulers of the Shrouded Vale.
Lightning crackled faintly around Mei Ruyue's hand.
"State your purpose," she said coldly.
Her voice carried no fear.
The seven Saint Kings exchanged quiet glances.
They had expected resistance.
But not this much.
Yu Canghai, the Kirin Monarch, stepped forward first.
Then something unexpected happened.
He bowed.
A deep, respectful bow.
The other six Saint Kings followed.
Yu Canghai spoke calmly.
"Lady … put away your lightning."
"We did not come to fight."
His gaze shifted to Lin Yu.
The boy was watching them quietly, golden-violet scales faintly shimmering within his pupils.
The Kirin Monarch's voice lowered slightly.
"We came… to acknowledge our sovereign."
The clearing went completely silent.
Mei Ruyue frowned.
"Sovereign?"
Lunara, the Moonshadow Wolf Saint King, stepped forward.
"The bloodline within that child…"
"…belongs to Shenlongra."
Even the wind trembled when the name was spoken.
The Sovereign of Ten Thousand Beasts.
The primordial dragon who once ruled over all beastkind.
Gorath the Worldbreaker rumbled like distant thunder.
"Every beast in existence carries a fragment of that lineage in their origin."
Seraphae the Mirage Serpent bowed her head.
"To us… he is not prey."
"He is not rival."
"He is the rightful heir of the Beast Sovereign."
Yu Canghai spoke again.
"We have watched the boy grow in this Vale for ten years."
"We know you came here seeking refuge."
He paused.
Then finished calmly.
"You may remain."
"No beast within the Shrouded Vale will harm him."
"In return…"
He looked toward Lin Yu.
"The Sovereign's heir will allow us to continue living within this land."
It was not submission.
Nor domination.
It was a mutual pact between kings.
As a symbol of this pact, each Saint King stepped forward and presented an offering.
Treasures that the outside world did not even know existed.
Yu Canghai — Verdant Crown Monarch
Gift: Heartwood Core of the Celestial World Tree
A fragment of the legendary tree that once anchored heaven and earth.
It could strengthen meridians beyond mortal limits.
Lunara — Moonshadow Wolf
Gift: Moonfang Essence Crystal
A crystallized drop of pure lunar beast qi.
Perfect for refining perception and battle instinct.
Gorath — Titanback Tortoise
Gift: Worldshell Stone
A legendary defensive treasure capable of reinforcing the body like living armor.
Ignivar — Solar Phoenix
Gift: Phoenix Dawn Ember
A flame that never extinguishes, capable of tempering flesh and purifying bloodlines.
Seraphae — Mirage Serpent
Gift: Veil of Thousand Illusions
A rare spiritual silk capable of masking presence and confusing enemies.
Thalrion — Storm Roc
Gift: Tempest Feather
A feather containing condensed storm qi, useful for movement techniques and aerial control.
Varkul — Shadow Panther
Gift: Abyss Fang Relic
A black crystal containing the essence of silent killing intent.
Even Mei Ruyue felt stunned.
Each treasure alone could shake the outside world.
Together…
They were beyond legend.
Lin Yu looked at the seven Saint Kings quietly.
Though only ten years old, the aura of the primordial dragon within him stirred faintly.
The beasts could feel it.
The instinct to submit.
But Lin Yu did not command them.
Instead, he simply nodded.
The simplest acknowledgment.
Yet it was enough.
The seven Saint Kings smiled faintly.
The pact was sealed.
Yu Canghai spoke one final sentence before they departed.
"Grow strong, little sovereign."
"One day…"
"…the world beyond this Vale will tremble at your name."
One by one, the Saint Kings vanished.
The forest slowly returned to silence.
Mei Ruyue exhaled slowly.
The forest slowly returned to its usual calm after the seven Saint Kings departed.
Their overwhelming auras faded into the depths of the Shrouded Vale, leaving only silence, drifting leaves, and the faint glow of the treasures they had left behind.
Mei Ruyue remained standing for a long moment.
Her eyes were still fixed on Lin Yu.
Not with fear.
But with disbelief.
"I knew…" she murmured quietly.
"I always knew your mother carried dragon blood."
Lin Yu looked at her silently, the faint golden-violet scales still shimmering in his pupils.
Mei Ruyue walked closer and sat beside him near the extinguished Spirit Convergence Cauldron.
"But even I did not expect it to be… this."
She exhaled slowly.
"The blood of Shenlongra, the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Beasts… that is not something that appears in ordinary dragon descendants."
Her gaze softened slightly.
"It means your mother's bloodline was far purer than anyone realized."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"Lin Yu… it is time you know something about your mother."
"Your mother did not come from the mortal world."
"She did not come from the Immortal Realm either."
"She came from a secret realm."
Lin Yu's eyes sharpened slightly.
Mei Ruyue continued.
"Long before the current immortal sects rose to power, there existed an ancient civilization hidden between worlds."
"A realm ruled by dragons."
"It was a place where dragon clans and their descendants lived together. Their bloodlines were powerful, ancient, and close to the origin of the world itself."
She looked up at the sky.
"That realm was called…"
The Draconis Sanctum.
"The home of the Ancient Dragon Court."
Lin Yu remained silent, absorbing every word.
"Your mother…"
Mei Ruyue smiled faintly.
"…was not just any dragon descendant."
"She was the princess of that realm."
"The daughter of the Dragon Emperor who ruled the Draconis Sanctum."
Lin Yu blinked slowly.
Mei Ruyue nodded.
"Yes. Your mother was a true Dragon Princess."
"But by the time your father found her…"
"…their civilization was already dying."
Her voice darkened slightly.
"The power of the dragons had been fading for generations."
"Dragon bloodlines were weakening."
"Their numbers were shrinking."
"And then the Immortal Clans discovered the realm."
Multiple powerful clans from the Upper Realm had learned about the ancient dragon bloodlines.
And they wanted them.
"For cultivation."
"For bloodline refinement."
"For power."
"They invaded the Draconis Sanctum."
Her voice grew colder.
"Entire dragon clans were hunted."
"Eggs were stolen."
"Ancient dragons were slaughtered."
Even now, Mei Ruyue's eyes showed anger.
"The Dragon Court resisted."
"But their strength had waned too much."
"They were nearly wiped out."
"That was when your father appeared."
Mei Ruyue's tone softened slightly.
"Lin Zhen was already a terrifying cultivator back then."
"He discovered the invasion while traveling through the void between realms."
"He saw what the Immortal clans were doing."
"And he interfered."
She shook her head slightly, still amazed.
"One man… against several immortal clans."
"And somehow…"
"He succeeded."
Not completely.
But enough.
"He broke through their siege."
"And he brought the Dragon Princess out of the realm before it was completely destroyed."
The last surviving heir of the Dragon Court.
Lin Yu's mother.
Mei Ruyue looked at Lin Yu carefully.
"You were born from the union of a dragon princess and one of the most powerful cultivators of the Lin family."
"But even then…"
"I only believed you inherited ordinary dragon blood."
Her eyes drifted to the direction the Saint Kings had left.
"Not the blood of Shenlongra."
She sighed.
"Now I understand why the Saint Kings bowed to you."
Lin Yu quietly lowered his gaze.
Within his veins flowed the blood of a primordial dragon.
And the last princess of an ancient dragon civilization.
She placed a gentle hand on his head.
"Lin Yu…"
"The world outside this Vale is not kind to beings like you."
"…still exist."
Her voice became firm again.
"One day you may face them."
"But until that day comes…"
She smiled softly.
"You will grow stronger here."
"The Shrouded Vale will be your sanctuary."
Lin Yu slowly clenched his small fist.
The faint shimmer of dragon scales glowed in his eyes once more.
Somewhere deep in his blood…
The ancient will of Shenlongra stirred again.
Not in anger.
Not yet.
But the world beyond the Vale had already written its fate.