Night continued quietly over the imperial palace.
Moonlight flowed across the endless crimson rooftops like silver water.
The empire had not yet calmed from the tournament chaos.
Even now—
countless discussions echoed throughout Da Cang Empire.
About Shuan Hao.
About the white frost.
About the terrifying young man who erased Yan Lie and Hei Luo from existence.
But deep inside the imperial palace—
far away from the noise of the outside world—
another ancient secret was beginning to awaken.
Inside the crimson chamber—
Lin Shuan remained seated cross-legged upon the bed.
His cultivation aura had stabilized completely after reaching Four-Star Energy Core Rank.
Silver lightning occasionally flickered around his meridians like tiny dragons moving beneath his skin.
The surrounding Luo Essence continued flowing toward him naturally.
But at this moment—
his attention was elsewhere.
Because Tian Wuchen had suddenly become strangely silent.
Very silent.
The old monster rarely stayed quiet for long.
Especially after revealing secrets about divine beasts and ancient bloodlines.
Lin Shuan frowned slightly.
"Master?"
No response.
Tian Wuchen seemed lost in thought.
Then suddenly—
his ancient voice echoed slowly inside Lin Shuan's mind.
"…boy."
"There's something else."
Lin Shuan raised an eyebrow.
"What now?"
Tian Wuchen's tone became deeper.
"When you were in Starlight City…"
"…you bought a strange stone fragment from that merchant company."
Lin Shuan blinked.
Then instantly remembered.
That mysterious black stone.
The one even Tian Wuchen had not fully explained back then.
At the time—
it had only felt cold and strange.
But afterward—
with the tournament chaos, Hei Luo, Yan Lie, and the Frost Divine Heart—
Lin Shuan had almost forgotten about it completely.
"You mean that broken rock?"
Tian Wuchen's voice sharpened immediately.
"…that is not a broken rock."
A pause.
"…take it out."
Lin Shuan quietly slid his hand into his sleeve.
For a brief moment—
the sound of stone lightly scraping against cloth echoed softly.
Then—
a strange black object slowly emerged into the room.
The moment it appeared—
the atmosphere subtly changed.
The stone fragment was still dark.
Still ancient.
Still covered in strange cracks.
But unlike before—
it no longer felt lifeless.
Instead—
a faint white coldness spread from its surface.
Not ordinary cold.
A deeper cold.
A pure cold.
Like snow untouched for ten thousand years.
Lin Shuan narrowed his eyes.
"…it changed."
Tian Wuchen became silent again.
Then suddenly—
Lin Shuan felt spiritual fluctuations erupt violently from inside the pendant.
For the first time in a long while—
Tian Wuchen partially emerged outside.
His transparent ancient figure stared directly at the black stone.
And then—
his expression changed.
Shock.
Real shock.
Lin Shuan had almost never seen such an expression on his master's face before.
Tian Wuchen slowly stepped closer.
His ancient eyes reflected the stone fragment silently.
Then—
his voice lowered into almost a whisper.
"…impossible…"
Lin Shuan frowned immediately.
"What?"
Tian Wuchen didn't answer.
Instead—
he stretched out one hand slowly toward the stone.
The instant his spiritual senses touched it—
his pupils contracted violently.
A strange emotion appeared inside his eyes.
Recognition.
Not curiosity.
Not uncertainty.
Recognition.
As though he knew this object very well.
As though he had seen it before in an age long buried beneath history.
Lin Shuan noticed it instantly.
"…Master."
"You know what this is."
Tian Wuchen remained silent for several moments.
Then slowly nodded.
"…I know something similar."
Lin Shuan's heartbeat quickened.
Something capable of shocking Tian Wuchen—
an ancient existence who had lived through terrifying eras—
could not possibly be ordinary.
Tian Wuchen finally spoke again.
"…break it."
Lin Shuan blinked.
"Break it?"
"Yes."
Lin Shuan hesitated slightly before grabbing the black stone.
The instant his fingers touched it—
he felt enormous heaviness.
Not physical weight.
But age.
As though countless years were pressing against his palm.
It felt ancient beyond imagination.
Lin Shuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then circulated Luo Essence through his arm.
CRACK.
Nothing happened.
Lin Shuan frowned.
"…hard."
Tian Wuchen's expression remained serious.
"Again."
Lin Shuan increased his strength.
Silver lightning wrapped around his fingers.
BOOM.
A crack finally spread across the black stone surface.
But even then—
it resisted stubbornly.
Like something that had remained sealed for countless millennia.
Like an artifact fossilized by time itself.
Lin Shuan inhaled deeply.
Then punched downward with greater force.
CRRRRRACK—
The stone shattered.
And instantly—
the entire room froze.
SHHHHHHHHHH!!
Pure white frost exploded outward violently.
The crimson chamber disappeared beneath endless white.
The walls froze instantly.
The floor became covered in crystal ice.
Even the spiritual formations around the room trembled.
Lin Shuan's eyes widened.
Because this frost—
felt strangely similar to the Frost Divine Heart.
Not as powerful.
Not as overwhelming.
But similar.
Like a smaller reflection of the same existence.
The white frost swirled throughout the room like living mist.
And at the center—
something floated silently.
A white crystalline slab.
Smooth.
Pure.
Almost translucent.
Ancient symbols faintly moved deep within it like sleeping stars.
And from it—
pure Luo Essence flowed endlessly.
Not ordinary Luo Essence.
Purified essence.
Condensed essence.
Ancient essence.
The surrounding spiritual energy instantly became incredibly dense.
Even breathing near it made Lin Shuan feel his meridians trembling.
Tian Wuchen himself became stunned.
"…such purity…"
Even his ancient voice carried disbelief now.
Lin Shuan stared blankly at the white object.
His instincts screamed immediately.
Treasure.
An ancient treasure beyond imagination.
But before he could ask—
Tian Wuchen slowly spoke.
"…Heart Purification Jade."
The words echoed heavily within the frozen chamber.
Lin Shuan repeated slowly.
"…Heart Purification Jade…"
Tian Wuchen nodded.
"In ancient times…"
"…only those possessing Divine Hearts could use this treasure."
Lin Shuan's heartbeat quickened.
Divine Hearts.
Again.
Everything seemed connected to ancient bloodlines and forgotten powers.
The old master continued slowly.
"This jade purifies Luo Essence endlessly."
"It removes every impurity."
"Every flaw."
"Every unstable spiritual fragment."
Then his eyes darkened deeply.
"And afterward…"
"…it returns that purified essence back to the cultivator."
Lin Shuan's pupils contracted.
That alone sounded heaven-defying.
A treasure capable of purifying cultivation itself?
Such an item could drive entire empires insane.
But Tian Wuchen's expression remained grave.
"…however…"
"…your case is different."
Lin Shuan frowned immediately.
"What do you mean?"
Tian Wuchen looked directly at him.
"You possess a Divine Heart."
"The Frost Divine Heart."
"But…"
"…you do not possess the complete Divine Bloodline of the Lin Clan."
Silence filled the room.
Lin Shuan slowly narrowed his eyes.
"…explain clearly."
Tian Wuchen exhaled deeply.
"This jade was created for beings whose bloodlines could withstand absolute purity."
"Normal cultivators cannot handle it."
"Even many Divine Heart possessors cannot."
His voice became heavier.
"Because purified Luo Essence is too violent."
"Too concentrated."
"It transforms the body."
"Rebuilds meridians."
"Purifies bones."
"Refines the soul itself."
Lin Shuan felt chills spread through him.
Tian Wuchen continued.
"Without a true Divine Bloodline…"
"…using this treasure would only result in death."
A long silence followed.
Then Tian Wuchen looked toward the floating jade again.
"This is not merely a treasure."
"It is a sacred cultivation relic from ancient eras."
"Something empires would slaughter each other to obtain."
"But for you…"
"…it is currently poison."
Lin Shuan became completely stunned.
His gaze remained fixed upon the floating white jade.
An ancient cultivation treasure beyond imagination…
yet useless to him.
At least for now.
He slowly sat down again.
His thoughts became chaotic.
Divine Bloodline.
Pure bloodline.
The Lin Clan.
Again and again—
those words returned.
He clenched his fists slightly.
"…so even now…"
"…I still haven't truly inherited my clan's power."
Tian Wuchen did not answer immediately.
Because both of them already understood the truth.
Lin Shuan's Frost Divine Heart—
was incomplete.
His bloodline—
was incomplete.
His path—
was incomplete.
And somewhere in this vast world—
the answers still waited.
Lin Shuan stared silently at the floating jade.
"…then what am I supposed to do with this thing?"
Before Tian Wuchen could answer—
far away elsewhere inside the palace—
another pair of eyes suddenly opened sharply.
The Empire Protector.
She stood within a large hall while issuing military orders to an imperial soldier.
"Send this message to the Northern Gate."
"And another to the Western Gate."
The armored soldier immediately bowed deeply.
"Yes, Protector."
But before he could leave—
the Empire Protector suddenly froze.
A dangerous pressure spread faintly around her.
Her crimson eyes narrowed instantly toward the distant palace chamber.
"…that aura…"
A familiar aura.
Ancient.
Pure.
Her expression changed immediately.
"…Heart Purification Jade…?!"
Real shock appeared on her usually emotionless face.
"How does he possess that…?"
Then her eyes darkened slightly.
"…and more importantly…"
"…how would he ever use it…"
"…without the pure bloodline?"
For a brief moment—
something complicated flashed across her crimson eyes.
Concern.
Confusion.
Memory.
Then—
she vanished instantly.
Like crimson mist disappearing into the night.
Meanwhile—
inside the chamber—
Tian Wuchen's expression became increasingly serious.
He looked toward Lin Shuan slowly.
"Hide it."
Lin Shuan blinked.
"…what?"
"Hide it carefully."
"Never reveal it publicly."
Then Tian Wuchen's ancient eyes became deeper.
"And one day…"
"…when you finally meet your true ancestors…"
"…show it to them."
Lin Shuan's heartbeat skipped slightly.
True ancestors.
That phrase alone carried terrifying implications.
Before he could ask further—
Tian Wuchen suddenly froze.
His expression changed instantly.
The old monster's eyes sharpened dangerously.
Because he had sensed something.
A terrifying aura approaching rapidly.
An aura he now recognized completely.
The Empire Protector.
Tian Wuchen reacted immediately.
Without hesitation—
his spiritual figure transformed into golden light and rushed back inside the pendant tied around Lin Shuan's left wrist.
Before disappearing—
his voice echoed one final time.
"…Lin Shuan…"
"…your fate truly is troublesome."
A pause.
Then—
"It gives you opportunities…"
"…but every opportunity arrives alongside deadly trials."
His tone became unusually grave.
"And these trials…"
"…are not things you can overcome easily."
The golden pendant became silent again.
At almost the same moment—
the chamber doors slowly opened.
Cold crimson wind entered the room.
And standing there—
beneath flowing red robes and moonlit shadows—
was the Empire Protector.
Her crimson eyes immediately landed upon the floating white jade.
And for the first time since entering—
real shock appeared within them.