Chapter 238: Endless Bloodlines, All Races Die
Next, Jian Gui introduced Qi Ling to Cang Xu.
Qi Ling had been called back by Jian Gui, and after meticulous cultivation, Qi Ling had recovered her mind.
“She helped me many times, she is my best testing assistant.” Jian Gui praised Qi Ling, “It is a regretful that she is unable to let go of her clan and has implored me many times that I free her and let her work for her clan.”
“I warned her that her identity is too unusual and won’t be tolerated by her clan.”
“But she still insists on it, and I have no choice but to give her leeway.” Jian Gui deeply sighed.
The reticent Qi Ling bowed deeply to Jian Gui, “My Lord, you giving me a new lease on life is a kindness etched into my bones and heart. The days I served as your assistant were the most fulfilling and relaxing days of my life.”
“But like you said, any lifeform pursues their own happiness and looks for their meaning of life.”
“Therefore, I chose to return to my clan and silently guarded my people. Although there are misunderstandings, I feel very happy.”
“Humph!” Xiao Wang Zi indignantly retorted on the spot, “You are a mere ghost, you have no bones, how can you etch it into your bones and heart?”
“You are a dolt!”
“After returning to your clan, you were almost killed by your people. You obviously had the strength, but didn’t retaliate.”
“Finally, it was Lord Jian Gui who intervened to save you.”
“Even so, you still covertly returned and secretly neutralized a formidable ocean beast as dedication to your clan.”
Qi Ling sneered, “How can you be better than me? Every year, you impatiently gaze at some ships passing through here.”
“Do you also not stealthily protect your country’s merchant ships? Even though you suffer merchant ship bombardments, do you also not retaliate either?”
“You!” Xiao Wang Zi was unable to refute this.
Jian Gui aptly explained, “Him becoming an undead has nothing to do with me.”
“Our Xiao Wang Zi really was a prince, but although he had a noble birth, he died young.”
“His parents were unresigned and secretly hired a necromancer to resurrect him.”
“In his form, Xiao Wang Zi couldn’t keep living with his parents, as it would give both sides immense trouble.”
“Therefore, after a time of wandering about, he decided to stay in these waters.”
“Every year at a designated time, his parents will visit Ice Sculpture Island on a ship, it is a rare opportunity o reunite with his parents.”
Qi Ling had a rare interjection, “Not only that, when Xiao Wang Zi just arrived, he was rather restless.”
“If it weren’t for Lord Jian Gui taking responsibility for him, patiently looking after him, and dealing with all kinds of troubles he provoked, he would have been turned to bone slags already.”
With all of them pulling the rug out from each other, Cang Xu had a deeper understanding of the necromancers before him.
He also figured out why Ku Feng and the others respected Jian Gui so much.
Jian Gui looked at Cang Xu and summed it up, “So as you can see, we are not purely dangerous people.”
“We all have our own life pursuits and also want to grasp our own happiness.”
“Our life shape is somewhat unusual, that’s all.
“We too became undead because we had no other choice.”
But Cang Xu pursed his brows, “But I am different from you, I became a necromancer at my own volition.”
“I came here to get more resources so I could cultivate better. I want to make myself stronger, the more the better.”
“Compared to me, you guys are more innocent. But that is not my concern, everyone.”
“I only want to ask this, when will this gathering officially begin?”
“Newcomer, pay attention to your tone. You must learn how to speak to Lord Jian Gui.” Xiao Wang Zi indignantly criticized.
Qi Ling stayed her long magic staff, faintly reprimanding, “You need patience, newcomer.”
Jian Gui waved his hand, “Oh ho ho.”
He smiled, “Don’t be nervous, you two. Please don’t misunderstand me.”
“You have told us how you became a necromancer, and so it is fair I have presented how the others became undead too.”
“Next, I want to prove that despite us sinking to undead lifeforms, it does not mean we have sunk into depravity.”
“I believe you have already felt negative energy eroding your nature.”
“I believe this is necromancy’s greatest systemic problem.
Cang Xu was silent, his brows were deeply wrinkled.
He thought for a bit, then said, “Countering erosion…this is precisely one of my main purposes in coming here.”
Jian Gui nodded, “I can see that you possess excellent qualities of a magician.”
“You transformed your body and become a living dead person; you have strived to maintain your humanity to counter negative energy erosion.”
“Although your method is young and tender, your skills crude, but it can be clearly seen you have unswerving determination.”
Cang Xu’s expression changed, his heart shaking.
Jian Gui’s vision was sharp, he actually saw through one of Cang Xu’s secrets.
Jian Gui continued, “I have many on the same path, they overly pursue strength and are unaware of negative energy corrosion, or even actively indulge in it to obtain greater strength. “
“Thus, they lose themselves and degenerate, which is where the bad name of necromancers comes from as a result.”
“It is very wrong and bad.”
“One must control all of their power to be considered a qualified magician, conversely, one whose power controls them is nothing but a pitiful creature.”
“Because of that, I had little wind pursue the blade, little fish guard her clan, and this child look forward to reuniting with his parents.”
“It is precisely because of these factors serving as anchors that the power we cultivate does not sweep us away.”
Jian Gui’s earnestness caused Qing Xin shake.
Cang Xu deeply bowed to him, “I am ashamed that this one is superficial, I thank your Lordship for his advice!”
Jian Gui saw that Cang Xu maintained his humanity when he transformed his body, and also from Cang Xu’ prior words and attitude deduced that this was his first time participating in an undead gathering.
Jian Gui proactively imparted his cultivation experience to this newcomer.
Cang Xu’s response to Jian Gui’s lecture greatly satisfied the latter’s ego.
“Oh ho ho.” Jian Gui laughed heartily, “Old men love to prattle. Good, good. We shall begin this gathering. Little wind, you are this place’s master, please take charge.”
Ku Feng fashionable bowed and played the host, “First is the resource exchange segment. Every member will speak in turn and raise their demands. Afterwards, if another wants to transact with them, they can communicate on the spot.”
Ku Feng looked around until it stopped at Cang Xu.
Cang Xu immediately understood, and was the first to speak, “I have come to this gathering to look for a method to counteract negative energy corrosion, at the same time, I also want to buy some powerful magic and resources for myself.”
Qi Ling, Xiao Wang Zi, and the others didn’t reply, all of them looked at Jian Gui.
Jian Gui laughed, “Oh ho ho, I really have a necromancer inheritance that suits you well.”
He took out a painting from his equipment storage.
It was an oil painting.
The pitch-black and perfectly straight square frame was not a conventional decorative ornament; it was evident it had been designed very carefully to match the mainly vermillion color the scene was composed of.
The oil painting’s contents felt very familiar to Cang Xu.
This was a famous classical painting – the Bloodline Ancestor River Chart.
At the top of the painting was a tall and vague human shadow that was cutting open their own heart.
From that heart flowed a river of blood.
The river was vast and mighty, and in the branches of the upper reaches there were titans, dragons, elemental lifeforms, angels, devils, and demons.
The river became narrow, and in the middle stretches there were branches of elves, dwarfs, beastmen, humans, and the barbarian race.
The river became a stream, reaching the lower echelons, here there were goblins, gnomes, fishmen, naga, tree men, and more.
The Bloodline Ancestral River Painting depicted the creation myth.
According to the legend, the world was once desolate.
God came to this place.
The world’s emptiness and bareness caused God to bellow, they cut open their own body and their blood turned into a river.
The blood river flowed to every part of the world, and from the upper reaches were born titans, dragons, elementals, devils, and demons. In the middle stretches were born elves, dwarfs, beastmen, humans, barbarians, and in the lower level goblins, gnomes, fishmen, naga, and tree men were born.
Thus, the world became prosperous, and all things coexisted.
God died.
The creation myth had been circulated by every race.
The Bloodline Ancestral River Painting’s artist was using this painting to depict this old tale.
It was worth mentioning there were many details in it.
Among them were that those born in the upper reaches like the titans, dragons, and more had massive bodies. Those born in the middle reaches had shrunk considerably, not even half the size of the upper reaches’ races. Finally, in the lower reaches, the races were even smaller.
The painter with this stated clearly the differences, and the good and bad of all races.
People around the world were divided up into these three levels, upper level races, middle level races, and lower level races.
The Deep Sea Monster Fish had an accumulated bloodline archive map; this Bloodline Ancestral River Painting could be considered the earliest form of the bloodline archive map.
These days, bloodlines mixed with each other, and the theory of upper, middle, and lower level races has already been phased out. But it couldn’t be denied that its influence still existed. (Nowadays, the mainstream academia theory was human supremacy, which naturally the other races did not approve of, leading to vicious disputes over it.)
Jian Gui handed the painting to Cang Xu, “The Bloodline Ancestral River Painting has extraordinary meaning, perhaps due to its importance, Lord Soul Painter has duplicated it many times and imbued them with his inheritance.”
“The inheritance you obtained is merely a basic inheritance. This here is an advanced inheritance.”
“You can now examine it.”
Cang Xu understood clearly in his heart that he had to examine it, because perhaps this was another of Jian Gui’s serious tests.
After the painting inspection didn’t find any problems, Cang Xu decided to risk trying it.
He cut his wrist, and a drop of blood fell onto the head of the river, the Creator God’s heart.
The blood emitted a light and gradually spread down, illuminating the river of blood.
Soon after, the blood river dried up, exposing the riverbed.
All of the races seemed to be eroded by negative energy and turned into human skeletons, zombies, as well as ghosts, among other undead lifeforms. The painting style change from ancient and mysterious into eerie and terrifying.
At the same time, knowledge poured into Cang Xu’s mind.
“Endless bloodlines, all races die!” Jian Gui chanted with satisfaction.
His poetic intonation triggered a resonance.
A moment later, Qi Ling, Xiao Wang Zi, Ku Feng as well as Cang Xu all echoed, “Endless bloodlines, all races die.”
The inharmonious Qing Xin at this moment finally sensed the terrifying ambience of the undead gathering.