The golden essence of a peak Foundation Beast.
Even across the world, only a handful had ever seen such a thing—
Liyue had.
Mount Shu's disciples saw it often.
And now, the Abyss Order was the third.
That alone was a grim sort of achievement.
But Aether did not let himself be dazzled.
The brighter the temptation, the deadlier the risk.
Especially after the earlier "stomach-acid dissolution" incident,
he would not gamble his life on reckless experiments.
He bore too much weight on his shoulders.
His eyes flickered, then turned toward the Abyss Lector standing nearby.
The man's face was hidden beneath his helm,
yet his burning gaze betrayed eagerness.
Aether hesitated only a moment.
Then his blade thrust cleanly into the slain black tiger's heart.
A single golden drop of blood, dazzling and molten, floated to his sword tip.
The heat it radiated distorted the very air.
Expression calm, Aether twisted the blade and offered it forward.
"Drink. Your reward."
The Lector's eyes shone bright. Excitement surged—
but in the next heartbeat, sobriety struck.
This essence might grant power.
It might also kill.
"Prince…"
"Hm?"
Aether's gaze sharpened, an overwhelming pressure crashing down.
The Lector nearly buckled to his knees.
Without another word, Aether pressed the burning drop closer.
"Drink."
There was no mistaking the command.
He was to test for poison.
Two paths lay before him:
refuse—and die, whether now or in some "assignment" against impossible odds.
Or obey—and perhaps die, but perhaps seize a miracle.
After a long breath, teeth gritted, he bowed deeply.
"My thanks, Your Highness!"
And he swallowed the drop whole.
All fell silent.
Every Abyss mage and soldier held their breath.
Aether's eyes gleamed—watchful, expectant.
"Well? How do you feel?"
The Lector smacked his lips, uncertain.
"Strangely… nothing? Prince, perhaps… another drop?"
It was sweet, even pleasant—nothing like blood.
Aether's brow twitched.
One drop of peak Foundation essence, and nothing?
Had this man swallowed it like a pig eating ginseng fruit?
Impossible.
Ordinary beast blood could trigger martial breakthroughs.
This was the essence of a pinnacle predator.
Unless—
was it only usable by martial cultivators?
If so, had this beast—and their fallen men—died in vain?
Aether refused the thought.
"Circulate your power."
The Lector sighed, spreading his hand.
A sphere of deep violet Abyssal force swirled forth—
then collapsed in instability.
"A mistake?"
"No, Prince—I've always had perfect control…"
Confused, he tried again.
Then froze, clutching his stomach.
"Hot… here, in my lower abdomen…"
An Abyss Singer cried out in excitement:
"Not the abdomen, the dantian! The cultivators of the Immortal world store their strength there!"
Aether nodded slowly. Indeed—
even Khaenri'ahns possessed dantian.
The man collapsed to his knees, writhing.
"Hot—no, cold! No, it burns—!"
His screams split the cavern, his Abyssal power rampaging uncontrollably.
Aether's hand glowed with pure light, suppressing the surges each time.
And then—his body began to blur, faintly translucent.
At his core, that golden droplet spun—
drawing out thin threads of black miasma, then annihilating them.
Aether's eyes widened. He recognized that aura.
A voice rang out from the crowd:
"The Curse of Undeath! It's destroying the Curse of Undeath!"
Pandemonium.
Mages shoved forward, desperate to witness.
For five centuries, the curse had bound them in monstrous shells.
No agony compared.
And now—a single drop of beast essence was purging it.
Aether silenced them with a single command, his presence still absolute.
The writhing Lector was seized and held firm.
And all could see:
the golden blood mist revolving within his dantian,
devouring strands of the black curse,
settling into him as a crimson essence.
Cries of disbelief, then joy, spread like wildfire.
"It's true—the curse can be undone!"
"We're saved!"
"Father, Mother—look! It's possible!"
Some sobbed, some laughed, some soared skyward against orders—
but even Aether let them have this moment.
For Khaenri'ah, cursed existence was worse than death.
To regain humanity… was salvation itself.
At last, the Lector stilled.
The golden essence dissolved completely into mist.
A savage aura, sharp as a beast's fang, burst from him,
hurling back those restraining him.
Aether gripped his sword, wary—
had the essence warped his mind?
The man lifted his head, bloodlight in his eyes.
Aether tensed—
But then, the Lector dropped to one knee.
"My eternal gratitude, Your Highness.
Half my Curse of Undeath… has been purged!"
The Abyss erupted in deafening uproar.
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