95: Chapter 95 The Second Primal Holy Artifact of the Vampire Clan! The Primal Holy Grail's Mutation!

At the very instant Rowan fully integrated the [Vampire Prince] trait into his being.

In a secret location hidden within the cracks of reality and the overlapping space of the Shadow Plane.

There was no sun, moon, or stars here; an eternal twilight shrouded this vast sub-space.

The sky was a frozen deep purple, with occasional dark red auroras flowing silently across it.

The ground was cold black basalt, upon which stood an ancient and magnificent edifice.

This was one of the core holy lands of the Dark Council.

The Hall of Eternal Night!

Inside the hall, atop one of the altars, hovered an ancient-looking holy grail.

The grail was about a foot tall, made of a material that was neither metal nor jade, but more like a translucent dark red crystal.

The body of the cup was covered in strange patterns resembling blood vessels.

It lacked any luxurious decoration, yet it radiated a supreme pressure that made the souls of all vampires want to prostrate themselves in worship.

This was the legendary second Primordial Sacred Artifact of the vampires—

The [primordial grail]!

Legend has it that in the now-untraceable First Era, it was crafted by an ancient god of the Red Moon lineage using Red Moon Soil and fired with the flames of the sun.

It was one of the cornerstones that established the power of the vampires.

One of the functions of the [primordial grail] was to query the [Clan Lineage] of all vampires in the world, automatically granting [Prince Authority] to the source of a clan's bloodline.

Whenever a new Vampire Prince was born or an old one fell, the Holy Grail would sense it, and the law patterns upon it would increase, decrease, or change accordingly.

The authority of every recognized Vampire Prince would leave a unique brand upon the grail.

At this moment, as it had since time immemorial, the grail hovered quietly, emitting a constant dark red glow.

Suddenly!

"Hum—!!!"

A low vibration emanated from within the [primordial grail] without any warning!

The guardians of the grail were two coffins of different colors.

They were Duke-level powerhouses from the Ventrue and Lasombra Clans, whose turn it was to guard the sacred artifact.

At this moment, these two sleeping vampire dukes were abruptly jolted awake!

They snapped their eyes open!

They saw the hovering [primordial grail], and the dark red patterns on its body representing Prince Authority and clan origins suddenly flared with light!

Then, at the source surrounded by all the patterns, a speck of brand-new dark purple light quietly bloomed like ink dropped into water!

The moment this dark purple light appeared, it began to twist and interweave on its own, quickly condensing into a brand-new rune in a profound manner!

The structure of the rune was complex and beautiful, possessing a strange sense of harmony, as if it contained multiple meanings such as 'simulation', 'change', and 'inclusivity'.

It suddenly appeared at the core of the grail, continuously emitting a faint purple glow.

"A new... Prince Brand?!"

Looking at this unprecedented rune, the Duke from the Ventrue Clan on the left cried out in shock.

His scarlet eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment:

"How is this possible?!"

"The Dark Moon Tide hasn't even passed yet; the Silver Moon should still be hanging high in the Void Realm."

"The Red Moon Priests haven't given any prophecies or signs of a new king's birth either!"

The Lasombra Duke on the right also had a face of extreme gravity and vigilance:

"It indeed doesn't have the aura of any known Prince!"

"This rune... has never appeared on the Holy Grail before!"

The two of them looked at this newborn brand with confusion.

This brand did not originate from an orthodox vampire ritual or the Red Moon inheritance!

It was as if it... appeared out of thin air and directly received the... recognition of the Holy Grail's source laws?"

The two vampire dukes exchanged a glance, both seeing deep horror in each other's eyes.

Since they had been guarding the grail, such a bizarre situation had never occurred!

An unorthodox Prince Brand born out of thin air?

This simply subverted their understanding!

They had to get someone to take a look immediately!

"Immediately! Go invite the [Interpreter] of the Tzimisce Clan, Marquis Savien!" the Ventrue Duke ordered sharply, his voice carrying unprecedented urgency:

"Only the ancient knowledge of the Tzimisce Clan might be able to interpret this anomaly!"

The order was quickly relayed.

Shortly after, a small bat flew into the Hall of Eternal Night.

Upon reaching the altar, it transformed into a thin figure wearing a strange robe.

He looked like a middle-aged scholar with a pale face, wearing a monocle made of crystal.

This was Marquis Savien, renowned within the Tzimisce Clan for his proficiency in various ancient forbidden knowledge and occult interpretation.

"Savien, look!" The Lasombra Duke pointed at the new dark purple rune on the grail, his tone hurried:

"Interpret it immediately! What does this mean?"

Marquis Savien adjusted his monocle and looked at the brand-new rune on the grail, his face also filled with shock.

His silvery-white eyes locked onto the purple rune, his hands tracing complex arcane symbols in the air as he carefully sensed the rune.

Minutes and seconds ticked by.

Marquis Savien's face grew even paler, and his body even began to tremble slightly, as if he were enduring a massive impact of information and mental pressure.

Finally, he abruptly withdrew his spiritual power, staggered back a step, his eyes filled with extreme shock and a hint of... excitement.

"I've interpreted it..." His voice was hoarse, carrying an unbelievable tremor:

"The meaning represented by this rune is: Mimicry!"

"Mimicry?" The two dukes were stunned.

"Yes, Mimicry!" Marquis Savien took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his speech was still rapid:

"This means that in some unknown corner, a non-vampire being has successfully cultivated the Scarlet Hymn Breathing Technique in a way we cannot understand and has mastered it perfectly."

"This [Mimicry] rune represents that he did not obtain Prince Authority through an orthodox ritual, but rather through the path of [simulating] vampire power rules, self-promoting into a [Source Blood Prince] recognized by the Holy Grail's laws!"

"A non-Vampire Prince? How is that possible?!" the Lasombra Duke said sternly:

"It is fundamentally impossible for those not of our race to cultivate the Scarlet Hymn! Forcing it would only result in their body exploding or them turning into a monster!"

"That is exactly why it is [Mimicry]!" A fanatical scholarly light flickered in Marquis Savien's eyes:

"He hasn't become us, but rather a being similar to us yet different!"

"He possesses authority and a power essence comparable to a Prince, and perhaps because of his unique method of promotion, he has gained a distinct... innate inheritance skill!"

"Distinct? Unique?" The Ventrue Duke caught the keywords.

"Yes! The [Mimicry] rune itself carries the information of this newly ascended [Source Blood Prince]'s unique special ability!"

Marquis Savien's voice rose with excitement:

"The information fragments I interpreted show that the effect of this innate skill called [Mimicry] is the ability to freely switch between a vampire body and his original body!"

Boom—!

These words were like a thunderclap exploding in the ears of the two ancient dukes!

Switching between a vampire body and his original body!

What did that mean?!

It meant that a Red Moon scion with this talent could stand beneath the Holy Light without fear!

Before the two vampire dukes could think further, the [Interpreter] Marquis Savien continued:

"Furthermore, because he achieved Prince status by [mimicking] our race's source rules, the connection between his descendant clan and the Holy Grail might be different from orthodox clans."

"We cannot directly lock onto his specific location, true name, or form through the Holy Grail; we can only sense his existence and the authority represented by this [Mimicry] rune."

"He is like... a Shadow Prince hidden in the mist..."

After the three of them exchanged information.

This news was like a hurricane, instantly sweeping through the vampire core within the entire Dark Council.

The ancients of the various clans were jolted from their slumber, and the Princes walking the world cast their gazes toward the holy land.

In the Hall of Eternal Night, phantoms or true bodies representing each clan quickly gathered to hold an emergency meeting regarding this unprecedented Holy Grail anomaly.

Shock! Confusion!

Excitement! Greed!

All sorts of emotions surged within the hearts of the vampire moguls.

One must know that vampire talents could be passed down through the [Moon Sacrificial Ritual] or [Princes Blood Exchange].

A brand-new [Source Blood Prince] possessing an incredibly practical talent like [Mimicry] for vampires...

His appearance broke the knowledge system the vampires had held for countless years.

Who was he?

That was what every powerful vampire present wanted to know!

Of course, the most important thing was—

Find him!

One secret order after another was issued from the Hall of Eternal Night, spreading to every corner of the continent.

...