Chapter 451: Section 238: The Endless Bloodline, The Fall of All Tribes
Then, the ship ghost introduced Cang Xu to Fin Spirit.
Fin Spirit was indeed summoned by the ship ghost, and after careful nurturing, Fin Spirit’s mind had been restored to its original state.
“She has helped me a lot and is my best lab assistant,” the ship ghost spoke highly of Fin Spirit. “Unfortunately, she can’t let go of her own tribe. She pleaded with me many times, hoping I would grant her freedom so she could continue to serve her tribe.”
“I warned her that her identity was too special at this moment and that she would certainly not be accepted by her tribe.”
“But she persisted in her desire, so I had no choice but to let her go,” the ship ghost sighed deeply.
The taciturn Fin Spirit bowed deeply to the ship ghost, “My lord, your grace in recreating me will never be forgotten. The time I spent as your assistant was the most fulfilling and peaceful time of my life.”
“But as you said, every life has the right to pursue its own happiness and seek meaning in life.”
“So, I choose to return to my tribe and silently protect my people. Even if misunderstood, I feel very happy.”
“Hmph!” the Little Prince immediately retorted discontentedly, “You are just a ghost, you don’t even have bones, how can it be ‘engrained in your bones’?”
“You are a fool!”
“After returning to the tribe, you were almost killed by your own people. Despite your strength, you did not fight back.”
“In the end, it was Lord ship ghost who stepped in and saved you.”
“Even after that, you still sneaked back and fought a desperate battle with the powerful sea beasts, sacrificing yourself for your tribe.”
Fin Spirit sneered, “And how much better are you? Each year, for a certain period, you gaze longingly at a certain passing ship.”
“Are you not also secretly protecting your country’s merchant ships? Even when bombarded by their cannons, have you ever retaliated?”
“You!” The Little Prince was at a loss for words.
The ship ghost timely explained, “His transformation into Undead has nothing to do with me.”
“Our Little Prince is indeed a prince, but although he was born noble, he died young.”
“His parents couldn’t bear it and secretly employed an Undead Mage to resurrect him using Undead Magic.”
“The Little Prince couldn’t continue to live by his parents’ side in this form, as that would bring great troubles to both parties.”
“So, after some time, he remained in this sea area.”
“Every year at a certain time, his parents would visit Ice Sculpture Island by ship. It’s his rare opportunity to reunite with his parents.”
Fin Spirit rarely interjected, “It’s not just that. When the Little Prince first came here, he was very restless.”
“If Lord ship ghost hadn’t taken him under his wing, tirelessly taking care of him and dealing with all kinds of troubles he caused, he would have turned into bone dust long ago.”
Through their mutual undercutting, Cang Xu gained a deeper understanding of the several Undead present.
He also understood why Ku Feng and others respected the ship ghost so much.
The ship ghost looked at Cang Xu and concluded, “So you see, we are not purely dangerous beings.”
“We all have our own pursuits in life and want to grasp our own happiness.”
“It’s just that the form of our life is a bit special.”
“Even our transformation into Undead has inevitable reasons.”
But Cang Xu frowned, “However, I’m different from you. I chose to become an Undead Mage of my own accord.”
“I came here to acquire more resources to facilitate better cultivation. What I want is to make myself stronger, the stronger the better.”
“Compared to me, you appear more innocent. But that’s not my concern, everyone.”
“All I want to know is when this gathering can officially begin?”
“Newcomer, watch your tone. You should know you’re speaking with Lord ship ghost,” the Little Prince immediately scolded with indignation.
Fin Spirit paused the long-handled Magic Wand in her hands and calmly scolded, “Be patient, newcomer.”
The ship ghost waved his hand, “Ohoho.”
He laughed, “Don’t be nervous, you two. Please don’t misunderstand me.”
“You’ve explained how you became an Undead Mage, and in fairness, I’ve introduced the past of others.”
“Secondly, I wanted to prove that, although we’ve become Undead, it doesn’t mean we have to sink into this state.”
“I believe you’ve already felt the erosion of negative energy on your nature.”
“I think that’s the biggest drawback of the Undead school of thought.”
Cang Xu remained silent, his frown deepening.
He thought for a moment, then said, “To counteract this erosion… that’s indeed one of the main reasons I came here.”
The ship ghost nodded, “I can tell you’ve got the excellent qualities of a Mage.”
“You’ve transformed your own body into a living dead, striving to maintain your humanity and counteract the erosion of negative energy.”
“Though the means are naive and the techniques crude, your resolute heart is evident.”
Cang Xu showed a different expression, his heart stirred.
The ship ghost’s sharp gaze had directly seen through part of Cang Xu’s secrets.
The ship ghost continued, “I’ve seen many of the same path who excessively pursued power, were unknowingly eroded by negative energy, and even indulged in it to gain stronger power.”
“They thus lost their way, fell into depravity, and many of the bad reputations of Undead Mages come from this.”
“This is wrong and not good.”
“All powers must come under control to qualify as a Mage. Conversely, being controlled by power makes one nothing more than a pitiable wretch,”
“Indeed, this is why I delight in Little Wind’s pursuit of the Way of the Sword, Little Fish’s guarding of his tribe, and the joy of children reuniting with their parents.”
“It is these factors that anchor us, preventing us from being swept away by the currents of power during our cultivation.”
Cang Xu’s earnestness shook Qing Xin deeply.
Cang Xu bowed deeply in homage, “I am ashamed of my shallowness and very grateful for your guidance, sir!”
The ship ghost had seen through Cang Xu’s transformation techniques to preserve his humanity and inferred from his prior words and demeanor that he was likely attending an Undead Gathering for the first time.
The ship ghost eagerly imparted his cultivation experiences to such a newcomer.
Cang Xu’s response also greatly satisfied the ship ghost’s disposition to teach.
“Oho ho ho,” laughed the ship ghost, “Old age brings a love for rambling. All right then, let’s commence this gathering. Little Wind, this is your domain, so please take the lead.”
Ku Feng bowed and began the proceedings, “First, we have the resource trading segment. Each member will take turns to declare their needs. Afterwards, if there’s mutual trading interest, the involved parties can discuss on the spot.”
Ku Feng scanned the room, with his gaze ultimately settling on Cang Xu.
Cang Xu quickly caught on and spoke up first, “I’ve come to this gathering to seek ways to resist the erosion of negative energy and, moreover, to purchase some spells and resources that will strengthen me.”
The Fin Spirit, Little Prince, and others did not respond but looked towards the ship ghost instead.
The ship ghost chuckled, “Oho ho ho, indeed, I do have an Undead Inheritance very suitable for you.”
He took out a painting from his storage equipment.
It was an oil painting.
The dark, straight frame bore no conventional ornate embellishments, clearly carefully chosen to complement the primarily red hues of the painting.
Cang Xu found the contents of the painting eerily familiar.
It was the renowned classic—the Bloodline Ancestor River Chart.
At the very top of the painting stood a towering, blurred figure, cleaving open his own heart.
From the heart flowed a river of blood.
The mighty river branched from its source, forming Titans, Dragons, Elemental Life, Angels, Devils, and Demons.
The river narrowed, at midstream continued to branch out, depicting Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, Human Race, and Barbarians in the surrounding area.
The river became a stream, and at the downstream it branched again, giving rise to goblins, dwarfs, Fishmen, Naga, and Tree Men.
The Bloodline Ancestor River Chart depicted the creation myth.
Legend has it that the world was originally barren.
The God came to this place.
The emptiness and destitution of the world enraged Him. He opened up His own body and let His blood turn to rivers.
The Blood River flowed to all parts of the world, giving birth to Titans, Dragons, Elemental Life, Angels, Devils, and Demons upstream. Midstream begot Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, humans, and Barbarians. Downstream gave rise to goblins, dwarfs, Fishmen, Naga, and Tree Men.
As a result, the world thrived, and all life coexisted.
The God, however, died.
This creation myth was passed down among all tribes.
The author of the Bloodline Ancestor River Chart described this tale through the medium of painting.
There are many noteworthy details to mention.
For instance, the figures of Titans, Dragons, and others born upstream are depicted as very large. The size of the races in the middle of the river is significantly smaller, not even half of those upstream. By the time the river reaches downstream, the figures of the races are even smaller.
With this, the artist indicated the differences and merits between the races.
People categorized these races into three ranks: Upper Species, Middle Species, and Lower Species.
Within the Deep Sea Monster Fish, War Merchants have accumulated Bloodline Maps, and this Bloodline Ancestor River Chart could be considered the very first Bloodline Map.
Today, with intermixing among different bloodlines, the tripartite race theory of upper, middle, and lower has been discarded. Nonetheless, its influence persists. (The current academic mainstream is the supremacy of the Human Race, naturally, not accepted by the other races, and the debate has been fierce.)
The ship ghost handed the painting over to Cang Xu in public, “The Bloodline Ancestor River Chart is profoundly significant. Perhaps the Soul Painter esteemed this significance, which is why he replicated many such paintings and infused them with inheritance.”
“What you’ve received is only the basic inheritance. What is within here, however, is advanced inheritance.”
“You may inspect the goods now.”
Cang Xu understood in his heart; he must inspect on the spot. This might be another test and review by the ship ghost.
After checking the painting and finding no issues, Cang Xu decided to take a risk.
He slit his own wrist, letting the blood drip onto the source of the Blood River, the heart of the Creator God.
The blood emitted a brilliance, gradually spreading downstream, illuminating the entire Blood River.
Soon after, the Blood River dried up, revealing the riverbed.
All the figures of the races became corrupted by negative energy, transforming into skeletal, zombie, and ghostly forms of the Undead. The painting’s aura shifted from primordial and mystic to one of macabre terror.
At the same time, a flood of knowledge was infused into Cang Xu’s mind.
“Bloodlines are endless, all tribes return to the Undead!” the ship ghost chanted in a satisfied tone.
His poetic intonation sparked a resonance.
The following moment, the Fin Spirit, Little Prince, Ku Feng, and Cang Xu each echoed, “Bloodlines are endless, all tribes return to the Undead.”
At this moment, Qing Xin, who had always been out of place, finally felt the terrifying atmosphere of the Undead Gathering.