National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 318 - 317: Teacher, I’m Ready

"Teacher, do you want me to obtain this power?"

Ye Lingyun was an extremely intelligent girl.

When Chu He appeared beside her and posed the question right after Xiao Cangqing had obtained that power, she immediately understood his intentions.

"Yes, but this power might not be easy to refine.

Xiao Cangqing has already obtained a portion of the Vampire Ancestor’s Bloodline Power,

yet even he is struggling to refine it, and he’s enduring a considerable amount of pain.

I have to say, that fellow Xiao Cangqing’s willpower is quite formidable,

especially when it comes to increasing his own strength. He’s willing to abandon everything and bear anything.

So you need to think this through beforehand. It’s even possible that after enduring unimaginable pain,

you might ultimately fail to refine this power and lose your life in the process."

Chu He said with a grave and serious expression.

Chu He had deliberately let Xiao Cangqing be the first to refine and absorb it,

precisely to see if there were any problems with the power contained in such blood.

However, Xiao Cangqing was slowly absorbing and refining it without any issues,

and it was even beginning to merge with the Vampire Bloodline Power already inside his body.

This proved that both sources of blood came from the bloodline of the Vampire Clan’s Ancestor.

"There’s one more thing."

Chu He continued, "The Vampire Clan has its advantages, but it also has a drawback.

They only revere beings who possess the Ancestor’s Bloodline Power.

Look at Xiao Cangqing. He’s a man from the Great Jing Empire.

The Great Jing Empire is looked down upon by most other empires on the entire Blue Star,

but simply because he obtained the Vampire Ancestor’s Bloodline Power,

he was able to sit unopposed at the apex of that massive clan, controlling all its resources and power.

With a single word from him, all the Vampires would frantically risk their lives, not hesitating even if it meant being wiped out.

A clan and a system of rules this vast would be an excellent tool if we could control it.

Although I could use my own strength to forcefully control Xiao Cangqing, the man is incredibly ambitious.

I don’t know when he might try to backstab me, and he could potentially cause a disaster.

Those are all my thoughts on the matter. But whether you’re willing or not is ultimately up to you."

When he had first chosen to take Ye Lingyun as his student, it was partly because of a mission at the time,

and partly because Chu He had seen the coldness in her personality.

A girl like her, even at the very beginning of the Evil Spirit outbreak,

would have a high probability of surviving and growing stronger and stronger.

But if she wasn’t guided properly, it was highly likely that Ye Lingyun would go down an extreme and twisted path.

Chu He had seen many humans on the battlefield who ultimately chose to submit to the Evil Spirits, helping them burn, kill, and plunder.

He had also seen many humans who, while killing Evil Spirits, also slaughtered their own kind.

It was for this very reason that Chu He, after a moment’s hesitation, had decided to keep Ye Lingyun by his side.

"Dean, how about you let me go instead?"

Xiao Yu said, unable to bear the thought.

After all, Ye Lingyun was a girl and the same age as them.

To let a girl like her do something so risky,

and even if she succeeded, she would become like Xiao Cangqing and the other members of the Vampire Clan—

neither human nor ghost, pale-faced, and fond of drinking fresh blood.

The price she would have to pay was simply too great.

"You can’t do it. If it were you, your failure would be a foregone conclusion."

Chu He said mercilessly, "Your willpower isn’t strong enough. You would easily be controlled by that power instead.

If that were to happen, you would no longer be you. You would be completely transformed into the soul of the Vampire Ancestor."

An embarrassed expression immediately appeared on Xiao Yu’s face.

"I’m willing to go. I’m willing to obtain such great power."

To everyone’s surprise, Ye Lingyun answered on the spot without even frowning.

No one knew that in Ye Lingyun’s heart, only two things mattered most.

One was her teacher.

He had rescued her from that suffocating, oppressive environment and bestowed upon her great power,

so that now, few people could bully her as they had before.

The other important thing was obtaining immense power.

Ye Lingyun already saw things with perfect clarity: only with greater power could she live a life without constraints.

"Have you made up your mind?" Chu He asked once more.

"I have." Ye Lingyun nodded solemnly.

"Then I will pass a Secret Technique on to you." Chu He’s finger gently touched the spot between Ye Lingyun’s eyebrows.

All the detailed information about the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Technique flooded into Ye Lingyun’s mind.

"Before Xiao Cangqing completely finishes absorbing the power within this blood, you’d best master the essence of the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Technique," Chu He said.

"I understand, Teacher." Ye Lingyun immediately sat down cross-legged,

closed her eyes, and began to study the vast amount of information in her mind.

The sudden, immense influx of information made the nerves in Ye Lingyun’s brain throb with a convulsive, aching pain.

At first, mottled patches of blood-red began to show through Xiao Cangqing’s skin.

This crimson was not a simple red, but a deep, violent dark-red,

like a river of dried blood under a setting sun, gleaming with an ominous light.

As this light spread, Xiao Cangqing’s face began to twist. The lines between his features blurred,

as some kind of power reshaped his visage.

His eyes, once a deep black, now gradually turned crimson. His pupils narrowed into thin vertical slits, glinting with a bloodthirsty light.

Around his eye sockets, blue veins bulged like coiled vipers.

His ears gradually elongated, becoming pointed and nimble.

His body stretched out during this bizarre transformation, his bones emitting faint CRACKING sounds.

His muscles and skin were rewoven, covered by a layer of smooth yet chilling scales that shimmered with a faint, blood-red glow.

His limbs grew long and powerful, and sharp talons sprouted from his fingertips,

each one glinting with a deadly cold light, ready to tear through any obstacle.

Most frightening of all, his back began to swell as some tremendous power stirred restlessly beneath the skin.

Finally, with a low roar, a pair of enormous bat-like wings burst from his body.

When they unfurled, they blotted out half the night sky. Bizarre patterns flowed across their blood-red feathers,

and every flap stirred up waves of red mist, shrouding everything around in terror and despair.

At this moment, Xiao Cangqing was no longer human. He was a fully-formed, man-shaped bat,

standing in the darkness, exuding a heart-stopping aura, the undisputed king of fear in this domain.

"Teacher, I’m ready." At that very same moment, Ye Lingyun opened her eyes.

Chu He vanished from his spot in an instant, appearing before Xiao Cangqing the very next second.