Cracks webbed across the rock wall as raw energy shook the air.
Standing amid shattered ore and broken beast bones, Lin Ye slowly raised his hands, feeling a surge so fierce it seemed ready to split his frame apart.
Clack, clack, clack—
He curled his fingers; joints rang like steel. Nails once brittle now shone pale‑gold, razor‑sharp, glinting with a chill light.
“Host has devoured spirit‑bone: +100 evolution points.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5s1bvsPYP
Flesh‑body enhanced—current tier: Primary Spirit‑Form.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs6rrpE49H
Interface expanded: ‘Skills’ and ‘Bloodline’ modules unlocked.”
Lines of data flashed before his eyes.
The system pane grew sharper, displaying two dim options: Skill: Unawakened and Bloodline: Unidentified.
“Bloodline…” he murmured, brows knitting.
But thought was cut short by a thunderous tiger’s roar that blasted the tunnel mouth apart.
Boom!
Dust billowed as a tiger, massive as a moving hill, muscled and dappled with stripes, smashed through the wall and barred his path.
On its brow burned a golden lightning sigil—an inborn totem radiating savage authority.
Scarlet eyes locked onto him; each growl dripping from its jaws bristled with bloodlust.
—This was no feral beast but a sentient, spirit‑rank tiger!
Lin Ye’s face tightened, fists clenching, yet he did not retreat an inch.
With a roar, the tiger crouched and lunged, claws flashing like thunder, unstoppable.
At that instant the spirit‑bone in Lin Ye’s chest jolted; a familiar, searing force erupted within.
Boom!
Blood‑red tracings flared across his skin—the ancient power in his veins had awakened again!
That power and the tiger’s aura… resonated.
Stunned, Lin Ye realized he could sense the creature’s spiritual flow—even its emotions.
“This feeling…” His heart pounded. “As if… it’s kin to me.”
Mid‑pounce, the tiger faltered; in its brutal gaze flickered hesitation and confusion.
It smelled a hidden yet familiar scent inside him—something that commanded its blood.
Impossible… this human carries our mark…?
Murderous intent wavered, but Lin Ye dared not relax.
Teeth grit, he channeled every drop of energy, stamped on splintered rock, and sidestepped in a blur, narrowly eluding the sweeping claws.
Crash!
The wall ripped open; stone hail showered the floor.
Breathing hard, back to the stone, his eyes gleamed. “You recognize the power in me, don’t you?”
The tiger rumbled—intelligent, yet speechless.
But he felt it: the beast no longer rushed to tear him apart.
Bloodlines called; wild instincts whispered.
And he understood—
Perhaps he was not truly human.
A truth slumbering in his veins was slowly awakening…
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