At that, Ye Chen began to understand. Simply put, Divine Blood enhanced the body's cells, allowing a human body to fuse with multiple superhuman genes.

If the human body's genetic cell configuration was set as "three," fusing with a superhuman gene would subtract "one," resulting in a ratio of two-to-one between native and superhuman genes. If the ratio reached two-to-two, it would cause the body to explode and die. Therefore, each person could only fuse with a single type of gene. Furthermore, strengthening the body did not allow for the fusion of multiple types, because a stronger body meant the native genes also grew stronger, and the superhuman genes would strengthen proportionally, keeping the ratio unchanged. The true effect of the Divine Blood, however, was to enhance the native genes themselves, making it possible to fuse two or more different monster genes.

This Divine Blood was not ordinary Divine Blood, but rather essence blood, which had been experimented upon and modified by the Atlantean civilization, granting it such miraculous effects. The unimproved Divine Blood, initially, was merely a potent tonic, lacking the divine efficacy to allow the body to fuse multiple genes.

Qilun handed the orb of light to Ye Chen. "This Divine Blood, I entrust to you. The crystal sphere protecting it is my token. I have already imprinted my thoughts within it. Take this crystal sphere to Alvi; she will then recognize you as her master, and you can command this entire city." He had already detected every action Ye Chen had taken since entering the city through his thoughts.

Just as Ye Chen was about to reach out and take it, Qilun’s brow suddenly furrowed, and he turned his gaze elsewhere.

Rumble~~~

Where the crystal sphere had been placed, a black maw ripped open, as if violently torn by an invisible, massive force. A black void, one and a half zhang in diameter, slowly materialized before the two men. Standing at the edge of this void was a tall, slender man clad in tattered beast hide, his long black hair cascading down, bearing three pairs of dark wings upon his back. In his hand, he gripped an inky black longsword, resembling a fallen angel.

He lifted his head, revealing a handsome face that bordered on the demonic, yet his blood-red pupils seemed savage and terrifying.

"My Divine Blood!" The winged man's eyes burned crimson as he stared fixedly at the crystal sphere, then snapped his gaze to Qilun, gritting his teeth. "You—you actually give this thing to an outsider instead of me?"

Qilun replied indifferently, "You are no longer who you once were." With that, he extended the crystal sphere to Ye Chen, cautioning him, "It is best that you absorb this as quickly as possible and do not let it fall into the hands of the Dark Creatures. Otherwise, with their technology, they could replicate pseudo-Divine Blood and manufacture vast armies of dark pseudo-god warriors."

Ye Chen nodded, glancing briefly at the winged man, and accepted the sphere.

"Put it down," the winged man commanded, his eyes vividly scarlet as he stared at Ye Chen. His voice was cold, "Put it down for me!" His tone carried the unquestionable authority of a revered emperor addressing a commoner, brooking no resistance.

Ye Chen spared him a look. Seeing that the man had not stepped out of the void, a flash of light crossed Ye Chen’s eyes, and he ignored him, instead asking Qilun, "Who is he?"

Qilun sighed. "He is my unaccomplished younger brother, who fell into the abyss and became a puppet of the Dark Creatures. This city was intact; his greed for the Divine Blood led him to lead an attack by the Dark Creatures, causing catastrophic damage to the city. However, after that great battle, the Dark Door sealed shut, and all the Dark Creatures were imprisoned within, unable to escape. He is now merely forcing open a temporary channel to transmit his voice and image; his true form cannot manifest."

He paused, then assured Ye Chen, "Rest assured, with me here, he cannot harm you. Absorb it without worry."

"Oh." Ye Chen realized the situation and finally relaxed. "If that is the case, then I gratefully accept. By the way, how do I extract and absorb this Divine Blood?"

Beside them, the winged man in the void nearly spat blood. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his fists clenched with audible cracking sounds. He—he had been completely ignored by Ye Chen. "Damn you, latecomer! If you dare touch the Divine Blood today, I swear to leave you with no corpse to bury!" he roared through gritted teeth.

Ye Chen glanced at him once more and then dismissed him. If White Dragon were present and knew the winged man could not exit the void, he would likely be ecstatic and curse the man until he vomited blood and died of sheer frustration.

Qilun addressed Ye Chen, "Place your palm against the crystal sphere. I have already deactivated both the external and internal protective layers. The sphere possesses an inherent consciousness; it will automatically float toward you upon sensing your blood essence."

Ye Chen nodded and pressed his palm against the crystal sphere. An icy chill spread throughout his body—a sensation that would instantly freeze an ordinary person of normal strength into an ice sculpture.

As his palm settled, a drop of dark blood within the sphere slowly began to writhe, moving toward his palm. This sight drove the winged man beside him nearly insane; his eyes looked ready to burst from their sockets, wishing he could tear Ye Chen limb from limb. For this very Divine Blood, he had sacrificed everything and waited here for ten thousand years, constantly monitoring the situation, only for Ye Chen to obtain it in the end.

Moreover, it was happening right under his nose, watching his cherished treasure being swallowed piece by piece by another. He felt his mind about to explode, his hair standing on end, roaring, "Wait until I get out, I will make you die, make you die!"

This voice echoed through the void, sharp and piercingly loud. Since Ye Chen had deactivated his superhuman state, his ears felt slightly numb. He frowned and reached up to rub his ears—a gesture the winged man interpreted as utter disdain, nearly driving him to apoplexy.

At that moment, the dark Divine Blood reached the edge of the crystal sphere, emerged, and wriggled into Ye Chen's palm, creating a resonance with the genes within his body. Once immersed in the blood, the Divine Blood moved like a fish in water, rapidly dispersing and fusing with every cell in Ye Chen’s body.

Ye Chen instantly felt all the blood in his body begin to boil. His skin trembled, and his body entered a state of high excitement. In this condition, his body rapidly transformed, and beads of dark sweat oozed from his pores—these were the impurities from cellular refinement and division.

A moment later, the physical transformation gradually calmed. His physical constitution instantly increased by ten levels, reaching level 72. Less than one ten-thousandth of that drop of Divine Blood had fused with his body; the rest lay dormant within him, destined to merge slowly over time. If it all fused at once, Ye Chen's genes would not have time to metamorphose so rapidly, resulting in an explosive death.

Seeing Ye Chen absorb the Divine Blood, the winged man's eyes grew so red they seemed ready to drip blood. He stared fixedly at Ye Chen, his throat emitting a low, hoarse sound as he roared, "Don't think that just because I can't come out, I can't hurt you! In one year, my subordinates will surely bring a monster army to flatten Earth and slay every last one of you descendants!"

Ye Chen uttered a soft, "Oh," and inquired, "How strong are your subordinates?"

The winged man sneered, "Are you afraid? Just things with a few thousand points of combat power, ants! With my 500,000 combat power backing them, one finger could crush you. Then, I will plunder the Divine Blood you haven't finished fusing and cast your soul into the purifying flames to become my sacrifice!"

Ye Chen nodded. "I see. That gives me a clear idea."

The winged man nearly slammed his head against the void. "Damn it! He dares to probe my plans! You seek death!"

"Enough!" Qilun frowned. "Look at yourself! You’ve been corrupted by the darkness, your intellect has degraded!"

The winged man seemed suddenly provoked, bursting into manic laughter. "You're the smart one, aren't you? Yes, you're so smart! You've always been the clever one, and I'm the fool! So what if I’m stupid? In the end, wasn't it me who annihilated all of you who looked down on me? Hahaha..."

Qilun shook his head and sighed, ignoring him further. He addressed Ye Chen, "Be careful in the future. Although he cannot emerge, he can collude with certain individuals and, at great cost, tear open a fissure to send his subordinates through."

Ye Chen started, then frowned. "If that’s the case, why doesn't he come through himself?"

Qilun smiled faintly. "There are many other surviving strong individuals from ancient ruins on Earth, recovering in the dimensional gaps. If too powerful a Dark Creature were to emerge, these experts would fearlessly attack it. Naturally, he dares not come forth."

Ye Chen was inwardly startled but quickly accepted the logic. After all, here stood a living, supreme expert, albeit one confined to the ruins to guard the Divine Blood.

Qilun looked up at the sky, his gaze seeming to pierce through space to a distant point. His expression grew distant, and after a long silence, he sighed softly. "Since the Divine Blood has been entrusted to you, my promise is fulfilled. I swore to her that I would guard the Divine Blood and prevent it from falling into the hands of the Dark Creatures. I have done so."

A promise he had guarded for ten thousand years.

Ye Chen nodded. "I will protect the Divine Blood." Although the Divine Blood was now in his possession, if he were killed and his body consumed, the Divine Blood could still be seized by another.

Qilun nodded with satisfaction. "I must leave this place now and go to the Celestial Kingdom to see if they have established their homeland over these long years. As a Saint, my soul is immortal; my spirit and will shall endure forever, eternal through the ages, but my physical body could not withstand the ravages of time and has turned to dust. I have nothing else to give you, but here is a fragment of my understanding and insight; it may aid you in cultivating your state of mind." As he spoke, he raised his hand and flicked it once. A beam of white light emerged, forming an esoteric imprint that embedded itself into Ye Chen's brow, vanishing within.

Ye Chen immediately felt an exquisitely strange sensation pervading his entire body, as if he understood something profound, yet didn't quite grasp what it was—caught in a mysterious, ineffable sense of enlightenment. That imprint transformed into a seed of the mind, planted within his heart, waiting for the day he achieved true realization, whereupon the seed would bloom into Spiritual Power, elevating his spiritual realm.

"Farewell..." Qilun's figure gradually faded, finally dissolving into a mote of light that flew toward the distance and vanished.

Ye Chen watched with reverence as this national hero slowly departed, then withdrew his gaze. He glanced at the winged man, shook his head, and turned to leave.

"Just wait," the winged man watched Ye Chen's retreating back, his eyes filled with jealousy, the flames of rage burning fiercely. "I will definitely make you my slave and humiliate you for eternity!"

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