C1073 The Goddess Was in Trouble

In the Ionodios Realm, within an alchemy chamber that had been established long before, the Serpentflame furnace stood at the center. Beneath it, a recess was filled with Fire Crystals.

In this realm, devoid of violent volcanoes, there was no way to harness Earthfire. Thus, the Skyreach Consortium had to stockpile as many Fire Crystals as possible within the chamber.

The numerous cabinets housed glass bottles and potted medicinal herbs, alongside vials of lifeblood from various alien beasts.

Wen Lu, a descendant of the Shadowkin, stood by a potted plant whose leaves resembled clusters of burning flames. Her palms radiated with vibrant life force as she employed a unique blood magic technique to nurture the growth of the rare "Flame Flower."

A soft green glow permeated the flower's branches, rapidly infusing it with nourishment. Soon enough, the "Flame Flower" reached full maturity, its leaves igniting in a fiery display.

A scent tinged with sulfur wafted from the extraordinary "Flame Flower."

"Into the furnace!" called out Yu Yuan, who had been meditating nearby. His eyes snapped open as he gave the command.

Wen Lu, exhilarated, quickly extracted the "Flame Flower" from its pot and placed the blazing leaves into the open Serpentflame.

A burst of orange flames enveloped the interior of the furnace, accompanied by a heartwarming medicinal fragrance.

"Add three stalks of Ice Jade Grass to the furnace immediately to counteract the potency."

"Two drops of Ghost Face Spider lifeblood."

"Extinguish the flames."

"Introduce an Ice Shard to the furnace!"

Yu Yuan, his eyes narrowed, issued a steady stream of instructions.

Wen Lu flitted between the shelves and jars like a nimble butterfly, following Yu Yuan's directives to add the specified magic items and herbs to the furnace. She was drenched in sweat from her efforts, yet her lips curled in a contented smile, clearly reveling in her work.

Having the opportunity to be mentored by the God of Medicine and learn the art of alchemy was a privilege she and Mia had sought diligently, backed by the support of the Shadowkin.

Yu Yuan agreed to give her a chance to demonstrate her comprehension and talent.

He hadn't immediately taken her on as his disciple, but she was already quite content with the opportunity.

Knock! Knock!

A gentle rapping echoed from outside. As Yu Yuan turned to look, he heard Zhou You's voice from beyond the door, "Canli of the Dawnbringers has sent over a list. She's requesting your assistance in refining a batch of pills. The compensation is detailed on the list, and the decision is yours to make."

After a moment's thought, Yu Yuan responded, "Come in."

Zhou You entered, unsurprised to find Wen Lu engrossed in her work. He handed Yu Yuan an elegantly written note, "Expect more requests for medicine soon. It's your call. We at the Skyreach Consortium simply relay messages. Whether to refine or not is entirely your prerogative."

Yu Yuan glanced at the note and saw it listed the lifeblood of rare dire beasts as payment.

He instantly understood Canli's serious intent. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the pills she sought, commonly found in the Everlands and beneficial to the soul, were well within his expertise. He nodded and instructed, "Tell Canli I'll take the job. Ask her to ready the ingredients at her earliest convenience."

The Dawnbringers, not adept at soul refinement, were outmatched by enchantresses, the Shadowkin, and the Sky Fiend.

Spiritual herbs aiding soul growth were coveted treasures for the Dawnbringers, especially in pill form.

Given his amicable ties with Canli and the fact that the Dawnbringers were linked to Chen Liangquan's lineage, Yu Yuan foresaw potential future collaborations and accepted the task.

"Understood."

Zhou You grinned, smacked his forehead, and added, "Oh, and the Stormcrowned Emperor, the first to leave the Moonfall Sanctuary, has arrived in Ionodios. He mentioned wanting to visit you when you're available."

"The Stormcrowned Emperor?!" Yu Yuan's expression shifted subtly.

"Yes, he was one of those who escaped the Everlands alongside the God-King in the bronze coffin. He's now a key member of Boulderdawn, having resolved the flaws associated with the Shadow Curse. The Stormcrowned Emperor, a late-period Solar Spirit, may soon attempt to advance to the Unbound realm," Zhou You elaborated.

"Understood..."

Yu Yuan was about to propose a meeting with the Stormcrowned Emperor after he finished refining the current batch of pills when he was interrupted by a subtle, indistinct call.

"Yu Yuan, Yu Yuan, Yu Yuan..."

This call was meant solely for him, seemingly triggered by some enigmatic arcane technique, echoing through Yu Yuan's Heart Lake.

He paused briefly, then with intense focus, he tapped into his "Altar of Rebirth" to discern the direction of the call.

In an instant, he rose to his feet, seized Zhou You's arm, and said, "There's a Silverscale Tribe warship outside Ionodios. Take me there!"

"Is it urgent?" Zhou You asked, his face etched with concern.

Yu Yuan nodded in affirmation.

Without another word, Zhou You closed his eyes to pinpoint the location, then both he and Yu Yuan left the alchemy chamber. With a flick of his whisk, they soared into the extraterrestrial realm.

Shortly after, they arrived on a gleaming silver warship, crafted as if from pure silver.

A group of Silverscale Tribe warriors rushed to greet Zhou You with respectful salutes.

Before one brawny warrior could speak, Zhou You demanded, "Do you have a massive blood cocoon on board your ship?"

"Yes, we stumbled upon it en route and brought it aboard," the stalwart Silverscale Tribe warrior answered truthfully.

"Bring it out!" commanded Yu Yuan, his voice resonant.

"Who is this man?"

The ninth-level Silverscale Tribe warrior inquired about the identity of the young human before him.

"This is Yu Yuan," Zhou You informed him.

"The God of Medicine himself!"

The warrior's excitement was palpable. Not yet permitted into Ionodios, he was well aware of the God of Medicine's presence there and had been pondering how to request his assistance in crafting a divine pill for his son, one that could elevate the limits of his bloodline.

Realizing that the God of Medicine was now aboard his vessel, he immediately gestured and ordered, "Bring forth the blood cocoon!"

"At once, Sir!"

Came the response from another warrior within the warship.

Quickly, a towering figure from the Silverscale Tribe, an eighth-level bloodline warrior, hoisted an oval blood cocoon with a single hand. The cocoon was smeared with bloodstains, and faint signs of life were evident within, though they were exceedingly weak.

"A woman from the Colddeath has evidently sustained severe injuries. She's overused the Bloodwalk technique, causing most of her meridians to rupture, and her soul is in terrible condition," explained the leading ninth-level Silverscale Tribe expert to Yu Yuan. "We discovered her in a desolate region shortly after entering the Annihilation Nebula. Our intention was to consult the Skyreach Consortium about her upon reaching Ionodios. Unfortunately, we haven't been granted entry yet."

"Entrust her to me. Once you reach Ionodios, come find me," Yu Yuan offered.

"Alright, that's settled then."

Zhou You scrutinized the cocoon and gasped, "How did she end up so grievously wounded?"

"I'm not sure. We'll find out once I revive her." Yu Yuan summoned the Crucible of Evil, placing the blood cocoon into its contained realm, and then he and Zhou You made their way back to Ionodios.

"She must have traveled through the star path we established. Since the Songbird Queen is repairing the secular bird's nest, it temporarily can't serve as a Starway. That's likely why she couldn't reach Ionodios directly through the nearest Starway."

After a moment's reflection, Zhou You had an inkling of what had transpired. "She's always been overconfident, probably attempting a perilous journey across the Star River to reach the Annihilation Nebula on her own. Along the way, she must have encountered someone, resulting in her current plight."

He shook his head, continuing, "Regardless of her talent or strength, she should have known better. The extraterrestrial Star River is fraught with peril, unlike the Everlands, where, draped in the mantle of the Colddeath's Divine Daughter, few sects would dare to harm her."

The occupant of the blood cocoon was none other than Ann Ziqing. Having advanced to the Solar Spirit, she had left the Everlands via an alternate star path, utilizing the unique techniques of the Colddeath Sect to make her way toward the Annihilation Nebula.

Yet, she met with such a tragic fate.

"She ultimately managed to use Bloodwalk to escape into the Annihilation Nebula. Our rules prohibit combat within its bounds, and we have ways to detect any breaches. Consequently, the one who inflicted severe injuries on her didn't pursue her there, allowing her to evade further disaster," Zhou You deduced.

"I must rescue her first!"

...