Jiaoqiu smiled faintly and said, "Besides, is letting someone stand shoulder to shoulder with an Emanator really such an unbelievable thing?"
Nonsense!
Feixiao couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
It seemed her subordinate had truly untied the knot in his heart.
That expression of his was nothing like before—gone was the calm surface hiding turbulent thoughts. If it were the past, he'd never have spoken with such arrogance.
She had no idea how that guy Sylvester managed to persuade him. He'd only gone out for a short while, and yet he'd caught the same kind of madness.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with an Emanator was a small thing now? Then what did that make Jing Yuan, a proper Emanator?
Something just slightly bigger than a small thing, maybe?
'Slightly bigger than a small thing...' Jing Yuan stood still like a pine, staring wordlessly at Jiaoqiu.
Did he truly not understand what it meant for an alchemic concoction to elevate someone to the level of an Emanator?
This was the domain of THEIR divine will!
Even if one remained a mere mortal, this was a field no human could ever touch!
THEY chose mortals as THEIR messengers, granting them authority and might—thus Emanators were made!
The Aeon of Destruction's Emanators surpassed others only slightly, because Nanook personally commanded them to enact THEIR will.
Yet even THEY could not create THEIR own kind, nor did THEY have the right to choose candidates!
What an Emanator possessed was not merely vast Pathstrider power, but a sublime understanding of the Path itself.
Jiaoqiu, with his ordinary mortal body and without the permission of any Aeon—how could he create an Emanator?
No matter how rare the herbs, how potent the concoction, how could mere medicine push someone to the very depths of a Path?
It was completely illogical.
"Is this matter really that shocking?" Jiaoqiu tilted his head slightly, his expression calm.
Jing Yuan pondered for a moment before concluding, "A fantasy fit for bedtime tales."
Jiaoqiu countered, "Then what of Sylvester's Resurrection Elixir? The golden Curios? How do you explain those?"
"This…" Jing Yuan was momentarily speechless.
Indeed, if such feats were impossible, then what of all the miraculous items Sylvester had produced?
That was why Jing Yuan had once suspected Sylvester to be an Emanator of Aha, the Aeon of Elation. His origins were a mystery; if one day he claimed to be an Aeon, Jing Yuan wouldn't even be surprised.
But Jiaoqiu was plainly an ordinary foxian. He…
No—wait!
That wasn't the point. What mattered now was whether the potion inside that test tube could truly do what Jiaoqiu claimed.
In that instant, Jing Yuan felt his mind break free from its own paradox.
If it really could…
To seize the authority of an Aeon—could that truly be a bad thing?
Having reached that conclusion, Jing Yuan's brows eased, and he returned to his usual, faintly lazy demeanor.
He spoke directly, "Mr. Jiaoqiu, have you decided who will be the test subject?"
"Since I've invited everyone here, naturally the candidate must be one among us," Jiaoqiu replied with a smile. "But first, there's something you should know. This potion, unlike a gift from THEIR, requires the drinker to possess considerable strength. Otherwise, they might be overwhelmed by its power—burst apart into a heap of flesh and blood."
That statement, though grim, oddly put everyone more at ease.
Now that made sense—unlike divine power, alchemy could never be flawless.
Feixiao nodded quietly.
She said, "Jing Yuan and I are out. Even if we could handle the potion's energy, it wouldn't change much for us—hardly representative."
From the shadows, Moze finally spoke after remaining silent. "The duty of protecting the General is paramount. I dare not take such a risk with an untested potion."
Gongshu adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses. "My strength is even weaker. If this thing truly makes people explode, then this old man would be providing the worst possible demonstration."
Everyone voiced their stance one after another, until only one person remained silent.
Fu Xuan stared at the small test tube, her Third Eye glimmering as she calculated outcomes, weighing every possible result.
All eyes turned toward the petite woman. Indeed, among everyone present, none were more suitable than her.
Yet with death itself looming as a risk, none dared urge her to volunteer. They simply waited in silence.
Fearing she might feel pressured into drinking it, Jing Yuan spoke to ease her burden. "This matter is of great importance. Acting rashly would be reckless. Let's return to the Seat of Divine Foresight and consult the roster of all Pathstriders in Luofu. We'll take our time to find someone suitable and prepare properly to minimize the risks."
Feixiao agreed at once; Jing Yuan's proposal was clearly the safest course.
The others also had no objection.
Only Jiaoqiu's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of unease flickering there—not from impatience, but because...
"No! Now is the perfect time." Fu Xuan's delicate hand cut through the air, halting Jing Yuan's order to withdraw.
"I just examined the potion with my Third Eye," she said, locking eyes with Jiaoqiu, her tone steady. "And I discovered something—the potion won't last long, will it?"
It could expire?
No one had expected that. They all turned toward Jiaoqiu, waiting for his answer.
Jiaoqiu sighed lightly. "You're right. To produce it quickly, I didn't refine it into a pill but made it as a liquid."
He swirled the glass tube. The liquid inside grew murky, then quickly cleared again before their eyes.
"Though more convenient, the potion's preservation requirements are extremely strict. For now, its stability depends on a rare ingredient that maintains its balance—but by tonight, its components will begin to decompose rapidly. How much potency will remain afterward, I can't say."
He added, "And this isn't the original pill formula but a potion made from its pharmacology. The original recipe is far beyond my skill. Even with all my experience, I couldn't match every herb's grade precisely. Its effect is already diluted—and if it expires, then all my years of effort will have been for nothing."
"How could that be?" Jing Yuan's calm finally cracked.
Everyone seemed unsettled.
Fu Xuan, however, nodded slowly. "As I thought."
She stepped up to Jiaoqiu. "I'll ask you just one thing. That warning about bursting apart and dying—is it written in the original formula, or did Sylvester himself say so?"
"It's in the formula." Jiaoqiu handed the test tube to Fu Xuan, then stepped aside.
No one spoke again. They cleared the space, giving her silence and room.
There was no better choice now.
"Fu Xuan, don't worry and drink it," Feixiao said resolutely. "Worst case, I'll just use that [Resurrection Elixir] on you."
Fu Xuan smiled faintly and bowed. "Thank you, General Feixiao. But that won't be necessary."
Even so, to say she wasn't nervous would be a lie.
She looked at the small test tube in her hand and took a deep breath.
Imagining herself torn apart, her head bursting under the potion's force, her body shredded into pieces—she muttered softly, 'Burst apart and die, huh…'
That outcome was indeed terrifying—revivable or not, it would leave a memory to haunt the soul.
But she wasn't weak. Her strength in Luofu was well known; there was hardly a more fitting candidate short of an Emanator.
And becoming General was her lifelong dream. If this potion could truly grant Emanator-level power, it would be a tremendous step toward that goal.
At the very least, there was still one final assurance—Sylvester never spoke empty words. If the danger were truly that great, he would have warned them.
For some reason…
As she stared at the curious potion born from that trash can shop, it almost felt like Sylvester himself was challenging her.
Fu Xuan chuckled softly. "Afraid of you? Hardly. I'll drink it right now."
Pop—the cork came free from the test tube's mouth. Fu Xuan lifted her elegant, swan-like neck and drank the potion down in one smooth motion.