The void split open, revealing a mysterious path that extended into an unknown distance. Ye Lin stood still for a brief moment before stepping forward without a hint of hesitation. As he moved, a faint golden energy quietly slipped into his body.
Suddenly, Ye Lin felt as though his entire being was being pulled into the emptiness.
By the time he regained awareness, he found himself standing within a special realm overflowing with countless herbs. Merely inhaling the scent of the place brought a wave of comfort to his body. All wounds and injuries vanished the instant his body came into contact with the atmosphere here.
Before him stood a wooden cottage nestled in the heart of a garden filled with strange herbs. A faint natural fragrance mingled with the essence of the Dao, saturating the air all around.
He was about to speak, but the soft sound of footsteps came from behind. Han Ming stepped out from the void, his voice calm yet unwavering.
"This is the deepest part of the Tomb of the Divine Herbal God."
Han Ming turned to glance at the wooden cottage.
"Well then, why are you hesitating out of shyness?"
Ye Lin was momentarily stunned. He was just about to ask something when, without warning, the figure of an old man appeared before them.
The elderly man stared at Ye Lin with a puzzled expression. His eyes were filled with surprise before he spoke slowly.
"You… you carry the blood of my clan… without a doubt. And you also carry the blood of the Ye Clan?"
Ye Lin stood motionless, not understanding what any of this meant.
The old man smiled, his expression brimming with excitement like someone who had finally discovered a long-awaited treasure.
"Allow me to introduce myself… My name is Duan Lingchen, one of the Ten Primordial Gods." His voice softened.
"In the beginning era of the Boundless Spirit Realm… I was among the very first to ascend as a Supreme God. I no longer remember how much time has passed since then. But judging from the bloodline lineage, I should be one of your ancestors."
Ye Lin remained still, his eyes filled with questions. He immediately turned to Han Ming.
Han Ming nodded.
"That's right. The man before you is the ancestor of your clan the Duan God Clan. As for the other half of your bloodline... it most likely comes from the Ye God Clan of the Upper Realm."
Ye Lin immediately pressed his lips together. A truth he had never known was being laid bare before him, and it was far too vast for him to digest all at once.
Han Ming stepped forward, his tone growing more serious.
"But I won't give you false hope... The Ye Clan in the Upper Realm has been completely wiped out."
"As for the Duan Clan... I don't know if anyone survived. Perhaps someone did... or perhaps not a single soul remains."
At those words, Duan Lingchen, who had been silent until now, showed a sudden shift in his expression.
"You never told me when you awakened me that my clan had already been destroyed..." the old man murmured, his voice tinged with shock. But before the sentence could fully settle, he let out a faint sigh. "Still... do you have any proof?"
Han Ming gave a faint smile.
"I have a disciple. She comes from the Ye God Clan and carries the direct bloodline. In her memories, all ten of the Primordial God Clans were exterminated by the Myriad Heaven Alliance. The Ye Clan was the last to fall, due to rumors that the Primordial God of the Ye Clan had only recently perished."
"The name of that group... you should be very familiar with."
Han Ming smiled slightly before releasing a wave of golden energy from his palm. It floated steadily in midair. Within that energy wave was a fragment of Ye Liyin's memories the tale of brutal slaughter and the collapse of the Ye Clan at the hands of the ten thousand Heaven Alliance.
As the wave of energy seeped into Duan Lingchen's spirit, the old man immediately closed his eyes, taking in everything that flowed through him.
The memories of Ye Liyin began to emerge vividly in his mind, along with the familiar faces of many figures from the past.
They were the faces of the next generation of gods people he had known intimately. Some were ones he had taught the art of alchemy, some he had healed from near-fatal wounds, some had shared wine with him beneath the stars, and others had stood beside him on the battlefield in the war against the Blood Demon Clan.
But within these fragments of memory, none of those warm feelings remained.
Duan Lingchen fell silent, his eyes gazing deep into the recesses of his mind, as though reaching back to those distant, ancient days. He was now but a remnant of a soul. His spirit was slowly fading and would soon dissipate completely, and nothing could stop it.
Yet what had appeared before him today... stirred a flame within his heart once more.
Corpses of the Ye Clan stretched endlessly before him, the earth soaked in blood. The air echoed with screams, curses, and desperate cries for mercy, as if the gates of hell had opened.
Duan Lingchen said nothing.
The scent of blood from the memories permeated his consciousness, making it feel as if he were standing there in person, reliving that day. Slowly, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before speaking in a low, heavy voice.
"...Thank you... young one."
His clouded eyes slowly opened, turning to look at Ye Lin who stood quietly beside Han Ming. The old man's long, slender finger so fragile it looked as though it could be swept away by the wind rose slowly and pointed at Ye Lin's figure.
"Young man... you won't begrudge me, will you, if I bestow a portion of my legacy upon a descendant of my blood?"
Ye Lin did not answer. He merely looked up at the old man with unwavering eyes. It was Han Ming who replied on his behalf, nodding slightly with a faint smile.
"You may give it to whomever you wish. You could even give him everything."
Duan Lingchen let out a quiet chuckle, his voice laced with both weariness and warmth. Then he reached out a finger and gently pressed it against the center of Ye Lin's forehead, speaking slowly and firmly.
"Live your life in your own way. Do not sacrifice it for anyone. You do not need to carry the hopes of others. Do not repeat my mistakes. Live for yourself."
In an instant, Ye Lin's body began to emit a faint golden glow. That light radiated with a profound power, shaking the entire dimension. Endless streams of knowledge, cultivation techniques, complex martial arts, the art of alchemy, and secrets of rare herbs all the wisdom Duan Lingchen had gathered throughout his life flowed into Ye Lin's consciousness like a torrential flood.
Even though Han Ming was not the direct recipient of Duan Lingchen's inheritance, he could still sense the vast knowledge flowing silently into his own body. This was because he had previously placed a golden imprint within Ye Lin, just as he had done with his other disciples. He had never sought to claim anything for himself. Merely the knowledge passing through Ye Lin was already more than enough.
Meanwhile, Ye Lin, submerged in the depths of enlightenment, was being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of memories left behind by Duan Lingchen.
Only then did he realize... that his ancestor was one of the first ten divine beings, who would later be known as the Ancient Gods those born during the very dawn of the Boundless Spirit Realm. It was an age that stood as the pinnacle of civilization and the cultivation path.
Humans of that era were so powerful they could challenge and seize power from the ancient races beings like the Three-Eyed Clan, the Demon Clan, the Phoenix Clan, the Dragon Clan, and the Stone Men. Many of those races were eventually forced into hiding or driven to the brink of extinction, retreating into minor realms to avoid annihilation.
But calamity struck before long. It was the emergence of the Blood Demon Clan.
A race whose very name was synonymous with destruction.
Its ability was a power that bordered on immortality. Unless its blood was completely destroyed, even if it was killed, it could return again and again without end and each time it resurrected, it would grow stronger than before, without any limitations or conditions.
The Blood Demon Clan spared no one. They recognized no sides. They slaughtered anything that moved, extinguishing all life in their path.
Eventually, the countless races of the Boundless Spirit Realm could no longer remain passive.
Thus began a massive war between all races and the Blood Demon Clan. It was long, drawn out, and filled with endless sacrifice.
But all things must come to an end. To bring closure to a war that had raged for millions of years, the ten Ancient Gods, the mightiest beings of that era, joined forces to seal the Blood Demon Clan within Lower Realm Number One. Along with the seal, they bore the fate of becoming eternal guardians of that gate. However, one day, without warning, the connection between Lower Realm Number One and the Upper World vanished completely. The ten Ancient Gods were suddenly cut off from the outside world.
Even though they were gods... they could not escape the law of decay. The Blood Demon Clan would periodically attack the seal, forcing them to expend immense energy. The worst part was that they could not reincarnate in the Soul Hall, because the Soul Hall at that time could not withstand the power of gods.
At first, the seal remained strong because each of them carried their own resources. But as the disconnection from the Upper World continued, those resources slowly dwindled. Eventually, they had no choice but to burn their own lifespans to fuel their spiritual power and maintain the seal's integrity.
One day, the Ancient God of the Three-Eyed Clan was the first to perish, his life consumed by excessive burning of his lifespan.
Next was the Ancient God of the Merfolk Clan, who succumbed to previous injuries.
One after another, they passed.
Some died from exhausting their lifespan through overuse.
Some fell to poison and injuries that could no longer be healed in their weakened, resource-deprived state.
Some were killed during assaults launched by the Blood Demon Clan to break the seal.
Some chose betrayal and were slain by their fellow Ancient Gods.
Duan Lingchen, one of the five Ancient Gods of humanity, was the ninth to fall, consumed by the burning of his own lifespan.
He had been among those who endured the longest out of the ten Ancient Gods. He no longer remembered how much time had passed. But in the end, even he could not defy the fate of decay.