Chapter 147: Bier and Kuer

Nine-Star Dark Mage "Pudong"—an elderly mage who had only recently advanced to the Nine-Star rank within the Dark Empire. In a world where necromancers reigned supreme like the Dark Empire, he might not have been a household name, but he was certainly no ordinary figure.

This could be easily inferred from the fact that "Pudong" had effortlessly acquired a combat-grade multi-deck ship from the Blood Alliance.

The mysterious figure in black robes who had abducted Xu Wen and the others sat motionless, cross-legged in the pavilion at the topmost level of the ship. Thin gauze curtains fluttered gently in the mild sea breeze, creating an atmosphere of exceptional tranquility and peace.

Suddenly... A dark figure gradually materialized outside the pavilion, bowing and calling out:

"Master!"

Pudong was not at all surprised by his disciple's arrival. Without moving a muscle, he asked with a voice as calm as an ancient well: "What do you think of this young man?" The young man he referred to was naturally Xu Wen.

The hood of the black-robed figure was blown slightly askew by the sea breeze, revealing a countenance that was both striking and chilling: "Peerless talent, resolute willpower... and deeply calculating."

"Heh."

Hearing his disciple describe Xu Wen as "deeply calculating," Pudong finally let out a trace of a laugh, opening his eyes just a slit: "Well said. At such a tender age, his cultivation is approaching the Seven-Star level, and he simultaneously commands Six-Star Earth Emperor-grade magic and Five-Star Profound Heaven-grade magic. Among his peers, apart from the disciples of those old monsters, this is the first time I have seen such a thing outside the Dark Empire."

"..."

The woman's expression remained unchanged, completely unfazed, clearly concurring with her master's assessment.

"What surprises me, however, is that at such a youthful age—a time when one is full of vigor and hot-blooded—he was actually able to snap out of 'Bier's' mental hypnosis, remaining unmoved by temptation. Not only that, but he was ruthless enough to kick a stunner like little Bier right out of bed. Heh, even the disciples of those old monsters... I'm afraid would find that very difficult to achieve."

"Master, your disciple requests that next time, please do not ask Bier to do such things." The woman lowered her head slightly.

Pudong chuckled: "Ku'er, master knows you care deeply for your sister, but you should also know that you share different mothers, and your personalities are fundamentally worlds apart... Bier is naturally mischievous, restless, and refuses to take orders from anyone. This time, I gave no such command; Bier simply thought she had found a new plaything."

"..."

"Never mind. After all this time, you still won't easily trust your master. Heh, let's return to that calculating young fellow. You could have intimidated him, but you chose not to. Why?"

Pudong stared at the woman he called "Ku'er."

"There was no need."

The latter met his gaze calmly, without the slightest sign of yielding:

"To be able to maintain his true self under Bier's temptation—that kind of steadfastness, didn't you just praise it yourself, Master? Do you think those useless intimidation tactics would have had any effect on him?"

"Indeed they wouldn't. However, we have consequently lost the upper hand, and that is not a good thing."

Pudong mused aloud:

"So young, yet his strength is already on par with an ordinary Seven-Star mage, and he possesses two contracted beasts, along with the ability to refine various advanced medicinal pills I have never even heard of. If such a youth is not nipped in the bud now, he will become a massive disaster for the Dark Empire, and for us..."

"Surely with Master's strength, you cannot control a Six-Star fire mage?"

"You make it sound easy. Yesterday, I tested a strange bead inside his belt. Do you know what happened? My strength instantly dropped by more than five tiers. At the time, I even thought I had fallen victim to that boy's tricks. Only later did I gradually figure out that the item is actually a localized element-disruption tool."

"..."

The calm expression on Ku'er's face finally showed a ripple of fluctuation.

"Such talent is not easily managed," Pudong sighed deeply from the bottom of his heart. "If I can extract the formula for the Restoration Pill from his lips, I will personally execute him. A prodigy like this—his future achievements are terrifying to contemplate."

Ku'er's expression had already returned to calm:

"Master is worrying excessively. Even a fire mage of Seven-Star strength, no matter how high his aptitude, takes at least five years to advance to the Eight-Star level. Over those five years, even if he deliberately suppresses his pill-refining progress, it will be enough for us to accumulate a sufficient supply of Restoration Pills. Killing him then will not be too late."

"Mm."

Pudong nodded silently, finding her logic deeply convincing.

"The most urgent matter now is to confirm that Xu Wen truly possesses the ability to independently refine Restoration Pills."

"He said he can begin at any time, but he requires his two servants to assist him, and strictly forbids anyone else from watching," Ku'er replied.

"Mm, hand him over to them and return their belongings. However... you must keep a close eye on the medicinal ingredients." Pudong glanced at her, emphasizing the last point.

The latter nodded in acknowledgment:

"Your disciple understands."

The Dark Empire also possessed many veteran apothecaries; by reverse-engineering the ingredients, they might just find some clues to the formula.

"Very well, prepare a quiet place for him and tell him that once he refines the Restoration Pills, I will return all his miscellaneous trinkets."

"Yes!"

With that response, the top level of the multi-deck ship returned to being just one person and one pavilion, one pavilion and one person.

The interior of the multi-deck ship was exceptionally luxurious and grand. Walking through the cabins, one could not even feel any noticeable swaying; it felt as solid as walking on flat ground, causing no discomfort whatsoever.

Guided by the mysterious black-robed figure, Xu Wen was escorted to the luxurious ship's main hall, where Old Xie and Wang Xiaoshuai were waiting. Their expressions were normal, and they did not appear to have suffered any inhumane treatment.

"Master!"

Old Xie's voice was filled with pleasant surprise and relief.

Wang Xiaoshuai vaguely guessed that his survival might be related to Xu Wen, and closely followed suit by calling out.

"Are you two alright?"

"We're fine."

Old Xie cast a somewhat wary glance at the black-robed figure standing behind Xu Wen, and nodded hesitatingly.

"Where is this place?"

Wang Xiaoshuai was unclear about their current predicament and asked in a low voice.

After Xu Wen answered, the two of them instantly wore looks of utter astonishment and shock, gasping in unison:

"The Dark Empire?"

"They want that formula?"

Old Xie was quick-witted; with Xu Wen's brief hint, he immediately grasped this level of implication.

Nodding, Xu Wen turned to Ku'er and said:

"If the ingredients are prepared, we can begin now, but all your people must leave."

The black-robed figure remained indifferent, handing him a storage ring, and stated:

"To refine merely the Restoration Pill, do you need this many ingredients?" Inside the ring were over a hundred different star-ranks of medicinal herbs listed by Xu Wen, with twenty portions of each. Let alone refining one kind of pill, ten would be more than enough!

"That's none of your concern."

Xu Wen took the ring and made a gesture indicating they should leave.

"Hmph." The black-robed figure didn't mind in the least, turning to leave with words trailing from afar:

"You are very smart, but I hope you don't try to play any clever tricks. With my master presiding here, the three of you had better honestly refine the 'Restoration Pill'."

Thud!

The main hall doors slammed shut.

Only Xu Wen and the other two remained within the spacious hall.

Old Xie and Wang Xiaoshuai wore puzzled expressions, having no idea what the conversation between Xu Wen and the black-robed figure implied.

After giving a brief explanation, Xu Wen instructed Old Xie: "When we refine the pills, you are responsible for activating the Dark Barrier..." Then turning to Wang Xiaoshuai: "You will take over in the later stages."

"If anyone attempts to probe with spiritual force, notify me, and I will interrupt the refinement of the Restoration Pill."

The two of them nodded resolutely.

A layer of dark barrier quickly enveloped the three of them.

On the top deck of the multi-deck ship, the Nine-Star Dark Mage let out a cold snort, withdrawing the spiritual force he had spread around the three of them in the main hall.

Time flew by. When Xu Wen and the other two stepped out of the main hall and onto the deck, the setting sun was dipping low, nearing evening. The distant sea surface was exceptionally calm and magnificent.

BOOM!!!

Only the massive sound of the giant vessel crushing the waves constantly echoed from the bow.

Along both sides of the deck, hundreds of guards with Six-Star and Seven-Star strength stood ramrod straight, completely unfazed by the headwinds and rolling waves rushing toward them.

The enormous ship remained remarkably steady, cleaving through wind and waves as it advanced rapidly with breathtaking momentum.

Listening to the deafening roar of the waves in his ears, Xu Wen's mind suddenly grew inexplicably calm. Unawares, a marvelous sensation welled up from the depths of his heart, causing even his chaotic sea of consciousness to begin spinning at high speed invisibly.

A thought stirred within him!

Beneath the vigilant gazes of numerous guards, Xu Wen slowly walked to the very edge of the deck.

A layer of formless elemental magic enveloped his entire body, vaporizing the wind and waves brushing past him. His eyes gazed calmly into the boundless depths of the vast ocean, arms spread wide as he fully embraced that all-encompassing immensity.

The ocean!

This was not the first time Xu Wen had seen the sea.

Yet it was his first time in this world.

Furthermore!

His current state of mind was also different from before. Being in a perilous situation gave him the sensation of hearing a thunderclap in the silence—especially after handing over the Restoration Pills and knowing clearly that the three of them were temporarily safe, this state of mind became very peculiar. His craving for power was unprecedentedly fierce! Unprecedentedly clear!

The feeling was overwhelmingly intense!!

He hated the feeling of having his life and death controlled by others, the sense of confinement of being held in someone else's hands... Stimulated by both factors, in an instant, Xu Wen subconsciously immersed himself into his chaotic sea of consciousness, sealing off his six senses.

The sky above the chaotic sea of consciousness remained turbid and gloomily black, save for the rapidly spinning chaotic sea below, where violent waves rolled, making the atmosphere slightly less oppressive.

The rising waves transformed into tangible shapes, playing out like a fast-forwarded film... Xu Wen watched quietly from the air. The lowest-level small fireballs shot out from the chaotic sea of consciousness quickly grew complex, gradually upgrading to Flame Fire Rings... the wildly rampaging Golden Snake Dancing... the ferocious-looking Flame Fire Pythons... the world-吞吞 (swallowing-the-world) Emperor-Breaking Golden Flame Arrows... Crimson flames, golden flames, black flames, and purple flames intertwined together.

The sky above the chaotic sea of consciousness became exceptionally chaotic!

Yet the chaotic sea of consciousness continued to spin just as before, vastly devouring various spells one after another, until finally... all the spells dissipated without a trace, returning to complete peace.

At that very moment, Xu Wen seemed to comprehend something.

From the ocean before his eyes, and the changes within the chaotic sea of consciousness... Yet, the exact moment the chaotic sea of consciousness returned to tranquility, a sharp stabbing pain suddenly snapped Xu Wen out of his wondrous state, and no matter how hard he tried, he could no longer recall the insight he had gained.

"Hmph."

The black-robed figure on the top deck withdrew their spiritual force, a grave expression in their eyes:

"To actually gain alternative insights and realizations even while cultivating—this brat's talent is almost excessively good!" The stabbing pain just then had indeed been condensed using his own spiritual force.

Even so, this boy's cultivation had still advanced a fraction! Bringing this young man alive into the Dark Empire—was it right or wrong? Would it cause unforeseen variables? Pudong pondered deeply.

(To be continued)