Chapter 1869: 1057: The Root of the Problem

Chapter 1869: Chapter 1057: The Root of the Problem

“What is that…?”

After a moment, Leo Ray finally moved his gaze from the slender figure at the center of the web-like blood line and turned back to the Blood Clan Queen beside him.

“That figure, similar to myself, is the core of the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’.”

The voice of the Scarlet Queen carried a hint of sorrow as she responded, “Simultaneously, she is also the first Queen of the Blood Clan and my sister, who shares the same bloodline with me.”

“Your Majesty the Queen, are you saying your sister, the first Blood Clan Queen, initiated the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’ by sacrificing herself?”

Upon hearing this, the astonishment on Leo Ray’s face deepened, and the surrounding subordinates shared the same expression.

“Indeed, the key to initiating the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’ is using the most pureblooded high-ranking member of the Blood Clan as the Array Eye. Through a complex magic array, the purest blood of the Blood Clan is converted into special energy particles, supplying the citizens of the entire nation. This is the general process of the entire ritual.”

The Scarlet Queen solemnly nodded at Leo Ray, confirming, “Once one becomes the Array Eye of the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’, they will completely lose self-awareness and become a living dead supplying energy particles continuously.”

“So, the first Queen succeeded in initiating the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’ by sacrificing herself?”

Leo Ray gazed at the center of the blood line, at that lifeless, pale face, and nodded thoughtfully.

Based on his understanding of the Blood Clan, Leo Ray clearly knew.

One of the key steps in developing a retainer is to have the retainer drink one’s Blood Essence.

And the first Blood Clan Queen, by sacrificing herself and converting her Blood Essence into special energy particles to supply the entire nation’s citizens, theoretically makes sense.

In other words, the first Blood Clan Queen, to some extent, transformed all the citizens of the entire nation into her retainers.

However, due to the sheer number of retainers, this transformation was not complete, resulting in the manifestation of only partial abilities of the Blood Clan, such as prolonged life, robust physique, and regenerative capabilities.

“It seems His Royal Highness the Holy Lion understands everything about the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’ now.”

The Scarlet Queen looked at the suddenly enlightened Leo Ray and nodded, “This incomplete retainer transformation, though not as powerful as a complete retainer, also removed the Blood Clan’s bloodthirsty trait and aversion to sunlight, which can be considered as more beneficial than harmful.”

“The only regret is my sister…”

At this point, the Scarlet Queen’s eyebrows drooped, and she fell silent.

Looking at the sorrowful Scarlet Queen, Leo Ray did not speak immediately but instead refocused his gaze on the slender figure enveloped in blood at the center of the depression.

Now that the entire matter had been completely understood, everything was very clear.

For over a hundred years, the Ironhand Archipelago had been shrouded in the “Blood Feast Barrier” created by the “Blood Feast Ritual,” allowing everyone to live in peace and prosperity.

And now, the reason why the “Blood Feast Barrier” suddenly collapsed very likely had its roots in the core of the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’, that being the first Blood Clan Queen.

After sorting everything out in his mind, Leo Ray then asked, “Your Majesty the Queen, tell us how we can help.”

“First, let me thank His Royal Highness the Holy Lion,”

The Scarlet Queen’s starry eyes faintly revealed a touch of gratitude as she nodded to Leo Ray, “I presume Your Highness has already speculated that the reason for the ‘Blood Feast Barrier’s collapse indeed stems from my sister.”

The Scarlet Queen sighed softly and continued, “More than a week ago, I suddenly received a report from the Blood Clan’s court magician responsible for maintaining the barrier, saying that an unknown cause resulted in tiny cracks appearing in the ‘Blood Feast Barrier’.”

“Upon receiving this extremely important information, I led powerful members of the Blood Clan here to investigate at the first opportunity and closely monitored every magic array here, yet found no issues.”

“Ultimately, our focus was placed on my sister, who serves as the Array Eye.”

“Sure enough, after a thorough investigation, we further discovered that because of a decrease in the supply of my sister’s Blood Essence, the ‘Blood Feast Barrier’ had shrunk, leading to the formation of cracks.”

Hearing this, Leo Ray gently rubbed his chin and said, “Does that mean there’s an issue with Your Majesty’s sister herself, causing the reduction in the supply of Blood Essence?”

“At first, I also believed so, but after a series of precise magical tests, I found that the entire ‘Blood Feast Ritual’ was operating normally, without any problems.”

The Scarlet Queen shook her head and continued to respond.

“Once she became the Array Eye, my sister became an integral part of the vast complex magic array that is the ‘Blood Feast Ritual’, absorbing energy particles from the air as nourishment, just like any other Absolute Defense Barrier Array Eye, with a complete energy supply system.”

“After testing, the energy supply of the entire ‘Blood Feast Ritual’ was entirely normal, and the life signs of the Array Eye, my sister, were no different than before. In theory, there should not have been a decrease in the supply of Blood Essence.”

At this point, the Scarlet Queen exchanged a glance with Spirit Wand Prince Virentin beside her, and both could see a hint of confusion and helplessness in each other’s eyes.

Subsequently, the Scarlet Queen withdrew her gaze and lamented to Leo Ray, “However, as we tried to find answers, the supply of Blood Essence continued to decrease until it completely halted, causing the ‘Blood Feast Barrier’ to collapse into its current state.”

“So, until now, you still haven’t found the true cause?”

Leo Ray pondered briefly, frowned, and inquired.

“No, without finding the cause, we cannot address it properly, and thus the matter has dragged on until now.”

The Scarlet Queen shook her head helplessly, responding.

Before Leo Ray and his party’s visit, she had been tirelessly leading the powerful members of the Blood Clan in search of the reason, yet still found no crucial breakthrough.

Amidst her internal bewilderment, the Scarlet Queen paused, then added, “However, even though there’s no substantial progress, I always feel that this seems to be my sister’s own will. If it was my sister who voluntarily stopped the supply of Blood Essence, everything could be explained.”

“Voluntarily stopped the supply?”

Upon hearing this, Leo Ray was full of confusion, “But didn’t Your Majesty say that once Your Majesty’s sister became the Array Eye, she had already lost self-awareness? If she lost consciousness, how could she voluntarily stop the supply?”

He paused for a moment and then added, “Moreover, if Your Majesty’s sister still retains awareness, having already sacrificed everything for the Blood Clan and the people of the Ironhand Archipelago, how could she watch all this happen? It clearly defies logic.”

“These are precisely the questions that I cannot comprehend, even after much thought.”

A hint of bewilderment emerged on the fair face of the Scarlet Queen as she expressed her confusion, “But if that’s not the case, then everything becomes an unsolvable mystery forever.”

After the Scarlet Queen’s words, Virentin and the other Blood Clan ministers all shook their heads helplessly, their faces filled with impotence.

“My Lord, your subordinate has an idea. Perhaps we can ascertain the real cause.”

A clear voice sounded, and Little Illusion, flapping its transparent wings, emerged from Leo Ray’s embrace.