Chapter 501: Respective Breakthroughs

White Hair Trench.

Ocean Mother Nest.

Inside the Deep Sea Monster Fish.

“My name is Duo Yu. I'm a fisherman.”

"From a young age, I've worshiped the Charming Blue Goddess, I am a monk of 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.”

Cang Xu knelt on the ground, sincerely praying.

“My Lord, the 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 lamb, 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 energy descended from the void, entering his body. Most of it remained within him, bringing vast knowledge and precious information.

“I've ascended to become a missionary.”

“These are all divine spells...”

A vast array of divine spells!

Missionary Mark, Soul Link, Spiritual Sound Sermon, Spiritual Navigation, Synchronized Conversion, and Opportunistic Deception.

“My Lord... I thank You for Your blessings and aid!” Cang Xu was filled with profound gratitude. Had he not been an undead being, tears would surely have welled in his eyes.

Yet, the moment his hand touched the metal hatch, the Memory Switching Spell activated.

A deluge of suppressed true memories surged into his consciousness. Two conflicting streams of memory collided, their contradictions leaving Cang Xu frozen in place, writhing in agony and plunged into profound self-doubt.

At that moment, the Subconscious Reminder Spell also took effect. It allowed Cang Xu to swiftly discern which stream of memories was his true self.

The look of confusion gradually faded from Cang Xu's face.

Soon, his eyes regained their clarity and composure.

“Success. This blasphemous prayer has succeeded once more.”

The joy vanished as quickly as it had come, and Cang Xu began calmly analyzing the outcome.

He had deliberately crafted this prayer to closely mirror the first one, with the fabricated memories nearly identical.

On one hand, the carefully designed prayer invoked specific needs: “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.

On the other hand, Cang Xu intended to compare this outcome with the first attempt. With most conditions identical, contrasting the two results would more clearly reveal the impact of his altered aptitude.

This was the mindset of a magician conducting an experiment, in a sense, it was already bordering on blasphemy.

If the deity were in good standing, such testing would likely prove futile, or even provoke divine wrath. But the Charming Blue Goddess lay gravely wounded and slumbering.

Such a deity was the perfect target for sacrilege!

The contrast between the two outcomes was stark.

“I recall that during my first prayer, the divine blessing merely restored my mental state to wholeness.”

“Only after repeated prayers did the Charming Blue Goddess bestow upon me the clerical position of monk.”

"This time, however, after my innate aptitude shifted, a single prayer elevated my rank: from monk to missionary. This is a qualitative leap!"

According to the divine message, monkhood was a preparatory position, while missionary was the true clerical position.

In other words, Cang Xu had been formally accepted into the Charming Blue Church. It was like an apprentice magician being officially promoted to a full-fledged magician!

“The gods select their believers and bestow divine blessings based on individual merit.”

“My aptitude has improved, making me a more promising investment. Thus, the gods granted a more generous divine blessing.”

Cang Xu's emotions were complex.

On one hand, he was filled with profound emotion. The Corpse-Hanging Tree bloodline truly lived up to its saint level status. Merely 3% concentration had caused the gods to visibly alter their attitude.

Yet he also felt the world's cold cruelty anew.

This was a world that revered bloodlines.

Whether cultivating battle qi, magic, or becoming a clergyman, innate bloodline talent was paramount.

Without it, even boundless talent drifted like rootless duckweed. Grand ambitions remained unfulfilled, and noble ideals forever unattainable.

Cang Xu examined his body closely.

Now, his body was saturated with Charming Blue divine power.

Undoubtedly, this was a superior form of energy.

It lingered within Cang Xu. Whenever he cast any divine spell he had mastered, this divine power would act as fuel, enabling the spell to be executed smoothly.

Simultaneously, the divine power continuously nourished Cang Xu's body and soul. Every moment, it slowly transformed his entire being. Over time, Cang Xu would undergo a profound transformation from within, aligning more deeply with the path of the Charming Blue believers.

If left unchecked, this transformation would, after a certain period, make Cang Xu an exceptional vessel for the Charming Blue divine power. Should his faith meet the required standard, he might even become a saint believer of the Charming Blue Goddess. After death, souls were guided more smoothly and swiftly by the Charming Blue Goddess into Her divine domain.

Cang Xu now stood alongside Zhou Zhang, not merely a magician, but also a clergyman.

Though the power of the Charming Blue divine power resided within Cang Xu's body, it did not conflict with undead magic power.

On one hand, the divine power existed within Cang Xu's physical form, while undead magic was concentrated within his personal magic pool. The two remained distinctly separate.

On the other hand, divine power was a superior energy source with universal attributes, comprehensively surpassing undead magic. It could encompass, absorb, and transform it.

In truth, battle qi, magic power, and divine power were all fundamentally compatible.

Thus, it was possible for a transcendent to be not only a fighter but also a magician and a clergyman. Of course, such instances were exceedingly rare.

“This time, I've been granted so many divine spells, and I can use them all. Unlike magic models, I don't need to study or research them at all; I can cast them directly.”

Cang Xu hadn't attempted any yet.

Among the vast information bestowed by the divine blessing were comprehensive descriptions of the corresponding divine spells. These descriptions were exceptionally detailed and specific.

In truth, upon acquiring these divine spells, Cang Xu experienced a powerful instinctive sensation.

Much like those transcendents with highly concentrated bloodlines who mastered racial magic without study. Employing these racial magics felt as simple, natural, and direct as moving one's limbs.

This undoubtedly saved clergymen a tremendous amount of learning time. Compared to magicians, this was also an advantage for them.

"However, without the process of learning, there is no true self-mastery. From another perspective, this is also a means by which the deities exert control over their transcendent believers."

When Cang Xu became a monk, he had already acquired much doctrinal knowledge. But the teachings of the Charming Blue Church primarily concerned personal cultivation, prayer, and other ritualistic norms.

This time, upon becoming a missionary, Cang Xu gained a wealth of new information. Among them were many more doctrines. Yet these teachings transcended personal cultivation, focusing more on how to preach and guide others in prayer.

“The most crucial concept among them is - divine favor.”

“Upon becoming a missionary, I automatically received ten units of divine favor.”

Divine favor differed from divine power.

Divine power was a form of energy, while divine favor was more akin to information.

Cang Xu attempted to grasp it: divine favor was the fusion of a believer's authority and currency within the divine domain.

Often, when activating major divine spells, not only divine power but also divine favor must be expended. Take the Resurrection Spell, for instance, this divine spell consumed vast amounts of divine favor.

Thus, merely mastering divine spells did not grant clergy the freedom to abuse them.

This was the deities' means of restraining their believers.

Greater divine favor signified higher authority for clergy, increasing the likelihood of divine favor and recognition.

Divine favor was immensely precious, influencing all aspects of life and could not be squandered.

Moreover, avenues for acquiring divine favor were limited. For Cang Xu at present, he possesses only one path: proselytizing.

The more successful his missionary work, the greater the divine favor he gained.

“This prayer yielded immense rewards, surpassing all previous prayers combined.”

“I've become a full-fledged clergyman, mastering these divine spells. The previous challenges have been effortlessly resolved.”

“However... there's no need to inform the commander just yet.”

“I believe he is capable of transcending his own limits.”

Holding deep anticipation, Cang Xu slowly pulled open the metal hatch.

The next moment, he saw the fishman youngster, weary yet resolute.

As before, they exchanged their secret signal. After confirming Cang Xu’s status was reliable, the fishman youngster sighed deeply and shared his latest decision.

The fishman youngster agreed to Cang Xu's earlier proposal, deciding to take action against those fishmen!

A smile immediately curved Cang Xu's lips.

The fishman youngster's reaction was exactly as he had anticipated.

The old magician, well-versed in human nature, promptly offered comfort: “Commander, there's no need for such heaviness in your heart. I can assure you; this is not a fall from grace!"

“Of all the survivors, even if everyone else were to fall, I would never believe you would.”

"Because you have your limits. You have always adhered to your principles and maintained unwavering vigilance against any actions that might lead to corruption."

“You are a true knight. Honest, kind, and steadfast in your convictions.”

“A knight?” The fishman youngster shook his head with a bitter smile. "Perhaps I'm merely a beast. Remember what we said during our final charge on Mystifying Monster Island? At best, I suppose I'm a beast knight."

Cang Xu shrugged, a faint smile touching his lips. “Who among us isn't a beast?”

“If becoming a beast is the only way to survive, then I choose to be one.”

“And I can say with certainty: you are far more than just a beast knight. You are our commander—the commander of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!”

“You haven't let personal attachments cloud your judgment.”

“The path you chose is the survival strategy best suited for all of us who survived.”

“In formulating this strategy, you even set aside parts of yourself to some extent.”

"I know you have your principles, your noble character, yet you were willing to genuinely consider my proposal. Truly consider what we stand to gain by slaughtering these people. And what the consequences would be if we did not act."

“You weighed the greater good and considered every angle.”

“You are the leader of us all. No one can take your place.”

“Only you are worthy to be our commander!”