Chapter 476: Cang Xu – I am a Devout Charming Blue Believer

Deep Sea Monster Fish.

In a specially arranged cabin, Cang Xu slowly opened his eyes.

“Where am I?” He looked around, his gaze unfocused.

But soon, waves of memories flooded his mind, making him understand his situation.

“My name is Duo Yu. I'm a fisherman.”

“From childhood, I have worshiped the Charming Blue Goddess, a devout believer in my Lord.”

“During a shipwreck, I was captured by an evil necromancer. He turned me into his test subject, ultimately transforming me into an undead being with his wicked magic!”

"Though I am no longer truly alive, I still yearn to return home. My wife must be waiting for me. My son, daughter-in-law, and my newborn grandson..."

“My Lord, I beseech Your mercy. Please rescue me.”

The cabin contained only a single bed and a statue.

The statue depicted a mermaid holding a staff, her fishtail standing amidst the waves. Her features were exquisite, and her gaze fixed on the horizon, radiating an aura of untouchable majesty.

It was a statue of Charming Blue Goddess.

Cang Xu knelt on both knees, his face filled with sincerity as he began to pray.

“My Lord, mighty Charming Blue Goddess!”

“You are the powerful Sea Goddess, possessing infinite wisdom and strength.”

“I beseech You to rescue me, to have mercy on me, to help me break the seal upon my body, to restore my freedom, and to return me to safety.”

“As Your sheep, I deeply feel Your love and grace. I trust You will guide me and grant me strength to rise and bravely face all challenges in my destiny.”

“I shall serve You for life. Even though I have become an undead monster, it does not diminish my faithful devotion to You!”

Cang Xu prayed over and over.

After several repetitions, a surge of divine power descended from the void, entering his body. It soothed his weary spirit, restoring him to peak condition!

Cang Xu's heart surged with shock and joy, tears welling in his eyes.

“The goddess has noticed me!” he nearly roared in excitement.

Remembering his confinement, he forced himself to suppress his overwhelming emotion and bowed his head to continue praying.

“Time is running out. I must reach the alchemy chamber, or that wicked necromancer will surely grow suspicious.” The fabricated memory urged Cang Xu, forcing him to reluctantly end his prayers.

He rose, took a few steps, and approached the hatch.

The instant he opened it, his pupils contracted to pinpricks, and he froze.

A tidal wave of genuine memories surged forth, rendering the fabricated memories suspicious in comparison.

Cang Xu stood frozen for nearly ten seconds before regaining his composure.

The collision of two memories sent sharp pains through his head. A wave of intense dizziness overwhelmed him, forcing him to bend over and kneel, retching uncontrollably.

At first, he was utterly skeptical, convinced an evil necromancer or magician had tampered with his memories to transform him into someone else.

But then, a powerful subconscious voice deep within him began insisting that the second set of memories was the genuine, unaltered truth.

Finally, when he recalled his capture, his reunion with the fishman youngster aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish, and the plan to desecrate the goddess using fabricated memories, everything clicked into place.

“I'm awake!” Cang Xu trembled, gripping the metal wall as he pulled himself to his feet.

He shouted, “Commander!”

The fishman youngster remained stationed in the cockpit. The moment Cang Xu emerged, he noticed.

But the fishman youngster, exercising caution, did not reveal himself immediately. Instead, he used the intercom to ask Cang Xu several questions.

These questions had been deliberately prepared beforehand to verify the state of Cang Xu's memory recovery.

Cang Xu answered with remarkable accuracy and speed.

Only then did the fishman youngster truly reveal himself, inquiring with concern about the matter of the prayer.

Cang Xu declared, “I succeeded.”

"The hardest part was ‘awakening’, restoring my true self. In this phase, both the Memory Switching Spell and Subconscious Reminder Spell played crucial roles."

Cang Xu had designed the memory switching to be triggered by the action of “opening the hatch and stepping out of the chamber.”

Thus, the moment he left the chamber, his true memories began to resurface.

Two streams of memory clashed relentlessly, the real memories striving to overwhelm the fabricated ones, plunging Cang Xu's mind into chaos. At this critical juncture, his potent subconscious voice helped Cang Xu identify which memories were genuine, drastically shortening his recovery time.

This was precisely the power of the Subconscious Reminder Spell!

Cang Xu looked at the fishman youngster, his voice brimming with excitement: "Our fabricated memories have withstood the test. They hold up perfectly. After my prayer, I have also received divine blessing. My spirit, once exhausted and at its lowest ebb from studying and casting two spells, is now fully restored and at its peak."

The fishman youngster nodded, exhaling a cloud of murky breath.

Cang Xu's prayer had succeeded. The first trial was a resounding success, revealing several truths.

First, Charming Blue Goddess was indeed gravely wounded and had fallen into a deep slumber. Thus, the fabricated memory had passed inspection.

Second, though the Deep Sea Monster Fish was imbued with the Deceptive Disguise spell and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell, it could not hide from the Charming Blue Goddess. Even in her slumber, she could still bestow divine blessing upon Cang Xu.

Third, Cang Xu had not gained the goddess's attention.

The reason was simple: despite praying many times, Cang Xu had only recovered his spirit.

Compared to other believers, their gains were far greater. Some had elevated their transcendent ranks, while others had gained vast combat experience.

However, Cang Xu and the fishman youngster had anticipated this outcome in their secret discussions.

“It's likely your undead status caused the deity to treat you differently,” the fishman youngster sighed.

No deity would ever favor a necromancer.

Cang Xu shook his head, it was an inescapable reality.

Crucially, they currently had no solution for this predicament.

Using the Deceptive Disguise spell might be a solution, but based on the first trial, this method was highly likely to fail.

Still, it was worth a shot.

After all, the divine artifact overflowed with Pearl Bubbles.

The second prayer trial.

Cang Xu awoke alone in the cabin.

The cabin contained a single bed, an image of the Charming Blue Goddess, and a mirror.

In the mirror, Cang Xu saw his own reflection - a merman.

To enhance the prayer's effectiveness, the fishman youngster had directly altered Cang Xu's appearance into that of a merman, aligning it most closely with the image of the Charming Blue Goddess.

To complement this new form, the fishman youngster also used the alchemy device to slightly adjust the fabricated memories.

“I am a merman named Duo Yu.”

“From childhood, I have worshiped the Charming Blue Goddess as a devout believer of my Lord!”

"I was persecuted! The priest of the Sea Abyss Church framed me and imprisoned me here. Only if I renounce my faith will he spare me."

"But how could I ever do that!"

“I will never renounce my faith, even if that damned priest has placed a deadly curse upon me that will kill me instantly when the time comes.”

“Damn it! He's sealed my supernatural abilities. I can't escape on my own!”

Cang Xu gritted his teeth silently.

Within the fabricated memories, he had already attempted numerous escape plans, all ending in failure.

“Smash this statue, and I'll release you. I'll extend your time limit and delay your sudden death.” The priest of the Sea Abyss Church's words echoed in his ears.

Cang Xu refused to do so. Gritting his teeth, he knelt before the statue of the Charming Blue Goddess and began his prayer.

“My Lord, goddess I worship with my entire being.”

“You are the Sea Goddess, ruling over the oceans and all sea creatures.”

“You are the Goddess of Deception and Disguise, capable of deceiving foes and masquerading as all things.”

"I deeply feel Your power and majesty and shall follow Your path for all my days. Grant me strength to break free from my bonds, to avert the peril of sudden death!"

"Protect me, let Your radiance illuminate my life. My God!"

Cang Xu's prayer originated from his fabricated memories.

In reality, it was meticulously crafted through discussions with the fishman youngster.

Both the first and second rounds of prayer addressed needs like “breaking bonds” and “averting mortal peril.” The purpose was clear: to harness the divine blessing of the Charming Blue Goddess to resolve the seal planted by Zhou Zhang and the undead trap set by Jian Gui.

This time, though Cang Xu again received divine blessing, it bypassed the saint level seal and the undead threat. Instead, it granted him a divine job from thin air, elevating him to the rank of monk.

Along with this monk job, Cang Xu acquired the doctrines of the Charming Blue Church, its cultivation practices, and the protocols for prayer.

After opening the door, Cang Xu regained his memories once more.

When he turned to look at the mirror in the cabin, his merman form vanished without a trace, restoring his true appearance.

Such was the nature of the Deceptive Disguise spell.

Cang Xu's true memories knew this truth, so upon awakening, the spell held no power over him.

After conversing with the fishman youngster, he sighed, “The sample size is too small. We can't determine the extent of the divine blessing between the two instances.”

Cang Xu replied, "Regardless, the mermaid's disguise isn't very convincing. Just as we suspected, the Deceptive Disguise spell may fool Zhou Zhang, but it certainly cannot deceive the Charming Blue Goddess!"

"We've wasted enough time. I see no need to test the Deceptive Disguise spell again. It's time for me to guide you, Commander, into meditation."

A flicker of hesitation crossed the fishman youngster's face, but he eventually nodded. Together with Cang Xu, they departed and entered the meditation chamber.

Divine bestowal, commonly referred to as the divine blessing, was fundamentally tailored to the recipient.

The primary considerations were twofold: the depth of faith and the innate aptitude of the believer.

After two prayer trials, they concluded the Deceptive Disguise spell was highly unlikely to conceal anything from the Charming Blue Goddess.

Therefore, from the perspectives of the fishman youngster and Cang Xu, the most effective way to enhance divine blessing was to improve innate aptitude!

For anyone else, this method would be nothing short of a fairy tale.

But the fishman youngster, possessing a Bloodcore, was exceptional. Cang Xu, who could benefit from the Bloodline Purification formation, was also exceptional.