Chapter 3621: Proper Success
Chapter 3621: Proper Success
The component crystals were all there. But Lin Mu could tell something was different. His eyes narrowed as he saw that the black crystal had changed.
Its size was smaller.
Lin Mu’s breath caught slightly as he compared it to the original.
’A tenth smaller.’
It was undeniable.
The Bloodline Shackle...
Had been reduced.
For a brief moment, Lin Mu felt a surge of emotion.
Excitement mixed with relief.
"It works," he said.
The first success.
The first proof that his method was viable.
He did not stop there.
He immediately began the next iteration and this time, his control was sharper. His understanding was deeper thus the process moved faster.
Another week passed before the next result came.
Lin Mu repeated the unraveling.
The crystals formed.
One.
Two.
Three.
He froze.
There was no fourth.
The black crystal...
Was gone.
Lin Mu stared at the result, his mind momentarily blank.
Then realization struck.
He had done it.
The Bloodline Shackle... Had been completely removed!
Lin Mu stood still for several moments after confirming the final result, his gaze lingering on the three crystals that floated gently above the table. The absence of the fourth crystal carried more weight than its presence ever had. What once represented an unbreakable limit had now vanished under his method.
"Hah..."
A faint breath escaped him.
He did not celebrate loudly, nor did he allow his emotions to surge uncontrollably. But there was no denying the satisfaction that settled within him. This was not just a theoretical success. This was proof. A path had been opened where none existed before.
"They deserve to know," Lin Mu said quietly.
Without delay, he sent out a call.
The message traveled swiftly through the formations of the sanctum, reaching the elders who had been waiting for any sign of progress. Lin Mu did not need to specify who should come. The importance of his call alone ensured that the right people would respond.
He waited.
Five minutes passed.
The space within the chamber shifted subtly.
Two figures appeared from the doors.
Huoyang, the Flame Fur Ancestor.
Yinglei, the Frost Fox Ancestor.
The moment they arrived, they froze. It was not Lin Mu’s words that halted them... It was his presence.
They looked at him... and felt something impossible.
The aura surrounding Lin Mu had changed.
No, it had not changed.
It had merged!
The Nature Energy that flowed through the Heart Tree was now deeply intertwined with Lin Mu’s own being. It did not simply surround him. It moved with him, responded to him, existed in harmony with him.
To the two ancestors, it felt as if they were not looking at a human cultivator.
But at the Heart Tree itself.
Their instincts stirred.
Their senses trembled.
If not for their eyes, if not for the clear form of Lin Mu standing before them, they might have questioned whether they could even recognize him.
’What... is this...’ Huoyang thought, his usually steady mind shaken.
’He... has become one with it?’ Yinglei felt a rare moment of disbelief.
This was not something that could be achieved through arrays or borrowed control. What they were witnessing was something far deeper. A deep connection and an intimate resonance.
Lin Mu noticed their state and spoke.
"Ancestors."
His voice was calm, grounding.
The word broke the strange stillness.
Huoyang and Yinglei blinked, their awareness snapping back as they refocused on him. Only then did their gazes begin to move, taking in the surroundings.
The chamber had changed.
It was no longer the simple healing hall they were familiar with.
Instead, it had transformed into something entirely new.
Storage containers lined the area, each one holding refined materials, crystals, and prepared samples. At the center stood Lin Mu’s workstation, a structure composed entirely of the Heart Tree’s own wood and vines, intricately shaped and inscribed with formations.
The two ancestors stared.
Confusion filled their expressions.
’How...’ Huoyang’s thoughts faltered.
’This... is not done through arrays,’ Yinglei realized.
They knew how to interact with the Heart Tree.
They had done so for generations.
But this...
This was different.
This was direct.
This was control without needing access to the arrays.
’Did Lin Mu... do this himself?’ Huoyang wondered.
’He can command the Heart Tree?’ Yinglei felt her understanding crumble.
Before they could question further, Lin Mu spoke again.
"Ancestors, I have achieved initial success."
The words struck them instantly.
Their breath hitched.
"Success?" they said in unison.
Their voices carried disbelief, hope, and fear all at once.
Lin Mu nodded.
"Just the beginning," he clarified. "This is only a test on refined bloodline essence. I have not applied it to actual individuals yet, so I cannot guarantee the outcome. But... it is a step forward."
He gestured toward the table.
Three crystals lay upon it.
Their forms were clear.
Their presence undeniable.
Huoyang and Yinglei stepped forward slowly, their eyes fixed upon them.
Lin Mu continued.
"I will explain everything from the start."
His voice remained steady as he began recounting the process.
He spoke of how he had refined the blood essence, isolating its core components through alchemical methods. He explained how the blood could be broken down into distinct parts, each representing a different aspect of the foxkin lineage.
He did not mention the Bloodline Unraveling Demonic Art.
There was no need.
The presence of the cauldron beside him, along with his explanation of alchemical refinement, was enough to satisfy any doubt. The ancestors did not question it. They were too focused on what he was saying.
Lin Mu then explained the discovery of the fourth component.
The black crystal.
The Bloodline Shackle.
The moment he described it, both ancestors felt their hearts tighten.
"To think... it can be seen..." Huoyang whispered.
Yinglei’s expression grew pale.
"A limit... made tangible..."
Lin Mu continued without pause.
He explained how the phenomenon was not limited to their two tribes, but extended to the five strongest foxkin tribes. He described how the size of the black crystal correlated with the severity of the issue, and how smaller traces had already begun appearing in other tribes.