After going through a meticulous checkup, Rui’s body was in a perfect state, with absolutely no side effects from the bloodline upgrade.

Rui wasn’t sure how the bloodline change would affect him in the long run, but seeing the rest of the bloodlines disappear from the status window, he wondered if they were merged or completely removed in the process.

Jane also thoroughly checked Rui’s health with the rest of the doctors, using her mana to examine him. She was relieved to find out he was perfectly healthy.

The checkup itself took two hours, using the highest-grade medical technology the earth had to offer.

Rui and Jane made their way to Jane’s living quarters, since she had now returned to a normal state. Rui let her keep Yue until the soul healing was completely over.

The two had decided to spend some time together, catching up with their feelings and thoughts.

It was a long period of separation for the two of them, especially for Rui, since time seemed to pass differently in the lower nine compared to the earth.

The two of them shared their happiest and saddest moments since their separation, bringing up past events from before Albert’s death. Rui expressed his regrets and his inability to form a stronger bond with Jane, progressing to a more intimate relationship.

Rui had completely changed after being reborn, at least when it came to confidence. He had realized that he had no reason not to progress his relationships, especially now that he had the ability to do so.

He had resolved himself long ago to not have any partners until he had confirmed Jane’s state, which meant that had he not returned to earth, he wouldn’t enter a relationship no matter what.

Evidently, after talking for hours, especially with a few movies playing in the background, the atmosphere became relaxed and soothing.

Jane leaned on Rui’s shoulder, feeling like she was dreaming.

Rui extended his hand and held her in an embrace. The two of them stood there quietly, appreciating one another.

Although the figure next to her wasn’t the same person she knew, at least visually, the spiritual and emotional connection was still there. Albert was the same person, with the same beliefs; the only thing changing was his maturity and world view.

Albert always had a cold exterior when it came to socializing. However, once he developed a bond with a person, he would hold that trust and bond for life, unless he was betrayed.

Since the time difference between Earth and the lower nine was so massive, Rui had already become an adult by the time they met again. This meant that, despite having a younger body, in reality, his mental state was at least two decades older than Jane’s.

This made a strange contrast since Jane herself was already in her mid-thirties; however, the one who was actually older was Rui.

Since Jane was a hunter with a high mana grading, she experienced slower aging and a small amount of regression in her bone age. This meant that, appearance-wise, she looked quite similar to Rui’s age.

It truly was fascinating how energies affected the human body. Rui was sure that his appearance wouldn’t change further now that he had reached full maturity. Even if he reached over 400 years old, with his cultivation progress, he would be able to maintain his youth with ease.

In fact, appearance didn’t truly matter to rune masters of a higher stage, since all of them would achieve a similar state of perfection due to the laws behind cultivation. They constantly approached their own unique perfection.

However, there were also other ways to enhance or change your appearance without having to undergo any surgery. That method involved pills that were specifically created to alter or maintain your appearance.

 

---

 

Rui woke up early in the morning, being an early riser.

He prepared breakfast for the two of them while Jane was still asleep.

In the process of cooking, he opened his status window, killing some time while making decisions.

‘Honestly, the amount of free attribute points I currently have is ridiculous... Should I just use them now? But how should I distribute them?’

He thought while rubbing his chin, his blue eyes darting over his passive and active abilities.

‘I guess optimizing my stats for my new passive would be the best option since everything else scales with perception anyways.'

Finally making his decision, he watched as the free attribute points decreased rapidly.

After a split second, his status window was updated.

[Name: Guang Rui
Race: Ancient Human, Age 19]

[System Level: 15]

[Perception: 2369
Constitution: 950
Charisma: 720
Luck: 6.091

Free Attribute Points: 0
Combat Power: 350000]

[Spiritual Root]
Heaven Rune Spiritual Root

[Physique]
Extreme Rune Physique

[Cultivation Stage]
Peak Rune Sea Stage

[Character Personality Path]
Society Born Demon

[Innate Skills]

[Clairvoyance/ Mastery: Adept]
[Passive: the truth of the world. +500 Perception]
[Gives absolute defense over any illusions or brainwashing]
[Gives the ability of understanding]
[Scales with Perception]

[Parallel Thinking / Mastery: Adept]
[Passive: the innate ability to process multiple streams of thought simultaneously, +200 Perception]

[Divine Synthesis / Mastery: beginner]
[Passive: The blending of bloodlines to create stronger power. +300 Perception, +100 Charisma]
[Enhances the user's ability to influence and persuade others, drawing from their divine heritage]
[Scales with Perception and charisma]

After seeing the updated status window, Rui nodded before promptly getting a massive headache.

Quickly, he shut off all the kitchen appliances and sat down cross-legged, prepared for the aftermath of his sudden growth.

His entire body began to ache in an instant, and his head throbbed with intensity. His skin began to writhe, causing him a lot of discomfort; however, it was nowhere near the pain the bloodline evolution had caused.

After all, he had already gone through ten body refinements; the amount of pain wasn’t near enough to cause him to pass out. The only pain that was a bit annoying was the headache.

Ten minutes later, Rui finally felt better, opening his eyes and trying to adjust his shaken vision.

Although there wasn’t a distinct change, Rui felt his senses expand a lot further, while his body felt a lot denser, like his muscles had become stronger and more compact.

If one were to examine his body, he would be surprised at how much power his lean frame held.

Thankfully, Jane had yet to wake, so Rui was able to finish their breakfast without any scene.

Knocking on the door, Rui entered.

“I brought breakfast. Something light, since I know you don’t like to eat heavy in the morning, though I did also prepare a desert for later if you want to try it out.”

Said Rui, a smug grin plastered on his face. He was confident in his cooking skills, especially since his family ran a tavern. Although the ingredients were different, Rui was able to create a very good variant of his favorite desert from the lower nine. It was his mother's special recipe.

Rui's words had a soothing effect on Jane, who slowly woke from her slumber. She stretched her arms, her eyes blinking away the last remnants of sleep. A gentle smile graced her lips as she took in the sight of Rui standing there, a plate of food in his hands.

To Jane’s surprise, Rui seemed to be radiating a whole different charm than before, as if he had suddenly become otherworldly.

Rui didn’t notice this change, however, since his passive didn’t affect him like it did others. Noticing the slight daze in Jane’s face, Rui realized that something was off.

After a split second of thinking, he realized that his new passive was effecting Jane in a negative way. Thankfully, all he had to do was suppress his aura, essentially limiting the passive’s effects to just the area around his body.

“Are you alright? Do you still feel weird?"

Asked Rui in worry.

"I’m fine… I just felt dizzy for a moment. Anyway, thank you for the breakfast."

She said with a reassuring smile. She couldn't help but feel grateful for the care and attention he showered on her.

Rui chuckled, glad that she was fine, placing the breakfast on a small table next to the bed.

"It's the least I can do after all you've been through. Plus, I've been working on my cooking skills. I hope you like it."

They both settled in, enjoying their meal in comfortable silence. The food was delicious, a testament to Rui's improved culinary abilities.

As they ate, they discussed their plans for the day. Jane wanted to catch up with her guild and company matters since she was out of commission for too long for her liking. Rui, on the other hand, wanted to explore more things about the hunter society as well as resolve some issues he had on his mind.

 

---

 

Guang Zhe had been the pillar of the clan for quite some time, especially since the clan’s ancestors had entered dormancy.

Of course, a hidden clan like theirs had multiple generations of ancestors, some going back even twenty generations.

The clan had a systematic approach to their hierarchy, with the ruler being replaced regularly, to maintain the image of a regular family to outsiders.

Guang Zhe was the current grand elder and guardian of the clan, but she was nowhere near the last defense of the clan.

In the chamber under the main estate, where Rui had met his grandfather and grand elder, Guang Zhe was currently standing in the middle of the runic arrays, her black greatsword floating right next to her.

Her eyes were glowing in a dazzling blood-red hue, while her mouth was moving at an unbelievable speed. She was speaking more than thirty words per second, to the point where the sound sounded like a jumbled mess—a sound no human should be able to produce.

After ten minutes of doing this, the array below her began glowing in the same red color. The runes in the array began moving, rearranging themselves in a spherical shape around her and slowly floating upwards.

The very next instant, Guang Zhe had disappeared from the spot.

When she reappeared again, she was no longer inside the chamber; rather, she was inside a giant cave. At the end of the cave, a building similar to the main estate was visible, standing tall and lively despite the dark and humid environment surrounding it.

The walls were adorned with countless stones; more specifically, they were rune stones of the highest quality.

Guang Zhe didn’t spare a glance at the stones, her figure vanishing and reappearing at the entrance of the estate.

The gates of the estate opened on their own as soon as she approached.

Guang Zhe walked inside with a steady pace, her sword following like a loyal companion wherever she went. The interior of the estate was dark, but soon lanterns began lighting up, bringing life to the darkness.

“Little Zhe has come to pay respects to the ancestors. This little one is ready to inform you about the current situation.”

She spoke to Guang Zhe, her figure bowing slightly, her head lowered.

Although she was more than 250 years old, all of her ancestors were at least twice as old as her. Considering her age, the fact that she reached the seventh stage showcased her great talent. In fact, her talent was comparable to that of the illusion emperor.

“Hohoho, little Zhe has come to give us news. This must mean that a lot of things must’ve happened for you to report early; I’m quite surprised.”

“Ah, how I’ve missed the fresh air outside. Honestly, I don’t understand why we have to coop up in this shitty mine anyway; I feel like we are rotting away."

“Old Hong is right; can’t we go outside for a bit? I feel like I cultivated for a million years and not a hundred. We can just play around and hide our auras; after all, even seventh-stage rune masters will have a hard time distinguishing us from mortals if we hide our runes.”

“Fatty Wei, you should probably stop thinking of going to brothels and eating out while I’m still here. You have to act like an elder at some point."

"Enough, you lot; let's hear what little Zhe has to say first.”

The last voice silenced all the previous ones, returning the place to its previous serene and quiet atmosphere.

Five seats slowly appeared in the hall, the lanterns on the seats lighting up and revealing the appearances of the elders that had just spoken.

The fifth and youngest member was the one named Fatty Wei, also known as Guang Wei, who was 100 years older than Zhe. Fatty Wei, unlike his title suggests, wasn’t overweight at all. In fact, he was the most fit of the ancestors, possessing a very domineering physique. He had short black hair and sharp red eyes, along with a stern face.

The fourth ancestor was Guang Ling, who was 200 years older than Zhe. Her appearance resembled that of a fourteen-year-old girl, her short stature making the matter worse. However, once one saw her face, they would realize that she wasn’t one to be messed with. Her bright blue eyes shone coldly, while her face and entire body were covered in countless scars.

The third ancestor was Guang Hong, who was 300 years older than Zhe. Hong looked like a refined young master with a constant smug grin on his face. He seemed to possess an aura of superiority, while at the same time, devastating energy pulsated randomly from his body. He had a form of heterochromia, which meant that he had different-colored eyes. One of his eyes was a deep purple, while the other was a light blue color.

The second ancestor was Guang Ming, who was 500 years older than Zhe. He was the first to comment on Zhe’s arrival and the most active. He was currently holding a martial arts book in his hand, clearly in the process of reading through it. Unlike the rest of the ancestors and family members, his eye color was brown, and his face sported a rugged beard along with messy, long black hair.

The first ancestor was Guang Chen, who was over 850 years older than Zhe. Chen was the grandson of their ancestor, which meant not only did he meet him, he was also the one who had organized the clan and maintained its survival to this day. Unlike the rest of the ancestors, his appearance was that of a middle-aged man with long white hair and beard. His bright blue eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.

Although all ancestors were distinctly different from one another, there was one thing that was in common between them: their runes.

All of them possessed the unique rune resembling a sword, and all of them had reached the seventh rank of rune masters, with Guang Chen being on the verge of reaching the eighth stage.

Since all of them possessed the unique ancestral rune, this meant that the Sword Immortal was able to triangulate their position after Jian awakened, since he had already felt similar energies coming from the illusive empire before.

Guang Zhe was still the youngest and had just entered the seventh rank, which meant she had a long future ahead of her when it came to cultivation. Going from the seventh rank to the eighth was a monumental task that countless rune masters failed to achieve, since it was the final checkpoint before reaching the true peak, which was, of course, the ninth rank.

"The situation outside has been relatively peaceful; however, lately we have noticed a rise in the number of geniuses. In fact, the number of genius rune masters has more than quadrupled over the previous ten years. In our clan alone, we have acquired four great talents, two of which are of our bloodline, while the other two are either contracted or relatives of our clan. However, there have also been other strange things happening."

Guang Zhe maintained her respectful posture as the voices of the ancestors subsided, showing her reverence for the council of elders. She began her report with a clear and calm voice.

"Please proceed, Little Zhe. What are these strange things that you speak of?"

Guang Chen, the eldest of the council, leaned forward with an intrigued expression.

“Guang Tian’s younger son, Guang Ryuji, was discovered to have been cursed with a fate curse, which resulted in him being unable to awaken years ago. I have gone through the necessary steps, and he has now properly awakened."

Guang Zhe continued, only getting interrupted by a loud, crashing sound. Turning towards the area where the sound came from, she found a seething Guang Wei.

“Which dog dares to curse my Guang family? I shall exterminate all nine generations of their family; otherwise, my name isn’t Wei!”

Screamed Wei in anger, his blood-red aura covering the entire area. However, before the aura could get out of control, a stronger yet calmer blue aura consumed the red aura in an instant, as if Wei never erupted with energy to begin with.

“Fatty Wei, please maintain your composure in this situation. Little Zhe hasn’t finished explaining.”

The one to respond to the aura was Guang Ling, who was the best at controlling Wei’s outbursts.

“Little Zhe, you can continue explaining everything in detail. Also tell us about everything going on outside, from the smallest details you remember.”

The one to speak this time was Guang Ming. Since Guang Ming was someone who acted like a scholar most of the time, he wanted to analyze and predict the future of the current runic master society.

Guang Zhe proceeded to explain the whole situation, including the fact that Rui was the one who discovered the curse.

She explained everything that had transpired since her last meeting with the ancestors.

Since a lot had happened since then, it took more than two days to go through everything. Thankfully cultivators of their level didn’t need sleep, much less eat. It wouldn’t be weird if they didn’t eat or sleep for years, since by just cultivating, they were already acquiring everything they needed.

Guang Chen leaned back in his seat, his age-worn features betraying his deep thoughts. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice carrying a weight that commanded the attention of all.

"It is clear that we are entering a new era, one filled with uncertainties and potential dangers. These developments are indeed concerning, but they also hold opportunities for our clan. We must adapt and seize these opportunities."

Guang Chen then turned his gaze toward Guang Zhe, acknowledging her efforts.

"Little Zhe, you've done well in bringing this information to us promptly. Continue to monitor the situation closely. Also, I would like to meet our newest geniuses. You said Guang Rui and Guang Jian, right? How bizarre; these two siblings are a unique case since one possesses the ancestral rune while the other possesses the ansuz rune, being the first case in our entire clan lineage."

Guang Zhe nodded, grateful for the acknowledgment and the opportunity to serve her clan; however, she frowned slightly at the final request.

“Sadly, I won’t be able to bring Rui the next time, since he is still undergoing trials in the realm of fortitude.”

Guang Chen furrowed his brows for a brief moment before relaxing them.

“Although the time he has taken inside the trial is already long, there have been previous scenarios of something similar happening. You don’t have to worry; just bring him over once he has returned.”

He explained, his elderly voice resolute and confident.