Bloodline Kin
Standing up from his mother's lap Xue Bai showed them his most significant change.
"I got a bloodline." Xue Bai spoke plainly as he entered his hybrid form.
Like before, in Huli Jing's cave abode, nine fox tails appeared from Xue Bai's lower back along with his ears, and then finally, his hair changed colors. His sudden transformation stunned his parents. As unlike a normal fox's tail and ears, Xue Bai's were an odd shiny purple hue. It was as if there was a shimmering nebula within his tails. Same with his hair and ears.
But Li Rou and Xue Feng's shock didn't end there as they noticed a strong, seductive aura coming from Xue Bai. Thankfully they were strong enough to ignore it completely. However, they still noticed it.
First, to respond, Li Rou asked, "Bai'er, what bloodline did you get in there?"
Xue Feng nodded at her question too. Though he had many questions going through his head, they all boiled down to what Li Rou asked.
"The first Bloodline I got was a nine-tailed fox Bloodline. That's why you guys sense the seductive aura." Xue Bai explained.
"Then I mutated it into a different Bloodline more suitable to me. But sadly, I couldn't get rid of the seductive aura." Xue Bai finished.
"Then Bai'er, what rank is your new Bloodline?" Xue Feng asked.
Taking a deep breath, Xue Bai responded, "Father, I don't wish to tell you."
Stunned, Xue Feng asked back, "Why."
"I don't think you two can handle the Karma from knowing. I was apprehensive even when I told you two about my Martial Veins. But with my Bloodline, I don't think you two would be able to live long after knowing." Xue Bai spoke severely.
Xue Bai knew that there was another person with the exact same mutated Bloodline. And that person was one of the strongest cultivators in the entire Immortal World. And when Xue Bai first mutated his Bloodline into what it is now, he felt a resonance deep within him that went upwards into the heavens, and he knew that the person on the other end was the one with the same Bloodline as him.
And as his Bloodline Kin, the Void Fox Emperor would surely do something to protect Xue Bai from any greedy cultivators as Bloodline Kin were something even closer than a normal family. Even now, Xue Bai could still feel the resonance with the Void Fox Emperor. It felt as if they were twins born from the same womb.
However, Li Rou and Xue Feng were very common people in the world. Whether it be position or strength, there were millions of people like them throughout the Baishen plane. So if Xue Bai told them he had a High Heaven Grade Bloodline, he might just curse them indirectly.
After all, there were diviners, even in the mortal world, who could predict the lives of mortals with a flick of their fingers. However, the Immortal World diviners had to have been thousands of times better and would be able to find Xue Bai through his parents if he decided to tell them.
So Xue Bai decided not to tell them. He loved his parents in this life and didn't want to have a hand in their deaths.
Oddly enough, Xue Feng or Li Rou didn't get angry. Xue Feng even smiled.
Standing up, Xue Feng patted his son on the shoulder and spoke firmly, "Son, you are a cultivator now. And having important secrets is something that will happen eventually. But they must be kept to yourself. Even people like me and your mom are no exceptions. Disaster comes from the mouth."
Li Rou also imputed from the side, "Bai'er, even when you get married or have sworn siblings in the future, you have to keep some things from them. You can never know someone's true thoughts. With the future you bear, obtaining high-level treasures will be normal. But you must learn to keep hidden cards, especially if people are greedy for them. Many geniuses have fallen before reaching their potential because of a betrayal from a close companion."
Not expecting the life lesson, Xue Bai didn't know what to say for a moment. He knew what they said was true from all the cultivation novels he had read. But hearing it from someone was odd.
However, it made him smile. Xue Bai's parents in this life loved him with all their hearts. They knew he had massive secrets on his body, but they weren't greedy for them. Instead, they wanted him to keep it to himself and leave them in the dark.
"Right, Bai'er, so now, with your new Bloodline, you have another Element, right? I saw you create a fireball in front of Duke Yan." Xue Feng said, breaking the silence.
Coming back from his thoughts, Xue Bai responded, "Yes, my new Bloodline gives me a Fire Element affinity, but also gives me peak level talent at illusion arts."
After a few more basic questions about his Bloodline, Xue Feng asked about the elephant in the room.
"Bai'er, so how did you kill all of the Wang Clan members."
"It's simple. I released the Bloodline Suppression from my Bloodline against a Bone Strengthening Demonic Beast and its clan. Then I used them to kill the Wang Clan members." Xue Bai explained simply.
"But wasn't the limit of the Secret Realm the Muscle Nourishing Realm? So how did you find a Bone Strengthening Demonic Beast?" Li Rou asked.
"It was the overlord of the Secret Realm." Xue Feng responded.
Li Rou and Xue Feng nodded at that. Secret Realms always had at least one beast that was the guardian of the core region. And that beast, as the guardian, was usually the strongest in the Secret Realm. So Xue Bai finding the overlord and subduing it made sense to the two parents.
Li Rou and Xue Feng continued to ask various questions throughout the night about what Xue Bai encountered in the Secret Realm. It was only when the sun started rising that they noticed the day had changed.
Even Xue Bai didn't notice, as after breaking through two stages in a day, his stamina had been increased greatly, and he didn't feel tired even after staying up through an entire night.
Standing up, Xue Feng smiled at Xue Bai, "Bai'er, it's morning now. Do you want to go to the practice field and test out your new strength?"
Xue Bai readily agreed. He, too, was curious about his new strength. When he was only at the 6th stage of the Vein Transformation Realm, he could fight someone at the 2nd stage of the Blood Exchange Realm. Now that Xue Bai was at the Peak of the Vein Transformation Realm and had a complete circuit, how strong was he now?
Li Rou on the side just shook her head, "Men will be Men."
And after patting the dirt off her robe, she walked out of the courtyard to do her own business.
Ten minutes later, Xue Feng and Xue Bai stood across each other in the practice field. Xue Feng was still wearing his Duke clothing while Xue Bai was fitted in his sleeveless black practice wear.
"Bai'er, are you going to go into your hybrid form to fight?" Xue Feng asked while taking out a simple iron sword from his spatial ring.
"Not yet, Father, that form, while it does give me a power boost, I want to see how strong I am without it." Xue Bai answered while shaking his head.
"What about your Space Element?" Xue Feng asked while getting into a defensive stance.
"Not that either. The Space Element isn't something for practice spars. However, I'm going to use the Fire Element. So I need to get used to it." Xue Bai responded while also taking out a simple iron sword from his spatial ring.
Xue Bai was lying with his words as he was most likely the most skillful with the Fire Element in the Baishen Plane. He only said it to keep up his lie of only knowing the direction of the timeline and not his previous life.
"Alright, enough talking, Bai'er, come at me." Xue Feng said.
"Wait, what level did you suppress your cultivation to?" Xue Bai asked before charging at his father.
"Same as yours, the Peak of the Vein Transformation Realm." Xue Feng replied.
"But that's not fair. You're in the Domain Lord Realm. At least give me an advantage." Xue Bai complained.
"Bai'er, nothing in this cruel world is fair. Never forget that." Xue Feng said sternly, and he stood up and began to lecture.
"Also, you have a Low Earth Martial Vein. You are meant to be an anomaly, even amongst geniuses. And you are going to learn what it means to be a genius. It's not luck or background or even cultivation speed. It is being invincible in the same Realm. Let alone me, a mere Domain Lord. Even if a god himself comes down to your Cultivation Level, you have to win."
Not expecting to get lectured, Xue Bai was stunned for a moment, but he soon regained composure and listened with all of his attention.
"Bai'er, while I may not show it, I love you just as much as your mother. And I, too, wish to let you live a peaceful life under our protection. However, that's not a father's job because the world is a cruel place. So I am here to make you into a man and teach you how the world works before kicking you out of the nest."
"But until the day I do, I will make you into the best man I can. So pick up your sword and fight." Xue Feng finished as he went back down into a defensive stance.
"Thank you, Father. I will always remember those words." Xue Bai said from the bottom of his heart.
Xue Feng smiled and was going to respond until he saw Xue Bai charge at him.
"You Brat!" Xue Feng yelled with a darkened expression.
'And I was proud of him for a moment.'