Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 : Bloodline

"Are you feeling shocked and excited? Do you have the urge to scream in excitement? Go ahead, I assure you I won't laugh at you this time," Jade said playfully as she skipped towards Nexus with her hands behind her back.

Nexus nodded in disbelief, "I am truly shocked and excited. I think my heart can barely handle it."

"Well, you better brace yourself because this is just the beginning. What's coming next might just give you a heart attack," Jade grinned mischievously.

Bewildered, Nexus looked at Jade with a suspicious expression, "What do you mean by that? You don't mean..."

As he has thought of something, Nexus turned his gaze to the bookshelves on his right, filled with scrolls and parchment papers.

With a quivering voice, Nexus asked, "What are those scrolls? Are they also related to Cultivation and Martial Arts Techniques?"

"Nope," Jade grinned, revealing her sparkling white teeth. "These scrolls are treasure maps that depict the exact locations of precious treasures, ancient Kingdoms' treasuries, inheritance grounds of powerful ancient experts, forbidden zones, unexplored continents, lost continents, and hidden realms."

Nexus stumbled backwards, clutching his heart, his face turning red with excitement. His lips trembled as he burst into laughter, filling the hall with echoes. Suddenly, his laughter ceased, and his excited expression turned bitter.

Taken aback by Nexus's sudden change in demeanor, Jade asked with confusion in her eyes, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy with these treasures?

Nexus, with a bitter laugh, replied, "Jade, I am crippled. My foundation is wasted. I can't do anything with these treasures when my Cultivation is crippled."

Jade, stunned by his sudden sadness, was left speechless for a moment.

" Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha "

Jade's face lit up with laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she chuckled uncontrollably. "Oh Nexus, you have truly managed to make me laugh more in a few moments than I have in a lifetime," she said, trying to catch her breath between giggles.

Nexus looked puzzled at Jade's sudden outburst of laughter.

"Do you not understand, Nexus?" Jade asked, her eyes locking with his. "Becoming the master of the Origin Tower is the luckiest thing that could have happened to you. You should be thanking the heavens for this opportunity."

Jade reassured Nexus with a smile, "You need not worry about your damaged foundation. The next treasure on the first floor can heal your injuries."

Nexus was astonished. "The tower can heal my damaged foundation?" he asked in disbelief. He had thought that those who drank the Void Water can't restore their Cultivation even if theyconsume divine medicine.

Jade explained, "Yes, the last treasure was not originally meant to be on the first floor. The tower gifted it to you to help increase your strength quickly."

Nexus nodded in relief, grateful for the tower's healing powers. As he gazed at the vast collection of books and maps before him, his heart raced with excitement. The maps contained untold wealth that could potentially cause chaos if revealed to the Astheria World.

" Ok, stopped looking at these books and follow me to see the next treasure which is a lot more powerful and precious than these books "Jade interrupted his thoughts, urging him to focus on the next treasure that awaited them.

She led him deeper into the hall, where they came upon a massive altar made of unknown stones and materials. The altar stood a hundred feet tall, adorned with mysterious silver runes and intricate drawings of various beasts.

As Nexus took in the sight before him, he felt a sense of awe and wonder at the power and mystery that surrounded him.

Nexus raised his head and gazed at the top of the altar, where a massive silver ball the size of a basketball sat.

The ball appeared to shift between solid and liquid states, with mysterious symbols flickering across its surface. Nexus felt his heart quicken as he beheld the silver ball, as if an unseen force compelled him to kneel and worship it.

Turning to Jade with a serious expression, Nexus inquired, "Jade, what is this?"

Jade responded with equal solemnity, "This is the final treasure on the first floor. This silver ball is a bloodline."

Perplexed, Nexus asked, "What do you mean? I don't understand."

Jade explained, "You've heard of bloodlines, right?"

Nexus nodded faintly. He has heard about something about bloodlines before he didn't know the details. Even he was once a prince of a powerful Kingdom, there is little record about bloodlines in the Royal Library.

Jade continue to explain,"Those born with bloodlines possess extraordinary talents and abilities that are passed down through generations. They excel in cultivation, achieving results with half the effort and twice the speed. These individuals are considered Heavenly Geniuses and are highly valued by their respective factions. In essence, having a bloodline sets you apart from ordinary people."

Nexus absorbed this information, realizing the significance of bloodlines and the unique advantages they bestowed upon those who possessed them.

Jade paused and glanced at Nexus, who was listening attentively. "There are weak and strong bloodlines," she continued.

"So you mean bloodlines are also divided into ranks?" Nexus chimed in.

"Yes, bloodlines also have ranks," Jade confirmed.

Nexus rubbed his chin and motioned for Jase to continue.

"Bloodlines are divided into: Low Grade Bloodline, Mid Grade Bloodline, High Grade Bloodline, Royal Bloodline, Empyrean Bloodline, Sovereign Bloodline, and Primordial Origin Bloodline."

Jade stopped talking and glanced at Nexus, who had a shocked look on his face with a proud stance, hands on hips. "And this silver ball is a Primordial Origin Bloodline, the highest and most powerful bloodline. This is the gift the Origin Tower gave to you," Jade chuckled, looking at Nexus's face.

Nexus thought he might faint at any moment.

He had received too many shocks today. With heavy breathing, Nexus looked at the silver ball on the altar with hot, burning eyes.

He now understood how powerful the silver ball was. Fusing with this bloodline could make him incredibly strong in a short amount of time, healing his crippled foundation effortlessly.

"Jade, what are you waiting for? Let me fuse with this bloodline immediately," Nexus said impatiently.

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down. You can't rush to fuse with the bloodline. This thing is too powerful. You might die if you rush into it," Jade cautioned.

Nexus was taken aback and immediately shook his head, smiling bitterly. It seemed he was truly impatient.

"But how do I fuse with it?" Nexus asked.

"Don't worry, I will prepare everything. But you have to wait for a while. I want to create something that can help you fuse with the bloodline without any accidents," Jade said, raising her hand with squinted eyes.

Nexus gazed at Jade, momentarily at a loss for words. How does this young girl manage to act so mature? He observed her tousled hair, oversized glasses, and baggy clothes in silence, wondering how she could resemble a nerd from Earth.

"Hey, since you're a spirit of the Origin Tower, how did you get those glasses?" Nexus finally asked, the question nagging at him since he first laid eyes on her.

Taken aback, Jade stuck out her pink tongue in a cute manner. "None of your business," she retorted.

Shaking his head, Nexus inquired, "So, are we finished here? Are there no more treasures for me?"

"Nope, no more gifts for you," Jade snorted.

"Then how do I leave? And am I here in my physical form?" Nexus disregarded Jade's attitude and pressed on.

Giving him a side glance, Jade explained, "You're too weak to enter the Origin Tower with your physical body. Right now, it's just your soul here."

"Wow, that's amazing! Can I feel my flesh in my soul state?" Nexus marveled at the power of the Origin Tower, pinching his hand in disbelief.

Rolling her eyes, Jade replied, "To leave, just think about it. You'll naturally exit and vice versa."

Nodding in understanding, Nexus glanced at Jade, who was now pouting. "But can I still communicate with you once I leave the Origin Tower?"

"Yeah, just transmit your voice in your mind, and we'll be able to communicate," Jade confirmed.

With a nod, Nexus declared, "Then I'm leaving the Tower."

With a single thought, he vanished from the first floor, leaving Jade sighing and muttering something under her breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suddenly, Nexus opened his eyes, realizing he was still in his room. The experience felt exhilarating yet dreamlike. "Is this a dream?" he muttered to himself.

As if he has thought of something, he called out in his heart, "Jade, Jade are you there?"

"Hey, why are you shouting?" Jade's immature and childish voice sounded in his mind.

Nexus heaved a sigh of relief, realizing that everything was real.

Jade's childish voice sounded again, "Did you think you were dreaming and that everything you experienced wasn't real?