Chapter 25: White Moon's First Enlightenment! Maximum Favorability Rating——Soul Contract·Second Stage!
Kamar-Taj Library.
The white moon scroll quietly hovered above the palm of the Ancient One, emitting a soft and sacred silver-white light.
That light was not as overbearing and sharp as the dark gold of the Progenitor Bloodline, nor as violent and scorching as the crimson of Chaos Magic—it was gentle, serene, and inclusive—like shimmering moonlight sprinkled on the surface of a lake—
But Li Heng's dimensional perception told him—the power contained in this seemingly peaceful ancient scroll far surpassed any magic carrier he had ever contacted!
Including the blessing mark of Chthon!
[Ding! S-Rank White magic holy artifact detected—white moon scroll!]
[Item Information—white moon scroll (Scroll of the White Moon): The supreme grimoire of the Vishantimagical system, personally written by the first Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto! It records the only white magic spell that can stabilize dimensional seals—'Moonlight Seal'! This spell can convert any dimensional rift into a permanent seal—including Chthon's descent channel!]
[Special Attribute—'White Moon Resonance': This scroll has a quantum entanglement relationship with the darkhold manuscript! When both appear at the same time, the white moon scroll can absorb the white magicfoundation in the manuscript—achieving self-completion! The completed white moon scroll will possess the 'Moonlight Purification' ability—which can directly purify Chthon's Black Magic pollution!]
[Current Status—The contents of the scroll are sealed by a dimensional password lock! It requires the host to gradually unlock it with the willpower of the Ancestor Soul! It is estimated that complete unlocking will take 72 hours—but the host currently has less than 7 days!]
[System Suggestion—First unlock Chapter 1 'Moonlight's First Glow'! The spell recorded in this chapter allows the host to move freely in a seawater environment—which is the key prerequisite ability to go to Atlantis! Estimated unlocking time: 3 hours!]
Li Heng finished reading the system panel and reached out—
"Can I take it now?"
The Ancient One nodded slightly—"It is yours—but remember—the white moon scroll is not a weapon—it is a mirror—"
"A mirror?"
"What it reflects is the user's inner heart—for those with a pure heart, the power of the scroll is as gentle as moonlight—for those with a turbid heart, the power of the scroll burns like the scorching sun—"
"You are the vampire progenitor—your bloodline origin comes from the darkhold—the white moon scroll may repel your dark attribute—"
"Can you endure it?"
Li Heng looked into the Ancient One's purple eyes—
"I shattered a mirror with a mortal body in the Mirror Dimension—"
"Coming for another one—is no big deal."
He reached out and grasped the white moon scroll—
"Hum————!"
The silver-white light instantly poured into his body—
"Hiss——!"
A burning sensation spread from his palm to his whole body—not physical burning—but "cleaning" at the soul level—the silver-white energy of the white moon scrollwas rampaging in his body, searching for every trace of dark attribute residue—then—burning them—
This was not harm—but—screening—
The scroll was screening the part of his soul that "belonged to the darkness" and the part that "belonged to himself"—
What belonged to the darkness—burned to ashes—
What belonged to himself—retained—
This process—
Hurts.
Really fucking hurts.
It felt like someone had dragged his soul out of his body, dried it under the moonlight, and then stuffed it back—
Blue veins bulged on Li Heng's forehead, and sweat poured like rain—in the dark golden vertical pupils, silver-white light and dark gold light alternated flashing—the two forces fiercely clashed in the depths of his consciousness—
"Li Heng——!"
Wanda rushed forward—but was stopped by a wave of the Ancient One's hand—
"Do not disturb him—" The Ancient One's voice was calm and firm, "This is a contest between him and the scroll—outsiders interfering will only intensify the conflict—"
"But he—"
"He is stronger than you think." The Ancient One looked at Wanda, a flash of deep meaning in her purple eyes, "You should know this better than anyone—"
Wanda bit her lips—her green eyes stared closely at Li Heng—the dark gold ring on her left ring finger was slightly heating up—
The blood pact ring—was sensing its Master's pain—
She could feel—Li Heng's soul was experiencing a raging fire—but she also knew—
If he couldn't even get past this hurdle—
Atlantis—went without saying.
Ten seconds—
Thirty seconds—
Sixty seconds—
"Boom——!"
A pillar of silver-white light soared into the sky from inside Li Heng—piercing through the dome of the Kamar-Tajlibrary—straight to the sky—
In the center of the light pillar—Li Heng slowly opened his eyes—
In the dark golden vertical pupils—there was an extra circle of silver-white halo—
Like a solar eclipse—the dark golden pupils were surrounded by a silver-white halo—spectacular and mysterious—
[Ding! white moon scroll·Chapter 1 'Moonlight's First Glow'—Successfully unlocked!!!!]
[Unlock Reward—New Ability: 'Moonlight Body' (Passive)! The host's body gains white moon energy blessing—can move freely in any liquid environment (including deep sea, magma, acid, etc.)! Water flow resistance is zeroed! Unlimited underwater breathing! Water pressure damage reduced by 80%!]
[Additional Effect—The host's all attributes increase by 15% under moonlight! Increased by 30% on the night of a full moon! Stacks with the 'Night Bonus' of the Progenitor Bloodline—the total bonus on the full moon night is as high as 50%!]
[Soul Purification Complete—The 'darkhold residue' in the host's soul has been cleared by the white moon energy! The purity of the Progenitor Bloodline is improved—dark attribute side effects are reduced by 35%! Sunlight sensitivity is reduced—the host can now continuously act in the sun for 4 hours without any weakening!]
[System Screaming—Host! You are now the only vampireprogenitor in the Marvel Universe who can walk in the sun! Just this one point—is enough to make global vampires bow down to you in admiration!]
Li Heng looked at "sunlight sensitivity reduced" on the system panel—
The corners of his mouth slowly curved up.
Four hours—
Although he still couldn't act round-the-clock like a normal person—it was already a qualitative leap—
Before this, he could only act at night or indoors—direct sunlight for more than 15 minutes would significantly weaken him—
And now—
He could walk in the sun for four hours—
What did this mean?
It meant he could accompany Wanda to stroll in Central Park—in the daytime—
Not all strengthening was for fighting—
Some strengthening—was just to live a normal life.
"Congratulations." The Ancient One nodded slightly, a trace of satisfaction flashing in her purple eyes, "You only took one minute to unlock Chapter 1—three times faster than I expected—"
"Your soul is much cleaner than you think—"
"Even as a vampire progenitor—deep inside your heart—you still retain the warmth of a human."
"That is because—" Li Heng looked at Wanda—
"Someone keeps reminding me—I am not just a vampire—I am also—"
His words stopped—
Because he saw Wanda's eyes—
Those green eyes were filled with tears—
Not sadness—but—
Pride.
Proud of him.
"Idiot—" Wanda said softly, a smile on the corners of her mouth, but tears slipped down her cheeks, "You always say you want to slack off—but every critical moment—you work harder than anyone—"
"You are the vampire with the hardest mouth and the softest heart in the world—"
"And the bravest—human."
She stepped forward—tiptoed—
Cupped his face with both hands—
Pressed her forehead against his forehead—
Green eyes met the different-colored pupils of dark gold and silver white—
The distance was so close—that their breaths intertwined—
"Li Heng—"
"Hmm?"
"I—"
Her voice trembled slightly—but her gaze was extremely firm—
"I like you."
"Not the bonus of Soul Resonance—not the influence of the blood pact ring—not because you saved me—"
"Because—you are you—"
"An idiot who says he wants to slack off with his mouth, but whose body is desperately protecting me—"
"A madman who smashed the seal with a mortal body in the Mirror Dimension—"
"Someone—I want to be with forever."
[Ding!!!!!!!!!!!]
[Wanda Maximoff's 'heartbeat' value +1! Current: 100/100!!!!!! Maximum score!!!!!!]
[System crazy pop-up—Maximum favorability! Maximum favorability! Maximum favorability! Say important things three times!!!!!!]
[Trigger special event—blood pact ring·Second Stage Evolution!!!!!!]
['blood pact ring·First Stage'—Soul Resonance: Both souls temporarily deeply fuse, combat power stacks 1+1 > 3, duration 30 seconds!]
[Evolved into—'blood pact ring·Second Stage'—Soul Contract: Both souls are permanently partially fused! No need to actively activate! Effects are as follows—]
[1. Telepathy—The host and Wanda can communicate telepathically at any distance! No delay! Unblocked by any dimensional barrier!]
[2. Damage Sharing—When one party suffers fatal damage, the other party can voluntarily share 50% of the damage!]
[3. Energy Complementarity—When one party's energy is exhausted, the other party can remotely transmit 30% of their own energy for replenishment!]
[4. Resonance Amplification—When both parties are within a 100-meter range, all attributes increase by 10%!]
[5. Special—'Soul Watch'—When one party's HP drops to 0, the other party's soul can temporarily inhabit the other's body to maintain their vital signs! Duration 24 hours! During this period, the inhabiting party can fight on behalf of the other—but both share a single body, and energy consumption is doubled!]
[System Evaluation—What kind of fairy-tale romance is this?! Even the system was sweetened by it! The blood pact ring evolved from 'Resonance' to 'Contract'—meaning your souls are no longer two independent individuals—but—two sides of the same coin! You are her, and she is you! From now on—no force can separate you—unless—you choose to separate yourselves!]
Li Heng looked at the dense new abilities on the system panel—
Then—
He looked down at Wanda—
Wanda looked up at him—
Their foreheads were still pressed together—
Breaths intertwined—heartbeats resonated—
"I like you too," he said.
The voice was not loud—but more serious than anything he had ever said in his life—
"From the first sentence you said to me in the Hydra base—"
"From the time you blocked that Impact of Chaos Magic for me—"
"From the first time you smiled in front of me—"
"I like you—Wanda Maximoff—"
"Not because of how strong you are—not because you have Chaos Magic in you—not because you have a blood pact with me—"
"Because—you are you—"
"A girl who has been hurt by the whole world yet remains gentle—"
"A fool who still believes in hope in despair—"
"Someone—I want to protect for the rest of my life."
Wanda's tears could no longer be stopped—
But while crying—she smiled—
Smiling as if the whole world was lit up—
"You big idiot—big idiot—big idiot—"
She plunged into his arms—her fists lightly hammering his chest three times—
Li Heng hugged her—his chin resting on the top of her head—
In the vertical pupils of dark gold and silver-white halo—a rare trace of softness was revealed—
Beside them—
Wong expressionlessly watched this scene—
The Ancient One smiled and shook her head—
Pietro, who appeared in the corner out of nowhere—
The silver-haired youth's face looked like he had swallowed a whole lemon—
"My sister—just like that—by a vampire—"
His voice sounded like it was squeezed out from between his teeth—
"Pietro—" Wanda poked her head out from Li Heng's arms, her cheeks flushed, her eyes curved like crescent moons—
"If you dare to object—I will have Li Heng invite you to drink pig's blood every day—"
"I don't want to drink pig's blood—!"
"Then be good—"
"I—" Pietro opened his mouth—finally letting his shoulders droop listlessly—
"Fine—as long as you are happy—"
Then he glanced at Li Heng—his silver eyes full of warning—
"But if you dare to make her sad—I will blow off your coffin lid with supersonic speed—"
"I don't sleep in coffins—" Li Heng said expressionlessly.
"Then I'll flip your bed—"
"..."
"Enough—" Ancient One interrupted the increasingly absurd conversation, a trace of helplessness flashing in her purple eyes, "You can be sweet later—right now—you have more important things to do—"
She waved her hand—
A golden magic projection appeared in the center of the hall—
It was a topography map of the Atlantic Ocean floor—
A red light point was marked on the map—
Atlantis.
"Namo activated Varna's deep-sea seal an hour ago—currently the seal is in the 'warm-up' phase—about 48 hours away from fully opening—"
"48 hours?" Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils contracted slightly—
"Didn't it say seven days before—"
"Seven days is the time for Chthon to descend directly bypassing the beacon—but if Namo offers the original manuscript in advance—Chthon doesn't need to bypass the beacon—he can descend directly through the channel established by the original manuscript—"
"The time—will be shortened from seven days to—48 hours!"
Ancient One's voice deepened—
"That is to say—you must reach Atlantis within 48 hours—to stop Namo from opening the seal—or—at the moment the seal opens—use the white moon scroll to transform the channel into a seal—"
"Two options—the former has lower risk but requires facing Namo's army head-on—the latter has extremely high risk but can directly solve the problem—"
"Which one do you choose?"
Li Heng pondered for two seconds—
"Both."
Ancient One raised her eyebrows slightly—
"Try to stop Namo first—if you can't stop him—activate the Moonlight Body seal at the moment the seal opens—"
"This requires extremely strong on-the-spot adaptability and strong enough combat power—"
"Are you sure your strength is enough?"
"If it's not enough, make it enough," Li Heng said, "Progenitor Bloodline 1.0%—not enough yet—but the trip to Atlantis itself is an opportunity to become stronger—"
"Varna is there—the darkhold original manuscript is there—the completion of the white moon scroll is also there—"
"Every checkpoint I pass—I will get a fraction stronger—"
"By the time I reach Namo—I might not be at 1.0% anymore—"
Ancient One looked at him—a trace of approval flashed in her purple eyes—
"Your mindset—is more mature than I imagined—"
"Not pursuing overnight success—but continuously accumulating through the process—this is the thinking of a truly strong person—"
"Good—I wish you good luck."
She waved her hand—a golden portal opened in front of Li Heng and Wanda—
On the other side of the door—
It was the Atlantic Ocean coast in the dark night—
The sea breeze blew, waves beating against the shore—
The dark blue ocean churned with silver waves under the moonlight—
"Go into the sea from here—follow the continental shelf south—in about two hours you can reach the outer defense circle of Atlantis—"
"After that—it depends on yourself."
Ancient One's voice came from behind the portal—
"Remember—Namo is the king of Atlantis—in his territory—he is a god—"
"Do not underestimate him."
Li Heng nodded—then turned to look at Wanda—
"You stay here—"
"No—" Wanda immediately objected—
"Atlantis is underwater—your Chaos Magic consumption has not recovered yet—underwater combat is too heavy a burden for you—"
"But—"
"Wanda." Li Heng held her hand, his dark gold and silver-white slit pupils looking straight into her green eyes, "Listen to me—the Soul Contract has been established—no matter where we are—you can sense me—"
"If anything happens to me—you will know at the first moment—then you can transmit energy to me through telepathy—"
"You don't need to go into the water yourself—you on the shore—are my strongest backing—"
Wanda bit her lip—she knew Li Heng was right—
The overdraft of Soul Resonance had not fully recovered—if she forced herself into the water—not only would she not be able to help, but she would also become Li Heng's burden—
But she was simply unwilling—
"You must come back—" she finally said—
"Of course—" Li Heng smiled—
"I haven't taken you to visit Central Park in the daytime yet—"
He let go of her hand—
Turned around—
Stepped into the portal—
The sea breeze hit his face—
The salty and fishy smell, the cold waves, the rough reefs under his feet—
The portal closed behind him—
The light of Kamar-Taj disappeared—
Only the moonlight and the sea were left—
And he was alone—
"Hoo—"
Li Heng took a deep breath of the sea breeze—
Then—
He looked towards the sea—
The slit pupils with dark golden and silver-white rings shone brightly under the moonlight—
"Moonlight Body—activate."
"Hum—"
Silver-white light emerged on the surface of his skin—like a thin layer of moonlight armor—
He walked into the sea step by step—
The seawater submerged his ankles—submerged his knees—submerged his waist—
No resistance—no chill—the Moonlight Body made him as free in the water as in the air—
He took a deep breath—
And plunged headfirst into the Atlantic Ocean—
"Hum————!"
A silver-white light trail drew a long tail behind him—
His speed was not affected by the seawater at all—even because of the assistance of the current—it was faster than on land—
The continental shelf retreated rapidly beneath his feet—
Deep-sea fish schools scattered in panic—
The topography of the seabed became deeper and deeper—more and more unfamiliar—
There was less and less light—
But he didn't need light—the night vision ability of the dark golden slit pupils was enough to see everything clearly—
Thirty minutes later—
He reached the Mid-Atlantic Ridge—
A huge undersea mountain range lay across his front—there were countless hydrothermal vents on the ridge—from which boiling mineral solutions gushed out—
And on the other side of the mountain range—
His dimensional perception captured—
A massive amount of—life reactions!
Not fish—not ordinary marine life—
But—
Atlanteans!
Hundreds of them—no—thousands of them—!
They formed a tight defense line—arranged along the ridge mountains—holding coral spears and seashell shields in their hands—
The Royal Guard of Atlantis—
And at the very front of the defense line—
A figure was suspended in the water—
He wore green and gold scaly armor—with small wings growing at his ankles—his skin was light blue—
Most eye-catching were his ears—pointed—like an elf—
And a pair of narrow, cold grey-blue eyes—
Namo McKenzie.
King of Atlantis.
The tyrant of the deep sea.
He suspended in the water—arms crossed—looking down at Li Heng condescendingly—
There was no anger in his grey-blue eyes—no surprise—
Only—
Disgust.
"vampire—"
His voice was transmitted through water pressure—low and clear—
"I thought you didn't dare to step half a step into the ocean—"
"When Dracula was alive—he never dared to approach my territory—"
"You—a brat not even as good as Dracula—by what right—"
Behind him—
Thousands of Atlantean warriors raised their spears simultaneously—
The sharp spear tips aimed at Li Heng—
"By what right—do you think you can leave alive?"
Li Heng suspended in the water—dark golden and silver-white slit pupils staring straight at Namo—
"I'm not fighting you—"
"I came—just to say one thing—"
"The darkhold original manuscript in your hand—is not power—it's a trap—"
"Chthon promised to let Atlantis rise to the surface—but he won't honor it—because the promises of the Old Godsare never worth a penny—"
"The moment you open the seal—is not the revival of Atlantis—but—is—"
His words suddenly stopped—
Because his dimensional perception—
Captured—
An impossible—
Signal!
That signal came from—behind Namo—deep within the defense line—in the direction of Atlantis—
Its characteristics—
Dark gold—
Exactly the same dark gold as the Progenitor Bloodline—
But stronger than his—
Much stronger—
Strong enough that—
It couldn't be any existing vampire—
The wavelength of that signal—
With Varna—
With the first generation ancestor—
Completely—
Consistent!
"How is that possible—" Li Heng's pupils S-Rank violently—
Varna—
Is not in the seal—
Varna—
Is Namo himself?!
No—not right—the wavelengths are similar but not completely identical—
That is—
His gaze suddenly focused on Namo's chest—
In the gaps of the green and gold scaly armor—
There was a faint dark golden light beating—
Like a heart—
But that was not Namo's heart—
That was—
Embedded in his body—
An—
ancestor core!
Varna's—ancestor core!!
The first generation vampire ancestor—Varna—
Before 'committing suicide' in the sunlight—
Implanted his own core power—the ancestor core—
Into the body of an—Atlantean—
And that Atlantean—
Was—
Namo!!
"You—" Li Heng's voice changed—
"You are not an ordinary Mutant—in your body—there is Varna's ancestor core—"
Namo's grey-blue eyes suddenly S-Rank—
Then—
He smiled—
A suppressed for ten thousand years, finally released—
Crazy laugh—
"You found out—"
"That's right—I am the successor chosen by Varna—"
"Ten thousand years ago—before he 'committed suicide' in the sunlight—he implanted the ancestor core into my ancestor's body—passed down from generation to generation—until me—"
"I am the King of Atlantis—and also—"
He spread his arms—
The dark golden light on his chest suddenly surged—
Produced with Li Heng's Progenitor Bloodline—
Resonance!!
"vampire's—"
"Another—"
"Ancestor—!!"
"Hum————!!!!!"
A dark golden Impact burst from Namo's body—
Instantly vaporizing the seawater within a radius of a hundred meters—
Forming a huge vacuum bubble—
And Namo's figure slowly deformed in the dark golden light—
The pointed ears disappeared—the skin turned pale—two sharp fangs extended from the corners of his mouth—
But his lower body still retained the characteristics of an Atlantean—the wings on his ankles, the light blue scales—
He was a—
Hybrid—
Atlantean and vampire—
Hybrid ancestor!!
[Ding!!!!! Emergency Alarm!!!!! S-Rank threat detected—Namo McKenzie—True identity: Second Progenitordesignated by Varna!! ancestor core awakening degree—0.5%! On par with the host! But because the ancestor coreis Varna's core power—its quality is much higher than the host's inherited bloodline—Actual combat power—A+-Rank!!!!]
[System Screaming—Host! Run away!! You can't beat him right now!! 1.0% awakening degree against Varna's 0.5% core—you have a numerical advantage but he crushes you in quality—this is like holding ten small knives to hack at a tank—quantity is useless—quality is the key!!]
[Run away——!!]
But Li Heng didn't run—
Because—
Namo's dark golden slit pupils—
The exact same dark golden slit pupils as his—
Were staring at him dead on—
In those eyes—
There was no murderous intent—
But—
Hunger.
Deep within the bloodline—
Towards another ancestor—
The desire to devour!
"Come on—new ancestor—"
Namo's voice echoed in the water chamber—
Carrying the vicissitudes and madness of twenty thousand years—
"Lord Varna said—two ancestors cannot coexist—"
"One must—devour the other—"
"The winner is king—the loser is—"
He grinned—
Fangs flashing in the dark golden light—
"Blood—"
Chapter 26: Clash of the Two Progenitors! The Desire to Devour — Bloodline Judgment: War of the Progenitors, Commences!
The deep sea.
Inside the vacuum bubble of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, two pairs of dark gold vertical pupils locked eyes across a distance of twenty meters.
One is Li Heng — the new progenitor with the inherited Progenitor Bloodline, with an awakening degree of 1.0%, a combat power at the peak of B+-Rank, holding the white moon scroll, and bearing the Ancestor Soul.
One is Namo — the Second Progenitor of the Varna core, with an awakening degree of 0.5%, combat power at A+-Rank, possessing the royal power of Atlantis and an ancestor core accumulated over twenty thousand years.
Two progenitors.
Cannot coexist.
This is the ironclad rule set by Varna two thousand years ago — the essence of the Progenitor Bloodline is "absolute dominion." When two progenitors exist within the same race, the bloodline itself will drive the two to devour each other — until only one remains —
The winner is king — the loser becomes blood.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz —"
The Progenitor Bloodline inside Li Heng's body was churning frantically — that feeling was not fear — but rather —
Hunger.
An unsuppressible craving originating from the depths of his genes, a desire for the blood of another progenitor —
It was like a traveler in the desert seeing an oasis — a wolf starving for three days and three nights seeing a sheep —
His body was trembling — not because of fear — but because —
Every drop of his blood was screaming — "Eat him — devour him — absorb his ancestor core — you will become the only king —"
"Did you feel that?" Namo's voice echoed in the water chamber, his grayish-blue eyes already replaced by dark gold vertical pupils — his body was also trembling — with the same hunger — the same craving —
"This is the Bloodline Judgment — the War of the Progenitors — the ultimate trial left behind by My LordVarna —"
"Two progenitors — only one can survive —"
"You — or me."
[Ding!! Bloodline Judgment: War of the Progenitors — Force-triggered!!]
[Judgment Rules — The two progenitors will engage in a decisive battle driven by Ancestor Power! Everything of the loser — power, memories, the ancestor core — will be devoured and absorbed by the winner! The winner's Progenitor Bloodline awakening degree will directly double!]
[Special Note — The War of the Progenitors is different from ordinary battles! It is bound by the rules of the bloodline — both parties cannot escape! Cannot surrender! Cannot beg for mercy! Only when one side completely falls — will the judgment end!]
[System Emergency Analysis — Host's current combat power is at the peak of B+-Rank vs. Namo's A+-Rank — the gap is about two minor tiers! Under normal circumstances — the host's win rate is only 18%! But — the system has detected three favorable factors —]
[1. white moon scroll — The white moon energy inside the host can neutralize the Black Magic attributes of Namo's ancestor core! Although it cannot directly harm Namo — it can weaken his dark attribute bonus by about 15%!]
[2. Ancestor Soul — The host's willpower shield can resist the mental oppression brought by the Bloodline Judgment! Although Namo possesses an ancestor core of higher quality — his willpower might not compare to the host's! After all — the host is a badass who shattered a mirror with a mortal body!]
[3. Moonlight Body — The current environment is the deep sea! The Moonlight Body allows the host to move freely in the water! And although Namo is an Atlantean — the dark attribute of the ancestor core has a weak repulsive reaction with seawater — his flexibility in the water will be dragged down by the ancestor core by about 10%!]
[Comprehensive Corrected Win Rate — 18% → 41%! Still not optimistic — but at least — it is not completely without a chance of winning!]
[System Advice — Host! This is the most perilous battle you have faced so far! But you cannot back down — the Bloodline Judgment does not allow backing down! Rather than being afraid — why not — fuck him up!!!]
A 41% win rate —
Li Heng looked at the numbers on the system panel — a trace of a smile actually curled up the corner of his mouth.
41% — a full double higher than he expected —
He originally thought he only had a 20% chance of winning — after all, Namo's combat power was a full two minor tiers higher than his — the chasm between A+-Rank and B+-Rank — could not be smoothed over just by a few bonuses —
But —
A one-third win rate — for a "lying flat" vampire —
is already enough.
"Hoo —"
Li Heng took a deep breath — there was no air in the vacuum bubble on the deep seabed — but the Moonlight Body could extract oxygen from the surrounding water molecules —
He slowly moved his neck — with two crisp cracking sounds of "kacha kacha" —
Then —
He looked at Namo — in his dark gold and silver-white vertical pupils —
There was no fear —
No hesitation —
Only —
An extremely pure, extremely simple —
fighting will.
"I don't want to be any kind of only king —" he said, his voice calm —
"I just want to live quietly — protecting the people I want to protect —"
"But you and your ancestor core blocked my path —"
"So —"
He clenched his fists — the dark gold Ancestor Power and the silver-white moonlight energy burned simultaneously on his fist tips —
"I'm sorry —"
"I'm going to devour you."
"Hahahaha —!" Namo laughed with his head up — his dark gold vertical pupils full of madness —
"Good — good — good — this is the spirit a progenitor should have —"
"For two thousand years — I have been waiting for this day — waiting for another progenitor to appear — waiting for the Bloodline Judgment to descend —"
"Do you know what it feels like for an ancestor core to sleep in the body of a non-progenitor for twenty thousand years?"
"It's like an unquenchable fire — locked in an iron cage — day and night — every moment — scorching my soul —"
"I'm crazy — you know it — I went crazy long ago —"
"The Atlanteans call me the "Tyrant" — because I am fickle and decisive in killing — but they don't know — my irritability is not due to nature — but because —"
He opened his arms — the ancestor core on his chest erupted with blinding dark gold light —
"This core — is forcing me — forcing me to become — the Devourer —"
"Twenty thousand years — I have finally waited for my prey —"
"Come on — new progenitor —"
"Let me see — what your blood — tastes like —!"
"Boom ————!!!!!!"
Namo stepped out — the seabed trembled —
His speed — was unimaginably fast —
The power of A+-Rank was displayed to the fullest on him — the dark gold ancestor core and the mutant abilities of the Atlantis royal family overlapped —
His right fist carried dark gold power and the Impact of the water current —
Punching straight at Li Heng's face —
"ancestor core · Abyss Fist —!"
That fist wind carried the oppression of the deep sea — as if the weight of the entire Atlantic Ocean was condensed on Namo's fist —
"Bang ————!"
Li Heng crossed his arms to block —
The protective energy interwoven with dark gold and silver-white violently collided with Namo's dark gold water-flow punch —
The Impact pushed the boundary of the vacuum bubble outward by thirty meters —
Li Heng's arms bent under the immense force — the seabed rocks under his feet were trampled into two deep grooves —
"Hiss —!"
Bones were creaking —
The power of A+-Rank — was indeed terrifying —
The Impact force of this punch — was at least equivalent to three times that during Soul Resonance —
And — Namo hadn't even used his full strength!
"Just this little ability?" Namo sneered — increasing the power on his right fist by another three tenths —
"I haven't even used one-tenth of the power of the ancestor core — and you — already can't hold on —"
"New progenitor — your bloodline is too thin — the inherited bloodline of My Lord Varna — is nothing more than the dregs of the ancestor core —"
"How could you possibly — contend with the core itself —!"
"Boom —!"
Another punch —
Li Heng's block was directly shattered — his body flew backward —
"Bang — bang — bang —!"
He consecutively crashed through three layers of water walls at the bubble boundary — each layer he crashed through — the water pressure crushed in from all directions —
The Moonlight Body reduced 80% of the water pressure damage — but the remaining 20% still made his whole body's bones rattle —
"Cough —!"
A mouthful of dark gold blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth —
[Warning! Host suffered a heavy blow! HP dropped to 87%! Minor fracture in the left arm ulna! Expected to self-heal in 30 seconds!]
[System Urgent Report — Host! Taking it head-on is not the way! Namo's power far exceeds yours! You need to use skills and strategy to make up for the power gap!]
"I know —" Li Heng steadied his figure — wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth —
Head-to-head — he really couldn't beat him —
The gap between A+-Rank and B+-Rank — cannot be bridged just by courage —
But —
Namo has three major weaknesses —
First — the repulsive reaction between the ancestor coreand seawater — his flexibility in the water was dragged down by 10% —
Second — the white moon energy can neutralize his dark attribute bonus — weakening it by 15% —
Third —
He is crazy.
The twenty thousand years of ancestor core scorching — made Namo's mental state extremely unstable — his fighting style must be violent, offensive, and leave no room for retreat —
In other words —
He doesn't defend.
An opponent who doesn't defend —
No matter how strong his power is —
There are still flaws.
"Come on —!" Namo's figure chased after him like a dark gold meteor —
The third punch —
This punch carried a dark gold water tornado —
"ancestor core · Tsunami Splitting Fist —!"
The entire sea area began to vibrate under this punch — the sand and gravel on the seabed were whipped up — forming a dark gold mudslide —
"Blood Domain — Expand!"
"Buzz —!"
Li Heng unfolded the dark gold Blood Domain under his feet — a scaled-down version — covering only a radius of five meters — but the suppression effect increased from 60% to 70% —
The enhancement brought by the 1.0% awakening degree —
The moment Namo rushed into the Blood Domain — his body paused slightly —
The 70% suppression effect on the ancestor core — was not as exaggerated as it was on ordinary vampires — but it was enough to reduce Namo's speed by about 8% —
8% — enough!
"Swoosh —!"
Li Heng sidestepped — Namo's fist wind grazed past three centimeters from the tip of his nose —
"Missed —" Li Heng whispered —
His right hand had already pressed against Namo's flank —
"White Moon · Pure Erosion!"
"Sizz ————!"
Silver-white moonlight energy poured into Namo's body —
"Ah ————!"
Namo let out a painful roar — the Black Magic on the surface of the ancestor core was scorched by the white moon energy — and the dark attribute bonus was instantly reduced by 15% —
His power — directly dropped from A+-Rank to the peak of A-Rank!
"You —!" Namo was furious — sweeping back with a palm —
But Li Heng had already slid behind him using the momentum of the sidestep —
"Progenitor Bloodline · Dark Gold Puncture —!"
Closing the five fingers of his right hand — the dark gold Ancestor Power condensed into a sharp spike —
Stabbing straight at Namo's back heart — the location of the ancestor core!
"Bang —!"
It pierced in —
But only penetrated two centimeters — before it was blocked by the ancestor core's automatic protection —
The quality of Namo's ancestor core was much higher than the inherited bloodline — its protective hardness was equivalent to A-Rank defense —
Li Heng's stab — fell just a little short —
"Heh —!"
Namo backhanded and grabbed Li Heng's wrist — killing intent boiling in his dark gold vertical pupils —
"Found you — little mouse —"
"ancestor core · Abyss Devour —!"
He tightened his five fingers — a terrifying suction force erupted from his palm —
That was not ordinary grip strength — but rather — the devouring power of the ancestor core —
It was directly extracting the Progenitor Bloodline energy inside Li Heng's body!
"Hiss —!"
Li Heng felt his power draining at a speed visible to the naked eye — like blood being forcibly sucked out of his blood vessels —
The quality of the ancestor core crushed the inherited bloodline — in direct energy confrontation — the core was always superior to the bloodline —
This was an innate disadvantage —
"Let go —!"
Li Heng punched Namo's arm with his left fist — but the power at the peak of A-Rank simply couldn't shake Namo's iron grip —
"Hahahaha — give up —" Namo's dark gold vertical pupils were full of madness — "Your bloodline — your power — everything about you — will be mine —"
"After devouring you — my ancestor core will break through 1.0% — by then — Atlantis will resurface — and I — will become the most powerful progenitor in history —"
"No one — can stop me —"
Power was draining —
HP was dropping — 87% — 79% — 72% —
[Warning! Host HP continues to drop! Progenitor Bloodline energy extraction rate: 3% per second! At this rate — the host will completely lose combat capability in about 20 seconds!]
[System Emergency Suggestion — Host! Use "Fleshly Mortal Punch"! Abandon all supernatural bonuses — condense willpower into a single strike — the power at the peak of A-Rank — is enough to shatter Namo's protective golden light — and break free from his devouring!]
No —
Li Heng rejected the system's suggestion —
The cooldown time for Fleshly Mortal Punch was 72 hours — after using it — he would have no trump cards left —
And the War of the Progenitors — couldn't possibly end with just one punch —
He needed another way —
"Glug —"
The blood at the corner of his mouth dripped down his chin —
Wait —
Blood?
Li Heng's dark gold vertical pupils suddenly lit up —
He lowered his head and looked at the blood at the corner of his mouth — dark golden — Progenitor Bloodline —
Then he looked toward Namo —
Namo was also bleeding — a wound on his flank — dark golden ancestor core blood —
The two types of dark golden blood —
In the water —
Slowly blended together —
"Hum — —!"
The moment the two Progenitor Bloodlines made contact —
A strange resonance erupted —
Not a hostile resonance — but —
Information Resonance!
A massive amount of images suddenly flooded into Li Heng's mind —
That was — Namo's memory!
Twenty thousand years of memories —
From the day Atlantis sank — to the moment Varnaimplanted the ancestor core into his ancestor's body — to the long years that generations of the Atlantis royal family endured the burning of the ancestor core —
He saw —
Varna —
The first vampire — the Great Wizard of Atlantis — in the final moments before committing suicide under the sunlight —
Varna stood atop the sunken ruins of Atlantis — sunlight spilled across his aged face — there was no fear in his dark golden slit pupils — only —
A sense of relief.
"I am tired —" he whispered —
"A lifespan of twenty thousand years — is enough to make one tired of everything —"
"But before I end — I must leave a way out for the vampire—"
He reached his hand into his own chest — and pulled out a dark golden core — the ancestor core — the crystallization of his lifelong power —
"Dracula —"
He injected a portion of his power into the young man before him — Dracula — the man who would later become the name of the vampire —
"This is my heritage — Progenitor Bloodline — you shall take this as a start — to build a new vampire —"
Then — he turned and looked in another direction —
An Atlantis royal family member —
"And you — will carry my core —"
"The ancestor core cannot leave the root of the vampire — Atlantis is the birthplace of the vampire — as long as this ocean remains — the core cannot be extinguished —"
"You must guard it — until a new Complete Progenitorappears —"
"At that time — the two Progenitors will undergo the Bloodline Judgment —"
"The winner — will simultaneously obtain the Progenitor Bloodline and the ancestor core — combining them into one —"
"That is — the true — Complete Progenitor —"
The imagery stopped abruptly right there —
Li Heng abruptly widened his dark golden slit pupils —
He understood —
He understood everything —
The true purpose of the Bloodline Judgment —
Was not to let the two Progenitors kill each other —
Instead —
It was to reunite the Progenitor Bloodline and the ancestor core!
Two tens of thousands of years ago, Varna split his power into two — giving the Progenitor Bloodline to Dracula's lineage — and the ancestor core to the Atlantis royal lineage —
These two forces had been passed down for twenty thousand years respectively — evolving and growing independently —
Now — it was time for them to merge —
But the method of merging — was devouring —
The winner devours the loser —
The Progenitor Bloodline devours the ancestor core — or the ancestor core devours the Progenitor Bloodline —
The outcomes were vastly different —
If the ancestor core devoured the Progenitor Bloodline — Namo would become the sole Progenitor — but his mind had long been distorted by twenty thousand years of burning — a mad Progenitor — even more terrifying than Chthon —
If the Progenitor Bloodline devoured the ancestor core —
Li Heng would become — what Varna spoke of —
The Complete Progenitor.
"I understand —"
Li Heng's voice rang out through the bloodline resonance —
Namo also saw the same memories — his dark golden slit pupils suddenly constricted —
"You — you want to —"
"That's right —" Li Heng's gaze was unprecedentedly firm —
"I don't plan to kill you —"
"What I am going to do — is strip the ancestor core from your body — and then — devour it —"
"To give you — release."
"You —!" Namo's expression changed drastically —
Release —
These two words — like a blade — ruthlessly stabbed into the softest part of him over the past twenty thousand years —
He had never thought about — the word "release" —
For twenty thousand years — the ancestor core had burned his soul day and night — he had long forgotten what peace was — what tranquility was —
He only knew how to devour — only knew how to fight — only knew —
Madness.
But if —
Someone could take the ancestor core out of his body —
He could —
"No —!" Namo suddenly roared violently — madness reignited in his dark golden slit pupils — "Don't think you can use such words to shake me —!"
"I have waited for twenty thousand years — not for release — but for victory —!"
"I will devour you — and become the true Progenitor — making Atlantis rise again —!"
"ancestor core · Full Release — Abyss King — Descend —!"
"Boom ————————!!!!"
The ancestor core within Namo completely erupted — dark golden light enveloped his entire being —
His figure rapidly expanded within the dark golden light — transforming from a normal size into a three-meter-tall giant —
Six dark golden tentacles condensed from the seawater behind him — each as thick as a water bucket — with sharp coral-like spikes at the ends —
This was the complete form of the ancestor core — the Abyss King — Varna's strongest combat form from twenty thousand years ago!
Namo — was no longer the King of Atlantis —
He had become — half of Varna.
"Boom —!"
The six tentacles attacked simultaneously — with extreme speed — each strike carrying the destructive power of a peak A-Rank —
Li Heng dodged left and right amidst the encirclement of the six tentacles —
"Bang — bang — bang —!"
Three tentacles hit simultaneously —
"Puff —!"
A large mouthful of dark golden blood sprayed from Li Heng's mouth — his health plummeted to 51% —
[Warning! Host health has dropped to 51%! Multiple fractures! Internal organs shaken!]
[Namo · Abyss King Form Combat Power Evaluation — Peak A+ Rank! Approaching the S-Rank threshold! Win rate correction — 41% → 23%!!]
[System — Host! We can't drag this out anymore! You must find a way to break the deadlock within three minutes! Otherwise —]
"I know —!"
Li Heng gritted his teeth — his dark golden silver-white slit pupils frantically searched for flaws within the gaps of the six tentacles —
Flaws — flaws — where was the flaw —
The Abyss King form had almost no weaknesses — the six tentacles integrated offense and defense — the ancestor core was wrapped in the innermost layer —
Unless —
He cut off all six tentacles —
But his power was not enough to cut through the A-Rank defense tentacles —
Unless —
"Mortal Punch —"
Li Heng muttered —
No — the Mortal Punch could only be used once — and after using it, he would have no trump cards left —
But if he didn't use it — he wouldn't even last three minutes —
"Damn it —"
Another tentacle swept across his waist —
"Bang —!"
His entire body was smashed into the rock layer of the seabed — buried by rubble —
Health — 39% —
"Hahaha — surrender, new Progenitor —" Namo's voice echoed in the water — his dark golden slit pupils filled with the wild joy of victory —
"Your bloodline is too thin — you are not qualified to become the Complete Progenitor —"
"Varna's legacy — will belong to me —"
Amidst the rubble —
Li Heng lay on the seabed — covered in wounds — dark golden blood and silver-white Moonlight Body fragments mixed together —
His consciousness began to blur —
39% health — still dropping —
Just at this moment —
"Li Heng —"
A voice rang in his mind —
Not the system — not Namo —
It was —
Wanda.
Soul Contract — Telepathy — on the coast a thousand kilometers away — Wanda's voice clearly transmitted into his consciousness —
"Li Heng — I can feel that you are injured — badly —"
"I'm fine —" he barely responded —
"Liars —" Wanda's voice carried a crying tone — but even more so, determination — "Soul Contract — Damage Sharing — I can share 50% of your damage —"
"No —!" Li Heng suddenly woke up — "You haven't recovered yet — sharing my damage will make you —"
"I have already recovered 70% — it's enough —" Wanda's voice was unquestionable —
"Li Heng — you promised me — that we would face everything together —"
"You cannot only let me participate when I am safe —"
"I chose you — and thus chose all the risks —"
"Now — let me help you —"
"Wanda —"
"Stop talking nonsense — win quickly —"
"Hum —————!!!!!"
On the coast a thousand kilometers away — the dark golden ring on Wanda's left ring finger erupted with blinding light —
Crimson Chaos Magic followed the link of the Soul Contract — spanning a thousand miles —
Pouring into Li Heng's body —
"Boom —!"
Li Heng's body abruptly erupted with light intertwined with dark golden and crimson on the seabed —
Damage Sharing — Effective!
His health stabilized from 39% to 55% — Wanda shared 32% of the damage — bearing 16% herself —
At the same time — Energy Complementarity activated — Wanda transmitted 30% of her Chaos Magic to him —
Li Heng's combat power — in an instant —
From peak B+ Rank —
Directly leaped —
Approaching A-Rank!
[Ding!! Soul Contract · Damage Sharing + Energy Complementarity — Activated simultaneously! Host combat power skyrocketed! Current estimation — Early A-Rank!]
[Win rate correction — 23% → 52%!! Exceeded 50% for the first time!!]
[System ecstasy — Host! Your wife is too fierce!! A thousand-kilometer remote assist — this operation is amazing!!]
Li Heng stood up from the rubble —
Dark golden, silver-white, crimson — three powers perfectly fused within his body —
Progenitor Bloodline · Moonlight Body · Chaos Magic —
Three powers in one —
His pupils — left eye dark golden silver-white — right eye crimson —
Identical to when Soul Resonance occurred —
But this time — it was not a 30-second time-limited burst —
Instead — it was the permanent bonus of the Soul Contract!
"Come again —!"
He rushed toward Namo —
The fist combining the three powers — blasted onto the Abyss King's first tentacle —
"Crack —!"
The tentacle — shattered!
"What —!" Namo's dark golden slit pupils suddenly constricted —
"Progenitor Bloodline · Moonlight Purification · Chaos Cleaving Void — Triple Power Strike —!"
Li Heng's figure shuttled through the encirclement of the six tentacles — every punch contained the perfect fusion of the three powers —
The second tentacle — shattered!
The third — shattered!
The fourth — shattered!
"Impossible —!" Namo retreated in panic — "How could you wield three powers at the same time — Progenitor Bloodline and Chaos Power cannot coexist —"
"They cannot coexist —" Li Heng's voice echoed in the deep sea —
"But they can — share faith —"
"Ancestor Power believes in me — Moonlight Powerbelieves in me — Chaos Power also believes in me —"
"Because —"
He appeared in front of Namo — his right fist condensing the pinnacle of the three powers —
"I believe — in myself —!"
"Ancestor Soul — Mortal Will — Three Powers Return to One —"
"Cleaving Void Punch — Ultimate Version —!!"
"Boom ————————————————!!!!!"
One punch —
Blasted onto Namo's chest — right above the ancestor core —
The Impact of the three-in-one power — directly pierced through the protective golden light of the Abyss King form — piercing through the defense of the six tentacles —
"Puff ————!"
A large mouthful of dark golden blood sprayed from Namo's mouth — the Abyss King form collapsed under the triple-power Impact — the six tentacles exploded simultaneously — turning into nothingness —
His figure S-Rank back from three meters to normal —
The ancestor core on his chest — was exposed —
The dark golden core — only the size of a fist — but it contained twenty thousand years of power and memories —
Under the illumination of Li Heng's dark golden, silver-white, and crimson tripartite light —
It trembled slightly —
As if —
Calling out —
"Come —" Namo knelt down on the seabed — his grayish-blue eyes resurfaced — the dark golden slit pupils disappeared —
On his face —
There was no anger —
No unwillingness —
Only —
A sense of finally unloading a heavy burden —
Relief.
"Twenty thousand years —" he whispered — his voice hoarse and exhausted —
"Finally — someone can take it away —"
"Take it away — new Progenitor — no — Complete Progenitor —"
"Give me — release —"
Li Heng looked at him —
Then —
Extended his right hand —
Pressed it onto the ancestor core —
"Progenitor Bloodline — Devour!"
"Hum ————————————————!!!!!"
Dark golden light swallowed everything —
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 27: Complete Progenitor! Awakening Degree Skyrockets — The Truth of Varna, The Original darkholdAppears
At the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mid-Ocean Ridge.
The dark golden light exploded like a deep-sea nuclear bomb, dyeing the seawater within a radius of several thousand meters a dazzling gold.
Li Heng's right hand pressed fiercely on Namo's chest — to be precise, pressing right on the fist-sized ancestor core.
Devouring — has begun.
"Buzz — — — —!!!!!"
The ancestor core detached from Namo's body, slowly floating upward, and then — under the traction of Li Heng's Progenitor Bloodline —
Bit by bit —
Merged into his chest.
"Ugh, ahhhhh — —!"
Li Heng raised his head and let out a heart-rending roar!
Pain!
A hundred times stronger than the pain of shattering mirrors in the Mirror Dimension!
The ancestor core was the crystallization of Varna's lifelong power — two thousand years of accumulation, countless battles, and the curses of hundreds of millions of dead souls — all of which poured into Li Heng's body at this moment!
His body trembled violently — dense dark golden patterns emerged across his skin — those were Varna's bloodline inscriptions — the genetic code of the first vampireancestor!
[Ding!! ancestor core — Devouring Progress — 10% —!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree — 1.0% → 1.2% —!]
[Devouring Progress — 30% —!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree — 1.2% → 1.6% —!]
[Devouring Progress — 60% —!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree — 1.6% → 2.1% —!! Breaking through the 2.0% mark!!]
"Boom — —!"
The dark golden light within Li Heng's body suddenly changed color — no longer pure dark gold — but instead —
Dark gold as the base, silver-white as patterns, and crimson as veins —
The three colors intertwined — the Progenitor Bloodline, Moonlight Body, and Chaos Magic — completely fused into one under the catalysis of the ancestor core!
At the same time —
Varna's memories rushed into Li Heng's consciousness like a torrent —
He saw —
Twenty thousand years ago, during the era before Atlantissank —
An old man in a black robe stood within a magnificent temple — before him lay an ancient book bound in indestructible parchment —
The darkhold!
The supreme Black Magic grimoire left on Earth by the old god Chthon!
The old man opened the pages — filled with distorted text — every line writhing — every word whispering —
He chanted the incantation within —
"Boom — —!"
Dark power surged from the pages — pouring into the old man's body — turning his blood from red to dark gold — turning his pupils from gray to slit pupils —
He was Varna — the Grand Wizard of Atlantis — the first vampire in the Marvel Universe!
But —
The scene shifted —
Varna stood before the darkhold — not with the ecstasy of gaining power on his face — but instead —
Fear.
He looked at his own hands — dark golden blood dripping from between his fingers —
"This is not a gift — this is a curse —" he muttered to himself —
"Chthon — you created vampires with the darkhold — not to give humans power — but to create a vessel —"
"When you return — all vampires will be reduced to your offerings —"
"The darkhold is not a carrier of knowledge — it is —"
"A key — a key to open the dimensional gateway —"
The scene transformed once again —
The eve of the sinking of Atlantis — heaven and Earthshattering, monstrous tsunamis raging —
Varna stood atop the ruins — tearing the darkhold in half —
Half — he sealed with magic — hiding it in the deepest part of the Atlantic abyss — that was the original manuscript —
The other half — he cast into the mortal world — that was the copy of the darkhold passed down through later generations — although powerful, it was far inferior to the original —
"The original cannot fall into Chthon's hands —" Varna said in a low voice —
"As long as the original is sealed — Chthon cannot fully return —"
"But I also know — the seal will not work forever —"
"Therefore —"
He reached his hand into his chest — and pulled out the ancestor core —
"I divided myself in two — passing the Progenitor Bloodline to Dracula — and handing the ancestor core to the Atlantis royal family —"
"When the two progenitors meet — the bloodline trial will become one again —"
"That merged progenitor — will be the final legacy I leave to the vampire race —"
"He — will be the only existence capable of contending with Chthon —"
"Because — within him, there is both the power of the darkhold — and —"
Varna looked into the distance — looking toward the eastern sky —
"The power of moonlight —"
"Only the fusion of darkness and light — can seal Chthon—"
The scene — dissipated.
[Ding!! ancestor core — Devouring Progress — 100% — Complete!!!!!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree — 2.1% → 2.5%!!!!!]
[All Attributes Increased — 800%!!!!]
[New Title Unlocked — 'Complete Progenitor': The host simultaneously possesses the Progenitor Bloodline and the ancestor core — becoming the second complete vampire ancestor after Varna! Domination over the entire vampire race is elevated to an absolute level! Any vampire— regardless of generation — cannot defy the will of the Complete Progenitor!]
[Ultimate Ability Unlocked — 'Ancestor Domain · Dark Moon Shining' (Ultimate Active): Deploy the Ancestor Domain within a radius of one kilometer! Within the domain — dark attributes and light attributes take effect simultaneously! Enemies within the domain will be simultaneously inflicted with the dual debuffs of 'Dark Erosion' and 'Moonlight Purification' — defense reduced by 50%, attack power reduced by 30%, and movement speed reduced by 40%! Meanwhile, the host and allies gain a 50% increase to all attributes within the domain! Duration: 5 minutes! Cooldown: 24 hours!]
[Hidden Achievement — 'Dual-Core Drive': The host becomes the only vampire in the history of the Marvel Universe to simultaneously possess a fourfold power system linked by the Progenitor Bloodline + ancestor core+ Moonlight Body + Chaos Magic! Combat Power Evaluation — directly breaking through A-Rank — reaching the peak of A+-Rank! Approaching the threshold of S-Rank!]
[System Terror — Host! Your combat power has surpassed the current benchmark value of Thor! Across the entire Earth — there are no more than five people who can confront you head-on! Ancient One, Odin, Dormammu — and — Chthon's true form!]
Li Heng slowly opened his eyes —
Within the dark golden and silver-white slit pupils — there was an extra circle of bottomless dark golden halo — that was the mark of the ancestor core merging —
He lowered his head and looked at his hands —
Closing his five fingers into a fist —
"Boom — —!"
Merely the action of clenching his fist created a ten-meter-diameter vacuum bubble in the seawater — the water pressure before him was as fragile as paper —
This was the power of the peak A+-Rank —
Completely different from a few minutes ago.
"Hoo — —"
He let out a long breath — and then turned to look at Namo.
Namo knelt on the seabed — a dark golden indentation remained where the ancestor core had been on his chest — his face was as pale as paper — but his gray-blue eyes —
Unprecedentedly clear.
The madness of two thousand years — the moment the ancestor core left his body — completely dissipated.
"Liberated — —" Namo's voice was hoarse and weak — but his tone was calm —
"Two thousand years — for the first time — I feel peace —"
"The burning of the ancestor core — is gone — that fire gnawing at my soul day and night — finally — has been extinguished —"
He raised his head — looking at Li Heng —
"New Progenitor — no — Complete Progenitor —"
"Thank you."
Li Heng looked at him — remained silent for two seconds — and then extended his hand —
"Get up."
Namo was stunned for a moment — and then grasped Li Heng's hand — standing up.
The King of Atlantis — at this moment — was no longer a slave to the ancestor core — nor a follower of Chthon —
He was just an old man — who had finally gained freedom.
"The original of the darkhold —" Li Heng cut straight to the point — "Where is it?"
Namo's expression flickered with complexity for a moment — and then he pointed toward the abyss —
"The deepest part of the Mid-Ocean Ridge — there is a trench — Varna set a seal there —"
"But —" he paused —
"The seal is already loosening — the preheating program I activated earlier — although I manually aborted it — the seal itself has already suffered an impact —"
"At most — twelve hours — the seal will collapse on its own —"
"Twelve hours —" Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils S-Rankslightly —
Even shorter than the Ancient One's estimated 48 hours —
"What will happen after the original emerges?"
"Chthon's followers will sense the location of the original — they will come to seize it —" Namo's voice was deep —
"Moreover — the energy fluctuations released when the original emerges will briefly tear open a rift in the dimensional barrier — Chthon's consciousness can project into the physical world through that rift —"
"Although it is not his true form descending — but merely a conscious projection — it is enough to destroy a city —"
"More importantly —" Namo looked at Li Heng — his gray-blue eyes filled with gravity —
"The original will choose a Master — it will bewitch the most powerful superhuman nearby to become its new host —"
"And in this deep sea — the most powerful superhuman —"
He looked at Li Heng —
"It is you."
Li Heng fell silent —
The darkhold's original copy — Chthon's most powerful Black Magic carrier left on Earth — would it choose him as a host?
This was both an opportunity — and a trap —
If he could control the original — he could completely reverse the blood moon prophecy — and permanently seal Chthon's descent channel —
But if he was backlashed by the original — he would become Chthon's puppet —
"You must go —" Namo said — "Because if you don't go — the original will choose someone else — it could be some Hydra sorcerer — it could be some crazy scientist — or even —"
He paused —
"Wanda Maximoff."
Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils suddenly constricted —
Wanda —
The mark left by Chthon on Chaos Magic — made Wandaone of the easiest targets for the original to bewitch —
If Wanda was present when the original emerged —
No — even if Wanda was on a coast a thousand kilometers away — the energy fluctuations of the original might still affect her through the connection of Chaos Magic —
"I'll go."
Li Heng hesitated no longer —
"Tell me the specific location of the trench — I'll go down right now."
"Wait —" Namo stopped him —
"Although your strength has greatly increased — the bewitchment of the original cannot be resisted by strength alone — Chthon is one of the Old Gods from three billion years ago — his mental erosion is enough to destroy anyone's will —"
"You need something to protect your mind —"
He reached into his embrace — and took out an ancient seashell ornament — the surface of the seashell was engraved with Atlantis inscriptions —
"This is the shell of the sea god — the token of past kings of Atlantis — it can resist an attack on the mental level —"
"Only once — so —"
"Enough." Li Heng took the shell of the sea god —
He had seen Varna's memories — he knew that the key to resisting the original's bewitchment was not external protection — but —
Willpower.
The test of the Mirror Dimension had already proven his will — the Ancestor Soul made him immune to all mental attacks —
But having an extra layer of protection — after all, wasn't a bad thing.
"The army of Atlantis —" Li Heng glanced at Namo —
Namo shook his head —
"I no longer have the qualification to mobilize them — after the ancestor core left my body, my royal power has greatly declined — besides — they will not obey a king who cooperates with a vampire —"
"But you don't have to worry — I will hold them back here — and not let them interfere with you —"
He gave a wry smile —
"This is the last thing I can do for Atlantis."
Li Heng looked at him for a second — then nodded —
"Thanks."
He turned around — toward the direction Namo guided —
The abyss —
Swam over.
The Moonlight Body made him like a meteor in the deep sea — the dark golden light trail drew a long wake behind him —
The temperature of the seawater was getting lower and lower — the water pressure was getting larger and larger — but these had no effect on him at the peak of A+-grade —
Three minutes later —
He saw the trench.
An ink-black crack — extended from the root of the undersea mountains to the bottomless abyss — the crack was about twenty meters wide — the stone walls on both sides were carved with Atlantis inscriptions and vampirerunes —
Two completely different civilizations overlapped on the same wall —
As if telling a forgotten history —
Deep in the trench — dark golden light was flickering slightly —
That was the light of the seal —
And also — the light of the original —
Li Heng took a deep breath —
"Hum —"
The telepathy of the Soul Contract automatically connected —
"Wanda —"
"I hear you —" Wanda's voice came from a thousand kilometers away — carrying a trace of tension and anticipation —
"Did you succeed? I feel that your strength has changed a lot —"
"Yeah — the ancestor core is in hand — awakening degree 2.5% — combat power peak of A+-grade —"
"!!!" Wanda's emotions were directly transmitted through the soul link — surprise, joy, pride — and a little bit —
"You are too amazing —!"
"Don't praise me yet —" Li Heng smiled — "There is one last hurdle — the darkhold original is right ahead — I'm going in to get it —"
"Be careful —" Wanda's voice immediately turned serious — "Chthon's bewitchment is very powerful — don't let the original control you —"
"Rest assured — I have the 'Ancestor Soul' — mental attacks are invalid against me —"
"But —" Wanda hesitated for a moment — "What if —"
"There is no what if —" Li Heng said decisively —
"Because — if I become Chthon's puppet — the first person to be hurt will be you —"
"I will never let this happen."
Wanda was silent for two seconds —
Then —
"I believe you —"
"Go — I'll wait for you to come back —"
Li Heng cut off the telepathy —
The dark gold and silver-white slit pupils stared at the dark golden light deep in the trench —
He leaped forward —
Falling into the abyss —
...
At the bottom of the trench.
A huge magic circle appeared in front of Li Heng — the magic circle was intertwined with Atlantis inscriptions and vampire runes — in the center was a dark golden sealed space —
In the sealed space —
A book was suspended in mid-air —
Ancient parchment cover — indestructible material — purple-black energy flowing on the surface —
The darkhold — original!
Chthon's strongest Black Magic carrier left on Earth — the origin object of the vampire race —
Li Heng's Progenitor Bloodline was beating wildly — the inherited bloodline and the ancestor core resonated at the same time —
This book — was the source of his power — and the starting point of his bloodline —
But at the same time —
The system panel was also flashing wildly —
[Ding!! Detected S+-Rank Black Magic sacred relic — darkhold original!!]
[Warning! This item contains the origin will of the Old Gods Chthon from three billion years ago! Any creature attempting to touch the original will suffer mental erosion! Erosion strength — exceeds the limit of A-grade mental attack!]
[Host possesses 'Ancestor Soul' mental shield + shell of the sea god one-time mental immunity — theoretical survival probability 68% — but there is still 32% uncertainty!]
[System suggestion — act with caution — observe the seal status first — then decide whether to touch it!]
Li Heng didn't rush forward — he stood at the edge of the magic circle — dark gold and silver-white slit pupils carefully observed the status of the seal —
Just as Namo said — the seal had begun to loosen —
Dozens of cracks appeared on the edge of the magic circle — purple-black energy oozed from the cracks — like clumps of living black smoke —
These smokes slowly condensed in the air —
Forming a —
Shadow.
A humanoid Shadow —
No face — no facial features — but Li Heng could feel —
It was laughing.
"Hum —"
The Shadow spoke — the voice seemed to come from all dimensions at the same time —
"I felt it — the breath of the Progenitor — no — not just the Progenitor — and the smell of moonlight —"
"Interesting — very interesting —"
"That old thing Varna — he thought that dividing his power into two could stop me —"
"But he forgot — the two separated halves — will eventually merge into one —"
"And you — the one who merged into one —"
The Shadow slowly turned to Li Heng —
It still had no face — but Li Heng could feel —
It was looking at him —
With Chthon's eyes —
"You are that key —"
"The power on your body — half comes from the darkhold— half comes from the moonlight — the fusion of dark and light —"
"You think you can seal me with this power?"
"No — you are wrong —"
"The fusion of dark and light — can both seal — and can also —"
The Shadow suddenly expanded —
"Open —!"
"Boom —!"
Amidst the Shadow's angry shout, the seal split open another huge crack —
Purple-black energy gushed out like a breached flood —
The original trembled violently in the sealed space — the cover opened automatically —
On the pages —
A line of purple-black text slowly emerged —
That line of text twisted and wriggled — finally turning into a language Li Heng could understand —
"Progenitor — would you like to become my new host?"
"Would you like to use your body — to welcome the arrival of My Lord Chthon?"
"In exchange — you will get —"
"In this Universe — the most powerful Black Magic —"
"Enough to make you — become —"
"A god —"
(End of Chapter)