Chapter 184: The Godfinger

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: The Godfinger

He rose from his seat before Xavier could respond.

Xavier had no reason to refuse. After giving Victoria, Mira, and Maya a reassuring look, he followed the Ancestor out of the conference room.

The two eventually arrived at a spacious chamber made entirely of stone.

This was Ancestor Wendell’s private cultivation room, where he had spent many years in seclusion. It also served as the place where he kept the treasures he valued most.

Despite his advanced age, the Ancestor didn’t hesitate over what to give away. He went straight to his collection, selected three items, and placed them before Xavier.

The first was a fruit about the size of a cherry. Its surface shimmered with a faint, multicolored radiance, giving it an unusual appearance.

The second was an incomplete martial arts manual. Five prominent characters were written across its cover:

Shepherd God Puppet Technique.

The final item was a dried human finger.

"These three treasures have been in my possession for many years," Ancestor Wendell explained. "I’ve never found anyone suitable to inherit them. You saved my family from destruction, so I’d like you to have them as a token of our gratitude."

He picked up the fruit first.

"This is called the Dragon Blood Fruit. I obtained it thirty years ago during an expedition into the Red Dragon Secret Realm. Getting my hands on it wasn’t easy."

He examined the fruit for a moment before continuing.

"Its effects are somewhat similar to Holy Water, but when it comes to improving the potential of a special constitution, the Dragon Blood Fruit is far more effective."

"Dragon Blood Fruit? From the Red Dragon Secret Realm?"

Xavier’s eyes brightened.

He remembered reading about this treasure in the Encyclopedia of Rare Resources, a reference book he had purchased for 100 points while he was still in Valemont.

The information in that book confirmed just how extraordinary the fruit was.

The Dragon Blood Fruit was a treasure of a higher grade than Holy Water. Consuming it could greatly improve the growth potential of a person’s constitution and, under the right conditions, even awaken the Dragon Blood Divine Body.

That was a Divine Body, after all!

Ordinarily, a martial artist could only possess one special constitution. However, the Dragon Blood Fruit was an exception to that rule.

If someone who had already awakened a weaker special constitution consumed it, the powerful energy contained in the fruit could transform their existing constitution. There was even a chance that the transformation would elevate it into the Dragon Blood Divine Body.

That alone made the fruit far more valuable than Holy Water.

Of course, the result depended on the constitution a person already possessed. If their awakened constitution was already on the same level as the Dragon Blood Divine Body, the fruit wouldn’t transform it into something different. Instead, its energy would be absorbed to further strengthen their existing constitution.

There was another reason the Dragon Blood Fruit was so precious.

Since the beginning of the new calendar a century ago, the only known source of this treasure had been the Red Dragon Secret Realm, which appeared thirty years earlier. That secret realm had long since vanished, making any fruit obtained from it an exceptionally rare possession.

According to the Encyclopedia of Rare Resources, fewer than ten Dragon Blood Fruits were believed to exist throughout the entire world.

Xavier hadn’t expected Ancestor Wendell’s first gift to be something so valuable.

It was clear that the Shelby Family was genuinely grateful for his help.

"Thank you."

He accepted the fruit without hesitation.

There was no point pretending to refuse a gift that an elder had sincerely offered. Besides, turning it down would only make things awkward.

Ancestor Wendell seemed pleased by his straightforward response.

"There’s no need to thank me. Compared with what you did for the Shelby Family, this fruit is hardly enough to repay you."

He had always preferred people who were honest about their intentions. Some younger martial artists would spend ages pretending they didn’t want something even when it was obvious they did. Xavier’s directness was much more to his liking.

The Ancestor then picked up the incomplete manual.

"You can probably guess what this is. It’s a fragment of a martial arts technique known as the Shepherd God Puppet Technique."

He handed it to Xavier.

"The name has an unusual meaning. A shepherd is supposed to guide cattle and sheep, but in this case, the ones being herded are gods themselves."

Ancestor Wendell paused, allowing Xavier to examine the cover.

"I obtained this incomplete technique during the Great Destruction Era. I’ve spent many years studying it, but I’ve only managed to understand a small portion. In fact, what I’ve learned from it played an important role in helping me break free from the Six-Pointed Star Demon Mark."

His expression became more serious.

"As for its rank, I can’t give you a definite answer. It has no official classification, but I suspect it’s at least a ninth-grade martial technique. It might even belong to a level beyond the legendary ninth grade."

"Beyond ninth grade?"

Xavier carefully examined the manual.

The possibility immediately caught his attention.

Whether the Shepherd God Puppet Technique was ninth-grade, Heavenly-level, or even Saint-level wasn’t his greatest concern. What mattered was what its existence suggested.

There might be martial techniques in this world that surpassed the ninth grade.

Until now, he had regarded his Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Finger as an exceptionally rare Saint-level martial art. He had even considered the possibility that it was the only technique of its kind in human hands.

But the Shepherd God Puppet Technique suggested otherwise.

Perhaps there were other martial arts beyond ninth grade, and perhaps other people had obtained them.

The possibility might be small, but it was too important to ignore.

Xavier immediately became more cautious.

Ancestor Wendell had possessed this incomplete manual for years and still claimed to have only understood a fraction of it. Yet even that limited knowledge had helped him resist the Abyss Cult’s control.

There were undoubtedly other powerful old monsters who had survived since the Great Destruction Era. Some might have obtained treasures and techniques far beyond what ordinary martial artists knew existed.

He couldn’t afford to underestimate anyone simply because they appeared old or kept a low profile.

After all, Ancestor Wendell himself was proof of how dangerous such people could be.

"Now, for the third item."

Ancestor Wendell picked up the dried finger.

"This thing doesn’t have a name. I also obtained it during the Great Destruction Era. My father personally entrusted it to me, and I’ve kept it ever since."

His expression grew solemn.

"I’ve spent years examining it, and I’ve reached one conclusion. This may be the remains of someone who once reached the Martial Saint Realm."

"A Martial Saint?"

Xavier felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck him.

His eyes immediately fixed on the dried finger.

The Great Saint Realm was the eighth and highest known realm of martial arts. Anyone who reached that level could rightfully be called a Martial Saint, a title reserved for those whose strength had surpassed the limits of ordinary martial cultivation.

During the century since the beginning of the New Calendar, countless powerful martial artists had attempted to break through from the Venerable Realm into the Great Saint Realm.

Not one had succeeded.

Such breakthroughs were impossible to conceal. Even advancing from the Star Sea Realm to the Divine Power Realm triggered a Heavenly Tribulation. Naturally, attempting to reach the Great Saint Realm would provoke an even more terrifying trial.

The Heavenly Tribulations faced by those Venerables were often of the Three-Nine or Four-Nine variety. Their destructive power was so immense that an entire county town could be reduced to ruins.

There was simply no way someone could endure such a tribulation without the rest of the world noticing.

That was why martial artists everywhere had reached the same conclusion: no one in the present era had successfully entered the Great Saint Realm.

Yet Ancestor Wendell had just claimed that the dried finger might have belonged to a Martial Saint.

How could Xavier possibly remain unmoved?

What had the world been like before the New Calendar, during the Great Destruction Era? And what kind of powerful beings had existed back then for someone at the Great Saint Realm to have left behind such remains?

Unfortunately, Ancestor Wendell could offer him few answers.

He shook his head with a bitter smile.

"I wish I could tell you more, but most of my memories of the Great Destruction Era have faded. I’ve spoken with several old acquaintances over the years, hoping to piece together what happened. However, they remember very little as well. It’s almost as if some unknown force deliberately erased the memories of those who lived through that period."

He glanced at the dried finger in Xavier’s hand.

"As for whether it truly belonged to a Martial Saint, that’s only my personal conclusion after years of studying it. I have no way to prove it. You can treat it as an old man’s speculation."

He then shifted the conversation to what he considered far more important.

"What matters is what this finger can actually do."

A solemn expression crossed his face.

"It contains an unusual kind of energy. Even compared with the purest spirit stones, its quality is hundreds of times greater. What’s more, the energy never seems to run out. Whenever the full moon appears, the finger absorbs the moonlight and uses it to replenish its reserves."

Ancestor Wendell paused before explaining the difficulty of using it.

"The amount of energy it contains at any given moment isn’t particularly large, but its purity is extraordinary. Just one hour of absorbing it can save me an entire month of ordinary cultivation."

"However, there’s a serious drawback. Once this energy enters the body, it becomes extremely violent. Unless someone has reached at least the peak of the Spirit Platform Realm, they won’t be able to withstand it, let alone refine it. Even at that level, controlling and absorbing it is no easy task."

He gave a helpless sigh.

"That’s why I’ve never been able to make full use of it. As for why I’ve remained at the eighth star of the Divine Power Realm, it’s simply because my talent is limited. Without sufficient aptitude, I’ve struggled to advance despite all these years of cultivation. If I hadn’t received this finger, I might never have reached the Divine Power Realm in the first place."

Ancestor Wendell had explained everything in considerable detail, and Xavier quickly understood the item’s value.

In simple terms, the severed finger was like an inexhaustible, vastly enhanced spirit stone. Its energy was extraordinarily pure, and it could replenish itself under the full moon. The only problem was that absorbing its energy placed enormous demands on the user’s cultivation.

Xavier’s spatial ring already contained something somewhat similar: low-grade source stones, which could provide returns in the form of top-grade spirit stones.

However, he wasn’t sure which of the two was more valuable.

He put the severed finger away and brought his attention back to the Ancestor.

"All three gifts are extremely useful to me. I’ll accept them."

He paused before continuing.

"And if the Shelby Family encounters serious trouble in the future, I’ll be willing to help, provided it doesn’t involve anything that violates the law or goes against basic principles."

Even Xavier hadn’t expected to receive such valuable treasures.

The Shelby Family was a prominent clan with a long history. Surely, they could have offered seventh-grade pills or eighth-grade weapons as a reward. There was no shortage of such resources among powerful families.

Ancestor Wendell had chosen to give him three items that were far more difficult to obtain.

Xavier understood that the gifts were not merely a way of expressing gratitude. The Ancestor was also trying to strengthen the relationship between the Shelby Family and Mr. X.

Considering his connection to Liam, Xavier had no objection to that.

"Then I have your word. Thank you, Mr. X."

Ancestor Wendell clasped his hands, and a genuinely relieved smile appeared on his face.

He knew his own condition better than anyone. His time was running out, and he didn’t have much longer to live.

The Shelby Family had once relied on four Divine Power Realm experts to maintain its standing. Two had already fallen during the disaster caused by Desmond Hale, while Ancestor Wendell himself was nearing the end of his life. Once he was gone, Liam would be the only remaining Divine Power Realm expert in the family.

One person could hardly shoulder such a burden alone.

The Shelby Family wasn’t like the Lindsay Family, which relied on underhanded methods and ruthless exploitation to accumulate wealth and resources. However, its considerable wealth had become a liability. Without enough powerful martial artists to protect it, the family could easily become a target for others.

Now that Mr. X had promised to lend a hand when necessary, Ancestor Wendell finally felt that one of his greatest worries had been eased.

"There’s something else you mentioned earlier," Xavier said. "You said there was a private matter you wanted to discuss with me. What was it?"