When the bottle was opened, Xia Xing felt a faint connection with the blood. He was in disbelief, as this blood was connected by blood. Regardless of whether or not this blood belonged to Progenitor Chen, he was certain that it came from the same source as the blood in his body. They both belonged to the Xia family.
"This … Whose blood is this?"
Xia Xing asked in shock as he stared at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin replied, "I said that it belongs to Progenitor Chen."
"Impossible, Progenitor Chen has never been to the Astral Trees. During the Daosource Sect's era, Progenitor Chen died during the decisive battle between the Fifth and Sixth Mainlands."
Lu Yin laughed. "Since Progenitor Chen has never been to the Astral Trees, how can you know if he's dead or alive?"
Xia Xing wanted to say something, but he couldn't.
He knew the truth about Progenitor Chen, but he had never truly come into contact with that era, so he didn't feel much about him. Besides, Progenitor Chen was a taboo in the Xia family, and he had never thought that he would come into contact with Progenitor Chen's blood one day.
Xia Xing stared at the blood in a daze, not knowing if he really didn't believe that this was Progenitor Chen's blood or if he just didn't want to believe it.
"Progenitor Chen's name was Xia Shang, and he came from the Xia family of Shenwu Continent," Lu Yin said slowly. "He was a Progenitor of your Xia family, and he was a truly invincible powerhouse of that era."
Xia Xing's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but look at Lu Yin. "You want to use this blood to exchange for the seal technique?"
Lu Yin shook his head, and under Xia Xing's confused gaze, he slowly said, "I won't exchange the seal technique. Instead, I'll give you a chance to escape. Absorb this blood, and you might be able to escape from me."
Xia Xing didn't understand. "Why are you doing this?"
Lu Yin smiled and tossed the blood to Xia Xing, who caught it.
"Absorb it. Let me see how strong the Xia family's patriarch will become after absorbing Progenitor Chen's blood," Lu Yin said.
Xia Xing couldn't understand Lu Yin. He had Progenitor Chen's blood, but he didn't want to exchange it and had instead given it to him. However, the temptation of this blood was obvious. Whether or not it was Progenitor Chen's blood, it was definitely the blood of a Progenitor of the Xia family, and it would be useful to him...
Xia Xing had been in charge of the Divine Martial Heaven for many years and was a decisive person. He was not an indecisive person. After pondering for a moment, he crushed the bottle and began to absorb Ancestor Chen's blood.
Lu Yin looked at Xia Xing strangely. Was he the kind of person who would help others?
Of course not. He wasn't a battle maniac. Fighting Xia Xing, who had absorbed Progenitor Chen's blood, wasn't a reason. The real reason was that he wanted to free Xia Xing's clone from the main body's control.
Although he didn't understand the nine clones, he could tell from Xia Jiuyou's ability to absorb the other clones apart from Xia Luo that the clones weren't afraid of death. Xia Xing had just said that he didn't care about death. These clones were like puppets. Would temptations and threats work on a puppet?
Even if he acted like he was being seduced or even threatened, Lu Yin still wouldn't believe him.
He would rather believe that these doppelgangers did everything for the sake of the main body.
Since that was the case, he would let these clones break away from the main body. This was equivalent to creating a main body for Xia Xing, just like Xia Jiuyou and Xia Luo.
He didn't know how Xia Luo did it, but there was a 90% chance that Xia Xing's clone would change his mind after absorbing Progenitor Chen's blood.
Xia Luo wouldn't be willing to be merged with Xia Jiuyou, but once Xia Xing's clone had a will of its own, it wouldn't be willing to be merged with Xia Xing's main body.
Xia Xing's body flushed red as Progenitor Chen's blood caused his aura to soar.
He roared and his body began to grow, transforming into a giant.
Lu Yin sighed. The Progenitor realm was a whole new level for humans, and just the blood itself was enough to transform an Emissary.
Xia Xing's transformation ended just as quickly as it had started.
In half an hour, he had turned into a giant. He looked down at Lu Yin from within the Time Stop Space and suddenly attacked with a punch. He was confident that he could suppress Lu Yin.
Lu Yin shook his head and remained motionless. Xia Xing's punch landed on his body, but it was completely ineffective.
Xia Xing couldn't believe it. How was this possible? He had absorbed Progenitor Chen's blood, and his cultivation was nearing the seventh Origin Tribulation. Coupled with the strength of a giant, he could even fight against a peak Emissary, but it was still ineffective against this person?
Lu Yin sneered, and his eyes turned into rune lines. He borrowed the Candle God's runes to form a giant palm that suddenly appeared and descended. It slammed down on Xia Xing's head and forced him to the ground.
The Candle God's rune lines were comparable to a half-Martial Ancestor's. Even though he was originally a peak Emissary, after being upgraded by Lu Yin, his rune lines were comparable to a half-Martial Ancestor's.
Xia Xing's body continued to shrink until he returned to his original state. He lay on the ground and stared at Lu Yin unwillingly.
Lu Yin bent down and looked him in the eye, satisfied, "I can see the desire to live in your eyes."
Xia Xing frowned, "What do you mean?"
Lu Yin smiled, "I gave you a chance to escape, but you failed. Now, it's up to me to decide your fate."
"It doesn't matter. I'm just a clone," Xia Xing said, repeating what he had said before.
Lu Yin clasped his hands behind his back, "Who says a clone can't replace the main body?"
Xia Xing's eyes went wide and his mind buzzed. Lu Yin's words had opened up a new line of thought. A clone could replace the main body?
Lu Yin had been watching Xia Xing the entire time, and when he saw the changes in his expression, it seemed that his guess had been correct. This person had used Progenitor Chen's blood to break free from the main body's control and open up a new line of thought.
Just like how Wang Si had opened up the Four Way Scale to resist the Lu family, Lu Yin had also opened up Xia Xing's clone's mind.
Sometimes, thinking about things was terrifying, as the more one thought about them, the more one would think about them.
It was normal for people to not fear death on the battlefield, but once someone tried to escape, it would open up a new line of thought for those who didn't fear death. More and more people would try to escape.
Xia Xing's clone was like this, so why did he have to die?
Why did he have to die?
If he could live, why couldn't he replace the main body and become the true master of Shenwu Plane?
Become the leader of the Xia family?
He had always been the leader of the Xia family.
The more he thought about it, the more Xia Xing's clone wanted to do it, and the more his desire to live grew.
Lu Yin squatted down, "Tell me the restrictions, and I can let you leave alive. I can even help you replace the main body."
Xia Xing's clone stared at Lu Yin in a daze. He was confused, hesitant, and conflicted. All sorts of emotions flashed through his eyes, and he didn't know what to do.
He was like a child who had just learned to think on his own, and he was at a loss.
"Why are you hesitating?"
Lu Yin asked. "You are Xia Xing, and you are the master of Shenwu Plane. You are the leader of the Xia family, and you have the ability to fuse with the other clones. You are the true master."
Xia Xing's clone's eyes narrowed. "So that's your goal?"
Lu Yin smiled, as this was one of the mystical aspects of the nine clones.
Each clone had the ability to think, but it couldn't resist the fate of being fused with the main body. It was as if being fused with the main body was a given, fixed thought. In reality, these clones weren't stupid; otherwise, how could each of Progenitor Chen's clones have been able to destroy their ancestor?
Each of Progenitor Chen's nine clones was unparalleled, but they still couldn't escape the fate of fusing with the main body.
With just a few words, Xia Xing's clone understood Lu Yin's goal and opened the door. He had also seen the reality of fusing with the main body and was willing to die for it. But now, he could resist.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
Lu Yin smiled.
Xia Xing's clone stared at Lu Yin. "Lu Xiaoxuan, you're terrifying. You're completely different from before."
Lu Yin stood up and looked down at Xia Xing. "My name is Lu Yin. That Lu Xiaoxuan is dead."
Xia Xing's clone's eyes narrowed. He couldn't say that he would die at any time, and Lu Yin could tell that he didn't want to die. There was no need to bluff; he wanted to return to Shenwu Plane and fuse with the main body. He wanted to become the new main body.
"You only want the seal technique?"
Xia Xing asked.
Lu Yin nodded. "Tell me the seal technique, and I'll let you leave alive."
Xia Xing's clone sighed. "It's too difficult for you to save the people from the Star Alliance. The Four Scales each have their own seal technique. Even if you can obtain my Xia family's seal technique, how can you obtain the other three?"
"That's not something you should worry about," Lu Yin said.
Xia Xing was amused. "We even exiled the Lu family, but in the end, we were schemed against by Lu Xiaoxuan. How laughable." After sighing, Xia Xing still told Lu Yin the Xia family's seal technique.
This way, Lu Yin would be able to control both the White Dragon Clan and the Xia family's seal techniques.
"You said you'd let me go," Xia Xing's clone said.
Lu Yin nodded. "I will, but not now."
Xia Xing's clone didn't expect Lu Yin to let him go immediately. He was also worried that news of his appearance in the Cosmic Tree would be leaked, so Lu Yin's words were within his expectations.
"What if I told you that as long as you give me the Nine Clones Technique, I'll not only let you go, but I'll also help you fuse with the main body and teach you Progenitor Chen's battle techniques?"
Lu Yin suddenly asked as he stared at Xia Xing's clone.
Xia Xing's clone smiled bitterly. "I'm willing, but I can't do it."
Lu Yin's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Xia Xing's clone was helpless. "The Nine Clones Technique is cultivated by the main body. We were only created, so we can't cultivate it on our own. This is one of the restrictions placed on us. Our thoughts have long been fixed, so we can't resist the main body unless the main body is too weak and we forcefully break through the restrictions. Also, even if we resist, we can't fuse with the main body, so I can't teach you."
Lu Yin stared at Xia Xing's clone, not knowing if he was telling the truth.
Xia Xing's clone calmly met Lu Yin's gaze.
After a while, Lu Yin retracted his gaze. "I'll let you go after a while." He then asked the Mist Ancestor to imprison Xia Xing's clone.
The Mist Ancestor's appearance intimidated Xia Xing, and he didn't dare to look directly at him. However, he still felt that he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.
The Mist Ancestor seemed to have made a breakthrough in the Blood Refinement Technique, and he immediately returned to the mirror after trapping Xia Xing without saying a word.
The outside world was in chaos because of the information that had leaked out from the Boundless Realm, but Yi Xian Academy was still relatively peaceful. At most, some students would return to their families because their families had encountered some unforeseen circumstances.