The Forgotten Bloodline Records

Chapter 201 — The Forgotten Bloodline Records

Aether moved through the forest at considerable speed, his figure cutting between ancient trees as Origin Energy circulated through his body. He did not use spatial distortion or attempt to open a passage. At his current cultivation, such abilities remained beyond his reach. Instead, he relied on his physical strength and control over Origin Energy to cover the distance quickly.

The Shadow Scout's report had been clear. Mu Qingxue was surrounded by four participants who intended to seize her resources and collected tokens.

Aether's expression remained calm, but his eyes had grown colder.

They chose the wrong person to trouble.

He had no intention of allowing someone he considered a friend to be bullied while he stood by.

In the Eastern Forest Region, several trees had already been reduced to splinters. Green vines covered the surrounding ground, some wrapped around broken branches while others extended toward four figures standing opposite a young woman.

Mu Qingxue's clothes were slightly disheveled, and her breathing was heavier than usual. Nevertheless, she remained standing, her gaze fixed on the four individuals before her.

Her Verdant Binding Physique was active. Numerous vines surged from the earth, twisting together into thick restraints as they attacked from different directions.

One of the men struck the incoming vines with a concentrated burst of energy, tearing through several layers. At the same time, another moved around the side, attempting to reach her while the remaining two kept her occupied.

Mu Qingxue immediately noticed the movement. She raised her hand, and the vines beneath the approaching man's feet erupted without warning. They coiled around his legs, forcing him to release an attack to break free.

But that brief distraction was exactly what the others had been waiting for.

A wave of force slammed into her defensive vines, scattering them across the clearing. Mu Qingxue quickly formed another barrier, but the impact still forced her backward.

"Still resisting?" one of them sneered. "You've already lost. Hand over your tokens and resources, and we might let you leave."

Mu Qingxue's expression turned cold.

"You attacked me first. Now you expect me to hand over everything I've collected?"

"You're in no position to negotiate."

The four attacked again.

Mu Qingxue gathered her Origin Energy, and the surrounding vegetation responded. Thick vines burst from the ground, forming a defensive barrier around her before splitting into several sharp tendrils.

She deliberately divided her attacks, forcing two of her opponents to defend while the other two tried to find an opening. For a moment, the vines even managed to catch one of them around the waist.

However, the remaining attackers immediately exploited the gap. One shattered the restraints while another launched a strike toward her exposed side.

Mu Qingxue crossed her arms and summoned a thick cluster of vines to intercept it.

The impact sent her sliding backward. Before she could regain her footing, another attacker appeared in front of her.

She twisted aside at the last moment, avoiding a direct hit, but the attack still tore through part of her defensive barrier.

She knew she could not afford to let them surround her completely. Her physique gave her considerable control over the battlefield, but fighting four opponents simultaneously was steadily consuming her energy.

One of the attackers broke through her vines. His strike forced her to retreat several steps, and before she could stabilize herself, another attack came from her blind side.

Aether arrived at that moment.

He stepped between them, raising one hand.

The incoming attack stopped.

Aether's palm had caught the attacker's wrist. The man's expression changed as he felt an overwhelming force seize his arm.

"Who—"

Aether twisted his wrist and sent him crashing into the ground.

The remaining three immediately turned toward the newcomer.

Mu Qingxue stared at Aether in surprise. "Aether?"

He glanced back at her.

"You're still standing. Good."

His casual response briefly left her speechless. He seemed more interested in confirming that she was unharmed than in discussing the situation.

Then Aether turned toward the four attackers.

"Four people against one woman. And you still needed to resort to threats?"

One of them recovered from his shock and shouted, "This has nothing to do with you! Leave, and we'll pretend you never came here."

Aether looked at him.

"You were just trying to rob my friend. Now you're telling me to leave?"

His voice carried no anger, yet the atmosphere around him grew noticeably heavier.

"That's rather amusing."

Aether's gaze swept across the four men. Their auras revealed their cultivation.

Two were at Origin Core Realm Stage 9, one was at Origin Core Realm Stage 8, and the last had reached Origin Manifestation Realm Stage 2.

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The difference between their cultivation and his own was considerable.

Yet Aether showed no hesitation.

The nearest attacker charged first.

Aether did not retreat. Origin Energy surged through his body as he stepped forward and struck the man's incoming arm aside. His next movement was direct and ruthless, driving a powerful blow into the man's torso.

The attacker was thrown backward.

Another approached from the side, releasing an attack toward Aether's shoulder. Aether turned, raised his arm, and blocked it. The impact stirred dust around their feet, but his position barely changed.

He seized the opening and counterattacked.

The man was sent tumbling across the ground.

The remaining two exchanged glances. They had expected an easy opportunity to seize another participant's resources. They had not expected someone at a lower cultivation level to withstand their attacks.

"Together!"

They attacked from opposite directions.

Aether's eyes followed their movements. He stepped forward instead of withdrawing, allowing one attack to pass close before striking its owner. His other hand caught the second attacker's arm, and a surge of Origin Energy erupted from his palm.

The man staggered.

Aether followed with another strike, sending him crashing beside his companion.

The final attacker, the one at Origin Manifestation Realm Stage 2, finally moved.

His aura surged, and a powerful attack descended toward Aether. The surrounding trees shook under the force.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

He gathered the enormous reserves of Origin Energy within his body and met the incoming attack head-on. The collision shook the clearing, sending dust and broken branches flying in every direction.

Aether was forced back several steps, but he did not fall.

Before his opponent could launch another attack, Aether changed direction, slipping past the man's next strike. He used the brief opening to deliver a concentrated counterattack.

The man staggered.

Aether did not give him time to recover. His next strike landed, and the attacker's body crashed to the ground.

The other three attempted to rise, but Aether had already moved toward them.

One by one, he ended their resistance.

When the dust finally settled, all four attackers lay motionless.

Aether stood among them, his breathing steady. Despite the difference in cultivation, his reserves and control had allowed him to overcome their advantage.

All four were dead.

Mu Qingxue slowly lowered her hands. The vines surrounding the clearing retreated into the earth, and she finally released the breath she had been holding.

Aether looked toward her.

"Are you injured?"

"Nothing serious." She shook her head. "I can handle myself. They simply had the advantage in numbers."

"I noticed."

There was no mockery in his voice. He had seen her fighting when he arrived. She had resisted all four and had not surrendered her belongings even when the situation became unfavorable.

"You did well," he added.

Mu Qingxue looked at him for a moment before quietly replying, "Thank you for coming."

Aether gave a small nod.

"You're my friend. You don't need to thank me for that."

Her expression softened slightly. She looked away, unsure how to respond.

Aether turned toward the defeated attackers.

"Now, let's see what you were carrying."

He searched their belongings, separating their possessions from the resources they had taken from others. Among their collected items, he discovered the missing half of the documents he had been seeking.

His attention immediately sharpened.

He examined the documents, comparing them with the information he already possessed. The missing portion was finally in his hands.

The Forgotten Bloodline Records.

The mission requirements had been fulfilled. The hidden chamber had been located, its protective mechanisms overcome, and the original research records recovered and verified.

A System notification appeared before his eyes.

[Mission Completed: The Forgotten Bloodline Records.]

[All mission requirements have been fulfilled.]

[Mission Reward:]

[System Points +40,000.]

[Reward successfully delivered.]

Aether examined his System Point balance.

He had already accumulated 60,000 System Points before entering the Ancient Evolution Grounds.

The six ancient beasts Long Zhentian had defeated had also provided substantial rewards. The System had credited him separately for each kill:

[Thunderhorn — 8,000 System Points.]

[Earthshatter Bear — 10,000 System Points.]

[Voidwing Eagle — 15,000 System Points.]

[Frostmoon Serpent — 18,000 System Points.]

[Sunflame Lion — 25,000 System Points.]

[Starfall Tiger — 30,000 System Points.]

[Total System Points Obtained: 106,000.]

With the additional 40,000 System Points from the completed mission, his balance had reached 206,000.

Aether's gaze moved directly toward the item he had been waiting to acquire.

Favorability System.

The price was displayed clearly.

[Cost: 100,000 System Points.]

Aether selected the purchase.

[Purchase confirmed.]

[100,000 System Points deducted.]

[Favorability System successfully acquired.]

[Initializing...]

[Initialization complete.]

[The Favorability System is now active.]

[Remaining System Points: 106,000.]

Aether examined the newly unlocked interface.

Two categories appeared.

[Girl Favorability]

[Subordinate Favorability]

Both categories measured favorability on a scale from zero to one hundred.

At fifty points, qualifying insights and breakthrough insights gained through the system would be doubled.

At one hundred points, the target's physique or bloodline could be directly integrated.

Aether studied the information for a few moments.

This was an exceptionally useful addition. It would strengthen his ability to develop the people around him while allowing him to benefit from the unique physiques and bloodlines of those who reached the required level of favorability.

He closed the interface with satisfaction.

That was worth the purchase.

Meanwhile, Mu Qingxue had finished collecting her own belongings. She noticed Aether examining the documents and approached him.

"Did you find something important?"

"Something I've been looking for."

He placed the documents away.

"Are these your belongings?" he asked, indicating the resources recovered from the attackers.

Mu Qingxue examined them and nodded. "Yes. They tried to take everything I had gathered."

Aether returned her possessions without keeping anything.

"Then take them."

She accepted them, briefly looking at him.

He had searched the attackers' belongings, but he had not touched anything that belonged to her.

That small detail did not escape her attention.

Aether then turned toward the four dead attackers. Their usefulness had not ended with their deaths.

He raised his hand.

"ARISE."

Dark energy spread across the ground.

The four bodies were engulfed by the power of the Shadow Authority. Their forms transformed, and moments later, four new Origin Shadows knelt before him.

[Four new Origin Shadows successfully registered.]

[Shadow Classification:]

[3 Shadow Soldiers.]

[1 Shadow Elite.]

Aether looked over the newly expanded Shadow Army.

Three Shadow Soldiers and one Shadow Elite.

Another four members. Another addition to his forces.

Mu Qingxue's eyes widened.

She had witnessed the four men die. Yet now, their shadows were rising from the ground, their bodies transformed into something entirely different.

"W-What is that ability?"

Her gaze shifted between the four kneeling figures and Aether.

She had never encountered such a technique. It wasn't ordinary corpse manipulation, nor did it resemble any conventional method of controlling puppets. The four figures before her still carried the presence of the people they had been moments ago, yet they now stood completely obedient to Aether.

Aether glanced at her.

"One of my abilities."

He offered no further explanation.

Mu Qingxue looked at him for another moment. She understood that everyone had secrets, and Aether clearly possessed abilities far beyond what she knew about him.

She eventually decided not to press the matter.

Aether then turned toward her.

"Come on. This area isn't particularly safe anymore."

She nodded, falling into step beside him.

As they left the clearing, Mu Qingxue glanced at him once more.

She had entered the Ancient Evolution Grounds intending to gather opportunities through her own strength. She had not expected to encounter Aether again, much less receive his help when she needed it.

Yet he had not asked for anything in return.

For Aether, however, the matter was simple. He had helped a friend, completed an important mission, obtained its reward, purchased a valuable new system function, and expanded his Shadow Army.

The journey through the Ancient Evolution Grounds was far from over.

And the opportunities waiting deeper within remained his to claim.