novelraw Chapter 217-1: Extreme Delusion Fruit, Divine Dragon’s Blessing (1)
Chapter 217-1: Extreme Delusion Fruit, Divine Dragon’s Blessing (1)
The Primordial Hermit’s Mythic+ skill, Hermit Bloodline, could devour dragon blood to upgrade the shell’s quality and skill level.
The dragon scale given by the Calamity Mage was probably exactly what the shell required.
“I wonder if Eastern dragons and Western dragons have reproductive isolation or anything like that…”
Lin Xun opened his panel. The dim lettering of the Hermit Bloodline skill turned brilliantly golden, clearly indicating it could consume the remnant bloodline power in the dragon scale to strengthen itself.
“…Fine. Biology doesn’t exist anymore.”
Lin Xun stared at the skill’s text, speechless for a long while.
Since the dragon scale could be used to enhance the Hermit Bloodline, he would definitely have to claim it.
However, accepting gifts made one softhearted, and taking the dragon scale basically meant joining the Oath faction of the Chaotic Origin Dragon.
The Chaotic Origin Dragon faction was weak, the yokai themselves barely surviving. Joining such an underdog faction would undoubtedly make the game much harder.
After pondering for a long time, Lin Xun still decided to join the Oath faction first.Higher difficulty meant higher rewards. With his ‘Descendant of the Dragon God’ identity, he would likely get more items containing dragon bloodline in the future.
And if worst came to worst, if he couldn’t withstand the power of the Ancient Heavenly Enma’s faction, betraying the oath again wasn’t out of the question.
“Anyway, I’m already used to being a double agent. Might as well take the gamble.”
[In the Calamity Mage’s hopeful gaze, you took the three sticks of ‘crude incense,’ bowed before the solemn divine dragon statue, offered your own incense power, and swore the Oath of the Chaotic Origin Dragon.]
[The smoke of the incense curled up, drifting toward some great being in the void…]
[O loyal apostle, you have joined the Oath of the Chaotic Origin Dragon.]
[In this volume, only one Oath can be sworn. If you betray it, you will never be able to join it again and will incur the eternal hostility of this faction and all friendly factions.]
[Current enemy Oath factions: Ancient Heavenly Enma, Extreme Delusion Fruit. Current friendly factions: none.]
Lin Xun’s eyes widened.
It was no surprise that the enemy included the Ancient Heavenly Enma, but what was this suddenly appearing ‘Extreme Delusion Fruit?’
He had never heard of this deity’s name, nor seen any monster prefixes related to it.
If not for the Oath text prompt, he wouldn’t even have known this god existed.
[The Calamity Mage looked on expectantly as you offered your incense power, waiting for the Chaotic Origin Dragon’s statue to manifest a miracle in answer to the heir’s devout worship…]
[However, after you completed the ritual, the statue remained silent for a long time.]
[The Origin-Tracing Temple Master – Calamity Mage, furrowed his brow and once again handed you three sticks of incense, gesturing for you to try again.]
[You followed his instructions and performed the ritual once more…]
[You could feel the incense smoke carrying your offering up to the great being in the void, but the statue still showed no sign of change.]
[You described this sensation truthfully to the Calamity Mage. He stood frozen, muttering to himself, “Impossible, absolutely impossible. You are clearly the Dragon God’s descendant. How could the Dragon God not respond to its own blood…”]
[He suddenly pinched his fingers to calculate, then exclaimed in realization: today was not an auspicious day for divine rituals, and the incense he had given you was not of the highest quality. Perhaps this was why the Dragon God had withheld a response…]
[Tomorrow, he said, he would send the Night Escort Dog to the city to buy premium incense and, on an auspicious day, hold a grand ceremony. He was certain the Dragon God would answer.]
[With this final hope in his heart, the Calamity Mage summoned the Dignitary Bull Demon to escort you to a guest residence to rest. The ritual would be discussed again after the incense was procured.]
[The temple courtyard was deserted under the clear moonlight. The training Trainees seemed to have retired for the night, and even the Night Escort Dog was nowhere to be seen.]
[You followed the Dignitary Bull Demon to a small, separate guest residence.]
[The room had just been cleaned. Though the furnishings remained simple, everything was neat and tidy. The Dignitary Bull Demon bowed in farewell and carefully withdrew.]
[Alone, you stepped inside and saw a massive, faintly glowing page floating before the bed…]
[You have discovered a fragment of the Book of Salvation, Resting Page!]
Lin Xun’s eyes lit up. With a Resting Page, things would be much easier.
He resonated with the Resting Page here but did not change his respawn point, it remained set at the original port location.
Opening his inventory, the Oceanic Flood Dragon Reverse Scale lay inside as though beckoning to him.
He selected the Hermit Bloodline skill!
[Deep within your bloodline, the Hermit’s power slowly stirred. The withered veins burned with hunger, yearning to devour any remnant dragon blood they could find to strengthen themselves.]
[Do you wish to consume the Oceanic Flood Dragon Reverse Scale (Epic+ Grade Item)?]
[You opened your fanged maw over the golden scale in your palm. Golden bloodline light streamed into your body…]
[Consuming…]
[The horns on your skull thickened, the fangs in your jaws grew sharper, and the majesty of the dragon god’s line radiated from your shell…]
[Consumption successful!]
[The Primordial Hermit shell has been upgraded!]
Lin Xun quickly opened the shell panel.
The little dragonkin’s shell quality had changed from Epic to Epic+!
With the Primordial Hermit shell’s 55% innate compatibility bonus, its compatibility had now reached 93%!
If Lin Xun could upgrade his soul talent again, he could push the little dragonkin’s compatibility past the threshold and raise the shell to Legendary quality!
A Legendary shell, unprecedented…
“The power gap between Epic+ skills and Legendary ones is massive. If I can get this shell to Legendary, I’ll be unstoppable!”
At this hour of night, the entire temple was asleep.
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes but did not log out of the game.
That earlier power boost hadn’t been nearly satisfying enough, he decided to secretly carry out the plan he’d had in mind.
[You sat alone in the guest residence for a long while before rising and leaving the room…]
[Under the cold, wan moonlight, the courtyard was empty, no longer lively as when you had arrived.]
The Night Escort Dog’s sense of smell was especially keen, so Lin Xun didn’t dare switch to his ninja shell to go invisible here. If he were discovered, his plan would be ruined.
He equipped the Iridescent Scaled Wing Boots, the Gorgeous Performance Attire, and the Phantom of the Night Cloak on the little dragonkin shell, doing everything possible to ensure it wouldn’t make a single sound when moving.
[You crept on silent feet to the doors of the main hall…]
[Within, the candlelight was bright, its glow shining through the papered doors, but there were no silhouettes inside.]
[Carefully, you pushed the main doors open without making any sound.]
[As you expected, the Calamity Mage had already departed. Inside were only rows of candles and the solemn divine statue on the altar.]
Lin Xun opened his inventory, where the items he’d bought for a whopping fifty thousand currency was stored.
[Offering Purple-Red Incense (Item) x10: A stick of purple-red incense infused with the power of incense (power of faith). Using this item to offer to the god you believe in will slightly increase your Devotion.]
This stuff was far superior to the crude incense the Calamity Mage had given him. If he hoped to earn the Dragon God’s response, the chance of success with the Purple-Red Incense would be much higher.
Lin Xun hesitated for a long time before finally resolving to use it.
It wasn’t that he was reluctant to spend the spirit essence, it was that he worried his impostor identity might be discovered by the real being, bringing unpredictable consequences.
Just like what had happened in the Celestial Prison of Captive Stars.
However, ever since he’d comprehended the Soul Secret – The Fire Never Dies, he no longer had to fear the inescapable death traps.
Time to gamble, maybe he could elevate the little dragonkin shell once more!
“Fortune favors the bold, let’s do it!”