To be honest, Qin Ming was tempted by Count Dracula's previous proposal.
The vampire bloodline was impressive—its survival ability was extraordinary, definitely a very powerful bloodline.
The most important thing was that it could perfectly coordinate with Qin Ming's current abilities. That was the key.
After all, if a bloodline conflicts with one's abilities, the outcome could be disastrous. The nightmare realm's weak, sick, and disabled had already demonstrated that to Qin Ming through harsh reality.
But the question was, even though both the abilities and the bloodline controlled blood, could the three truly mesh perfectly?
They were both viruses that caused corpse transformations, but one was an Eastern jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampire), the other a Western zombie. Could you say their abilities were truly similar? Wouldn't they explode if combined?
Corn is genetically close to humans! But have you ever seen humans photosynthesize?
Therefore, strengthening this bloodline was really a gamble, though the success rate might be slightly higher.
How high exactly? Whether it could fuse perfectly without instantly crippling Qin Ming, he himself couldn't guarantee.
Still, Qin Ming thought that even if the fusion wasn't perfect, it probably wouldn't cause severe rejection.
After all, it was all blood—and one could turn into blood mist.
Even if it really burst him open, with such a special ability, he wouldn't die!
That was a huge advantage compared to others. He had heard from top adventurers that many elite adventurers exploded outright when pushing their powers to the limit.
Because of his unique bloodline, he wasn't afraid of "exploding," so he'd be much safer. This was the main reason Qin Ming was interested in the vampire bloodline.
He was attracted by that undead trait of turning into blood mist!
After days of hesitation, Qin Ming finally made up his mind to use the vampire bloodline.
Using the vampire bloodline as the foundation, and the original Dream Dinosaur bloodline as the material, he aimed to fuse the two into a brand-new S-level bloodline! That was Qin Ming's goal!
After all, he could fuse it back in the nightmare realm anyway, but if something went wrong there, the nightmare realm couldn't protect him.
Since that was the case, he might as well fuse it now—this world's bosses were too terrifying, making Qin Ming a bit intimidated and in urgent need of a power boost.
If he had to fight anyway, he might as well go all out!
If it failed, then so be it! If he really failed, he'd find a way to become a high-level adventurer and retire peacefully—no more struggling!
With firm resolve, Qin Ming's gaze sharpened as he forcefully injected the bloodline into his neck.
With his innate skill activating, the Dream bloodline he had traveled with and the new vampire bloodline instantly began to intertwine.
Moments later, a soft chime sounded in his ear.
[Ding! Adventurer bloodline mutation detected at S-level! Please select mutation direction!]
[Mutation Direction 1: Blood Manipulation]
[Mutation Direction 2: Body Vaporization]
[Mutation Direction 3: Devouring Growth]
Although three mutation directions appeared this time, and the last one sounded extremely powerful, Qin Ming, who had long since planned ahead, wasn't shaken at all and answered firmly.
As his voice fell, his new bloodline officially began to condense.
His entire body's blood boiled! Veins bulged across his skin!
With his canine teeth protruding and his eyes glowing red, Qin Ming's new bloodline officially took shape.
[Bloodline: Mutated Vampire Marquis Bloodline!]
Before Qin Ming, whose bloodline was just forming, could even open his panel to check out his new abilities, his body suddenly trembled.
The next second, a painful expression appeared on Qin Ming's face as his knees slammed heavily onto the ground.
Supporting himself with both hands, he looked down at the flesh and blood on his body that was constantly writhing, his teeth clenched tightly.
With another S-level power entering his body, the two S-level powers that had barely reached balance within Qin Ming now completely went berserk!
They started conflicting with the newly arrived vampire bloodline, constantly fighting each other.
Each clash caused Qin Ming's body to swell.
His form became unstable like a balloon, and the reason his body hadn't collapsed yet was purely due to his body's toughness holding strong.
There was an unspoken rule among high-level adventurers: no matter which path you chose, you had to learn at least one passive skill that strengthened your body. It was absolutely essential.
This was precisely to guard against situations like what Qin Ming was facing now!
Also, when increasing S-level skills, one had to ensure being in peak physical condition, with as high base stats as possible.
The stronger your base stats, the more your body can withstand the strain!
Maybe if your total stats are 60, you can't endure the conflict of powers, but at 80, you might forcibly hold on, saving your life.
Of course, if the powers really clash intensely, even 80 total stats might not be enough.
Currently, with all his equipment bonuses, Qin Ming's total stats reached 60 points, which was the extreme limit of the second stage.
Using these stats to resist the conflict of S-level powers was very unwise.
So Qin Ming never intended to tough it out with his body from the start! Instead...
With a boom, Qin Ming's swelling body suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
He used the basic survival skill that almost all vampires possess: blood mist transformation!
Scattering into a vast mist, Qin Ming completely gave up trying to control the three powers within him. Instead, he let them run wild. The goal behind this was very clear.
Since he knew he couldn't control the powers, he'd just let them settle it themselves!
If anyone wanted to kill him while he was in mist form, they could try! Otherwise, eventually one of the three powers would come out on top!
Once a leader was decided, Qin Ming would be safe!
This was exactly why Qin Ming was so interested in the vampire bloodline!
Waiting for his total stats to reach 80 or even higher would take too long.
According to top adventurers, when your stats enter the third stage—meaning your base attribute breaks past 40—each additional point of growth requires 5 free attribute points.
Under such circumstances, if he wanted to max out his attributes, he'd be waiting forever.
Since that was the case, he might as well not rely on stats and just find a way to guarantee he wouldn't die!
Qin Ming's idea was indeed smart—having an immortal body could truly prevent death caused by power backlash.
But every advantage has disadvantages. Qin Ming, who didn't fully understand power conflicts, missed one thing.
That was: his chosen method wasn't widely adopted for a reason.
Having immortality could indeed prevent death from power conflict, and even avoid any side effects.
But it also meant you either wouldn't be affected, or you'd just die outright!
Others, when their powers failed to fuse, could use their strength and willpower to forcibly hold their bodies together and temporarily halt the fight—at the cost of suffering various side effects afterward.
But Qin Ming, if his powers truly couldn't merge, wouldn't even have the chance to suffer side effects—the three powers would fight to the death!
He only considered that the battle between powers would end eventually, but he didn't think about what would happen if the three completely lost control!