Chapter 96: The Mysterious Thunder Bloodline

At this moment, Ryan was extremely surprised.

This bright red electric arc was truly powerful. Even his formidable Overlord Body had been shocked into spasms and numbness by such a tiny arc.

He had no idea what Bloodline or grade this electric arc belonged to, nor what kind of exotic beast it had originated from.

A Beast Core was primarily composed of Bloodline Essence Strands and free-floating Origin Energy, all encased within a strong, transparent crystalline shell.

As the free-floating Origin Energy slowly circulated inside the Beast Core, it would occasionally stimulate the Bloodline Essence Strands within.

Through their interaction, the Beast Core would sometimes instinctively release a tiny amount of Bloodline energy.

This was perfectly normal.

For example, a Fire Attribute Beast Core might occasionally emit flickering flames and radiate warmth.

An Ice Attribute Beast Core might release wisps of frost, making it feel cold to the touch.

Similarly, a Sword-Type Beast Core might leak traces of sword Origin Energy, giving it a faintly sharp sensation when touched.

However, these were merely the most primitive manifestations of a Bloodline’s inherent power. They possessed no independent consciousness and were simply instinctive reactions.

Furthermore, the concentration of Bloodline Essence within a Beast Core was only one-tenth that of a Bloodline Essence Drop, meaning its power was generally quite limited.

This was also why Beast Cores were commonly embedded in combat artifacts and secret treasures.

The principle behind these artifacts was relatively straightforward. Special metal materials were used to construct their bodies, while a Beast Core served as the source of Bloodline power.

Small magic arrays were then inscribed onto the artifact to enhance its abilities. Finally, a Bloodline Fighter could infuse it with their own Origin Energy, stimulating the Beast Core to release various types of energy.

In this way, they could wield abilities they would otherwise be unable to use, such as manipulating ice or unleashing flames.

Originally, Ryan hadn’t paid much attention to this last uncreated Tier 2 Beast Core.

Among the dozen or so exotic beast corpses he had retrieved using Spider Silk, there were three or four other Tier 2 exotic beasts besides the Black Flame Leopard.

Even if he didn’t throw their corpses into the Boundless Creation Furnace and instead extracted their Beast Cores directly, he could still obtain several Tier 2 Beast Cores.

However, despite all being Tier 2 exotic beasts, the Bloodline Essence grades of those other creatures were vastly inferior to that of the Black Flame Leopard.

The best among them had only yielded a D-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline Essence Drop through creation.

This indicated that its Beast Core originally contained only D-Grade Top-Tier Essence Strands. Without the mysterious capabilities of the Boundless Creation Furnace, such a Beast Core would have been practically worthless.

After all, exotic beasts possessing Bloodlines as powerful as that of the Black Flame Leopard were exceedingly rare.

Among the Tier 1 and Tier 2 exotic beasts inhabiting Ashfall Forest, the vast majority possessed Bloodlines no higher than C-Grade Ordinary.

It was important to understand that the value of a Low-Grade Beast Core depended primarily on the grade of its Bloodline Essence Strands. The large quantity of free-floating Origin Energy it contained was merely an added bonus.

Only Beast Cores containing high-grade Essence Strands commanded substantial prices.

For example, a Tier 2 Beast Core containing a single C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline Essence Strand, equivalent to one-tenth the concentration of a complete Essence Drop, could fetch as much as 30,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

By contrast, a Tier 2 Beast Core containing only a D-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline Essence Strand was worth merely 300 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

Despite belonging to the same tier, the difference in value was a hundredfold!

This was precisely why Ryan had nearly forgotten about this particular Beast Core. Until now, he had considered it nothing more than an ordinary specimen.

After all, an ordinary Tier 2 Beast Core was worth only a few hundred Origin Stones, hardly enough to attract his attention.

However, the observation he had just made changed everything.

That tiny bright red electric arc had released such formidable power that it immediately caught his interest.

Just that single display was enough to convince him that this was no ordinary Beast Core.

"Owen’s Bloodline is a Transformation-Type Thunder Attribute Bloodline. This Tier 2 Beast Core also contains a Transformation-Type Thunder Attribute Bloodline, so it’s highly likely to be the one he intended to absorb and refine..."

Ryan pondered for a moment. Once he understood the connection, his interest grew even stronger.

"A Beast Core that a member of the Sterling Family intends to absorb and refine shouldn’t be weak. I want to see exactly what kind of Bloodline is hidden inside it..."

With that, he summoned the Boundless Creation Furnace once more.

He had only just returned the furnace to his body and prepared to leave. Now, however, he brought it out again.

A familiar, ancient, and desolate aura immediately filled the cultivation room.

The Crimson Expanse contained countless species of exotic beasts, each possessing an astonishing variety of Bloodline abilities.

New Bloodline species emerged from time to time, and when information about them was scarce, identifying them could prove extraordinarily difficult.

Determining the exact identity of a Beast Core containing only a single Bloodline Essence Strand required exceptional knowledge and keen insight. One had to determine not only the Bloodline’s nature but also the type of exotic beast from which it originated.

Clearly, Ryan’s current understanding was insufficient for such a task. Most of his knowledge came from ordinary scrolls and classical texts, leaving him without the expertise needed to identify such an unusual Bloodline.

Since that was the case, he might as well let the Boundless Creation Furnace handle the analysis. It might even reveal information that ordinary methods couldn’t uncover.

"Mira."

After making his decision, Ryan tossed the Tier 2 Beast Core into the Boundless Creation Furnace and spoke calmly.

"Use Advanced Creation to extract the Bloodline Essence Strand inside this Tier 2 Beast Core. Also, see if you can determine its Bloodline type and grade."

"Okay, Host."

Ding!

\[Energy value not met.\]

\[Please continue to input, Host.\]

\[Current energy deficit: 235,874 Low-Grade Origin Stones.\]

\[Basic information analysis: Transformation-Type, Thunder Attribute Essence Strand. Its characteristics differ significantly from those of many common Thunder Attribute abilities, suggesting that it may belong to an entirely new Bloodline species. The quantity of Essence is insufficient to identify its specific abilities at present.\]

\[Bloodline grade probability analysis: C-Grade Ordinary: 10%, C-Grade Excellent: 30%, C-Grade Top-Tier: 60%.\]

"What? A new species?!"

Ryan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"And the energy deficit is over 200,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones? That much?! The probability of it being a C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline is actually sixty percent? Just what kind of Bloodline is this...?"

He stood there, momentarily stunned by the Boundless Creation Furnace’s notification.

He knew that the higher a treasure’s grade and the more powerful its properties, the more creation energy it required.

However, he had never imagined that this particular Thunder Attribute Beast Core would demand more than 200,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

Previously, Mira had told him that he could simply inform her of any requests he had, and she would optimize them accordingly.

That was why he hadn’t hesitated to ask her to analyze the Beast Core.

He also knew that as long as a particular Bloodline Essence Strand had never been created before, using Advanced Creation and supplying the necessary energy would give him a high probability of obtaining a complete Bloodline Essence Drop.

There was even a chance of triggering the one-percent mutation probability, potentially producing a completely different treasure.

Of course, he hadn’t given that possibility much consideration. The odds were simply too low.

Until now, Ryan hadn’t expected much from this Beast Core.

C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodlines were exceedingly rare, and the exotic beasts that possessed them were generally powerful enough to make acquiring their Beast Cores extremely difficult.

Consequently, he had never managed to obtain one of particularly high value. Even during his previous visit to Winters Tower, he hadn’t encountered any.

High-grade treasures were always in short supply.

After all, Bloodline Essence Strands of such a high grade could help Bloodline Fighters evolve their own Bloodlines. Naturally, countless people competed to acquire them.

Apart from auctions, finding such treasures on the ordinary market was probably quite difficult.

A high-grade Bloodline Essence Strand contained one-tenth the concentration of a complete Bloodline Essence Drop, yet it could still contribute significantly to Bloodline evolution. It was no wonder that buyers were willing to compete fiercely for them.

Therefore, the moment Ryan saw the furnace’s analysis, he was genuinely shaken.

Transformation-Type. Thunder Attribute. Sixty percent probability of a C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline!

With the probability of the highest grade exceeding fifty percent, this Thunder Attribute Beast Core was undoubtedly worth serious consideration.

It had enormous potential!

Even if he had to spend a fortune, performing Advanced Creation on it would be worthwhile.

A Thunder Attribute Bloodline with the potential to reach C-Grade Top-Tier!

Wasn’t this exactly the kind of Bloodline he had been desperately searching for to seal within one of his Boundless Creation Slots?

If the resulting Bloodline possessed powerful abilities, he would have struck gold!

Furthermore, it was a Transformation-Type Bloodline, making it different from both his Spider Bloodline and Overlord Body Bloodline.

This would give him greater versatility in combat, allowing him to develop a more diverse combination of Bloodline abilities.

And among Transformation-Type Bloodlines, Thunder Attribute abilities were renowned for their sheer dominance.

It was practically the perfect candidate for his requirements.

Even the bright red electric arc he had witnessed moments earlier possessed astonishing power. Judging from its effects alone, it seemed no weaker than the Abyssal Black Flame.

Previously, Ryan had considered what he would do if the Black Flame Leopard failed to survive.

If that happened, he could use Disintegration Creation on its corpse, potentially obtaining an Abyssal Black Flame Bloodline Essence Drop.

Alternatively, he could extract its Beast Core and use Advanced Creation to produce the Essence Strand within it. As long as he supplied enough energy, there was a high probability of obtaining a complete Essence Drop.

However, he now had another promising Thunder Attribute Bloodline right in front of him, one whose grade might be comparable to that of the Abyssal Black Flame.

If Advanced Creation revealed that its abilities were equally impressive, why bother pursuing the Abyssal Black Flame?

He could simply seal this Thunder Attribute Bloodline instead.

It couldn’t be more suitable!

"Over 200,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones! I need more than 200,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones!"

Ryan’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he clenched his fists.

"No time to waste. I’ll head to Winters Tower and sell my goods immediately. I can perform Advanced Creation afterward. If this bright red electric arc’s abilities prove as powerful as I suspect, I’ll use my second Boundless Creation Slot to seal and control it!"

He was brimming with enthusiasm.

The thought of creating this mysterious Thunder Attribute Bloodline made him eager to get started immediately.

Unfortunately, the energy deficit was simply too enormous.

He needed to gather the necessary Origin Stones before it became too late. If he delayed any longer, Winters Tower might close for the day.

With that thought, Ryan quickly composed himself and gathered his belongings.

WHOOSH!

A moment later, he leaped from the windowsill into the front yard and immediately rushed toward Winters Tower.

Along the way, he didn’t forget to spend three Low-Grade Origin Stones to have Mira conceal him once more with the Gray Light Shield technique.

He hadn’t personally witnessed Gareth’s death, so there was no point in taking unnecessary risks.

For now, those three Low-Grade Origin Stones were an expense he couldn’t afford to avoid.