Chapter 2718: Chapter 2719: Blood Origin and Pureblood
"As for the strongest Grey Merchants..." Dox paused, raised his head like a rooster, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist: "Of course, leave it to your Red Sword Master!"
"..."
Vay looked at the laughing Dox, utterly speechless: "Actually, you just want to fight the Grey Merchants, right?"
Dox said solemnly, "This is not a matter of want or want not, this is a Destiny Battle."
"Destiny Battle?" Kaier, beside him, looked up at Dox in confusion. Had the Red Sword Lord met the Grey Merchants before? Otherwise, where does destiny come from?
Dox nodded deeply: "Thatâs right, weâre destined to have this battle."
The more Kaier listened, the more confused he became.
At that moment, Vay hinted: "Mackie Declaration."
Kaier paused for a moment, seemingly recalling something: "Is the Red Sword Lord a supporter of the Mackie Declaration?"
Vay pursed his lips, nodded a bit disdainfully.
Kaier then showed a look of understanding: "I see. No wonder the Red Sword Lord says itâs a Destiny Battle..."
Vay unhesitatingly quipped: "Heâs just hyped up now. If he feels the Grey Merchants are stronger in a moment, heâll probably chicken out immediately."
During Vay and Kaierâs conversation, Angel was left puzzled because he didnât understand why Dox said it was a Destiny Battle. He thought Vay would explain, but with just a mention of the Mackie Declaration, Kaier understood.
But Angel still didnât grasp the connection here.
Angel is not someone who stubbornly clings to his pride; when seeking knowledge, he is not ashamed to ask.
As soon as Angel asked, The Wise Sovereign beside him also curiously looked over: "Mackie Declaration, is this some sort of alliance oath?"
Hearing the questions from the two, the Black Earl looked over and sighed inwardly: This old one and young one...
Angel is too young, lacking enough knowledge reserves to know the Mackie Declaration. The Wise Sovereign is too old and rarely leaves the Underground Aqueduct, so he doesnât know the Mackie Declaration either.
The Black Earl silently mocked, but did not explain. Such matters donât require his explanation. Moreover, since Angel asked, naturally, someone would rush to answer.
Indeed, the person who answered quickly stepped forward.
Vay: "The Mackie Declaration is actually the Mackie Square Declaration..."
With Vayâs explanation, Angel and The Wise Sovereign came to understand this declaration, which essentially has no significant meaningâ
If asked which Otherworld the Southern Domain Wizard World interacts with the most, undoubtedly, the answer is the Abyss.
But when it comes to which Otherworld the Bloodline Wizards interact with the most, itâs not the Abyss, but the Wilderness World filled with Barbarians.
In fact, in the Wilderness World, there is a rather prosperous Extraordinary City built by Wizardsâthe Floating City.
Of course, the Floating City was not built solely by Bloodline Wizards, but rather, itâs an Otherworld metropolis created by the full force of various Witcher Organizations.
All three major domains of Wizards are present in the Floating City. However, Bloodline Wizards dominate, with seven out of every ten wizards being Bloodline Wizards.
The main reason is that Bloodline Wizards mostly enjoy the thrill of melee combat, and the Barbarians and Wild Gods of the Wilderness World are all excellent at close combat.âThis statement was Vayâs personal opinion. According to Doxâs additional explanation, the main reason is that many Bloodline branches in the Wilderness World are very suitable for the Bloodline side. Who is right, Angel canât determine.
Putting aside disputes, the existence of the Floating City indeed provides a secure post-battle hub for Bloodline Wizards.
The Floating City has four very famous squares known as the Four Seasons Squares, named: Dawn, Midsummer, Mackie, and Forest Deer.
The Mackie Declaration is a statement made publicly by a Bloodline Wizard on Mackie Square.
Though called a declaration, most wizards treat it as a "joke" or a "curiosity"; even slightly professional magazines donât publish it, which is why Angel had never heard of it.
The specific situation was that a pureblood wizard named Nagir made derogatory and discriminatory remarks to all Blood Origin Wizards on Mackie Square.
The remarks basically stated that Blood Origin Wizards are the shame of the Bloodline side, fundamentally incapable of seeking the truth or becoming mainstream, and Bloodline Apprentices should never choose the Blood Origin lineage, among other things.
These remarks are undoubtedly wrong. If Blood Origin Wizards were on the wrong path, they wouldnât be one of the three major mainstream branches of the Bloodline side.
To become a mainstream branch means thereâs a complete path leading straight to miracles.
This path is the result of countless predecessors filling in gaps, and to question it, you at least need to become a miracle. Otherwise, as an ordinary little wizard, you start talking about "truth," which is truly laughable.
Moreover, from Angelâs perspective, in terms of the major mainstream branches of the Bloodline side, he also appreciates the Blood Origin path more.
The three major mainstreams of the Bloodline side are Blood Origin, Pureblood, and Transformation.
The Blood Origin path focuses more on pursuing the purity of the bloodline, advancing through continuous enhancement of "one kind" of bloodline, so a great deal of caution is exercised in choosing which type of bloodline.
The Pureblood path doesnât choose from a single category of bloodline; instead, at different stages, it selects the bloodline most suitable for itself. Itâs called pureblood because every time they change bloodlines, they undergo a thorough purification, aiming to rid every bit of impurityâthatâs the essence of pureblood.
The Transformation path, as the name suggests, leans towards pursuing transcendent organs, hosting multiple bloodlines in the body, and using special methods to balance different bloodlines. This path offers the most diverse and bizarre abilities, though maintaining a balance among different bloodlines is challenging, with high lower limits and somewhat narrow upper limits. However, this is also the first choice for many non-Bloodline Wizards when practicing across systems, such as Sandersâs transplanted Phantom Mantisâs sickle arm and Angelâs transplanted Pliant Worm skin... if really categorized, theyâre in the Transformation path.
The above outlines the three major mainstreams of the Bloodline side. Purely from the Bloodline sideâs mainstream perspective, Blood Origin wins more of Angelâs favor because his Projected Bloodline is somewhat similar to Blood Origin... But Projected Bloodline isnât "one kind" of bloodline. Thus, Projected Bloodline can actually become a branch of the Bloodline side, just currently unknown to people.
From the different branches of the Bloodline side, itâs evident that their directions are essentially entirely different extremes.
This also results in the theoretical disputes and internal competition within Bloodline Wizards never diminishing.
As for the Mackie Square declaration, itâs essentially just a pureblood wizard venting dissatisfaction at the Blood Origin Wizards.
Normal wizards wouldnât spare it a second glance.
But why did this Mackie Declaration become so noisy and prominent, even transmitting back from the Wilderness World to the Wizardsâ Realm?
Because this pureblood wizard named Nagir had a slightly different status; he was a... wandering wizard.
Among wandering wizards, those who choose the Bloodline side, over ninety percent are either pureblood or transformation. Very few choose the Blood Origin path.
The reason is simple, not that they donât want to choose, but they canât afford to.
The Blood Origin path requires extreme caution when selecting a bloodline; it must be "one kind," and this type of bloodline must have growth potential. Ideally, this type should have seen Legendary Level creatures emerge from it.
One can imagine that the Blood Origin path requires a vast amount of resources, not just once-off, but long-term and persistent investment to get the best feedback.
Most of the Wandering Wizards are strapped for cash, and following the path of Blood Origin would only exacerbate their already impoverished lives.
In short, they are poor!
And although not everyone who follows the path of Blood Origin is wealthy, the majority are indeed well-off.
Because of this, Nigelâs McField Manifesto, even if itâs not worth mentioning and is merely a laughingstock, still resonates with many Wandering Wizards.
Dox is one of those infected by the McField Manifesto.
The so-called internal conflict between Pureblood and Blood Origin, expressed in laymanâs terms, is a typical envy of the rich mentality.
"So donât try to persuade me, I must solve Gray Merchant myself. This is a destined duel, a battle between men." After Vay finished reciting the McField Manifesto, Dox resumed his rant.
"Others might not even want to fight with you, maybe youâre just being wishful," Vay retorted to Doxâs enthusiasm.
The Wise Sovereign then showed a look of realization: "So thatâs how it is... Previously, Blood Origin and Pureblood stood on the same front, both had major disputes with the Modification lineage, but now thereâs conflict between Blood Origin and Pureblood too."
Vay: "Your Lordship misinterprets. This is the one-sided resentment of Pureblood Wandering Wizards, Blood Origin Wizards have no real issue with Pureblood Wizards."
Although Blood Origin Wizards might consider their lineage superior, itâs a normal mindset. Similar to how in Metallography, the Blending lineage believes it to be better than Enchantment, while Enchantment thinks Blending lacks flexibility and is instead more straightforward. Itâs a subjective bias: the theory I studied must be the best.
Though there is this sense of superiority, Blood Origin Wizards also appreciate some of Pureblood Wizardsâ philosophies. In particular, the Condensation Technique and Bloodline Purification Technique from the Pureblood lineage are mandatory studies for Blood Origin Wizards, and, crucially, the most important skill for Bloodline Wizards: Bloodline Purification, was created by predecessors from the Pureblood lineage.
So, Blood Origin Wizards do acknowledge most of Pureblood Wizardsâ philosophies.
Contrarily, as stated by the Wise Sovereign, Blood Origin Wizards have greater disdain for Modification Wizards as their philosophies completely oppose each other, akin to two extremes. Hence, whenever thereâs a philosophical dispute, regardless of the occasion, Blood Origin Wizards and Modification Wizards just donât get along.
The situation within the Bloodline side is generally like this, seemingly chaotic, but in reality, itâs the norm in the Wizardsâ Realm. Not only is the Bloodline side affected, but also the Mysterious side and Elements side face issues of incompatible ideologies internally.
"Whether Grey Merchant has any opinions on the Pureblood lineage or not, Iâm calling it a destined battle!" insisted Dox, hellbent on confronting Grey Merchant.
Angel was indifferent to this, anyway, there were just two Wizards from the opposing side, whoever he faced off with didnât matter.
Nonetheless, Angel still asked: "What bloodline did Grey Merchant choose?"
The Wise Sovereign pondered for a moment: "I canât pinpoint the specific bloodline, it may be a recently developed bloodline of thousands of years, but I can show you his appearance after the bloodline is activated."
After saying this, the Wise Sovereign intended to manipulate some Illusion Nodes to create an illusion but found that despite the abundance of Illusion Nodes here, none could be invoked?
Bear in mind, the Wise Sovereign had confronted True Knowledge Level Illusionist Wizards, and even when surrounded by their illusionary realms, there was some weak control over Illusion Nodes that he could manipulate.
Yet now, within the extravagant illusionary realm of Angelâs castle hall, he couldnât use even one Illusion Node?
Was Angelâs spiritual power so strong he could control all the Illusion Nodes?
While the Wise Sovereign was puzzled, Angel coughed twice, softly tapping his fingertips on the table, manifesting a structured pattern of Illusion Nodes before the Wise Sovereign.
No explanation from Angel was needed, as the Wise Sovereign could instantly tell by a glance that by lightly applying spiritual power, he could make these Illusion Nodes form the illusion he desired.
Although itâs convenient...the Wise Sovereign still wondered why Angelâs illusionary realm had no weak Illusion Nodes at all?
The Wise Sovereign cast a deep look at Angel but refrained from questioning. After all, having signed a contract meant they were on the same side, probing too deeply might spark mistrust.
With readily available Illusion structures, the Wise Sovereign didnât refuse, stirring the air with a finger.
An illusion materialized before everyone.
If not for the Wise Sovereignâs prior explanation, it would be very difficult to discern Grey Merchant within the illusion, or even the semblance of a human form.
Though the overall shape seemed human, the entire surface was covered in crystals, a multitude of amber crystals formed a jagged armor, enveloping the head save for two fierce blood-red eyes, with blood-red horns on his forehead which, upon closer inspection, were also crystal-made.
And this was just the upper half; below the waist was more outrageous. Not only was his physique as robust as a small mountain, now his legs even resembled those of an elephant, huge, thick, and full of bulk. Thick referred to diameter, dense described crystal coverage, and big referred to the muscles that crystals couldnât conceal.
Behind him, there was also a tail filled with energy, made of earth-toned crystals.
Overall, rather than a human, it looked like a crystal monster.
Wise Sovereign: "This is Grey Merchant after his bloodline activation, I donât know what bloodline this is, have you seen it?"
After a moment of silence, Dox swallowed his saliva and asked: "How many bloodlines were activated?"
Wise Sovereign mused: "Itâs probably the initial form."
Dox: "..."
Dox turned his head to Angel, hesitated briefly, and finally looked towards Black Earl: "Well, my talent hasnât been restored yet, fighting now would be tough. Maybe you should take on the task?"
Black Earl snorted coldly, but said nothing.
Vay simply covered his mouth and laughed out loud.
The Wise Sovereign looked at Dox with confusion, werenât you keen on that destined battle, why retreat suddenly now?
The Wise Sovereign didnât comprehend until Black Earl provided the answer.
"Grey Merchantâs initial bloodline is the renowned Crystal Earth Lizard from the Wild Realm, a bloodline purified and developed thousands of years ago, which upon emergence became one of the top bloodlines on the Blood Origin side."
"Crystal Earth Lizard isnât very strong, but its type of bloodline has been thoroughly explored. Reportedly, there are Blood Origin Wizards from Origin World whoâve developed it to the sixth stage."
Developing means finding bloodlines similar to Crystal Earth Lizard. This belongs to a lineage continuation, increasing success rate and force.
Sixth stage implies a discovery of a six-step evolution of the same type of bloodline to Crystal Earth Lizard.
Although the strength differs per bloodline, giving rise to variations across stages, generally speaking, a fourth-stage bloodline suffices to reach Legendary Wizard. While sixth stage... itâs unimaginable.
"Grey Merchant has currently reached the second stage, Gemstone Earth Dragon bloodline. His subsequent bloodline choices can be Abyssal Dragon or Barbaric Dragon among Wild Gods, and for the fourth stage, Void Rainbow Dragon can be selected. After that, Iâm not sure." Black Earl outlined the progression path for Crystal Earth Lizard bloodline.
The Wise Sovereign wasnât well acquainted with Gemstone Earth Dragon but was quite familiar with Abyssal Dragon and Void Rainbow Dragon. Abyssal Dragon has the potential to attain Legendary status, with substantial probability; as for Void Rainbow Dragon, it belongs to the mature dragons, undeniably Legendary in state.
Having grasped the might of this lineageâs bloodline, the Wise Sovereign roughly understood.
So, did Dox change his mind suddenly because the opponentâs bloodline is too strong?
If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.