The trembling of the chamber finally ceased. Dust floated lazily in the air, illuminated by the faint glow of fading runes. The group stood in silence, still trying to process what had just happened.
The guardian spirit's power had been overwhelming—yet Tian Shen had awakened it, and somehow, it had chosen to leave a mark upon him.
"Let's move," Tian Shen finally said, his tone steady though his palm still faintly pulsed with warmth. "The guardian protected something deeper within this place. We'll find out what."
They advanced through a narrow corridor revealed behind the guardian's resting pedestal. The deeper they went, the colder it became. Strange whispers drifted through the air, as if ancient wills murmured from beyond time.
After what felt like hours, the passage opened into a vast underground hall.
Massive shelves of stone and jade rose from the floor, stretching high into the shadowed ceiling. Faint runic symbols glowed along the spines of countless scrolls and jade slips. Each exuded an aura of restrained power — ancient, yet intact.
Mei Ling's eyes widened. "This… this is a library!"
Liang Rui immediately stepped closer, his scholar's instinct taking over. "Not just any library," he whispered in awe. "These seals are formation-locked. Every text here is a cultivation technique, preserved for millennia."
Hao Feng grinned, the excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Looks like we struck gold."
As they explored, the group found alcoves carved into the walls, where crystalline containers shimmered with preserved spiritual essence. Within them floated ancient beast bloodlines—drops of crimson, gold, and silver essence swirling with primal vitality.
"Beast bloodlines…" Mei Ling said softly, her voice trembling. "Each of these could transform a cultivator's potential! Some of them are from beasts that went extinct before the current era!"
Liang Rui examined the nearest container. "And look here," he said, holding up a jade tablet. "These are methods… techniques to merge beast bloodlines into one's own cultivation without corruption. This knowledge was lost long ago."
Tian Shen felt his pulse quicken. The mark on his palm faintly glowed again, as if resonating with the air in this place. He stepped toward one of the larger shelves — its surface etched with the sigil of a roaring dragon intertwined with eight elements.
"This shelf…" he murmured, touching the symbol. "It reacts to me."
The shelf responded to his touch. Runes lit up one by one, forming a radiant circle before releasing a single jade slip that floated into the air and landed in his palm.
The moment he made contact, his mind was flooded with visions — battles of beasts and cultivators, rivers of blood essence, the fusion of spirit and flesh under the heavens. A name echoed through his mind like thunder. "Ancient Art of the Primordial Bloodline — The Nine Vein Fusion Technique."
Liang Rui looked up sharply as Tian Shen exhaled, his eyes faintly glowing with silver and red light.
"Tian Shen… what did you find?" he asked cautiously.
Tian Shen opened his eyes slowly. "A method to merge the essence of multiple beasts… and evolve the cultivator's own bloodline."
The words sent shockwaves through the group. Even Mei Ling, who prided herself on her composure, took a step back.
"That's impossible," she said breathlessly. "Bloodlines reject one another. Only the ancient Celestial Beasts ever achieved such harmony."
"Yet," Liang Rui murmured, "that guardian called him the one bearing the scent of the Primordials. Maybe… this art was meant for him."
Before they could dwell further, Hao Feng called out from the far end of the hall. "You might want to see this!"
They rushed over and found a secondary chamber connected to the library — a treasure vault. Rows of shelves glittered with rare ores, ancient herbs, and sealed spirit crystals. The air shimmered with condensed spiritual energy, so pure it seemed to hum.
"These ores…" Liang Rui whispered. "Star Iron, Moonlight Gold, and even fragments of Chaos Jade. Any one of these could forge a weapon worthy of a sect master!"
Tian Shen stood silent, his gaze falling on a pedestal at the center of the vault. Upon it rested a single crimson vial, sealed with multiple ancient formations. Inside, a swirl of blood glowed faintly, its power oppressive yet alluring.
A label in archaic script read: "Essence of the Scarlet Sky Serpent — one step from ascension."
The others instinctively backed away, sensing the terrifying vitality contained within that single vial.
Tian Shen, however, felt the mark on his palm pulse again. The guardian's voice echoed faintly in his mind: "Power is a test of will. Only one who can command it may claim it."
He turned toward his companions. "Take what you can. Record everything. But this," he said, his gaze fixed on the crimson vial, "belongs to me."
Mei Ling opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she saw the determination in his eyes. She nodded slowly. "Then be careful, Tian Shen. That bloodline could destroy anyone who isn't ready."
He smiled faintly. "Then I'll make sure I'm the first who is."
As they gathered their findings, the faint glow of the runes along the walls began to flicker. The library was awakening — and somewhere deeper in the ruins, something stirred in response to Tian Shen's choice.