C1180 Awakening Bomb

"Hand me that medicinal liquid; I want to drink it," Chen Qinghuang said, her slender fingers pointing toward the three bottles of Soul Accumulation Liquid dangling from Yu Yuan's waist pouch, not yet stored in his Universe Ring. She commanded with a natural ease.

Yu Yuan was baffled.

The Luan Bird Queen before him, no matter how he looked at her, was unmistakably a young woman of the Dark Elfkind. Her stunning beauty, capable of captivating any beholder, was now concealed. At present, she didn't stand out much; she wouldn't leave an unforgettable impression with just a glance.

After observing her for a moment, Yu Yuan realized that her altered appearance matched his own earlier deliberate disguise. The difference was that the dye he had applied had become her actual skin color. He had used various materials to refine the sculpture's edges, and the internal bone structure had adapted accordingly.

It was as if he had constructed a familiar alien beast using the bones and skin of another. Although it appeared genuine, it lacked real flesh, blood, and bones, and there was no proper circulation of blood and Qi. Yet, in a flash, the artificial had turned authentic.

Chen Qinghuang now gave him that exact impression.

"Medicine."

Lost in thought, Yu Yuan was brought back to reality as Chen Qinghuang extended her palm before him.

"Why this medicinal liquid?" Yu Yuan inquired, puzzled.

In the Epitaxial Realm, where pill condensation was impossible, he had settled for creating the Soul Accumulation Liquid. In the Boundless Great World, he wouldn't even consider the half-finished Soul Accumulation Liquid worthy of a second glance.

Perhaps it was his inner conviction that the Soul Accumulation Liquid was no pellet that made him reluctant to place it in the Universe Ring. Yet, it was precisely this that Chen Qinghuang requested.

"It has its uses."

The first empress of the Boundless Land tapped her temple with her other hand, a faint gleam flickering in the depths of her green eyes.

A thought crossed Yu Yuan's mind: "Could it be that a soul injury has scrambled her memories, leaving her unable to remember?"

With this in mind, he reluctantly handed over the remaining Soul Accumulation Liquid and continued to observe her closely. Indeed, Chen Qinghuang's gaze seemed vacant, as if unfocused, staring at something yet appearing to be lost in another world, her soul's whereabouts unknown.

Yu Yuan, seasoned in such matters, quickly surmised that the Luan Bird Queen must have expended a tremendous amount of energy breaking through the realm barrier of the Origin Blood Continent with her formidable strength.

This had caused her soul to sustain injuries, leaving her in a peculiar state.

She instinctively craved anything that might aid in the recovery of her soul. If she sensed something could bolster her soul power, she would immediately seek it out.

The essence within the Soul Accumulation Liquid had emitted a distinct aura that could refine soul power, which she had detected upon consumption.

With this realization, Yu Yuan let out a heavy sigh.

He had eagerly awaited Chen Qinghuang's awakening, hoping to escape the predicament before him and leave the Epitaxial Realm. Yet, to his dismay, the Empress had lost all her memories and was now requesting the Soul Accumulation Liquid from him.

The Soul Accumulation Liquid was scarcely sufficient for his own needs, and now with Chen Qinghuang's added demand, Yu Yuan was on the verge of despair.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The dull sound of footsteps grew louder as they neared.

Yu Yuan felt a sense of dread; he had been preoccupied with Chen Qinghuang and had lingered too long without seeking a hiding spot. It seemed the nearby Fire Lizard Tribe had taken notice of him.

As expected.

Shortly after, eight towering Fire Lizard Warriors, their crimson tails trailing behind them, brandished fire spears, axes, and sabers as they made their presence known.

"Dark Elfkind!"

The leader, a Fire Lizard Warrior of the Fifth Level bloodline, locked eyes with Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang, his gaze fiery with rage. Speaking in the Star Race tongue, he bellowed, "At last, we've found you! You're the reason our Fire Lizard Tribe faced punishment!"

Yu Yuan's brow furrowed. Hearing the warrior's roar, he pieced together that Pelle and his ilk must have betrayed him.

The Fire Lizard Warriors were convinced they had found the culprits responsible for their woes, undoubtedly because of the Heart Flame Flowers and Nerves Calming Grass Yu Yuan had collected.

"Dark Elfkind dogs, state your names!"

The Fire Lizard Tribe leader's hands clenched his battle axe, from which sparks erupted. Tapping into his bloodline's power, he caused the axe to blaze with a fierce red flame.

"Oh no!"

Yu Yuan's heart sank. He had only recently revealed his true name to Chen Qinghuang. What if this bewildered woman mentioned "Chen Qinghuang" to the leader of the Fire Lizard Tribe? Could that slip of the tongue unleash a torrent of endless trouble?

Would the siblings of the Star Race, who had been fruitlessly sought by the experts of various races, be ecstatic to discover that the Luan Bird Queen and Yu Yuan were within their domain?

And would that prompt the arrival of the Star Race's mightiest?

These thoughts raced through Yu Yuan's mind in a flash. He quickly glanced at Chen Qinghuang, desperate to prevent her from carelessly uttering that name, which was currently taboo.

Yu Yuan froze, astonished.

He watched as the empress of the Luan Bird Empire turned to face the eager Fire Lizard Tribe warriors.

Chen Qinghuang's gaze upon the Fire Lizard Tribe members was chilling, as if she were staring at the dead...

And then, the eight Fire Lizard Tribe warriors, armed with axes and spears, indeed became corpses.

Boom! Boom!

The eight Fire Lizard Tribe warriors collapsed in unison, their bodies devoid of any sign of life.

Chen Qinghuang hadn't uttered a single word, nor had there been any noticeable disturbance. It seemed that merely the color of her eyes had shifted for a brief moment.

From green to gray and back to green in the blink of an eye.

The eight warriors, clearly bearing ill intent, had perished silently, without any forewarning.

Yu Yuan remained motionless, his gaze fixed on Chen Qinghuang, a chill spreading through his core.

Suddenly, he came to a realization, one that was both promising and troubling.

The soul of the Luan Bird Queen before him had sustained grave damage, resulting in memory loss, with the slow process of recovery ahead.

Yet, the empress's body might have already undergone a transformation, endowing her with the power to obliterate anything in her path!

Despite her current guise as a Dark Elfkind girl, at her core, she was still the formidable Luan Bird Queen, possibly at the peak of her combat prowess, perhaps even on the cusp of ascending to the highest echelons of divinity!

But with her soul wounded, she temporarily couldn't recall her own identity.

Yu Yuan was filled with a sense of foreboding. He realized that accompanying an empress with the power to destroy worlds, yet so unpredictable, might just be the greatest challenge of his life.

He was undeniably vulnerable at the moment. A single misstep, and the Luan Bird Queen could easily claim his life.

It was possible that a thought of his demise, fleeting through the godlike Chen Qinghuang's mind, could resonate with the rule of death and kill him instantly.

"Hah."

Yu Yuan let out a deep sigh.

Shortly thereafter, he watched with astonishment as the empress, disguised as one of the Dark Elfkind, skillfully rifled through the possessions of the fallen Fire Lizard Tribe warriors.

She meticulously inspected every lapel, sleeve, sole, and even their disheveled hair.

Indeed, her search yielded a considerable amount of valuable spiritual materials and exotic herbs.

Chen Qinghuang's actions were purely instinctive, as if she had performed this task countless times before, her limbs and fingers moving with practiced memory.

"This..."

Yu Yuan massaged his temples, pondering what past experiences had shaped the empress. Had she, alongside Tan Junshan, combed through the remains of alien races after their battles in the Outland Star River, leaving no stone unturned?

Was she so thorough that she wouldn't overlook even a single valuable strand of hair?

"Sort these out, you choose first."

Chen Qinghuang stripped a Fire Lizard Tribe warrior of his robe, bundled up the spoils, and tossed them to Yu Yuan. She commanded him with the authority of a leader.

It appeared she was well accustomed to this.

​