Chapter 420: Masters Are Indeed Among the People, Using a Poison Bottle to Drink Water

'This should be it.' Qi Suian had indeed found the poison bottle.

But it wasn't at one of the thousand-year-old battlefields outside the city. He had searched there twice and found absolutely nothing. Then, just as he sat down to rest, a small child happened to wander up to him, carrying this Blood Race Sacred Artifact.

He bought it from the child for three Copper Coins.

It was a vessel his family used to hold water. The child didn't know its origin; it had been in his home for as long as he could remember.

He heard it had been there since his grandfather was a boy, so who knows how many generations it had been passed down.

The lifespans of commoners weren't long, so generations passed quickly.

It was a good thing this Blood Race Sacred Artifact didn't activate on its own, otherwise his entire family would probably be dead.

'This family's oral hygiene must be impeccable. They would've been in trouble at the first sign of bleeding gums.'

The poison bottle's use was simple. Put the blood of a member of the Blood Race inside, and the blood would undergo a mutation.

Consuming it would cause humans, beasts, and even members of the Blood Race to mutate into terrifying, savage monsters.

As long as it didn't come into contact with blood, it was harmless.

That was why Qi Suian remarked on the family's excellent oral health. They had been drinking water from the poison bottle for generations and had somehow never had an accident.

Qi Suian tried putting his own blood into the poison bottle, but there was no reaction at all.

'This feels like discrimination...' Qi Suian's eye twitched.

No reaction. It was as if the poison bottle had classified his blood as something outside the categories of human, beast, or Blood Race.

It didn't even consider him a normal living being.

So, Qi Suian used the Blood Cup to produce the blood of the Son of the Dragon and poured it into the poison bottle.

This time, there was a reaction. The blood in the poison bottle began to boil, transforming into something else and emitting a corrosive aura.

'No sane person would drink this...' Qi Suian thought, watching the green liquid that was still bubbling away. A black mist occasionally drifted out from it.

It certainly had a dramatic flair. And then Qi Suian chugged it in one go.

After he drank it, he didn't mutate as the intelligence he'd tortured out of Oliver, a third-generation Blood Race member, had suggested.

Instead, his body began to disintegrate.

'A potent poison!' Qi Suian endured it for ten minutes before he couldn't take it anymore and initiated his deactivation and rebirth.

The mutated blood toxin wouldn't kill him, but it was incredibly agonizing.

The agony wasn't from a disease, but rather a kind of decomposition that occurred when the transformation failed.

As for evolving an adaptation by toughing it out...

That was completely useless, because it was a bizarre kind of equilibrium.

If he were weaker, he would have been completely disintegrated. If he were stronger, he would have consumed the mutated blood instead.

But his power was perfectly matched with the mutated blood, creating a stalemate. He couldn't die, but he couldn't get better either.

It also couldn't trigger his "the sicker I get, the stronger I become" effect.

'Fortunately, it's not all bad news.'

'The Blood Cup and the poison bottle together seem to allow me to formally begin my research on the Blood Race.'

He had always lacked a medium for observation. Now, with the Blood Cup and the poison bottle, he had filled that gap.

'I wonder if I can specify the blood of a Daywalker.' Qi Suian's gaze fell upon the Blood Cup.

The next moment, blood actually began to GURGLE and bubble up inside the Blood Cup.

However, this wasn't the blood of the Blood Race, but human blood. Yet, it was mixed with a black mist that made up half of its volume.

The two were perfectly blended, with no signs of conflict between them.

'The diner fell in love with the food, creating a hybrid.'

Qi Suian didn't know if this blood was truly from a Daywalker or generated by the Blood Cup, but it certainly met the requirements for his research.

He began to collect it. This was obviously not a suitable place for research.

However, the blood began to writhe, as if it possessed some form of consciousness.

In an instant, it slipped from his grasp and transformed into a pure white bat.

The bat opened its eyes, a black gleam flashing within them. "I was fighting the Son of the Dragon. How did I get here?"

"Interesting. Your blood actually contains your own will. Is it because you're half-human, half-Blood Race?" Qi Suian noticed the peculiarity.

One thing was certain now: the Blood Cup didn't truly take blood directly from the original owner, but replicated it through some unknown technology.

The Daywalker was special. His blood wasn't the pure black mist of a proper Blood Race member. His ability to possess the strengths of both races was inextricably linked to his unique blood.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising that his blood contained his own consciousness.

"Yes, I am the Daywalker." The bat saw the Blood Cup in Qi Suian's hand and immediately confirmed its identity.

"But I am curious, how are you able to use the Blood Cup?" the bat asked. "According to my Divine Technique, you are not of the Blood Race."

"I can't drink the blood in the Blood Cup to gain the owner's power, but I can make it produce blood for me," Qi Suian answered without hiding anything.

Being unable to use the Blood Cup meant that drinking the blood inside it would be fatal.

This applied to all other races besides the Blood Race, so it wasn't something specifically targeting Qi Suian.

"I see. I heard you want the Execution Axe and the Slaughter Knife?" The bat looked somewhat comical hovering in mid-air, and its tone created a strange contrast.

"Yes. Are you willing to give them to me?" Qi Suian was a bit suspicious.

"As long as you come to the battlefield and help me kill the Son of the Dragon and the Blood Bath Queen, I'll give you not only the Execution Axe and the Slaughter Knife, but the Soul Ring as well." The bat didn't mince words.

It laid its terms out on the table.

However, Qi Suian was unmoved. At least for now, he wasn't confident he could kill those two from the Blood Race.

"I can also help you deal with the Piercing Demon Vlad II Dracula. The Corpse Hand will be yours too," the bat continued.

Admittedly, this time, Qi Suian was truly tempted.

"I'll need time to get there," Qi Suian said, then added, "The bodies are mine. I need them as fuel."

The bat agreed immediately. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

The Church's goal had always been clear: they wanted the Blood Race dead.

They didn't care how it happened.

"So? How do I get back?" the bat asked, staring at Qi Suian.

"You're just a sliver of consciousness, not your true self." As Qi Suian spoke, he grabbed the bat and, before it could say another word, crushed it into a pulp.

It instantly turned into a pool of blood. This time, it didn't move again, and he was able to collect and store it successfully.

'I wonder if the message got through.'

'It's unlikely he was lying. He seemed genuinely willing to pay the price.'

'But the Daywalker mentioned the Soul Ring, another Blood Race Sacred Artifact. That's interesting.'

'Is it in his possession, or in the hands of the two Blood Race leaders?'

'If it's the former, that's a very sincere offer. I didn't even mention it, and he just offered it up.'

'But if it's the latter, then he's just trying to get something for nothing.'

'The Slaughter Knife is definitely in that category. He most likely has no way of getting it.'

'Then again, who is the protagonist of this world?'

'There are too many suspects, it's hard to tell. At first, I thought it was the Son of the Dragon, then later the Blood Bath Queen.'

'But now the Daywalker is really in the spotlight. His candidacy just shot past those two from the Blood Race.'

'Mainly because he's a true legend—the Cursed Child prophesied by the Blood Race seers, able to perfectly wield the powers of both races.'

'As for Cain and Dracula, they have no presence to speak of and their whereabouts are unknown, so Qi Suian naturally ignored them.'

'It would be fine if the Daywalker is the protagonist, but if not, I really have no idea who it could be.'

'I'll just have to figure out how to kill them first.'

'I'll find a safe place and start my research on the Blood Race.'

'The Church should be able to hold out for a while.'

'I wonder if I can create a Werewolf.'

'A medieval setting with vampires but no werewolves just feels like something is missing.'

Qi Suian felt like he was developing an obsessive compulsion the longer he stayed here.

After all, the two were supposed to be mortal enemies. For vampires to be dominating the scene alone just didn't seem right.

'The Blood Cup plus the poison bottle can perform partial biological modification.'

'Since the Daywalker is called the Cursed Child by the Blood Race, it's probably not without reason.'

'I wonder if I can extract that curse.'

'If I mix it into the poison bottle, a Blood Race Sacred Artifact, could it enhance my virus talent?' Qi Suian pondered this.

Meanwhile, Fei, controlled by the AI brain, carried Qi Suian and began searching for a safe area to rest.

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"You were distracted, Daywalker!" The Slaughter Knife of Vlad III Cepes, Son of the Dragon, grazed Daywalker Alex's cheek.

The Son of the Dragon had been just an inch away from killing the Daywalker.

"Let's call it a day. It's not like either of us can win, right?" The Daywalker flicked his Execution Axe, and his Soul Ring trembled slightly, twisting the minds of a large number of Death Apostles.

They transformed from loyal servants of the Blood Race into bloodthirsty, maddened beasts.

With two Blood Race Sacred Artifacts in hand, the Daywalker had the Son of the Dragon in a difficult position.

Although the Soul Ring couldn't twist his mind, it affected his ability to fight.

That was why ever since the Daywalker obtained two Blood Race Sacred Artifacts, he had been unable to kill him.

And the Blood Bath Queen refused to make a move, saying she was waiting for the right moment.

"Fine. We'll stop here for today." The Son of the Dragon returned with a grim expression. Luckily, this wasn't the first time he'd been thwarted.

He had gotten used to it after so many times.

The Daywalker also began to retreat. Neither of them looked guarded, but in reality, they were on high alert, both fearing a sudden attack from the other.

It wasn't as if it hadn't happened before.

"Sect Leader, what was that just now...?" Pastor Roy asked curiously.

He wasn't asking why the Son of the Dragon had retreated, but about the Daywalker's moment of distraction.

"Baron Fisher summoned my blood through the Blood Cup. I've spoken with him. He needs time to get to the battlefield." A rare trace of joy appeared on the Daywalker's face.

"This... did he say how much time he would need?" Pastor Roy asked.

"It's not necessary. He doesn't want to give up on the Blood Race Sacred Artifacts, so he will definitely come as fast as he can."

"The Church can give him the Blood Race Sacred Artifacts we possess, but for the ones in the hands of the Blood Race, he'll have to kill their wielders."

But was the Son of the Dragon so easy to kill? The Daywalker, of course, was only this confident after calculating the benefits for both sides.