If that was the case, then they would have to ask master to come over personally.
"Yo! Isn't this a Bloodline Casket?" Inside Yun Jin's mind, Tianpo suddenly spoke up.
"Oh?" Yun Jin was slightly curious. She directly released Tianpo.
When Yu Songnian saw Tianpo, he immediately performed a salute.
He had heard Tianpo's voice before and naturally knew that this was the senior who had helped him release his petrified state inside the sword tomb.
Tianpo said with satisfaction, "You're quite well-mannered. Not a waste of the bit of energy I spent on you."
"Thank you for your help, Senior," Yu Songnian said respectfully.
Tianpo nodded the blade-body slightly and smiled faintly, "This Bloodline Casket of yours is an extremely rare object in the Central Plains. It seems your background is anything but ordinary."
Bloodline Casket?
Yu Songnian couldn't help but freeze.
Tianpo slightly smiled and said somewhat smugly, "I only know a thing or two about this thing because I followed my master to travel far and wide. If not for me, even if you searched the entire Canglan Kingdom, you probably wouldn't find a single person who recognized it."
"Explain in detail," Yun Jin said quickly.
Tianpo deliberately began to tease, "Do you know that in this world, we humans only occupy the Central Plains? To the west lies the vast Demon Realm. That realm has been expanding continuously, and even the north has been largely occupied. The northwest has already become forbidden territory for the human race. To the east lies the boundless ocean, so vast that no one has ever been said to reach its end. My master, the Sword Sage of Ten Thousand Daos, once wanted to see what lay beyond the Endless Sea. He flew nonstop for decades and still failed to reach the edge. In the end, he could only give up. What is known, however, is that the sea is home to an enormous number of marine creatures. These creatures have their own cultivation methods. Given how vast the Endless Sea is, if they ever launched an attack on land, humanity might not necessarily be able to withstand it."
Tianpo suddenly began talking about seemingly unrelated matters.
But Yun Jin didn't interrupt.
She herself was very curious about the true scope of this world.
Although she had vaguely seen Ye Danxia's and the Demon Lord's experiences, that book focused on romance and didn't truly depict the vastness of this world. Even until Ye Danxia and the Demon Lord ascended, they never truly explored it.
Thus, Tianpo's millennium-long knowledge, everything he's seen and experienced, was extremely valuable to Yun Jin.
Seeing that Yun Jin was listening attentively, Tianpo grew even more enthusiastic, he continued, "Now then, what direction are we missing? The Extreme South. Between the Extreme South and the Central Plains lies a continuous, towering mountain range. Within that range lives the Monster Clans. These are not like the Spirit Beasts of the Central Plains, who have coexisted with humans for generations and are mostly friendly toward humans, even capable of being subdued. Those Monster Clans retain their original beast forms. Their clans slaughter one another endlessly, let alone treat humans as kin. Thus, that mountain range has become a natural barrier and a forbidden zone for humanity, blocking any further southern expansion."
Tianpo revealed a smug smile, "Of course, a mere mountain range couldn't stop my master. Using a secret method, he directly crossed the range and arrived in the Extreme South. That land is truly wondrous."
Yun Jin and Yu Songnian listened intently.
Yu Songnian, in particular, had a faint premonition.
After such extensive buildup, Tianpo was finally reaching the main topic.
His background likely had something to do with the Extreme South.
Sure enough, Tianpo continued, "The Extreme South is the habitat of the Foreign Races. These races differ from monsters. It's often said that humans are the most spiritually intelligent of all races, this saying isn't human arrogance. Look at the Demon Clan, they begin as formless qi, but once their cultivation succeeds, they cultivate a human form. Look at the Monster Clans, they begin as wild beasts, and once they awaken spiritual intelligence and reach a certain stage, they also transform into human form. The Foreign Races are even more peculiar. They are born in human form, though are slightly different from us."
"In the Extreme South, the variety of Foreign Races is immense. My master alone encountered dozens, and that was only a superficial exploration. Some have wings, others have an extra eye on their forehead. These resemble the transformations humans undergo after cultivating divine abilities, but for them, these traits are innate. No cultivation is required; they are born with extraordinary power."
"My master once lamented that the Foreign Races resemble different evolutionary paths of humanity. Some evolved flight, some evolved vision, some evolved three heads and six arms, there are countless variations."
Tianpo spoke with the air of an elder, "You're still young, and Canglan Kingdom is rather remote. You probably haven't seen the Foreign Races yet. But in truth, the Central Plains also contain Foreign Races. If my master could reach the Extreme South, then the Foreign Races there could also cross over, couldn't they?"
"Those capable of crossing the Monster Clan mountain range are definitely no ordinary beings. If they wished to conceal their traits, they could easily hide among humans for long periods without being discovered. Some even fall in love with humans, form families, and grow old together. Such cases are not impossible."
As he spoke, Tianpo deliberately glanced at Yu Songnian.
Yu Songnian fell silent.
The hint couldn't have been clearer.
But…
Was his mother truly...from a Foreign Race?
Yu Songnian recalled his mother's appearance.
She passed away from illness when he was very young. In his memories, she was always pale, rarely leaving the house, only occasionally coming out to watch him practice swordsmanship and speak with him.
Those rare moments were the happiest memories of his childhood.
Could his mother truly have been from a Foreign Race?
"Your mother was very likely from a Foreign Race." Indeed, Tianpo also gave this conclusion. "I speculate that her race evolved a skin-based power. Possibly the ability to petrify the skin, greatly enhancing defense. Let's say her race was called Stonefolk."
Stonefolk…
Yun Jin's eyebrow twitched.
This Tianpo was somehow even more irritating than she was.
Yu Songnian pressed his lips together, unsure what to say.
Tianpo continued, "Cases of humans and Foreign Races interbreeding should be extremely rare, so rare that there are essentially no precedents. Your mother likely had no idea that combining her bloodline with your father's would produce such consequences. You inherited half of your father's bloodline and half of your mother's. Individually, neither bloodline has any issues. But together, they caused your recurring petrification. Ultimately, you are not from a Foreign Race. To truly control the power of a Foreign Race, you will likely need a special opportunity."