"Huff~ Huff~"
Jiaoqiu panted heavily, cold sweat beading on his forehead. To an outsider, it would look as though he had just finished some backbreaking labor to end up this exhausted.
But it couldn't be helped. When a grand aspiration is finally held in one's hands, that is the moment when emotions take the strongest grip—no one could possibly stay calm. Even going mad from excitement wouldn't be out of the question.
That Jiaoqiu managed to let reason regain control in such a short time and forced himself to settle down was already a testament to his exceptional self-discipline.
He gripped his feather fan, gently fanning the air. Instead of immediately asking Shopkeeper Sylvester to confirm the memory bubble's power, he relied entirely on himself, trying with all his might to steady his emotions.
Don't panic, don't falter. Even if this memory bubble has nothing to do with the Renegade Immortals, you still have another path to take, and unfinished business yet to complete.
Whether it's the wish to cure General Feixiao's Moon Rage or the blood feud between the Borisin and the Foxians, your road is still long. Even if you must abandon medicine for poison to slaughter the Borisin faster, you cannot fall into madness. That would destroy you!
After a long while, he rubbed his chest a few times and finally managed to break free from the grip of his emotions.
Gathering some strength, he forced a smile and said, "Shopkeeper Sylvester, please tell me what this item does."
Sylvester didn't answer immediately, for he had seen every detail of Jiaoqiu's movements.
That short sentence came out hollow and weak, as if all the energy had been drained from his body. His hands and feet had trembled for quite some time after obtaining the memory bubble.
And yet, he hadn't done any strenuous work at all—just the turmoil of emotion alone had drained his physical strength so severely.
What was worse, reason and madness were interwoven in Jiaoqiu's eyes; for now, they were merely balanced. He was still locked in a battle between sanity and hysteria.
Sylvester had heard of such cases before.
The tale of Pip's great expectations is a perfect example. Pip, a poor orphan boy raised by his harsh sister, suddenly learned he was to be lifted from his common life and made into a gentleman. After his deepest wish was unexpectedly granted, he was so intoxicated by his new status that he became a snob, looking down on his true friends. It was only after the shocking revelation that his fortune came from a lowly convict, and not the noble Miss Havisham, that he was jolted back to his senses.
Such people's emotions were already teetering on the brink of collapse. A single added shock, and madness could strike in an instant.
He sighed. He hadn't expected to witness someone nearly crushed by obsession right before his eyes.
Sylvester glanced at the system's notification and fell into thought.
[Memory Bubble of the Spirit Butterfly Alchemist:A record of the alchemical knowledge belonging to the greatest female alchemist of another world. It is said that her mastery in pill refinement could rival one of the three strongest beings of her world—one of whom bore the title "Flame Emperor." Upon use, the user gains the complete alchemical formulae and understanding of alchemy belonging to the Spirit Butterfly Alchemist. Even with materials from this world, one could reproduce her elixirs.]
Tsk. Sylvester secretly clicked his tongue.
This wasn't the inheritance of a Renegade Immortal at all. In fact, it was the long-lost medical legacy Jiaoqiu had sought for so many years.
Wouldn't this just lock his heart's obsession even tighter?
If he lost control and went mad right here, Sylvester truly wouldn't have the face to see Feixiao again.
A perfectly composed, cool, narrow-eyed fox with pink fur—if this trip turned him into a wild-eyed, crazed one, it'd be embarrassing even if it wasn't exactly Sylvester's fault.
Staring at Jiaoqiu's face, Sylvester made a silent decision.
If the fox truly couldn't handle the shock, then he'd have to take one for the team—become Jiaoqiu's "father-in-law," so to speak—and, like the ancients, slap him back to his senses.
Jiaoqiu, feeling Sylvester's gaze, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, freezing all the way to the base of his tail.
What's going on? Why's he looking at me like that? Don't tell me I got his shop's most prized treasure and now he's about to lash out in regret?
He looked down at the memory bubble in his hand, scratching his head in confusion.
That didn't make sense. He had personally explained what the Renegade Immortals were just minutes ago—why would he suddenly regret it now?
Even if, for argument's sake, this really is a top-tier purple Curio, there's no reason to react like this—he's sold several golden ones already!
Jiaoqiu didn't notice that Sylvester's piercing look had interrupted his emotional high at its peak.
His blood flow slowed, and his brain, unable to adjust, went momentarily blank. His vision dimmed as his body staggered backward uncontrollably.
Qingque, who had been recording on the side, immediately stood and helped him into a seat in the rest area.
"Honestly, and you call yourself a medic? You're in worse shape than me. Who's gonna believe you can heal anyone like this?"
Jiaoqiu slumped into the chair, tried to steady himself but failed, then forced a bitter smile. "I've made a fool of myself before Miss Qingque and Shopkeeper Sylvester."
"This is a good thing," Sylvester said coolly.
At that moment, although Jiaoqiu was still weak, his eyes had regained their clarity. Clearly, Sylvester's earlier killing intent had been sensed by instinct, forcing Jiaoqiu's attention to shift toward his own safety—snapping him out of his obsessive trance.
Looking regretfully at his right hand, which had been eager to act, Sylvester shook his head helplessly.
The heavens are so unfair. I just wanted to give him a good slap! Not even that wish gets granted?
After muttering this complaint to himself, he finally relaxed enough to explain the Curio.
"Mr. Jiaoqiu, congratulations—your medical arts are about to make a tremendous leap forward."
A smile appeared on his face as he said, "This memory bubble comes from a powerful woman known as the 'Spirit Butterfly Alchemist.' Her mastery of alchemy was unmatched among all. Her most potent elixir can boost an Emanator's strength by several degrees. For the top Pathstriders, it greatly enhances their power—enough to break free from an Aeon's shackles and become a Crownless Emanator."
"To grant a Pathstrider the strength of an Emanator…"
Jiaoqiu raised his hand, staring at the memory bubble on it.
To be honest, this Curio was absolutely first-class. If such an elixir could be mass-produced, the Xianzhou would become an unmatched power across the cosmos.
The High Lords and Sword Champions of the Hexafleet were already among the top Pathstriders—if they could all ascend to the level of an Emanator, then…
At the very least, the Xianzhou would boast double digits worth of Emanators! If the elixir were even stronger, creating a hundred pseudo-Emanators—what a terrifying sight that would be!
Anyone who dared invade the Xianzhou Alliance would, upon imagining such power, find their scalp tingling and retreat in terror.