C1193 Leave It to Me!!

Gaining Denise's trust made everything that followed much easier.

Yu Yuan volunteered to harness Denise's power to gather as many toxic herbs and various poisonous insects from outside the forbidden area on the Lower Continent as possible.

As the ruler, Denise issued a command, prompting the Shadowkin, Moonlit Wanderers, enchantresses, and Voidweavers to busily collect the herbs and insects Yu Yuan required.

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan remained comfortably within the forbidden area, diligently brewing his medicinal concoction.

Deep within the subterranean caves, the fiend from the Everlands had been silent for a long time. Yu Yuan surmised that the barrage of thunder vortexes must have dealt it a heavy blow, sapping its vitality and likely requiring some time to regenerate its Soul Power.

During this time, Yu Yuan seized the opportunity to create more Soul Amplifier, administering it to Chen Qinghuang. As his Lunar Spirit gradually replenished his Soul Power, his soul's perceptive abilities also returned to him. He could sense Chen Qinghuang's once turbulent soul beginning to settle.

He knew it wouldn't be long before the Empress of the Songbird Empire would awaken once more.

Today, Yu Yuan looked upon the vast collection of herbs and the numerous thumb-sized poisonous insects with a smile. It reminded him of the days when Hong Qi was collecting toxic herbs in his final moments, with the disciples of the Poison Cult serving him, much like how the Otherkin under Denise's command were now gathering magic plants for him, both overtly and covertly.

"This is a furnace? From the Everlands?" Denise inquired with curiosity, examining the Serpentflame engraved with enigmatic glyphs, yet devoid of any psionic power. "Have you ever considered transitioning from a Shadowkin herbalist to one from the Everlands?"

"It's not as simple as that," Yu Yuan chuckled, adding a few black, foul-smelling herbs to the furnace. "I may never become a herbalist, but there's a mixed-blood girl among the Shadowkin who might one day become the first Otherkin herbalist."

"You're talking about Wen Lu?" Denise's eyes sparkled with recognition.

"You know of her?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.

"Yes, after you mentioned your family's allegiance to Chief Elder Mia, I made it a point to inquire about her," Denise admitted candidly. "Don't worry, I haven't betrayed you. I was simply eager to learn more about Chief Elder Mia."

"Did you learn about Wen Lu from Mia?" Yu Yuan asked with a knowing look.

"Yes, I heard she's the mixed-blood descendant of the Shadowkin's former High Priest, left behind in the Everlands," Denise replied with reverence. "I also heard that Mia found her and took her to the extraterrestrial Star River. During her time in Ionodios, she apprenticed under an exceptional human herbalist and made significant strides in her craft."

Yu Yuan found it odd to hear Denise recounting the history of Ionodios.

"Your family made a wise choice. Mia, the Chief Elder, maintains strong ties with both the Boulderdawn and the Skyreach Consortium. Wen Lu has gradually become familiar and accepted by more of the Shadowkin," Denise mentioned casually, touching upon the very matter Yu Yuan was concerned about. "She was fortunate to come along at the right time. A mixed-blood woman from the Everlands, she gained the acceptance of all the Moonlit Wanderers and ascended to the rank of primordial spirit."

"With the support of the Skyreach Consortium and the Boulderdawn, the perceptions of the various extraterrestrial races have started to shift."

"Without these changes, the Shadowkin would have seen Wen Lu's sudden appearance in the extraterrestrial heavens as a disgrace due to her half-human lineage and would have sought to eliminate her."

"..."

Denise spoke of the harsh realities of the past.

Previously, the Otherkin were not only ostracized within the Everlands but also targeted by their pure-blooded kin who would secretly kill them to avoid sullying their noble lineage.

The blood of the Everlands' humans and evilkind was considered filthy and sinful.

As they chatted, Yu Yuan prepared a batch of venom without bothering to bottle it. After cooling the furnace with icy crystals, he carried it to the mouth of the cave.

Whoosh!

The dark brown toxic liquid cascaded down like a wide waterfall.

"He needs the potent juice to forge an extraordinary demonform below. With the demonform's protection, his devil soul can withstand the thunder vortex and truly surge towards the surface of Zekrica," Yu Yuan explained.

Denise nodded. "I'm eager to see it and hope you can persuade him."

"Leave it to me!"

...

In a dark and chilly corner of the Star River, a massive inkstone floated silently through the void.

Within the inkstone, numerous lightning orbs, each the size of a toddler's fist, tumbled about.

Atop the inkstone, the stoic Rong Xun, Xie Bin, and two Solar Spirit experts from the Starmoon Sect surveyed their surroundings.

Rong Xun, the current Sect Master of the Obsidian Thunder Sect and a late-stage Solar Spirit Realm practitioner, steered the inkstone as they wandered the Star River.

Suddenly, the lightning orbs within the inkstone began rolling towards a specific direction.

The four Solar Spirit cultivators roused from their meditation and peered into the far-off starry sky, where they could barely make out a piece of land no larger than a palm.

Xie Bin was the first to remark, "Odd, I've visited this Astral Domain before. There shouldn't be a Domain there."

"A thunder vortex is forming!" Rong Xun said, his face lighting up with excitement.

Though the inkstone he commanded was significantly less lethal than Xie Bin's Glacial Storm Seal, it far surpassed it in locating lightning treasure troves.

Having recently endured a battle, they were in need of recharging their spiritual weapons with lightning power.

"Let's go check it out," Xie Bin suggested nonchalantly. "Sect Master, just remember, we're now on friendly terms with the Boulderdawn and the Skyreach Consortium. We can't go on a killing spree in Otherkin territory like we used to."

As he spoke, he glanced at the other two cultivators from the Starmoon Sect.

"Brother Xie, rest assured. Times have changed, and we're well aware of that."

"Don't worry, we won't act recklessly!"

The two from the Starmoon Sect quickly assured.

"That's reassuring."

...

In the forbidden area of Zekrica.

Denise tore at the cooked meat prepared by Yu Yuan, her eyes twinkling with starry light as if she were attuned to some vital message.

Meanwhile, in a castle a thousand miles away, the eyes of a Starbeast shimmered with a strange light.

While in the forbidden area, Denise appeared to use the deceased Starbeast to gain insight into secrets from the Otherkin chieftain loyal to her.

"The Crypt Clan underground has been embroiled in conflict these past couple of days," Denise said with a frown. "Hundreds from their ranks have perished suddenly. Despite my revulsion towards them, some have not yet fallen under the spell and continue to pay their annual tributes to me."

Yu Yuan, overhearing this nearby, quickly surmised the situation.

The fiend lurking beneath had regained a measure of its Soul Power and was inciting the Crypt Clan members under its influence to wage war against their kin. The souls of the deceased were likely being covertly harvested to bolster the devil soul.

Thus, the fiend's feigned near-death state, which had convinced Denise and her father to sustain it with the souls of intelligent life, was merely a ruse. Its true craving, its urgent need, remained the poison.

Realizing this, Yu Yuan understood that the alien soul would soon take action. As expected, only a day later, Yu Zhu's father emerged once again from the depths, projecting his soul with clarity, "Why didn't she accompany you? Where is she now? Is she safe?"

The fiend, confined for untold years, was naturally most concerned for Yu Zhu.

​