After Sam successfully removed the poison from Adriana''s body, he found himself swamped with activities for the rest of the day.


    It was during this time that Adriana''s favorability towards him soared to new heights.


    She became incredibly gentle and affectionate towards Sam, : to the point where it almost felt like she was his mother rather than a grandmother.


    This sudden shift in her behavior even made Helena a tad bit jealous.


    The act of saving her from the poison seemed to have strengthened their bond even further. Adriana''s daughters noticed this change too, believing that Sam had now become their mother''s absolute favorite person.


    Once they had spent some quality time together as a women-only family, Adriana decided to give Sam a tour of the Hailstorm clan.


    She introduced him to the strong cultivators who were part of their forces, helping him get familiar with the place.


    In the vast cultivation realm, there were five known continents: the Azure Dragon Continent, the Vermilion Phoenix Continent, the White Tiger Continent, the Black Tortoise Continent, and the Yin-Yang Continent. Each of these continents was home to different races.


    For example, the Azure Dragon Continent was inhabited by celestial dragons, Astral Qilins, and Noble Vampires.


    The continent itself was divided into territories ruled by various dragon clans, Qilin clans, and vampire clans, all of which were equally wealthy and powerful.


    Moving on to the Vermilion Phoenix Continent, the major forces included godly Phoenixes, heavenly golden crows, Majestic Star-Plume Peacocks, Divine Serenity Swans, and Celestial Spirit Ravens.


    In the White Tiger Continent, the dominant races were the Celestial Aurora Lions, Divine Tigers, and the diverse Heavenly Lycan races, which encompassed werewolves, Werepanthers, Werefoxes, Werejaguars, and werehyenas.


    Moving on to the Black Tortoise Continent, this land was primarily inhabited by spirits and races deeply connected to nature.


    You could find the Radiant Celestial Pegasus, Astral Moonlit Unicorns, Sacred Starlight Gryphons, Immortal Jade Tortoises, Nine-colored Heavenly Butterflies, sirens, and fairies thriving in this region.


    The fifth continent, the Yin-Yang continent, has been sealed off from the rest of the cultivation realm due to a strong formation that prevents anyone from traveling into it.


    Inside the Yin-Yang continent, there was no living being, only a mindless beast. No one knew who shut down the fifth continent or why this formation was keeping them from exploring it.


    It was all a mystery.


    However, what intrigued Sam was the fact that none of these races had their progenitors alive anymore.


    Over time, their progenitors had passed away, and as a result, these races were slowly dwindling.


    While they could still reproduce, the challenge lay in maintaining the purity of their bloodlines. To do so, they could only mate with others who had pure blood, but the chances of such unions were quite rare.


    Additionally, the stronger individuals within these races became, the more challenging it was for them to procreate.


    Some clans had attempted to create more pure-blooded members, and Sam himself was part of such an effort. The marriage between the Hailstorm clan''s first princess and the Flareheart clan''s only son was seen as an attempt to preserve the noble dragon bloodline.


    To ensure the bloodline''s purity and continuity, the clan needed to produce a male heir, as only a male heir held the potential to produce more successors.


    This was also one of the reasons why marriage between biological family members became the standard in the cultivation realm.


    And because they were a higher form of beings than humans, they didn''t have to worry about having difficult births like humans do.


    Aside from procreation, there were no other means of creating new pure-blooded races and beings.


    Only the progenitors had the ability to bring forth new pure-blooded beings.


    Sam couldn''t help but ponder the mysteries that swirled in his mind. "If the progenitors are truly gone, as my grandmother mentioned, how did the codex contain the pure primordial vampire progenitor bloodline? And why did it reward me for being intimate with Amelia? It all seems rather suspicious," he contemplated silently.


    "We''re here." Adriana guided Sam to their final destination, a heavily guarded, Dungeon-like place.


    Sam''s confusion was evident as he muttered, "It''s... a prison?"


    Adriana confirmed his guess with an indifferent expression. "Yes, it''s a prison. We house some truly despicable individuals down here, people who have committed heinous crimes."


    She pointed a finger in a particular direction inside the prison dungeon and continued, "In that section, we keep those who are soon to face execution."


    "Execution?" Sam inquired.


    Adriana nodded grimly. "Yes, they''ve committed deeds so vile that I''m even reluctant to speak of them. You see, dear grandson, the realm of cultivators may be a realm of peace, but it doesn''t mean that crimes don''t occur. Some individuals, in their ruthless pursuit of eternal life, will go to great lengths, even selling their own souls to the dark side.


    They care about nothing and no one but themselves. To them, others are mere tools, to be exploited for their own gain. Frankly, if you ever come across such heartless monsters, do the world a favor and dispose of them."


    Sam realized the truth in her words.


    Not everyone possessed the potential to attain eternal life, and no matter how many resources they amassed, without that inherent potential, it would all amount to nothing in the end.


    In this world, there were individuals born with poor potential, those who could never hope to attain the gift of eternal life, but that longing persisted within them.


    It was a cruel predicament.


    Their dreams, spirits, morale, and self-respect would often be cast into the shadows, and at the brink of despair, all they could think about was the relentless "what if." Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What if they had been blessed with high potential? What if there was a way to boost their chances?


    Some would find themselves willing to do absolutely anything for the promise of eternal life, even if it meant sacrificing everything else they held dear in the process.


    They''d trade it all, their wealth, their dignity, and sometimes even their humanity, all for that elusive shot at eternal existence.


    Others, however, might choose to accept their fate, focusing on living the best life they could with the hand they''d been dealt, making the most of what they had.


    And then there were those who persisted in their cultivation journey, clinging to the hope that one day they might break through their limitations.


    Most would give up, but the few who didn''t were faced with a daunting choice.


    They could either persevere, seeking to enhance their potential through legitimate means, or they could opt for the darkest path, selling their souls and resorting to heinous acts just to increase their chances of obtaining eternal life.


    As Sam gazed upon the prisoners in the execution section, his expression remained impassive, encapsulating a simple sentiment, "you reap what you sow."


    Three days later.


    Beneath the brilliantly glowing three moons in the dark night sky, the scene held a touch of romance and ethereality. Sam sat alone on his bed, deep in thought, contemplating a daring test.


    With a sigh, he voiced his loneliness and desire, muttering, "I''m feeling so lonely and, horny..."


    Amelia, his passionate and affectionate woman, wasn''t accompanying him tonight, deeply engrossed in her cultivation.


    She had become even bolder after their pleasurable night together, openly expressing her love and affection without caring about the presence of others.


    The cold and indifferent Amelia was a thing of the past, replaced by an obsessive wife whose sole focus was Sam.


    Sam, however, insisted that she should concentrate on her cultivation. Being a devoted and hardworking wife, she obediently delved into closed-door cultivation.


    Sam turned his attention to his status:


    -----


    [ Master: Sam Hailstorm ]


    [ Status: Healthy, Evolving ]


    [ Titles: Master Of The Codex Of The Supreme Immortal, The Hailstorm Clan''s True Heir]


    [ Age: 18 ]


    [ Inheritance: Inheritance of the Eternal Dragon Monarch, Will Of The Immortal Shadow Emperor]


    [ Cultivation: Nascent Soul Realm (Lower-Stage) ]


    [ Body Cultivation: None ]


    [ Race: Noble Dragon ]


    [ Bloodline(s): Frozen Abyssal Dragon Bloodline, Crimson Inferno Dragon Bloodline, Primordial Chaos Dragon Bloodline (Assimilation: 80.39%)]


    [ Spirit Vein(s): Nine-Heavens Spiritual Veins ]


    [ Bloodline Abilities: Cryokinesis, Pyrokinesis ]


    [ Physique: Mystic Voidheart Harmonic Physique, Soul Sanctum Imbibition Physique ]


    [ Divine Powers: Divine Charm (Assimilation: 70.57%), Immortal Body (Stage-2), Exquisite Rune Heart ]


    [ Innate Abilities: Devour, Rumination Clarity, Shadow Extraction ]


    [ Racial Abilities: Dragon Transformation ]


    [ Skills: Eclipse Shadow Slash, Darkflame Incantation, Shadow Emperor Incarnation, Dragon Fist Strike ]


    [ Cultivation Method: Nine Celestial Revolutions Sutra ]


    [ Body Cultivation Method: Samsara Flesh Rebirth Art ]


    [ Storage: Veil Of True Essence of Progenitor Of Vampires(Can Be Inherited) ]


    -----


    Sam couldn''t help but chuckle as he marveled at his own incredible abilities.


    "Everything looks really overpowered," he admitted with pride. Who else but him could boast such extraordinary talents and skills?


    With a mischievous glint in his eye, he decided it was time to test one of his most potent inherited abilities from the codex, the Shadow Emperor Incarnation.


    To wield this power, an extensive reserve of soul energy was essential, and to his surprise, Sam found that he possessed a vast and incredibly strong pool of soul energy.


    He couldn''t help but wonder, "The amount of soul energy I have is usually only accumulated through millions of years of living and soul training. How is it possible that someone like me, who hasn''t even crossed my teenage years, could possess such soul energy?"


    His question lingered unanswered, shrouded in mystery. Regardless, Sam activated the skill, watching as his soul energy flowed from his body, coalescing around him like an aura.


    Simultaneously, a peculiar chill enveloped him, but it felt strangely comfortable, like a familiar embrace.


    The soul energy emitted a dim blue light before gradually darkening and turning into inky shadows. These shadows, saturated with impenetrable darkness, cloaked his entire being, yet Sam could still sense every inch of his head and limbs within the form.


    Once the transformation was complete, nothing remained but a nameless, shapeless entity, a silhouette shrouded in darkness with two menacing blood-red eyes. Sam felt the chill, but it was a comforting coldness.


    Even his room started to grow colder, but it only added to his comfort.


    As the silhouette clenched its fist and took a step, an eerie silence hung in the air. Not even the sage realm beings could hear or sense this presence.


    This was the true might of the Shadow Emperor Incarnation – the power to move swiftly and silently, leaving no trace behind, a true master of shadows.


    ...


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ????]