C1247 Touch

Crack!

Golden light burst from Berthold's chest before several more bones fractured.

Propped up by his spear and supported by Elena, the Shura warrior who had narrowly avoided collapsing could no longer bear the weight of his repeatedly injured body, and his knees buckled beneath him.

Blood, flecked with bits of golden sand, stained the corner of Berthold's mouth.

"Curse that Golden Rock Beast!"

The slender female Shura gritted her teeth and muttered a curse under her breath.

"Not the Golden Rock Beast horde again!"

Elena's face paled as she examined Berthold's chest wound, noting that the medicinal paste seemed ineffective, which deepened her concern.

"Your Highness, I'm not going to die. Please, tell me where you've come from? I've received word that the supply stronghold you and the lord established has been overrun by bandits. But don't fret—once you return to the Glimmerdrift Nebula, you'll still be our esteemed young lady!"

Despite his grave injuries, Berthold managed a strained smile and raised his voice.

"There's someone here!"

The Shura warrior, who had ceased his horn-blowing, turned ashen and stared at a man in a black robe approaching from afar. "A human cultivator from the Everlands, and he... is not a Solar Spirit Body!"

Upon hearing this, the Shura clansmen's faces fell into expressions of utter despair.

A human cultivator's Solar Spirit Body, devoid of any substantial fleshly aura, was a pure fusion of spiritual energy and Soul Power, meticulously crafted from rare treasures.

Identifying a Solar Spirit was second nature to them.

If a human cultivator didn't possess a Solar Spirit Body, there was a strong chance they were of the formidable Unbound level!

At this critical moment, facing an Unbound-level human cultivator spelled certain death.

"Your Highness, flee! We will lay down our lives to cover your escape!"

Berthold roared like a cornered beast, struggling to unleash the last of his bloodline's power. "Form up and charge! With your sacrifice, buy our Highness a chance to escape!"

The Shura warriors, ranging from seventh to eighth level, dispersed at his command, none showing a hint of fear.

Their stance was clear: at any moment, they would launch their assault, trading their lives for a glimmer of hope for Elena's survival.

"Stay put, everyone!"

Elena let out a huff and, disregarding the astonished Shura warriors, transformed into a streak of blood-colored light and soared toward Yu Yuan in the distance.

Upon her approach, Yu Yuan hesitated, then shook his head at her.

He then gestured to the cracked earth beneath his feet.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Yu Yuan vanished.

As Elena touched down at Yu Yuan's former spot, she immediately noticed several bottles and jars on the hard, black stone, filled with a thick, vibrant liquid.

Startled, Elena quickly grasped Yu Yuan's intentions. She gathered the containers and detected a faint trace of a lingering remnant soul.

"Go home, back to the Glimmerdrift Nebula."

A look of nervousness and unease swept across Elena's lovely face as she scanned the area for any sign of Yu Yuan, but to no avail.

"Your Highness?"

"Princess Elena!"

Behind her, the Shura clansmen, along with Berthold, called out in concern.

Several elder Shura of the eighth level, ignoring her earlier command, had followed in pursuit.

"I'm alright, no need to worry."

Turning, Elena saw Berthold, his mouth bleeding profusely, collapse in exhaustion.

She immediately dismissed the thought of returning to the battleship. "The man who was here must have been an impostor claiming to be Unbound. Oh, a Forgeroses cultivator, with a Solar Spirit Body, can traverse the extraterrestrial skies in their true form."

She fabricated a story, carefully storing the bottles and jars left by Yu Yuan, then flew back to her people.

She singled out the jar connected to Yu Yuan's remnant soul and poured its sticky contents over Berthold's chest.

As the medicinal liquid hardened and the wound scabbed over, she probed the injury and her worry subsided. "Uncle Berthold, you're going to be alright."

"It was a Forgeroses cultivator, that gave me quite the fright. Some sects in the Everlands are adept at fortifying the physical body, allowing them to venture into the extraterrestrial realm in their Solar Spirit Bodies."

"I feared it was a high-level Unbound cultivator."

"Thankfully, that wasn't the case."

The Shura warriors conversed among themselves, their eyes fixed on Berthold with relief.

Berthold's face had regained some color, the latent power of the Golden Rock Beast within his chest having finally ebbed away after several explosive outbursts.

They were further reassured when they detected an exceptionally rich life force that was not Berthold's.

"Your Highness?" someone ventured cautiously.

"Stay here, I've got something to handle. Wait for me!" Elena, now at ease, hurried off without even inquiring further about the Golden Rock Beast.

Shortly thereafter.

She reached the wrecked warship only to discover it deserted. Not only were Rong Xun and the others missing, but the Songbird Queen, who was supposed to be in slumber, was also absent from the cabin.

"You've left me behind once more!"

Elena's expression fell as she crouched despondently at the cabin's entrance, her hands bracing against her knees. She reached out with her vital energy and the faintest whisper of her remnant soul, probing the nearby Star River.

To no avail.

Elena was aware that the Songbird Queen, even in her dormant state, was beyond the reach of others.

Rong Xun and his group wouldn't dare, and as for strangers or Otherkin, they'd likely be swept away by her emanating death and power of destruction upon merely entering the cabin.

Only Yu Yuan could approach her, carrying her away from the ship.

"Sending me back to the Glimmerdrift Nebula, was it for my own good? Just like before, did you think you and she would inevitably draw me into danger? But you didn't seek my consent, you didn't even ask if I was willing! You infuriating man, this is the second time! Alright, if you won't let me follow, once I'm back in the Glimmerdrift, I'll head straight to the Wingkind's realm!"

After a long while, Elena, fists clenched, came to a decision.

She hadn't immediately given chase or scoured the area because she was indeed concerned for Berthold and the others, wanting to ensure her kin were escorted to safety.

Those people had no idea how perilous Kuvrepros was at the moment. If they blundered in, they might face fates far grimmer than their ordeal in Brugeth.

"This warship, once dismantled, could be used to repair the shattered chariots."

Elena's mind was abuzz with plans.

Shortly thereafter, the wrecked warship thundered to life once more, soaring towards Berthold and his companions.

...

Everything unfolded just as Elena had predicted.

Yu Yuan, out of habit, carried the slumbering Songbird Queen on his back, weaving through the countless meteors. Occasionally, he would pause to make repairs and ascertain their direction.

The Queen resting on his back showed no signs of harm; her spiritual energy, vitality, and Soul Power were all concealed.

To Yu Yuan, the Queen's combat prowess seemed even more enigmatic and inscrutable than in Zekrica. Her thoughts and condition were beyond his comprehension.

Upon landing on a sizable meteor, Yu Yuan was taken aback by the stone's scorching heat.

After a brief moment of indecision, he chose not to set Chen Qinghuang down but instead invoked the Nine Glories Wheel spell. He instantly sensed strands of intense flame energy emanating from the dark red meteorite, forcefully channeling into his lower elixir field.

A realization struck him, "Fragments from a shattered sun!"

The Brugeth once had its own suns, moons, and stars. Similar to the Extraterritorial Battlefield, a millennia-long war had obliterated the sun and moon, causing the stars to burst and form the now-renowned extraterritorial battlefield.

"Let's harness the sun's core energy here to recalibrate."

He gingerly placed Chen Qinghuang down.

Throughout this process, he kept a vigilant eye on the empress's countenance, ready to halt at the slightest hint of her discomfort.

Unsurprisingly, the sovereign's face remained serene and utterly beautiful.

Gazing upon a visage that seemed as though it belonged only in the most idyllic of dreams, Yu Yuan was spellbound. Almost involuntarily, he reached out and caressed the empress's cheek.

Her skin was as smooth as cream, as pale as polished jade, and utterly exquisite to the touch.

Suddenly, the empress's long eyelashes quivered.

Feeling as though he had been caught red-handed, Yu Yuan jerked back, quickly turned away, and settled into a seated position. He focused inwardly and began to silently channel the Nine Glories Wheel.

The slumbering empress's lips curled into a beautiful arc, as if she were silently scoffing in disdain.

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