Chapter 3: The Hidden Bloodline
The murmurs in the training field refused to fade even after sunset. Students whispered in disbelief, replaying the moment when an "average" Ren Yu had knocked down a Martial Tier Two senior with a single palm strike.
By the time he left the school grounds, the air felt heavy — the kind of weight that followed someone standing too close to destiny.
Ren Yu walked alone beneath the flickering streetlights. The faint glow beneath his skin had dimmed, but the energy inside him churned restlessly, like a river pressing against its banks.
He stopped by the old pedestrian bridge that overlooked the Qinghe River. The water below shimmered with reflected city lights, each ripple catching the hue of neon blue and gold.
His reflection stared back at him — but it wasn't entirely his own.For a moment, he saw another face overlaid upon his: colder, older, and marked by battle scars.
"You should not have awakened so soon," a voice echoed in his mind — deep, resonant, filled with an ancient weariness.
Ren Yu's breath hitched. "Who are you?"
"A remnant," the voice said. "A shadow of what you once were."
Before he could ask more, pain exploded behind his eyes. His vision warped — and suddenly, the world fell away.
He stood in a place of swirling energy. Mountains floated in the sky, their peaks shrouded in flames and lightning. Across the horizon, countless martial auras clashed like storms. At the center stood a colossal figure — robed in black, surrounded by golden dragons of energy.
"That… that's me," Ren Yu realized, trembling.
"Was you," the voice corrected. "Once, you were the 'Martial Vein Emperor.' Your soul was torn apart when the heavens turned against you. Now, only fragments remain — sealed within this new world."
Ren Yu's heart thundered. "Why me? Why come back like this?"
"Because fate refused to end. Your bloodline carries the echo of divine martial veins. Even here — in this modern age of machines and cities — that power seeks to awaken again."
The golden light surged around him, searing through his consciousness. His veins burned, his breath ragged. Then, as suddenly as it began, the vision shattered.
Ren Yu gasped, collapsing to his knees on the bridge. His pulse was wild, sweat cold against his skin.
He felt it now — deep within his core — the rhythm of two lives colliding.His memories as a student… and the instincts of an emperor reborn.
"Ren Yu?"The voice jolted him. He turned to see Lira Han standing a few meters away, a faint light from her wristband casting a glow on her face.
She frowned. "You're trembling. What happened?"
He forced a weak smile. "Just… training too hard."
She didn't buy it. Lira's gaze lingered on him — her spiritual sense brushing the faint golden aura that still clung to his body. Her pupils contracted slightly.
"You've… changed," she said softly. "Your energy feels… ancient."
Ren Yu's fingers curled into his palm. "Don't tell anyone."
Lira crossed her arms. "I don't need to. But if you've awakened something beyond control, it's dangerous. The city monitors aura anomalies — you'll draw attention."
"I'll handle it," he said.
Her eyes softened, just a little. "You always say that."
Later that night, back at the Ren family estate, the lights were dim. Ren Housheng sat in the living room, reviewing reports projected above a sleek digital table. Lin Yuyan stood by the window, her expression unreadable.
When Ren Yu entered, both parents turned toward him.
"You fought in front of the academy," his father said evenly. "Word travels fast. Even the Martial Council has heard."
Ren Yu's jaw tightened. "It wasn't my intention—"
"Intentions don't matter," Ren Housheng interrupted. "Power brings eyes. You need to control what you reveal."
Lin Yuyan stepped forward, voice softer. "Yu'er… did something awaken inside you?"
Ren Yu hesitated. The image of his past life flashed before him — the endless battles, the betrayal of heaven. He couldn't tell them everything. Not yet.
"I don't know," he said truthfully. "But something is changing."
Lin Yuyan's expression flickered with concern. She exchanged a brief glance with her husband.After a pause, Ren Housheng reached into a drawer and withdrew a small box — lacquered black with a faint golden seal.
"This belonged to your grandfather," he said. "He once told me it could only be opened by someone who had awakened the Ren family's original bloodline."
Ren Yu stared at it. "Original bloodline?"
Ren Housheng nodded. "The Ren clan was once part of the ancient martial sects that guarded Qinghe's ley lines. That history was erased when the world entered the technological age. But our blood still carries fragments of that power."
He placed the box before Ren Yu."Open it. If it recognizes you, you'll understand who you are."
Ren Yu reached out. The moment his fingers touched the seal, a surge of energy flooded the room — golden veins of light spread from the box, wrapping around his arm like living fire.
The air hummed. Lin Yuyan gasped softly.Ren Housheng's eyes widened — not in fear, but in awe.
The seal broke with a click. Inside, a small pendant rested — carved in the shape of a dragon coiled around a flame.
When Ren Yu touched it, the voice from within him whispered again:
"The Martial Veins… have awakened."
That night, as the pendant glowed faintly on his chest, Ren Yu sat by his window. Qinghe's skyline glittered like constellations reflected on glass, but his eyes were distant.
He knew now that his rebirth wasn't chance — it was destiny resurfacing.
"If this world has forgotten the strength of the ancient veins…""…then I will remind them."
The wind stirred, carrying faint echoes of thunder far beyond the city.
Ren Yu closed his eyes — and began to meditate.