I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

The waters of Shattered Star Lake gently lapped against the rugged rocky shore, producing a rhythmic splashing sound.

In the distance, in the center of the lake, several smaller, lighter-colored young alligator snapping turtles were chasing and playing with each other.

However, the old patriarch of the river crocodile turtles, lying on a huge, smooth, and warm black rock washed by the lake water, seemed oblivious to the commotion that was so close at hand.

It lay prone on the rock, its head slightly lowered, its eyes, which should have been sharp and full of wisdom, now filled with an empty blankness.

Staring fixedly at some empty space ahead, it was as if my soul had drifted to a distant, unknown place.

This condition is extremely unusual.

With its late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and its long-standing vigilance as the clan leader, it would be impossible for it to be completely unaware of someone approaching.

Lin Che arrived on his sword and quietly landed beside the boulder. Upon seeing this scene, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

He first called out in a normal volume, "Old Turtle?"

Seeing no response, it took a few more steps forward, stretched out its palm, and patted its large, cold, hard head covered with ancient patterns.

The alligator snapping turtle seemed to awaken from a deep sleep, its massive body trembling extremely slowly.

Those empty eyes strained to focus, turning to Lin Che, their gaze filled with genuine confusion and dazedness.

"Patriarch... Patriarch? What brings you here?" Its voice came through divine sense, carrying a slurred and slow tone, as if it had just woken up.

Lin Che's doubts deepened, and he frowned slightly as he asked:

"I've been here for quite a while. Old clan chief, what's wrong with you lately? It seems every time I see you, you're like this... lost in thought?"

Upon hearing this, the alligator snapping turtle's eyes widened in confusion. It pondered for a moment, then appeared somewhat perplexed:

"Really? I... I feel no different than usual?"

It seems that it really is unaware of its own abnormality.

There's definitely something wrong here!

Lin Che's mind raced, and various guesses flashed through his mind.

But his expression remained unchanged; instead, he gave a reassuring smile and said in a relaxed tone:

"It's good that you're alright. Perhaps I was just overthinking it. You should continue your cultivation. I'll go take a look elsewhere."

Having said that, he rode the sword light and seemingly casually left the waters, rising into the air.

However, he did not truly go away.

The sword light disappeared into the clouds, and his figure quietly stopped high up.

A powerful divine sense silently descended once more, firmly locking onto the crocodile turtle on the boulder.

After observing it carefully for a moment and confirming that it had returned to that absent-minded state, a glint flashed in Lin Che's eyes.

With a slight thought, the Heart of All Beasts quietly opened.

At the same time, through the soul contract he formed with the chief of the Fujiang Crocodile Turtle clan in his early years, he carefully attempted to establish a deeper level of sensory connection—sensory sharing.

In an instant, an extremely faint yet exceptionally clear "feeling" traveled through the soul connection and into Lin Che's sea of ​​consciousness.

It wasn't a sound, an image, or a smell, but rather an ineffable "call" or "attraction" that originated deep within one's blood.

This attraction was extremely weak for Lin Che, almost negligible, like a faint whisper of wind coming from afar.

However, for the alligator snapping turtle, which shares perception, this attraction seems to have become an irresistible spell, firmly grasping its entire mind.

Let it become so engrossed in it that it is completely unaware that it is being drawn in.

"Just as I thought!" Lin Che felt certain, then his expression hardened again.

He calmed his mind and carefully sensed the direction of the attraction, discovering that it did not originate from within the Azure Profound Realm!

It is not too late.

Lin Che flashed and reappeared beside the River-Overturning Crocodile Turtle.

With a thought, he and the tortoise instantly left the Azure Profound Secret Realm and appeared on the shore of Shattered Star Lake in the outside world.

As soon as they left the secret realm, the originally faint attraction suddenly became clearer and stronger!

Moreover, the source direction has become more specific and clear, as if there is an invisible thread extending from afar, the end of which is tied to the bloodline of the Alligator Crocodile Turtle.

Lin Che did not use force to wake the Alligator Turtle directly, so as not to alert it or cause any impact on its spirit.

He carefully controlled his spiritual power, gently vibrating the sea of ​​consciousness of the alligator snapping turtle with the softest frequency that best matched its own life fluctuations, as if lightly brushing the surface of the water with a feather.

"The old tortoise is awake... sense it carefully..." His divine sense, like a gentle stream, seeped in.

The alligator snapping turtle's consciousness struggled and fluctuated in chaos. After a long time, it suddenly came to its senses, like a drowning person finally surfacing.

At the level of shared consciousness, it appears both shocking and perplexing:

"Master? What's wrong with me? It feels like I had a very long and strange dream, and something in the dream kept calling to me..."

Through the soul imprint, Lin Che quickly and clearly informed it of its recent unusual behavior, his own discoveries, and the matter of that mysterious attraction.

As the alligator snapping turtle processed this information, memories flooded back, and gaps in its past resurfaced.

A belated look of horror appeared in its enormous turtle eyes:

"So...so I've been in this state all this time without even realizing it! Thank you for your wake-up call, Master!"

"It's alright."

Lin Che waved his hand and asked seriously:

"Old turtle, think carefully, when did this state begin?"

The alligator snapping turtle pondered intently, its massive head swaying slightly as fragments of memory gradually pieced together.

Combining the timing of its own cultivation breakthrough with the vague impression of that initial "disorientation" from its memory, it said somewhat uncertainly:

"It seems...it seems to have been shortly after I successfully broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Yes, that's when I started to feel restless and easily distracted during my cultivation, but I didn't pay attention to it at the time."

Almost a year ago?

Lin Che unconsciously stroked his chin with his fingers, lost in thought.

Apart from that trip to the "Valley of Burial Soldiers" secret realm, nothing particularly special seemed to have happened during that year.

Suddenly, Lin Che paused, his expression hardening: "No! Perhaps the key isn't anything else, but simply breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage!"

The original Ironclad Alligator Turtle clan had a bloodline rank of only mid-second grade, and their theoretical growth limit was mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

The old patriarch before us is likely the first in the clan's history to successfully break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage in both strength and bloodline!

"The breakthrough in bloodline itself might just be a 'trigger' or a 'key'!" Lin Che's thoughts gradually became clearer.

It is indeed mentioned in the Beast Taming Inheritance.

Some high-ranking or special bloodline spirit beasts, after their bloodline evolves and its purity increases to a certain critical point.

It may resonate and resonate subtly with certain rare natural treasures, special ley lines, or even ancient heritage sites that share the same origin as the universe and can further promote the evolution of its bloodline!

This feeling often manifests as an irresistible attraction or call from the depths of one's bloodline. Initially, it may be extremely weak and not easily perceived by the person being affected.

Lin Che looked at the Alligator Turtle, a hint of anticipation in his eyes:

"In my opinion, your situation might not be a bad thing. That thing that's attracting you... might just be the opportunity that allows your bloodline to undergo another transformation and advance to a higher level!"

"Really...really?!"

The giant alligator snapping turtle shuddered, its eyes instantly filled with unbelievable surprise and burning desire, replacing the lingering fear and confusion in its eyes.

Advancing one's bloodline is an unparalleled opportunity that any spirit beast dreams of!

It originally thought that its path had reached its peak after advancing to the middle grade of the third rank, but it did not expect to be able to improve further.

"I'm just speculating, but it's quite possible."

Lin Che didn't make a definitive statement, but the certainty in his tone gave the Alligator Turtle of the River immense confidence: "To find out the truth, we'll have to go there ourselves!"

He looked up, his gaze following the direction of the invisible attraction, looking further south from Shattered Star Lake.