Chapter 457: Cang Xu vs Jian Gui

The gaze hidden beneath Jian Gui's hood flickered faintly.

He felt a twinge of unease and doubt.

This covert method of communication wasn't simple.

It could only be established because Jian Gui shared a secret link with others.

Jian Gui knew Cang Xu could use this covert method, because back on the ghost ship in the Underworld River, Cang Xu had already been tampered with!

“The question is, has Cang Xu truly discovered this?”

With this doubt, Jian Gui probed, "Xu Jia, it seems your bloodline mutation is heading in a positive direction. It likely granted you enhanced necromancy aptitude, enabling you to master this covert communication method."

Cang Xu smiled: "I don't know why, but perhaps it's the initial fruit of my bloodline mutation. Anyway, after listening to your communications for so long, I naturally picked it up. It's truly remarkable!"

Jian Gui chuckled: “Had you communicated this way during the gathering just now; it would have brought others quite the surprise.” (Since you've mastered this method of communication, why didn't you interact before? Hiding your abilities like this—your motives aren't pure!)

Cang Xu gave a wry smile: "They've asked every question there is. There's nothing left for me to inquire about. My Lord, I sought you out privately because something occurred to me.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“As you said, the Ocean Mother Nest will be our final chance. There, we'll face a saint level sea beast. At that point, we silver levels won't stand a chance against it. The Ocean Mother Nest is a closed environment; we can't create distance to stall the saint level sea beast.” Therefore, at the critical moment, we must still rely on your power. But you cannot simultaneously fight and operate the memory crystal making device. At that time, only we can perform the operation!"

At this point, Cang Xu abruptly fell silent.

Yet his meaning was made abundantly clear - he desired this specific knowledge.

Jian Gui sank into silence, seemingly unsettled by Cang Xu's sudden offensive.

Cang Xu continued, "Lord Jian Gui, what do you think of my proposal? Only by harnessing the strength of all of us can we truly cooperate, build mutual trust, and ultimately escape together." (I now suspect you intend to use us as cannon fodder! Only by allowing us to operate the alchemy apparatus can you demonstrate sincerity in cooperation. Your refusal would only confirm my current suspicion.)

After a long silence, Jian Gui laughed heartily: “Xu Jia, just as I sensed when we first met, you truly are a clever one!”

"Indeed, your suggestion is excellent! I admit my planning was somewhat lacking. Thank you for pointing out my oversight."

"I shall impart this knowledge to you immediately. This will greatly increase our chances of success. This time, if we cooperate wholeheartedly, we will surely weather this storm together!" (You actually dare to threaten me? Impressive! But I've agreed. We truly need close coordination and mutual trust to work together effectively; only then do we have a chance of escape. If you want to live, you must align yourself with me and genuinely cooperate. That's your only chance!)

Their conversation was truly fascinating.

On the surface, they exchanged pleasantries, revealing their fears and offering suggestions on how to convert. This was the first layer of deception, deliberately spoken for Zhou Zhang and the others to hear.

In reality, they communicated covertly through secret means.

But the hidden meaning behind this exchange was their true core message!

Next, Jian Gui taught the method to use the memory crystal making device to Cang Xu.

"You're the first among them to receive this inheritance knowledge. Once you see it, you'll find the operation simple and remarkably convenient. But without the crucial alchemy apparatus, this knowledge is utterly useless."

"The most important thing for us now is to work together seamlessly to forge a complete memory. Do you understand?" Jian Gui asked.

Having received his reward, Cang Xu appeared exceedingly compliant: “I understand, Lord. I'll return immediately and devote myself to altering my faith!”

He declared this publicly.

Jian Gui naturally understood Cang Xu's hidden meaning. He nodded: “Go. Go.”

Cang Xu left his shack, and Jian Gui's gaze darkened like water.

He gritted his teeth inwardly: "Xu Jia, well done. You actually dare to blackmail me? Hah, you've got some nerve. Do you realize your life hangs on my whim? No, you don't. If you did, how could you dare treat me this way?"

Jian Gui sneered coldly before refocusing his mind to forge memories.

His escape depended on this task; he dared not be careless or negligent.

Cang Xu returned to his shack, his expression darkening rapidly.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, “If that's the case, then something must have been done to me. I've already been controlled by Jian Gui.”

“It probably isn't just me. Qi Ling, Xiao Wang Zi, Ku Feng, and the others must be the same!”

Having served as a noble steward for many years, coupled with his innate disposition, Cang Xu had become quite adept at the art of scheming.

Ever since recognizing the true nature of Jian Gui, he harbored deep suspicions toward this gold level necromancer.

This time, Jian Gui had proactively imparted advanced soul aspect inheritance to other necromancers. Even if it was only a portion, and even after Jian Gui explained his reasons, Cang Xu remained profoundly uneasy.

He feared Jian Gui had tampered with the inheritance content.

Another doubt gnawed at him - did Jian Gui not fear that one or more necromancers might betray him upon learning his plans?

Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng might be trustworthy. But Cang Xu, an outsider who had joined only recently - had he truly earned Jian Gui's complete trust? Simply because he participated in the Underworld River battle?

Then there was Qi Ling.

Though Qi Ling herself worshiped other sea gods, and not Charming Blue Goddess, her heart remained with her fishman clan from her mortal days. Even after becoming a necromancer, she continued serving the Da Ji Clan.

What if Qi Ling betrayed Jian Gui to Zhou Zhang for her clan's sake?

It was entirely possible.

A man like Jian Gui couldn't fail to consider such a possibility.

Had Jian Gui been someone like Xiao Wang Zi, Cang Xu wouldn't have harbored such doubts.

But the crux was that he was Jian Gui, a man who, at the brink of life and death, could sacrifice others as pawns to secure his own survival.

Thus, a conjecture naturally formed in Cang Xu's mind.

“We've likely all been tampered with, and this method ensures Jian Gui's own safety.”

Recalling the backgrounds of the other necromancers, Cang Xu immediately realized: If Jian Gui wanted to tamper with them, it would be incredibly simple. Opportunities abounded.

Qi Ling had been summoned by Jian Gui himself. Qi Ling had also served as Jian Gui's alchemy assistant for years. For Jian Gui to tamper with them would have been all too easy.

As for the undead ronin Ku Feng, Jian Gui had originally intended to summon him personally. But ultimately, it was Doctor Sui Shi who stepped in and forged Ku Feng. Doctor Sui Shi was one of the Twelve Saints, sharing the same orthodox undead lineage as Jian Gui. Considering the scenario where Doctor Sui Shi rushed to support during the battle of the Underworld River, their close relationship was evident. Given this connection, it's entirely plausible that Doctor Sui Shi would willingly cooperate with Jian Gui to tamper with Ku Feng.

As for Xiao Wang Zi, this necromancer wasn't personally converted by Jian Gui. But Xiao Wang Zi's mind was simple; all these years, he never saw through Jian Gui's true nature. Having interacted for so long, how could Jian Gui not find an opportunity?

Finally, there's Cang Xu himself. The Underworld River battle exposed his greatest vulnerability. On the ghost ship, Cang Xu was saved by Jian Gui. Cang Xu remained unconscious for an extended period. In truth, his current body was actively provided by Jian Gui. These are all loopholes!

“For Jian Gui, only by tampering with us can he truly trust us.”

“Thus, the extent of this safeguard can be inferred.”

Jian Gui possessed the confidence to proactively impart advanced knowledge in the inheritance. Clearly, he harbored no fear of these necromancers informing on him or leaking the inheritance content.

Should any necromancer among them commit treachery, whether informing or divulging the inheritance, Jian Gui’s covertly planted measures would activate instantly to suppress it.

"Therefore, such measures should be capable of instantly eliminating any one of us at a critical moment. "

“Then, does it possess surveillance capabilities?”

“Most likely not,” Cang Xu pondered, his mind racing with speculation.

If it had surveillance, Jian Gui would have detected his earlier communication with the fishman youngster.

At this life-or-death juncture, Jian Gui would never pass up any opportunity to exploit external forces. He would definitely seek out Cang Xu for negotiations.

After all, he was practically cornered now, with no choice but to rely on the methods of the blasphemous priest to fight for a chance to escape.

“In fact, if there's still surveillance capability, then the control mechanisms deployed by Jian Gui are simply too vast.”

It was like setting up a magic formation: the more functions it had, the stronger its power, the larger the area it covered, the more potent its aura, the greater the resources it consumed, and the more conspicuous it became.

“We're all necromancers. If such methods become too extensive, the likelihood of detection increases significantly.”

"As seen in the advanced inheritance, all necromancer inheritances share a common origin. While elementary inheritances lack the expansive vistas of higher ones, their content undoubtedly forms the foundational bedrock."

"If my understanding is correct, Jian Gui's methods should be rooted within our very souls. The constraints imposed upon us mirror how Xiao Wang Zi commands his skeletal legions, just as I manipulate those death heads, or how Qi Ling and the ghost ship command their ghosts."

“Manipulating souls is what necromancers excel at. Especially Jian Gui, who specializes in the soul aspect.”

“In a way, we could be seen as Jian Gui's undead summons.”

"We're bound by divine and magic spells, yet we can communicate secretly. This unbroken, undisturbed link is likely the strong bond between master and summoned creature."

“Therefore, that earlier exchange, Jian Gui's first words were actually a test directed at me.”

“He wanted to see if I had already sensed the tampering within myself.”

As Cang Xu pondered further, the truth gradually unfolded before his eyes.

It must be said that Cang Xu possessed a meticulous mind; in discerning plots and schemes, he was undoubtedly the foremost among the survivors.

"If our connection to Jian Gui is indeed like this, then in his eyes, we are his possessions, and he is our master in a potential sense."

“This explains why he has been lavishly supporting Qi Ling, Ku Feng, and Xiao Wang Zi all along.”

Cang Xu recalled the first undead gathering on Weeping Pine Island.

Even then, he had noticed: in such undead assemblies, Jian Gui was the pivotal, central figure. He provided resources others couldn't offer like soul crystals, memory crystals. And Jian Gui's demands for trade were remarkably modest. Though holding a monopolistic advantage, his prices remained fair in every transaction.

It was as if Jian Gui was playing with the others!

Cang Xu had previously believed: as a member of the orthodox undead lineage, Jian Gui sought to nurture and support other necromancers, embodying the magnanimity and vision befitting his status.

This perception had been shared by Xiao Wang Zi and the others.

But upon deeper reflection, a contradiction emerged.

Namely, undead resources!

For necromancers, undead resources were finite. Though Jian Gui belonged to the orthodox lineage of the undead, was his resource pool truly vast enough to justify such investments?

Necromancers like Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng, even if they were silver level, did their talents truly warrant such substantial investment?

As Cang Xu recalled this, the echo of Jian Gui's booming laughter filled his ears, brimming with hearty cheerfulness.

Yet now, he sensed a chill emanating from that very laughter.

"From Jian Gui's perspective, these three necromancers are his summoned servants, his property, not outsiders. Therefore, investing resources to cultivate three capable silver level subordinates is entirely worthwhile."

“This is Jian Gui's true face.”

The warmth he displayed was false.

His methods were covert.

He concealed his true intentions exceptionally well.

Even Cang Xu couldn't help but admire: Jian Gui truly had a knack for this!

“In that case, my very life is manipulated by Jian Gui. Life or death rests solely on his whim.”

Cang Xu's expression was utterly composed.

He would eliminate any threat to his life without hesitation.

But clearly, Jian Gui was a gold level. Even now, with everyone else captured, Cang Xu couldn't handle him alone.

"To confront Jian Gui requires utmost caution, then more caution. The slightest slip, and he'll activate his methods, ending me in an instant."

“Yet precisely because he possesses such power, I unexpectedly gained his trust ahead of schedule.”

"That's why he imparted the advanced inheritance to me and accepted my earlier negotiation demands. He secretly implanted control measures within me, making him believe my life and death are entirely within his grasp."

“If I escape this time, he'll likely confront me about it.”

“Phew... Thank goodness the commander is nearby!”

Cang Xu thought of the fishman youngster, exhaling a breath of relief, feeling profoundly fortunate once more.

This was the power of wisdom!

Due to Cang Xu's limited magician abilities, he couldn't detect the passive manipulation affecting him nor determine the nature of this control method.

Yet through his ingenuity, he pushed beyond the limits of his magician skills, compensating for his lack of transcendent powers.

“Wait a moment, perhaps I can seize this opportunity to extract more undead inheritance from Jian Gui!” The thought stirred Cang Xu's heart.

After further deliberation, Cang Xu concluded there was no better opportunity!

Under normal circumstances, he'd need to prove his bloodline, endure countless trials, and demonstrate unwavering loyalty before even becoming eligible for inheritance of the undead orthodoxy.

It was a lengthy process fraught with danger.

The orthodoxy would undoubtedly conduct thorough, covert background checks.

But in this peculiar predicament, Cang Xu could leverage Zhou Zhang and the pressure of life-or-death stakes to force Jian Gui to reveal more inheritances.

“Esteemed Jian Gui, surely you don't wish my failure to ultimately doom your escape, right?”

“Killing me is simple, but it will inevitably alert Zhou Zhang.”

“Since you've already imparted some advanced inheritance, surely you won't mind sharing the intermediate undead knowledge as well?”