Chapter 23: Chapter 21: Struck Gold!

In the secret chamber,

Cheng Guang casually surveyed the surroundings. The walls were all made from black iron, airtight. A few ever-bright lamps provided some illumination to the chamber.

“Guanger, come here.”

Cheng Zhihai pulled Cheng Guang over to the center of the chamber, then conjured a strange-looking stone pillar out of thin air. It was roughly one meter long, with a sharp barb on the top. Along its edges, there was a faint glimmer of blood-red light, as if the pillar had been soaked in countless amounts of blood.

“This is a Different Treasure used by the royal families of various dynasties to test the concentration of bloodlines, called a Bloodline Stone. These Bloodline Stones were supposedly from a single large piece that was divided among the great dynasties, with each one receiving a few pieces.”

“The Bloodline Stone I have was obtained unexpectedly. After some dynasties were destroyed, a few Bloodline Stones would emerge. Although they’re not very valuable to us, for those in the royal family, for those who possess royal blood, these are invaluable Treasures.”

Cheng Zhihai patiently explained, then said, “Guanger, all you have to do is drip your blood onto this Bloodline Stone, and it will reveal your bloodline.”

“The higher the concentration of your bloodline, the brighter the Bloodline Stone will shine.”

“Just do as I instruct. As for why I’m asking you to drip your blood onto this Bloodline Stone, which is used to test for royal blood, I’ll explain later.”

Cheng Guang nodded slightly after listening.

Although at this moment he understood everything perfectly well, his face still showed a baffled and helpless expression.

He stepped forward and examined the Bloodline Stone before him, feeling a bit nervous.

It wasn’t because he was afraid the Bloodline Stone would fail to detect his royal blood, but because he had no clear understanding of the concentration of his own bloodline.

Whether the ancient Great Xia bloodline awarded to him by the system was strong or weak, concentrated or diluted, he had no idea. Now, he would finally find out.

He pressed his hand gently on the pointed tip of the stone pillar. Applying a bit of force, the sharp tip pierced into his flesh, and blood trickled down the twisted surface of the pillar. In a moment, the stone was stained red with his blood.

Cheng Guang withdrew his hand and quickly bandaged the wound, then fixed his gaze on the Bloodline Stone, waiting for a reaction.

Cheng Zhihai’s eyes were closely fixed on the Bloodline Stone, his pupils trembling slightly, his fists clenched without his realizing.

His heart was a knot of nerves, unable to speak a word.

A glint of gold flashed by.

The next moment—

He suddenly saw the Bloodline Stone, now drenched in Cheng Guang’s blood, begin to tremble lightly, and streaks of golden light flowed over its surface, like shooting stars.

Soon, the golden light from the Bloodline Stone became more dazzling, filling every corner of the chamber.

As he watched the golden glow, Cheng Zhihai’s tension didn’t ease in the slightest; it actually grew, and through his majestic eyes flitted an expression of bewilderment.

“Golden?”

“How can it be golden??”

“Based on the concentration of the bloodline, the Bloodline Stone will display one of seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet.”

“There’s absolutely no gold among them.”

Cheng Zhihai was confused.

Watching as the golden light on the Bloodline Stone became increasingly bright, Cheng Zhihai felt an unsettling premonition that something bad might happen. He immediately determined to wipe the blood off the Bloodline Stone and interrupt the anomaly occurring within it.

But it was too late.

Just as he was about to act, a vast and ethereal aura spread from the Bloodline Stone.

The next moment.

Boom!!

The Bloodline Stone shattered in an instant like a star bursting, and the chamber was plunged into endless darkness.

In that pitch black, a spot of golden light gradually bloomed, growing more and more intense, more and more blinding.

In an instant, it felt as if one had passed through the vast ancient starry river, a chill spreading through the body, and then, suddenly, silence reigned.

The sounds of the ever-bright lamps burning, the whooshing of ventilation… all noises ceased at that moment.

After a brief silence—

Boom!!!

It was as though a nuclear bomb had detonated, unleashing an immense and mysterious force, from which a blindingly bright golden light soared skyward.

“Not good!”

Cheng Zhihai’s face underwent a drastic change, his Qi throughout his body stirring intensely, as a powerful aura emanated from him. His hands surged with the breath of vast Divine Power, and a transparent barrier emerged, covering the entire secret chamber.

However, his obstruction was futile.

Most of the golden brilliance easily broke through Cheng Zhihai’s blockade.

It broke through the secret chamber.

And rose above Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

The splendid golden light, as if heralding the descent of a deity, bloomed above Duke Zhen’s Mansion for a long time, lingering on without dissipating.

Watching this scene, Cheng Zhihai’s eyes narrowed slightly, his heart churning like a stormy sea, filled with an indescribable sense of horror.

He didn’t know why the Bloodline Stone suddenly shattered.

Nor did he know why the shattering of the Bloodline Stone would produce such a bizarre phenomenon.

All of this touched upon his blind spot of knowledge.

The commotion caused by the golden brilliance was mostly concealed by him, not leaking too much to attract outside attention, but even so, the golden light that blossomed above Duke Zhen’s Mansion still caught the notice of some alert individuals.

Their gazes converged on Duke Zhen’s Mansion. They dared not probe too deeply, simply observing the golden light diligently, feeling the vast and terrifying aura emanating from it, and for a moment, they were all so shocked they fell silent.

After a few moments, whispers of covert discussion emerged.

“What is this?”

“Has Cheng Zhihai broken through to the Heavenly Human Realm?”

“That shouldn’t be it. This isn’t the aura of breaking through to the Heavenly Human Realm. For some reason, I can sense a trace of the Bloodline Stone in this golden light.”

“Are you suggesting the Bloodline Stone caused this? Stop joking.”

“I’m merely saying it as it is. Why does this golden light seem so divine? The sight of it makes me want to bow down.”

“…”

The whispering among the hidden powerhouses continued.

Within Duke Zhen’s Mansion, many guards and servants had also noticed the sudden emergence of golden light in the sky. The sacred and solemn golden light gave them a feeling that it was too much to look at directly.

Many had only looked for a moment before their eyes began to sting. They quickly lowered their heads, daring not to look again.

……

In the secret chamber at this time.

Cheng Zhihai looked at the utter mess of the secret chamber, silent, his expression somewhat disordered.

He was completely baffled.

He took a deep breath and then looked at Cheng Guang beside him, realizing that the boy also appeared as stunned as he was.

Seeing this, Cheng Zhihai couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle, thinking it was only natural.

If even he was shocked by the scene before his eyes, how much more so for this young lad.

“Guanger, don’t talk to anyone about what happened here for now. I need to ask your grandfather what exactly is going on,” he said.

With that, Cheng Zhihai hurriedly got to his feet and headed out of the secret chamber.

As he left, his body staggered, revealing the extent of the impact that the recent events had had on his psyche.

As for Cheng Guang, who was left behind, he hadn’t fully recovered his senses either.

Golden…

This is undoubtedly a gold explosion!

The ancient Great Xia imperial bloodline that the system rewarded me with, seems really strong??

Joy spread across Cheng Guang’s eyes.

The dog system might be somewhat unreliable, but this reward is truly undeniable!!