Chapter 596: Divine Emissary
White Hair Trench.
Cang Xu surveyed the horde of undead before him.
Skeleton archers, skeleton warriors, various fish-like ghosts, a few zombies, the largest form was a gold level ghost ship.
Whatever they were, they were all sealed by Zhou Zhang's divine magic, motionless as statues.
Necromancy - Undead Bloodline Detection!
Cang Xu cast spells continuously, his gaze sharp.
He patiently cross-referenced the bloodline chart, identifying targets among these undead entities related to the Hanging Corpse Tree bloodline.
“Though they're all lower-tier branches of the Hanging Corpse Tree, most are far removed from its core bloodline. Still, small gains accumulate, they can still bolster me.”
“The Hanging Corpse Tree bloodline truly lives up to its saint level potential. Even a 1% increase, no, even 0.1%, brings noticeable change to me.”
Though Cang Xu showed no outward transformation, his essence had undergone a dramatic leap forward.
Not only had his magician cultivation reached silver level, but his bloodline now soared to saint level, though its concentration remained insufficient.
Yet this alone filled Cang Xu with satisfaction and delight, his life had entered a new realm.
He meticulously selected undead creatures suitable for enhancing his bloodline, stacking them at the right exit of this undersea valley.
This seabed valley lay not far from the gathering place of the Charming Blue believers, making it ideal for concealing troops.
Zhou Zhang had stationed numerous transcendents here as guards, who also served as jailers overseeing these undead creatures.
Watching Cang Xu continuously cast undead spells to identify undead beings, the guards wore complex expressions.
There was apprehension, disgust, and rejection toward the undead, yet also warmth toward their own kind, and reverence for Cang Xu, this unique missionary.
Cang Xu's decision to detain Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng as prisoners proved remarkably wise.
With no other undead converting to his faith, he stood alone among the Charming Blue believers.
The series of unique divine spells he wielded proved exceptionally effective for proselytizing. Most crucially, even Archbishop Zhou Zhang lacked these divine spells!
Cang Xu possessed exceptional political acumen. After emerging from the Ocean Mother Nest, he not only meditated but actively spread his teachings far and wide.
His missionary work yielded tangible results, earning him widespread public acclaim.
His repeated survival through teleportation blood sacrifices conclusively proved his “unwavering” and “unquestionable” faith. Thus, Cang Xu's reputation and standing continued to rise, showing no signs of peaking.
The conversion of necromancers to the Charming Blue faith also caused some to waver in their beliefs.
At this critical juncture, Zhou Zhang demonstrated her skill and capability, proving herself worthy of her position as at the level of Archbishop.
She selected eloquent clergy to continuously deliver speeches and public explanations, guiding mainstream opinion.
"Whatever our Lord does is right. Since our Lord has granted necromancers a new identity, what more is there to say?"
“The goddess must have profound intentions, beyond the comprehension of us mere mortals.”
“Consider this: even necromancers now worship our Lord, proof of Her greatness!”
This vigorous propaganda proved highly effective. Thus, Zhou Zhang gradually quelled dissent against Cang Xu.
Of course, a few stubborn believers remained, but they were few and far between.
They weren't executed outright either but instead dispatched on hunting missions. Then, various accidents occurred, and they never returned.
The Charming Blue believers were numerous, gathered here, with prayer being their primary activity.
Therefore, some had to be assigned to hunt for food.
The beast tide erupting from the White Hair Trench brought benefits beyond abundant sacrificial offerings. For the believers, it meant hordes of magic beasts everywhere, ready to be hunted for food.
But these rampaging beasts also preyed upon the believers themselves. Thus, the deaths of these hunters were hardly surprising.
Zhou Zhang's methods were ruthless and decisive, swiftly silencing all dissent.
Cang Xu blended in seamlessly, fostering harmony among the faithful and creating an excellent atmosphere.
No wonder they said this was a world of the strong.
If words fail to persuade, then force will. If problems could not be solved, then eliminate those who created them.
Zhou Zhang's actions made Cang Xu the greatest beneficiary.
Necromancy - Undead Bloodline Detection!
Necromancy - Undead Bloodline Detection!
…
Cang Xu cast the spell repeatedly, targeting the final object—the ghost ship.
A ghost ship of gold level, surpassing his own silver level cultivation.
But it didn't matter. After casting Undead Bloodline Detection over a dozen times, the accumulated data finally revealed the ghost ship's bloodline.
“It's unrelated to the Hanging Corpse Tree's bloodline,” Cang Xu lamented.
Such a gold level entity, if it met the criteria, sent to be absorbed by the Bloodcore, would undoubtedly bring a significant boost to Cang Xu's Hanging Corpse Tree bloodline.
The ghost ship remained utterly motionless, its spirit consciousness feeble. Even as Cang Xu cast spells upon it, it remained utterly oblivious to having narrowly escaped the brink of life and death.
“Keep a close watch on these undead beings. They are all sacrifices for what comes next!” Cang Xu instructed the guards before departing the valley.
The guards hurriedly agreed, their expressions solemn.
Cang Xu had long secured Zhou Zhang's acquiescence. Claiming divine mandate, he had successfully persuaded Zhou Zhang to use undead lives as the primary sacrifices for the upcoming blood rites.
Returning to the believers' encampment, Cang Xu hadn't even reached his crude hut when a messenger arrived, Jian Gui sought an audience.
Jian Gui had been fabricating memories, preparing to perform a blasphemous prayer upon teleporting to the Mother Nest and slip through undetected.
He was indeed resourceful. Leveraging the regenerative advantage of necromancy, he plotted secretly under Zhou Zhang's nose, steadily advancing his self-rescue plan without Zhou Zhang ever suspecting a thing.
However, consecutive blood sacrifices during teleportations had captured both Xiao Wang Zi and Ku Feng, leaving them in a state of “deceived death.”
This drastically reduced Jian Gui's memory fabrication efficiency, but his earlier accumulation was sufficient. If his calculations held, he would barely manage to obtain a complete fabricated memory before his own turn arrived.
“This means Qi Ling has no choice but to take a risk.”
Cang Xu surmised that Jian Gui's reason for seeking him out was likely tied to Qi Ling.
Upon meeting, it proved to be precisely that matter!
Jian Gui requested Cang Xu's assistance in guiding Qi Ling's faith.
The conflict between Qi Ling and Cang Xu ran deep. Even under the crushing pressure of impending death, Qi Ling found it difficult to speak up and actively beg Cang Xu for mercy.
At this critical juncture, Jian Gui proactively stepped in as mediator.
He needed conflict between his subordinates to solidify his authority.
Yet simultaneously, he required his subordinates to “conflict without damage”, preventing their rivalry from escalating to a point that threatened his personal interests.
Thus, Jian Gui sought out Cang Xu for negotiation.
Cang Xu hastily declared: Jian Gui had done him a favor; such formality was unnecessary. Though he clashed with Qi Ling, since Jian Gui had spoken, it was no longer an issue.
His words carried genuine sincerity. He seemed to have completely forgotten the secret, that Jian Gui had tampered with him, setting a deadly trap!
Jian Gui was thoroughly satisfied with Cang Xu's attitude.
Cang Xu had embraced the faith of the Charming Blue Goddess, a necromancer and a believer, effectively straddling two sides. He'd been thriving during this period.
But Jian Gui remained convinced this was merely a facade. As long as he held the fatal switch, no matter how Cang Xu maneuvered, he could never escape his grasp. After all, Cang Xu's very life hung on his whim, what else could Jian Gui fear?
As Cang Xu guided Qi Ling in her faith, the fishman youngster composed himself and entered the prayer chamber.
This period of rest had allowed him to fully assimilate the divine blessings from his previous prayers.
The concentration of the Surging Wave fishman bloodline has risen from 79% to 86%. It's only a few steps away from the legend level cap.
The increase in bloodline concentration brought the fishman youngster comprehensive benefits.
Not only did it help him digest the divine blessings faster, but it also allowed him to absorb more divine content at once.
“As for divine favor, I already have over 20,000 points.”
Truth be told, ever since the fishman youngster gained divine favor, it had only grown, never diminishing.
The duelists on Ice Sculpture Island used their divine favor sparingly, counting every drop. But the fishman youngster possessed so much divine favor he couldn't spend it all.
His precise, targeted prayers required no expenditure of divine favor to obtain what he desired.
For the fishman youngster, the divine favor of the Charming Blue Goddess gradually became a mere number.
“Charming Blue Goddess, my Lord, I pay homage to You.”
“You are the master of deception, making the sea Your home. You hide truth within endless mist, moving effortlessly through illusions and enchantments, as fluid and mysterious as the tides.”
“You are the embodiment of lies and deceit, bewildering all beings in the world.”
“Your believer prays here, beseeching You to grant me extraordinary enhancement in battle qi and magic power. Let the silver level become a thing of the past, enabling me to embrace the arrival of the gold level.”
“Charming Blue Goddess, my Lord, may Your wisdom forever guide me, making me a part of Your grand endeavor.”
"Thank You for Your constant protection and care, oh Charming Blue Goddess. Let me break free from my cocoon and transform into a butterfly under Your power..."
Boom!
Before the fishman youngster could finish his prayer, a colossal divine power manifested above his head.
The Charming Blue divine power coalesced into a pillar of light, its volume now one-fifth larger than before.
The pillar washed over the fishman youngster from head to toe.
Gritting his teeth, the youngster was forced to halt his prayer momentarily, channeling all his focus to receive the divine blessing.
He had planned his blasphemous prayer in advance, mapping out three distinct paths. After careful deliberation, he opted for stability, prioritizing the advancement of both his fighter and magician levels to gold level.
His current life level was gold level, limiting the scale of divine power within him.
Possessing gold level fighter and magician levels would provide an effective counterbalance to the divine power. Additionally, he could utilize his Bloodcore to transform into his dragonman form, further resisting the subtle alterations the divine power wrought upon his body, mind, and soul.
The fishman youngster had once considered prioritizing his clerical position. But recently, his dreams had become more frequent. Each time, he glimpsed a shadow as vast as a mountain at the bottom of the great whirlpool, drawing ever closer.
After consulting with Cang Xu, he altered his plan, opting for stability first.
The pillar of divine light lasted longer than before, extending by roughly three minutes.
After the light completely dissipated, the fishman youngster kneeled on the ground, utterly drained. He struggled to his feet.
“This time, I hadn't even finished my prayer before receiving the divine blessing.”
“Charming Blue Goddess... is so eager?”
Surprise overshadowed joy on the fishman youngster's face.
This divine blessing hadn't granted him a qualitative leap in battle qi or magic power—instead, it bestowed a clerical position.
“I clearly prayed for a battle qi upgrade yet received a clerical position instead!”
“Divine emissary!”
“Did I skip straight past the level of sacred son?”