Chapter 551 - 549: Bloodline Activation

"Elder, have I passed the trial?" Lin Xuan asked with a faint smile after catching his breath.

It was a rhetorical question, of course. The three incense sticks had burned out long ago, meaning he had not only passed but had done so perfectly. He was simply being polite, as he didn’t know what Lin Wanhao was thinking.

Lin Wanhao snapped out of his surprise and nodded with a smile. "Of course you passed. Your strength is immense, proving you have the necessary ability! I acknowledge you."

It wasn’t just Lin Wanhao; the entire Lin Family now acknowledged Lin Xuan as the strongest genius of the new generation. The most crucial part was that he had been on his own all this time. To have come this far by himself after so many years was nothing short of astonishing.

The crowd exchanged glances. Lin Wanhao had changed his tune so quickly. Still, they too were beginning to respect Lin Xuan. His ability was on full display, and they had no choice but to be convinced.

"Then I thank you, Elder!" Lin Xuan said respectfully, cupping his fist. He showed no dissatisfaction toward Lin Wanhao.

In truth, Lin Wanhao’s actions were less for his own sake and more to make the other disciples acknowledge Lin Xuan. Even if the Elder had simply agreed, how could the rest of the family be convinced if Lin Xuan didn’t demonstrate his capabilities?

A glimmer of joy was visible in Lin Wanhao’s eyes. How could they not be happy to see their Young Master was so powerful?

No one wants their family’s Young Master to be incompetent. The only exception would be if there were internal strife—an Elder aiming to usurp the Patriarch’s position would certainly see a powerful Young Master as an obstacle.

It was unknown if other families faced such situations, but at least the Lin Family did not. Lin Chenyun was a man of great prestige and was highly respected. No one questioned his status within the family, and the Elders felt secure with him as their Patriarch.

Besides, their very escape had been possible only thanks to Lin Chenyun’s explosive display of power—the kind of commanding presence a Patriarch should possess. It was just that this display had brought a sorrowful outcome.

Long Yuwei watched him, her eyes filled not just with joy, but with profound relief. In Lin Xuan, she saw the spitting image of Lin Chenyun, and she suddenly felt the urge to cry. In truth, her eyes were already rimmed with red. Seeing her own child grown so capable made her happier than anything else. Her heart finally had a new hope to cling to.

"Since you possess this ability, you can now undergo the Bloodline Power activation. I trust no one has any objections?" Lin Wanhao said, turning to the crowd to gauge their opinions.

"None at all!"

The crowd shouted in unison, showing their approval of Lin Xuan’s strength and their consent for him to undergo the Bloodline Power activation.

This Bloodline Power activation was a rite of passage for every disciple of the Lin Family, not just the Young Master. The purpose of the activation was simple, just as the name implied: to more thoroughly awaken one’s Bloodline Power.

Any adult disciple of the Lin Family could undergo this activation, at which point the Grade of their Bloodline Power would be determined.

Bloodline Power was also divided into Grades: Mortal Grade, Spirit Grade, and King Grade!

This grading system applied to any Essence Blood as well. This was why the Phoenix Essence Blood they needed had to come from the Royal Family. The Royal Family’s Essence Blood was guaranteed to be King Grade, which was the only grade effective for Lin Chenyun; any lesser grade would be useless.

Since Bloodline Power was graded in this way, they all assumed that the son of Lin Chenyun would possess a King Grade bloodline. The main point was to activate it. This process would make the Lin Family’s Bloodline Power even more formidable and unleash its latent potential.

The ceremony to activate one’s Bloodline Power was simple: one only needed to consume a Poison Pill to fully awaken it. However, the process was excruciating. The Poison Pill was extremely potent, and while not fatal, it would cause immense suffering for a long time.

The potent toxin would then spread through the bloodstream. By using one’s own Bloodline Power to neutralize the poison, the bloodline itself would be fully awakened.

As for the exact reason why this worked, they weren’t entirely sure. Perhaps the Poison Pill triggered the latent potential within the bloodline, forcing it to erupt. And since Bloodline Power was graded, the potency and effect of the awakening would differ depending on its grade.

"I refuse."

The one who spoke those two words was none other than Lin Xuan himself!

To think that the one objecting was Lin Xuan himself! His words stunned everyone. They never expected him to say such a thing. No one in the Lin Family ever refused the activation of their Bloodline Power. Though it was painful, it was an opportunity to drastically increase one’s strength. Who would pass that up?

In fact, those who were too weak or whose bloodline was too faint weren’t even allowed to attempt the activation. For them, consuming the pill was a death sentence.

Given Lin Xuan’s demonstrated strength, he was certainly qualified. Who would have thought he’d refuse?

"Why do you refuse?" Lin Wanhao asked, frowning.

"I very much want to fully activate my Bloodline Power," Lin Xuan explained, "but given the current circumstances, it’s not the right time. If I activate it now, it will easily attract the attention of the Yan Family and the Su Family. To be able to maneuver around them effectively, I think it’s best not to activate my Bloodline Power for now."

After he gave his reason, they were all taken aback. It made a lot of sense. If he activated his Bloodline Power, his identity would be easily exposed. It was a genuine dilemma.

’It seems Lin Xuan has considerable foresight. This will allow him to operate more freely in the outside world. That’s a point we overlooked.’

"That was an oversight on our part," Lin Wanhao said. "Then we won’t perform the activation for now. But if you delay too long, the effectiveness of the activation will be greatly diminished."

Lin Xuan nodded. He was aware of this. The optimal time for the activation was right now; if he waited too long, he would miss the window.

With the test concluded, it was time to sit down and talk seriously. The demonstrations were over; all that remained was to discuss the details of the proposed alliance.

They immediately moved to the council hall to begin their discussion. The conversation was not extensive; for the most part, they just wanted to hear Lin Xuan’s plan.

Lin Xuan’s plan was simple: agree to the alliance with the Bu Family, with himself acting as the sole representative. The two families would only join forces at a critical moment. Beyond that, there would be no contact. The meaning was clear: as long as the Yan and Su Families didn’t launch an all-out attack, the Lin Family would remain hidden.

This was the perfect solution—it allowed them to communicate without exposing themselves. Whether the Bu Family would agree to such terms, however, was another matter.

After he finished, the Elders had nothing more to add. They left the remaining time for the mother and son to catch up properly.

The time that followed was for their long-awaited conversation. Lin Xuan told Long Yuwei everything about his life and experiences, and in turn, she told him all about the Lin Family. Their simple talk lasted for an entire day...

There was still so much more to say, but they had covered all the important topics.

At this point, Lin Xuan changed the subject. "Mother," he asked, "rumor has it that the Su and Yan Families attacked our Lin Family mainly to steal our Reincarnation Level Martial Arts. Do those Reincarnation Level Martial Arts... still exist?"