Chapter 653 - 648: Why the Decline? Bloodline Inheritance

Chapter 653: Chapter 648: Why the Decline? Bloodline Inheritance

The Little White Fox’s body wasn’t large; it was petite and delicate. At this moment, she arched her back like a cat, staring at Ning Jiang with extreme vigilance. It seemed she would attack if he made the slightest sudden move.

However, her fluffy appearance wasn’t the least bit threatening. On the contrary, it made her look adorable.

Ning Jiang walked straight over to the Little White Fox. The fox retreated fearfully, a soft cry rumbling in her throat as if warning him not to come any closer.

Seeing this, Ning Jiang smiled faintly. "I’m not an enemy."

He extended his hand, stopping three inches from the Little White Fox’s face.

A flash of surprise flickered in the Little White Fox’s dark, glossy eyes. She felt a strange sense of kinship from Ning Jiang, a feeling that seemed to penetrate deep into her bloodline.

It was as if this young man before her was the closest, most trustworthy person in the world.

After a moment’s hesitation, the Little White Fox tentatively extended a paw, slowly reaching out to touch Ning Jiang’s palm.

The moment her paw touched his palm, a jolt shot through her entire body. That strange sense of kinship instantly intensified dozens of times over.

This intense feeling was far stronger than even what she felt for her own parents!

While she was still stunned, Ning Jiang gently scooped her up into his arms. The overwhelming sense of kinship left her with no desire to struggle in the slightest.

She lay quietly in his embrace, feeling that his arms were the most comfortable and warmest place in the world.

Ning Jiang gently stroked the Little White Fox. Her snow-white fur was soft and smooth. A hint of pity and guilt surfaced in the depths of his eyes. "You’ve suffered."

"Yip..."

The Little White Fox let out a soft whimper, then unexpectedly fell asleep right there in Ning Jiang’s arms.

Ning Jiang remained silent.

’If I’m not mistaken, this Little White Fox should be the Empress of Great Xia, Princess Consort Xia Yan. However, the fluctuations of power from her are extremely faint right now. She must have been gravely injured; her strength is probably less than one-thousandth of what it was at her peak.’

’More importantly, the moment I saw her, I was certain she is a descendant of one of my Eight Divine Generals!’

One hundred thousand years ago, he had stood at the apex of the Great Thousand Realms. He commanded the winds and clouds, unrivaled in his era. Naturally, he had many followers at his side.

Bai Qingqiu, a genius of the White Fox Clan.

He had met Bai Qingqiu when he was still in the Celestial Martial Realm. At the time, Bai Qingqiu was a renowned, Top Level prodigy, but he had the misfortune of crossing paths with Ning Jiang. In the end, he was completely won over and swore fealty to Ning Jiang as his lord.

Bai Qingqiu followed him loyally, accumulating glorious military achievements. He risked his life to protect his master on multiple occasions when Ning Jiang faced perilous situations. It could be said that Bai Qingqiu was one of the few people Ning Jiang trusted most.

Later, after Ning Jiang became a Legendary Venerable, he rewarded Bai Qingqiu for his contributions by appointing him as one of the Eight Divine Generals.

Every one of the Eight Divine Generals was in the Saint Monarch Realm!

Initially, the White Fox Race had been rather weak among the Myriad Races. But after Bai Qingqiu followed Ning Jiang and became one of the Eight Divine Generals, the status of the White Fox Clan underwent a heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation.

Among the Myriad Races, the White Fox Clan ranked in the top ten. Even ancient and powerful Great Races like the Dragon Race and the Phoenix Race had to treat them with courtesy. Any random ancestral worship ceremony held by the White Fox Clan would draw hundreds of other races to offer their congratulations.

Back then, the White Fox Clan was more than ten times stronger than the current Three Great Dynasties combined.

All of this, naturally, was because Ning Jiang stood behind the White Fox Clan!

It wasn’t just the White Fox Clan; the other Eight Divine Generals were all incomparably prominent and enjoyed a period of immense prosperity.

But what Ning Jiang had never expected was that now, a hundred thousand years later, the clan of one of his former Eight Divine Generals had actually fallen to such a state.

’What in the world happened during these hundred thousand years?!’

A cold light glinted in Ning Jiang’s eyes.

’Logically speaking, even after my fall, as long as the Eight Divine Generals were still around, the White Fox Clan should never have declined to this extent. The Eight Divine Generals were like branches of the same tree; if one of them ran into trouble, the other seven would never stand idly by.’

’If the Eight Divine Generals had joined forces and developed over time, they absolutely could have built their respective factions into peak powers of the Great Thousand Realms.’

’What’s more, I rewarded Bai Qingqiu’s service back then with numerous Treasures, even a Venerable Divine Artifact that I personally forged. I was a Legendary Venerable, invincible in my era. A Venerable Divine Artifact forged by me could easily fend off an ordinary Venerable.’

’With such a foundation, why would the White Fox Clan have fallen into decline?’

’I’m afraid the only way to find the answer is to go to the White Fox Race in person!’ Ning Jiang took a deep breath.

A trip to the White Fox Clan was a must.

On one hand, he wanted to find out the reason for the White Fox Clan’s decline. On the other, they were the descendants of one of his Eight Divine Generals, and he felt a deep affection for them.

Seeing the White Fox Clan in such a state of decline, he could not simply stand by and do nothing.

’Princess Consort Xia Yan should know where the White Fox Clan is, right?’

Ning Jiang looked down at the Little White Fox sleeping peacefully in his arms.

"It seems the bloodline I bestowed upon Bai Qingqiu back then has proven useful," Ning Jiang murmured.

In recognition of Bai Qingqiu’s merits, the most precious thing he had given him back then was a portion of his own bloodline!

As a Legendary Venerable, his bloodline was incomparably potent. Not even the bloodline of a Dragon and Phoenix could match it. The Power in a single drop of his blood could shatter the void and kill a Saint Monarch.

A single drop of an ordinary Venerable’s Blood, when dispersed, was enough to form a great river. But his blood was even more powerful—a single drop could become an entire ocean.

He had bestowed a portion of his bloodline upon Bai Qingqiu, who then integrated it into his own body. After receiving it, Bai Qingqiu’s strength skyrocketed. Though he was still in the Saint Monarch Realm, he could single-handedly fight at least five or six others of the same realm.

And now, the people of the White Fox Clan, as Bai Qingqiu’s descendants, naturally possessed a portion of this bloodline as well. That was why Princess Consort Xia Yan felt such an innate sense of kinship towards Ning Jiang.

’After Bai Qingqiu fused with my bloodline, his own Bloodline Power became comparable to that of the Dragon and Phoenix Race. With this bloodline alone, the White Fox Clan should never have fallen into decline...’

Ning Jiang’s gaze sharpened.

Races like the Dragon Race and the Phoenix Race would forever stand as Great Races at the peak of the world, precisely because their bloodlines were so powerful.

’The White Fox Clan’s bloodline was originally very weak, but after fusing with mine, it became strong enough to rival the Dragon and Phoenix. Under these circumstances, the White Fox Clan should have been producing a continuous stream of geniuses. How could they have grown so weak?’

There was only one possible explanation.

’Something went wrong with the White Fox Clan’s bloodline inheritance!’

...

The white clouds drifted ethereally across a vast, clear sky.

When the Little White Fox awoke, a full day and night had passed. She lay comfortably in Ning Jiang’s arms, stretched lazily, and slowly opened her eyes.

Who would have thought that the first Empress in the Celestial Domain in ten thousand years, a top figure ranked fifteenth on the Celestial List, would behave in such a manner?

"You’re awake, Princess Consort Xia Yan."

Ning Jiang lowered his head, met the Little White Fox’s dark eyes, and called her by name without any preamble.

(Something came up today, got back too late. Only one Chapter.)