Feeling the cold blade against his throat, Zhu Xing spoke in a deep voice, "If you refuse to reveal your identity, I cannot allow you to approach him."
The white-robed man glanced sideways at Zhu Xing, his sword hand steady like an immovable bridge, making Zhu Xing feel as if he was untouchable.
Although wary of the white-robed man, Zhu Xing was not yet afraid.
He had invested countless efforts to enter the Realm Gate and finally secured this opportunity. How could he back down so easily?
"My identity cannot be revealed. If I do, it will bring disaster to both you and him. The only thing you need to know is that my sword can sever your Dao Fruit."
The white-robed man's voice was emotionless, as cold as ice.
As his words fell, a terrifying sword intent locked onto Zhu Xing.
For a moment, the eyes of this Profound Origin Free Immortal lost their brilliance.
The white-robed man turned away, sheathing his sword as he continued toward Long Qing.
Zhu Xing stood frozen, his body trembling slightly.
Their confrontation had not been hidden. Many disciples had witnessed the white-robed man drawing his sword against Zhu Xing.
However, none of them acted rashly.
After all, they knew that Zhu Xing was the strongest presence in this valley—even the Valley Master treated him with great respect.
The Third Medicine Valley was no longer as united as it had been thousands of years ago. Most disciples now were merely passing through; few would be willing to risk their lives for Long Qing.
Long Qing, who had been conversing with Lü Baitian, noticed the white-robed man's approach.
His gaze shifted to Zhu Xing, who remained motionless, his body trembling, his eyes dull and unfocused—clearly not in a normal state.
Just as Long Qing was about to speak, the white-robed man suddenly appeared before him, startling him into instinctively stepping back.
Pa!
A sword sheath pressed firmly against Long Qing's shoulder, rendering him completely immobile.
Long Qing's eyes widened in shock, disbelief etched across his face.
Beside him, Lü Baitian reacted instantly, ready to strike, but the white-robed man's single glance stopped him in his tracks.
That gaze—
In that instant, Lü Baitian felt as if he had stepped into an endless, shadowed realm, surrounded by countless swords densely packed in every direction.
Each blade was aimed at him, sending chills down his spine.
If he moved even an inch, he would be impaled from all sides.
The sensation of suffocating helplessness left him trembling.
In reality, Long Qing had not fallen into an illusion.
However, under the white-robed man's presence, the weight of the sword sheath pressing on his shoulder felt as heavy as an entire mountain range.
His spiritual power was completely suppressed.
Long Qing stared at the white-robed man and spoke in a low voice, "Who are you? Do we have some grudge?"
Since Gu An had left, Long Qing had not remained in the Third Medicine Valley.
He had ventured out for training and had encountered countless people, but he was certain he had never provoked someone this powerful.
The only possibility that crossed his mind was related to his bloodline.
Even Zhu Xing, as strong as he was, could not resist this man.
Such an existence could not possibly be from Heavenly Spirit Great World.
The white-robed man studied Long Qing for a long moment before a look of disappointment flickered in his eyes.
That gaze made Long Qing uneasy and inexplicably furious.
"You're weaker than I expected," the white-robed man finally said. "But don't be nervous—I won't harm you. There's no one in this world more worthy of your trust than me."
Long Qing scoffed, his smile cold and sarcastic.
The white-robed man continued, "I, too, bear the surname Long. Do you understand now?"
Hearing this, Long Qing's eyes widened, his expression filled with shock.
At that moment, Zhu Xing suddenly appeared beside Long Qing, raising his hand to grab the white-robed man's sword sheath.
"Wait! Let him finish speaking!"
Long Qing commanded in a hushed voice, his gaze fixed intently on the white-robed man.
Zhu Xing had just broken free from the illusion, missing what the white-robed man had just said. He turned his head toward him, his eyes filled with both shock and wariness.
The white-robed man withdrew his hand, and Zhu Xing instinctively loosened his grip as well, staring at him while pressing his sword into the ground.
The moment the sword sheath touched the ground, the surrounding environment shifted dramatically.
They were suddenly transported into a dark and boundless realm, where the ground was littered with countless swords, all embedded into the earth.
"What a powerful domain…"
Zhu Xing muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping across the vast space, his heart surging with waves of astonishment.
The white-robed man looked directly at Long Qing and spoke.
"My name is Long Jun. I am the son of Long Xin the Great Emperor. I am your ancestor. I have glimpsed your entire life from the past, though much of it remains unclear. But I do know the general path you will take."
Zhu Xing's expression changed drastically, his face full of disbelief.
Long Qing was just as shocked, unable to speak as he stared at Long Jun in confusion.
"You and Zhu Xing will one day lead Tai Xuan Sect to unify Heavenly Spirit Great World. But in the end, you will both die at the hands of War Court."
Long Jun continued, his gaze locking onto Long Qing.
"You will be possessed by the Annihilation God Emperor."
Long Qing's heart pounded wildly.
Long Jun then shifted his gaze to Zhu Xing and said,
"You will be refined into a Dao Soldier by the master of War Court, and your will shall be eternally tormented."
Zhu Xing's face turned pale as if recalling something terrifying.
Long Qing gritted his teeth and asked,
"The Long Clan was massacred until only I remained. You claim to be my ancestor—why didn't you intervene?"
Long Jun looked at him with deep, sorrowful eyes.
"Because my fate is worse than death. The version of me standing before you is not truly present. I come from the past. This is a remnant of my power left before I was captured, meant to help the Long Clan break free from its destined fate."
Long Qing didn't fully understand his words and turned to look at Zhu Xing.
Zhu Xing frowned and asked,
"You mean to say… you traveled through time? Or is this a projection from the past?"
Long Jun replied,
"If you cannot comprehend it, then do not dwell on it. What matters is how to avert this catastrophe. If Annihilation God Emperor successfully possesses you, he might truly obtain my grandfather's power."
"You're talking about Long Zhan?"
Long Qing's breathing became heavy.
Long Jun nodded.
"Yes. Though I inherited his destiny, my strength is nothing compared to his bloodline."
Long Qing suddenly recalled what Zhu Xing had once mentioned—how Long Xin the Great Emperor's grandson had inherited the talents of Heavenly Dragon Emperor Long Zhan.
He opened his mouth, wanting to ask more.
Long Xin the Great Emperor's grandson… that meant Long Jun's son?
As if reading his mind, Long Jun answered,
"Yes, my child also inherited this bloodline power. And because of that, the Long Clan faced complete annihilation. He has already perished. The only reason I still exist is because my father told me stories about my grandfather, so I hid my talent from a young age. But my son was born during War Court's peak era and lived without caution."
Long Qing was left in a daze, while Zhu Xing felt deeply shaken. He began calculating various possibilities in his mind.
Long Jun turned to Long Qing and said,
"To break the Long Clan's destined fate, you must cultivate a divine ability."
Long Qing frowned.
"What divine ability?"
"The Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect. This technique allows you to summon figures bound to you by bloodline and fate to fight alongside you."
Long Qing's brows furrowed deeper.
"Even if I cultivate it, wouldn't their strength depend on my own cultivation level?"
He instinctively resisted the idea, feeling the cost of such a technique would be immense.
Long Jun shook his head.
"No. The strength of the forms you summon depends entirely on their power during their lifetime. The difficulty lies in summoning them at all. This is a technique my father created. He claimed to have gained insights from my grandfather. According to him, my grandfather's divine ability was even more powerful. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to witness it."
Long Qing took a deep breath and asked,
"What is the cost of cultivating this technique?"
Long Jun replied,
"The cost is eternity. You must ensure your bloodline continues before you sacrifice yourself. Only then can you break the Long Clan's fate. This is your only path."
"Only path?"
Long Qing's brows furrowed.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of his master.
Did his master leave because of fate?
But if that were true, why would An Xin come to ask him if he was willing to follow?
Long Qing raised his eyes to Long Jun and asked,
"Then… do you know my master?"