The grotto heaven realm where the Martial Alliance was located was called the Martial Realm. It was nowhere near as vast as the Azure Dragon Realm. Its territory was quite small, roughly only about one-fifth the size of the entire Southern Barbarian Region. Even so, it was not truly small. It only seemed so when compared to the Azure Dragon Realm.

Two figures streaked rapidly across the sky.

Lin Zheyu and Bai Lin did not use a flying shuttle. Their strength was already comparable to the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, and even among those at that level, they were part of the very top tier. For such a short distance, there was no need to rely on a dharma artifact like a flying shuttle.

"The spiritual qi density here really can't compare with the Azure Dragon Realm," Lin Zheyu remarked with a click of his tongue as he sensed the qi in the air.

"Of course not. The Azure Dragon Realm is one of the four great realms of Great Wei. Its spiritual qi density far exceeds that of the Martial Realm. That said, among the many minor grotto heaven realms, the Martial Realm's qi density still ranks in the upper middle tier," Bai Lin said with a hint of pride.

"That makes sense. Are those powerful beasts below domesticated or wild?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously, pointing at the two fierce beasts fighting in the distance.

He had asked Lei Yunshu the same question back in the Azure Dragon Realm. Her answer was that most were wild, with only a small portion domesticated. In the Azure Dragon Realm, human cities occupied only a small area. The rest was mostly barren mountains, forests, and marshlands, with demonic beasts everywhere.

"Most are free-range. Sometimes, the martial artists here even capture beasts with good aptitude from the mortal world to replenish them," Bai Lin explained.

The two moved at incredible speed, covering more than thirty kilometers in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Lin Zheyu's expression shifted as he looked toward the front right. He sensed fluctuations from a battle several kilometers away.

"Someone's fighting. Isn't the Martial Alliance the only force here?" Lin Zheyu asked.

The Martial Realm was small, so he had assumed there was only the Martial Alliance present.

"Of course not. Aside from the Martial Alliance, there are also three major families in the Martial Realm that pass down martial cultivation through their lineage: the Kong Family, the Ning Family, and the Woo Family[1] These three families date back to ancient times and can be considered among the first to walk the path of martial cultivation. They possess special inheritances, and their martial cultivation experts have never died out. The strength of their family members is also extremely formidable," Bai Lin said, his expression complicated.

There was a trace of envy in his eyes, along with something more complex.

"Never died out?" Lin Zheyu asked in surprise.

The path of martial cultivation was extremely difficult, demanding exceptional talent, perseverance, and resources. For these three families to have endured since ancient times without their martial lineage ever breaking, rivaling the Martial Alliance which possessed Shackles realm experts, was truly astonishing.

"Do they bring in outsiders through marriage alliances?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously.

"No. These three ancient martial families never formed marriage alliances with outsiders. They only intermarry within their own family or among the three families," Bai Lin said, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Lin Zheyu grew even more curious. His expression shifted slightly as a thought struck him. Recalling many similar scenarios from his previous life, he guessed, "Could it be bloodlines? Intermarrying within the family or among the three families, isn't that to preserve bloodline purity?"

"Oh... That's right. These three ancient martial families possess special bloodlines. It is precisely because of these bloodlines that their martial cultivation has never been cut off."

A flicker of surprise flashed across Bai Lin's face. However, he realized that Lin Zheyu was so powerful that his background must be extraordinary, with a formidable master behind him. With that, he quickly accepted it.

"As expected," Lin Zheyu said, a look of understanding appearing on his face.

A trace of curiosity rose in his heart. A bloodline that could keep a family's martial cultivation flourishing without interruption must be something truly extraordinary.

"This grotto heaven realm is called the Martial Realm. Could it be that the Woo doesn't refer to the Martial Alliance, but to the Woo family instead?[2]" Lin Zheyu asked hesitantly.

"Exactly. The strongest leader in the Martial Alliance is only at the Shackles realm. But within those three great families, there are experts whose strength rivals the Deity Transformation realm," Bai Lin said with a wry smile.

With his explanation, Lin Zheyu gained a deeper understanding of the Martial Alliance's situation. It could be said that without the three ancient martial families, the Martial Alliance might not exist at all. From the very beginning, it had grown under the joint support of those three families.

Members of these families were extremely proud and looked down on ordinary martial artists, unwilling to associate with them. At the same time, they did not want their own clansmen to take risks and still needed manpower to handle tasks. So the three families joined forces to establish the Martial Alliance, using it to recruit accomplished martial artists from the mortal world.

"You mean those three great families possess the cultivation methods beyond the Shackles realm?" Lin Zheyu asked.

Earlier, Bai Lin had subtly mentioned that the three ancient martial families possessed experts at the Deity Transformation realm. It was precisely because of these figures that they could hold onto this grotto heaven realm.

"That's what's said within the Alliance, but it's never been truly confirmed. What is certain is that these three ancient families possess experts comparable to Deity Transformation realm cultivators, and their strength is terrifying. As for whether they reached that level by switching to the Immortal Dao or by pushing martial cultivation to that height, no one knows," Bai Lin explained.

As they spoke, the fluctuations from the distant battle rapidly approached. Bai Lin's perception was inferior to Lin Zheyu's, but even he could now sense the aura of combat.

"It's Fellow Daoist Zong! Come on, let's go take a look!" Bai Lin recognized one of the auras. His brows furrowed, and a hint of urgency appeared on his face.

"Alright, let's go," Lin Zheyu said, nodding slightly.

From Bai Lin's expression, it seemed the person in battle had some connection to him.

***

Explosive aftershocks from the battle rippled outward. Two figures collided at astonishing speed, then separated just as quickly. Rings of blood-colored energy spread out from them, sending wave after wave of ripples through the air.

A man in an elegant green robe threw a punch. A massive blood-colored phantom burst from his fist and surged toward a woman in fiery red attire. She crossed her arms, forming a crimson energy barrier in front of her. The giant fist struck the barrier, and with a sharp crack, it shattered, sending her flying backward.

She slammed heavily into the ground, smashing out a deep crater.

"Hand it over. Or submit to me, and that item will be yours," the green-robed man said with a smile. At some point, a fan had appeared in his right hand.

"Hmph! I found it first," the woman snorted, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her gaze remained calm.

"Heh, everything in the Martial Realm belongs to our families. What does it have to do with your Martial Alliance?" the green-robed man said with a smile.

"Ptui!" The woman spat. Right in front of the green-robed man, she took out a medicinal pill and began recovering as if no one else was there.

Seeing this, the man was in no hurry. He watched the woman in red with a smile, like a cat toying with a mouse, full of playful cruelty.

The green-robed man stared at her intently, as if admiring a flawless treasure.

Tsk tsk, this woman's got spirit. A newly recruited genius of the Martial Alliance. Heh, women who cultivate martial arts are much more interesting to play with. Those immortal cultivators are far too weak...

It had to be said, the woman in red was very beautiful, the kind rarely seen in the mortal world. Her fiery red attire, paired with her cold and sharp demeanor, gave her a unique charm.

The green-robed man suddenly looked toward the front right, where two auras were rapidly approaching.

Hm? Reinforcements.

A trace of displeasure appeared on his face. Being interrupted in the middle of his fun was something he found very irritating.

"Fellow Linjing, are you alright?" Bai Lin called out from a distance when he saw the two ahead.

As his words fell, he and Lin Zheyu arrived nearby.

Seeing Bai Lin and the unfamiliar Lin Zheyu, the woman in red let out a slight sigh of relief. "I'm fine."

"That's good. Fellow martial cultivator, may I ask how Fellow Linjing offended you?" Bai Lin asked cautiously, his brows slightly furrowed as he stared at the green-robed man.

"Oh, she stole my item. What, you want to stand up for her?" Woo Yixuan glanced sideways at Bai Lin and spoke from a position of clear superiority, not taking him seriously at all.

"That's not true. I discovered this Seven-Colored Immortal Ginseng first. After I took it, he suddenly showed up and claimed he had been eyeing it for a long time," Zong Linjing said with a frown.

After her brief recovery, Zong Linjing's complexion had improved considerably.

"Do you have any proof? For example, did you leave any mark on the Seven-Colored Immortal Ginseng?" Bai Lin asked, looking at Woo Yixuan.

"Heh, my word is proof. Damn it, just a bunch of my family's servants, and you dare talk back to your master? Looks like we've been too lenient with you over the past few hundred years," Woo Yixuan sneered.

Bai Lin and Zong Linjing exchanged a glance, their expressions extremely grim. Lin Zheyu stood silently to the side, observing without speaking. Gradually, from their conversation, he pieced together the situation. The green-robed man before them seemed to be from the Woo Family, one of the three great ancient martial families.

"Get the hell out of here! I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off. If you don't leave now, I'll beat you too. Just a beating and a few broken legs, and your Alliance leader wouldn't dare say a word," Woo Yixuan mocked. He never once took Bai Lin and the others seriously, maintaining a condescending, disdainful attitude throughout.

Provoked by Woo Yixuan, Bai Lin's expression turned extremely ugly. "You! If you want to fight, then let's fight! I will have a proper exchange with you!"

His aura surged wildly. A massive wave of blood qi energy spread outward, forming a red glow around his body. Seeing this, Zong Linjing silently stepped beside him, a faint layer of blood-colored energy emanating from her as well.

1. The pinyin for 武 is Wǔ but I am using 'Woo' here because there's already a Wu Family (吴家) previously. ☜

2. The Woo/Wǔ (武) of Woo Family is the same as the Wǔ (武) of Martial Alliance as 武 means Martial/Military etc. ☜