Xiao Hao looked as if he had heard something shocking, momentarily questioning his own understanding of reality.
He stared at Su Mo with an incredulous gaze, scanning him from head to toe: A man?
Su Mo forced himself to stay calm, quietly waiting for the Doctor to reveal the reason.
“You might not know this, but you are a ‘Chosen of God’,” the Doctor said.
Su Mo blinked, his tone sincere. “I know…”
When Su Mo first learned what the term “Chosen of God” meant, he knew he must be one.
First it was Ye Qingyi, now it was him.
All his experiences in Chu Yuan confirmed the truth of this speculation.
He even suspected that the Netherfire was also related to his status as a Chosen of God, though he couldn’t quite explain it clearly yet.
Upon hearing this, the Doctor paused, as if he hadn’t quite caught what Su Mo said, and continued. “A Chosen of God is essentially a deity’s representative on Earth. Their natural talent is far beyond that of ordinary people. Within the same realm, they are generally close to invincible.”
“I know all that. But what does it have to do with me swapping souls?” This was what Su Mo cared about most.
The Doctor spoke with confidence. “Because the deity favored this body but also took a liking to your soul, so he combined the two parts he liked.”
“The deity is that powerful?”
“Otherwise, why would he be called a deity?”
Su Mo felt the Doctor’s words made sense and pressed on. “Then, do you know of any way to change back?”
“Become a deity yourself, take his place. Then, of course, you’ll have the final say.”
The Doctor said it as if it were the most natural thing, leaving Su Mo feeling dizzy…
What do you mean, ‘take his place’? You just said how incredibly powerful deities are. It can’t be that easy.
Su Mo cleared his throat. “Any other ways?”
“Surgery.”
Su Mo’s expression turned guarded. “Impossible.”
“Then you’ll just have to accept your fate. A deity’s masterpiece can only be restored by the deity himself.” The Doctor spread his hands, indicating he was out of ideas.
Su Mo’s emotions rollercoastered. After a long while, he said, “Alright then.”
Seeing his disappointed look, the Doctor suddenly smiled. “Don’t lose heart. What I just mentioned are the conventional methods. But I’ve never walked the conventional path. If you’re willing to cooperate with me, becoming a deity might not be impossible.”
Su Mo chuckled inwardly. So, this is the real reason he saved me.
“You just asked about Bao’er’s intention in asking for three drops of your blood, right? I’ll tell you now.” The Doctor’s tone suddenly turned serious. “Bao’er classifies the bloodlines of this world into five grades, from low to high: Mortal, Transcendent, Ascendant, Demigod, and Divine.”
Su Mo was startled. So, the Immortal Lord’s name was Bao’er…
“Which grade am I?” Su Mo was very curious about how high this ‘high-level bloodline’ the Immortal Lord mentioned actually was.
“Ascendant. Almost Demigod.” The Doctor answered without hesitation.
“That high!” Although Su Mo had been somewhat prepared, he still found it incredible. “How do you determine the bloodline grade? Is it based on something, or is it just your own definition?”
“Excellent question.” The Doctor smiled. “You might find it easier to understand if we call it ‘talent.’ Bloodline strength is like the capacity of a container; how much water it can hold is fixed. The more water it holds, the stronger the bloodline, meaning the greater the talent.”
Su Mo listened attentively.
“So, the method for detecting bloodline strength is quite similar to testing your aptitude. It’s about examining how well your blood merges with spiritual energy. However, bloodlines are more profound and require comprehensive consideration. It’s complicated, and explaining it wouldn’t help you understand.”
Su Mo asked, puzzled, “So, if that’s the case, the Immortal Lord wanted my blood just to test the specific strength of my bloodline?”
“Exactly.”
Oh no.
Su Mo internally groaned.
When he gave the blood earlier, he had been cautious and hidden a trace of Netherfire within it…
Then again, since the Doctor saved him, it suggested the Immortal Lord originally intended him harm.
“Is there no other purpose besides that?”
“Of course there is!” The office door suddenly swung open, and the Immortal Lord walked in with a cold expression.
Xiao Hao immediately retreated behind the Doctor, while the Doctor looked at his ‘Bao’er’ with a complex gaze.
The Immortal Lord seemed furious. He strode up to Su Mo and reached for his neck.
Su Mo was prepared. Netherfire instantly enveloped his body, forcing the Immortal Lord to retreat.
“Young man, you are dishonest!” The Immortal Lord raged. “Do you know what you’ve done?”
Su Mo suddenly bowed politely with clasped hands. “I do not. Please enlighten me.”
The Immortal Lord was taken aback. His anger halted abruptly, and for a moment, he didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh.
“You… you…”
Just a few minutes ago, he had excitedly dripped the newly obtained blood onto the specialized instrument for detecting bloodline strength. The result? A fizz-pop—it caught fire!
Although the instrument could be remade, the loss was significant. More infuriating was that he, the dignified Immortal Lord, had been tricked by someone born in the 2000s. How utterly humiliating.
It was clear the Immortal Lord was genuinely angry. Su Mo pursed his lips. “Who told you to have ill intentions toward me?”
“Ill intentions?” The Immortal Lord laughed angrily. “If I had ill intentions, I would have had you captured long ago. Why would I wait for you to come to me?”
Su Mo touched his own face and suddenly asked, “By the way, how did you know my true identity?”
The Immortal Lord said huffily, “Your little tricks are useless against me.”
Su Mo was startled. This place, like Chu Yuan, instantly nullified his disguise. “Is it because of a special artifact or some kind of magic array?”
Having calmed down a bit, the Immortal Lord sneered. “I’m not telling you.”
Su Mo rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself.”
The Immortal Lord didn’t press the issue further. Instead, he walked over to the Doctor. “Dad.”
The Doctor responded with an “Mm.”
“Dad, Bao’er might have to ask her to come with me again. After all, my instrument can’t be destroyed for nothing. I agreed earlier not to turn her into a specimen out of respect for you. Who knew she would be so ungrateful and try to play tricks on me? You know, Bao’er hates it most when people play tricks on me.”
The Doctor patiently advised, “Bao’er, she’s different from others. Even considering your own interests, cooperation is far more beneficial than turning her into a specimen.”
“But she’s cunning. I’m afraid she’ll trick me again.” The Immortal Lord sounded apprehensive.
Su Mo wisely kept quiet.
“Isn’t that what makes it interesting?” the Doctor said. “Bao’er, you’ve been clever since childhood, so you enjoy dealing with clever people. If she were a fool, I think you’d find it boring too.”
These words struck a chord with the Immortal Lord. He immediately laughed. “In that case, I’ll give her one more chance.”
As an observer, Su Mo suddenly felt this Immortal Lord seemed… not so bad. Filial to his father, exceptionally capable. The only drawback was being on the opposing side.
However, one thing had been puzzling him: What was the ultimate goal behind all this research? Was it a thirst for knowledge, or was there another purpose?
Su Mo was more inclined to believe the latter.
Just as the Doctor had mentioned earlier: If they are not of our kind, their hearts must be different!