Chapter 1

The Tianyan Imperial Dynasty, one of the thirty-six provinces, Yunzhou.

Yongan County, Su Mansion.

"Young Master has returned!"

The voice echoed throughout the mansion. Inside and outside the gates of Su Mansion, people were gathered, mostly maids and servants of the Su family, as well as some core descendants. They all watched as a young man in black, escorted by guards, walked into the mansion.

"Is it really Su Xin? He actually dared to come back?"

"These past few years, the decline of the Su family is all his fault!"

"This sinner of the Su family..."

The gazes of these maids, servants, and core descendants of the Su family were filled with anger and resentment.

The Su family was once a top noble family in the Tianyan Imperial Dynasty, with a Nirvana Realm ancestor as their patriarch and numerous powerful retainers. However, a few years ago, the Su family's patriarch suffered a severe injury and was on the brink of death...

Before his death, the patriarch had arranged everything, securing an opportunity for the Su family to marry into the imperial family. If Su Xin, the young master and the current top genius of the Su family, could defeat the genius from another top noble family, the Situ family, in a duel, he would marry the Ninth Princess and become a prince consort.

The Su family would also receive the protection of the imperial family, not only stabilizing their existing power and status but even rising to greater heights.

However, no one expected that on the day of the decisive battle, Su Xin did not even show up.

He fled without a fight!

If Su Xin had fought with all his might against the Situ family's genius but failed to win, the Su family would have accepted their fate and not blamed him. But fleeing without a fight... led to the Su family losing the opportunity to marry into the imperial family, and thus, they fell into decline. All the blame naturally fell on his shoulders.

Even the Tianyan Emperor was furious afterward and ordered Su Xin to be imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Prison for three years as punishment.

Now, with the three-year term over, Su Xin has been released from the Demon Suppression Prison and has returned to the Su family.

"Su Xin!"

In the crowd, a core descendant of the Su family suddenly stepped forward, blocking Su Xin's path and shouted, "You traitor, coward, you still have the nerve to come back?!"

"Su Ming?"

Seeing the person blocking his path, the young man in black felt a pang of distress.

Su Ming, his younger cousin by two years, once looked up to him as a role model and followed him around. But now...

"Master Su Ming, the patriarch has ordered that no one is to obstruct the young master's return to the mansion," the guard who escorted Su Xin back said coldly.

Su Ming gritted his teeth, glared at Su Xin with hatred, and left with a cold snort.

Under the guard's guidance, Su Xin arrived at a secluded courtyard in the Su Mansion.

"Young Master, this is the new courtyard the patriarch has arranged for you. The patriarch also ordered that if you have nothing important to do, you should not leave this courtyard," the guard said.

"Father, he doesn't want to see me?" Su Xin asked.

The guard shook his head and then turned to leave.

Su Xin stood there, his hands clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.

"Even Father can't forgive me?"

Su Xin's heart was bitter.

But he could understand; fleeing without a fight was indeed a disgrace.

Not to mention that it led to the Su family's complete decline.

However, no one knew that his flight was not out of cowardice or fear of the opponent, but out of sheer necessity.

"There was no other way!"

"I never expected that, of all times, my bloodline would awaken just the day before the decisive battle!"

Su Xin's eyes flashed with determination, and his hands clenched involuntarily.

In the martial world, the strong are revered.

But apart from ordinary martial artists, there are also those who control special powers, known as Awakened Ones.

They wield the power of bloodlines.

Each Awakened One is exceptionally talented, but before their bloodline awakens, they are no different from ordinary people. The awakening of a bloodline is sudden, and Su Xin had no preparation. It happened just the day before his duel with the Situ family's genius...

The pain from the bloodline awakening was unprecedented, forcing him to retreat into a wilderness and bury himself in the sand, struggling for three days and nights before it ended.

When he was found by the Su family, the battle had already passed.

Afterward, he couldn't even defend himself.

After all, the bloodline he awakened was no ordinary one.

Bloodline awakenings are ranked in tiers.

Third and second-tier bloodlines: These can be called the best of the best, with one appearing among millions of people.

First-tier bloodline: The potential of a unicorn.

Such a bloodline is so rare that even in an entire empire, there might not be more than twenty in the same era.

Divine-tier bloodline: A once-in-a-thousand-years occurrence.

On average, a divine-tier bloodline awakens once every few hundred to nearly a thousand years. In the Eastern Wasteland, the birth of any divine-tier bloodline causes a huge stir, with countless forces vying for it.

And the bloodline Su Xin awakened was above the divine-tier... the Supreme Bloodline!

Supreme Bloodline: The pinnacle of humanity, unprecedented throughout history.

This bloodline exists only in legends, and it has never appeared in the history of the Eastern Wasteland.

Su Xin awakened this bloodline, which is why he dared not mention it to anyone. He couldn't imagine what would happen to him and the Su family if anyone found out he had awakened the Supreme Bloodline.

He could only remain silent.

Bearing the misunderstanding of his entire family, he entered the Demon Suppression Prison.

Although the Su family declined because of him, his existence gave the Su family infinite possibilities.

...

At dusk.

Su Xin stood in the courtyard, holding a sword with his eyes closed, while a red-clad woman stood beside him.

This red-clad woman, named Hongshan, was originally Su Xin's maid and had grown up with him. She was the most loyal to him. Upon learning that Su Xin had returned to the Su family, she immediately came back to serve him.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you practice swordsmanship."

Looking at Su Xin, Hongshan's eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation.

Su Xin was the top genius among the young generation of the Su family and was especially skilled in swordsmanship. Three years ago, at the age of fifteen, his swordsmanship was said to have already surpassed many Sword Masters in the Su family who had reached the Sea Transformation Realm.

For Hongshan, watching Su Xin practice swordsmanship was a great honor.

Swish!

Su Xin suddenly moved.

The sword light flickered, as if snowflakes were dancing in the air.

His speed was incredibly fast.

"Snowfall Sword Technique." Hongshan's eyes lit up.

The Snowfall Sword Technique is a high-level sword technique among the many sword manuals in the Su family's arsenal.

This sword technique is known for its speed and unpredictability.

Especially the strongest move of the Snowfall Sword Technique, the 'Snow Slash,' which continuously builds momentum with each strike, making each subsequent strike faster. If mastered to perfection, the Snow Slash can be performed nine times in succession, with terrifying power.

"The ninth strike of the Snow Slash, it seems the young master has truly reached the pinnacle of this technique." Hongshan's face lit up with joy, but then it suddenly changed. "What?"

After the ninth strike, Su Xin's movements did not stop. Instead, he smoothly executed the tenth strike.

Then the eleventh, twelfth...

Until the thirteenth strike, which was even faster, burst out.

This strike seemed to pierce the air, causing a sharp sonic boom, and Su Xin finally stopped.

Hongshan was dazed.

"The strongest move of the Snowfall Sword Technique, the Snow Slash, even when mastered to perfection, is only nine strikes. But the young master... he performed thirteen strikes?"

"Thirteenth strike..." Su Xin remained calm.

He was originally an unparalleled sword genius, and since awakening the Supreme Bloodline, his talent and insight had greatly improved, and he had gained some special abilities.

During the three years in the Demon Suppression Prison, although he did not practice swordsmanship, he continuously analyzed and refined his techniques in his mind. Over the three years, he had transcended the recorded techniques in the manuals and could now deduce even stronger moves.

For example, the Snow Slash, which was recorded as nine strikes, had been improved to thirteen strikes after his three years of analysis!

"Would you like to change your clothes, young master?" Hongshan stepped forward, offering a new robe.

"No need." Su Xin waved his hand. "It's been three years since I've been back. Walk with me."

"Young master, the patriarch has ordered you not to leave this courtyard unless it's necessary," Hongshan said.

"Those words only count if he says them to my face." Su Xin smiled and walked out of the courtyard gate.

The Su Mansion was quiet.

As Su Xin walked, he could clearly feel the oppressive atmosphere throughout the mansion.

"These three years, the family has changed so much." Su Xin's gaze turned cold.

Since the death of the Su family's patriarch three years ago and the missed opportunity to marry into the imperial family, the Su family had fallen into decline. The Situ family, which had long harbored resentment against the Su family, took advantage of the situation, suppressing the Su family, causing it to fall from a top noble family in the Tianyan Imperial Dynasty to a second-rate family, barely able to hold its ground in a county.

Even so, the Situ family did not stop there. They secretly supported another family in Yongning County, the Pang family, to oppose the Su family and even tried to eliminate it.

Moreover, the Su family was not united internally.

Without the patriarch's authority, most of the retainers who had once depended on the Su family had left, with only a few remaining. Among them, a Void Breaker Realm powerhouse named Zhao Tianlei led an independent faction within the Su family.

They did not follow the Su family's orders and used various overt and covert means to疯狂抢夺苏家仅有的资源和话语权，隐隐有将苏家彻底架空的势头。

可以说，现在的苏家，不仅有外患，还有内忧。

“嗯？”

苏信此刻已经来到了一片演武场上，看到演武场中央聚集了不少人，其中有两人正在激烈交战。

“哈哈~~苏铭，怪不得敢跑来跟我交手，原来是修为突破了，但你以为这样就能成为我的对手了吗？真是笑话！”演武场上响起了一道带着几分得意的嗤笑声。

“苏铭？”苏信神色一动，看向交战的两人中。

其中一人，正是之前在府门前拦住他并斥责的苏铭。

至于另一人……

“赵青？”苏信目光变冷。

赵姓，自然不是苏家的核心子弟，而是苏家门客的后代。

这赵青，正是在苏家内形成独立派系的首领，赵天雷的儿子。

赵天雷有两个儿子，长子赵凌，次子便是这赵青。

“如今的苏家，以赵天雷为首的派系，早已成为苏家的毒瘤，我要让苏家重新崛起，第一个要解决的，就是这赵天雷父子。”苏信的眼眸迸发出刺骨的寒意。

苏家，因他而没落。

而他，要带领苏家再度崛起，成为天焱皇朝，甚至整个东荒之地最顶尖的家族。

这赵天雷父子三人，便是他崛起路上的第一块垫脚石！