If that was the case, they would have to ask Master to come in person.
"Oh? Isn't this a Bloodline Box?" The voice of the Tian Po Sword suddenly rang out in Yun Jin's mind.
"Hm?" Yun Jin was a little intrigued. She summoned the Tian Po Sword right away.
Seeing the sword, Yu Songnian instinctively bowed.
He had heard its voice before, so he naturally recognized this as the senior who helped him break free from petrification back in the Sword Tomb.
The Tian Po Sword gave a satisfied chuckle. "At least you're polite. I don't regret spending a bit of my energy on you."
"Thank you for your assistance, Senior," Yu Songnian replied respectfully.
The Tian Po Sword tapped its own blade and smiled faintly. "This Bloodline Box of yours is a rare item in the Central Plains. It seems your background is anything but ordinary."
Bloodline Box?
Yu Songnian froze for a moment.
The Tian Po Sword grinned with a trace of pride. "This sort of thing, only someone like me who's followed my master across the realms would even know a little about. Without me, you could search all of Canglan kingdom and not find anyone who recognized it."
"Tell us more," Yun Jin said quickly.
But the Tian Po Sword decided to drag it out. "Do you know that in this world, the human race only occupies the central region? To the west lies the vast Demon Domain, which continues to expand and has already swallowed most of the northern lands. The northwest has become forbidden to humans. To the east, there is a boundless sea. That sea stretches beyond comprehension—no one has ever reached its edge. My master, Wandao Sword Saint, once tried to explore it. He flew for decades, but never found its end. Eventually, he had no choice but to give up. But it is known that the sea is filled with countless marine creatures. They have their own cultivation methods, and with such a vast ocean as their domain, if they were to rise up against the land, humanity might not be able to resist them."
The Tian Po Sword had started rambling into unrelated territory.
Yun Jin, however, did not stop him.
She, too, had always been curious about the true nature of this world.
Although she had seen glimpses of Ye Danxia's and the Demon Sovereign's experiences, that book had focused on romance, not on fully portraying the scale of this realm. Even when Ye Danxia and the Demon Sovereign ascended, they never truly explored the world.
So for Yun Jin, the firsthand knowledge of someone with a millennium's worth of experience like the Tian Po Sword was extremely valuable.
Seeing how intently she listened, the Tian Po Sword grew even more animated.
"Now then," he went on, "there's still one direction left, isn't there? The southernmost land. The Central Plains and the far south are separated by an endless mountain range. That range is the domain of the yao race. The yao there are different from the spirit beasts of the Central Plains. Because they've lived alongside humans for generations, they're generally more friendly toward people and can even be tamed. But those in the southern mountains have preserved their original beast forms. Their races frequently war against one another, to say nothing of how they view humans as entirely unrelated beings. For us, those mountains have become a natural barrier that blocks humanity from expanding southward."
The Tian Po Sword wore a smug smile. "But of course, a mere mountain range couldn't stop my master. He once used a secret technique to cross it and reach the extreme south. And that place—oh, it's a wondrous land."
Yun Jin and Yu Songnian both listened with deep focus.
Yu Songnian in particular felt an instinctive premonition forming in his chest.
The Tian Po Sword had taken so long to lay the groundwork. What came next was likely the real point.
And that point likely had everything to do with his origins.
"The far south," the Tian Po Sword continued, "is home to the outer-realm races. These beings are different from the yao. It's said that humans are the spiritual leaders of all races—and that's not just empty boasting. Consider the demons. They began as gas or vapor, but through cultivation, they evolved into human form. Or the yao—originally wild beasts, but when they awaken their intelligence and embark on the path of cultivation, they too eventually take human form. As for the outer-realm races… they're even stranger. They're born in human shape, but with certain differences from us.
There are many types of outer-realm beings in the far south. Just the ones my master encountered numbered in the dozens—and he barely scratched the surface. Some of them had wings, others had an extra eye on their forehead. It resembled what happens when humans cultivate divine abilities, but these beings were born with such features. They possess strange powers innately, without the need for cultivation.
My master once remarked that these beings seem like humans who evolved along different paths. Some gained the ability to fly, some developed enhanced vision, some grew extra limbs—three heads and six arms, that sort of thing."
The Tian Po Sword looked quite sage-like as he spoke. "You're both still young, and Canglan Kingdom is fairly remote. It's no surprise you haven't encountered outer-realm races yet. But actually, they do exist in the Central Plains. If my master could reach the far south, then it stands to reason that those from the far south could also make their way here.
Any outer-realm being who could cross the yao mountain range would be far from ordinary. If they chose to conceal their traits, they could live hidden among humans for years, even decades, without detection. Some of them might even fall in love with humans and live the rest of their lives together. That's not unheard of."
As he said this, the Tian Po Sword glanced deliberately at Yu Songnian.
Yu Songnian fell silent.
The Tian Po Sword had all but spelled it out.
But…
Was his mother truly from the outer-realm races?
Yu Songnian thought back to her.
She had passed away when he was very young. In his memory, she was always pale and rarely left the house. Only on rare occasions would she step out to watch him practice swordplay and speak a few kind words.
Those few fleeting moments were among his happiest memories.
Could it be that his mother… was actually one of the outer-realm people?
"Your mother," the Tian Po Sword finally said, "was most likely one of them. I suspect her race evolved with a focus on skin resilience. Perhaps her skin could petrify to dramatically boost defense. Let's call her race the Stone People, for simplicity."
Stone People…
Yun Jin's brow twitched.
This sword was somehow even more exasperating than she was.
Yu Songnian pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond.
The Tian Po Sword went on, "There are very, very few recorded cases of humans and outer-realm beings having children. Practically none. So your mother probably had no idea that her union with your father would produce such a result. You inherited half your father's bloodline and half hers. Neither is problematic on its own, but together, they've caused the petrification reactions you now experience. In the end, you are not fully outer-realm. If you want to control the power within you, you'll need some kind of opportunity or stroke of fortune."