It was a good three days later, and as Tundra understood it, his children and disciples were now trying out the Treasure Realm replicas.

Tundra stood alone in a secret alchemical room that smelled like blood, as the poor, unfortunate Azin rested on a bed not far away. He already drained enough of his blood that he was feeling lightheaded and had to sleep.

But there was no choice, awakening ancient bloodlines often starts with accumulating and concentrating their components such that there is enough of it flowing through their body.

There were ten large bottles filled with Azin’s blood, but already there was a small cupful of pure glowing blue-white liquid. Condensed elements of blood, a fragment of the Heavenly White Ice Serpent. The power of an ancient Heavenly White Ice Serpent, or at least a lesser manifestation.

It was well known that spirit beasts, at least powerful ones, sometimes adopted human forms and commingled with humanity, thus creating those with mixed bloods. There are some who believed that the true origins of cultivation came from the progenitor spirit beasts. It’s an appealing theory, but no one truly knew. It was likely far more complicated than that, and cultivation likely emerged from many places all at once.

“I knew you were the right one for the job.” Lord Saljuk appeared soon after, quickly noticing the blood on the table. “Your disciples are impressive. But your children, they are quite-”

Tundra didn’t respond to that.

“Well, they can do better.” Lord Saljuk stared at the blue cup, and wisely decided to ignore the earlier topic. “Do you think this will create a partial manifestation?”

“I do not profess to be a master of the primordial blood arts, but that doesn’t seem enough for a partial manifestation. I’d need at least ten times that cup.”

“It would’ve been easier if he was a cultivator, wouldn't it?” Lord Saljuk then walked over and gently touched Azin’s palm.

“Yes, but water under the bridge.” Tundra smiled. “For now, we will need a few more days to get more, and Azin needs to be properly cared for.”

“I’ll make the arrangements.” Lord Saljuk laughed. “Would you think it’s easier for him to attain partial manifestation of his ancient bloodline, let him rise a few realms of cultivation, and then try to purify his bloodline once more?”

“If he could, yes.”

“Great. If he does successfully manifest the bloodline, I will need to start arranging some wives, just to ensure this bloodline gets passed on.” Lord Saljuk said. “I suspect it’ll be easier once he does become a cultivator by sheer force of this bloodline.”

“Or you could give this bloodline to someone else.” Tundra said, remembering how it was possible to transfer bloodlines for others.

“I admit that would solve a lot of problems, but do you know how to do it?”

“Again, I am no master of the primordial blood arts, and this work you’ve gotten me into is quite a nasty assignment, Lord Saljuk. I think I’d like a lot more in exchange, or I’m walking out the door.”

Lord Saljuk was amused. “Oh? You’re pulling that trick on me, now?”

“It’s only fair.” Tundra shrugged, his eyes never left the cauldron filled with Azin’s blood. His energies swirled within the cauldron and latched onto the bits of ancient primordial blood and then separated them from the normal blood, bit by bit. It was slow, laborious work that required precision. Purity was key.

“I suppose so, I suppose so. Would you like to pick a book from my private archives? Not just mine, of course, it also contains all my predecessor’s collections.”

“And that is something you would share with an outsider?”

“Oh my dear Tundra Fox, I think you don’t quite understand how entangled we are already.” Lord Saljuk laughed. “You’ll have to take this secret to the grave. If anyone finds out we are dabbling with primordial bloodlines-”

“You make a great point. I will select ten books from the collection.”

“That’s robbery!” Lord Saljuk protested, and yet it was not one of anger, but of amusement.

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“Eight it is, then. I will take two more if you’d want me to refine the blood.”

Lord Saljuk coughed. “There are no better ways of extorting a Sect Master than overpaying for alchemical solutions.”

“Solutions do not come cheap, Lord Saljuk. They would be everywhere and alchemists like myself would be paupers by the roadside.” Tundra smiled as he inspected another cupful of blood.

“It is. Say, I had a chance to look at your disciples and children as they tested the replica realms. Your disciples are excellent, but your children... how do I put this?”

“I know.”

“You may want to consider finding a new wife or concubine, Lord Fox.” Lord Saljuk said. “One that comes from a lineage of many talented cultivators. With your current level of cultivation and your alchemical talents, I may be able to arrange some suitable candidates.”

Tundra couldn’t help but feel that was such a typical cultivator’s response. To discard what didn’t work and to change it for something else. Was it because it was easy?

He closed his eyes, and focused back on the blood in front of him.

“Your concern is noted, Lord Saljuk, but that would be unnecessary at this time. Not yet. Not before I tried to do my part.” Tundra sighed. He would give up when it was the only way forward. “Instead, I would rather appreciate contributions on improving talent and natural skill.”

“Well, why not make use of bloodlines like the one before you?” Lord Saljuk laughed. “I mean, not the one you’re holding, but there are lesser bloodlines all over the world that you can still harvest and transplant into your children. Bloodlines often don’t affect the minds of naturally talented cultivators, but its effects in less talented and intelligent children is usually more profound and impactful.”

“A fair suggestion.” Tundra did consider it, and had a few candidates. But bloodline transfusions needed to happen at a young age, for it to properly settle within one’s bones and marrow, and so he had never tried it with older descendants. So, only his grandchildren could receive a blood transfusion, and it was the reason why he didn’t get a bloodline himself.

“The commonly known way of blood transfusion during a child’s formation years would not do for your older kids.” Lord Saljuk clearly thought about it. “But both the Ancient Titans Great Sect and Great Cult of the Burning Tree know a range of secret blood transfusion techniques for more mature cultivators hoping to obtain a bloodline.”

“They do?” That was a surprise to Tundra. He met them before, and even worked with them during the later era. He never heard of such things, though he could imagine the great sects withheld such knowledge from him because of the things he would do. Maybe they feared what would happen if he had a powerful bloodline on top of his already well known alchemical talents.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

There were some downsides to his fame as a ruthless warmonger after all. Those who didn’t want him to grow.

“It’s a secret, naturally.” Lord Saljuk grinned. “Now, if you want to know who to look for and the name of the methods, I will reduce the number of books from my personal archives by 5.”

This miserly old man! Yet, Tundra didn’t know why he smiled. Maybe it was banter. Maybe it felt like he was talking to someone that he could be friends with. “Now that’s too much, there’s not even an offer for a technique or method. If all I get is just a name, I’d rather choose the books. I’d love to see what’s in the Sect Master’s personal archives, especially one with such a long history like yourself.”

Lord Saljuk paused, and Tundra grinned.

“I suppose so, I suppose so.”

Tundra placed a third cup of blood on the table.

The two kept a long silence for a few hours, as Tundra continued to work. Azin was asleep, but Tundra intermittently fed him a range of pills meant to replenish his blood and maintain his health.

After a while, Lord Saljuk pulled out a glass object from his personal storage compartment, and Tundra’s attention immediately focused on it. It was a 9th, or at least 10th realm storage object, a Pure Blood Suspension Sphere.

“That-” Tundra could not help but stare.

“Well, I know I’m sure you are a man of great discretion, but it goes without saying, but what happens here stays here. This bloodline is worth a lot, and I must safeguard it. The foes that crawl in the greater lands do not like the old primordials, and would crush any inkling of their revival.”

It suddenly clicked, as if a layer of fog vanished and revealed a greater picture.

The Zuja must have been an ancient enemy of the primordials. The old tale of the great ten primordial beasts who were in favor of coexisting with humanity often spoke of their struggle against the hostile spirit beasts who sought to enslave or destroy humanity.

If anything, the existence of these bloodlines with their overwhelming strength meant they could easily stand up to the might of the Zuja.

The Hailstorm Temple’s destruction was linked to this young man. If somehow news of this got out, then that explained why there was that unexplained attack on the Hailstorm Temple.

Not just that, now he saw a possible path how the cultivators could suppress the Zuja plague.

Primordial bloodlines. Not just the royal blood of the Golden Dragon or the Eternal Phoenix, but also the remaining eight Great Progenitor Spirit Beasts. These were ancient spirit beasts with incredible powers, but finding the remaining lost seven would be quite like trying to look for a blue coin lost in the great ocean, hidden within the blood of men.

But for a foe like the Zuja, it might be exactly what they need.

Lord Saljuk poured one cup of the blood into the storage artifact. “I’ll have this stored somewhere safe. Really safe.”

Then, he took out a scroll, and handed it to Tundra.

“We may have met only twice, but if anything happens to the Hailstorm Temple and Azin, this is where you can find where I store this blood.”

Tundra didn’t know why his hand trembled, but he received the scroll anyway. He kept it immediately. “I appreciate the trust, but this-”

“I do not want many people to know about this.”

Tundra sighed, and now he understood why Lord Saljuk chose such an unusual location to keep Azin, and how they had such a private alchemical workshop up in the snow mountains. The less people knew about such potential power, the more likely they’d be able to keep it safe. “Very well. I’ll get back to work.”

“Good. I know I can trust you.”

Tundra looked at the man who had just entrusted him with such a burden, and hoped he survived the future conflict with the Zuja.

Maybe his very action bent the probabilities of the attack. If Lord Saljuk had to work with less discreet alchemists, the Zuja would’ve heard of it. It’s likely the Zuja wouldn’t act on every single rumor, but they would have agents to investigate and verify such stories.

“Don’t do anything foolish.” Tundra said. “Who knows what they store up in their secret swamps and holes.”

Lord Saljuk nodded. “Advice taken, Master Fox. I’ll be back in three days.”

***

Anna looked and watched Edison squirm in pain. He had taken way too many healing pills and any more would only hurt him. One of the Hailstorm Temple’s healers, a beautiful woman dressed in white and blue robes attended to him with the medical pills..

He squirmed as the healer applied some kind of healing herb. It was a fairly primitive way of healing, and only used when a cultivator overdosed on healing pills.

“That was reckless.” Anna said. “Your mother will give you a good scolding if she was here.”

“She isn’t.” Edison said, and his face winced as herbs were wrapped around his bruised arm. He would be able to take healing pills in a day or two, but for now, the herbs would numb the pain.

“What were you trying to do, anyway?” Anna asked. They were initially introduced to the replica treasure realms and the Lord Saljuk briefed them of the types of challenges they had seen. Each royal treasure realm was different, but cultivators often used similar challenges. It was quite unusual, but apparently cultivators at a high level at their deathbed often wanted to retell their stories, so there was often a lengthy introduction to their story, their experiences, the treasure realm and why it was created.

“I was trying to clear the challenge.” Edison said. The healer frowned, but continued work anyway.

“And brute force would get you what you want?”

“-yes? Is that not why cultivators go up in power? They’ll just hit things so hard they break.”

“And you’d somehow brute force your way through something created from the power of the Golden Dragon.” Anna sighed. Her half-brother can be so stupid at times. How he was their father’s son is still baffling to her.

“I thought it could work.” Edison answered, and somehow, he seemed to be in deep thought. “But, I was wrong.”

The healer nodded, and left the two alone. Anna sighed. “I’m afraid, just as you are, brother.”

Edison stopped and looked at her. She rarely called him brother.

“But being stupid is not the way forward.”

The young master sighed. “You know I was told that many, many times that I’m sick of that advice.”

“Because it’s true.” Anna countered. “It’s just wasting your energy. Think, brother.”

“I am. And I get a fog everytime I do. That’s why I prefer to just hit things when it comes to cultivation. It’s a lot easier that way. But- but I’m trying.”

“This fog- do the pills help?” Anna asked, a little surprised about it.

“Sometimes.” Edison conceded. “Sometimes they don’t.”

“Does father know? Maybe he could- I don’t know, tamper with the pills so they work better?”

Edison looked at Anna like it was a ridiculous suggestion, and after a while shook his head. She knew he wasn’t going to ask, so she’ll do it instead.

“Don’t tell him.” Edison said, somehow reading his mind. Anna smiled at her half brother. He could be pretty observant at the most useless of things.

“Why not?” Anna countered.

“Because it’ll make it worse.”

“The hell with that.” Anna said, and looked at the healer who was at a nearby table packing up her tools and herbs. “How long does he need to rest?”

The healer looked at Edison, and then back at Anna. “Ideally, the young master should rest for a week.”

“A week!” Edison looked indignant.

“Ideally.” The healer repeated.

Anna bowed. “Thank you for your help, and we truly appreciate the hospitality of the Hailstorm Temple.”

The healer bowed. “A pleasure. My fellow brothers and sisters are having a good time.”

Anna looked out, and saw Yavin Redaxe facing off against two of the Core Disciples of the Hailstorm Temple. He was somehow holding his ground, despite being just in the first steps of the fifth realm, against the two other early fifth realm core disciples.

The lady looked back at her half brother. “Well, you heard the healer. You should rest.”

Edison looked at the healer, and he was about to mutter something rude, but before he could say the words he somehow remembered this was not the Verdant Snow Sect, and so his tone changed. “-Do you have something to help me sleep?”

She didn’t know why she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she expected her half brother to offend those that helped him. The healer stopped, and then checked her bag again. “Take this, young master. One pill a day. It’ll help you rest.”

Edison took it. Anna said thanks on his behalf, and watched the healer go.

“It’s good you didn’t say something rude for a change.” Anna added once it was just the two of them.

Edison frowned. “If you’re going to continue offending me, I suggest you leave.”

Anna smiled. “I planned on leaving anyway. I was invited by one of the Core Disciples to visit the Hailstorm’s Frozen Flower Gardens.”

Edison didn’t say a word, and just rolled away on the bed to sleep. He rolled slowly, because the pain still stung.