Fu Xuan didn't gulp the potion down in one go. Instead, like one would cautiously sip a strong liquor, she took a small taste, holding it in her mouth to feel the peculiar force within.
The moment the potion touched flesh, it vaporized instantly. A fierce, domineering energy surged wildly inside her mouth, bringing with it waves of searing pain.
Everyone watched her every movement in tense silence. Though her gradual approach was wise, none dared relax their vigilance in the face of such an unknown elixir.
Feixiao opened a small ornate metal box she carried and took out the [Resurrection Elixir]. If something went wrong, she would snatch Fu Xuan's soul back from the hands of the underworld itself.
Jing Yuan felt a pang of regret. He should have reminded her to prepare the [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet – Vav] beforehand. Now that she was already absorbing the potion's power, any reckless contact could trigger disaster.
Everyone forced themselves to stay calm, though their hearts thudded in panic.
Whether she reached the level of an Emanator or not, she had to survive this.
Fu Xuan closed her eyes and sat cross-legged on the floor. Gathering her Pathstrider energy, she contained the rampaging force into a single sphere, refining and compressing it before slowly guiding it through her meridians.
The potion's power was indeed overwhelming. Even after refinement, it still made her veins swell with unbearable heat. Yet once absorbed, the heightened flow of Pathstrider energy brought a strange, euphoric clarity.
Amidst the mingled sensations of pain and exhilaration, Fu Xuan managed to absorb a small portion of the potion.
She exhaled a thick, misty breath of turbid energy.
Raising her hand, a brilliant violet light gathered in her palm. She nodded in satisfaction. That tiny sip had already increased her strength by nearly twenty percent. If she drank the whole vial, reaching Emanator level was no mere dream!
She smiled at the others. "It's not as terrifying as I imagined."
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the room. The tension eased.
Jing Yuan nodded and finally sat down, reassured.
The Xianzhou Luofu couldn't afford to lose another general—least of all their Master Diviner. With Fu Xuan's power enhanced, her computational foresight would surely improve as well.
Perhaps she might even rival the mighty General Yaoguang of Yuque one day. Either way, it was a blessing for Luofu.
But just as the atmosphere began to relax, Jiaoqiu suddenly shouted, "Not good! The potion's decomposition is accelerating after exposure to air!"
"Huh?!"
The sudden outcry shattered the calm.
Jing Yuan, who had only just sat down, sprang to his feet. He looked closely—sure enough, small bubbles had begun forming in the potion, and the liquid around them was turning cloudy.
His brows knitted tightly.
What to do? Let the potion spoil? Such potential power was right before them—what a waste to lose it now.
Yet if she drank it all, could Fu Xuan's body withstand it? The tiny sip she'd taken barely moved the vial's scale!
"Can't you just seal it up?" Moze blurted out, grasping at straws.
Jiaoqiu, clearly flustered, snapped back, "Of course not! It's like a head—you can't just cut it off and stick it back on!"
His brow furrowed deeper as he gritted his teeth. "Once decomposition starts, it's irreversible—and only accelerates from here."
The implication was clear. To preserve the potion's potency, there was only one option: drink it all.
"Master Diviner, don't be reckless! With Luofu's resources, we can gather the ingredients for another batch. If you're uncertain, let this one go!"
In that instant, Jing Yuan made his decision.
It was better to take the safe path than gamble everything on a single chance.
Feixiao quickly agreed. "He's right. In the end, it's still medicine—something that can be remade!"
Fu Xuan narrowed her eyes at the test tube in her hand.
Even if they could make another, what difference would it make? Someone would still have to drink it in the end. If she backed down now, would she have the courage to face it again tomorrow?
With that thought, her resolve hardened. She unfastened the antique pistol at her waist and tossed it toward Jing Yuan.
"General, if something happens to me, don't waste the General Yueyu's divine pill on me."
Without a moment's hesitation, she lifted the vial and drank it all down in one swift motion—so quickly that no one even had time to utter a word.
"Master Diviner!"
Jing Yuan grabbed the [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet – Vav], but before he could say another word, he froze.
Fu Xuan had already fallen into deep meditation, seated cross-legged, palms upturned toward the heavens.
In the next instant, her expression twisted in agony—something even the process of receiving Nous's Third Eye had never caused. She was clearly enduring indescribable pain.
Jing Yuan slammed his fist into his thigh. There was no turning back now. He paced anxiously before suddenly stopping, turning toward her with a complicated gaze.
Master Diviner, you must endure this trial. Luofu can't wait for me to train Yanqing into a general before losing you.
Feixiao watched him silently and sighed.
Aside from Luofu's future, nothing else could ever shake the General's composure like this.
This time, Fu Xuan couldn't keep the potion in her mouth.
The liquid rushed straight into her abdomen, surging toward her dantian, before violently spreading through every limb and vein! Her instinctive attempts to restrain it were utterly useless!
Damn it!
Even after overestimating the potion's power, she had still miscalculated. The vast force inside her rampaged like a cosmic storm, threatening to tear her apart. If she didn't suppress it now, she truly would burst apart and die!
"Matrix of Prescience—!"
Fu Xuan clenched her teeth; the words that would normally ring clear barely escaped her throat as a strangled whisper.
A violet array flared beneath her, her entire Pathstrider energy erupting at once, forming a dense network inside her body to resist the invasive power.
But the potion's energy seemed almost sentient.
It avoided her defenses entirely—gathering at one point before bursting through her barriers and scattering again. One surge struck directly at her heart.
"Pff!" Fu Xuan doubled over, bracing herself weakly with both arms as a mouthful of bright crimson blood splattered to the ground.
"Master Diviner!"
Jing Yuan immediately recognized the blood—it was from the heart itself. Even under normal circumstances, that was no minor wound. He knew exactly what it meant.
He rushed forward instinctively to steady her—but stopped himself midway, afraid to interfere and cause greater harm.
After a brief hesitation, he raised the [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet – Vav] and aimed it at his own head.
No more waiting—another second could be too late!
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Fu Xuan's hoarse voice rang out: "No! There's still a chance!"
Because she had just realized—the force that struck her heart… had been absorbed!