C644 I Am the Descendant of the God of Medicine!
Zhongli Dapan was well-versed in the mysteries of the Altar of Rebirth, and it was clear that Loong Jie, the venerable patriarch of the Nagas, was equally aware.
The Untamed, of course, needed no introduction.
When Chen Liangquan shattered the pill, he inadvertently unleashed the enigmatic power of the Altar of Rebirth, consuming the residual vitality of the seventh-level archdemon. Perhaps it was a test to confirm a suspicion—did he harbor an Altar of Rebirth within himself?
Such altars were innate only to a rare few among the most ancient and esteemed Otherkin dwelling in the farthest reaches of the Star River. Among the branches of the Star-Spawned Terror, the Blood Fiend clan's current leader possessed a similar "altar of rebirth." This underscored the exceptional rarity of such altars, even among the extraterrestrial expanses of the Star River.
And yet, he was of pure human lineage, having crafted his own Altar of Rebirth within his little world of vitality by refining pieces of Sunsorrow from the Abyssal Leviathan. This raised questions: Was there a deep-seated connection between the Altar of Rebirth and the cosmic giant beasts? Was there a link between the Star-Spawned Terror and the Blood Altar?
These perplexing thoughts swirled chaotically in Yu Yuan's mind, disrupting his once serene state of meditation.
After much contemplation, he retrieved an exquisitely crafted mask he had acquired from the Skyreach Consortium's outpost in Gavanas. Placing the mask over his face, he covertly performed the Evil Body Refining technique, his bones popping as he subtly reconfigured his muscles. In an instant, he transformed into a different person—a shorter, dark-skinned young man with dull, lackluster eyes.
Mastering the arcane arts of physical transformation, altering his visage was as effortless as turning his hand. With further strength and finesse in muscle control, he would eventually be able to forgo the mask and reshape his face to any desired appearance.
Once he had returned the Crucible of Evil to the Zigong acupoint and stowed the sword sheath in the Bracelet of Holding, he stepped out from the Azure Vault, a changed man.
It was high noon, yet the sky loomed heavy and gray, threatening an imminent downpour. Yu Yuan glanced upward with indifference and continued his solitary stroll through the streets of Afnetalos, meandering without purpose.
Beneath his feet, Chen Liangquan, from within the city's inner sanctum, had but a single directive for him: avoid detection by Shadow's Keep, the upper sects, and the Devil Palace. This aligned perfectly with his original intentions upon arriving at the Scarlet Dunes.
With the Crucible of Evil and the sword scabbard securely stowed away, Yu Yuan had altered his appearance to move about Afnetalos freely. A touch of caution should suffice to keep him off the radar.
Cultivators of the Subtlety Stage, especially the young, might attract unwanted attention in other cities. But in Afnetalos, Yu Yuan harbored no such concerns. The city was a melting pot, attracting not only empire-affiliated cultivators but also prodigies from two other continents, drawn by its reputation.
His curiosity was piqued by this towering city in Aetherius. How had Afnetalos, constructed in merely a century or two, risen to become the preeminent metropolis of the continent? He was eager to uncover the city's unique allure.
For the following days, Yu Yuan paid no mind to the events unfolding in the Scarlet Dunes, instead exploring the bustling and sometimes squalid streets of Afnetalos.
The Songbird Empire, having risen to prominence on the back of the Skyborn Empire, boasted a diverse population within its grand city. Yu Yuan had encountered individuals from the Sunblessed Empire, the Stormcrown Empire, the Divine Might Empire, and the Crimson Sun Empire.
Some came to Afnetalos seeking education, others in search of a mentor to guide them on the path of cultivation. The city was dotted with a myriad of academies, private tutors, and sects offering instruction in the mystical arts. Even third-tier sects like Ebonthorn, Binders of Shadows, and the Poison Cult openly advertised, seeking to recruit young talents with an aptitude for cultivation.
To the formidable sects of the other two continents, Aetherius was seen as nothing more than a vast pasture.
The three upper sects, Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, each had their own envoys and guests who wandered the great empires for extended periods. They sought out newborns from renowned families, looking for those with the potential for cultivation.
The most exceptional cultivation prodigies often showed signs of their talent even before their birth.
These individuals were highly sought after by the upper sects, Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep.
Following them were those like Lin Zhuyun, Su Yan, Yan Lu, and Yuan Lianyao, who were chosen by the seven lower sects, including Ruby Hand, and were taken under the wing of their respective sects.
Sects of lesser renown, such as Ebonthorn, Binders of Shadows, and Poison Cult, had to settle for the leftovers.
Occasionally, a rare talent would slip through the cracks and join these third-tier sects, potentially altering the destiny of the entire sect.
Afnetalos was the most formidable city on the continent, a veritable magnet for talent.
It made perfect sense for the third-tier sects from the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea to recruit talent in Afnetalos.
Even these sects were selective, choosing only the finest candidates.
"Obsidian Thunder Sect."
Yu Yuan paused in front of a training hall, gazing at the inscription on the door plaque and speaking to himself.
The street was lined with similar halls, including "Sun Temple," "Phantasm Sect," "Taishi Sect," and "Earthly Clear Sect."
Many of these sects were unfamiliar to Yu Yuan, possibly having been established within the last three hundred years.
Some, he faintly recalled, had once enjoyed a period of splendor.
"Young man, you've reached the Subtlety Realm. Surely you've been guided by a renowned teacher?" At the entrance of the training hall, an old man with a limp leg squatted on the ground, cracking melon seeds. He looked up at Yu Yuan and said, "As for our Obsidian Thunder Sect, we're a bit small, I'm afraid we might not have room for you."
Nearby, at the entrances to "Jing Xuan Sect" and "Yu Huan Sect," two cultivators overheard and chuckled, casting curious glances in his direction.
The elderly man with the limp and the two others were all practitioners of the Subtlety realm. Despite their advanced age, they had only recently reached the middle and late periods of Subtlety. Their ultimate achievement might be to condense a Lunar Spirit, but the prospect of advancing to the Spirit Walk realm seemed slim.
Yu Yuan, who appeared youthful, had already attained the Subtlety realm quite some time ago, and his potential seemed far greater than theirs.
It was somewhat odd to see such a person standing outside the training hall established by the Obsidian Thunder Sect in the city of Afnetalos. Typically, those seeking to join the sect on this street were at the Spirit Channel or Soul Awakening levels, with very few cultivators at the Golden Sanctum stage.
"I've heard that the Obsidian Thunder Sect's recruiter here is named Xie Bin?" Yu Yuan inquired.
The old man with the limp nodded, "Yes, the manager is indeed called Xie Bin. Do you know him?"
"I'd like to meet him to see if he's the person I'm thinking of." Yu Yuan nonchalantly retrieved three Soul Crystals from his Bracelet of Holding and placed them in the old man's hand, "Thank you for your assistance."
With a chuckle, the old man accepted the Soul Crystals, earning envious looks from his companions. "I'll show you the way."
He led the way with a limp, and Yu Yuan followed at a leisurely pace.
The training hall's interior courtyard brimmed with meticulously pruned potted plants. An elderly man with snow-white hair was hunched over, attentively watering the flowers.
"Mr. Xie, this young man has specifically asked to meet you," called out the old man with the limp.
Xie Bin, pausing his watering, turned with a look of surprise. "Young man, do we know each other?"
Upon seeing Xie Bin's face, Yu Yuan drew in a deep breath, his suspicions confirmed by the sight of the well-groomed plants. "Could we find a quiet place to speak?"
Setting down his watering can, Xie Bin gestured towards an open room. "Come with me."
Inside, Yu Yuan set up a series of flags throughout the room and arranged the Soul Crystals, activating a rune circle that shielded them from any external soul perceptions.
Xie Bin watched silently, making no move to interrupt.
Once Yu Yuan had finished his preparations, ensuring that their conversation within the room would remain private and undetected by any remnant souls, he spoke with gravity, "I am the heir to the God of Medicine!"
"God of Medicine? Which one?" Xie Bin asked, his composure unshaken despite the slight tremor in his frame.
"The very God of Medicine you're familiar with, the one from whom you learned leechcraft as a nominal disciple," Yu Yuan declared.
Xie Bin inhaled deeply, "He's been gone for over three hundred years."
"Yes, he has been dead a long time. Before his death, he arranged for his legacy to be passed on, and I happened upon it," Yu Yuan said, scrutinizing him. "According to his teachings, you... were already at the Solar Spirit level back then. Three hundred years have passed; shouldn't you have reached the Unbound Realm by now, perhaps even the middle or late period?"
