Chapter 410: My Wretched Alchemy Attainment

Numerous factors could trigger bloodline mutations.

Take Cang Xu, for instance. His body was submerged in the Underworld River, then dismembered by Doctor Sui Shi, who used his flesh as alchemy ingredients. These combined circumstances forced his bloodline to mutate. This process was utterly irreplicable.

“Maintaining nearly all my original aptitude is already a blessing.”

“My life-changing opportunity has appeared; it lies within the commander himself!”

"What I truly need is a spell to test my necromancer aptitude, one capable of discerning my undead bloodline. Alas, such spells exist only within intermediate soul aspect inheritances, held firmly in the hands of Jian Gui."

As a necromancer, Cang Xu couldn't test his bloodline through potion-based blood analysis like other survivors.

This lay beyond Zi Di's knowledge.

Only by obtaining the necromancer aptitude detection spell could he determine the true nature of his bloodline. Then he could hunt vast numbers of such undead beings, purify his own bloodline through the Bloodline Purification formation, and achieve bloodline awakening.

Yet, having journeyed alongside Jian Gui, Cang Xu had yet to find an opportunity to acquire this crucial spell.

Jian Gui adhered to strict principles in this matter. Cang Xu remained cautious, refraining from rash communication. He possessed no other bargaining chips and knew full well the outcome of such an approach.

“If all else fails, I'll simply wait until the bloodline mutation concludes before requesting Jian Gui perform this spell to identify my undead lineage.”

Cang Xu naturally had contingency plans.

But this plan had many drawbacks, hindering Cang Xu's chances of gaining Jian Gui's recognition.

Jian Gui possessed many valuable resources.

Cang Xu desperately wanted to use this connection to infiltrate the inner circle of the undead orthodoxy. That was the sound long-term strategy!

If Jian Gui detected Cang Xu's bloodline now, the results would be clear, he would be utterly rejected from entering the exclusive circle of the undead orthodoxy.

This was not what Cang Xu desired.

“Now, the only thing offering me significant room for improvement is the Ghost Seed Head.” Though Cang Xu had reached his bloodline's limit, there remained untapped potential in his combat prowess.

The Ghost Seed Head emerged from the self-destruction of a death head. When combined with the necromancy magic “Head-Binding Spell,” it could merge with its user. In this form, the Ghost Seed Head functioned as a unique spellbook. All necromancy magic recorded within could be rapidly cast by the necromancer.

A silver level Ghost Seed Head was equivalent to a silver level spellbook. The spells contained depend entirely on how many the Ghost Seed Head's original death head had mastered.

Of course, there was an inherent decay.

The best outcome was 100% inheritance. However, according to the records of Flying Head Spell, such a complete inheritance was extremely rare.

The exact degree of decay depended on specific circumstances.

The Flying Head Spell texts were rather vague on this point, leaving Cang Xu to figure it out through trial and error.

His current combat power had reached a plateau, leaving the Ghost Seed Head as the most promising avenue for advancement.

With the ship's hold piled high with undead materials, the conditions for Cang Xu to mass-produce Ghost Seed Heads were now ripe.

“So, which necromancy magic would be best suited for me?”

Cang Xu fell deep in thought.

He possessed numerous necromancy magic spells.

He possessed the foundational inheritance of the soul aspect by birth. Later, at the necromancer gathering on Weeping Pine Island, he traded with figures like Jian Gui to acquire the foundational inheritance of the two other aspects, along with the elementary inheritance of the soul aspect.

He had also duplicated the content and entrusted them to Zi Di.

The three necromancy aspects were corpse, bone, and soul.

All the spells Cang Xu mastered belonged to these three aspects.

For example: soul aspect spells like the Soul Summoning, Soul Control, Soul Capture, Soul Devourer, and Soul Send.

Bone aspect spells like Bone Spear and Flying Bone Shield.

Corpse aspect spells like Corpse Explosion and Summon Zombie.

Cang Xu faced many choices, but after deliberation, he first eliminated all ghost modification spells from the soul aspect inheritance.

These modification spells included Ghost Horse Refinement, Ghost Elf Refinement, Hungry Ghost Refinement, and Frost Ghost Refinement...

Cang Xu currently primarily controlled death heads.

The mental burden brought by these ghosts far exceeded that of death heads. If modified, the mental strain from the ghosts would only increase further.

Cang Xu's mental burden had reached its limit.

Of course, he could sacrifice some death heads to gain space and control certain ghosts.

But after deliberation, Cang Xu rejected this plan.

Even though modified ghosts were often more powerful than death heads, his greatest concern was that manipulating these ghosts would create vulnerabilities, allowing Jian Gui, Xiao Wang Zi, and others to uncover his tricks.

Jian Gui and Xiao Wang Zi knew nothing of the Flying Head Spell, so they couldn't discern Cang Xu's mental state from the scale of his death heads.

The truth was that Cang Xu's death heads could expand no further. If he switched to ghosts, it would be easy for Jian Gui and others to pick up on crucial intelligence.

Though Cang Xu had integrated into this necromancer group, he understood clearly: this environment was no match for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Especially during the battle at the Underworld River, where Jian Gui used him as bait to draw enemy fire. Cang Xu nearly died because of it!

For the same reasons he ruled out the ghost modification spells, Cang Xu also eliminated the Soul Control Spell, Soul Summoning Spell, and other similar ones.

The Burden Alleviation Spell and Karma Reduction Spell were core techniques in the elementary soul aspect inheritance, practices a necromancer cultivated throughout their life.

Yet Cang Xu didn't ponder long before dismissing these two as well. For now, their utility was negligible.

The Soul's Eye spell allowed necromancers to share vision with their subordinate ghosts. This served as a highly practical reconnaissance tool. Yet Cang Xu reasoned: currently stationed with other necromancers aboard the ghost ship, whose inherent surveillance capabilities far exceeded his own, his personal reconnaissance abilities were redundant. Thus, it too was discarded.

Soul Healing proved exceptionally suitable. This spell consumed ghosts to grant healing effects. Cang Xu promptly added it to his list of potential choices.

Ghost Fog was also decent. Primarily used for camouflage, it could also create negative energy environments to temporarily bind souls, facilitating follow-up spells like Soul Control or Summoning. Advanced ghost magic would be battlefield-class spells capable of altering the environment, similar to the effect Lava Hell had when the dragonman youngster used it.

Ghost Fog suited Cang Xu well.

Since the death head was also an undead lifeform, it benefited within the ghost fog. Cang Xu selected it as a candidate.

The final candidate was a rapid-movement soul aspect spell called Ghost Slip. It consumed ghosts to gain mobility boosts.

Cang Xu was more interested in Soul Flight. It allows the necromancer to fully phantomize. Advanced Soul Flight could even spectralize the necromancer's equipment, granting immunity to physical attacks.

Jian Gui had deeper experience with this spell. Soul Flight was one of the foundations for his fusion with the ghost ship.

Unfortunately, Soul Flight was only recorded in intermediate soul aspect inheritances.

Cang Xu's aptitude only allowed him to obtain an elementary soul aspect inheritance at best.

Beyond soul aspect inheritance, the Corpse Explosion from the corpse aspect was also promising. Cang Xu considered the Bone Spear and Flying Bone Shield spells from the bone aspect as potential choices.

After the first round of selection, Cang Xu proceeded to a second round of screening.

Only three options remained: Flying Bone Shield, Ghost Slip, and Soul Healing.

All three spellbooks were essential choices Cang Xu needed to acquire. The only question was which one would be his first.

After careful consideration, Cang Xu placed Ghost Slip first.

Though this spell belonged to the elementary soul aspect inheritance, Cang Xu had practiced it extensively.

He conceived the magic model within his mind, then cradled a death head in both hands, imprinting the model onto it.

Plop.

The bronze level death head emitted a soft pop as it detonated.

The explosion was minor, yet Cang Xu's face paled. The magic model was constructed with his spirit; its destruction inflicted damage upon him.

Several consecutive failures followed, leaving Cang Xu's complexion as white as paper.

Suddenly, he realized: "Wait, isn't this exactly how one crafts spell scrolls or spell books? The only difference is that normal magicians use paper, while I use death heads."

A sense of foreboding washed over Cang Xu as he rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, “My wretched alchemy attainment...”

Ever since acquiring the Flying Head Spell, Cang Xu's lamentations over his alchemy attainment had skyrocketed.

In a foul mood, he chose to rest. After recuperating his spirit, he resumed his experiments.

Cang Xu holed up in his cabin, cradling skulls in his palms. He carved runes relentlessly, day and night, enduring the grueling process.

Soon, a bright, sunny day arrived.

Blood Kin City.

Zi Di visited a medicine shop to investigate the market.

The dragon rider potion was already on sale at the medicine shop, and it sold quite well. Zi Di stood there for over ten minutes and witnessed more than a dozen transactions for the dragon rider potion.

“May I assist you, honored customer? What potion might you be seeking?” the shop attendant approached.

Zi Di produced her contract to verify her identity, eliciting a low gasp from the attendant.

Soon after, the shopkeeper hurried over: “My Lord, you've arrived!”

This medicine shop belonged to the Li Jian Clan, but through Zi Di and Kong Pan's partnership, it had been leased to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

The lease term was one year.

Zi Di could certainly pay an additional price to outright purchase the shop instead of renting it.

For the wealthy Li Jian Clan, this was negotiable.

But considering the survivors' precarious, uncertain future, renting was safer than buying.

“Let me see the ledgers first,” Zi Di requested.

Soon after, the merchant lady set down the ledgers, her thoughts turning: “With Bu Quan and others mass-producing potions, I've already successfully captured the mount potion market in Blood Kin City ahead of schedule.”

“At this production level, we can supply all key towns near Snow Bird Harbor.”

“Still, I must personally investigate user feedback.”

Her thoughts drifting, Zi Di glanced back at the ledger: “The largest customer group here is... the Axe Gang?”

Zi Di paused, slightly taken aback.