Lían stared at Lizarius.
For several moments—
he remained silent.
Then—
he finally spoke.
"So..."
"How are you going to do it?"
He tilted his head.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Lían glanced around the lake.
"Are we doing it here?"
"Inside the lake?"
"Or should we go somewhere else?"
He paused.
Then—
he scratched his cheek.
"I think we should probably go somewhere else."
"If this is going to take a long time..."
"I should at least tell Mother."
"I don't want her worrying if I suddenly disappear again."
But—
before he could continue—
Lizarius moved.
A faint spatial fluctuation appeared beside him.
Then—
three crimson fruits appeared.
They floated quietly within the water.
Lían's eyes immediately widened.
"...Those?"
An incredibly dense vitality radiated from the fruits.
Their crimson surfaces were covered in faint, vein-like patterns.
They were Blood Essence Fruits—
the fruits of the Blood Tree.
Even beneath the water—
they emitted a strange warmth.
Lían stared at them.
"Those are fruits..."
"Spiritual fruits?"
Lizarius said nothing.
The three fruits slowly floated toward Lían.
They stopped directly in front of him.
Then—
Lizarius spoke.
"Consume them."
Lían blinked.
"All three?"
"Yes."
Lían looked at the fruits.
Then—
he glanced back at Lizarius.
"Are these fruits..."
"Your bloodline?"
"Is this what you meant by the Core Blood?"
Lizarius simply stared at him.
No explanation.
No confirmation.
Nothing.
Lían sighed.
"...I'm guessing that's a yes."
He reached forward.
His fingers closed around the first fruit.
The crimson surface felt strangely warm.
He stared at it for another moment.
*I should probably stop asking questions.*
*Master isn't exactly the type to explain things.*
*If I keep asking...*
*I'll probably just get another one-word answer.*
Lían took a breath.
*Fine.*
*I'll just do what he said.*
He raised the fruit to his mouth.
Then—
he bit down.
**CRUNCH.**
The skin broke instantly.
A thick wave of spiritual energy exploded inside his mouth.
Lían's eyes widened.
*...What?!*
The fruit practically melted on his tongue.
An immense stream of vitality rushed into his body.
It flowed down his throat.
Then—
spread through every part of his body.
Lían's entire body became warm.
Not hot.
Warm.
Like his entire body had suddenly been submerged in sunlight.
His meridians trembled.
His muscles relaxed.
Even his exhausted organs seemed to awaken.
*This energy...*
Lían swallowed.
His eyes widened further.
*It's incredible.*
The vitality continued spreading.
His blood began circulating faster.
His heart beat harder.
**Thump.**
**Thump.**
**Thump.**
Each heartbeat sent waves of energy through his body.
Lían stared at his hands.
*My body feels so warm.*
*It's like every part of me is being filled with energy.*
He looked at the remaining two fruits.
*If one already contains this much energy...*
*What happens after eating all three?*
Without hesitation—
he took another bite.
**CRUNCH.**
The second fruit disappeared quickly.
Another wave of energy erupted.
This time—
the sensation was even stronger.
Lían's body trembled slightly.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
*More.*
*It's entering my body.*
*My energy is increasing.*
He swallowed.
His breathing became deeper.
His spiritual energy began circulating instinctively.
The warmth within his body intensified.
Yet—
there was no discomfort.
Only an overwhelming feeling of fullness.
Lían looked at the final fruit.
He didn't hesitate.
He bit down.
**CRUNCH.**
The third fruit vanished.
An immense wave of vitality erupted through his body.
Lían's hair floated gently in the water.
His meridians trembled.
His blood surged.
His entire body seemed to awaken.
*Incredible...*
*The energy inside me...*
*I need to circulate it.*
Lían immediately prepared to guide the energy through his cultivation method.
But—
before he could move—
something changed.
Lizarius slowly raised one claw.
A faint crimson light gathered around his body.
His expression remained calm.
Then—
a tiny opening appeared near his chest.
A single drop slowly emerged.
Lían's eyes widened.
The drop floated through the water.
It was crimson.
Yet—
deep within the blood—
a faint golden radiance flickered.
An indescribably powerful aura spread outward.
Lían's expression slowly became serious.
Lizarius looked at the crimson-golden drop.
Inside his mind—
a strange sensation surfaced.
*...So this is what it feels like.*
His body suddenly felt slightly empty.
Hungry.
Weak.
It was a strange sensation.
One he hadn't experienced in a long time.
But—
Lizarius didn't care.
His golden eyes remained fixed upon Lían.
Then—
he spoke.
"Consume it."
The crimson-golden drop floated toward Lían.
Lían stared.
His breathing became slower.
"So..."
"That's the Core Blood."
He looked at Lizarius.
"Your bloodline..."
"I still don't completely understand how this works."
"But..."
His gaze returned to the floating drop.
"...I'll use it to my advantage."
Lían opened his mouth.
The drop immediately flew inside.
It touched his tongue.
Then—
disappeared.
Lían swallowed.
Silence.
Nothing happened.
He blinked.
"...That's it?"
He looked down at himself.
His body appeared completely normal.
No pain.
No sudden transformation.
No strange sensation.
Lían frowned.
*Is that really all?*
He waited.
Nothing.
He glanced toward Lizarius.
The lizard simply stared back.
Lían's expression became awkward.
"...Did something go wrong?"
Silence.
Lían lowered his gaze again.
*Maybe it takes time.*
*I should probably circulate my energy.*
But—
before he could move—
his entire body suddenly trembled.
**THUMP!**
Lían's eyes widened.
Something exploded inside him.
His entire being shook.
His veins bulged beneath his skin.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
His scream erupted.
But—
the sound was completely swallowed by the surrounding water.
His body convulsed violently.
His hands clawed at his chest.
His legs kicked wildly.
His eyes widened in agony.
**THUMP!**
Another violent surge shook his body.
The crimson veins beneath his skin suddenly became visible.
They spread across his arms.
His chest.
His neck.
His face.
The veins gradually turned red.
Lían's body twisted.
His mouth opened wide.
Another scream escaped.
But—
only a stream of bubbles rushed from his lips.
"—!!"
His entire body trembled violently.
His spiritual energy erupted uncontrollably.
The water surrounding him began to churn.
A powerful current spread throughout the lake.
Lían's cultivation foundation shook violently.
His meridians stretched.
His blood boiled.
His bones seemed to vibrate from within.
*It hurts!*
*What is happening?!*
*My body...*
*It's changing!*
He tried to circulate his spiritual energy.
But—
the moment he did—
the Core Blood reacted.
**BOOM!**
An even greater wave of energy surged through him.
Lían's body arched backward.
His fingers clenched tightly.
His veins bulged even further.
His crimson eyes became bloodshot.
*Master said this wouldn't kill me...*
*But he never said it wouldn't hurt!*
His consciousness began to blur.
Yet—
somewhere within the chaos—
he could feel something else.
Something ancient.
Something buried deep within his blood.
It was awakening.
Slowly—
but unmistakably.
Lizarius remained completely motionless.
His golden eyes watched Lían without blinking.
Then—
he calmly reached into his spatial storage.
Another crimson fruit appeared.
He took a bite.
**CRUNCH.**
He slowly chewed.
His eyes continued watching Lían.
There was a faint gleam within his golden pupils.
Lizarius continued observing.
His gaze remained fixed upon Lían's body.
More precisely—
upon the energy now raging within him.
The Core Bloodline essence had already entered Lían's body.
But—
it had not yet completely merged with him.
The energy from the three Blood Essence Fruits was still circulating throughout his body as well.
Vitality.
Blood essence.
Core Blood.
All three forces were colliding within Lían.
Lizarius' golden eyes narrowed slightly.
*...The reaction is stronger than expected.*
He calmly observed the chaotic energy.
The Core Blood was attempting to spread throughout Lían's entire body.
At the same time—
the immense vitality from the Blood Essence Fruits was desperately trying to repair the damage caused by the bloodline integration.
The three energies were constantly clashing.
Every collision caused another violent surge.
Another tremor.
Another wave of pain.
Lían's body convulsed again.
**THUMP!**
The water around him exploded outward.
A powerful current swept across the lake.
Lizarius remained completely unaffected.
His tiny body floated quietly before Lían.
His golden eyes continued observing.
*...The Blood Essence Fruits are doing their job.*
*Without those three fruits...*
*His body wouldn't be able to withstand the bloodline.*
His gaze moved across Lían's veins.
The crimson lines had spread across almost his entire body.
Even his face was covered with faint red patterns.
*The bloodline is much more aggressive than I expected.*
*But that isn't surprising.*
Lizarius slowly recalled the process.
He had already tested this.
Not once.
Not twice.
Several times.
Inside the simulation—
he had repeatedly attempted to transfer his bloodline into the child's body.
The first attempt—
the recipient's body collapsed almost immediately.
The second—
the bloodline violently rejected the body.
The third—
the recipient's body failed beneath the overwhelming energy.
The fourth—
the body survived slightly longer.
But the bloodline still consumed the host from within.
Every failure had forced Lizarius to adjust something.
The amount of Core Blood.
The speed of the transfer.
The amount of energy released.
The condition of the recipient's body.
Even the order in which the energies entered the body.
He had repeated the process again.
And again.
And again.
Until—
finally—
he succeeded.
*...It took several attempts.*
Lizarius' golden eyes remained emotionless.
*But eventually...*
*I found a method that wouldn't kill the child.*
His gaze returned to Lían.
The current situation was different.
Much different.
Lían possessed a Water Elemental Physique.
His body was unusually compatible with energy circulation.
The Blood Essence Fruits had further strengthened his physical body and vitality.
And—
most importantly—
Lizarius had already adjusted the Core Blood before giving it to him.
*The foundation is sufficient.*
*The problem is control.*
Another violent tremor shook Lían's body.
**THUMP!**
His fingers curled tightly.
His body arched backward.
Lizarius watched silently.
*The bloodline is awakening too quickly.*
*If this continues...*
*His body will be overwhelmed before the integration is complete.*
The faint gleam in his eyes sharpened.
*I can't allow that.*
Lizarius finished chewing the last piece of the crimson fruit.
He swallowed.
Then—
his tiny jaw closed.
Silence.
For several breaths—
he simply watched Lían.
Then—
he moved.
His small body drifted forward through the water.
Closer.
And closer.
Until—
he was directly in front of Lían.
The tiny white-scaled lizard raised one paw.
A faint ripple of spiritual energy gathered around his body.
The surrounding water became strangely still.
Even the violent currents surrounding Lían began to weaken.
Lizarius' golden eyes remained fixed upon Lían's chest.
That was where the Core Blood had concentrated.
The energy was gathering there.
It was attempting to establish a connection with Lían's heart.
With his blood.
With every cell in his body.
Lizarius slowly lowered his paw.
His tiny claw touched Lían's chest.
The instant contact was made—
**BOOM!**
A powerful wave of energy erupted.
But—
this time—
Lizarius released his own energy.
A thin stream of pure spiritual power entered Lían's body.
It didn't force the Core Blood away.
It didn't suppress it.
Instead—
it surrounded it.
Guided it.
Controlled its movement.
The violent energy inside Lían immediately slowed.
His convulsions weakened slightly.
His veins stopped expanding.
Lizarius' expression remained calm.
*...Like this.*
His spiritual energy carefully wrapped around the Core Blood.
He guided it away from Lían's heart.
Then—
toward the surrounding meridians.
One pathway.
Then another.
Slowly—
the crimson-golden energy began spreading through Lían's body in a controlled manner.
The pain did not disappear.
But—
it became bearable.
Lían's trembling body slowly relaxed.
His clenched fingers loosened.
His breathing became steadier.
Yet—
the bloodline awakening had only just begun.
Lizarius' tiny paw remained pressed against Lían's chest.
His spiritual energy continued flowing.
*Don't resist it.*
*Let it merge.*
*Your body needs to accept it.*
The Core Blood pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
a faint crimson light spread beneath Lían's skin.
Lizarius' eyes narrowed.
*There it is.*
Something deep within Lían's blood—
something ancient—
responded.
The surrounding lake suddenly trembled.
The Water Elemental energy hidden beneath the lakebed surged upward.
It flowed toward Lían.
The moment it touched his body—
the crimson-golden Core Blood reacted violently.
Lizarius' eyes flashed.
*...Interesting.*
The Water Elemental energy wasn't being rejected.
It was being absorbed.
The two forces slowly intertwined.
Bloodline.
Water.
Vitality.
Spiritual energy.
Everything began merging together.
Lizarius quietly watched the transformation.
For the first time—
there was a faint trace of anticipation within his golden eyes.
*What exactly will you become...?*
He increased the amount of energy flowing through his paw.
The Core Blood surged.
Lían's entire body trembled once more.
But—
this time—
he did not scream.
His consciousness remained barely intact.
And somewhere within that fading consciousness—
Lían felt something.
A vast presence.
Ancient.
Powerful.
Yet strangely familiar.
It was spreading through his blood.
Into his bones.
Into his flesh.
Into every drop of blood within his body.
Something was being carved into him.
Something that had never existed before.
And—
Lizarius was personally guiding it.
The bloodline integration...
had officially begun.