Two weeks passed in a blur of secret training and careful restraint.
Lin Feng spent every night in the abandoned library, experimenting with his new Crimson Gale Eyes bloodline. He learned to project tiny wind blades from his gaze, ignite small flames with a focused stare, and see thermal signatures even through walls. Each successful practice session granted small amounts of Blood Essence, slowly pushing his total higher.
He kept his power hidden. No one saw the crimson glow in his eyes. To the academy, he was still the same quiet, F-rank trash who somehow lucked into a discretionary recommendation.
But inside, the hunger grew.
[Current Blood Essence: 520/100]
[Level: 4 (Beginner Devourer)]
[Bloodline: Crimson Gale Eyes (B-rank – Evolving)]
[Skills: Gale Eye Slash, Flame Gaze, Thermal Vision]
On the morning of departure, the academy's grand square was packed with the thirty recommended students. Luxury hover cars waited to take them to the teleportation array that would send them straight to the Central Bloodline Examination grounds — a massive floating city called Apex Citadel.
Lin Feng arrived with only a small backpack. No fancy clothes, no servants, no family to see him off. Just the plain academy uniform and the golden recommendation token in his pocket.
Most students ignored him. A few shot him disgusted glances.
Zhao Wei stood with his group, still pale but recovering. His Wind Blade bloodline had weakened noticeably — now barely D-rank. When he saw Lin Feng, pure hatred burned in his eyes.
"You won't last a single day at Apex Citadel," Zhao Wei hissed as Lin Feng walked past. "The real geniuses there will crush you. And when they do, I'll be watching."
Lin Feng didn't even glance at him. He simply boarded the assigned hover car and sat in the back row.
Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere was tense. The top students chatted among themselves, showing off their bloodline auras. Mu Qinglan sat near the front, her silver hair flowing like frozen silk, an icy phoenix phantom faintly visible behind her. She was the undisputed number one from Cloudhaven.
She glanced back once, her cold eyes meeting Lin Feng's for a brief second.
Lin Feng felt the system activate automatically.
[Bloodline Scan]
[Mu Qinglan – Ice Phoenix Bloodline (A-rank, Peak) – Extremely high plunder value. Caution: Target is far stronger than Host. Direct confrontation not recommended yet.]
He quickly looked away.
The hover cars lifted off and flew toward the massive teleportation platform outside the academy.
During the short flight, the system gave a new notification.
[Travel Quest Generated]
**First Bloodline Hunt**
**Task:** Plunder at least one new bloodline fragment during the journey to Apex Citadel.
**Reward:** 300 Blood Essence + Intermediate Stabilizer Potion
**Penalty:** None
Lin Feng's lips twitched. The System never let him rest.
The teleportation array activated with a brilliant flash. When the light faded, the students found themselves standing in a vast plaza inside Apex Citadel — a majestic floating city suspended thousands of meters above the clouds. Towering pagodas, training arenas, and bloodline testing towers stretched as far as the eye could see. Thousands of young talents from across the federation had already gathered.
The air itself felt thicker, saturated with powerful bloodline energies.
A loud announcement rang out.
"Welcome, recommended examinees! The Central Bloodline Examination will begin in three days. Until then, you may explore the outer districts, use the free training facilities, and register at the Bloodline Tower for preliminary ranking."
Students immediately dispersed, some heading toward luxurious inns, others toward the training grounds.
Lin Feng chose the latter.
He walked alone through the crowded streets, eyes scanning constantly with Thermal Vision. Everywhere he looked, blue tags floated above people's heads.
B-rank. C-rank. Even a few hidden A-ranks.
The hunger in his chest grew sharper.
He entered a large public training arena where lower-ranked examinees sparred freely. No entry fee, perfect for observing.
He sat on a stone bench at the edge and activated Bloodline Scan at full power.
Dozens of targets appeared.
One boy in particular caught his attention — a skinny youth with messy brown hair, fighting against a taller opponent. His bloodline was rated C-rank: Shadow Step.
But something felt off. The boy was holding back, and his movements carried a strange, almost predatory grace.
[Target: Ye Chen – Shadow Step Bloodline (C-rank, Concealed) – Actual potential: B-rank evolving. High plunder value.]
Lin Feng watched the spar. Ye Chen moved like a ghost, dodging attacks with minimal effort. When he counterattacked, his palm left faint black afterimages.
The fight ended quickly. Ye Chen won without revealing his full strength.
As the crowd cheered, Lin Feng stood up and approached casually.
"Nice fight," he said quietly.
Ye Chen turned, eyes narrowing slightly. "Thanks. You're new here?"
"Arrived today. From Cloudhaven Academy."
Ye Chen studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Most people here are from bigger places. Good luck."
He started to walk away.
Lin Feng's mind raced. This was a perfect target — strong enough to be useful, but not so strong that he couldn't handle a surprise attack.
He followed at a distance, waiting for the right moment.
Ye Chen entered a quieter side alley leading toward the cheaper inns.
Perfect.
Lin Feng quickened his pace. When they were alone, he raised his hand and activated Gale Eye Slash.
A thin, invisible wind blade shot from his eyes, slicing toward Ye Chen's legs.
But Ye Chen reacted instantly. His body blurred with Shadow Step, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth.
He spun around, eyes wide with shock and killing intent.
"You… attacked me? Who the hell are you?!"
Lin Feng didn't waste words. He charged forward, Flame Gaze igniting in his eyes. A small burst of fire erupted toward Ye Chen's chest.
Ye Chen countered with a palm strike infused with shadow energy. The two forces collided, creating a small explosion that shook the alley.
Lin Feng was pushed back several steps, but his new B-rank bloodline held firm.
Ye Chen's expression turned serious. "You're not ordinary trash. What do you want?"
Lin Feng's crimson-ringed eyes glowed brighter.
"Simple," he said, voice low and steady. "Your bloodline."
Before Ye Chen could respond, Lin Feng activated his full Crimson Gale Eyes. Wind and flame swirled together, forming a small vortex of fire and blades around his body.
Ye Chen's face paled. "What kind of bloodline is that?!"
He tried to retreat using Shadow Step, but Lin Feng was faster now. He closed the distance in an instant and grabbed Ye Chen's shoulder.
"Devour."
Crimson threads exploded outward, latching onto Ye Chen's body.
[Bloodline Plunder Activated!]
[Target: Ye Chen – Shadow Step Bloodline (B-rank potential)]
[Extracting Blood Essence… High resistance detected!]
Ye Chen screamed and struggled, shadow energy flaring wildly. "Get off me! What is this power?!"
The extraction was slower than before, but it worked.
[Plunder 40% complete… 60%… 85%…]
Finally —
[Plunder successful!]
[Gained 280 Blood Essence]
[Extracted Bloodline Fragment: Shadow Step (B-rank)]
[Current Blood Essence: 800/100]
[Level Up!]
[You are now Level 5 (Intermediate Devourer)]
[New passive unlocked: Bloodline Suppression Aura (weakens nearby lower bloodlines by 10%)]
Ye Chen collapsed to his knees, gasping. His Shadow Step bloodline had dropped sharply in power.
Lin Feng released him and stepped back, breathing heavily. The new fragment felt incredibly pure and strong.
He quickly bought an Intermediate Stabilizer from the shop and consumed it to prevent backlash.
Ye Chen looked up, fear and disbelief in his eyes. "You… you stole part of my bloodline… What kind of monster are you?"
Lin Feng looked down at him calmly.
"I'm just someone who refuses to stay weak anymore."
He turned and walked out of the alley, leaving the shaken Ye Chen behind.
As he stepped back into the bustling street, the system chimed happily.
[Travel Quest Completed!]
[Reward: 300 Blood Essence + Intermediate Stabilizer Potion (already used)]
[New Main Quest Progress: First bloodline plundered at Apex Citadel]
Lin Feng clenched his fist, feeling the new Shadow Step energy flowing through him.
Three days until the examination officially began.
He had already claimed his first real prize in this new city.