Chapter Fifty-One: Tao Tao's Bloodline Mark

After hearing Xiaotao’s words, Shen Lie slapped a hand to his forehead in speechless frustration. Even a child’s talent rank was higher than his. That was downright crushing.

From his exchanges with Professor Liu, Du Lili, and the other awakened ones, everyone had come to the same conclusion: the earlier a bloodline mark appeared, the higher the bloodline grade of that awakened person. Someone like Du Lili, who had a mark the moment she awakened, was undoubtedly a direct heir to an exceptionally powerful bloodline. No one had expected this little girl to be the same. Although Xiaotao said her mark came and went, and should be a little inferior to Du Lili’s, it was still astonishingly strong.

“What shape is the mark?” Shen Lie asked with some urgency, eager to get to the bottom of it. As for whether this amounted to peeking into the little girl’s privacy, he did not care much. After all, Xiaotao already treated him as her only family, and he treated her like a younger sister. Of course, the little girl had always insisted on calling him Uncle.

“Shape? What shape?” The child looked blank, apparently not understanding what he meant.

“I mean, what does the mark look like? Like a bird, or a fish?” Shen Lie said while gesturing with his hands, and at last helped the little girl understand.

“A shape...? It doesn’t seem like the kind you described, Uncle. It doesn’t look like an animal. It seems like... like... ah! Like a short sword! Yes, just like a short sword, and it’s blue too!” Xiaotao finally managed to explain what Shen Lie was asking, looking rather pleased with herself as she bounced up and down.

“A sword? Really?” Shen Lie froze, then instinctively asked in doubt. He knew Xiaotao would never lie to him, but what she described was so far from what he had imagined that he had to make sure.

As expected, the little girl thought he was doubting her honesty, and her face immediately filled with grievance. Tears were almost about to fall as she said timidly, “Really, Uncle. Xiaotao didn’t lie to you.”

“Of course not, good girl.” Shen Lie smiled and patted her hair. “Uncle knows my Xiaotao would never lie. I’m just happy, because your mark is remarkable. But remember this: you must never tell anyone else about it. Do you understand?”

While comforting her, he was already deep in thought.

If Xiaotao’s mark was a sword, then perhaps Professor Liu had not been lying when he said his own mark was a bead. But if that was so, what exactly was this matter of bloodline inheritance?

If the mark were an animal, it would still make sense. One could imagine that in ancient times, some powerful legendary creature took human form and joined with a mighty human, giving birth to descendants who carried that creature’s bloodline. The lineage passed down through generation after generation, and though the bloodline was gradually diluted to near nothing, it was stirred awake again by the change in heaven and earth.

That had always been Shen Lie’s understanding. He had discussed the matter with others as well, and most other awakened ones thought the same, because it was reasonable.

But what was a sword-shaped mark supposed to mean? Surely a sword had not become human, had it? Even if a divine sword had awakened a spirit, it still would not be likely to produce descendants. Besides, a sword was a weapon. How could a weapon possibly have a bloodline to inherit? Even a plant seemed more plausible than a sword.

Xiaotao’s mark had completely shattered Shen Lie’s fixed way of thinking, driving his speculation into the unknown. But this was not something he alone could figure out, nor did he need to study it. Given enough time, people like Professor Liu would naturally come to a conclusion.

With his strength rising again, Shen Lie was in fairly good spirits. Although there was still no way to improve his thunder affinity for the moment, the increase in his own bloodline power meant he could use the World-Destroying Hammer a few more times. It was not as though he had gained nothing.

It had already been more than two hours since he left the group, but Shen Lie had driven out in a car, while the main force had mostly traveled on foot and therefore moved slowly. He caught up with the tail end of the convoy in a little over twenty minutes. The group had set up camp and was resting, and it was once again time for everyone to gather supplies and food.

“Well?” As soon as he returned to the armored car, Du Lili asked him with concern. They all knew what Shen Lie had gone to do, especially Du Lili, who had already ignited her second node and knew better than anyone that the farther one progressed, the harder it became.

“!” Shen Lie gave a thumbs-up and nodded with a smile.

Everyone in the vehicle let out a breath of relief. By now, everyone on this car, including the thirty-odd survivors who had come out of Dongfeng Town, had been drawn into a small, tightly knit group. In truth, they had indeed become closer.

Although the Dongfeng Town survivors were not riding in the armored vehicle, they had initially followed behind it on foot. Later, after Shen Lie secured two vehicles and some fuel, he handed them over to those people for transportation. In turn, they came to think of themselves as his and Du Lili’s subordinates.

Privately, the other groups called them the Red Mist faction, meaning that they had all come out of that strange crimson fog. And because of Shen Lie, Du Lili, and Professor Liu, both the military and Gu Fangcheng’s people treated the members of the Red Mist faction with restraint. The other scattered groups were even more awed by them, so the survivors who followed in their wake lived relatively well.

“Any change in your talent skill?” Professor Liu looked at Shen Lie and asked.

“Mm.” At the mention of this, Shen Lie’s enthusiasm dropped a little. But he understood what Professor Liu meant. Everyone else assumed the World-Destroying Hammer was his bloodline skill, and that, like Du Lili, he had long possessed a bloodline mark. What they were really asking was whether the power of the World-Destroying Hammer had increased.

“How much stronger?”

Professor Liu did not notice Shen Lie’s expression. Instead, he was happy for him. With two level-two awakened ones in their little group now, their chances of survival were much greater. Although he still had military protection, for some reason he felt that having Shen Lie and Du Lili nearby was even safer. In his mind, these two would become important figures in humanity’s struggle against the monsters from the other world.

“Not too much, but I did gain another skill,” Shen Lie said after a brief thought.

He felt that in the present situation, where danger lurked at every turn, hiding one’s strength was unrealistic. Even if he gave everything he had, there was no saying whether he could survive. To hide his strength would be foolish. Sooner or later he would have to use the Savage Charge skill anyway. It was better to get the warning in early and avoid having to explain it later.

“Another skill?” Shen Lie’s words drew everyone’s attention inside the car, and Professor Liu’s eyes in particular lit up as if he had discovered a new continent.

“Tell me everything, quickly!” He hurried over to sit beside Shen Lie, all ears.

Shen Lie had no choice but to describe the Savage Charge skill, though naturally he did not tell the whole truth. At the right moments he altered key details, presenting it as a second innate skill that had formed naturally.

After hearing him out, Professor Liu began making notes, recording the information in his notebook. He seemed to be preparing it for future reference. Shen Lie could only apologize inwardly. He also did not know whether a second innate skill truly existed. If it did not, then he would have led Professor Liu astray.

The discussion in the armored vehicle went on for quite some time before being interrupted by a visitor. The visitor was the leader of a small group, also an awakened one, named Duan Yu. His appearance, age, and personality, however, were all far removed from the noble youth of legend.

On several of their supply runs, Shen Lie had crossed paths with Duan Yu. He counted as one of the few people in the whole convoy with whom Shen Lie got along well, so when he saw him arrive, he greeted him warmly.

“What is it, Old Duan? Planning to head out for supplies again? According to the map, there don’t seem to be any towns around here.” Shen Lie smiled at the man in his thirties and teased him. The supplies on their vehicle would last for more than ten days still, and besides, Shen Lie had only just ignited his second node and had not yet grown used to it, so he had no plans to go out.

“Heh. What, I can’t come find you for no reason, Shen the Heavenly King?” The survivors from Dongfeng Town still liked to call him and Du Lili Heavenly King and Heavenly Queen. The nickname had spread, been mocked by some awakened ones, and then adopted by those close to them as a playful jibe.

“How could I dare? You’re always welcome, Brother Duan.” Shen Lie gave him a polite, joking gesture of welcome.

“Heh. You welcome me, but I don’t have time to come here and talk nonsense with you. Here’s the thing: my men and I discovered a very unusual kind of gourd vine near a pond not far from here. These gourds can actually change their internal space. I spent a great deal of effort just to barely pick one of the smaller ones from outside. Guess what happened?”