Chapter 19: The Birth of a Bloodline Warlock

“Dr. Yorkson, these are the three Lycan warriors I have selected. Given their physical condition, they should be more than capable of serving as test subjects for the Type-I serum. Now, prepare to begin the experiment.”

Waving his hand to signal the research staff to attend to their duties without concern for him, Li Yang gave his instructions to Dr. Yorkson, who stood before him.

“As you command, Your Excellency!”

After casting a glance at the three brawny men of different ethnicities behind Li Yang, Dr. Yorkson turned and retreated with his assistants. Having learned from yesterday’s experiment, the research team completed the pre-experimental preparations in just a short fifteen minutes.

“The three of you, who will go first?”

Back in the same secret chamber as yesterday, Li Yang looked at the three men and asked.

“Let me go, Your Excellency!”

The three exchanged glances before the black warrior, Rez, stepped forward, volunteering with a look of deep reverence.

“Then let us begin, Doctor.”

Nodding at the black warrior, Li Yang turned his gaze toward the research staff, who were already standing by in full readiness.

As the experiment proceeded methodically, Li Yang felt a growing sense of unease. Although he had spoken with confidence, everything was purely theoretical, and he truly did not know what the outcome would be.

Despite his inner apprehension, Li Yang’s expression remained utterly calm. In reality, he had focused his consciousness to its absolute limit, monitoring the internal state of the black warrior’s body. Should anything go wrong, he was prepared to use his magical power to forcefully purge the serum. Unlike ordinary humans, werewolves possessed tenacious vitality; as long as their vital organs remained unharmed, they could likely be saved. As for ordinary humans, they certainly would not survive the ravages of his power—a realization that served as one of the foundations of his confidence.

The reason he had not used werewolves or vampires at the very beginning was simply that he had not yet understood the properties of the serum. While yesterday’s experiment had failed, he had not returned empty-handed; at the very least, he had learned the basic characteristics of the serum and confirmed that no unforeseen anomalies would occur.

In Li Yang’s perception, as the Type-I serum was injected into the black warrior’s bone marrow, it instantly erupted, frantically absorbing the energy within the man’s body and even invading his original cells to begin rapid division. In Li Yang’s vision, cells shimmering with a pale golden hue began a ferocious slaughter against the man’s indigenous cells.

“Ah… Awoo… Ugh… Crackle, crackle, crackle…”

The moment this struggle began, the black warrior’s body started to swell uncontrollably. Thick, black wolf fur sprouted from his skin, and his bones popped with audible cracks as he struggled violently on the operating table.

“Hold him down! Quickly, don't let him move! Sedative!”

Seeing the black warrior’s reaction, Dr. Yorkson’s face turned pale with panic. He and the surrounding researchers transformed into werewolves, pinning the man down on the operating table with all their might.

“Wait. No sedatives, and skip the anesthesia.”

Just then, Li Yang halted the researchers' actions. Under his spiritual perception, the cells within the black warrior were locked in a fierce battle; any external interference might upset the delicate balance.

Currently, the cells inside the black warrior were divided into two factions: the original cells emitting a black luster, and the newly born pale golden cells. Both were exceptionally ferocious. The pale golden cells were clearly more powerful and ruthless, while the black cells, though at a disadvantage, were far more numerous. The two sides fought and devoured one another relentlessly.

Hearing Li Yang’s voice, the researchers stopped their actions and stared intently at the black warrior, who continued to struggle on the table.

Half an hour later, the cellular conflict reached a lull. The result was that neither side had emerged victorious; instead, through the process of mutual consumption, a peculiar new type of black cell had emerged. These cells were enveloped in a faint golden fluorescence, possessed a more stable genetic chain, and gradually expanded to occupy the vast majority of the black warrior’s body.

The metamorphosis lasted for a full hour, concluding only when a needle-tip-sized drop of golden blood manifested within the black warrior’s heart. The moment this blood appeared, it began to ravenously consume the energy in his body, stopping only once it had grown to the size of a sesame seed.

“Awoo… Ugh… Crackle, crackle, crackle…”

The moment the transformation ceased, the black warrior snapped the restraints and leapt from the operating table. With a hoarse growl, black fur erupted from his skin as his frame expanded. In the blink of an eye, a well-proportioned werewolf stood before them.

This werewolf was distinctly different from ordinary ones. Standard werewolves often had spindly limbs and appeared somewhat asymmetrical. This creature, however, was covered in thick, dense fur, with bulging muscles and significantly thicker forelimbs. His sharp, gleaming claws shone with a chilling light. Between the gaps in his fur, one could faintly discern tiny, pale golden scales growing along the skin. Hard, pale golden plates had emerged on his forehead and joints, giving him an appearance of formidable defense.

“How do you feel?”

Watching the distinctly different werewolf before him, Li Yang’s eyes lit up. He floated up from his wheelchair, his eyes flashing with golden light. The moment this werewolf had manifested, a strange sensation had washed over Li Yang, as if he could tap into the creature's power at will. It felt similar to his connection with his own natal spirit beast, yet with subtle differences.

“Your Excellency, I feel wonderful. My body is filled with strength; I have never felt such a magnificent sensation.”

Looking at Li Yang, the werewolf’s eyes filled with a fervent and devout light. He knelt on one knee and answered loudly.

“Hahaha… Excellent. Now, test whether you still have an allergic reaction to silver!”

Just a moment ago, Li Yang had sensed a faint, wondrous power flowing from the creature’s body into his own. This power was extraordinary; he felt as if the golden centipede phantom within his own cells had suddenly become more solid, and a strange, budding brilliance was gestating within his heart. Though the power was faint—almost negligible—Li Yang was certain his perception was correct. While he did not yet know what it signified, it felt as though his path had suddenly opened up, filling him with an involuntary excitement, as if his very instincts were cheering.

“Clang… Shhh…”

At Li Yang’s command, a researcher handed over a silver needle. The werewolf took it and, without hesitation, jabbed it into his own body. However, the needle was stopped by the layer of fine scales on his skin; not only did it fail to penetrate, but the needle itself snapped. Seeing this, the werewolf used his sharp claws to slice his own skin and inserted the broken needle inside, yet he felt absolutely nothing. He looked at Li Yang in bewilderment.

“Excellent. It seems my hypothesis was correct. From this moment on, you are a perfect transcendent race. You will no longer have weaknesses—you are flawless. Henceforth, you are a true Blood Warlock, a transcendent being who has inherited my bloodline.”

Seeing the wounds on the werewolf’s body healing at a visible rate, Li Yang was overjoyed. While the healing speed of a werewolf was already monstrous, it had never been this exaggerated. Based on the current situation, the Blood Warlock was superior to a werewolf in every aspect—power, speed, recovery, and potential. As for whether there were other supernatural abilities, that would require further experimentation.

“Now, it is your turn!”

Li Yang turned his head to look at the two eager men behind him.

“As you command, Your Excellency!”

In truth, they did not need a reminder; they had been impatient for a long time. Having witnessed the form and power of Rez after his transformation, they were filled with envy. Only out of respect for Li Yang had they suppressed their restless urges.

Watching the black warrior return to his human form, Li Yang sank into deep thought, contemplating the path of cultivation for a Blood Warlock. Since this was a profession, it was impossible for them to reach their peak at birth. He had already planned to create a technique that could strengthen their bloodlines for these Warlocks to practice. This technique would focus on nothing else but bolstering the bloodline, nurturing and refining it until the bloodline matured completely and their genes fully transformed into those of the Six-Winged Golden Centipede. At that point, they would become true, natural-born Six-Winged Golden Centipedes with boundless supernatural powers.

A fully matured ancient spirit beast like the Six-Winged Golden Centipede, even without cultivation, possessed power that would not be inferior to a standard Celestial Immortal or Earth Immortal. (The Six-Winged Golden Centipede the protagonist had merged with had only undergone a pure bloodline transformation, not reached adulthood.) While complete transformation for the current Blood Warlocks was nearly impossible, as the profession expanded, there would surely be a few brilliant individuals capable of achieving the final metamorphosis.

In Li Yang’s estimation, the genes within the black warrior currently only possessed a trace of the Six-Winged Golden Centipede’s properties, with the original werewolf genes still dominant. This required the subject to cultivate slowly, nurturing and strengthening the centipede genes so they could gradually devour and assimilate the other foreign genes, eventually achieving the goal of purifying themselves. Through this cultivation, as their genes slowly evolved, their power would increasingly approach that of the Six-Winged Golden Centipede—an alternative path to enlightenment.

Although Li Yang had been conceptualizing this technique, his foundation was still insufficient to fully perfect it. At present, he had only managed to complete a small, basic portion.

The success of the Golden Centipede serum and the birth of the Blood Warlock had allowed Li Yang to fully grasp the properties of the "Perfect Blood," and his plan to create a Dragon-kin began to germinate. However, what puzzled him was why the Golden Centipede serum could succeed while the Three-Legged Golden Toad serum remained a flawed product. Both were ancient spirit beasts; he wondered if there was some underlying principle he had yet to grasp.