"Now how much will it cost to make a book on my two bloodline techniques?" Alvin asked curiously.
[The bloodline technique of your Cursed Nyx bloodline is the Blood Ascension Sutra. It will cost 100 Ascension Realm soul essence to create an Ascension Realm book on this technique.]
[As for your second bloodline, it has mutated in an unknown direction that has never appeared in this world, due to the influence of the nine beastly cores forcefully embedded into your body. If you want to build a unique bloodline technique for your new bloodline by interacting with the heavenly rules of this world, it will cost you 400 soul essence of the Ascension Realm.]
"Interacting with the heavenly rules? What is that supposed to mean?" Alvin asked in confusion.
[Mutated bloodlines are forbidden bloodlines that are not recognized by the heavenly laws. Because of this, such bloodlines are not transmitted to the next generation and will remain unique to the person who possesses them. So, without any prior experience or any similar techniques, we can only ask the heavenly rules directly if you want to create a complete bloodline technique for yourself.]
Alvin nodded. "Fine then, construct books on these two techniques."
As soon as Alvin gave the command, several flowers from the Life Tree floated into the air and formed two milky white cocoons that hovered midair.
"What's this?" Alvin asked.
[It will take some time to create a book on these two techniques, so please wait.]
Alvin nodded and sat on the cold floor of the Shrine of Wisdom, keeping his eyes glued to the cocoons floating in front of him.
After about fifteen minutes, the first cocoon broke apart, and from inside, a white book with golden writings on its cover floated up before Alvin.
{Spirit} 9-Horned Dragon God Bloodline: A mythical god who ruled the infinite void and time even before Celestia was born.
{Bloodline Technique} Crown Assimilation Art (Unique): Can absorb other beasts that resonate with the core of the wielder and make them one's own bloodline spirit, replacing the previous core completely.
Alvin frowned as he read the information given on the cover of the book. He opened the book and found that there were nine pages inside, each one completely blank.
[Unique bloodline techniques are directly stored in the spirit soul of the wielder. This is also the reason why they cannot be passed down to later generations, as the conditions to achieve this technique are practically impossible for another individual without some extremely rare coincidences. Your bloodline spirit will be able to use this technique on its own without any guidance, like a natural instinct.]
Alvin nodded after reading the information that appeared in his mind. "By the way, where is my bloodline spirit?"
[You have not yet condensed your bloodline spirit.]
Alvin's mouth twitched. There was no information on how to condense a bloodline spirit in the previous Alvin's memory, since he was a musclehead who only knew how to use a hammer to smash people. "It seems I will have to call that old man once again," he mumbled to himself.
Crack.
As Alvin was lost in deep thought, he heard a cracking sound, and the next cocoon also broke open, revealing yet another book that floated up in front of him.
Alvin loosened the grip on the '9-Horned Dragon God Bloodline' book in his hand, and the book floated in midair and, as though it had a mind of its own, placed itself neatly on the first bookshelf near him.
Alvin looked at this with slight surprise and ignored it, since in this magical space he was already used to seeing strange things like this.
Alvin extended his hand towards the new book in front of him, and the book floated into his arms.
{Spirit} Cursed Nyx Bloodline: ...
Bang.
Before Alvin could read it completely, the book in his hand exploded with a bang, and his vision changed entirely. Instead of the magnificent hall he had been standing in a moment ago, what appeared before him was an entirely dark plane filled with tremendous negative energy that made his heart beat faster than ever before.
"A mere artifact dares to touch my aura through the soul world... Do you really think the one who rules over life and death can be accessed so easily?"
As Alvin was shivering in fright just from the mere presence of the energy in front of him, suddenly he heard a frightening voice from somewhere nearby.
"Please forgive this lowly life, my lord. I was not aware my master's bloodline is connected to you," suddenly a golden book appeared before Alvin, and a voice came out of it as though responding to the previous voice.
"Begone. Who gave you the right to talk back..." the cold and terrifying voice from before rang out in Alvin's ears, and in the next second, the golden book was sent flying far away by a tremendous force.
For the next few seconds, the entire place went silent. Alvin looked around him, and he shivered as he met eyes with hundreds of souls floating around him with ferocious expressions on their faces.
"I... who... a... are... you?" he asked with great difficulty, as he didn't even seem capable of thinking at this moment.
"Hahaha... you sought me for seven lifetimes, and now you are asking me who I am?" the voice rang out once more.
Slowly from the darkness, Alvin saw the black figure of a man with ten arms holding different types of weapons appearing before him. The figure was completely naked, with unkempt, flowing hair like dancing serpents.
The souls around Alvin vanished the moment they felt his presence, as though they were running away from him.
His two red eyes glanced at Alvin with indifference. Alvin's body began shivering uncontrollably when he felt the gaze of the presence in front of him. Never in his entire life had Alvin felt such soul-stirring fear before.
Alvin tried to comprehend what was happening around him, but his thoughts seemed shattered. It was like trying to hold a storm of blades with bare flesh.
The presence before him stood taller than thought, wider than space, and more ancient than the first heartbeat of creation.
Around his neck hung hundreds of skulls of different shape and size. Their hollow eyes still glowed with the last flicker of defiance he had extinguished.
"I... I..." Alvin tried his best to speak something, but no word came out of his mouth.
"Do not try to see me with your eyes. Feel me with your soul… and ask me, what is it that you truly seek from me?"
A fearsome voice rang from the figure's mouth, making the space around Alvin tremble from the sheer impact of his words.