The false Yetao gently expelled himself from Bambam's embrace, his expression carefully arranged into one of mild discomfort.
"I need to cultivate for a bit," he said with a forced smile. "Holding your heart scale within me is proving more challenging than expected."
As he turned to leave, Bambam caught his wrist. "Wait..."
The doppelganger paused, tension rippling through his frame.
"So you're the one who took it yesterday?" Relief washed over Bambam's features. "I was going insane thinking I'd lost it."
Bambam's fingers moved toward the cracked pearl pendant hanging from the impostor's neck. In an instant, the false Yetao's hand shot out, violently knocking Bambam's touch away. His entire body trembled with barely contained rage at the attempted contact.
The sudden, visceral rejection struck Bambam like a physical blow. He slowly withdrew his hand, misinterpreting the reaction as lingering resentment over Zihao's death. Guilt clouded his features as his gaze dropped to the floor.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice thick with emotion. "You can keep it with yourself. After all... even Thio liked you more than me."
He forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes, the pain behind it obvious despite his attempt to hide it.
The doppelganger stared at Bambam with an expression of fierce intensity, then turned abruptly and strode from the chambers without another word.
Outside in the corridor, he paused at the closed door, glancing back with smoldering hatred. "The audacity you have to touch this precious thing..." he whispered, his voice trembling with rage.
With visible effort, he composed himself, a cruel smile playing across his lips. "I'll enhance my parasite quickly and enjoy your suffering sooner" With renewed purpose, he glided away toward his private chambers to continue his dark work.
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Within the sealed barrier on the secluded hillside, Yetao had collapsed into despair, his tears flowing unchecked as thoughts of Xiong's fate tormented him.
"Taotao..." Barcode gently cupped Yetao's tear-stained cheeks, forcing Yetao to meet his gaze. "This is the time you must be strong."
The young wolf's eyes shone with determination beyond his years. "I will do anything to get you out of this... just as you once did for me."
Yetao's sobs quieted at the boy's resolute tone. Barcode pulled away slightly and began searching through his sleeves, eventually producing several luminous herbs that pulsed with faint spiritual energy.
Yetao's eyes widened in surprise.
"Remember when I told you the wolf clan's specialty is medicine?" Barcode explained with quiet confidence. "I always carry medicinal and spiritual herbs with me."
The boy selected one of the glowing plants and infused it with a measure of his own spiritual power. Before Yetao's astonished eyes, the herb began to twitch and then rise, moving of its own accord.
Barcode whispered an incantation over the animated plant, and it slowly drifted toward the barrier's edge. To Yetao's amazement, the tiny herb slipped through the magical wall that held them captive.
"The barrier can't detect a life force from the plant. This is a method Jeff-gege's mother taught me when I was small," Barcode explained. "Spiritual herbs can be activated by feeding them a little spiritual power. I used to send herbs like these to cheer up Jeff-gege when he was being scolded by his father. He never knew I was the one sending them back then, but he'll surely recognize and follow one if he sees it now."
Hope flickered across Yetao's features, though it dimmed slightly as they watched the herb drift unsteadily on a passing breeze.
"Although..." Barcode forced a smile, "it might be rather slow."
The herb wobbled uncertainly in the air before being caught by a stronger gust that carried it away from their intended direction. Both captives watched in dismay as their messenger disappeared from view.
Sighing, Barcode turned his attention back to their immediate situation. He carefully selected more herbs from his collection, grinding and mixing them with practiced movements before offering the resulting paste to Yetao.
"Eat this and try to cultivate your base while we wait for Jeff-gege," he instructed. "You could disappear at any moment in your current state. Who knows? With all five heart scales within you, we might even break this barrier ourselves."
Each and every second is precious to him. But he needed to organise his thoughts and find a way out of this. Yetao accepted the medicine and swallowed it without hesitation. Closing his eyes, he began the careful process of cultivation, drawing what little spiritual energy remained within him into a tighter, more concentrated form. He needed strength for whatever trials lay ahead.
[System Notice: Countdown - 02:15:12:37]
The enchanted herb meandered through the palace grounds with agonizing slowness. Carried by unpredictable winds, it tumbled over trees, skimmed across pond surfaces, brushed against garden benches, and drifted over ornate bridges. The tiny messenger even traversed the entire roof of the guest pavilion in its erratic journey.
As evening descended, the herb finally reached Jeff's chambers, only to become trapped when Jeff himself opened his window to gaze at the rising moon. Lost in deep contemplation, Jeff stared skyward, oblivious to the small plant struggling against the window frame just inches below his line of sight.
The herb squirmed ineffectually, unable to catch Jeff's attention as he remained transfixed by the luminous orb hanging in the night sky. Hours passed, and still the vital message remained undelivered.
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Deep in a distant forest, Xiong clung to the last fragments of his spiritual power, fighting to preserve the spark of life within his damaged core. Sweat poured from his body as he battled against the spreading corruption.
Beside him, Dorn continued to channel what little remained of his own depleted energy into his friend, despite knowing he was pushing himself to the brink of collapse.
Xiong, even in his desperate state, couldn't bear to watch his closest friend sacrifice himself. With a sudden burst of his remaining strength, he broke free from Dorn's grasp and staggered toward a nearby cliff edge.
Dorn instantly understood Xiong's intent. With no spiritual power left to transform into his wyvern form and fly, Xiong was attempting to take his own life rather than burden his friend further.
"Stop right there, Xiong!" Dorn screamed, summoning his last reserves to conjure a magical thread. He cast it toward Xiong, but the golden strand fell pathetically short, dissipating before it could reach its target.
Xiong stood swaying at the precipice, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth as he turned to face his friend one last time.
"Dorn... thank you for putting up with me all these years," he called out, his voice strained and weak.
"Shut your stupid mouth or I'll kill you myself!" Dorn yelled, tears streaming down his face as he tried desperately to close the distance between them.
A sad smile crossed Xiong's pale features, and he chuckled. "I'll kill myself and free you off the burden, Dorn."
As Dorn lunged forward, still several paces away, Xiong gazed up at the star-filled sky. "Maybe I'll finally have more time to sleep now," he murmured, and stepped backward into empty air.
"XIONG!!!"
Dorn's anguished scream echoed across the valley, so powerful it seemed to shake the very hillside. Birds erupted from nearby trees in startled flocks as the raw emotion of his cry reverberated through the night air.
Collapsing to his knees, Dorn stared into the abyss—only to hear the powerful beating of massive wings. Looking up through tear-blurred vision, he saw an enormous phoenix ascending from the darkness, Xiong's limp form clutched safely in its talons.
The magnificent creature deposited Xiong's body gently on the ground before Dorn and transformed in a swirl of golden flames, revealing he man with fierce eyes that now blazed with anger.
"Oscar?" Relief washed over Dorn's features. "How did you—"
Before he could finish, Oscar knelt swiftly beside Xiong, performed a quick sealing technique to preserve his last remnants of spiritual energy, then grabbed him roughly by the collar.
"What kind of dramatic performance was that supposed to be?" Oscar demanded, fury evident in every syllable. "If you had simply told me from the beginning, or just come to me after being injured like any sensible person would, couldn't I have done something about it?"
He roughly shoved Xiong back to the ground, towering over him. "What would have happened if I'd arrived even one second later?"
As Xiong stared at the ground in shame, Dorn reached out to intervene, only to have his hand knocked away.
"Did you think you were such a great hero that you could handle everything alone?" Oscar continued his tirade. "What are friends for? Decoration? Did your brain cease functioning? What exactly is your head used for besides holding up your hair? Is it also for decoration?"
He crouched to bring his face level with Xiong's downcast eyes. "Remember this," he growled, "if you ever pull such a stunt again, I'll personally behead you and hang your skull on the palace walls as a decoration. Do you understand?"
Thoroughly intimidated, Xiong swallowed hard and nodded.
Oscar's expression instantly transformed into a warm smile as he ruffled Xiong's hair affectionately. "Now that's how a good boy should answer."
Xiong blinked in confusion at the sudden mood shift while Dorn wiped away his tears, relief washing over his exhausted features.
"Did you really need to threaten a dying kid?" A new voice joined them as Lucas appeared, panting from exertion. "Did your old age affect you? Where are the comforting words in all that bluster?"
Both Dorn and Xiong stared in confusion at the new arrivals.
"How did you two find us?" Xiong asked weakly.
Lucas moved to Dorn's side, offering quiet support. "I was updating Oscar on everything you told me. I figured having more allies would be better than trying to handle this crisis alone and—"
"And then," Oscar interrupted with a playful smile, "we spotted an injured idiot flying through the sky with Dorn. The idiot's energy depletion was visible even from a distance. We wondered why the idiot was fleeing instead of seeking refuge in the palace. Maybe because it was an idiot, after all", Oscar kept smiling throughout criticising Xiong.
Xiong flinched at the criticism. "I... I thought I'd put Jeff-gege in danger," he admitted quietly. "I don't know what other tricks that doppelganger might have. At the time... it seemed like the best option."
Hearing his reason, Oscar sighed heavily and placed a reassuring hand on Xiong's shoulder. "We'll determine what constitutes danger for ourselves. Don't try to play hero next time—depend on us. Do you think Jeff-gege would be happy if you sacrificed yourself for his sake?"
Xiong remained silent, unable to answer.
"So," Oscar asked, his tone growing serious, "what exactly happened to leave you in this condition?"
Xiong's head snapped up as memories flooded back. "Yetao...", he stuttered, "he's been captured."
The color drained from Lucas's face. "What?" he whispered, horror evident in his voice. "No..."
Lucas turned to rush back toward the palace, but Oscar's firm grip on his shoulder stopped him.
"What did I just say about acting alone?" Oscar's voice held a warning. "Think before you move."
The implied message was clear—they would face this threat together. Lucas reluctantly nodded his agreement as darkness settled completely around them.
[System Notice: Countdown - 02:09:45:21]
Golden rays of dawn filtered through the eastern windows, bathing Jeff's chambers in warm light. The dragon lord stirred beneath silk sheets, his eyelids fluttering against the morning radiance. With a soft groan, he pushed himself upright and padded to the window that had allowed the intrusive sunbeams entry.
"Did I leave this open last night?" he murmured, reaching to secure the latch.
As the window frame narrowed to its final closing position, the tiny enchanted herb—which had spent the entire night trapped in desperate stillness—seized its opportunity. It slipped through the diminishing gap and launched itself directly at Jeff's face with surprising force.
The spiritual plant smacked against his cheek with an unceremonious splat.
"What in the—" Jeff recoiled, his hand rising instinctively to swat away the offending object. Nothing could have prepared him for the shock of seeing the tiny herb wave in deliberate, sentient movements.
With a startled cry, Jeff flung the plant away from him, his eyes wide with disbelief. The herb tumbled through the air before landing on the polished floor, where it began to squirm and writhe with clear purpose, inching toward the door.
Jeff stared at the animated plant, recognition slowly dawning in his eyes. "This..." he whispered, memories surfacing from his childhood—mysterious plants that would appear when he was being disciplined by his father, offering strange comfort in moments of distress.
His initial shock faded to curiosity. Following an instinct he couldn't fully explain, Jeff knelt down and extended his palm. The herb eagerly climbed onto his hand, its movements becoming more agitated as if conveying urgency.
"You want me to follow you?" Jeff asked, feeling somewhat foolish for speaking to a plant.
The herb trembled in what seemed like affirmation.
With a sigh that masked his growing concern, Jeff dressed quickly and followed the persistent plant as it guided him through the palace grounds. It led him past the gardens, beyond the training fields, and up the secluded hill behind the main compound.
As they approached the summit, the herb suddenly darted forward and vanished into thin air several paces ahead of him.
Jeff halted abruptly. His eyes narrowed as he extended his spiritual senses, immediately detecting the shimmering disturbance in the natural flow of energy around him.
"A barrier?" His expression darkened, indignation rising within him. "In my own territory? Who would dare?"
The offense was personal—a violation of both his authority and hospitality. Drawing himself to his full height, Jeff channeled his spiritual energy into his fingertips, which began to glow with crackling power. With practiced movements, he traced ancient runes in the air before him, his gaze focused on the invisible wall that had swallowed the herb.
He thrust both hands forward in a powerful gesture. The barrier briefly materialized—a dome of swirling dark energy—before shattering like glass under the force of his spiritual attack. Fragments of dark magic dissipated into the morning air, revealing what had been hidden within. Jeff was shocked to see both Yetao and Barcode to be confined in it that his hands clenched in fury, "Who had the audacity?", Jeff's trembling voice in fury made Barcode to be worried and explain some things to him.
[System Notice: Countdown - 01:23:43:19]
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At a distance in the guest chambers, the false Yetao sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by small bowls containing noxious substances. Dark energy swirled around him as he perfected his deadly parasite, his concentration absolute.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, pupils contracting to pinpoints as he sensed the distant disruption.
"My barrier..." he hissed, rising to his feet in a single fluid motion. The bowls surrounding him rattled with the force of his anger.
"Why are they all so insufferably annoying?" he snarled, sweeping his robes around him as he strode toward the door.
Without bothering to conceal his departure, the doppelganger moved swiftly through the palace corridors. His normally careful façade of gentle mannerisms abandoned in his haste to reach the hill where he had imprisoned the real Yetao and Barcode.
Behind him, the unfinished parasite pulsed with malevolent energy in its container, awaiting its master's return to release it that would bring Bambam's demise.
[System Notice: Countdown - 01:23:29:15]